The Amber Sword - Fei Yan

1
Table of Contents
Chapter 0
Monologue
Chapter 1 - Volume 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Chapter 434 - Volume 3 Chapter 213
20
21
Chapter 460 - v3c239
22
23
Chapter 506 - v3c285 - Exposed?
Chapter 507 - v3c286 - Conflict
Chapter 508 - v3c287 - The Princess and the Knight
Chapter 509 - v3c288 - Nine Luminaries Sword Art
Chapter 510 - v3c289 The Passage of Time
Chapter 511 - v3c290 The Meetup
Chapter 512 - v3c291 The First Confrontation
Chapter 513 - v3c292 The Evident Changes
Chapter 515 - v3c294 The Brewing Storm
Chapter 516 - v3c295 Future Star
Chapter 517 - v3c296 Operation Commences!
Chapter 518 - v3c297 A Message From the North
Chapter 519 - v3c298p1 Vortex(1)
Chapter 520 - v3c298p2
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Chapter 533 - /v3c310
Chapter 536 - v3c313 The Oath and the Sword(2)
Chapter 540 - v3c317 The Holy War(1)
25
Chapter 556 - 3c332p1
26
Chapter 574 - v3c344p2 The Abyss(2)
Chapter 580 - The Abyss(7)
Chapter 584 - v3c351 Requiem(1)
27
Chapter 603 - Requiem(18)
Chapter 611 - v3c376 Maynild’s Journey(1)
Chapter 612 - v3c377 Maynild’s Journey(2)
Chapter 613 - v3c378p1 Maynild’s Journey(3)
Chapter 614 - v3c378p2 Maynild’s Journey(3)
Chapter 615 - v4c1 Awaken
Chapter 618 - v4c3
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Chapter 619 - v4c4
Chapter 620 - v4c5
Chapter 621 - v4c6
Chapter 622 - v4c7 Deal(1)
Chapter 623 - v4c8 Deal(2)
Chapter 624 - v4c9 Flow of Darkness
Chapter 625 - v4c10 Devil
Chapter 626 - v4c11 Crystallization
Chapter 627 - v4c12 Siblings (1)
Chapter 628 - v4c13 Siblings(2)
Chapter 633 - v4c18 May: History & Visitation
Chapter 634 - v4c19 -The Holy Lance of Heaven(1)
Chapter 635 - v4c20 The Holy Lance of Heaven(2)
Chapter 639 - v4c24
Chapter 641 - v4c26
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Chapter 642 - v4c27 The Princess and the Princess (1)
Chapter 643 - v4c28 The Princess and the Princess (2)
Chapter 644 - v4c29p1 The Princess and Princess(3)
Chapter 645 - v4c29p2 The Princess and Princess(3)
Chapter 646 - v4c30 Another Chance(1
Chapter 647 - v4c31 Another Chance(2)
Chapter 648 - v4c32Another Chance(3)
Chapter 652 - v4c36 Gateway Elements?(1)
Chapter 653 - 4c37 Gateway Elements?(2)
Chapter 654 - v4c38 Dominance Over all Professions(1)
Chapter 655 - v4c39 Dominance Over all Profession(2)
Chapter 656 - Dominance Over all Profession(3)
Chapter 657 - v4c41 Dominance Over All Profession(4)
Chapter 658 - v4c42 Dominance Over All Profession(5)
Chapter 659 - v4c43 Dominance Over all Profession (6)
Chapter 660 - Dominance Over All Profession (7)
Chapter 661 - The Growth of Valhalla (1)
Chapter 662 - v4c46p1 The Growth of Valhalla (2)
Chapter 663 - v4c46p2 The Growth of Valhalla (3)
Chapter 664 - Long Road, Fragments of the Past (1)
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Chapter 665 - v4c48p1 Long Road, Fragments of the Past (2)
Chapter 666 - v4c48p2 Long Road, Fragments of the Past (3)
Chapter 667 - v4c49 Long Road, Fragments of the Past (4)
Chapter 670 - v4c52 == Long Road, Fragments of the Past (7)
Chapter 671 - Long Road, Fragments of the Past (8)
Chapter 672 - v4c54 The Crystal Stag
Chapter 673 - v4c55 Spells of the Ice Fairies
Chapter 674 - Elemental Activation (1)
Chapter 675 - v4c57 Elemental Activation (2)
Chapter 677 - v4c59 Elemental Activation (4)
Chapter 679 - v4c61p1 Elemental Activation (6)
Chapter 680 - v4c61p2 Elemental Activation (7)
Chapter 681 - v4c62 Payment for the Mission(1)
Chapter 682 - Payment for the Mission (2)
Chapter 683 - v4c63p2 Payment for the Mission (2)
Chapter 684 - v4c64 Before Departure
Chapter 685 - v4c65 The Hunter Siblings(1)
Chapter 686 - v4c66 The Hunter Siblings (2)
Chapter 687 - v4c67 The Hunter Siblings(3)
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Chapter 688 - v4c68 Milos' Breath
Chapter 689 - v4c69p1 The Mage Tower
Chapter 690 - v4c69p2 The Mage Tower
Chapter 692 - v4c70p2 A New Member Enters The Fray!
Chapter 693 - v4c71 Haruz's Battle
Chapter 694 - v4c72 Farming Mobs?
Chapter 695 - v4c73 The Mage Tower
Chapter 696 - v4c74 Legacy of the Skeleton (1)
Chapter 699 - v4c77 The Lost Name (1)
Chapter 702 - v4c80 A Ball In The Past(1)
Chapter 703 - A Ball in the Past (2)
Chapter 704 - v4c82 A Ball In the Past(3)
Chapter 705 - A Ball In the Past(4)
Chapter 706 - v4c84 A Ball In the Past(5)
Chapter 707 - v4c85 A Ball from the Past(6)
Chapter 708 - v4c86 Salvation (1)
Chapter 709 - Salvation(2)
Chapter 710
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Chapter 711 - v4c88p2 Salvation(3)
Chapter 712 - v4c89 Salvation(4)
Chapter 713 - v4c90 Salvation(5)
Chapter 714 - 4c91 The End of the Dream
Chapter 715 - v4c92 Wave of a Thousand Years
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Chapter 0
34
Monologue

The militia’s non-commissioned officer did not lie to me. With the necessary experience it can save you at
the critical juncture.
If it was not that month’s training, that seemingly unavoidable sword that lunged towards me during my
deep sleep would have been fatal. My senses brought about something akin to a flash of electricity, which
tore me away from the deep sleep that I was in.
What greeted me during the moment when I open my eyes, is the reflection of a sharp long sword which
seemed to pierce my heart with a freezing chill.
It really makes my heart tremble!
To tell the truth, I do not know how I was able to react to that. Perhaps it was an instinct that was
developed from the long training, and I twist my head to the sides at the last instant, and that sword stabs
down and brushes past my ear.
I escape that in the nick of time.
Then I see the sword’s design embedded onto a metal plate amidst the shining light reflected from the
sword; the black rose that bloomed furiously, which can only be from Brumand.
I pause for a while before recognizing it.
“Madara’s undead troops!”
It is as if a bucket of water was thrown onto me, and I completely sober up, fucking hell, why are these
damn shit bastards appearing here?
I clearly remember I am taking my leave at the countryside Bucce. This land was left behind by my
grandfather, and I received my old man’s permission, and stayed here to take care of this old house.
My mother was a Kadireig, and it is probably the only bloodline within my body that is close to nobility.
On the other hand, my father was a traditional middle-aged ordinary miller, and he did not resemble my
grandfather who participated in the famous November’s war and received the Candlelight emblem.
And I, am simply an ordinary youth who can be found anywhere within the kingdom. My biggest dream is
to join the army or go out to adventure, and bring back great wealth.
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Then perhaps at the end of things, I will find a beautiful wife to spend my life with, a perfect life indeed!
But I am digressing. Right beside my bed is a fearful undead trying to kill me, and it made my heart pulse
with dread. Fortunately the things that my instructor taught me back in the days still remained in my
mind, and are not forgotten because of my panicked thoughts. I recall in an instant that my sword is
placed beside my bed, but that skeleton will surely not let me have the chance to take it. I realize now that
this is a terrible habit, I must remember to put it below my pillow the next time.
These thoughts happen within moments.
I instinctively pounced towards the sides from the bed, and knocked that gleaming white skeleton onto
the floor. Right now I remember my instructor every sentence from my first combat lesson:
“Remember, these soldiers from Madara’s lowest ranks, solely use the ‘soul’s flames’ to move. They are
slow, lacking in intelligence and they are weak.”
But before I can recall everything, a huge force came from below, as if I am not restraining a skeleton but
a bull. In any case, a force that was beyond me threw me towards the sides, where I end up knocking onto
the shelves. I can hear the grating sound made from my bones and shelves that would have made people
pale. The intense pain throughout my body makes me grind my teeth, but I quickly shake that my dizzy
head as I still remember what I need to do. In my blurring vision, the skeleton has already gotten up and
intends to pull the sword that he stuck in.
His movements are apparently very rigid, but his strength has nothing to do with the words “weak” right?
But I turn my body and prepare to run as that bastard has already pulled out the sword and become a
dangerous existence again. And I know my strength is not his match, or perhaps even three of me would
not even make him ‘sweat’ one bit.
And the most important thing is I have no weapon.
He is in between my sword and I. Of course, I do believe that this is just a coincidence as skeletons do not
possess the intelligence.
I half crawled, half ran towards the door, but I am unable to restrain my voice when I approach near it.
“Fuck my luck!”
That is because the door is broken down before my eyes, and a ray of bright moonlight poured into the
house. It is certainly a artistic, picturesque moment, if it is not shining upon another white skeleton.
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I note that it is another lowly ranked Madara soldier, and in its hand is a firmly gripped steel longsword.
On its bones is armor made in the style of Madara, and on top of that it was wearing a black and heavy
helmet.
The most depressing thing, however, is the fact that it is using a pair of obsidian eye sockets with dancing
red flaming pupils to look at me.
Apparently I have been locked on as its target.
In front of me is a tiger and at my back is a wolf. This is certainly a bad omen.
Respected holy mother Marsha, I am unable to help myself but pray to my goddess in my heart. I am only
19 years old, I cannot simply die a dog’s death in a poor rural village.
That’s right, I have not even confessed to the girl I liked! The moment I think about that bewitching young
merchant girl, I feel my heart pounding even faster. Her home is just opposite to me, and I cannot let my
heart’s beloved fall into danger.
I quickly calm myself, and try to think of a way to escape. As my thoughts spin quickly, the teachings of
my instructor played out in my mind.
“You can fight battles only when you are calm!”
This way of thinking is certainly applicable to my situation, but my hands have no weapon! I can’t
possibly fight a wild animal with my bare fists right? I pant as I anxiously stick my back to the wall while
my eyes search desperately everywhere. Even though this old place is not a desolated hut, but the living
room has nothing that can be used as a makeshift weapon.
If only my grandfather is a high ranked noble. I had visited Earl Remington’s home, and their living room
was five times the size of this place, and there were many shields, swords and axes hung on the wall. If I
am there, I can surely find a weapon that suits me.
Furthermore, my skill with the sword is not bad at all. I am not bragging about this, that old instructor
personally commended me, and said I was the most outstanding out of that entire batch that time.
Even that bugger from Remington is not my match at all, although I’m envious of him to have a father
who is a prefect. If my father is also a prefect, I am definitely able to enter the garrison forces.
It is certainly pointless to talk about these though. In any case my sword is not reachable thanks to that
skeleton. Even though they cannot run and move rigidly, their speed is equivalent to a grown man.
If this happens on the training grounds I bet I can toy with them easily, but in this narrow space I’m going
to get cut down.
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As I mope around, the skeleton in my bedroom walks out, pauses for a while, then quickly walk towards
me. I subconsciously step backwards, and strike against something hard.
I quickly figure out that it should be a painting that is behind my back. This painting is passed down from
my grandfather’s generation, and it is a family heirloom. That cripple in the Black Pepper Street once
wanted to buy that painting with ten gold coins, but it was rejected by my father.
My father is a stubborn man, but I am not the same like him. I had frequently thought about selling this
painting if I reached my lowest point, buy a pretty horse, and go adventuring in the capital with that girl
with a merchant’s dream. If only I am not facing an event like this right now.
I have reached the end of the line, this family heirloom is going to save me right now. I turn around and
tore the painting with its wooden frame down. I can hardly care if I am going to ruin it even if it is worth
at least ten gold coins. I suspect it is worth even more, as that cripple in the Black Pepper Street is
reputed to be stingy.
Ten gold coins is a lot of money, the largest sum of money I have seen is only ten silver coins.
I cannot help but draw a deep breath, my hands are shivering like crazy. I prepare myself to throw the
painting at that frightening undead, and slip by it while it defends itself. I will get the sword next and
smash these two skeletons to bits with my sword skills.
Of course I can also use it as distraction and run to the streets. But I have no guarantee that the outside is
not crawling with this damn shit. Dashing outside empty handed is completely asking to be killed. So I
steeled my heart and find it is sometimes better to be braver.
Even though this is the more ideal outcome, perhaps it did not care at all and just eviscerates me, and I
can go meet Mother Marsha soon enough.
I cannot help but think whether they will give me a plague,
“Poor Brandel, he is so dead wrong.”
I shiver and shake my head to get rid of this horrifying thought. Cough cough cough, I am not going to die
like this.
I glance at the gray looking painting in my hands, seriously, is this worth ten gold pieces? I wonder if that
cripple will find it a pity if I throw this out?
That frightening undead is already before me, and I did not have the time to regret over the loss of ten
gold pieces and the chance to adventure with the merchant girl. I have thrown at it without thinking.
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My throw is strangely accurate, the painting flies towards the skeleton in a straight line. Damn, that
stupid bastard really raised its sword and strike that down. That grey painting went with a ‘pssszzt’ and
split into two.
What kind of ridiculous strength?! But the instructor did not lie, these skeletons are certainly lacking in
intelligence.
While my mind comments on the resulting events, I have already rushed out.
My bedroom is not far now, thank Mother Marsha, I only need to take a few more steps to be able to see
my sort peacefully lying there. That sword is also a family heirloom. My grandfather took it to battle, and
it was said that he was a squire to a knight who presented the sword to him.
This sword should be from Year 32. It has the emblem design of ivy on it, to commemorate the victory at
the highland fight in Grinoires.
That year, his majesty changed the knights’ longswords’ form, from two arms length to one and a half,
and the armguard’s bronze accessory was changed to common iron with ornamental designs. This was
done in order to adjust to the cost of ‘November War’ which was dragging on.
Indeed, this is a knight’s sword. Hmph, just wait till I get that sword.
“You fucking Madara shit bastards, you’re going to suffer now.”
Notes: Ch 0 is Brendel’s pov. I think he dies, actually.
If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter >
so we can fix it as soon as possible.
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Chapter 1 ‐ Volume 1
Chapter 1 – The person in the dream
“Warning: Severe hemorrhaging, Imminent death.”
“Warning: Heart function deteriorating, Imminent death.”
When Sophie woke up, his mind was still reverberating with the loud warning sounds after that dire
battle. It was a sound like a saber cutting across his mind again and again, causing him to have a splitting
headache. (TL: Yes, Sophie is male. Don’t look at me, that’s the author’s choice.)
That’s right, he remembered he should be in a game with his friends from ‘The godly force’ defending the
Orrgesh mountainous region against the Madara’s undead army. The ashen skies were howling with the
freezing winds, and uncountable shadow creatures were streaming down from the dagger-like mountain
peaks. The forces were without end in sight as if they were a black tidal wave. The huge army were
comprised of thousands of skeleton, and there necromancers hidden within them, as well as skeleton
dragons and blood curling wraiths circling in the sky.
Surround on all fronts, they were definitely doomed.
His first reaction was to curse in his heart, that bunch of twat bastards from ‘The flaming thorns’, never
mind their incompetence, they even had to dragged their allies down by allowing the enemies to
surround their rear, this was fucking horseshit!
He then finally had the heart to check his status. It was a delightful surprise to find that he did not die, as
the Madara army tended not to leave anyone alive. But he immediately creased his forehead. His injuries
were a little too ridiculous. Not only did his heart dealt a fatal blow, he even had carrion poisoning.
Wait, carrion poisoning?
Did he not already complete the mission to gain the ‘Pristine physique’? Why would a body from the
Silver descendants get affected by this low grade dark status? Bug? What the heck are you doing, devs?
He did not have too much time to question this point, the youth coughed weakly and lifted himself up
from the grey dirty floor. He thought that it was a small matter to be afflicted from the weaken status, and
it was enough to find a priest to get rid of it. The urgent thing is to stop the bleeding before he dies. Even
though he was not an elite gamer, but he was certainly a veteran and he understood the situation just by
checking things out.
Sophie groaned once and pulled off the skeleton which only had half of its body left and pinning his body.
These low level soldiers were like air to him. Come to think of it, this was already the forty-fourth year
40
into the second era, and Madara was still conjuring up these low leveled grunts. Other then wasting soul
magic, they were completely useless. Just as expected the undead wizards’ brains from Ogador were
affected by the negative energy and rotted away. None of them know what change is.
He even had the mood to complain, but he realized in an instant he actually had trouble pushing the
skeleton away. Just as expected, the punishment from having a weakened status is nothing to sneeze at,
he was able to easily push away a bone dragon during normal times.
Sophie cast his mind back to when he nearly died. When was it? It’s almost close to a few months now.
‘The godly force’ battle prowess was nothing to laugh at, if it was not for the useless bunch of people from
‘The flaming thorns’, he probably would have continued to keep his undying record.
Once he thought about this point, the youth could not help but felt waves of depression. The holy church
alliance’s epic failure would certainly bring up a lively discussion on the forums.
“This bunch of Madara thieves!”
Sure, he could castigate all he wanted to, but he still needed to find a way to stop the bleeding. At this
time a healing pot would be the best, and if that was not possible, a bandage would also suffice. These
things should not be lacking in the battlefield. Normally the bags from grunts doing the thankless tanking
were left alone. The stuff inside them are mostly healing pots and bandages, especially bandages. He even
saw a noob carrying a bag full of bandages.
What a laughing riot, did he think carrying bandages was going to save him from death?
He subconsciously prepared to climb up, but as he turned his body, he was stunned.
Wait, was this the Orrgesh mountain region?
He should have seen this scenery of dystopia before his eyes: White naked spikes that jutted out from the
steep slopes, littered with corpses and vultures flying all over the battlefield, the broken Grays flag with a
bright cross fluttering on the hilltop. But this was not what he saw.
There was no ear-piercing northern wind blowing through the Orrgesh region, no wraiths flying across
the silent shadows, not even the dry, bone-chilling air.
It was like a hallucination that he was still in Orrgesh. And when this hallucination vanished, he came to
realize he was sprawling on the floors of a quiet and broken old house. The smooth wooden planks were
nailed in onto the ground, and there was an eye-catching pool of bloody scarlet liquid……
He could not help but paused there, and unconsciously touched his chest. A series of penetrating pain
interrupted his actions, and he yelled loudly with his teeth bared. This blood was from him, this injury
was from him…..
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But where was this? He felt the house was slightly familiar to him. On the first floor was the living room
and kitchen, and on the second was the corridor leading to the various bedrooms. The cellar was in the
basement.
Yes, this was building design in the Aouine’s southern region, and even though this house was a little old,
it was not something a commoner can afford to live in. One could guess that the former owner of this
house had some form of status.
Aouine’s southern region. Sophie went into a trance.
How long ago was that memory? Gesund’s mountains and the melodious flutes from Bucce’s bordering
towns were like a distant dream.
But did the lands not belong to Madara now? In his memory, the Aouine kingdom had long perished, yes,
it was during the third Black rose war.
“Why am I here!”
“Wait…..”
“Bucce……. Bucce….” Sophie repeated this name.
That’s right, he remembered.
His name was Brendel and born in Bruglas. His blood was half Kadireig which came from his mother, but
he did not appear to be noble just because he had a noble’s blood. That was because his father was a
commoner. Even though his grandfather participated in the November War and received the Candlelight
Emblem, ultimately it was just a knight household that has lost its lustre.
No!
Sophie’s heart raised a series of alarms, what the hell was all these settings. No, no, he is Sophie, a Chinese
citizen.
But a voice in his mind immediately told him.
“You are Sophie, and you are Brendel.”
Immediately a cold dread washed over Sophie’s spine. He held his breath as he found there was a little
something extra in his memories. Brendel’s memories poured into thoughts like a tsunami, or a stranger
that intruded without permission.
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Sophie breaths quickened, and his pupils widened. He quickly remembered that hopeless sword swinging
from that frightening skeleton. He tried to shrug off that scene, but as his memories piled up, he got
mentally exhausted instead. His mind throbbed painfully and his forehead was full of perspiration.
Hah. He suddenly recalled the event of a big battle. The Grays Church knights fought a fierce battle
against Madara who surrounded them and pushed them to the brink of despair. He remembered that ‘his
character’ was killed by a necromancer.
After that green light swept over him, the world turned to darkness…..
That was how the game was set up. The death will persist for twelve hours, but could someone explain to
him why a normal death in the game led him to here?
To this world?
His mind was a scattering mess. If there was a word to describe his current train of thought, it would be
ridiculous.
Ridiculous!
He understood what happened to him. he got frigging teleported to another world!
His soul crossed over to his world onto a dead person called Brendel!
No, more accurately it should be combined into one…
Sophie grabbed onto the floor planks tightly. His fingers’ joints were a little numb. He looked at his own
arms. They were a little long and there was sign of sickness from his pale skin. Even though he was
prepared for it, he could not resist a jump in his heart. His skin should be a healthy yellow beige color
descended from the Mongolians, and not something like this.
His heart raced as he became flabbergasted. Even though he had the entire nineteen years of the former
owner’s memories, it could be said he did not know anything about what he was experiencing right now.
He could feel that the Brendel youth had in his life.
His aspirations, his desires, what he loved, what he hated.
It was like he had just been reborn and finished nineteen years of life. His everything was like Sophie’s
everything, as if it was one and the same. These two very long dreams that merged with each other made
him felt lost.
“I am Sophie.”
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“But I am also Brendel.”
A sense of sluggish exhaustion gushed out from Sophie’s innermost heart, and covered his entire body in
an instant. In the end, he gave a long sigh and calmed down slowly.
[Forget it, since things has come to thus, just let it slide.]
Sophie could not resist shaking his head, and looked at his arm:
“With this meager strength, he had the nerve to claim he was number one in swordsmanship…..” He could
not help but mock himself when he thought of Brendel. Unexpectedly he felt a scintilla of relief.
[It’s fine, even if I left that world I have no regrets left behind there.]
Suddenly a flash of lightning streaked across the darkness. Sophie felt that it was the Gods above giving
him another chance, and ignited hope within his heart.
That was because he recalled a particular event.
That’s right, Aouine. This was a doomed kingdom within the game, and in Brendel’s memory was the
‘Year of bustling summer leaves and flowers’. This was the 375th year of the first era, and the game
history was written to the 44th year of the second era! Sophie’s body trembled when he found himself
becoming like a prophet because of his memories.
Indeed, no one was more familiar with what was going to happen in this world. As one who did not
accomplished anything in his past life and escaped reality by hiding in the gaming world, what was he
going to do in this one to make up for it?
Sophie became dazed.
This was the ‘Year of the bustling summer leaves and flowers’, and the opening year of the First Black
Rose war. In that war Aouine was completely decimated, but that was also the era where a new
renaissance happened.
And he was also one who experienced it first hand. He remembered that his first choice was also Aouine
when he first played this game. He was a complete newbie who grew in such a war.
The curtains were raised thanks to the start of this war and accompanied by Aouine’s one sided defeat.
The situation was only reversed only when the Bruglas army arrived. Sophie’s memory of that dire battle
was deeply engraved. He had also followed the forces, and the survivors were less than one out of ten.
He was no more than a common person, be it the past life or this life.
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Brendel’s skills with the swords are literally pointless. The sudden assault from Madara was something
out from a classical textbook. Swift, merciless and silent, and when this ancient kingdom reacted from it,
the entire army within this region had received a cataclysm.
And on this day, Brendel must have encountered the Madara’s scouts. Sophie suddenly felt an alarming
chill climbing his spine again.
He could only display his ambition after surviving.
He immediately comprehended that he needed to save himself by finding something to stop the bleeding.
The youth struggled towards the empty side corridor. As he examined the design of this house, it
resonated with his imagination. He was well acquainted with the building design precisely because he
had the most unforgettable time spent here.
“Aouine, here I come again—” Sophie whispered softly in spite of himself.
TL: Kind of a speed translation, I guess. I just wanted to get it out there this was the main protagonist and
not CH 0’s trolling (kind of). I’ll fix any mistakes later.
45
Chapter 2 – Sophie’s world
Even though this house was old it was immaculate. The former owner had cleaned it very well.
Sophie raised his head to look at the half skeleton that he pushed away earlier. A pile of broken bones sat
quietly there. Brendel’s counter attack before his death resulted in the only casualty amongst the undead
scouts. He knew that these soldiers indeed lack intelligence, but the necromancer controlling them was
not. This mistake could not be attributed to the youth’s fault, because he did not know about this at all.
During this peaceful era, there were not many who knew about this.
That sliced painting laid flatly on the floor. The skeleton’s soldier’s cold sword was not far away. Sophie’s
pupils dilated slightly. The Madara troops most likely intended to attack straight after the scouts
retreated as they did not even pack the place up.
But this certainly conformed to Sophie’s memory about the War of the Black Rose.
“Hmm?”
Sophie raised his eyebrow a little. His gaze laid about the sliced painting. He did not see wrongly, there
was a hidden layer on the painting frame’s surface.
Wait, the ancestor’s painting? Sophie suddenly remembered, perhaps this was the famous painting of
Bucce?
He immediately struggled over with strenuous effort, and vigilantly kept his ears open at the same time.
Sophie knew that the necromancer that killed Brendel was of the lowest level, but even it was more then
enough to do away with a normal person.
Within the ‘game’, the low level necromancers were able to use the novice ranks of Black Magic, able to
conjure up ghouls and skeletons in the nearby cemetery. They are naturally crafty and experienced in
sneak attacks. It could be said that they were a big threat to people who did not understand them.
But Sophie was different, because he probably understood them more than they understood themselves.
He laid on the ground and tore the painting frame open. A clink rang out as a ring rolled onto the ground.
At this time he could not help but took a breath lightly. The design of the ring was too familiar to him. The
ring that was made of silver glimmered slightly in the dark. In addition to the looping appearance, there
was a Holy Phoenix symbol on the center of it.
46
Such a design was rarely seen in the Aouine southern region.
This was the northern Sanorso’s national emblem.
Sophie carefully rubbed the ring. This was the famous Ring of the Wind Empress, a mission reward for
the ‘Bucce’s painting’, but this mission vanished along with the next patch. Ultimately the people who
knew and completed this mission were very few.
Sophie was not one of them. He only heard of this tale before. In the legend, this was a fake keepsake
belonging to one of the four saint, Delutte, how did Brendel’s grandfather had this?
The Ring of the Wind Empress’s effect was Agility+1, and it could expend the energy within to launch a
wind bullet to strike at the enemies in front. In the game it was able to absorb a little energy every ten
minutes, but it was unknown whether it was the same here.
He looked at the ring and his heart raced for a moment, even forgetting the dangers of his surroundings.
This ring’s appearance had partially answered his guess, that this world was one that he was familiar
with.
Sophie exhaled without being able to suppress himself. His current mood were swayed from the
succession of events, but his hesitation was short and he slowly put it on his forefinger. Magic rings only
worked when worn on the forefinger or thumb. In Roens, the region between the thumb and forefinger
were called by the Talan witches as ‘The domain of sacred mystery’. They believed that it was where
mana was gathered in the human body, and many gestures were evolved from that starting point.
Naturally to Sophie, that was merely a game rule that he adopted as a subconscious behavior.
“Bang!”
He was about to test the effects of the ring, when a large sound in the first floor transmitted over and
made him turned his head abruptly.
Sophie’s heart was startled and immediately became alert. It was possible that an undead made that
sound, and even when it was not, there was the possibility of alerting the enemies outside. He quickly
abandoned the painting in his hands and retreated against the wall intuitively and then carefully gazed
into the living room below.
He instantly saw a suspicious figure.
It was a young girl wearing a simple leather dress who carefully approached inside. She looked around to
the left and right, but despite her tense appearance she did not pay attention to what was above her. She
tightly gripped something like a hammer used for masonry with slight difficulty. She seemed to be
searching for something based on her looks.
47

Sophie sighed.
He coughed. It was not very loud but in this empty house it appeared to resound loudly.
The girl was evidently startled and raised her head, her face awfully pale. In his heart, the young girl
could be considered as a beauty. Her chestnut hair was bundled up in a dignified fashion, but her silky
smooth forehead along with thin long eyes made her look enchanting. Her eyebrows were slightly raised,
with her eyes clear but bewildered. Her nose was pointed and straight, and one look let one knew that
she had a fiercely independent personality.
She had a special quality about her but she definitely could not be called a lady. At least when one saw her
gripping the masonry hammer, with her leather dress hanging a cowskin bag found in the southern
region used by merchants, they could not view her as a noble girl from an upstanding family.
The young girl quickly saw Sophie and relaxed instead. She let out a long breath and patted her chest, and
displayed a beautiful smile: “So it’s you, Brendel, you scared me.”
“Miss Romain, how did you come in here?” Sophie felt a headache coming up when he saw her.
This was a girl that Brendel had always adored. She and her aunt lived in the opposite house, and she
usually had some quaint aspirations, for an example, she wanted to go out to the outside world to become
a travelling merchant.
Sophie thought her view did not make any sense. A traveling merchant in Aouine was not a respectable
job, and some of the citizens grouped them together with conmen and thieves.
In the Anson sixth century, there was a time when these people collaborated together and were greatly
despised, and even named as ‘People who had two mouths and three hands.’
The two mouths meant they were glib and good at deceiving. The three hands meant they did not kept
their hands to themselves, often stealing and doing unclean things. They could be said to be one of the
biggest great threat to public order. when Sophie was a newbie back in his era, eight out of ten missions
were about them.
“I climbed into your window from your kitchen outside, ah that’s right, your house window is really
small! It nearly tore my dress.” The young girl complained as she bent her waist to fix the corners of her
dress.
“Nobody let you in to come in from there right!” With the inheritance of Brendel’s memory, Sophie had a
certain immunity to this girl’s personality, but he could not help but grumble in his heart.
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“I’m not asking you about this,” He shook his head: “I’m asking you, what are you doing here in the middle
of the night?”
“I’m worried about you, Brendel,” Romain answered while she looked around, her expression incredibly
curious: “You did see it right, this skeleton?”
She noticed it too? Sophie saw that the girl’s eyes were on his chest.
“You’re injured?” The future merchant girl titled her head and blinked.
“Yeah…..”
“Let me see,” She grabbed her dress and ran up noisily up the stairs, and clawed at the youth’s hand
which was pressing against the injury, “Come on, take your hand away, what are you covering it for, your
wounds will get infected!” She grumbled, and peered at his wound.
She drew a sharp breath and raised her head: “This is such a terrible wound!”
Sophie felt the girl’s cold hand grabbing his own, and his heart skipped a beat. Even though he knew this
belonged to Brendel’s feelings, he did not make an effort to stop it.
“It’s fine…..”
“Fine—, are you mad!?” The merchant girl gave him a look of reproach, then she dug the cowskin bag
hanging on her leather dress: “Just wait a little, I think I brought bandages….”
Sophie looked at her with interest.
He knew that the things in her bag were her precious treasures. Over half of them were strange things,
the seashells from the seaside, glass marbles of different colors, a bronze whistle, old coins from the
ancient past, and various other things. Most of them are not worth any money, but there were rarely seen
in this region.
This future merchant girl’s biggest interest was to dig things from this pile of old stuff. Even though they
had no money to speak off, she always managed to buy cheap and rare things that she loved.
He held Romain’s hand and shook his head: “Let’s go into the room and search, it’s too dangerous here.”
“I’m not afraid of these bones,” She glanced up at him as she finally found a first aid box: “Do you know
how to tie it? I don’t know how to do it.”
Sophie opened the box and retrieved bandages and hemostatic cotton, and paused for a while in
confusion. He originally planned to find these emergency supplies, but his consciousness still treated this
49
world like a game. Once he applied the bandages in the game, it would automatically stopped the bleeding
and replenish his blood, but he suddenly realized doing it in the real world was a professional skill. He
could not possibly randomly go round his injury a few times right?
“Brendel, do you want me to try?” Miss Romain looked like she’s about to lunge at him.
“Nope.” Sophie quickly rejected her. Even if he had nine lives, he should not waste it like that.
He suddenly felt that this last resort was not a bad one, if this was how the game did it then just do it like
the game. If he died he would just blame the gods. He bit one end of the bandages and took off his shirt,
then wrapped the bandages from the side across the injury round after round. He was at least a veteran
at doing this inside the game, and so he could be considered as well trained, and he carefully avoided to
tie too tightly.
But he promptly stopped.
He saw a light green number, +1, slowly floating from his injury.
At that moment it was like a bomb had suddenly blasted in his mind and rang in his ears. He could not
remember what he should do next. But he immediately reacted to it, and shouted in his mind like he was
Professor Xavier: “Stats! Stats! Oh my gosh, just come out right now!”
He waited with a heart filled with expectations and dread, and after a second, a series of data appeared
and floated on his arms, legs, joints, torso and his heart.
Strength 1.0, Agility 2.0 , Physique 0.9
Then another set of data appeared in his eyes like a ghost suddenly appearing:
Intelligence 1.1, Will 1.3, Perception 1.0
Overall power rating 1.0, Element (Sealed)
These set of data and lines of words, were like a waterfall gushing out, and poured forth into a translucent
window panel:
Brendel, Human male, Level 1 (Strength type body: Physical, Close combat)
XP: 1 (Commoner level 1 —-, Civilian soldier level 1)
Health (Weakened): 60% (Bandaged status, 1 HP will be recovered every day)
Skills
Commoner [Basic knowledge (Level 1), Geography Knowledge (Level 0), Local knowledge (Level 1)]
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Civilian Soldier [Military Swordsplay (Level 1), Grappling techniques (Level 1), Tactical Theory (Level 0),
Military Organization (Level 0)]
Just as expected, just as expected!
Sophie wanted to say that the feelings of a normal person who just scored five million dollars would
probably react the same way like he did.
Was this a dream?
No, he knew that a person within a dream would not be able to think so logically, and very few people
would even think they were in such a dream.
Then was he still in the game?
No, the current year was the 2nd era of the 19th year.
The young man felt his mind was in a fine mess. All the strange thoughts sprang out in a rush and made
him felt a little giddy. But Sophie shook his head and understood that it was reality.
Mother Marsha, do you really exist here?
Sophie could not help but prayed heavily in his heart to the the ultimate goddess. He stared blankly at the
virtual data reflected on his retinas, and could not help but ask himself:
“Isn’t this your world, Sophie? What else did you want?”
Yes, as a veteran who had over 130 levels, what else could he ask for? Experience, he had them.
Knowledge of the future, he also had them.
If these things did not allow them to control his own fate, then he really would have committed suicide by
smashing his head against the wall. But truly, the feeling of a confident heart was so good, so very good.
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“Brendel, Brendel?”
Romain poked his arm at his side while Sophie was immersed in checking his stats.
Only 1.0 Energy Level in strength? He could not resist cursing the NPC’s uselessness. Even a skeleton has
1.5 strength!
All the representation units for the stats are in OZ, the simplification for the ancient word Oauth, also
known as Energy Level. 1 OZ in strength would allow one to raise about 50 KG worth of weight, and the
punching strength will not surpass 150 KG. This was roughly the equivalent of an adult’s strength.
Even the players’ basic stats in the game are 2 OZ in Strength, Agility and Physique, while Intelligence,
Will and Perception were 1.5 OZ. They were about two times the stats of a normal person, and the Overall
power rating was 5 which meant that they would have no problems facing off against 5 normal people.
(TL: Science weeps over your logic there…)
Brendel was even a civilian soldier who trained several months. Even if the players had the ‘Hero’ stats, it
should not as ridiculous as this where the stats are this far apart right?
To think he even mocked the players’ titles as ‘Heroes’ for having the combat strength of two skeletons.
But when he switched to Brendel’s point of view, he realized that the players were really the main
characters molded in the hero form.
When he thought about how he was not able to even beat a skeleton, he fell into a state of sadness.
Brendel stroked his arm, but the faint green numbers still remained in his retinas. He discovered there
was still a difference from this world and the world that he knew. In the game a bandage would restore 1
HP per minute, and the civilian’s 6 HP would only require six minutes to be replenished like before, but it
needed a few days here.
This was a bad sign.
Fortunately the method to use the skill sets were one and the same. If he thought about the ‘Basic
Knowledge’, it would bring up the common things regarding this world. If he thought about the ‘Military
Organization’ he was able to gather information about Aouine’s army structure.
Even though there was also some slight differences, the information seemed to directly exist inside his
real memories and not from a system. For example, his skills in the sword. He could clearly feel that his
techniques were accumulated from several months of training. The form on where to strike, the position
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to place his body weight in, where his eyes should look at, and how to perform feints and strikes based on
the enemies’ own form.
The game would display the approximate paths as to where the sword should be swung at, and
automatically aided and corrected the angle. But in this world, it was sufficient if he possessed the skill
sets as he was automatically able to utilize them subconsciously.
Even though the veteran gamers have their own insight to attacking, they still needed the system, so you
would not be able to find these gaming otaku become a swordsman or martial artist.
There were some things that had no shortcuts there.
Sophie felt his own hands. The feeling that he possessed the skill sets were much more awesome
compared to the rigid feelings within the game. Everything in his memories felt like a natural part of
himself and not just mere ‘skills’.
Of course, while he was thinking all of the above, he still reacted quickly and alertly when Romain poked
his arm. His ears shook slightly as he heard some faint noises coming outside the house.
“Brendel, you heard that?” The merchant lass went behind his back and whispered.
He nodded. There were footsteps making a “Kakaka” noise, and there were quite a number of that. His
heart made a loud thump, as he immediately figured out that the vanguard of the Madara’s huge army
had arrived. He made a noiseless gesture and pulled Romain to flee from the back without delay.
The vanguard came earlier than expected. Right at this moment, the rural areas of Elsengran were still in
sleeping deeply in their sweet dreams, and no one expected the disaster which was going to rain down
next.
Except for them.
The urgency from the impending countdown made him creased Sophie’s brows. He brought the southern
end of the corridor, entered the room there and closed it lightly. The dust in the room was everywhere
and they made muffled coughs. This was a room that had not been used for a very long time, but he knew
the window led to the outside as well as allowing the ability to oversee everything outside of the manor.
He walked over to the window and softly swept away the dust and raised the curtains.
“Where did these things come from, you actually know right, Brendel?” She withdrew her hand without
trouble and asked curiously.
“This is the Madara’s army. A war is coming.” He answered as he carefully inspected the outside area.
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It was indeed the Madara’s vanguard. He drew a light breath. In the center of the manor’s estate was a
black pile of skeleton troops. He counted three teams, the total number forty-five. A bunch of red light
was dancing in the darkness. On the side were three necromancers controlling these low level undead.
They were of a classic design; a skeleton wearing long robes, its hand holding on to a bone wand, with
green fiery eyes darting around as it inspected the low level skeleton soldiers.
Brendel’s grandfather’s old house sat on a hilltop not far away from Bucce and was able to oversee the
entire village from below. This was like a small manor that was located beside the town. There were
originally five or six families but they moved away, and only Romain and her aunt remained behind.
The young girl gasped quietly in the dark.
“Where’s aunt Jennie?”
“She went to a nearby town, and will only be back a week later.”
Sophie turned his head to glance at her. He only saw a pair of gleaming eyes filled with a strange
excitement.
“Are you not scared?” He blurted out.
“I don’t know,” She replied in a whisper, and raised her head: “But my heart is pounding, like it’s really
excited.”
Sophie went speechless. Looks like there was quite a difference between this girl and a normal person.
Well, some people were born for adventure, and maybe Romain was someone like that.
He pretended that he did not hear any of it and gazed outside the window again. The necromancer had
not paid attention to their house yet, and Sophie was able to continue observing them without any
worries. Shadows seemed to appear in and out of the forest, perhaps there a great number of invaders
there.
He roughly estimated the initial force was slightly over a hundred. This was not a small number, and with
such a force there must be an undead acolyte wizard commanding in the shadows. This was a news of
dreadful proportions to him.
In the game, an undead acolyte wizard was roughly equivalent to a level 10 player. Even if it fought alone
against seven or eight well trained male adults, be it militia or the army, they would not the match for it.
Romain and himself were only two people, while that foe also had a large army behind him.
Sophie tapped his finger on the window impatiently.
54
The guards from Bucce would need at least 5 minutes, which meant if they encountered they had to hold
on least that duration of time, with the condition they even discovered the attack in the first place.
But how were they supposed to alert them?
He felt a little vexed. The best way was to set a fire, the bright flame and smoke would be able to reach far
away in the night, and a natural warning to both humans and animals. But it was also a question on how
to even set off a fire.
“Brendel? Are we going to die?”
“Uncertain.”
The dark room fell into a deep silence.
In this deep darkness, a ray of moonlight streamed inside from the corner of the window and created a
small silver colored path.
After pondering for a few moments, before he was about to set down the curtains down to settle his
emotions down and think of a way to escape, they started talking.
“Where is that pitiful worm’s body, bring him out and let me take a look. Didn’t the report only stated
there were were two women here?”
This first voice sounded like a young man and his voice was cold and sharp.
The second voice sounded raspy and old, as though the dried firewood was cracking.
“He was merely an unfortunate fool, my master.”
Apprehension struck at Sophie’s heart, and he peered outside again, and quickly discovered the sources
under a tree’s shadow. Over there, a figure wearing a broad black robe was talking to his necromancer
underlings.
Sophie’s eyes quickly cast his eyes on his sleeves, and faintly saw a greyish white bone insignia. This
proved that he was an undead acolyte wizard.
His guess was not wrong.
“…… Know this, I do not need your opinions. All of you merely need to follow my orders.” The robed
wizard suddenly stopped and raised his head to the Sophie’s direction.
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Sophie’s heart pulsed with dread and immediately let go of the curtains. Damn it, he still thought he was a
veteran warrior with 130 levels for a moment. He completely forgot that the enemy’s Perception was
many times higher than his stealth skills.
Even though he was not immediately discovered, he must have raised the enemy’s suspicions.
Just as he had expected, that figure outside said: “That’s enough. Quickly carry out my orders. I feel that
there is someone alive in this house. All of you better search carefully, I have the suspicion that our plans
have already been discovered.”
This was the end of things. If they discovered Brendel’s ‘corpse’ disappeared, they would immediately act
upon it. Sophie’s mind spun quickly. His immediate thought was the kitchen’s back door, but Elsengran
was a farmland and there was no place to hide in the open.
There was a small forest at the bottom of the hill, but there were at least a hundred meters of uncovered
ground, what could he do in this situation?
“Brendel?” The girl queried him with her eyes.
“Come with me.” Sophie gritted his teeth. One step at a time, there was no choice to it. (TL: If you want to
live! Lulz.)
He opened the door, and saw a necromancer and two skeletons entering from the door. The necromancer
that wore a long robe swiftly raised the bone wand when it discovered Romain and him.
But Sophie’s reaction was faster and he had no hesitation in raising in his right hand. He pointed his ring
on his forefinger at it.
“Oss!”
He prayed for the ring to work. And it answered his prayers with a slight warmth, and the air in front
expanded violently with a loud bang!
It was as a hurricane swept past in the house, and the necromancer with the two skeletons and front of
the entire building exploded in a fury. Countless splinters and pebbles along with bone debris were
hurled outside, and fell raining down onto the ground like countless butterflies dancing in the air.
The instant when the explosion happened, five golden colored orbs flew respectively from the
necromancer and skeletons’ bodies and dissolved in Sophie’s chest. Everything happened in the blink of
an eye, and the youth did not even realize that himself.
Even after the explosive wind ended, the ground was left with the evidence of a colossal aftereffect of
something firing from within.
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After everything fell to a silent still, Sophie showed an expression of utter shock. In the game it was 30
wind damage, and certainly more than enough to kill a lower rank necromancer and the skeletons, but
the effect was not that exaggerated right?
Although it was a gaping hole in this whole building that was left behind by his grandfather, Sophie did
not think twice about it and immediately promptly turned around and ran.
“Brendel, you’re a wizard!” Romain exclaimed behind his back.
“No, I’ll explain this to you later.” He took a deep breath, pulled her and rushed down the stairs to head
towards the kitchen. He needed to reach there before the enemies reacted.
“Wait, Brendel, I can’t catch up with you…..”
“Careful, we’re moving down the stairs”
“Ah!”
The sudden explosion made the skeletons turn their heads, but they lacked the intelligence to
comprehend things and only reacted to the noise. Thus they still waited at the same spot and waited for
the necromancers to give the orders.
The necromancers’ green flaming pupils flared up, and they raised their bone wands with embers
forming at the tips.
“Don’t use fire, you bloody fools!” The black robed wizard pushed their bone wands down and rebuked
them loudly. The explosion had most likely incurred the attention of Bucce’s citizens. If there was a fire it
would have merely sent a warning to them.
He immediately turned back to point to the house: “Soldiers, catch those two bastards!”
The sounds of swords flourishing echoed out as the soldiers drew out their swords together and rushed
inside to the house.
Sophie had already dashed down to the bottom of the steps and he saw waves of skeletons rushing
towards him. Uncountable red lights flickered in the darkness, and he felt goosebumps crawling all over
his skins. He was not a veteran soldier with hundred of levels, and the ring on his finger was still in the
recharging mode. He could only braced himself as to what would come next.
Once the skeletons caught up with him, he would most likely become minced meat from being hacked by
their swords…….
“One woe doth tread upon another’s heel!” Sophie felt helpless upon seeing this situation.
57
His injury in his chest hurt terribly, but they still managed to reach the kitchen before the skeleton
soldiers, and closed the door behind him. Before he could even relax, multiple swords immediately
stabbed into the door.
Fortunately he withdrew his hand quickly, otherwise he would have pinned down.
“That was too close for comfort!” Sophie’s heart raced quickly. He looked around, and although at the
other end of the kitchen was the exit, he knew he needed to find a way to warn Bucce. That was the only
way to save their lives.
Furthermore, fire could be used to repel the low level undead.
“Brendel?” The merchant girl bent her waist and panted. She could not help but raise her head to look at
him. He had greatly surprised her with his decisive bravery.
“Miss Romain, please guard the door.” Sophie quickly said. He needed to spend every second to think.
“Kssh, kssh, kssh!”
The soldiers started to break the kitchen wooden door. It was never meant to be used for a defence and
very soon there were several opened holes on it
“Me?”. She blinked.
“Yes, give me a little bit of time.”
“What are you going to do?” The merchant girl asked curiously.
“I’m going to try to think of a way to warn the people inside the village. This is Madara’s undead grand
army, we need to warn them.” Sophie tried to hard to calm down, and replied while he searched for flints.
Where was that thing that he recalled?
“Okay, sure, I’ll do that.” Romain immediately went over to the door to defend Sophie.
“Will you be fine?”
“Of course.” The young girl shook the masonry hammer in her hands and replied confidently: “I’ll do my
best, since I’ll become a great merchant in the future!”
Sophie stopped and looked at her, nodding.
“You certainly will, Miss Romain.”
“Yup, Brendel.”
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TL: Bone butterflies…. cool but…. barf.
59
Sophie’s plan was this.
If he did not recall wrongly, the current Bucce’s guards was the famous Marden, a soldier who had
participated the November war like his grandfather did.
Sophie knew him because he was the NPC in-game who taught travelers the ‘Exploration’ skill.
But the true reason why this old soldier was famous because he committed an egregious error as the
guard’s leader. He had erroneously guessed the intention of the Madara’s army. He believed that Madara
was trying to bring about the usual skirmishes in the past, and he evacuated the Bucce’s citizens. He
originally had one chance to counter attack and be able to defeat the undead army’s vanguard. He could
then retreat without casualties.
Sadly, he did not take this opportunity.
He could have become the hero of this kingdom, but instead entered into a path of darkness at the very
end. Sophie was full of lament and curiosity over a person like him.
He lamented over the conclusion of his encounter, and curious over how he discovered the Madara’s
undead army in advance. If one should know that this was the only visible change in the Grinoires region.
“Was it out of his own personal gain?” An impossible notion suddenly sprang out of Sophie’s mind.
But he threw out that ridiculous idea the next moment.
He needed to change history now and had to think of a way to warn them. Fire was a sign of invasion and
was a warning in the army’s regulation. He could only hope that they understood.
The banging continued outside the door, and every second was steeped with a tense atmosphere.
“Brendel, they are coming in now!” Romain gripped the masonry hammer tightly with both of her hands.
She stared at the door with creased brows.
Sophie did not had the time to think about them, but upon hearing the merchant girl he glanced back at
the door. They would be dead if the undead skeleton army rushed in.
Crashing sounds emitted from the door as sharp swords hacked in and out. The Madara’s swords
gleamed like they were the fangs of a beast.
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Something knocked against the door violently with a huge crashing sound, while dust clouds slowly fell
from the ceiling.
The wooden groaned as cracks widened quickly on it.
“Calm down, calm down, just continue treating like a game. Sophie, remember what missions you had
done, this is merely one of them……”
He breathed deeply to regain his composure. He tied a cloth that was steeped in oil around a bundle of
straws and firewood, then tied it with a string. He did this procedure with ease. The creation of a torch
was the most basic task in the game, and even easier than using a skill.
He even knew this would only last around five minutes as he created this in the Nogan and Hein’s
underground passages.
But the remaining time given to him was dwindling, and soon enough another violent smash struck at the
door, causing the hinges to break and rattle loudly. The dust flew sharply and hovered everywhere.
“Brendel!” Romain felt as her heart was going to jump out of her throat and she blinked her bright eyes.
“I’m here, don’t worry, just a little longer.” Sophie perspired profusely. He struck the flint with a metal
chain many times with sparks flying everywhere, but the torch could not be lit.
A game was different from reality.
The soldiers’ immense strength finally made the door cracked open on the sides and made it tilt
sideways, but it still barred entry.
A bone hand reached in from the outside to break the latch.
The merchant girl received a fright, and she immediately smashed the hammer on it. The hammer
pounded on it with a bang and cracks appeared on top of the hand, but the skeleton soldier did not feel
any pain from it and only paused slightly before it tugged at the latch again.
Romain was stunned momentarily as she witnessed this scene, even forgetting the hammer in her hands.
“Brendel, Brendel, what shall I—…..” She quickly asked with fear creeping into her voice.
The fire was finally lit up, and the metal latch also fell onto the ground at the same time with a cranking
noise.
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With the door finally opened, a skeletons marched in with its swords. He turned their heads and the
flames within their black eye sockets locked onto the youths.
What was the young man trying to do?
Before it reacted, something black in the dark became bigger and bigger in its field of vision, and
suddenly a hatchet was struck into the skull.
[……. This is your final resort. When you throw your sword you must remember that your hands must be
stead, your center of gravity low, and no hesitation. You need to try and maintain a straight line between
you and your target…….”
[…… If your enemy is a skeleton, then your best target would be to choose the shoulder blade and arms,
the spine or the thigh bone. And unless you have the confidence to break the head open, the skull is not
the weakest point…..”
“Fuck!”
Sophie looked at the soldier that leaned backwards. He had used the military skill ‘throw’ which was
considered to be a complex skill, but he reflexively used that as a veteran. Yet when the hatchet left its
hand, the brutal realization struck at him when he remembered he was no longer that expert.
In the game he would probably have split the skull into two equal parts, but like what the instructor had
taught him, a stuck hatchet in the skull did no damage to the overall structure.
“Miss Romain, be careful!” He pulled the merchant to his back as he saw it straightening up again.
“Brendel…..” She was completely terrified.
“Don’t worry, I’m here.”
Even though Brendel said that, his heart said otherwise, especially after seeing the pile of packed
skeletons ready to rush in.
He could not care anymore when the situation had became dire. He surveyed his surroundings, but there
was simply nothing that could be used here. That skeleton was about to shrug off from the temporary
stun.
What could he do?
Just give up?
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Sophie shook his head. He swore he never experienced something like this in his entire life. His
experience in the game came up with nothing.
He could only gamble on it, and even in failure there was still meaning to it!
He charged forward and grit his teeth, grabbed the skeleton’s arm that was holding the sword, then lifted
the skeleton backwards through his near subconscious.
One tended to be able to use every ounce of his strength under extraordinary circumstances, and
furthermore the skeleton was unable to resist when it had lost its balance. It crashed backwards and even
affected the ones behind him, forcing them to step back.
The Madara’s undead was stopped for a single moment, but it was more than enough.
The young man’s emotions spiraled into a daze. He could not believe he succeeded. This was reality! Was
he still that useless gaming otaku?
He threw the torch onto the stacked firewood and straws in the corner of the kitchen.
Flames flared up quickly.
“Let’s run, Brendel!” The merchant girl pulled his hand from behind.
She had never felt so tense in her life. The last time she saw this young man was over one year ago, and
only felt that he was shy and easy to talk to.
But today, that ordinary youth displayed courage and composure beyond belief. These qualities that were
displayed during these dangerous junctures, were surely the ‘reliable man’ had that her aunt always
mumbled about right?
This feeling was strange.
Her mind thought about things that she could not explain. When she noticed that she grabbed his arm,
her heart raced. (TL: Yes, yes, bring a girl/boy to high places and hold their hands while confessing. I
heard that story before. *Grumble* killed the tense action *Grumble*)
“Brendel?”
Smoke started to fill the place up, and the kitchen was filled with choking odors.
Sophie finally cleared his head. Mother Marsha above, he set fire to Brendel’s grandfather’s house.
Brendel would surely suffer. Err, even though he’s Brendel right now.
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Messy thoughts started popping up, but amidst them Brendel’s memories gained the upper hand.
A low, raspy voice came from behind: “Move quickly, you undead soldiers. Put out this fire and ferret out
that worm, we only have a minute.
The voice cleared the youth’s mind, and he started to think of a way out. Since Sophie knew that the
undead was naturally afraid of fire, it would be difficult for the skeletons under the necromancer to curb
this problem. Thus it was his chance now.
But the fire was a double edged sword, and he needed to make use of his time.
“Miss Romain, follow me.” Sophie pulled a string of sausages from the ceiling and led the merchant girl
towards the back by blindly feeling his way there. This was not a gesture of his greediness, but to the
players within the ‘The Amber Sword’ had developed a subconscious instinct when it came to food before
fleeing.
The fire turned bigger and bigger, and turned the surroundings into a sea of flames with billowing smoke.
The temperature was quickly rising.
However, Sophie swiftly found the small door that was used to transport food. He opened it and went
inside before locking it again.
Sophie coughed once, but the merchant girl behind him was coughing in distress. He recomposed himself
before searching the grounds, and instantly found the golden latch. Just as he was about to open it, he
hesitated.
He suddenly recalled something.
———————————————————————————————————-
“Freya!”
Perhaps to the citizens of Elsengrad, the stars in April and the skies in May did not hold many differences.
It was only at the end of the fifth month, the temperature would start to rise up, and when one looked
down from the slopes of the hilltops, it would be a sea of red and white flowers in the early summer. It
was the most peaceful place in Aouine, but it was filled with wars for centuries.
The young girl looked up, the summer night, where the sky was like a clear crystal going from the west to
the north. The bright starry light painted the night, stars that held legendary tales of gods and myths.
She stood at the village entrance and looked at the hilltop. Freya was slightly worried. That extremely
loud bang made her feel restless. Did they not mention there was undead movement in the nearby
regions, could it be………
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Upon hearing that should she turned her head, and looked at the young boy who still had traces of a child
with surprise. He anxiously ran to her side, bent at the waist and panting.
“What’s wrong, little Fenris, did something happen?” The young girl’s voice was soft and clear.
“Did you hear that noise?”
“Yes, so I came to take a look at it,” Her gaze went back to the hilltop, “I’m worried about Romain, her
aunt went to the nearby town….. I heard that it was unsafe recently and asked her to stay at my home for
two days, but she did not agree to it.”
The young boy looked at her wide eyes.
The girl’s light orange hair was tied into a long ponytail, and her figure appeared to give out a heroic
atmosphere. She wore a greyish white leather armor, and in it was a thick set of cotton shirt, the symbol
on her left shoulder painted with black dye to look like a painting of pine leaves.
On her waist was a short rapier, and on the sword guard was a fire emblem.
If Sophie took a look, he would instantly recognize her as a Bucce soldier. The black pines were the most
common tree in Elsengrad mountainous regions, and it was also the symbol of the Bucce forces.
But the guards also wore a well made combat robe, and only the militia would wear a greyish white
leather armor made from cowskin.
In Aouine, every youth would receive militia training, and it usually started from the age of fourteen. The
training would take place every year starting from the October to March until they reached nineteen. The
youths and adults who received the training would be able to become militia, and become the most
important reserves during times of war. This rule was set during the Year of Thunder, and militia training
became one of the most important measures in Aouine’s military initiatives.
“Isn’t that guy staying over there, I heard he was a militia at Bruglas.” The young boy said puzzledly.
“The people from the city are not trustworthy,” She flipped her long ponytail and furrowed her brows:
“I’m worried precisely because that guy is staying over there!”
“This is just your bias, Freya-neesama~” (TL: For lack of an English honorary equivalent. Fenris is
probably making fun of her though.)
“What would you know……. Forget it,” The young girl lectured him without turning her head: “Alright, just
spit it out, boys shouldn’t be as long winded like a girl, understood!?”
Little Fenris’s neck shrank a little: “Did you know, Captain Marden has ordered the guards to gather up!”
Surprise streaked across Freya’s eyes: “Captain Marden? How did you know this?”
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“That fellow Brelin told me,” He blinked and replied: “When I came out, he already rode ahead to report
to the guards.”
“Do you know what is going on?”
“No.” He shook his head.
The young girl turned her head towards to the hilltop, and she could barely see the manor’s outline in the
darkness.
“Call up everyone, we’re going.”
“Freya, it’s so late now, Aunt Shia will murder us!” The boy’s mouth was agape and asked instead: “It’s
better that we wait for tomorrow’s news right?”
“Coward!” She glared at him, but knew he was speaking the truth. Even if she was the captain of the
Bucce’s militia, she did not dare to create trouble when she thought about her aunt’s terrifying aura.
“Aren’t you the same…..” He just mumbled a few words before he saw the girl’s serious face with a gesture
to be silent.
“Freya?”
“Shhh” She turned her head sideways, and cupped her ears. There was a faint but distinct whistling
sound.
“What is that sound?”
The whistling sound came quickly from far away and approached nearer and nearer to their heads.
The young girl’s expression changed, and when she wanted to raise her head and move her body to
evade, it was too late. A black shadow came from above the sky and pierced into her shoulder, causing
her to yell out and fell backwards.”
“Boss Nee-sama!” (TL: .)
“Fenris, run, run!” The ponytail girl yelled out in pain.
Arrows fell like rain.
————————————————————————————-
Sophie paused.
“What’s wrong, Brendel……..? Cough, cough.” The merchant girl felt something was amiss and asked.
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Sophie did not reply and searched through his memories.
When Madara attacked in the game, they were not able to avoid the gamers. They were not like the NPCs
who worked in the day and rested at night. Some of the gamers were truly like nocturnal creatures.
He recalled when Madara attacked, they also received interference from other gamers like himself, but
most of their actions were successful.
Why?
Indeed, he recalled that this era where Aouine was an ancient kingdom marching to its death, its
neighboring countries were welcoming the new turbulent era.
The rising stars were coming…….
Sophie reflected pensively. The current Madara in this era shocked the continent with rising legendary
leaders, and there was a new change in the army affairs (368th year, the revolution of the black rose)
seven years prior. This change had developed a strong foundation, and their outstanding disciples that
were nurtured supported this kingdom with military might.
This military might would be displayed in this war.
And in the midst of the War of the Black Rose, the Madara’s army lightning speed and clear judgment
shook everyone in their boots, and yet, it was until Aouine was decimated before everyone became
vigilant.
And precisely because of this.
This blight, this darkness, this shadow, would devour this kingdom entirely.
“These bastards, are not the same.”
As his rivals in the past, Sophie had a deep impression with Madara’s officers. Only people who had
fought with their elites would know of them.
Sophie’s hand was placed on the cold latch, his heart sinking into numbness. The moment when he closed
the door would be the moment they launched a preemptive attack on Bucce. They would not allow him to
have the time to provide the warning to them, even if it was just a possibility.
Also, there was the likelihood there were Madara’s skeleton soldiers behind this door.
What should he do?
TL: So TAS chapter 5, pretty much the winning point for me to TL this series. It was pretty sweet from
CH0 to CH4, but CH5, deal clincher.
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“Lord Maeza, my soldiers have opened the door but the inner area has been set with fire. My skeletons
are hesitating in front of this dirty fire, and I need time for them to adapt.”
The necromancer lowered its head with its body deeply hunched. The green fiery flames flickered in its
eye sockets with a cunning gleam, but it placed its arms across its chest to show obeisance.
Madara had a restrictive aura based on levels. Anyone who tried to approach them would feel deep fear
from within their souls. This was especially true because there were undead wizards who were naturally
effective in manipulating and torturing the soul.
The undead wizard acolyte tapped his long pale fingers on the black silk robe. He stood on the top of the
hill and oversaw Bucce’s bells rang out loudly in the darkness.
The humans would fall into deep despair.
But this nightmare was just the beginning. Not far from here there was an undead army hiding in the
darkness, and a reserve army within the forest at the sides. He had ordered them to fire the arrows at the
village, and the next round of arrows would be fired again.
And that next wave would be fire arrows, the blue flames of icy soul fire.
And when the raging flames caused the living to be drowned in fear, he would order skeleton soldiers to
invade them.
“How long?” The future undead wizard’s voice was cold and sharp.
“About,” The necromancer estimated with its head lowered: “Eight minutes, no, at most five minutes.”
“I do not have the time to wait, but I will leave a squad to you. Eleven skeleton soldiers. Enough, Kabara?”
“Sufficient, my lord.”
The future undead wizard laughed cruelly: “It is best that you do not let the rats slip away from the back
door.”
“Do not worry, my lord. I have already placed the soldiers as your had ordered earlier.”
“Then I shall wait for your good news when I return, Kabara.” He pointed towards the front and looked
meaningfully at its subordinate: “I am going to accept the village’s submission, and enjoy the humans’
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suffering of eternal death. But Marsha above, I pray that my decision to attack early would not affect Sir
Incirsta.”
“It will be as you wished for, my lord.” The necromancer bowed deeply.
———————————————————————————-
The interior of the house was flooded with billowing smoke. Fire embers kept licking from under the
smoke, and the blistering flame not only stopped the undead’s invasion, it also blocked all visibility.
The increasing heat were roasting the back of two people, the blinding smoke forcing them to shut their
eyes, their throats and noses were constantly pricked. But Sophie’s heart was in a state of frozen
numbness.
What should he do?
“What’s wrong?”
“Give me the hammer.” The young man finally stretched for it. He had been listening attentively, and
beyond the crackling flames, he had heard the unique ringing of a bell.
Bucce had sounded the alarm.
Mother Marsha above, he hoped that the guards in the village were smart enough. He prayed silently in
his heart, as he had no hope for the militia as they were only a bunch of hot-blooded youths. The only
hope he had for them was to survive this night.
They were Aouine’s future seeds.
He immediately checked his thoughts. Perhaps he was unable to even survive past this situation.
“Are there enemies outside?” The merchant girl’s eyelids opened and she passed the hammer over.
“I am not sure, but it pays to be careful.” Sophie wanted to be optimistic, but the situation might turn
towards to the worst outcome, and he needed to prepare for it. He was an experienced warrior who
relied not on luck but cautiousness.
“Brendel.”
“Yes?” He stopped his action of opening the door.
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“You seem to be a little different today.”
He was exposed?
Sophie’s heart squeezed tightly. But that should not be right. Based on logic, his personality and Brendel’s
was similar, and he also inherited his memories, how did he get found out so quickly?
“What….?” He could not restrain the anxiety in his voice.
“Hmm, I can’t really tell, it’s just a feeling.” She contemplated for a while and asked earnestly: “You will
protect me right, Brendel?”
“Is there something wrong with that?”
“No, thank you.”
“It’s not necessary to issue a nice guy tag to me, Miss Romain.”
“Eh?”
Sophie grinned but did not reply, and the tense feelings in his hearts were greatly relieved. He drew a
breath and tensed his body, lightly pulled the latch and placed his hand on the door handle.
He was going to open it.
What fate was going to wait for him outside, a brand new world? Or an abrupt death? Was Mother
Marsha going to play a trick on him?
But it was a taboo to fathom Mother Marsha’s intentions.
“MIss Romaine, I’ll count to three, and we will rush out together.”
“Got it.”
“Three…..”
“Urgh.”
“Ahh.”
“I’m sorry, I’m too tense, I should count from 1…….”
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“It’s okay, Brendel……” Romain hid her face under her hands. She knocked onto the youth’s firm back, and
her heart jumped.
She was certainly not a person who was so easily embarrassed.
But Sophie did not have the mood to appreciate the girl’s thoughts. He was also embarrassed from
making such a silly mistake. He thought he should be calm about this as they were merely a few
skeletons.
He grit his teeth and opened the door. Before the smoke dissipated, a gleaming sword stabbed inside.
There was indeed an ambush.
Sophie’s mind had never been this calm in his life. It was as if his thirty-one years in-game as a warrior
merged with this body’s own lifetime. The blooming black rose emblem from Brumand on the metal plate
were reflected in his eyes as the sword swung in a straight line.
It was rigid. And Sophie knew the weakness of it.
He understood that he could not directly match the enemy’s strength with his own, and held Romain back
while evading it. The cold steel sliced across his shirt without drawing blood.
Then Sophie swung the hammer from above towards the skeleton. The smoke parted to reveal the
skeleton’s chest and with a loud crash, three of its ribs were cracked open and hurled backwards.
The skeleton stumbled backwards from the impact, and the youth immediately took the chance to dash
out from the sea of flames.
He immediately surveyed the battlegrounds. The sight of four skeletons soldiers filled his veins with ice.
If there were only one or two skeletons he might even have the mood to curse at them.
It seemed that Mother Marsha knew his mettle very well.
A single thought remained in his mind.
The enemy really thought highly of him and treated him like a scout instead of a commoner.
That made sense, as Sophie believed his performance was no less than what the best scouts could do. In
this rustic area, a typical scout would be nothing more than an ordinary hunter.
It certainly looked like being flashy was not a good thing……
He felt Romain gripping his hand tightly. The subconscious reaction from the girl showed off
apprehensive she was. He wanted to comfort her by saying something but he did not know what words to
use.
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When he looked over to the dark forest that was at the bottom of the hill, he wondered how he would be
able to cover the distance.
The wind blew across his face and the chill spread across his sweaty forehead.
The four skeleton soldiers were surrounding him.
What could he do, just close his eyes to await death? Sophie could only try to cover the merchant girl
behind him with his body, and wished that he had his warrior with hundred and thirty levels. It would
only take a single blow to smash to bits…..
But this world did not have the word “if”.
Reality was ever so disappointing.
…….
Wait, levels? The young man suddenly felt he had missed something. His heart trembled as he realized,
the Ring of the Wind Empress! He used it to kill a necromancer and two skeletons, combined with
Brendel’s own kills, 6 EXP!
The requirement to raise a swordsman only required 5 EXP to level two, what more for a militia?
He hoped that there was not much of a difference between this world and the game’s. If the omniscient
Mother Marsha gave him one brand new level, he would be able to escape.
Time was running out, the four skeletons were already in front of him, he only had a breath’s time, four
seconds, to life or death.
He used his fastest speed to check the data in his retina.
XP: 6 (Commoner Level 1: —, Militia Level 1, 0/3)
Thank the gods!
He understood what he needed, even though investing the XP into a militia class was an obvious waste,
but he could not care less.
Any wastage was better than becoming any icy corpse, right?
“Militia, 6 EXP, quick, level up!” He yelled in his mind, 4 skeletons had raised their sharp swords, and the
merchant girl behind hugged him tightly.
“Brendel, they’re coming!”
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And the data changed again.
XP: 0 (Commoner Level 1: —, Militia Level 2, 6/10)
A warmth coursed through his veins. He understood that his body was changed with the 0.1 strength and
physique addition, but they were currently unimportant.
A swordsman in comparison would have gained 0.2 strength, physique, agility and even perception. A
militia would be utter garbage when compared.
But they were currently unimportant.
What was important, was the chance to pick the unique talents when a character levels up to two. It was
the first chance to pick the one out of the three unique talents in this life.
This was the first chance, the fairest chance, the chance that would bring him new life.
He anxiously waited, a second was like a millennia, but the panels for unique talents finally lit up.
“Unique talent, Unyielding.”
Scorching flames blazed in Sophie’s eyes. Four swords swung at his body, but he lifted the masonry up as
if to conquer the world, while shifting his head, heart and organs away.
Kssh, kssh, kssh.
Three swords stabbed into the youth’s bodies at the same time. The only feeling he thought was it fucking
hurt!
But Sophie now had the ability to resist from becoming unconscious from bleeding for five minutes, and
he would not die from any physical attacks for thirty minutes.
He had only one chance now to bring Romain away from here. Then he needed to find a health potion
with the remaining time he had.
He did not know if there was something like that in this world, but he could only have faith in his heart.
There was no other option.
“Brendel!” Romain’s voice changed from the fear.
“Hold on tightly to me, Romain.”
“I…….”
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“Hold on tightly!” The youth had no time to explain and roared angrily. Brendel appeared to look like a
real hero covered in blood at this moment. The girl looked astonished.
“I got it, sorry, sorry, Brendel.”
Sophie drew a sharp breath. He lost count of how many times he did something like this, but he needed to
calm down. Even though he knew that breathing made his injuries burned with pain, he understood that
pain was like an illusion to him right now…..
The three skeletons pulled out their swords and looked puzzled. The human in front of them was losing
the warmth of a life, and a different sort of energy emanated from his body.
The power of the soul.
The ‘Unyielding’ talent was activating the Soul’s fire, and was similar to how the undead were controlled.
The undead soldiers started to consider Sophie to be the same as them, but that was a mistake. Sophie
gritted his teeth and knocked the four skeletons flying backwards.
This was not because the youth’s strength had suddenly increased, but because they had not expected it.
Sophie grabbed Romaine’s hand and quickly dashed out there.
“Miss Romaine.” He ran and said with considerable strain.
“Y-yes.”
“Listen…. carefully….” Sophie panted. The undying feature did not allow the body to retain its strength,
and he already felt that his surroundings were becoming blurry.
The only thing that was clear to him was the howling wind in his ears due to their running.
“Yes?”
“If I faint, bring me to Bucce and avoid the Madara’s troops…… Go to the holy church and….. seek for a
health potion, do you understand?”
“I, I got it, Brendel…… You won’t die right?”
“I…. Don’t know….. Cough….. See what Mother Marsha has arranged for us…..”
Sophie did not know whether the merchant girl really understood, but he only had the remaining energy
to talk this much. He had to leave the rest to fate.
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He turned back to look and saw the flames in the hilltop amongst the blur. He sighed and closed his eyes
tiredly. Was he still that otaku who was addicted to games?
The life that he once had was definitely gone now.
He could not believe it. That one day he would act so decisively and bravely. Even if he was to die like this,
he would be able to find solace.
“Because….. I am no longer a useless person…..”
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Ch 6 Freya
Sophie felt like he was in a long dream. He was in a place surrounded by silent shadows, and everything
appeared to be distorted and strange. A black moon and a solitary high tower were reflected in a dark
body of water.
What did the moon signify? What did the high tower mean? Or was all of this just a nightmare?
Sophie did not know, just like he did not know when he would wake up. He persisted in this state until he
overheard a conversation in his disconcerted state.
“Freya.”
“Briedon, have you contacted them?” This was a girl’s voice, her diction was clear and distinct.
“No, there was a bunch of monsters blocking the road. We were not able to find where Sir Marden and the
others went, and there’s this person……” This voice belonged to a child.
The child’s voice pointed towards Sophie.
Sophie’s heard skipped a beat. He could feel a gaze on his body. It was like a pathway that connected him
back to this world, making him feel like his body was gradually sinking before the youth realized it was
gravity pulling him.
Sophie finally recognized the fact that he could sense his body, but it did not respond to him.
His breathing started to go into a slight disarray. Was he dead?
“He’s one of the wounded, take care of him.” The girl said.
One of the wounded?
Were they talking about him?
That’s right, he was gravely injured. His mind started to sharpen and his memories played back like
scenes from an old movie. He had borrowed the body of a young man called Brendel, then bet on his life
to accomplish something. That was certainly not something an otaku would do.
But he succeeded, thank Holy Mother Marsha.
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“Freya, he’s awake.” The child suddenly said.
“What?”
“I saw his eyelids move.”
“That’s not possible, he received grave injuries and Mackie said…….. Eh!?”
Grave injuries?
That was true. Brendel’s body was already in a fatal state, after which Sophie used the talent ‘Unyielding’
and took another three sword stabs. He clearly remembered that his stomach and right chest were
completely pierced through.
Sophie’s mind started to focus, and the surrounding voices became clearer. The noisy din of panicked
confusion, with crackling sounds made from burning, along with footsteps and metal colliding that
drowned out the conversation between the girl and the child. The temperature around him started to
rise, as if to lick him with a gentle warmth, but soon after it started to scald him.
Hot.
He blinked. The first thing that came into his irides when he struggled to open his eyelids was a surprised
girl.
Sophie’s impression of that girl who was supposedly called Freya, matched the one in his mind after
listening to that voice.
She had light orange hair coupled with bright eyes, with her long hair tied in a long ponytail, along with a
face that brought about a refined heroic elegance. She lowered her head to observe him and Sophie did
the same thing.
She wore a greyish white leather set of leather armor that fit snugly to her, and inside the armor was a
thick cotton shirt with the pretty emblem of black pine leaves on her left shoulder.
The militia of Bucce.
He also noticed the short sword in her hand, a medieval short rapier and the metal plate that was on the
hand-guard was a flame signet.
The symbol of the Church of Flames.
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He shifted his gaze upwards, and saw the bloody bandage across her left chest and shoulder.
She experienced a battle earlier?
Sophie’s eyes captured every detail.
———————————————————————
Once he woke up, the noises in the surroundings died down quickly.
“Where….. is this place? …… Where is Romaine…… *Cough*!”
When Sophie spoke, he felt like molten steel was poured into his throat, burning him and drying every
last drop of moisture. There was a throbbing pain from his chest that traveled throughout his entire body,
and he started to cough lightly.
But what answered him was a wind coming from the mountainous stretch of pine trees. The wind that
blew across the black pine needle leaves, making it turn into a faint rustle that was like the movement of
a river.
No one answered.
“He woke up.”
“I can’t believe this, he actually survived with those injuries.”
“He’s probably just living on borrowed time……”
Then the hushed whispers wormed their way into his ears. Sophie was a little confused. What was
happening, these people should be Bucce’s militia right? He was saved by them?
Then where is that merchant girl?
The plan succeeded, Captain Marden understood his intentions?
He turned his head sideways. He first saw a bright bonfire which danced in his eyes, the fire embers
following the rising smoke and dissipated into the night sky.
“You’re awake?” The girl finally came to her senses, and quickly rushed to stop him: “Wait, don’t move,
this is Bucce, do you remember?”
“Bucce….. Bucce.” Sophie repeated this name.
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“Can you tell me what happened to me?” He let out a sigh. Logically he should have died, no matter how
you look at it from the experience in real life or a game.
The only possibility was Miss Romaine who really found a health potion.
“Little Fenris and Mackie found both of you in the forest not far from here.” Freya looked at him curiously.
Even though this youth called Brendel came to their village for almost a year, but he did not really
interact with the village’s young adults.
He was always alone in his gloomy house, and only occasionally accompanied Romaine to the nearby
town. Even the dumbest people in the nearby region knew this youth was interested in the girl who
dreamt about becoming a merchant, excluding the latter herself.
Freya gave another round of appraisal to him when she thought about this, along with a drop of
suspicion.
“All of you are?”
“I really wonder how you and Romaine escaped from here.” The girl gave an unwilling sigh.
“How is she?”
“She’s very well. Don’t worry, she’s better than you at least ten thousand times. You should pay more
attention to your own condition,” Freya stroked her forehead, and spoke softly: “But she kept going on
about going into the village, do you know anything about that?”
Sophie paused.
That meant he did not use a health potion, then how did his injuries…?
Almost like an instinctive response, he opened his stats display, and the dark green data appeared in his
retina. He stared at it in shock at the words:
Health (Near death, weakened): 10% (‘Banadaged’ status, 1 HP will be recovered every day)
Impossible! Sophie’s first reaction was he was dreaming. No one understood his condition better than he
did. He had at least 4 fatal injuries along with massive hemorrhaging. No matter how he sliced, he was
deader than dead.
Why was there 10% HP left?
Sophie shook his head in an effort to clear his mind a little, but he saw the girl’s face beside him turned
tense: “Don’t move, you’re heavily injured……”
“Don’t worry.” He waved his hand subconsciously.
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Sophie was very clear about his current status. Even though he was puzzled over it, he was not in a
condition where he was losing blood, and there was no other ‘bad status’ on him. Although he was in a
‘Weakened’, and ‘Near death’, he understood these conditions would not be able to be solved easily and
could only recuperate slowly.
But since his injuries are in a stable condition, there was no danger to his life.
This was the part he was most puzzled over, how did his wounds automatically became ‘stable’? The
talent ‘Unyielding’ did not have this ability!
“You!” Freya eyes went wild. She had never seen someone who did not want his life.
In the beginning everyone thought this guy was doomed to die, and did not expect him to even wake up.
Yet he woke up. Just from that alone, he should probably thank Mother Marsha’s mercy right?
But this damnable bastard did not seem to care at all. One should cherish his life properly, damn it!
“Go and lie back down right now!” The girl drew a deep breath and ordered through gritted teeth.
Sophie became dumbfounded for a while, and could not resist to look at her. What was wrong with this
girl’s head?
“Y-you received the Militia’s training right? My name is Freya, Bucce’s third platoon’s leader. Right now
I’m ordering you to follow my orders, temporarily,” Freya blushed, as she noticed she made a mistake:
“You have no problems right?”
“You’re Freya?” Sophie became shocked and blurted: “Freya Elisson, born during the Year of the Moon
Flowers, your father the great knight Ivanton?”
“Huh, how did you?” The girl got confused with the series of questions: “N, no, my father is only a
carpenter in the town……”
There was suddenly a riot of laughter in the surroundings.
“Freya, this guy’s pick-up skills are good.”
“You need to be careful, Boss-neesama.”
“Nobody will treat you as dumb if you spoke two sentences less, Mackie, Ike!” Freya turned her back and
glared at them sullenly.
During this time Sophie took the time to observe the militia solemnly. This platoon had seven or eight
people, which coincided with Aouine’s unit structure, but the leader was actually a female and that’s even
a young brat in it…….
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He felt disappointed as he watched the girl and child. It might look like it was a special exception, but the
truth was Aouine’s frequent battles over the years had weakened it beyond words.
And what happened next would devour the last bit of vitality the kingdom had from its shiny surface.
Sophie gave a sorrowful sigh filled with lament.
He witnessed this passage of history from the beginning, and did not expect to relive it once more in this
world.
But perhaps he could change something this time round.
He stared at the girl next to him in a trance.
There was no mistake about it. Freya Elisson. The last general of Aouine, and later called the kingdom’s
War Goddess. She was the daughter of Ivanton, ‘The Sceptor of Fire’. She was not noticed early during the
beginning of the war, but received the princess regent’s favor to become one of the top rising heroes of
this kingdom.
He did not expect her to experience this battle too.
Unfortunately, now was not the time for her to hold the initiative. Sophie understood he had to be
responsible for his own life, and also needed to be responsible for the lives in front of him.
“What are you looking at?” Freya turned her head around, and looked back blankly when she saw his
gaze.
He was not admiring or enamored with her, but treating her like a strange animal and observing her.
But why was he looking like her like that?
“You have never seen a dead person yet right?” Sophie suddenly asked.
“Hah?”
“What I am saying is, are you afraid of people dying?”
“No, I’m just…….” The girl paused for a while, at a loss for words.
“Then the injuries that I received had nothing to do with you either, can I sit up?” Sophie asked earnestly.
“N, no.”
“Why not?”
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Freya did not know what to say. She was indeed scared. She was afraid to see someone die in front of her.
Even if she was the future War Goddess covered with countless auras, the current Freya was a naive
village girl.
She had never seen the cruelties of a war, and still retained a naive outlook towards the world.
Sophie smiled. He too had not seen a dead person, but his experiences in the ‘The Amber Sword’ were
many times more than Freya.
He had at least experienced the pain of loss.
With the cogs turning in his mind, where his memories and events that tormented him played back one
by one, he quickly matured and learned to cherish things.
But they also left the seeds of revenge in him.
“So I am saying, you’re just a country bumpkin lass right? What authority do you have that would make
me obey your orders, Miss Freya?”
“You, you.”
Sophie knew that there was no merit to keep dragging this topic. He took another look at the bandages in
front of his chest, and immediately changed the topic: “Did someone here tie my bandages?”
“Boss-neesama was the one who did it, she’s the only one amongst us who know how to do the
emergency first-aid.” The brat over at the sides rushed to answer first. He looked curiously at the young
man. He appeared to be really experienced.
The militia in Bruglas was indeed different compared to their militia in a small place like this, he thought.
“I barely managed to stop the bleeding. Don’t think of wandering around, I don’t want to tie this for you
one more time.” Freya immediately reminded him.
Sophie knew that the recovery effects from bandaging, besides from stopping the bleeding, was only
effective a single time.
But he answered politely this time:
“Thank you. Although your skills suck just a little.”
“……………”
Mother Marsha above, Freya inhaled deeply. At this moment she suddenly had the urge to strangle this
grinning bastard to death. What the hell was he trying to do!
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Ch 7 – The plan
“Then, where exactly are we?”
Sophie started to inquire for the news that he wished to know after he flawlessly got hold of the
conversation’s direction. He found that he had really changed a little. In the past, the only time he was
able to be this eloquent was during the time he was in the game.
Perhaps he still treated this world as ‘The Amber Sword’.
The experiences he had in the game when faced the youths in front of him, were enough to treat them like
children.
He had naturally developed an air of confidence that affected all the people here, whether if it’s Freya or
the ones behind her. The center of the topic had shifted to Sophie without them realizing it.
Even the ones far away raised their head and turned to him.
“This place is the Red Pine Forest. Don’t move.” The girl with the ponytail took a deep breath and tried
hard to calm down and reply.
Sophie gazed at the future War Goddess in surprise. She had quickly learned to control her temper
quickly, although she was still a little inexperienced.
“The Red Pine Forest,” Sophie repeated her words, then recoiled in shock. “Wait, why are you here?”
He remembered this place was called the ‘Dwarven valley’ in the game where level 14 brown bears
nested. But it was Bucce’s southern region, and the militia had no reasons to appear here.
“We came to look for you.”
“Actually we came to find Miss Romaine, she’s Boss-neesama’s friend.”
“She’s also a member of the third’ platoon.”
The ones behind her started talking together.
“Have you defeated the Madara’s vanguard?” Sophie asked Freya the most important question in his
heart.
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“How’s that possible!” The young girl looked puzzledly at him, as if to ask him why he asked such a silly
question. “The leader of the guards covered the villagers and retreated from the north. We are the ones
who got separated from the rest. The monsters in the main road are getting more and more numerous,
and we could only proceed to the south. Besides that I was also worried about Romaine…….”
“Therefore everyone came here?” Sophie’s felt his heart sank.
The girl nodded as if it was the most natural thing, her long ponytail bobbing up and down.
Then Freya suddenly felt a little strange. This youth was not Captain Marden, why did she felt like she
was speaking to someone with a higher rank!
Sophie tapped his forehead pensively. He did not know whether to describe their actions as naive or
foolish. They already had trouble surviving and they still wanted to save others.
No, maybe it could be described as kindness.
But the battlegrounds did not need unnecessary kindness, they would only harm themselves.
Sophie became silent, but his heart was languishing into a spiral of lamentation. He had set his own
grandfather’s house on fire to warn the village, but history still repeated itself and continued to travel to
its original pathways.
There were even people here who were as stupid as a log.
Mother Marsha, what kind of joke are you pulling here?
He sighed in his heart. The things that he could change were too little. The wheels of history could not be
stopped by a meager force. It was absolutely necessary that he got stronger, but before that he had to
survive.
“Captain Marden, it appears that even I am unable to save you.”
Why would Brumand’s black rose, the Madara, invade the borders before the fifth moon’s celebration of
eternal death? This was such an obvious scheme, would it not harm them instead?
Sophie’s original expectations were completely dashed, and it left him with an empty feeling. He found
out at the end that for all his hard work, it did not affect history in the slightest. It was a heavy blow that
left him dispirited.
But he only possessed the strength of an average man, he had done his best.
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“Brendel!”
As he silently grumbled inwards to himself, an elated voice rang out beside him. Sophie turned his head
back, and saw the merchant girl with a face full of disbelief and surprised joy appearing at the other side
of the forest. There was another girl at Romaine’s side, wearing a suit of greyish white leather armor. She
must have gone to notify Romaine.
Romaine dashed over like the wind to Sophie’s side and studied him carefully, as if she was afraid of him
suddenly disappearing.
“I knew it. You would surely be okay.” She said with great relief and happiness.
“Oh, Brendel. Freya didn’t let me go back to Bucce, I…..” Then the merchant girl started to explain
urgently, as if she was afraid of him getting angry.
“It’s fine now. I am alright.” He gently replied.
“Really?”
“Really.” He nodded.
“Romaine, please don’t move him. Brendel’s wounds are very grave.” Freya brows knitted together like
they were going to touch one another. Did these two people know how grave these injuries were? He was
just one step from meeting Mother Marsha!
“It’s fine.” Even though Romaine said that, she stuck her tongue out and stood up.
Sophie smiled. The personality of the merchant’s girl was simply that way. He looked at both of the pretty
girls and could not help but admired the scene.
If he did not teleport to this world, perhaps the merchant girl would have met the same fate as Brendel
did. The Madara invaders were merciless.
He peered at the others. Amongst all of them, who would survive at the very end of this battle? He clearly
remembered the survivors from the militia and the guards were less than one out of ten.
But he was here now, and perhaps there was a deviation in history. There were many things he did not
know, but at least the people around him should be saved. These youths were the future seeds of this
kingdom.
Sophie absolutely refused to let history repeat itself.
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“Alright, let’s get back to the important topic. Do you know how grave the situation is right now?” The
young man exhaled, trying hard not to show off painful he felt. He knew that he needed to rest
desperately, but the current circumstances prevented him from doing so.
His gaze landed on everyone, and Freya and the young militia looked startled. Romaine blinked her eyes
playfully.
“Huh?”
Sophie coughed weakly. He said: “What are you going to do next? If I am not wrong, the Madara undead
has taken control of the main road?”
Silence fell upon them.
“H, how did you know?” Freya looked at him in surprise.
(Of course I know, I even lived through it.)
Sophie’s heart replied. But the the surprised looks made him a little pleased.
Knowing the future had advantages.
But that feeling could not cover the anxiety in his heart. Madara’s attacks in the the fourth month was
swift and decisive. He needed to create a comprehensive plan to protect himself.
Including these youths.
The enemies that Bucce faced was the left wing of the Madara’s army. Leading this army was the future
infamous ‘Black Lord’, Incirsta. Even though he was merely a twenty something novice now, this rising
star had began to show off his prowess at the start of this battle.
And what did he had right now? He was merely a nameless person in history. The single advantage he
had was the knowledge of the future. With that, he would be able to handle the series of events, but he
needed to make good use of the opportunities.
He had only two chances.
The first would be the safer route by picking the ‘Valley of Jagged Rocks’. He recalled that it took the One-
eyed Tarkus, Incirsta’s right hand, seventeen days to control this region.
But the distance was too far away. He was worried that he could not reach there in time to break through
before the enemy surrounded there. Unless there were horses of course, but where would he find them
for these ten odd people here?
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The other option left was to break through the ‘River of Daggers’ before the battle between the ‘Undead
Ghosts’ led by Vesa and the ‘White Knights’ by Ivanton took place.
Currently there was only one necromancer leading a small skeleton army patrolling there.
He rubbed the cold ring on his finger. With the Ring of the Wind Empress, was it not a simple task to
break through the defence line comprised of eleven skeleton soldiers and one necromancer?
Still, he needed to make everyone in this militia team to obey his orders. It was also why he presented
himself so forcefully from the beginning.
Sophie took a look at everyone again.
“Anyone who had a little knowledge in military studies would be able to make a natural conclusion like
that. They sealed off the main road to break communications and to pave the way for their army. The next
step is to clear this region’s remaining Aouine’s forces while using Bucce as the center.”
He stressed his words heavily, paused and continued gravely: “Us.”
A heavy silenced loomed, then the light gasps of the militia army sounded out.
“And I ask you now, what are your plans?” Sophie asked wearily.
They turned and looked at each other.
There were ten skeleton soldiers defending Bucce’s main road, and they could not force their way out.
Even though there was the reckless confidence from them, that the enemies did not count for much, they
had their reservations shown when it came to life and death battles.
Freya’s face was full of worry. When she made her decisions earlier, she had not considered much at all.
Even though they were called the militia, they were just a bunch of youths who had no experience at all.
Although she did not say anything, her helplessness was already written on her face.
And everyone’s gazes fell onto Sophie long ago. He seemed to show a demeanor exuding experience and
calmness. This impression had a subtle influence on them, making them felt he was reliable during times
of danger.
“Brendel?” Romaine asked worriedly.
Sophie looked back at her and gave a small smile to put her at ease.
“We need to plan for the worst.” He snapped his head back at them. He planned to break their naive
attitude.
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This was not something he did for the first time. The newbies in his guild always held some optimistic
behavior when they went to the battlefields for the first time. But once they received a blow from a shock,
they would go into disarray and quickly get annihilated by veteran teams.
There was actually not that much of a gap between players. The key factor was their mentality.
And veteran players like him, were in charge of giving inoculation shots to newbies.
“Plan for the worst?”
Just as Sophie was about to answer, there was a series of rustling from the forest. Everyone looked over
there at the same time, except Freya who faced over to a set of Ericoideae shrubbery and said:
“Jonathon?”
“It’s me, Captain Freya.”
Everyone sighed with relief, but Sophie quietly gestured at Freya with his hand, warning her to raise her
alertness. Freya was a little surprised at his gesture, but immediately realized the militia training did not
allow them to leave their posts without reason.
Sophie had absolute faith in Aouine’s militia training. These youths might be naive, but that not mean
they would forget about the basic training rules they had done every day.
There must not be any negligence in a battlefield.
“Did something happen, Jonathon?” She asked as she placed her hand on her sword’s hilt.
“I, I’m sorry, Boss-neesama, I, I got caught……”
The shrubbery was parted into two with a rustle, and there were two people who walked out. A crying
young man with a pale face with his arms raised, and the necromancer that followed behind with its
finger pointing towards the young man. The green flames that were dancing in its eye sockets peered at
everyone.
“Keke, I caught a bunch of rats.”
Their breaths were taken away.
“Jonathon!”
“How could you…”
And the voices of disbelief followed.
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Ch 8 – The bloody forest
“Jonathon!”
“How could you?!”
The young militia glared angrily at their fellow soldier.
The young man who was controlled by the necromancer paled even further with a shudder, his shame
and fear made him bowed his head deeply.
But no one would want to die, right?
Freya felt like her heart was going to stop any moment, and her hand reached to her sword without
thinking. But the necromancer immediately dismissed her notion to draw it. The green lights in its eye
sockets flared up, and that young man’s arm exploded like a balloon. Blood and flesh sprayed
everywhere, and he screamed loudly, falling down and curling into a heap.
“Gaaahhh! Please save me Boss-neesama!!!”
The bloody Jonathon rolled on the ground, shrieking in horror.
This frightening scene made a few people turned away and threw up. Freya turned white and stumbled
backwards, nearly collapsing into a heap.
“Little human girl, it is best that you do not move rashly.” The necromancer warned her with a shrill
voice, its terrifying gaze sweeping across everyone who was there.
But it soon discovered there were only some militia here, maggots that were not worth mentioning.
The green lights in the necromancer’s eye sockets dimmed with disappointment. It had received orders to
pursue and kill the human scout, and not to squabble over these maggots.
Freya’s mind was a complete blank, but she tried to shake off the waves of dizziness that were assaulting
her. She tried her best to mull over the way to escape from this situation. She still remembered that she
was the the leader of the militia and could not easily show her weak side to the enemy.
As for the girl that was beside Romaine, she had fainted at the first sight of Jonathon’s bloody fate. It was
fortunate that the merchant girl was there to hold her.
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Sophie felt one of Romaine’s hand grabbing on to his sleeve tightly. It was a sign that she trusted and
depended on him.
He had earlier held Freya from behind to prevent her from sinking onto the ground, but she surprised
him with her strong resolution.
But no matter what, he knew that she needed some assurance at this time, or she might break down
mentally. A girl who lived in a peaceful era would find it difficult to endure a cruel scene like this. It was
perhaps fortunate that many young men and women were prepared for wars to break out, as Aouine was
a country that was stricken with the ravages of war.
“Freya.” Sophie whispered weakly.
The young girl paused for a while and woke up from her stupor. She breathed deeply, and calmed down
bit by bit under Sophie’s presence. He nodded in admiration when her fingers on her sword’s hilt relaxed.
This achievement could be considered to be exceptional. Very few people would be able to calm down
when facing the thin line separating life and death.
Although he did not understand why, his own heart seemed to be as serene as it could possibly be, after
experiencing the parallel teleportation and the perilous battle he had previously.
Regardless, it was definitely a good thing.
He continued to whisper: “Do you remember what I said earlier, about planning for the worst?”
Freya froze for a moment and nodded slightly.
“Do you have the strength to fight?”
“Yes.”
It was a reply that almost could not be heard.
Sophie’s heart was relieved.
He rubbed against the Ring of the Wind Empress with his thumb, and the sensation he felt told him that it
was half recharged.
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Three hours to restore a segment of energy compared to ten minutes in the game, it was certainly too
slow, but it was sufficient at half capacity. Even though it was unable to create a wind bullet, it was able to
create a powerful whirlwind.
Since he was prepared for the worst outcome, there was nothing else that could go wrong.
At the same time, the necromancer was finally convinced there was no ambush here. It did not even
bother to look at the pitiful figure that was crying beside its feet, and raised its skeletal arm:
“My soldiers, slay every one here!”
The ear-piercing, dry voice rang out, and there were four skeleton soldiers wearing black heavy armor
wielding sharp swords that immediately came out from the forest. Their bodies made clacking noises as
they walked through the swirling mist, approaching closer to the militia with every step.
If it was a little earlier, the militia might still have the courage to resist the undead soldiers, but it was
different now. The confidence they had earlier was shattered by the inhuman necromancer, and the
remaining bravery they had were crushed by the approaching soldiers, with no strength left to fight back.
They could only retreat backwards in terror. Some drew out their swords shakily from an instinctive will
to survive, but there was no certainty as to how much they could defend themselves.
There were only quickened breaths echoing throughout the forest.
The necromancer crackled in laughter as it watched them. The green lights in its eye sockets danced
wildly, as if they were savoring the fear.
It was certainly true that fear was human’s greatest weakness, and it could easily be made use of. In
comparison, the undead naturally overcame this weakness. Every one of them was the finest soldier,
especially the lower ranked undead that did not even need to think and simply obeyed their orders.
Even veteran soldiers could be as helpless as a child in a battlefield, and weak creatures like them should
not continue to exist in this world.
The necromancer felt only hatred for them: Without a doubt, Madara must be victorious ——
But at this moment, it heard the faintest whisper: “Then I’ll leave it to you.”
A calm youthful voice brimming with confidence.
The necromancer felt its Soul’s Fire jumped a little. It was a bad omen, and the necromancer turned its
head warily.
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A shining ring entered into its line of sight.
The ring was worn on that heavily injured militia’s thumb. It had not taken notice of this human who was
half dead, indeed, what was there to note?
Pretending to be heavily injured might fool others, but they would not be able to deceive an undead.
These cold creatures that climbed out from the graves can perceive the Flames of Life directly, and there
was no mistaking Sophie’s faint flames.
He was definitely heavily injured.
The true threat came from the magic ring on his thumb. The green lights in the necromancer’s eye sockets
suddenly dimmed, as it could suddenly feel a dangerous aura gathering in the air.
The necromancer had came into contact with fake replicas of powerful artifacts when its master had
taught it black magic, and from that aura emitted in the air, the ring had to be at least twenty OZ.
An artifact that could only belonged to a high wizard, why would it appear in the hands of a normal
human?
The necromancer showed an expression that was full of surprise and greed.
“My undead soldiers, pry the ring off his finger and give it to me!” It raised its bone wand and screamed.
“Oss.”
But Sophie raised his right hand and spat out the word with all his strength, as if to expel all the air in his
lungs. The youth fell backwards, and his head was full of cold perspiration.
The space between them expanded visibly, then violently contracted.
The distortion in the air rapidly reverted back to normalcy with an explosion, and the blast of frenzied
wind roared with a thunderous boom. The wind was like a tempest of sharpened arrows piercing through
the necromancer and the skeleton soldiers. They tried raising their arms to protect themselves, but the
rampaging whirlwind made them stagger to their sides.
There was no damage done, but the impeding effect was easily visible.
“Freya!” Sophie shouted.
The girl’s long sword sang in response as she drew it out, her long ponytail dancing behind her figure.
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What amazed Sophie was how the inexperienced girl acted next. She did not rush in rashly, but turned
her head and yelled at the rest of the militia: “Mackie, Irene! What the hell are you waiting!? The third
squad, soldiers of Bucce, follow me into battle!!!”
The burst of courage was like a signal, and simple words in a battle between life and death, could become
a suggestion that brought about limitless strength.
But this needed one condition, and that was composure.
A single person’s composure would affect even more people, just like what was happening now. Freya’s
reminder startled them, but they immediately recognized this was the final chance at surviving.
The raging winds continued to force the enemy back without being able to do anything.
When the young militia discovered this, they quickly regained their mettle and the sounds of swords
being drawn out reverberated in the forest. It was as if their discipline learned from the days spent in
training returned to their bodies.
“Mackie, cover me.”
“These fucking monsters, it’s time for your turn…….”
“Kill that foul witch first!”
“That’s a necromancer.”
“Little fenix, you’re behind me.”
But Sophie looked worriedly at the chaotic battlefield. He was afraid of someone acting rashly and ruining
the situation, and he reminded them calmly: “Everyone, remember what you had learned in training! You
can only fight well if you remain cool-headed!”
In the online game ‘The Amber Sword’, he had seen many hot blooded newbies, acting the same way like
the youths here.
It was good to be heated, but they must not lose their rationality.
He recited the militia combat regulations. It was something everyone here had recited before, but there
were not many who could keep these tedious but valuable rules in mind during a battle.
Brendel was someone unusual, Sophie thought to himself.
Sophie played back Brendel’s final battle in his mind. As a new soldier, Brendel’s performance could not
have been more perfect, and he had some considerable talent in wielding a sword. Unfortunately, he was
in the wrong place and at the wrong time.
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The young militia who heard Sophie’s reminded made them levelheaded. But it was not sufficient, as
Sophie knew they needed more confidence instilled in them, otherwise their regained morale would
plummet back to nothing.
The wind started to weaken.
The skeleton soldiers shook their rattling armor and tried to find their balance, preparing to fight back,
but Sophie’s voice already instructed the militia to change their tactics.
“Listen well. These low ranked Madara’s soldiers lack intelligence and move slowly. Their greatest
weakness presents itself when they turn their body. Do your utmost to follow their sword hand and move
towards the left. They have a blind spot there and you can attack safely…”
“Mackie, partner up with Irene and attack from both sides. Do you know how to cover her? Good, attract
the attention of that skeleton, keep up that pace.”
Sophie laid half of his body onto a boulder, staring closely at the battlefield’s situation, and instructed
them on their next move. It was almost as if his words carried a magic, bringing strength, composure and
calmness to the young militia.
The Bucce’s militia were quickly rewarded. Erik broke a skeleton’s thigh bone from slashing its leg from
Sophie’s directions, and his partner, little Fenix pierced through the skeleton’s skull as a follow up.
The instant the sword pierce through the skull, the undead creature seemed to let out a gasping sound,
the Soul’s Fire in its eye sockets flickered and quickly died.
Sophie’s eyes caught a gold light flying into his chest from the skeleton.
Sophie paused for a moment. It was different from the previous time, he clearly felt the experience points
clearly. But he did not have time to relish that fact, as he heard the excited yells from the militia’s victory.
“Heavens, I did it!” Erik could not believe it and yelled as he held his bleeding wounds firmly: “Brendel,
how the hell do you know about these things?”
Brendel gave a small smile. His experience came from within the game where he analyzed the enemies
with his allies. Even knowing what the smallest gesture meant came from harsh lessons, knowledge that
was attained from thousands of battles and deaths in the game.
Bucce’s militia had also learned similar knowledge from their training, but they were merely superficial
in Sophie’s eyes. If Bucce’s training raised his prowess against the skeleton soldiers by 10%, then his own
knowledge would raise beyond 50%.
From the 375th year until the 2nd era, the frequent battles against Madara had made Sophie completely
familiar with their lowest ranked skeleton soldiers, to the highest ranked demonic witches, vampire lords
and even bone dragons.
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There was no one in Aouine who understood the undead kingdom more than him, and perhaps even the
entire continent. After all, the kingdoms in this continent, prior to the first War of the Black Rose, did not
have as many intense conflicts with Madara as compared to the future.
The experience that Sophie had in this world was one of his proudest accomplishments. He relied heavily
on his knowledge, and it was the only reason that he had the confidence to keep walking down the path to
where he once stood before.
He had to finish this task at hand first. The violent whirlwind might have attracted unwanted attention,
and just to be safe, he needed to end the battle as quickly as possible.
His eyes fell upon the necromancer as he contemplated.
This was a difficult enemy.
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CH 9 – The battle against the necromancer
TL: There’s a mistake I made. Bone wands are now Bone staffs.
A lower ranked necromancer was well versed in two different magic, shadows and debilitating spells.
In the game, black magic was brought about the Miirna race. They were the servants of the twilight
dragon, and had lived in the icy plains of northern Kirrlutz a century before the Era of Chaos.
The Miirna shamans were well versed in spirit and dark shamanic spells. These spells later on, along with
all unnatural spells that affected the mind or attacked the body, were classified into black magic.
After the holy crusade, the King of Fire, Gatel, drove these citizens of darkness into the cold north, and it
was said from then on no one ever saw them again.
But the Miirna definitely existed. In the Bible of Darkness, the black magic had been passed down to the
Shadow Lords of Madara from these demonic race.
But to call the shadow spells as Black Magic was a little undeserving of the name. It was merely a type of
magic to aid in concealment, and the spells used were able to cover the tracks of a small squad of undead
troops.
The skeleton soldiers were not invisible or vanished into thin air, but a mere trick to hide them under the
dark shadows.
It definitely did not make their sounds, scents or other sensory senses other than sight disappear. It was
also limited to a certain radius.
During the dark night, these spells naturally became the best cover for Madara’s undead troops, and it
was the main reason why Madara’s army had chosen to only move during the night time in history.
As for the debilitating spells, Freya and the other militia had already experienced this frightening black
magic at the Pine forest.
The evil assault spells were necromancers’ primary means of attacking, which relied on negative energy
to invade the minds of the enemies. The stronger the negative energy from the enemies, the weaker their
wills were, the more damage the spells would do.
Until the enemies’ deaths.
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The debilitating spells were similiar to various other black magic that relied on negative emotions to
cause damage.
With such mysterious black magic at the necromancer’s fingertips, with its cunning and deceptive nature,
leading skeleton soldiers that were stronger than the average human, it appeared as if the necromancer
was an enemy that was exceedingly difficult to defeat.
But Sophie knew their secret. Necromancers did not have the ability to cast magic. Its true source of
power came from the bone staffs in their hands. The bone staff was a powerful magic artifact that
belonged to its own individual owner, and once it left their hands, it would become an ordinary stick.
With this knowledge at hand, Sophie prepared a strategy to defeat the necromancer.
Following the next defeated skeleton soldier under Sophie’s supervision, the strongest sword fighters,
Freya and Irena marched towards the necromancer on both sides.
“Attack its hand! The dark shamanic spells are not as mystical as you think,” Sophie pointed out the
undying monster’s weakness from behind: “Did you see its gesture? Hinder him from completing it and
knock the bone staff out of his hand…”
That necromancer abruptly raised its head and met Sophie’s eyes, the viridescent flames quivering in
hatred. Sophie choked up, his throat drying up as though it was being burned. He knew that the
necromancer was starting to focus on him, but he tried to shrug off the unnerving feeling quickly, as he
knew it was impossible for the necromancer to bypass the militia and attack him.
Nevertheless, the terrifying chill from the creature’s gaze forced him to halt his instructions, and he
waited for Freya and Irene to rob its concentration away.
The necromancer gave a ghastly laugh and shook the bone staff. Darkness covered it completely as if it
was being submerged by a wave of water. When Irene’s long sword pierced into it, there was nothing but
thin air. The necromancer had vanished at the very same spot.
“Huh?” The girl was stunned.
Sophie’s expression did not change at all; he was too familiar with what it can do: “To your left, Irene!”
She did not react to his voice in time.
But Freya who rushed over slashed through the air with her sword, a straight silver line that seemed to
illuminate the inky night, and when it reached the place where Sophie had directed, the necromancer
stumbled backwards in dismay.
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Everyone saw the shadow-like figure revealing itself after retreating.
“Human!!! Who are you! You are not a militia at all!” The screaming voice was of a frenzied rage, and its
expression appeared to be in utter agitation.
It was impossible for a militia to know this much, and part of what Sophie said only circulated amongst
the Madara’s undead necromancers.
But Sophie kept his silence, and Freya’s sword followed up again. The green lights in the necromancer’s
eye sockets danced wildly, it raised the bone staff to parry the sword in hatred.
A necromancer possessed 1.7 OZ, and Freya did not have a higher strength than Brendel, thus her attack
was easily steered to one side, and she stumbled forward a few steps before she was able to stop. She
subsconsciously held against her left shoulder and grimaced.
The injury from the arrow earlier seemed to be reopened.
“Boss-neesama, let Mackie do it, your injury……” Irene shouted out as she defended against the
necromancer.
Mackie and little Fenix charged over to them.
“Little Fenix, I want you to back off!” But Freya cut off his path and shouted at that inexperienced brat
with a fierce command.
“But I’m also a soldier!” The adolescent shouted in defiance.
“Back off, did you hear what I said!”
Little Fenix’s flushed red with fury, but he did not dare to go against Freya’s order. She had always been
the leader amongst them, with a kind heart and resolution in her actions. Everyone was actually content
with her as the leader.
Sophie shook his head in disapproval. The battlefield was not a place to have a squabble. But Freya’s
insistence had raised his favorable impression of her, it was rare to find a girl like her back in his previous
world. (TL: Really? Haha.)
“The four of you attack the necromancer together.” He said simply.
“Mister Brendel, you!” Freya was lost for words as she looked back involuntarily. The young Romaine
stood beside the youth who was lying on the boulder. She looked at Freya innocently and blinked.
[This damn girl, she defected already to his side already?!]
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Freya fumed inwardly.
“A necromancer is an enemy that is hard to deal with, and the four of you are just sufficient to cover each
other’s back.” Sophie answered in a serious manner.
“But little Fenix……”
“He’s also one of the militia.”
Freya bit her lips. When she turned back to look, Mackie and Irene were steadily losing ground from the
necromancer’s attack. If the undead creature found a chance to cast a spell, the squad would lose another
member.
It was something that she could not stand for. She nodded reluctantly as she thought through the
possibility.
“Alright.”
“Praise the Gods! Brendel, you’re too amazing!” Little Fenix cried triumphantly and drew out his long
sword immediately.
But Freya grabbed his cuff from behind and ordered him solemnly: “You are going to follow closely to me,
and never go out of my sword arm’s radius. Do you understand?”
“Oooh……” He replied with disappointment.
The situation was reversed when both Freya and little Fenix joined the battle. Irene and her were
outstanding sword fighters in their militia batch, and surprisingly little Fenix was not any weaker. He was
decisive and accurate with a strong inclination to attack, and unlike Aouine’s military swordsmanship
which pursued balance in both offense and defense, he seemed to resemble Kirrlutz’s aggressive sword
techniques. (TL: Military batch… Erm, my mind is failing me, is there any official term out there?)
Sophie gave a high evaluation to him. He thought to himself, when little Fenix reached Brendel’s age, he
would probably be as good as him at using the sword.
Sophie mused over the possibilty where Brendel did not die. If he continued to grow in the upcoming
battles, he would have most likely became as brilliant as Freya. It was as if he was born to fight and his
flexibility was even better compared to little Fenix.
Unfortunately, there was such a thing called fate, and there were no ‘ifs’ in history.
The battle between the militia and the necromancer relied heavily on Sophie’s input. It was as though
Sophie saw through every move of the necromancer, and even the smallest plan it had was pointed out.
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What was the necromancer going to do?
Why is the necromancer doing this?
Was it preparing a spell?
When should it be interrupted?
The necromancer grew more and more appalled. The undead did not feel fear, but it could also be
unsettled. At the very end it was screaming: “Who are you! An undead shaman! Or a black knight!”
The uttered sentences were exchanged for Freya’s unforgiving strike. The claw-like fingers that were
gripping the bone staff flew up and it gave a shrill scream. The green fire in its sunken eye sockets
dimmed like it was a candle flame in the winds.
“Wretched humans……..”
The battle finally ended with Mackie’s orthodox strike with his sword. The necromancer had tired
considerably before the loss of its hands and bone staff, and it wailed in frustration as the bright sword
pierced through its skull.
The Soul’s Fire exploded from its body.
It was the final counter attack from this creature, but Sophie had already warned them preemptively.
Only Irene who was a little slow at evading had her right hand singed a little.
The final two skeleton soldiers that remained were destroyed by the rest of the militia, while Freya and
the others fought against the necromancer. Only one of the militia got wounded from the skeleton
soldiers, and the forest was finally restored to its former peace. The wind blew across the forest, causing
the leaves to rustle gently.
Everyone stopped and looked at each other. Their faces were full of disbelief, including Freya. They
actually won against a necromancer and four skeleton soldiers.
Mackie’s sword was the first fall onto the floor with a clang, and it set off a chain reaction. Everyone
hugged each other together, shouting and yelling, and even some of them cried out loudly to vent their
emotions.
To survive from such an ordeal made their feelings ran high.
But Sophie was unperturbed. He raised his head and saw three golden lights flew into his chest from the
darkness. Nobody seemed to notice this, even Romaine who was beside him.
The merchant girl also seemed to be relieved.
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[Hmm, I’m the only one who can see it?] Sophie felt a little puzzled.
He glanced at his surroundings once, and opened his character window at the same time without
thinking. He did the same things like he did in ‘The Amber Sword’, opening his character window once a
battle was over.
The green lines of data appeared immediately in his retina.
Strength 1.1, Agility 2.0 , Physique 1.0 Intelligence 1.1, Will 1.3, Perception 1.0
Overall power rating 3.5, Element (Sealed)
Brendel, Male Human, Level 1 (Strength type body: Physical, Close combat; Talent: Unyielding)
XP: 4 (Commoner level 1 ———, Civilian Soldier level 2, 6/10)
Health (Weakened, dying): 10% (Bandaged status, 1 HP will be recovered every day)
Skills (Empty slot skill 1 XP)
Commoner [Basic knowledge (Level 1), Geography Knowledge (Level 0), Local knowledge (Level 1)]
Civilian Soldier [Military Swordsplay (Level 1), Grappling techniques (Level 1), Tactical Theory (Level 0),
Military Organization (Level 0)]
He noted the change from his strength and physique. This meant he received the increase from the
‘Civilian soldier’ profession.
The Overall power rating increased by 2.5. The Ring of the Wind Empress granted a 1.0 increase in agility,
and the rest of the increase came from his corresponding stats from his militia profession.
Finally in this battle, he gained 4 XP from four skeleton soldiers and one necromancer. It was half of what
he should have received. Sophie thought for a while before concluding it was as a ‘Team penalty’.
[This is total bullshit! Why the heck would there be something like this in reality?]
But compared to the fact that he teleported to a parallel world was even more ridiculous.
He tried to think of this fact like a gaming otaku but he felt that it was pointless after a while, because this
place was different from that online game ‘The Amber Sword’.
“Mother Marsha, it’s good that my suspension of disbelief is amazing…..” He rubbed his forehead as he felt
a little headache.
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Sophie stared at the ‘Civilian soldier’ level and hesitated. He truthfully did not want to invest experience
points in this profession. The profession was pretty much garbage to him, and he had always viewed it a
NPC only profession.
Now in this life here, he could not have thought that he would actually spend experience points on it.
And he even chose the talent point ‘Unyielding’!
The gods above, there were just too many talents useful for a warrior, but this happened to the worst of
them all. It was a skill that allowed him to be immune from fatal wounds, but he only had five minutes to
bid his will, unless he received a heal powerful enough.
Except he still had not seen any restorative that was stronger than banadaging, and the potions that were
in the game were literally everywhere.
Still, Sophie did not regret it too much as it did save his life.
The current situation repeated itself. He was unable to find another profession right now, yet he urgently
needed more power, and the only solution was to continue walking down this damnable path of the
profession ‘Civilian soldier’. He felt depressed for a few moments.
A veteran warrior turning into a veteran militia? Heck, was the warrior profession not enough of a
cannon fodder already?!
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CH 10 – Emergency first aid in the battlefield
Sophie stared at his character stats in a daze, but he still did not make a decision in the end.
[One step at a time, since there’s no need to squander it now right?]
But the 10 AP (ability points) that he got when he raised should be used. Under the dire situation now,
even the slightest improvement in power was an improvement over nothing. It appeared to Sophie that
increasing the sword rank or a combat related skill was a pretty good choice. Anyone else would
probably have chosen this option. Still, Sophie hesitated as he had thought of something else.
He dismissed the character window in his mind, and it faded from his retina. He raised his head to look at
the militia, only to find them still reveling from the victory earlier. He stiffened for a moment, then his
face showed an austere expression.
This was a terrible sign.
He gestured to Romaine to help him up a little, then raised his voice and ask: “I want to ask, do you all
really think you are safe now?”
His voice was not loud, but everyone present had their voices silenced, and the forest became silent to the
point where one can hear a pin drop.
Sophie’s authority was still present, and the young militia had not forgotten who directed them to victory.
Come to think of it, the earlier warning that he gave became true right?
They suddenly became self aware that it was certainly not the time to celebrate. Their lives were
practically controlled by Madara’s undead troops, and they still had the time to make merry. They felt a
surreal feeling creeping over them as they realized that fact.
Thus everyone stopped and cast their gazes on him. Sophie was currently very weak, but there seemed to
be an air about him that would lead them to victory.
Everyone believed that.
Even Freya sighed quietly. This was supposed to be her responsibility, but she and her squad members
were not able to control their emotions, and she had forgotten that she was even the leader and the
responsibilities that came along with it.
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The ponytail girl showed pangs of regret when she became aware of that.
“Bandage your wounds, clean up the battlegrounds, remember what you have learned in your training.
Do you really need me to remind all of you?” Sophie also sighed. These headless chickens were more of a
newbie than a newbie could ever be. It was fortunate that their stats were better than a normal NPC.
But they could not compare to a player, certainly. A hero profile was so much better, till the point where
Sophie did not want to think about it when he checked his stats every time.
Sophie rubbed his forehead.
Under his reminder, the young Bucce soldiers started to move. They stanched the bleeding from the
wounded soldiers, swept up the battlefield, and took the swords and armor from the skeleton soldiers.
Their chain armors were much better than their leather armor in protection.
Another person extinguished the campfire under Sophie’s instruction. Sophie wanted to knock his head
against a wall when he gave the order, lighting a campfire in the enemy’s rear position, he really did not
know what these militia were thinking.
Freya originally wanted to see what she could help with, after all Brendel was not familiar with them. But
she soon realized that it was completely unnecessary, and no matter what he did, he had done things far
better than what she had considered doing.
She could not help but fidget with her hair, her mind was full of questions; They were both militia, but
was there so much of a difference between Bruglas and Bucce?
[How could this be?]
Freya had always thought the people that came from the city could not be any stronger than they were,
but in front of Sophie, she started to feel dejected.
On the other hand, Romaine did not care about it too much, and she happily went along with the others to
gather the loot. It looked like the future merchant girl was only interested in them.
Sophie eyed the cheeky kid who was called little Fenix, as he went over to the unconscious Jonathon.
“What about Jonathon?” Fenix asked everyone.
This question made everyone look at each other.
For a moment, a strange silence spread everywhere.
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Indeed, he was one of the youths in the village, and they were familiar with him and it could be said they
were good friends. Jonathon was the most timid amongst them, but they did not expect he would do
something like this.
Even though he had no choice, but this action that was equivalent to a betrayal and it hurt them. It was as
if their innocent friendship had cracked, showing how distrust between humans came about.
Freya also had no idea to repair the relationship between them. She wanted to protect everyone, but not
only did he harmed everyone, he also hurt her deeply. Even if she wanted to speak up for him, she had no
confidence to persuade the others.
And if she spoke, there might not be a chance for them to remain as friends.
Everyone in the militia held the same viewpoint. They were just naive teenagers, and their weakness and
strengths existed at the same time. As they hesitated, they cast their eyes on the only outsider here.
Sophie.
And our protagonist sighed.
“Miss Freya?” He asked her.
“I, I don’t know……”
“Then bandage him. We don’t know if we can even stop the bleeding, perhaps he will die before
tomorrow’s sunrise.” Sophie sighed again. He was puzzled over why he was so calm, was it also not the
first time he saw a dying person?
Everyone exhaled with relief at the same time. It was Sophie’s order, and they just needed to follow it. It
was an excuse to run away, but even then humans needed to escape from time to time.
On the other side, Sophie beckoned to Freya to come over. She looked puzzledly at him but came over.
“You know how to perform first aid right, Miss Freya?” Sophie asked.
“Just call me Freya,” She nodded: “I learned a little, from Captain Marden.”
[Captain Marden?! The heck, that old dude also teaches first aid here!?] Sophie nearly choked.
In the game, the first NPC that taught emergency first aid in the Grinoires region was Doctor Borg from
Fortress Riedon. That NPC would give a mission to collect fifty bundles of flaxseed before teaching the
skill, and it was a major pain in the neck; to the point where many people immediately skipped the quest
and went to Bruglas, where they simply needed to pay ten silver coins to the Holy Cathedral of Fire.
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Even though the market price of 50 bundles of Flaxseed was a huge difference compared to ten silver
coins, it was much more of a trouble to acquire them.
This was an undiscovered secret! Sophie got all excited, but suddenly realized he could not go back to his
old world. What was he thinking?
His excitement quickly died down, but still asked enthusiastically: “Can you teach me a little?”
Freya took a deep breath and gritted her teeth. She eyed him angrily, did this bastard not say that she
sucked at bandaging!
But she was not a petty person to get her revenge back, and she thought for a while before asking: “What
do you want to know……”
“The crux and the way how to wrap the bandages.”
Freya did not reply immediately, but went to his side to check on the girl who fainted. Romaine had
abandoned her with a face of excitement when she went to gather the loot.
The girl only fainted from a shock and did not seem to have sustained any other injuries.
Freya turned back to look at the pale youth and hesitated for a while.
“Let me take a look at your injury.”
“That’s fine, I know my injury well enough.”
“You—”
“Really, what exactly did you learn?” Sophie changed the topic.
“Mainly to bandage and stop the bleeding as well as washing the wound.”
Sophie’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. It was something from within his soul, not a voice or words, but
he clearly received a message:
“Freya is teaching you the skill ‘Emergency first aid’, and requires 8 AP to raise to level 0. Do you wish to
learn the skill?”
He exhaled slowly. He wanted this! And it even appeared in the same format as the game, of course he
wanted to learn this!
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The emergency first aid had the ability to stop bleeding and prevent the infection of wounds. It was a skill
that ignored the surroundings and raised the chances to succeed compared to random bandaging, and
was something that Sophie urgently needed. He remembered that only the army priests from the Holy
Cathedral of Fire were able to perform emergency first aid.
To think that Captain Marden also knew how to do this, what a discovery indeed. He accepted to learn the
skill but a message immediately came back:
“There is no suitable profession found for learning emergency first aid, which profession do you wish to
assign the skill to?”
This was not important, but Sophie still placed the skill under the Civilian soldier profession. Because the
Civilian soldier profession was not a suitable profession, it would require twice the AP to raise the level,
and it was still better than the commoner profession, since it was pretty much impossible to raise the
commoner level.
A skill level cannot be leveled higher than the profession level. (TL: Commoner level cannot be raised.
Probably.)
Freya taught the skill in detail to him, but she quickly realized the youth was staring at her as if he did not
react to her words at all.
She looked at him blankly, before a fiery fury burst up from her heart.
This bastard, was he trying to find an excuse to take advantage of her!
The young girl hands curled into fists, and became so angry that even her ponytail trembled.
This bastard, how could he do something like this to Romaine, that girl had her heart practically given to
you!
She tried her best to curb herself and waved her hands in front of Sophie, but there was no reaction. If she
did not consider him to be an injured person, she would have sent a flying kick. But right at this moment,
Sophie’s eyes blinked and he regained his senses.
He checked his skill set again, and was satisfied from learning the emergency first aid. At least he would
have the confidence to navigate through the future battles.
It was an important requirement to have the ability to heal the team members. Sophie was someone who
planned ahead, and thus abandoned the idea of learning sword skills or combat abilities. But when he
came back to his senses, he saw Freya’s displeased expression.
“What’s wrong?” He looked on puzzledly.
“Were you listening?” The girl asked through her gritted teeth.
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“Of course, and I learned it already.” Sophie answered naturally.
“You-” Freya nearly fainted from the lack of breath. “I have not even finished teaching, and you already
learned it?” She checked him out with a severe lack of trust.
“Yup.”
Freya wanted to punch him in the eye. When she wanted to argue back at him, someone shouted from the
sides.
“Boss-neesama. We can’t stop Jonathon’s bleeding, quickly come over and take a look.”
Sophie wanted to swivel her head back to look, but Sophie said: “This is a good time, how about letting
me do it?”
“You?”
Freya’s face was of great distrust.
“Help me over.”
“D, don’t overdo things.”
“Then I’ll ask Miss Romaine to help me over?”
“In your dreams, I’ll never let her near you ever again, you shameless lout!” Freya snapped in refusal, but
still helped Sophie up.
“Shameless lout?” Sophie paused blankly, why did he suddenly get scolded.
“You know what you did.”
“Hah?”
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Chapter 11 – The two factions’ resolve
The light within the living hall that was occupied at the last minute brightened and then dimmed. Part of
the candles’ flames were intentionally extinguished. The dim light illuminated the deep gashes on the
wooden floor.
In this remote corner, a silent and chilly atmosphere seemed to fill the air.
The figures that were sitting down could not get used to the light from the remaining candles, but as long
as the middle-aged male leader who had a pale face and wore an eye patch did not speak, none of them
dared to utter even one sound.
If Sophie was here, he would have probably recognized this man, simply because his appearance did not
change much even after a decade. This was the right hand of ‘Black Lord Incirsta’, a vampire lord, the one-
eyed Tarkus. He was a member of the Rheinische family, the fourteen generation of vampires. He was
considered to be young, but he was a true veteran in the Madara’s army, compared to Incirsta who was
like a greenhorn.
But it did not matter to Tarkus. This was merely the beginning of their cooperation with Incirsta.
Tarkus looked at the skeleton soldiers bringing out the stacks of papers and books from the study. He
took a moment to watch them before turning back and spoke to the necromancer: “Speak. What report
did Rothko want to inform me when he left you behind?”
“Esteemed General Tarkus, my master had found a scout in that manor.” The necromancer bowed his
head and answered in a raspy voice.
“And?” He glanced at the necromancer once, and his gaze went back to the strategy map that laid open on
the table.
“He escaped.”
Several disdainful laughs rose from the surroundings.
The vampire general lifted his head, and the faint voices were immediately silenced. He paused for a
while, before saying: “I understand, Rothko did very well. But I want him to do better the next time and
not waste time on these types of needless distractions. I want him to advance to the Beldor forest before
noon.”
The necromancer nodded respectfully and left.
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But once it left, there were voices of dissent in the room. This time it was a giant skeleton covered in an
old brass armor, the a dark yellow flame flitting in its eye sockets with fury:
“Lord Tarkus, it is possible that this scout has discovered our plans–”
It opened and closed its mouth, but the air that escaped from his hyoid bone suddenly ceased. That was
because Tarkus was staring at it with his left eye, and made it stop subconsciously.
A burst of quiet laughter erupted around him, and the mockery contained within the laughs, made the
flames in his eyes dance with regret.
“Kabias.”
“Yes!” The giant skeleton immediately held his chest high and answered.
“Take this location down.” Tarkus’s fingers pointed to a village on the map.
“Before sunrise,” He pointed to the roof: “I want to see results.”
“Yes, Lord Tarkus.”
“Wesker, Ebdon.”
“Yes!” The two voices replied at the same time.
“The both you attack Verbin, and seal off the Dagger River.”
“Yes, Lord Tarkus.”
“Raven’s beak.”
“Yes!”
“I’ll give you two small squadrons, search and clear this area.”
“Yes!”
Tarkus raised his head from the map, and looked coldly at every one of them: “All of you are nobles from
Madara. I want everyone to swiftly and elegantly accomplish my every order, precisely as I tell you to.
Fortress Riedon, this is our next target.”
He stood up and placed his right hand over his left shoulder: “Madara will be victorious.”
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The undead all stood up as well and said gravely: “Madara will be victorious!”
Tarkus lowered his head and his gaze fell upon the map once more. He looked at Bucce’s southern red
pine forest, then to the Green village and Beldor forest, to Fortress Riedon and upwards, finally to the
River of Jagged rocks (TL: Names, names, names…)
Human scout? He gave a scornful laugh.
………………………………………………………………………
Right at the same time, with the full moon at its peak in the pine forest.
There was no wolves howling in this mountainous region, but a wind started blowing in the forest. The
chilly wind seemed to pierce through the branches like they were made out of smoke, and everyone
shivered from the creeping cold behind their backs. The youths of Bucce had never spend the night in the
wilds, and the darting shadows in this foggy forest made them jumpy. Each shadow that moved was like a
frightening monster to them.
But a single voice calmed them down.
“Hold this part down.”
“Yes, continue doing this.”
“Water.”
“Pass me the bandage.”
“Hold it down firmly.”
Sophie gave a long sigh of relief and wiped off the perspiration of his brows when it was finally done.
He was relieved to see a faint green color of [+2] floating from the Jonathon’s body.
With his emergency first aid skill reaching ‘Level 0’, the recovery effect from bandaging naturally
improved as well. There was practically no difference compared to the game, but every indication that
popped up made him feel at ease.
The instruction that he meted out, cleaning the wounds, preventing infection, stopping the bleeding,
bandaging and the finer details and techniques, he taught Mackie and Neberto thoroughly. He was in no
condition to do it himself, and his own body was just slightly better than Jonathon.
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As Neberto finished the last step, Sophie lifted his head up to find everyone staring at him in
astonishment.
A professional.
They only had this conclusion.
Even little Fenix looked back at Freya earnestly and said: “Boss-neesama, it seems that compared to your
skills, you kind of suck.”
Freya looked on in an ashen face.
[Indeed, indeed, this shameless cad found excuses to approach near me! Kukuku, hahahaha!]
Her heart ended up concluding this outcome in fury and looked worriedly at Romaine, but she only saw
her smug face counting the victory loot on the ground that was taken.
[This damn wench…!]
…….
Only Sophie himself knew that his knowledge came from the skill ‘Emergency First Aid’. Every time when
he looked at this skill, the knowledge to perform each step appeared in his mind. And in his memories,
the emergency first aid skill came from the first three chapters of [Grierson’s holy bible]. The contents of
the three chapters discussed the techniques to bandage. And it so happened that Sophie knew Grierson
from within the game, who was Bruglas’s current Grand Priest.
Since he had already read the contents of the book at least a hundred times, his familiarity with it was like
a pro-gamer priest opening a smurf account performing bandaging.
Sadly, he had to pay the price when he became a smurf. (TL: The price is Freya’s ire.)
On the other hand, Sophie quickly realized that Bucce’s third squadron consisted of ten members,
including Freya. He knew Mackie, Irene, Erik and little Fenix.
Then there was Neberto and Vlad. These two brothers was citizens from the mountainous forced to move
from the Bora region. They inherited the native feature of a taciturn behavior, and did more work than
they talked.
There was Jonathon who was in a coma and unlikely to wake up.
Finally there was daydreaming merchant Romaine and the girl that was with her that time. Sophie later
knew that she was the daughter of a baker in the town. Her name was Bella, with a gentle shy deposition,
but at the very least she was a good girl who was kind from the bottom of her heart.
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This was the crew that Sophie had to lead. They seemed like outstanding youths, but he knew that this
bunch of newbies amongst other newbies, did not know anything on what to do next.
So he considered for a moment before finally speaking: “What plans do you have?”
All the smiles vanished and there was stillness in the air.
“Let’s go to Fortress Riedon.” Irene suggested after a while.
“That’s right, Captain Marden will definitely go there.” Erik followed up next.
He had expected they would say that. And he shook his head.
He looked at them and saw the uncertain expressions in their faces, as if they were helpless to what might
happen tomorrow. Freya appeared to fare slightly better, but her white knuckles that gripped her sword
tightly betrayed her true feelings.
Only Romaine said as if it was the most obvious thing: “I’m with Brendon.”
This reply made Sophie felt like laughing in frustration, but her straightforward reply garnered his
goodwill. The youth paused for a while before saying: “Very well, I do agree that the most important thing
to do now is to leave this area.”
“And that means you have something that you disagree right?” Freya asked.
Sophie nodded: “Does anyone has a map?”
Everyone looked at each other. Who would have this sort of thing? Even though they were called militia,
they listened to the leader of the guards most of the time. If one was to go directly to the heart of the
matter, they were simply just a backup squadron.
Sophie also realized his mistake. Without the permission from the holy cathedral in Aouine, someone
possessing a map would be treated as a spy and ‘handled appropriately’. He kept treating himself as a
parallel world traveler, and forgot that he was already a member in this world.
And there would never be another so-called ‘player’ here.
“The guards…… should have that…..” Mackie stuttered behind the crowd.
Sophie shook his head, and called ‘duh, isn’t that bullshit?’ in his heart. He sighed and looked back at the
merchant girl: “Romaine, give me a sword.”
“Here, Brendel.”
Sophie took the sword and drew two lines on the ground.
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“This is Webster river, this is the pine river.”
He poked between the lines a few times: “This is Bucce, the Green village, and Verbin.”
He drew up a summary with a few simple strokes, but the youths once again felt their horizons were
broadened. It seemed that no one could compare with Brendon’s grasp of the world.
“Aren’t these the three towns?” Bella covered her mouth in surprise.
“This is amazing, so our surroundings are like this.” Erik’s looks to Sophie were nearly of worship.
“So Bucce is here right?”
“Brendel, how do you know so much?” Everyone started talking excitedly. They could not suppressed
their curiosity.
Of course Brendel knew. If he did not know the three newbie villages, he might as well find a tofu and
knock himself to death with it. Obviously he could not respond sarcastically, so he just deliberately said:
“Did you not learn how to read a Strategy Map?”
Strategy Map? What was that?
Everyone looked vacantly at each other. Mother Marsha above, even Bruglas militia had to learn this too?
Stars filled everyone’s eyes as they looked at Sophie with deep respect.
But our protagonist’s heart was drowning in mirth. This was something that not even the officers in the
regular army forces might know, and it was pretty much impossible for a militia to learn this. But he
certainly would not break his own lie, and just pointed at the intersection of the two rivers:
“This is Fortress Riedon.”
“Ah, this is Fortress Riedon?” Romained asked curiously.
“What’s wrong?” Sophie clearly heard giggles from his surroundings, and he asked them.
“It’s like this, Brendon-oniisan. Romaine envied the merchants who went to Fortress Riedon when she
was young. She complained everyday saying that she wanted to become a merchant, and one day she ran
off saying that she’s going to accomplish a grand business in Fortress Riedon, and you know what-” Little
Fenix immediately betrayed her and stopped at the cliffhanger.
Low murmuring laughs sprang up.
“And?” Sophie asked.
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“Haha, she lost her way in the forest, and it was Uncle Cecil who went looking for her” Little Fenix snorted
loudly with a laugh.
“N-nothing of that sort happened.” Romaine’s eyebrows were way up in her forehead.
Sophie looked at the merchant girl and thought she had not learned from this lesson well enough.
“Alright, let’s get back to the serious topic. Why do you want to go to Fortress Riedon?” He arranged his
emotions and continued asking.
“There are troops there.”
“Captain Marden will definitely be there.”
“My uncle will also be there.” Everyone’s tongue started waggling again, but basically what they meant to
say was, they had their own relatives, and even though they were separated temporarily, they might have
gone to Fortress Riedon, so why don’t they go there?
Sophie had trouble refuting their reply. It was normal of them to think this way, and who would abandon
their own relatives? But he also knew that the people who ran from Bucce were very likely to be caught
by Madara’s army. Going to Fortress Riedon now was most likely heading into a trap.
He knew that they had to reach the Beldor Forest before the ‘Death God’ Kabias did, then proceed to the
Dagger River before Vlad and Ebdon. From there, they had to enter the Forest of Hunted Deer, brushing
by the Incirsta’s main army, reaching Ankries and inform the guards of Incirsta’s troops that were
advancing.
This was the only way to keep these militia alive and prevent Aouine from being defeated as badly as the
original history.
But how was he supposed to tell them?
[Forget it. I’ll just do the same thing as before. I’ll take one step at a time.]
He rubbed his throbbing temples, and changed his mind: “Very well, we can head towards Fortress
Riedon and consider our next move.”
He looked up and met Freya’s worried eyes. She apparently did not believe too much of what he said.
“Mr Brendel?”
“Nothing, it’s just a prediction. Perhaps there might be some changes to the situation.” He smiled at her,
but inwardly sighed with great reluctance.
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Reality was cruel. It was not up to him to choose when he was so weak. He would have tried his best to
think of something and try again, if there was a better chance.
[You Otaku, are you always so naive?]
He derided himself.
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Chapter 12 – The lake
Both factions spent the night in high tension.
Tarkus waited for his plans to attacks to unfold, while Brendel was worried that he was unable to gauge
how much time was left. Madara’s army and the eleven youths from Bucce moved through the silent
darkness, their destiny closely intertwining while they moved away from each other.
Eventually the sun rose. The first ray of light hit the ground to indicate morning was here, and it seemed
to pass by in a flash. The militia did not encounter even the most common brown bears in this region, and
they appeared to be safe from enemies.
Afternoon came.
The militia in front of Brendel parted the obstacles in front of them with a swishing sound from the
vegetation, and he squinted his eyes. The golden sunlight seemed to pierce through the dense vegetation.
He followed the voice and looked up from the stretcher he was in, and the surface of the scenery in front
of him looked like a mirror, with the reflection of light entering into his eyes.
A lake.
It was like a dazzling emerald that was placed here with the surface shimmering in the midst of trees and
mountains.
“Look, it’s a lake!” Little Fenix shouted in a surprise.
Freya rewarded him with a smack to his head, making him cry out in pain.
They were not traveling to relax, and everyone had to be more cautious as they might meet Madara’s
army anytime. Even though they were safe the entire night, Brendel had also explained the reason that
there was no Strategic Value in this vicinity.
As to what Strategic Value meant, the young girl did not know.
The youth that came from Bruglas seemed to always know more things than everyone else. Even though
she was not content with that fact, she had to grudgingly accept it.
She wondered if every other youth in the city was as brilliant as he was.
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Under their silent movements, Freya had transited from one extreme end to another. She could not help
but feel a little jealous. If she had trained in Bruglas along with the other militia, she might be able to do
better than this shameless cad.
The world was unfair!
Except that the truth was there was no ‘Bruglas’s militia training camp. Sophie, no, he should be Brendel
now, trained in Dragaz. Sophie did not mention about where Brendel originally trained, as he needed to
maintain a facade to gain the youths’ confidence to lead them out of this impossible situation. (TL: From
now onwards Sophie will call himself Brendel.)
Freya might be able to do it in the future, but she was unable to do it now.
Brendel looked at her as he contemplated things. The girl with the ponytail was observing the
surroundings and she hesitated for a while, before finally relaxing the grip on her sword and exhaled.
“We’ll take a break here.” Freya gave the order after confirming there was no danger.
Everyone relaxed at the same time.
“I almost died!”
“I’m going to bet I won’t do anything but sleep at Fortress Riedon.”
“We can discuss all we want to do when we actually reach there.”
“Shut up Irene!” Their voices could be heard in the forest. Even though they tried to keep their voices low,
every sentence was uttered with a rush of delight.
They were just too tired.
A single night was not a long time, but their high tension was something akin to torture. They traveled
through the forest under the dim starlight with immense pressure from the life and death situations that
might occur anytime. It was so dark that they could not see their own fingers properly, and the only thing
that accompanied them was the sounds from flying insects and the occasional owl hoots in the forest.
They moved across endless trees in the darkness with a somber mood on them, and it was as if silent
spirits hovered over everyone. The chilly atmosphere made them even more tense.
It was always an unknown mystery what was behind the dense vegetation, and the bedtime stories that
depicted the monsters in the mountain did not help at all.
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When dawn finally broke and with the cold atmosphere finally disappearing, everyone appeared as if
they had been hoisted out of water. Their faces were pale with clammy perspiration on their forehead.
Even Brendel was not an exception. In the past he had obviously slept on a comfortable bed, away from
wars and lived in a peaceful land, but he was now on a stretcher listening to all sorts of strange and scary
noises from his surroundings.
Especially in this darkness where the leaves frequently brushed passed his face, and unknown insects
crawling on his neck.
Mother Marsha above, once he thought about doing this for the next whole week, he nearly flipped out.
He wanted desperately to go back to his former life, even if he did appear cowardly, he wanted to go back
to his former peace.
This otaku was always enthusiastic, but his passion came and died quickly. But once he saw Freya’s
exhaustion and worried demeanor, he stopped and calmed down.
Because he was being relied on.
He realized he needed to throw away the identity of Sophie and accept his new life. He touched his own
chest and realized the one who died was not Brendel, but Sophie.
It was not him that accepted this world, but this world that accommodated him.
Brendel’s stretcher was placed beside the lake, and he could see colored pebbles not far from him. He
checked Jonathon’s status. He miraculously lived from the ordeal, but his condition was not optimistic.
“How is he?” Mackie asked.
“Uncertain.” Brendel shook his head.
Mackie became quiet and stared at the lake and threw pebbles into it.
This river was called the Crystal Lake, and by reaching this place, it meant that they were very close to the
Green village. However, the only one that knew where they were going was Brendel. The youth stared in
another direction, and saw a few faint signs of grey smoke.
It looks like Kebias had already attacked the village. Its fate was no different from Bucce. The speed at
which Madara attacked was incredibly quick, and it did not play out differently from his memories within
the game.
Brendel still remembered about this lake and he took a look at the other end. The trees were dense and
dark under the high mountains, but he saw familiar shadows lurking nearby.
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He remembered that he spent a considerable time in this area hunting brown bears and foxes, and smiled
as he recalled the days where he sold the hides in-game to earn money.
He took back his hand that was on Jonathon’s head and spoke to Mackie: “Help me out with something.”
“To do what?”
“Help me take out my bandages.”
Brendel wanted to change his own bandages. He had earlier asked Romaine to distribute the sausages
that he took from his home, and everyone had the chance to taste the well known sausage from the
Grinoires region.
He was exasperated to find that none of these militia actually thought about taking some rations with
them when they escaped from Bucce. Even the reliable Freya did not think this point through as well.
The remaining food they had was just this long roll of sausage.
“Let’s talk about what you saw when you left Bucce, so that we can understand more about the enemy to–
Shit, Mackie, not so forcefully.” He hurt so much that his eyebrows trembled.
Freya sighed when she saw this scene: “I’ll do it, move away, Mackie.”
Brendel looked on in surprise as the girl with the long ponytail walked right to him. She lowered her and
carefully removed the bandages.
“Is there a problem to distribute all the food like this?” She hesitated for a while before asking quietly.
“What problem?”
[This bastard obviously know what I’m talking about!]
Freya gritted her teeth in annoyance, but Brendel found it funny when this kind hearted girl did not dare
to make any sudden movements her hands.
“You know what I’m talking about right? We’re not going to Fortress Briedon?” Freya lowered her voice
to a whisper that almost could not be heard.
Brendel studied Freya carefully, and he thought that long ponytail with its light brown color suited her
very well. He thought for a moment and asked: “Your aunt and uncle should be in another party right?”
Freya hands stopped as she buried her head downwards.
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“Sorry,” Brendel sighed: “If there’s a chance, I’ll do something about it. But I can’t guarantee anything and
shoulder this responsibility. It’s too big.”
“Thank you.”
It was a hushed reply.
“Freya boss-neesama, Brendel onii-san, what are you guys muttering to each other?” Little Fenix’s voice
rang out with awful timing. He was sitting under a tree and looking curiously at the two. Freya was
someone he had always admired, and Brendel was his new idol. (TL: Just so you know, if I was to
translate it in full English, it would be boss big sister Freya, and big brother Brendel. Except that every
time I TL Fenix doing it, I hear Yugioh’s English dub for some reason. Just… * shudder * no. I blame Fenix.)
His words successfully attracted everyone’s attention and turned over at the same time to look at them.
Freya’s face turned crimson, as she realized he was too close to the cad, and stepped backwards to
explain: “N-nothing, j-just discussing……” Unfortunately, this innocent girl did not understand that it was
better not to explain herself, but with her retreating step and explanation, everyone had their own
foregone conclusion.
Especially that blushing face, when did the captain ever got shy?
Romaine rubbed her sleepy eyes and sat up. She seemed to have just noticed what happened. Even
though Freya was afraid she might misunderstand something, she tried to signal her for help, but the
merchant girl had her head in the clouds and smiled freely: “It’s fine Freya.”
“Et tu, Romaine—” The girl with the pony tail could not finish her sentence, and her words seemed to
choke.
She glared at Romaine, and wanted to march up to her and strangle this damn girl.
But Brendel noticed a worried gaze over to him from the youth Neberto. He was slightly taken back.
Could Neberto be interested in Freya?
[If you lack bravery that would not cut it.] He shook his head.
“Alright that’s enough,” He interrupted everyone: “I’m discussing the question of food distribution with
your captain.”
Brendel’s words were like the natural authority from a lord, and everyone stopped and focused their
attention on him.
[So Miss Romaine, can you explain why are you looking at me with shining eyes? Are you looking at loot?]
He shook his head for the umpteen time.
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He continued: “This amount of food, it’s not enough even if we ration it. Besides, we need to keep our
strength up to handle any enemies we encounter.”
“But-” Freya only said one word and saw Brendel shaking his head at her.
“The Green village is not far ahead, and we can travel there to find something to eat. The undead does not
need to eat, and this food originally belonged to us humans. We have the right to take it back.” He said.
“The green village? Isn’t it overrun with Madara’s troops?” Erik was sitting on the ground when he asked.
His injuries on his legs were bandaged with the help of Brendel, and he had nearly recovered fully.
The bandaging effect was a hidden recovery value. It would slow down after a period of time to indicate
that the bandages needed changing. The time to recover HP was nearly a day in this world, so a change of
bandages was only necessary until then.
“Of course there are enemies. But we are moving in a small group, and we might not encounter them
directly.” Brendel answered. He had established an escape route and was prepared.
“A small group, you mean we’re sneaking in?” Little Fenix became interested.
“Yes, I’m going to pick a few to go along with me.” Brendel nodded and he looked at everyone: “Erik and
Vlad are injured, Mackie and Neberto are to stay behind to take care of them. Romaine, you stay behind
and take care of Bella. As for the others…. Irene and Freya, the two of you go along with me.”
“”NO!”” Little Fenix and Freya objected at the same time.
“Irene and I can go, but Brendel you need to stay behind.” She inhaled deeply.
Did this guy even know how bad his injuries are.
“I’m going to go too.” The brat was the first to jump up.
Brendel looked at them and sighed: ” Very well, I’ll answer your questions.” He bit the bandage in his
mouth as he wrapped the other end around his body tightly.
A faint green [+2] floated from his body.
He breathed in deeply and felt his strength gradually returning to his body. Even though he was still
weak, especially feeling the debilitating poison in his body that was consuming his strength, he could
manage to move by himself.
He lifted his head up and asked: “So, Miss Freya, what reason do you have for keeping me here? Injuries?”
“It’s good that you know that.” She turned her head away with a scoff.
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Brendel smiled faintly, with his teeth barely showing.
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Chapter 13 – Brendel’s starting point.
Not going to the Green village?
That was not possible. Brendel knew something inside there that had a great impact to his future plans.
Regardless of stockpiling for food or proving he was fit to go, he had to go into the village that might be
overrun with Madara troops.
So he first tried to parley with words: “If I don’t go, how would you know where to start? Sneaking in and
searching are not things that you could do in the first try, and you need a detailed plan and investigation
prior to entering.”
The abilities ‘Sneak’ and ‘Search’ are the special skills of people who had put in a lot of training in the
shadows, for example like the professions ‘Nightingale’ and ‘Hunter’. As a warrior, Brendel did not
understand their capabilities too well, but he had partied with these players before and finished missions
together. His experience alone would have triumphed over the entire militia’s experience here.
Freya still disagreed. She understood his words, but Brendel’s injuries were too grave in her eyes.
“Tell us what we should do and please leave it to us.”
Brendel was not surprised at Freya’s refusal. He broke into a wide grin with his canines showing when he
knew he had to rely on his usual method of persuasion. Something that could only belonged to a warrior’s
wisdom.
“Romaine.”
“Yes!”
“Give me your sword.” He held his palm open.
“Here, Brendel.” Romaine took her sword with both hands and passed it confidently to him.
“My thanks.”
Brendel took the sword and breathed in deeply to adjust his mindset to his peak condition.
He had a feeble status because his HP was below 40%, and the poison in his body took away another 20%
of his strength. He could only use 0.6 OZ now.
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The rough equivalent of a fourteen year old youth.
“There isn’t much time left, so to prove that I have the ability to take part in this expedition, let us use an
ancient method to decide matters.” He pulled the sword from its sheath. “A conversation between
fighters.”
Our protagonist surveyed his surroundings. Everyone seemed to take on an expression that they had
somehow misheard Brendel. Mother Marsha, Freya was the undisputed number one swords-fighter in
this squadron, even Irene was defeated by her.
‘This bro over here, do you really know how badly injured you are right now?’ This question sprung up
from their minds at the same time.
“Brendel, stop fooling around.” Freya was starting to get angry. She had quite the confidence in her skill in
using the sword, did Brendel really think himself akin to a veteran who had survived the November war,
to able to defeat her under his current condition?
Brendel did not say anything else, but took on a posture that said ‘En garde!’.
The ponytail girl nearly blew her fuse. She had thought that he should have known his limits by now, but
things were not going the way how she expected them to. She clenched her fists and decided to teach
Brendel a lesson.
Freya lifted her sword upwards and swung a vertical cut towards Brendel. Her basic foundations were
formidable, her sword arm steady, and there was a singing sound that slashed through the air from her
blade.
Brendel reversed his blade and parried it in response. The immense feedback from his sword nearly
dislocated his hand, but he immediately laid his blade vertically and slashed above Freya’s sword. The
youth’s strength was certainly low, but it startled Freya as his sword had already reached for her
armguard when she had not even entered the range to attack him.
Even though she was unwilling to retreat, she could only pull back.
It was a given that she suffered a disadvantage. Brendel’s technique was very famous in the warrior’s
profession and it came from Kirrlutz’s swordsplay. In the game it was called [Kador’s counter]. It was a
high skill technique, and even though Brendel could only display part of its prowess, it was more than
enough to stop Freya who was currently nothing more than a fledgling in his eyes.
The price was to learn this technique was two barrels of Madara’s black wine. He had learned it from a
mercenary, and it looked like the wine was worth it.
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Freya backpedaled quickly in order to handle Brendel’s swift counter attacks that followed up. She tried
to force him into engaging their swords together by striking horizontally at him. Her reaction was very
quick, but her execution was full of openings. Brendel had already predicted her move and taken one step
back to avoid it. When she saw how he evaded her attack, the long sword had already pointed towards
her chest.
Freya gritted her teeth in frustration and swung her sword to knock Brendel’s sword away and fight back.
But to Brendel, her attack had already became something of a joke, and she swung her sword because she
did not want to admit defeat. He lightly pranced backwards, and she fell to the ground as she lost her
balance.
Dust flew everywhere.
“It seems that I have already convinced you.” Brendel sheathed the sword and said simply.
Freya raised her head in disbelief.
It was not only her, the entire batch of militia except Romaine, had their eyes widened in incredulity. Was
that a swords style of a militia? He might not even lose to any veterans in the regular army right?
“How?”
“There’s nothing strange about it. I’m the best swordsman in the entire 33th batch of the Bruglas’s
militia.” Brendel randomly answered: “Your turn, little Fenix. Let’s ‘talk’ about your problems.”
Little Fenix’s face turned to an ashen grey and quickly shook his head: “I-I don’t think I should go. The
rest of you can go ahead.”
This brat. Brendel shook his head.
………….
After instructing the squadron the time and place on the agreed location to meet up, Brendel, Irene and
Freya quickly moved off. Time was short and they had to fight for every second.
The Green village was around the east of the Crystal Lake, and the distance was not very far away. When
they approached further into the direction, they could see the darkening sky due to the spiraling smoke
through the gaps of the thick leaves. It looked like it was a bad omen.
According to Brendel’s input, they were at the northern side of the village where Madara had recently
occupied it. The state of how the village appeared to them proved that he was right. Madara’s troops had
indeed swept past here, leaving charred remains everywhere.
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When Freya looked at the billowing smoke from the burning remains, her final hope was dashed.
Madara’s troops had advanced before them, and it seemed like it was a distant dream to even reach
Fortress Riedon. She stole a glance at Brendel and wondered what this youth was thinking at this
moment.
Brendel hid himself in a tree and observed the skeleton soldiers. Then he started counting the trees that
were shorter than the average ones. When he counted to the twelve tree, he took a mental note of how it
looked like.
In this Green village, there was a key buried under the twelfth tree in a specific location. It was a solo
mission within the game which would allow him to enter a tomb.
He started to remember about some details on who dug the tomb, it seemed to be someone who was a
priest? But this memory did not matter too much. What was important was this tomb belonged to a
knight from the holy cathedral, and if reality coincided with the fantasy game, there would be great loot
within it.
However, what he was really after was the sword ‘Thorn of Light’ within the tomb.
It was a rare artifact that had been infused with the ‘Holy’ attribute.
If he was able to use it, he would become an unstoppable undead slayer! Although, that was only how he
imagine it would be in his mind.
After confirming the location, Brendel turned back and pointed to the area outside the forest: “See that?”
“”What?”” Both of them looked puzzledly at him.
“The number of skeletons in each patrolling unit. Two times, four times. It seemed that there are two
squadrons from Madara in the village.” Our protagonist said with the insight from his abundant
experience: “Twenty two to twenty four skeletons, two necromancers.”
“That many!” Irene was alarmed.
“That’s still not the worst outcome. The problem is how they are controlling the graveyard and the plaza.
The necromancers will use a summoning spell, and they will gain an endless supply of soldiers. This is
where we need to be careful.” Brendel continued.
“They are desecrating the dead!” Freya clenched her fists in fury.
“Indeed, but they have the power to do something like this.” He sighed, and pointed to another section
within the forest: “Over there, do you see that farm? You can sneak in by using the fences and the trees’
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shade. There should be a cellar in the farmhouse that probably has not been burned yet. It should not be
too difficult to find and you can hide there. When the sky turns a little darker we can start to act.”
She nodded subconsciously before realizing something was wrong: “How do you know all this?”
“I stayed here for a while.” Brendel answered naturally. He did not lie. Except it was just in another world
that he stayed in.
“Then what are we supposed to do after waiting?” Irene ask.
“Just wait for me there, and I’ll come find you a bit later. These monsters are concentrating their efforts to
summon new skeletons, and they should not be actively seeking to find survivors. If they are indeed
looking for survivors, you need to watch your heartbeats and breathing, as the undead can see your life
force.” Brendel instructed them in detail.
“Hold on, are you not coming with us?” Freya was keen enough not to let this fine point slip.
“I have something that I need to do on my own.”
“You-” She wanted to argue, but saw how the young man was patting his sword. It meant, [Don’t forget
you have been convinced by me.]
‘But how could that fight count for this?’ Freya wanted to argue back, but Irene pulled her arm to warn
her about the incoming skeleton patrol.
“Do you trust me?” Brendel asked in a whisper.
Freya shook her head, then hesitated, and then nodded. (TL: The amount of Tsundere is over 9000!)
“Then the matter is closed. Quickly set off. Don’t worry, I’ll come back safe and sound.” He said earnestly.
Freya looked at him with her words stuck on the tip of her tongue. But she was finally led away by Irene
in reluctance. Brendel watched them hide under the thick foliage and hide under the long grass, moving
slowly to their destination. When they finally sneaked into the farm, he exhaled with relief.
Brendel turned back and continued to watch the patch of short trees. Tension enveloped him. This was
the first time he’s taking a risky by himself in this world. It might appear to be no different back in his
previous world, but there was only death waiting for him if he failed here.
He was more willing to move with Freya, but how was he going to explain he knew about the key? He
could not tell them he buried it there, this terrible lie probably could not even deceive Irene, not to
mention Freya who was as sharp as a needle.
After weighing all options, he decided to move alone.
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“There’s nothing to this, Brendel. Just think of it as opening a new account to level up.” He rubbed his
temple and cheered himself onwards.
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Chapter 14 – The tomb of Gerald
Things were a little different compared to Freya’s route. Sneaking into the farmhouse was aided with the
cover of the trees, while Brendel had to move to the patch of short trees under the skeleton soldiers’
watchful eyes.
He had to take a risk here but there was also no need have additional risk by going in early. He decided to
only act after the sky turned darker. Even though the undead was able to perceive the life force, their
range was limited during the night time.
Meanwhile, Brendel studied the patterns of the skeletons patrolling the area. He quickly found there was
a gap between the two squadrons. When the two intersected with each other, he was able to move
forward safely for approximately ten seconds.
He looked at the area in front of him and estimated he was about twenty meters away from his
destination. Even though he had 2 OZ worth of agility, he was definitely unable to able to run forty meters
to and fro and dig up the key that was under the tree. He also had the attribute of being weakened too,
and it seemed like an impossible task.
He decided to make a new strategy instead.
The sky rapidly darkened.
It was time to act. His heart pulsed rapidly and strongly from the tension in the darkness.
He was using his life as a token to play this game, and was there anything more exciting than a game with
death as punishment?
He held his breath and counted fourteen steps from the skeletons. This was the time that the two
squadrons intersected, and he threw his sword to the direction of the short trees.
This was the first step.
The sword was thrown over to a patch of piled leaves, and caused a slight rustle when it hit the leaves.
Brendel waited anxiously for a long time, and he relaxed when the two squadrons intersected for the
second time.
The next step was the most important one. Brendel counted again, until the two squadrons intersected
for the third time. He drew a deep breath sharply and rushed out. His mind was void of any thoughts and
he blanked his fear and tension out. The only thing that he had in his mind was speed, more speed.
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Three seconds.
Brendel reached his destination and exhaled slowly. He knelt down, parted the leaves, took his sword and
started digging. But his efficiency in digging up the soil was worse than what he expected. He dug as he
counted in his heart.
Six seconds.
He had prepared an extra second for himself. He left his sword and started running back, the
surroundings around him passing by him in a frantic blur. He dove in the bushes and stopped there,
feeling like his heart was going to stop any time.
The skeleton soldiers intersected for the fourth time, and did not discover his presence. Brendel breathed
in deeply again. He felt that this tension had started to turn his limbs into jelly, but the adrenaline rush
made him incredibly excited.
He continued to wait for his second chance. Brendel had calmed down greatly when he made his move,
but he still came back empty handed.
He only dug for two seconds the third time as his stamina had clearly dropped. He tried for the fourth
time, and finally discovered a four sided slab from his fingertips. Brendel had never seen this in his
gaming history, and his heart started to race again from the excitement of discovering something new.
This was it.
Brendel was incredibly relieved and for a moment he almost could not stop digging, but he knew time
was running out. He breathed in and out, calmed himself down, left the sword and ran back.
The fifth attempt, Brendel’s mind had calmed down and he was more than ready. He ran towards the tree
to try and pry the foreign slab out. It had began to loosen, but Brendel’s ears caught a sudden sound that
did not feel right. The skeleton soldiers’ route had changed.
[Impossible!]
Our protagonist felt the blood in his veins turning into ice. He did not know if it was a cruel joke played on
him by the heavens. The Madara skeleton soldiers lack the basic intelligence to think, so they would not
change their patrolling route by themselves. The only ones who could order them to do would be the
necromancers, but they had no reason to do so.
Unless they discovered foreign invaders.
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He cast a glance to the farmhouse. Did Freya and Irene get exposed? But there was only silence from the
direction to the farmhouse, and he overturned this idea.
The clacking steps were getting closer and closer behind him. These monsters was probably able to spot
him already. Brendel felt the world was crashing down on him. What should he do? He faced six skeleton
soldiers, and they were easily able to cut him to pieces.
Use the Ring of the Wind Empress? No. Putting aside the noise caused when casting the spell, destroying
even three skeletons was considered to be the best outcome possible. How about the remaining three
skeletons?
Brendel kept on reminding to calm himself down even though every hair on him seemed to be standing.
He questioned himself what he would have done in the game. Indeed, he would go through every skill and
stat points to try and survive from certain death.
He only needed to use his imagination to do so.
He instantly thought of an idea but the madness of it frightened even him.
[This is not a game, Brendel, can you afford to do this?!] He could not help but ask himself.
But the skeleton soldiers were getting closer and closer, and he had to make a choice.
He took a deep breath.
And plunged his long sword into his stomach.
Agonizing pain spread throughout his body from his stomach. The feedback from it was ten thousand
more intense than it was in the game. Brendel cried out once and nearly fell over. He felt he was just too
crazy; the perspiration had started to gather and rain down from his forehead.
Right at the same time, the skeleton soldiers’ clacking footsteps also stopped.
He succeeded.
The ‘Unyielding’ skill had activated and deceived the skeletons that were void of intelligence.
Brendel did not dare to waste any more time. He endured the waves of dizziness as he pulled out the
sword. Even though he intentionally avoided the fatal areas, his blood still sprayed out and pooled onto
the ground. The youth was not brave enough to look at it, and continue to pry the slab of stone out of the
ground with his sword. He finally tore it out and started towards the slope and slid downwards.
He only had five minutes to save himself, a gambit between the fine line of life and death.
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The ‘Soul Fire’ that was activated by the ‘Unyielding’ skill supported him the entire way towards the
village. He was momentarily startled when he saw countless skeletons everywhere from the ruined
buildings. They were the work of the necromancers. They crawled out of the graves or even tore
themselves out from the bloody corpses when their souls were summoned.
The night that had fallen seemed to give the skeletons a frightening aura. It was fortunate that Brendel
had seen enough of them in the game, otherwise he would have been frightened to the point of collapsing.
He quickly soothed his feelings and did a rough count. He saw there was over fifty of them. It was
certainly not a small number, and would mean that Madara’s invading forces were increasing with every
step they take. The only thing that made him feel a little easier was how these makeshift skeleton
soldiers’ combat prowess was much lesser compared to the other undead skeletons.
They were even weaker than an average adult male.
Brendel advanced forward while he looked at them. His destination was a small shrine within the village
and recalled that it was somewhere in the north. These undead soldiers saw him as an undead, and even
if Brendel knocked into them, they merely adjusted their postures and continued forward.
It was good news to Brendel.
With this advantage at hand, he merely used three minutes to find the shrine of Kaldas. The undead did
not respect God of Pottery, and already destroyed a section of the shrine’s wall. He remembered that this
shrine was later rebuilt.
He entered in the building and felt his way into it. It was pitch black inside, but after searching inside for a
while, he quickly found the way towards the ‘Room of Solitude’.
What he did not expect was a wandering skeleton in it, which gave Brendel a huge jump scare. It was
fortunate his nerves were tough enough to endure it and he quickly calmed down, with the thought that it
was merely a puppet that had no intelligence.
He felt it was getting harder and harder to breathe, and his vision was starting to become a blur.
He had only one minute left.
After searching through his memory a little, he searched behind the podium, and discovered a four-sided
depression there. At this moment he thanked Mother Marsha and put the slab into it with trembling
fingers. He was afraid that a cruel joke would be played on him again.
Fortunately no such event like that happened here.
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At first, it was an unlocking sound in the darkness, then a second low rumbling sound from beneath, and
finally a third sound that seemed to indicate something was opening. He felt a slight breeze blowing him
from his back. When Brendel turned around, he saw light coming from within the passageway of the
tomb.
There were purple colored crystals that decorated the walls. These were not worth anything due to the
light being too weak, and thus they were not used.
He shook his head as he nearly collapsed from the giddiness. The game’s version was completely different
from this world. Players did not experience what Brendel was experiencing right now, and in fact they
were completely unaffected for five minutes. However, once the time was up, no matter how fine they
felt, they would immediately collapse onto the ground.
Brendel was completely relying on his own willpower and the desperate resolution to survive. He tried to
keep himself awake by recalling the details about the person who was buried here. The NPC who was
buried here was famous, and his name was Gerald or something who was born in this village. He had
participated in Aouine’s battle for Independence, and he acted honorably for his whole life, and requested
to be buried in his hometown when he died.
It was said that this location used to be part of the forest which was later cleared, and a shrine was built
on it. The Holy Cathedral of Fire created a pathway inside the shrine to make a tomb for this holy knight,
allowing him to forever sleep in peace. Brendel wanted to get this knight’s weapon that he used in the
past, which was the ‘Thorn of light’. He did not wish to interrupt the knight’s eternal sleep, but even the
knight was probably unwilling to desecrate this village.
The youth panted as he struggled forward against the wall another twenty or thirty meters. He knew that
he had gradually reached the end of the passageway when it started to brighten from the effects of high
grade crystals that adorned the walls. He tried to wake himself up, but he did not have the time to relax,
as a black figure suddenly dropped down on him.
Two steely claws hooked onto his shoulders and lifted him upwards into the air.
Brendel felt the immense strength penetrating his shoulders. He could not move at all from the vice-like
claws and he recognized there was an absolute difference in strength between them. In his great shock,
his mind started rattling and he realized that it was a gargoyle. It had at least the strength of 4 OZ.
[The person who completed this quest in his previous life did not say anything about a gargoyle!]
A gargoyle was the great work of an artisan Bucce wizard. It was a level 23 monster, and a low ranking
necromancer was like a gentle puppy compared to it.
Before Brendel finished thinking, he felt himself hurtling through the air and smashed against the icy
wall. His bones creaked and groaned, as if every single one of them shattered.
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He did not have any time to worry about it, as the gargoyle started to attack him again. He climbed up and
shook his head.
Was there any chance left?
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Chapter 15 – Thorn of light
TL: I won’t be updating the upcoming Saturday for this series, because I brought it forward today. The
summary has been tweaked to include more details about the premise and protagonist.
The menacing gargoyle stood tall at nearly two meters and even with its pair of wings tucked in, it had a
total width of over five meters. It seemed to fill the entire passageway when it charged at Brendel. The
blast of air that came from the gargoyle’s charge stifled Brendel’s breathing, and he found there was
nowhere to hide.
He immediately raised his right hand and yelled with all his might: “Oss!”
An earth-shattering roar came from the ring.
The air distorted in the narrow passageway and four consecutive bangs followed as the light crystals
embedded in the wall exploded. The maelstrom of air formed into a wind bullet and struck the giant
creature. The currents were like sharpened blades and stripped the metallic surface of the monster away.
The gargoyle’s lower half body cracked away and was hurled backwards into the air like a broken kite.
It then crashed onto the ground with a thundering boom, and a dust cloud formed in the passageway.
Brendel coughed while he was in the midst of the dust cloud, and he quickly rushed forward with his
sword in hand. He knew that a gargoyle had 60 HP in the game and a wind bullet did not kill it. It was
more than likely that it was still functioning in this world’s reality.
He indeed found the heavily damaged gargoyle. Half of its wings were destroyed with a bright blue liquid
oozing from it. The monster opened its mouth and screamed repeatedly at Brendel, while it clawed
weakly at the ground.
[Kick the dog while it’s down!]
Brendel did not hesitate and brought the sword up with both his hands and swung with everything he
had. The sword struck the monster’s chest and forced it to take a step back.
The second swing quickly followed, but the gargoyle brought its wings together and covered itself, and
bright sparks flew up when the sword made contact onto the steel wings.
Brendel had used up all his energy but he did not managed to bring it down, and the injuries in his body
seem like they were going to rupture. However, he did not lose heart as this attack had brought him a
chance to go around it when it went into a defensive mode.
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But when he ran a few steps forward, the gargoyle suddenly screamed as it unfurled both of its wings. He
quickly guarded against them with his sword, but the massive strength from it knocked his sword far
away which struck against the wall.
He was also thrown back against the wall from the impact, and felt the air in his lungs escaping from him.
However, he realized he was only a short distance away from Gerald’s tomb after the monster’s sudden
action.
This thought cleared his hazy mind and he understood what he needed to do.
He yelled once more and gathered his strength, tolerating the intense pain and got up and dashed
towards the tomb.
The gargoyle was a mechanical creature and was commonly used as a tomb guard. The only thing that
was able to command it was the control rod which could be inside the tomb!
The light in front was becoming brighter, the warm and gentle light seemed like it could soothe the soul.
But Brendel’s heart still raced as there was only seconds left, and this was the final chance to succeed or
die.
The youth’s heart skipped a beat when he heard the lumbering footsteps of an heavy object behind him.
His instinct that was developed from years of battle made him jump forward, but he was late by a second.
Brendel felt the claws grabbing onto his foot while he was in the air. He crashed onto the ground and he
was forcefully dragged back.
The impact made him threw up blood. He had experienced situations like this in the game before, but he
never felt more tense in his life. If he failed he would be facing death, what else could he do in this
situation?
The green fonts in his retina indicated there was only ten seconds left from the ‘Unyielding’ skill.
A sudden thought suddenly came into his mind.
He turned his body over, raised his right hand and pointed the ring at the gargoyle. The ring seemed to
glint coldly.
Eight seconds.
The gargoyle’s green eyes suddenly showed fear and shrieked, released Brendel from its claws and flew
backwards.
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Bucce’s artisan wizards were incredibly impressive, and the war constructs that they made were
powerful and cunning, but Brendel was able to make use of this point to his advantage.
Intelligence was a dual edged sword. Once the creature was able to think for itself, it was able to feel fear
and protect itself.
Brendel gasped for breathed and blinked. He trembled from the succession of catastrophic events that
happened one after another. But he knew that he could not afford to relax.
Six seconds.
The youth half crawled, half walked towards the tomb that was filled with a holy aura using mostly with
his willpower. His first glance landed on the sword that was on the coffin: The ‘Thorn of light’. But he was
not concerned about this right now, he was searching for something else.
Three seconds.
His eyes swept over the left wall. There was a few compartments there. The second one. He brushed away
the cobwebs and reached into it while a few insects crawled away.
He took the bottle out.
‘No 7 Health potion’.
This potion was made from the holy cathedral, and there was a fire symbol on it. Brendel brought the
potion to his chest and used all his senses to relish the moment.
Two seconds.
Brendel tore away the cork from the bottle with trembling hands.
One second.
He raised his head upwards and gulped down the potion’s contents. The bitter taste filled his whole
mouth, but it felt so pure that he praised it from the bottom of his heart.
‘Number 7 (16 oz)’, which was a substitute for ‘Number 5’. The priests of Madara were ordered to create
these potions during the ‘Year of moon flowers’, in order to handle the increasing troop deficits. It could
restore 25 HP, but would only restore non-lethal wounds. It was the most common potion in the game.
In any case, the holy potion took effect immediately. It first restored the abrasions on his four limbs, and
it healed at the rate where he could nearly see it with his naked eye. His wounds that were caused by
swords came next, and there was an itchy effect that persisted for several minutes before stopping.
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Brendel tried breathing once and found that he had no problem with it unlike before.
He peeked at the entrance and found that the gargoyle did not chase after him. He was certain it did not
fear the ring to this extent, but more likely that it simply could not enter inside. That was more likely a
holy barrier in this tomb that prevented any evil creatures from desecrating this place.
He sighed with relief and sat down to inspect his wounds. The only injury left was the one Brendel
received from the beginning. As it was a fatal wound, the potion had very little effect on it.
Still it was more than enough. Brendel stood up and wanted to yell in excitement. This was his best
condition ever since he came into this world. There was no pain, his weak status was gone, and he could
all his strength.
The youth exhaled slowly and thanked Mother Marsha. He could not believe that he was able to survive
this ridiculous ordeal.
He was immensely proud of his glorious achievement.
He clenched his fist and calmed down from his feelings with much difficulty. He remembered about Freya
and Irene, and it was time to realize his next plan.
His gaze landed on the shining sword that was on the coffin when he turned back.
‘Thorn of light’. This leaf-like sword was rarely seen amongst the human race because it was an Elven
sword.
Brendel traced the armguard with his hand and looked above it. He saw the two lines of Elven text:
‘Thy sword shall burst forth from light, and strike thy enemies with terror.”
He had never seen this sword before, but he knew of its fame. This was a Level 19 legendary sword, not
only was it exceedingly sharp, and increased the user’s ‘Strength’, ‘Will’ and ‘Physique’ by 1 OZ. This
meant that Brendel was two times stronger than a normal human when he used it.
Most importantly, someone in the game had seen this sword in action before. It had the ability to detect
the undead that many people had dreamed for. As long as any undead comes near this sword, it will start
to pulsate with light, and it was the source of the name.
Brendel appreciated this moment when he looked at it. There was seventeen similar swords made by the
Elves in the game, but the majority of it were collected and destroyed by Madara’s shadow lords in the
first era. There were only three left, and this was one of them.
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He held the sword by the hilt and a power immediately integrated into his body. He felt stronger and
lighter, but Brendel did not have too much time to experience it in detail as something appeared in his
mind:
“Young man, are you going to continue walking down the road that I pursued?”
[Hah?]
Brendel’s eyebrows jumped up as he realized what this meant. ‘Proof of Inauguration’! This was the
‘Proof of Inauguration! It’s not difficult to get it in the game but he certainly needed this urgently now. It
was just that Brendel did not expect the Holy Knight Gerald’s ‘Proof of Inauguration’ to be a mercenary. It
was not a Cathedral’s knight and not even a knight.
[What is up with this situation? Isn’t he a knight?]
“You have discovered the ‘Proof of Inauguration’, you need to spend 2 XP to raise to level 1, would you
like to take this profession?”
This profession was certainly better than a militia, even if it was not a ‘Knight’.
“Yes.”
A series of words lit up in his retina.
Mecenary [Charge (—-Level)]
Charge: A skill that assaults the enemies. The striking speed is raised by ten times. Cooldown 1 minute.
This skill cannot be used when you have the ‘Weakened’ status.
Brendel could recite the description in his heart without even reading it. He was too familiar with it,
because this was the first skill for a warrior class.
Was this fate?
Nothing else happened after that, so Brendel started to look around the tomb. He was uninterested in the
treasures in it, but he wanted to find holy water that could repel the undead. It was too good to pass up as
it could save someone at the critical juncture. But he suddenly stopped on a small gargoyle statue.
A statue.
[This is it!]
Brendel received a shock. This was the gargoyle’s control rod and it was the key to command the
gargoyle. He immediately took that away. It was a delightful surprise to control it. But right at this
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moment, the tomb suddenly shook and the dust fell from the ceiling. Brendel turned his head to the
entrance to hear an explosion that came from the outside.
[It might have come from the farmhouse!]
Brendel felt unsettled.
Did something happened to Freya and Irene? Brendel could only think that there was only this possibility.
He quickly grabbed the weaker ‘Number 9’ health potions and wrapped them in his bloody clothes and
ran out from the tomb. (TL: Hah? Did he run out shirtless? Wait, when did he even strip?)
In his rush he did not see a piece of paper underneathe the health potions, and it fluttered down onto the
ground when he took the potions away.
Brendel knocked onto the gargoyle when he rushed out. But this time he had the control rod, and the
monster sat down there like an ornamental statue. Brendel felt a slight pity in his heart. To control the
gargoyle he had to have the correct commands, otherwise he would have brought it out to kill the
necromancers.
Basically, this mechanical statue was immune to their negative spells, and thus a complete counter to
them.
The youth rushed out quickly, but before he was able to catch his breath, there was a sudden attack from
within the darkness.
TL: … What’s up with all these cliffhangers. If you spot any mistakes, please inform me. So now that we
have reached this point, you guys should know a bit about what the story is. So I don’t know what sort of
summary tweaks/ rewrite I need here, so if you would like to take a shot at doing a super good one, write
in the comments.
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Chapter 16 – Bucce’s guards
(TL: There are three grades of army here. The highest grade currently is the Kingdom’s army, then the
Guards, then the militia. It’s kind of hard to spot the differences, so there might be some mistakes here
and there from me. Just know that the people Brendel is about to meet are the ‘Guards’ which is
considered as a formal army compared to the militia. And if you are able to think of better middle-ages
terms to replace ‘Guards’, feel free to comment.)
Brendel dodged sideways and allowed the skeleton to pass by him. He had nearly forgotten about the
skeleton in the ‘Room of Solitude’. But he was no longer injured like before and his hand was already on
the sword’s hilt.
A flash of light streaked across the passageway as the body of the ‘Thorn of Light’ glimmered with white
light. The skeleton’s upper body flew into the air. Brendel watched the remaining bones gradually turn
into dust. The ‘Thorn of Light’ was indeed a Holy sword as it even had a ‘Purification’ effect.
One golden light entered into Brendel’s chest.
Weapons with the ‘Purification’ effect did double damage to undead, which was no wonder why Brendel
did not feel any resistance when he cleaved the skeleton into two. It was like a hot knife cutting through
butter.
[A divine weapon.]
Brendel instantly graded this sword. Well, although it was not really one, it was just as good under his
current situation.
But he was very worried about Freya and Irene’s safety, so he immediately kicked away the lower body
and ran outside. His 2 OZ worth of agility could finally be used without any problems and it showed off
his true speed. His strength, agility and physique crossed 2 OZ, and he ran like a speeding truck.
Brendel traced his original route back, and the dark passageway twists and turns did not cause him any
obstructions at all. He jumped out from the shrine’s destroyed wall, and his powerful lifeforce
immediately attracted the nearby wandering undead. Two skeletons walked over to him with clacking
sounds, but what awaited them were two silver flashes of light.
Two XP instantly went into Brendel’s chest. He looked over to the direction of the farmhouse, his pupils
dilating when he discovered that there were flames from the building igniting the night sky.
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And in his line of sight, hundreds of skeletons were starting to surround the building. He knew that these
undead with low intelligence would not act on their own, which meant there was a necromancer nearby
who had discovered something.
“Freya, Irene!” Brendel’s heart dropped like a rock. But when he was prepared to rush over there, he
heard a cold and shrilling voice behind him:
“There’s a human over there, kill him!”
Brendel looked back from his shoulder, and discovered a necromancer commanding six skeletons that
formed into a line advancing towards him.
The necromancer raised the staff in its hand.
But Brendel reacted and moved faster than him. His ‘Charge’ skill instantly activated and lunged at it so
swiftly that he appeared to be like a blurry shadow. “Stop him!” The necromancer was startled and
shrieked loudly.
The first skeleton soldier raised its sword, but Brendel’s cold eyes appeared before him. A voice yelled
out in his mind clearly, and it was as if the feelings of the original owner of this body had been poured
into it:
“You Madara fuckers, you are all going to burn into ashes!”
He did not even care to use any technique and simply crashed his own sword against the skeleton’s. A
deafening crash pierced through his ears as the skeleton’s steel sword bent and broke off from the
immense impact, and the sword continued to slice past the skeleton.
Brendel’s charge did not stop at all, and the skeleton soldiers that were left behind from his speed were
quartered equally into four pieces before they realized it. At this moment, there were no more obstacles
between him and the necromancer.
The frightening visage of the necromancer was twisted into an expression of disbelief and its mouth was
wild open.
“This sword, is for Brendel!”
He roared, and his sword pierced into the necromancer’s left rib cage, piercing through the other end of
the third ribcage bone. The ‘Thorn of Light’ flashed brightly as he glared at the necromancer’s green
flames in its eyesockets. He then swung the blade free upwards.
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The flames in the necromancer’s eye flickered unsteadily and immediately died down. A clanking sound
could be heard as the staff from its hand dropped down. The necromancer was starting to turn into ashes
from the ‘Purifying’ effect.
Three golden lights flew from the necromancer into his chest.
When he turned back, there were two more skeleton soldiers that had approached towards him. Brendel
raised his sword upwards.
The first skeleton’s arm was immediately cut off, and the sword turned its direction and the skull flew up
into the sky. He kicked the skeleton’s ribcage out and it flew towards the other skeleton.
It immediately swung its sword to defend against it, but before it could recover from the swing, a flash of
bright light swept down across its body and sundered it into two. The chain armor’s rings seemed to rain
everywhere.
Another two golden lights flew into him.
Brendel silently called out to his character stats window in his mind. The green fonts appeared across his
retina. He chose one of the categories, and said in his mind: “Profession and XP.”
XP: 11 (Commoner level 1 ———, Civilian Soldier level 2, 6/10, Mercenary level 1, 0/10)
More skeletons started to approach him and he casually blocked one of the incoming sword, and said in
his mind: “11 XP into the Mercenary profession.”
XP: 0 (Commoner level 1 ———, Civilian Soldier level 2, 6/10, Mercenary level 2, 11/30)
Brendel pushed the skeleton back and checked his own stats. His strength and physique was raised by
another 0.2 OZ, his agility and perception had increased by 0.1 OZ. But the most important thing was he
had 25 AP, and this point alone made the militia profession lose its value.
Very good. He had 2.3 strength, 2.1 Agility, and 2.2 Physique. His overall power rating was 8.0. He had
completely surpassed a starting player’s attributes and had began to take his first step to a Grade 1 rank.
Brendel’s mind had cooled down from the necromancer’s fight. He looked at the three skeletons in front
of him like they were air.
Yes, he was finally back to Aouine.
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
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Ten minutes was enough to let the dust settle down from a battleground. The sounds of hooves could be
heard from afar.
Two riders.
The youths on the horses rode together on the long street. They let their horses stop as they surveyed the
surroundings, and looked on in surprise as they saw the remnants of dust and bones. They did not speak
for a while.
“Zeta, you’re seeing this right?”
“It looks like it’s only one person who did all this. Do you think it’s from the Fortress Riedon’s army?”
“There’s a necromancer here, Mother Marsha above! Zeta, can you fight against four by yourself?”
“No, I can’t. This must be the work of a veteran soldier.” The lithe young man quietly looked at the
surroundings, and disbelief gradually showed in his expression: “Ryan, there are six more skeleton
soldiers over there.”
A pause.
“Erm, you mean seven?”
“Seven.”
“We need to inform the vice captain of this event here. What is your guess? From the Kingdom’s army? Or
a traveling knight?” Ryan immediately looked back at his friend and asked.
“Your guess is as good as mine, Ryan. But I agree with your suggestions.”
……………………………………………………
When Brendel reached the farmhouse, it had already turned into a sea of flames. The burning structure
was like a scene from the movies, and there were occasional sounds of the building collapsing from
within, but he did not see the undead army chasing Freya and Irene.
Conversely, he only saw the newly raised undead running away from the flames. These fiery flames are
the natural enemy of these undead, and their weak Soul Fire were trembling from the strong light. They
were almost close to being purified into ashes.
The building’s flames were not blue. In the game, the Madara’s armies would only use the cold Soul Fire,
and thus this was certainly not done by the undead here. Could have Freya and Irene set the fire? He
shook his head as he did not think they would be so decisive.
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He suddenly turned to a direction from his sharp senses, and happened to see a platoon of skeleton
soldiers moving quickly to somewhere. He squinted as he saw a pulsating darkness from them. Was there
a necromancer nearby?
He pulled out the sword with the ‘Thorn of Light’ shimmering lightly. He advanced into that direction, and
the blundering skeletons that came into contact with him quickly turned into 7 XP.
But before the youth was able to approach, he suddenly heard a loud crash from the corner in front.
Countless bone fragments and chainmail rings rained everywhere, and two or three skeletons hurtled
through the air into the nearby fire.
Brendel got startled.
That was probably a Grade 1 strength. Who was the person behind the sea of flames? Human? Fortress
Riedon’s Kingdom army? But they did not appear here in history.
He subconsciously took a defensive posture, and coincidentally saw a squadron of riders as they emerged
from the flames. There were like an unstoppable torrent that rushed out, and the leader of the riders rode
towards him. He raised his long sword and the riders reined their horses and neatly formed together.
“Who are you?” A rider asked coldly. His voice appeared to be a young man. But there was a momentary
pause from him. Brendel could not see his expression, but he felt as if the young man knew him.
[No, to be more precise he knew the former Brendel.]
There were whispers amongst the riders from behind him:
“I’m betting that’s a militia.”
“I know him.”
“But you are not wrong, he’s merely a militia.”
Brendel frowned. When he gradually adjusted to the bright light, he finally saw the attire of these men
clearly. A blue woolen coat, dragonscale armor, shining white steel helmet and a knight’s sword. There
was the silver white background with black pine leaves symbol on the shoulder as well.
Bucce’s regular army.
“Brendel, why are you here?” The leader of the riders changed into a tone of superiority.
“I have the same question.” Brendel searched through his memories and found this person’s name:
Bretton. He was also a Bruglas citizen, and he had shown excellent promise in the militia training and
recruited into the regular army. He was later sent to Bucce’s border to train……..
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However, this was just how it looked on paper. No matter how good Bretton was, he could not have been
better than the former Brendel who was the best swordsman in their batch. The truth was Bretton had a
father who was a local offical who spoke up for him, and he naturally had a smooth transition from then
onwards.
The current Brendel knew the enmity between them, no, it could not really be described as enmity. At
most they looked down on each other.
And as expected, Bretton followed up with: “This militia over here, I’m ordering you as the vice captain of
the Bucce’s regular army to immediately report to me why you have appeared in this area?
The bunch of knights immediately snickered, as they knew Bretton just wanted to find a bit of trouble
with this fellow from his hometown. Report or whatever, that was just an excuse.
Brendel raised his head, with the flames from the burning wreck reflected in his eyes.
TL: Please inform me of any Engrish mistakes.
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Chapter 17
TL: I have received an apology so I’m editing this portion that used to be ‘drama’. So if you are reading
this now, the drama is over >_>…
In other news, I also changed the erroneous EN that I used in the past chapters back into the correct OZ
term, because of a mistake I wrote in my glossary earlier.
Chapter 17 – The Goddess of War
The flames continued to rage around them, the golden red light illuminating every one of their faces till
their edges of their faces were contrasted darkly.
Brendel raised his head and carefully regarded the young vice captain riding on the horse. Brendel saw
that he was equally serious: He pursed his lips and glared silently at him as if to make him submit.
But regardless of who had control of this body, Brendel or Sophie, they would not be affected by him.
“I’m a militia from Anchorite, may I ask Sir captain from Bucce when the guards from Bucce able to
command the allied troops from another region? May I ask Sir captain where your appointment order is?”
The riders behind Bretton immediately stopped whispering when they heard Brendel speak. Brendel
fought for Aouine in the game for years. His grasp in the kingdom’s laws was beyond any of the young
guards here.
The young vice captain thought for a long time and stubbornly replied: “Special times calls for special
needs.”
Brendel knew that Bretton would not put down his pride and back down. Still, Brendel did not want to
waste any more time on this, and would not have bothered to trouble himself from the childish fights
unless Bretton sought to seek it first.
“I’m looking for Freya and Irene. Did any of you see them?” He asked.
This was Brendel’s most concerned question. The flames seemed to have been lit by the young guards,
but he considered the possibility where the future Goddess of War was also burned to death. That would
have been a grave sin on Bretton’s part.
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[Just a mere thought, cough.]
But Brendel’s carefree attitude looked like arrogance in Bretton’s eyes. He truly did not know why
Brendel was so proud of himself when he did not amount to anything at this moment. He resisted the
loathing in his heart and asked: “Freya? From the third militia? What is she doing with you?”
Brendel could see that the vice captain was fond of Freya, but his hostile attitude annoyed him. He had
tried to provoke him many times.
“Captain Bretton, it’s my freedom to be with whom. As for the reason why I’m here, I’m afraid it is the
same as yours. Please don’t think I don’t know what plight you are in right now.” He replied sarcastically.
“You bastard, what attitude is that!” One of the young man behind Bretton angrily rebuked him: “You’re
only a mere militia and in front of you is the vice captain of the guards, immediately correct your attitude
right now!”
Brendel paused a moment and started to study him carefully.
And as if they wanted to show off to him, they neatly formed into their formation as if to intimidate him.
He looked at the fifteen young men who stood tall like a sharp sword with their uniform and shining
armor. They certainly looked impressive.
Brendel knew their pride comes from being the best in their cities or Grinoires region, and had
undergone strict selection and rigorous training. They were close enough to being considered as a ‘Grade
1 Rank’.
The Holy Cathedral of Fire had stated that the average stats of a person were 3 OZ to 20 OZ. The ‘Grade 1
Rank’ includes the entire ‘White’ ranked swordsman, wizard apprentices and low ranking elementalists,
and other various professions.
The Holy Cathedral of Fire used amber stones to test for each person’s purity in their stats. Brendel had
seen this item in the game before, but they were mainly used for NPCs. The players were able to see their
own data in the character window, and thus they did not need to be tested.
He once read an information book about the game, and knew that sixty percent of the entire Vaunte
continent was of the ‘Grade 1 rank’. This was because the humans’ average lifespan was over one
hundred and sixty years and they had the time to grow stronger, but once the range was limited to the
age of seventeen to nineteen, the ratio would be lower than twenty percent. In Aouine, other than the
wizard academy, the church and the reserve knights, the majority of the youths in this twenty percent
were in the guards. (TL: Level 1-20 = White rank. Some other color codes from later chapters.)
Brendel was currently looking at these youths.
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It was true that these young men were able to hold their heads high up amongst the militia rabble, but
Brendel was a person from another world with freedom, and never had the thought of lowering his head.
A modern person’s perspective who recognized himself as the biggest authority after the divine.
Therefore he glared coldly at the rider who castigated him and quietly evaluated his strength. Even
though the opponents were strong, he did not think that his stats were any less than them after having
the Thorn of Light and the Ring of the Wind Empress.
With his experience as a level 130 warrior, anyone who challenged him would definitely be laid to waste.
At best they could rush up and overwhelm him, but he guessed that Bretton would not want to do
something as shameless as that.
What surprised him was the vice captain stopping his own men by raising his arm, and he asked gravely:
“How did you know what we came here to do? What else do you know? Who told you this?”
Brendel obviously knew because of his knowledge in the game. He might not know every detail, but once
he thought about how history was going to progress, he could guess the events that happened. He knew
that they were here not because they wanted to launch a counter attack but for a different reason.
Once he rearranged the thoughts in his mind, and think of how the Bucce guards were going to break the
siege to reach Fortress Riedon, everything could be explained.
The events were similar that happened now were similar to the history in the game. The Madara undead
was supposed to lock down the Beldor’s forest successfully today, and this morning or afternoon the
fleeing refugees and the Bucce guards were attacked by the Madara’s army. They were incredibly close to
Fortress Riedon, and they almost succeeded in reaching there, but Kebias’s skeleton army made their
efforts futile and they were stuck here.
Even now, Fortress Riedon had not noticed their east was being invaded by Madara.
However, this was not a coincidence, nor was it because luck did not stand on Bucce’s side. It was because
they faced the left wing of Incirsta’s army who was terrifying and effective for the very first time. It was
simply impossible for the Bucce guards to match the infamous undead general when they brought along
the weak and old.
Furthermore, they had encountered Rothko’s necromancer army earlier who slowed them down. These
two points had caused them to fail and turned today into a tragedy.
When Brendel realized this, he took a longer look at the young riders, and found their dusty uniforms and
listless eyes under their angry expressions. He guessed that this was the day when Marden experienced
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defeat. What they required now was food and medicine from this village, to assure the survivors’ hearts
and prepare for the next attempt to escape the siege.
But Brendel was certain that Marden was not going to expect failure a second and third time shortly after
today. He had only a day and a half before the ‘One-eyed’ Tarkus’s main force arrived, and today’s tragedy
would repeat again.
Marden was fortunate to escape at the very end with his life, but he lost all glory that belonged to him as a
soldier.
Brendel shook his head when he thought of this and did not have any mood left to argue. Still, he was not
one to answer kindly to an aggressor, and replied in an ill-disposed manner: “Is there really any need to
ask? Isn’t everything is written on your face when you came marching into this village?”
“You bastard-” The young man behind Bretton angrily replied. His veins jutted out from his temples, and
if it was not for Bretton stopping him, he would have pulled out his sword and fought with Brendel.
“You’re completely right. But since you are unwilling to take up the responsibilities of a militia, then stand
aside.” The young captain said: “Please don’t block our way.”
“Wait,” Brendel’s temper flared a little. The idiot tried to incite him to a fight? Brendel stood in the middle
of their path and asked solemnly: “Are the villagers with you right now?”
“It’s none of your concern.”
“How many are injured?”
Bretton’s face turned darker: “It’s none of your concern.”
“It has every bit of my concern. These are are my friends and families. Freya, Little Fenix, Irene and
Mackie. Their family members are also amongst the villagers. Everyone in the militia is fighting to protect
Bucce, and what are you guards fighting for?” Brendel replied.
“Listen well, I am not picking a fight with you, but I want to have an answer.”
His steady voice made everyone in the squadron silent. Their angry mutterings also ceased.
“Move aside, Brendel.” Bretton said with an ugly face.
Brendel’s heart sank. He had a bad feeling.
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He shook his head: “Bring me to see captain Marden. I’m looking for Freya and the others. I can bring you
out of this dire situation, but before all that you must tell me, did something happen to the family
members of the third militia squadron?”
Bretton’s face completely darkened.
“You? Lead us out?” The young captain seemed to have squeezed the words out from his teeth. When he
finished, he turned his head around and gestured at his own members, indicating them to move out from
the other side.
He did not even want to waste his breath on Brendel anymore. He even regretted that he spoke to him
earlier. He thought about the battle in the afternoon, and felt that it was the biggest nightmare in his
entire life. He even suspected that it would continue to haunt him his whole life.
Brendel stood at one side as he watched them leave silently. His mind considered at the various
possibilities, but there was only one possibility that made sense. He could not help but call after him:
“Bretton.”
The captain immediately stopped.
“Was it Freya’s family?”
Bretton’s body went rigid. He hesitated for a while and nodded.
“What happened exactly?”
“When you find Freya, help me tell her this.”
“What?”
Bretton sighed: “If you find her, tell her that I’m sorry. During this afternoon’s battle, Uncle Cecil and her
aunt were unfortunately…”
Before he finished speaking, he heard a clanking noise behind him.
Everyone was startled and they looked back, only to find Freya with a pale face full of disbelief and her
sword had dropped from her hand.
The youth Irene who followed after the future Goddess of war looked helpless.
“Freya!” Brendel was shocked at her appearance. He already knew what Bretton was going to say.
“How’s that possible, my aunt wouldn’t……..”
Freya’s voice suddenly broke into sobbing, and tears started pouring from her eyes.
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There was a weak spot in everyone’s heart.
Brendel looked at Freya who had always been strong, knelt to the ground. She cried in sorrow, and she
appeared so weak that she looked like a small injured animal. This familiar scene had happened many
times before in his memories and his throat felt parched. He wanted to say something comforting, but
there were no words that came from his lips.
He could only watch over her quietly. He suddenly realized something. Did this cruel war baptized this
simple, innocent and kind hearted girl as a future Goddess of War?
History was repeating itself.
TL: If you have been reading the past chapters, I’m seeking donations shamelessly per month. I’ll stop
nagging once I reach my milestones.
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TL: This chapter was kind of difficult to TL. Hopefully the prose sounds okay here.
In other news, I found the artist for “The Strategy to Be Good at Magic” and updated the image
accordingly. The colors on my screen are much more vibrant compared to the printed cover =X
Chapter 18 – The footprints on the other path in History
The vast land slept within the darkness where nature did not even emit one sound. It was as if the silence
was mourning for the dead souls that had left this world. A meteor shower streaked across the starry
skies, appearing and disappearing quickly, as if to symbolize the names that appeared briefly in history.
Bretton silently stood straight up against the cold night wind. He sent out command after command, and
the guards vanquished the undead remnants in the ruins of the Green village. Every single undead had to
be purified. Every single one.
The young vice-captain felt that this was the only way to make himself feel better.
He checked the time. He had only thirty minutes left.
Zeta looked at the scene from afar. He shook the glass flagon in his hand, and touched the girl beside him:
“Hey, you’re called Irene right?”
Irene was a little startled.
“I’m Zeta. Do you want a little?” He raised the wine flagon. “Pure fire wine made from the Crystal river.
Ryan and I found it in a wine cellar. Sadly, I don’t know if I can still drink this after this war…..”
He paused for a while.
“You know, I had a dream once. I wanted to become the best scout.”
“But I’m regretting it a little.”
Irene felt this person was really strange, but she was curious as to why he had regrets.
“Why?” She asked.
“My biggest goal was to discover the enemy as quickly as possible, because discovering them would
justify my value. But now the thing I want to do the most is to hide the villagers. If I can hide them, at least
they wouldn’t be killed. But you know what? I couldn’t do anything. I was unable to do anything.”
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“It’s not your fault.”
“But I’m a soldier.” Zeta sipped the wine: “When I saw that girl cried, I thought that it would have been
good if I had died like Kevin did in the battlefield. But I’m still alive now so I can’t escape from this.”
Irene fell into a silence, and she suddenly thought of Brendel. She had this strange impression that this
young man who led them out from every dire situation once and again, would be able to lead them out of
the darkness that was shrouding them.
Maybe her premonition would be right, and everything would be solved.
She hoped in her heart.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Brendel and Freya sat together.
Brendel truly did not think that he was good at comforting someone. He felt that it would have been
better for someone else to be here right now, but that damnable Bretton just left with a grim expression
without any words, and Irene just stayed far away.
[Isn’t this girl over here your captain?! Do something!]
It was fortunate that Freya adjusted her emotions quickly. But she kept staring into space in a daze, her
bright eyes had dimmed and were filled with loneliness.
Brendel had seen that look before in the game. When she had become the Goddess of War, her gaze could
sometimes be seen with the same quiet sadness, as though she could never be healed. Brendel felt a little
sad. He very much preferred the innocent and kind Freya, who was also a little stubborn and got upset
over small matters.
But what could he say? He hesitated for a long time, and when the words came up to the tip of his tongue,
he suddenly felt that they were of no persuasion. The lines that he prepared did not appear to be suitable
at all.
When he was agonizing over it, she spoke:
“Mr Brendel.”
“Huh?”
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“Why do think we have wars?”
[Uh…]
He had never really thought about it. In the game, the bigger guilds would frequently fight over profits,
reputation and even a simple matter of pride. Kingdoms fought over power, benefits and lands. Wars
would frequently break out without warning.
He might have answered this in the past, “Because humans are always controlled by desire. They would
seek to dominate and pillage, and that is why they fight against each other.”
But after today, Freya’s sobs had etched themselves into his mind and could never be erased. He found
this answer to be pointless. Humans were weak but they could be resilient.
“Wars simply happen. The only thing we can do is to accept it. We are living in a terrible era, and we can’t
choose the era we want to live in. But we can try to change it,” Brendel said, and suddenly the words
formed themselves in his mind: “Perhaps we are unable to change anything, but at least have tried to
realize it along with many other people. The memories that we had fought together are more than
enough.”
He remembered the days back in the game where he fought for Aouine. His friends and people who
shared the common goal fought along with him. There were many promises that were made together, and
even though everyone parted ways at the very end, he did not regret having these memories.
These were his memories of Aouine, burned into his very soul.
The young girl became silent.
“Freya.”
“Hmm?”
“You must have loved them very much.”
“Yes.” She replied: “When my father passed away, my aunt and uncle had always taken good care of me,
and were proud of me.”
“But I loved them too, so very much.”
“I’m just puzzled. Why did the heavens choose you?” Brendel said.
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“Hmm?”
“Freya, have you ever thought about becoming a goddess to protect this land?”
“How’s that possible, Mr Brendel, are you trying to make fun of me?” The young girl was a little angry, but
her voice became quiet again: “I just want to be a good captain. But my powers are only this much, and
only this little. To fulfill my responsibilities till the very end… That’s too far away, and I can’t reach that
destination.”
[No, not only did you do it, you did it perfectly. Freya, you were the last hero of Aouine, and one that
people remembered the most.]
[The gods gave you extraordinary trials and you had ordinary talents. But you were humble, dedicated,
kind and strong. You were beyond amazing.]
Brendel played with the small stone gargoyle statue in his hand. He looked into the distance and sighed:
“Freya, I don’t know how far you would go in the future, but I want you to remember this.”
“Yes?”
“Friends. No matter how far you are going to go, there will be many people who would accompany you.
You will never be lonely.”
Freya’s eyes widened, and suddenly they were misty. She thought of Romaine, little Fenix, Mackie, Irene
and everyone in the third militia squadron.
And of course, her aunt.
She wiped the corners of her eyes and looked at the crimson sky that was illuminated by the burning
village. It had continued to burn, and the spiraling flames seemed to hint at the next battle which was
going to be even bigger.
“Thanks.” She whispered back: “Shameless Brendel.”
Our protagonist started to cough and choke.
When he looked back in protest, he saw that her eyes had returned to its former brightness, and it was
shining like the brightest night star in the sky. Brendel suddenly felt that his existence here had worth.
History had started to change.
………………………………………………………………………………………..
Bretton quickly found what he wanted. Medicine. Even though the Green village appeared to have been
completely destroyed, the things that the undead didn’t need were food and medicine, and they were
simply stacked up in a corner.
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Furthermore, Brendel was there to help them.
Even though Bucce, Verbin and the green village were under the protection of the guards, Brendel was
definitely much more familiar with the area than them.
With his memories, he found two secret cellars that were filled with medicine, food and other goods.
There were cast iron, copper and even gold, which were useless in their current situation, so he left them
untouched.
It was not Brendel’s usual habit to leave empty handed. The owners had died in the war and they had no
descendants.
These cellars were the players’ favorite spots after Madara torched the village. If the players found one
they would have become considerably rich. Because of that, Brendel knew these spots very well thanks to
these greedy players.
He left the bulky items alone but he wanted the magical equipment.
Under everyone’s shocked eyes, he quickly opened hidden compartments with a ‘bam, bam, bam’ sound.
They were mostly filled with precious gems and gold.
The leader of the young guards looked darkly at Brendel with suspicion. When did he learned something
like this and became like a burglar?
Brendel brought out a half platemail meant for a female in the midst of their amazed mutterings. It was
an ancient armor adorned with complicated bronze ornaments, but the black gold symbols on it showed
that it was an artistic ornamental armor from the golden age of the past.
Before they finished admiring the armor, Brendel took out another ornamental armor with a flourish. He
beckoned to Freya.
“Freya, over here.”
“Me?” The future Goddess of War pointed at herself.
“Try this out.”
“Wait,” Bretton immediately mocked without thinking: “Brendel, are you serious in letting Freya that
piece of artwork? Not all armor are meant to see action, you do know it right?”
Brendel ignored him and wanted to put it on for Freya. But she blushed and shook her ponytail and
received the ornamental armor: “I, I’ll do it myself.”
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He paused in surprise. There was not much attention paid on this matter in the game. He had helped the
other female players who were knights and warriors with their armor, but he forgot he was in another
world now.
“What are you trying to do?” Bretton watched Freya run to an area with dense foliage and asked. (TL:
Wow… Brendel tried to strip Freya in front of everyone. Ho, ho, ho.)
“What?”
“That’s an ornamental armor and it’s too heavy. You can’t be serious to let Freya wear that into battle
right? Besides, has the militia learned to fight wearing armor before?”
“Too heavy?” This was the first time Brendel had heard of this argument. He looked back at him with a
raised eyebrow, wondering if lead had been poured into his mind.
He did not bother to explain but beckoned Freya over. He asked: “How does it feel?”
“It’s a little heavy. It’s not very flexible.”
The youths behind Bretton giggled and laughed. How could an ornamental armor not be heavy? But the
majority of the laughs were made in jest and not mockery.
Brendel paid no attention and chanted: “S’Taz.”
An ancient word, its meaning was ‘Wind’.
The half plate was instantly enveloped by a green aura, which floated around Freya’s body and then
tightly wrapped around her whole body. The young girl was startled and uttered a low yelp of surprise:
“This?”
Brendel looked back and said: “The Half Plate of the Wind Empress that was infused with the wind
element, described as heavy? The Elven armor smiths who designed this must be flipping in their graves.”
Bretton and the riders were at a loss for words.
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TL: I should have pointed out one thing earlier.
The mixed series sponsored donation (your donation did not specify which series you want TLed) are
combined together with specific series donations to make one sponsored chapter, i.e $13/25 Mixed
sponsored Amber sword + $12/25 Amber swords specific donation = 1 chapter, just in case anyone got
confused. I wish I had plugins for this sort of thing to make it clearer and easier, but I’m using the free
online wordpress domain.
I’ll also be rounding up the donations in the Mixed pool donations to add in more chapters, since my
donation goals are close enough. I’ll be ordering the first two books of the Amber Sword and book 2 of
The Strategy to be Good At Magic. Thanks, everyone.
Of course, extra money doesn’t hurt if anyone else wants to donate beyond my donation goals, cough
cough.
Chapter 19 – The one who opposes
Brendel and the militia followed alongside with Bretton and his riders. They transported the food and
medicine to the Guards’ camp located in the Beldor’s forest region and traveled across the mountainous
forest, and finally stopped at a camp in the valley. There was an uproar in the camp when they discovered
the youths of the third militia squadron approaching towards them.
They thought the entire third militia squadron had perished in the battle of that fateful night and were
prepared to accept that reality, only to find that they had returned alive.
The refugees were overjoyed. Even though they were not entirely comprised of Bucce’s natives, and some
of them came from either Verbin or the Green village, the heartwarming scene affected everyone. This
was the first piece of good news they have for the past two days.
A good omen like this signified that the future might be favorable. Along with the food and medicine they
brought back, the people who were plagued by the cold and hunger were able to eat something warm,
and the injured was treated. Everyone seemed to think that hope was not too far away, and they even
forgot a little of the tragic battle they encountered in the afternoon.
Marden had given a command to light the campfires. The veteran soldier that survived the November
War was brave and resilient, and would never submit to the Madara undead. He was not afraid of the
undead forces discovering them, and he even said they were free to bring the battle before them as there
were no cowards in Aouine.
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There was simply no way to hide so many people who had no militia training, and he decided to make
themselves comfortable.
Freya who had lost her relatives found herself treated like a hero. At first Brendel was worried that she
might be depressed instead, but found that it was an unnecessary worry.
“Freya, it’s all thanks to you and your militia!”
“Freya, don’t be sad. You still have us, don’t you? Everyone in the village will support you. You’re a strong
girl, everyone knows that!”
“Freya, are you alright? Come over here and let Aunt Aakash take a look at you. You need to be more
careful!” A plump middle-aged woman parted the sea of people around her. She might have the quality of
a having a loud voice and rough handling like a countryside villager, but her concern was genuine.
She parted Freya’s fringe and wiped her face and took a long hard look at the girl.
“Aunt Aakash, I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? Don’t hide everything in your heart, understand?”
“Really, I’m fine. Thanks, everyone.” Freya looked at everyone gathering around her. Her eyes were
getting misty and interfered with her vision. They had a terrible time for the past two days. Their eyes
were bloodshot and jumped at shadows, but she saw that they had genuine concern for her.
Brendel stood far away and watched this scene. A warmth spread in his heart.
The warm campfire and heartwarming affection permeated the air with the aroma from the food, seemed
to have dispersed the gloomy darkness in their hearts. Even if it was just for a single moment, he could
not help but feel touched by it.
It was a beautiful moment.
[The relationship between people should just be like what they are right now.]
Brendel walked over and leaned onto a white craggy boulder, and looked at the stars in the sky. They
shimmered from time to time, and they looked like diamonds strewn across a dark purple curtain.
“Why aren’t you going over?”
He suddenly spotted Romaine sitting at a higher place and asked. She was hugging a bag that was placed
on top on her legs. Her feet dangled back and forth in the air.
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“They don’t like me.”
“Why?”
“In their eyes, my aunt and I are weird people. Besides, which girl in a normal family would want to be a
merchant? It’s normal that I don’t get treated well.”
[You actually know what’s wrong with yourself?] Brendel said inside his mind.
He then realized that he did not have much of an impression of her aunt. She always traveled and was
hardly home, and she only came back once in a while to bring some strange items that Romaine might
like.
Romaine might have adopted her unique personality because she was always by herself.
“Tell me about your parents. I don’t think we ever talked about them before right?”
“I have never saw them before. My aunt was already with me by the time I started to remember things.
She even told me, little Romaine, remember to repay my kindness!”
The young merchant girl giggled and looked at the moon with bright lights.
Brendel looked vacantly at her.
“… So that’s why you want to become a merchant?”
“Yup.”
“That’s a strange thought.”
“It’s fine that you think that way.”
They chatted for a while before Brendel saw Freya escaping from the crowd. She had appeared to be an
affable, naive and simple girl, but once she turned back into the captain of the third militia squadron, she
seemed to show off a little of the future Goddess of War’s vibe.
She had promised Brendel to let him see Captain Marden. Although she did not know what the young
man wanted, but like Irene, she had started to have a blind trust in him that he was able to bring them out
of this predicament.
Freya was not trying to be reliant on him but she was curious.
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On the other hand, Brendel’s plan was this: He had brought the militia and the Bucce’s guards together by
coincidence, and he knew what sort of setback Marden would have next. Now that they are at this
juncture in history, he needed to create a fork on it where they successfully escaped from the Madara
undead.
In Brendel’s heart, his very first thought was to keep himself safe. But he quickly shrugged that thought
off. If he did that, how was he able to face Freya, Romaine, little Fenix and everyone else in the militia?
He was deeply moved when he saw the future Goddess of War weep in the Green village. He had
experienced enough failures back in the game in his world, and he wanted to live without anymore
regrets.
Brendel pondered on it and decided to continue walking down a new path yet unseen in history.
Romaine naturally did not want to leave his side, and so the three of them traveled across the valley and
several campfires. They finally found the old man at the end of the valley. As expected, Bretton was also
there, but Brendel ignored him and looked straight at the veteran soldier.
Brendel counted the years in his mind where he had not seen Marden.
[So the game ratio time is 8:1 in the VRMMORPG… I have not seen him for at least thirty years in the
game.] (TL: 30/8 = 3.75 years in real time.O_o I wish I can read books 8 times faster.)
In the game Marden was deeply unhappy in his late life but still passed away in peace. His only one
consolation was not seeing Aouine’s final moment where it fell into complete ruins.
Many players had a strong relationship with him. If the players had an exceedingly high reputation, he
would teach many hidden skills that included scouting, swordsmanship and moving in the shadows. Most
importantly, he taught the warrior’s first advanced skill: ‘The Roar of Bravery’.
The old man did not appear too differently in his memory of the game. He appeared to be slightly
younger, and the resolution in his face appeared to be stronger. Brendel had spent time with him and
knew his character well. He was calm and fearless, but he had a fiery temper and hated people who beat
around the bush. It was better for him to express himself openly to gain a better impression.
But he still had a little reservation in his heart when he spoke to Marden. What was going to happen if
this person’s personality in this world was different from the game? Even though he thought Marden
should have the same personality in this world, he found that the things that happened to him were
already too surreal to be certain about anything.
Upon hearing his thoughts, Marden’s eyebrows moved and his forehead wrinkled up. Just as Brendel had
predicted, the first to object was the young vice-captain of the guards, Bretton.
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“What are your reasons for saying that we will lose in the upcoming battles?”
Brendel looked quietly at Marden, and the old man spoke: “Young man, I’m grateful for your loyalty to the
kingdom. But I would also like to hear your reasons as to why we would lose the upcoming battles.”
Brendel inwardly sighed with relief. He was most worried about the temper of the old man. Once he was
able to speak freely to him, he had the confidence to convince him: “I have one question, do you know the
size of the Madara undead in front of us?”
The young men present in the area were silent.
Marden did not speak as well but he signaled to Bretton, who replied: “From the looks of the afternoon
battle, the ones who continued to pursue us should be the same army who engaged us. There was an
additional force that joined them as I noticed a difference in their flags. They are most likely commanded
separately, but unfortunately, we don’t know the exact details about the Madara forces.”
Brendel looked at him in astonishment as he did not expect him to actually possess some measure of
ability. It was impressive that he was able to make this conclusion from observing the chaotic battlefield.
“It’s not strange to not know the exact details about them since you don’t understand the kingdom of
Madara.” Brendel said: “This kingdom has never been unified as one in reality. It was before the Era of
Runes and Swords, when a group of exiled shadow shamans became the earliest dark lords of the Madara
region, and it became a paradise for pirates and undead creatures…”
“What are you talking about?”
“Listen to him, Bretton. Be patient.”
“Hmph.”
Brendel smiled, as he knew he had gotten Marden’s attention. He’s a true veteran, and regardless of his
temper, he had already gotten useful information from him.
“At the same time, this kingdom had a very strong nature to conquer other lands. This dark lords warred
against each other repeatedly, and also attacked the surrounding lands without warning. Kirrlutz, Aouine
and Osor and even the Baamrin region had suffered from them.”
“The dark lords possessed many divisions of elite soldiers because of their frequent wars. Even though
their formations are a mess, their fighting strength cannot be ignored. The two forces that you saw today
are most likely very different in their formations.
I would like to hear details as to what happened in your battles, and from there, I might be able to provide
information that might be of use.”
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“Brendel!” Bretton stood up in anger. “You’re lying, how would you know about the Madara’s force, I
know that you well enough, you’re—-”
He wanted to continue speaking, but Brendel’s icy glare halted him. Bretton’s words died in him, and he
almost could not believe how he was silenced from Brendel’s expression.
The Brendel he knew of was not so domineering, and was just someone who had just a little talent in him.
“Listen closely, Bretton. I am not here to argue with you.” Brendel paused on every word. “I don’t expect
you know to know how critical it is right now, but I want you to take responsibility for your actions for
any time lost!”
Bretton was momentarily stunned, before turning furious and ready to fight.
“Tell him what we encountered, Bretton.” Marden interrupted them. His forehead was deeply wrinkled.
PS: If anyone spots any mistake please inform me in the comments so I can correct things.
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TL: So I played the Game of Thrones from Telltale recently to see if it can aid with the narrative of this
series. But if this series is to get any better in quality, it will need an editor or someone to teach me what
areas I can improve on.
Now in regards to the Game of Thrones game itself, if anyone is curious, the narrative was mostly okay
but there were moments of facepalm (in a bad way). As a game, imo, it wasn’t great. Every time I played
each episode, I felt like I was being handed out cards that were increasingly worse with no way to win at
it.
In short, I was playing to lose. The game is rigged.
In a game where I’m participating as a participant in the Game of Thrones, there should be at least one
way where I can prevail and win against my enemies, but there was never one in sight and simply ended
just like how I thought it would be, simply because there was never a way to win. This became an un-fun
game, to say the least.
At the end of the game I received my rating of “Player played the game with Cunning Strategy.”, which
makes me feel like it was sort of a joke.
Chapter 20 – The one who persuades
Bretton stiffly sat down and cast a sneering look at Brendel. He was certain in his heart that Brendel was
definitely lying. They had trained together in the same military batch in Anchorite, and even though he
did not see him after they went back to Bruglas, he had continued to receive news about him and knew
about his background.
His father was just a miller, his mother had some noble blood in her and his grandfather a knight who
survived the November war. But what sort of extraordinary experiences would he have?
After Bretton was recruited into the guards, it was said that Brendel had decided to follow his father’s
footsteps. The only thing that he did not know was why he went to Bucce and stayed there for a year.
It was highly unlikely that he had learned so much about Madara within a year. And if this bastard
wanted to lie, he would have to face Marden’s scrutiny.
Bretton peeked sideways at his captain. Even though this old man’s temper was incredibly bad and a
stubborn person as well, he was exceedingly sharp. Anyone who tried lying to him would easily be
exposed.
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Another young man from the guards picked up the conversation after Bretton sat down to stop the
awkward silence. He spoke about the battle in detail, with the occasional nods from the others or
additional lines from them added to his description. Bretton and Marden were the only two people who
kept their silence.
Brendel noted Marden’s eyebrows trembling from time to time which showed off his anxiety in his heart.
Bretton on the other hand, decided to simply watch everything in silence and ignore Brendel.
As Brendel continued to listen to them, and he soon figured who they had encountered. The leader of the
army who continued to pursue them from Bucce should be the ‘Corpse Wizard’ Rothko. He was a brilliant
undead wizard in the game and given the nickname of ‘Corpse Wizard’ by the players. His talent was to
easily convert the undead spirits into necromancers, and thus his army was replenished very quickly.
Even though he did not have a high offensive stat, he was cunning, patient and made use of his army as
cannon fodder to exhaust the enemy and deal a blow to their morale.
Right now, he should only be at an apprentice level. Therefore, under Tarkus’s tactics he would only be a
leader of a middle sized army. Brendel wondered briefly if he encountered each other when he escaped
from Bucce.
And he did not need to guess about the second army’s identity. The one who razed the Green village to
the ground was Kabias. The skeleton warrior was not famous in Madara’s history, but was considered as
a veteran and definitely one of Tarkus’s generals in this battle.
A middle sized undead army would have the numbers of over two hundred and at least twenty
necromancers in them. Kabias’s army, as one of the main forces sent as a vanguard, had at least one fifth
of Tarkus’ left wing’s army. His large forces definitely had more than just skeleton soldiers and
necromancers. It was highly likely that there were pale knights and dark warriors in the army too.
Brendel omitted many details to the Guards. He quoted legends and rumors to briefly describe their
ranks, but stating their numbers was certainly out of the question. Even though he knew about the future,
he had to tread carefully.
“I am not sure if you have heard of this location called Ansel. It’s the main region where the undead
wizards are living in. Madara is split into three factions. One faction is the vampires, one is the undead
wizards. I’m going to skip the description of these two factions, as you should have heard about them
before.”
“The last faction is one that also holds considerable might. These dark lords in this faction are comprised
of holy knights that committed crimes, nobles that were exiled, pirates and undead wanderers. They
worship the black bible, and are rulers that believe in the Madara traditional ways.”
“All these stories are very interesting, but they are just stories.” One of the guards retorted.
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“No, just think if there is one person who could unify them, then Madara will return as the blight from the
darkness. And right now, the current events match a certain prophecy.”
“You just said that this kingdom has never been unified before.”
“It has never been unified in the past, but their chance to do so is approaching before our very eyes.”
“What does this ‘unification’ has to do with our situation?”
“Of course there is, have you heard about the legend of the Mercury Staff?” Brendel suddenly changed to
another topic.
“That’s also described in the prophecy right? It’s said that when someone possesses it, they will rule the
darkness in the world?” Someone asked.
Brendel nodded.
“The full name is ‘The Mercury Staff of Loptr’. Loptr is an undead wizard genius and he nearly unified the
Madara kingdom. Fortunately, he failed at the end and his staff went missing, and this legend was left
behind. When someone possesses the staff, he would become the king of darkness.”
“And just this year of spring, someone had witnessed the appearance of the staff in Ansel.”
“Hold on,” Bretton’s expression suddenly changed. “The rumor a few months ago was real?”
“A few months ago?”
“Wait, I remember hearing about this. It’s some merchant who brought this news here, saying that
someone opened a huge door using a strange staff.”
“‘The Door of Lament’.” Brendel added. “That door leads to Loptr’s treasury and his throne.”
The old captain frowned: “Young man, even though I don’t understand the fights between these powerful
people, you mean to say there has been a great change in Madara? This is certainly terrible news, and at
the very least, it would mean that Madara is completely prepared for this invasion. Even though I don’t
know what their goals are, they wouldn’t just invade us on a small scale right? What you said sounds too
ridiculous to be true, but that does not mean it is not possible.”
His hand that was full of calluses was placed on his knee, and it was near enough to draw his sword
anytime: “Bretton. Do you know this young man?”
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Bretton was startled. If he said that he was suspicious of Brendel, even though the captain would not
immediately strike at him with the sword, he would at least tie him up and question him.
He looked at Brendel without hiding the ridicule in his eyes. But he thought for a while and did not
choose to do something like that: “I know him and I think he’s lying to us. But if I think about it
rationally… He has no reason to lie to us.”
“What if he has been bribed by Madara?” Marden asked again.
“I have also thought about that, but that’s unlikely considering what he and the third militia squadron had
been through. If this Madara commander had prepared things in advance, then I think our defeat was
justifiable.”
“Very good, Bretton.” Marden patted his vice-captain.
[Eh?]
Not only Marden, even Brendel looked differently at the young vice captain. It seemed that this fellow had
a pretty good head on him. He had the impression that he was too narrow minded and could not become
a true leader. He started to mull over on his assessment on him again.
But even if Bretton had denied knowing him or accused him of something, Brendel had the confidence to
persuade Marden due to his knowledge of the future. However, that might have led to a situation that he
might expose himself as a different person.
“Alright, then we’re going back to the real topic,” Marden said. “Kid, then you believe that the Madara’s
goal is Fortress Riedon?”
“In the Grinoires region, Aouine’s defensive line is Stronghold Vermiere. Fortress Riedon protects the
flank of that defensive line, so Madara’s goal can only be Fortress Riedon.” Brendel nodded.
Marden rubbed his nose and cursed: “Then the Madara forces that kept biting on our tails are their
bigwigs? Fuck, why did we have to encounter this pile of pigshit trouble!”
“I don’t know the exact details,” Brendel said while obviously knowing that he knew everything: “But
based on your description, there’s an undead wizard in the first army that pursued you, and one of the
Dark lord’s army that came as reinforcements.”
“The undead wizard’s army formation is comprised of necromancers as a platoon leader. It’s easy to
recognize them. I believe the size is half a company of one hundred to two hundred undead. The Dark
Lord’s army formation is more chaotic, but there should be at least the size of two companies, based on
the size that invaded the Green village.”
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“It sounds about right.” Marden nodded.
What he did not know was Brendel actually reduced the number by half. Even so, that number made
everyone worried. The size of the undead army vastly outnumbered their thirty guard members who
even brought a group of weak villagers with them. How were they supposed to break the siege?
The old captain also sighed.
“Alright, Brendel. Since you came to tell us all these things, would it be right for me to think that you have
your own solution? I can tell you right now, if the situation is as you have reported, then I have no
confidence to bring these men out of this siege.”
Freya bleated with surprise.
But Brendel nodded: “I do.”
Everyone’s gaze suddenly focused on him, and even Bretton looked at him with shock and disbelief.
Brendel wiped his sweaty palms on his shirt and took a breath. He was a little tense. Even though he had
a plan, he only had a little confidence in it, and to receive the attention of everyone made him feel
pressured. The next few sentences he was going to say concerned many lives. He wondered if he needed
to be more careful in his choice of words to convince them.
He reminded himself to think calmly and not leave out something behind.
“Everyone can travel to the north and cross the River of Daggers.” He said.
“The River of Daggers?”
“Where is that place? Why do we need to go there?”
Brendel hesitated for a while. How was he going to explain that the ‘White Knight’ Ebdon and the ‘Undead
Ghost’ Vlad will be late for nearly two days before surrouding that area?
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Chapter 21 – Three pronged approach.
Brendel’s mind quickly spun. He thought if he had some form of scouting skill available, like ‘Eagle-eye’ or
‘precognition’ or other related skills, he could persuade them. As his mind went through the possibilities,
he suddenly thought of another way.
[Of course! That will work too!]
He wiped his sweaty palms again and relaxed.
“Right now the River of Daggers is in a state where it’s nearly unprotected. In the worst case, there’s only
one squadron of undead defending there, so why not break through that area?”
Everyone’s initial response was almost the same.
“What, is that true?”
“How’s that possible?”
“How did you know this?”
Brendel raised his hand to silence them: “Bretton, do you recall that your guards found a half-broken
statue in the green village?”
“The statue that looks like a devil, heavy and frightening, yes.” Bretton suddenly recalled a report from
Zeta and Ryan. They had found it in the underground passage in a ruined shrine. They said they found
signs of a knight, and the guards expanded their search for him before finding the statue.
Brendel took the small black statue from his pocket: “That’s called a gargoyle. I think even you have heard
of it. This is a war unit of Bucce’s, and wizards control these gargoyles using this thing here.”
He laid it flat on his palm and raised his arm for everyone to see clearly. The young guards that
participated in the Green village’s search quickly recognized that it looked exactly like the statue.
“Wait, you mean to say you can control that thing?”
“Can it still move?”
“That thing has wings, can it fly?” The scout, Zeta, asked Brendel from the back.
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“Yes, and it can fly as fast as a dragon. The army position for this unit is similar to our own kingdom’s
flying dragon riders. It is the best scout in the battlefield, and I used it to avoid the majority of the undead
when the militia and I went to the Green village.”
“During yesterday’s morning, I discovered that the Madara’s army in the north had stalled in their
progress. There were at least three companies that stayed in Verbin as they did not lock down the
northern shores in time. They had problems in their cooperation over there, and the undead armies in
front of us have not discovered their mistake yet.” (TL: In case anyone forgot, a company in army size =
80 to 250 soldiers according to wikipedia.)
“Unfortunately, the gargoyle that I sent out was discovered by the undead patrols and damaged as a
result. When I ordered it back, it landed in the Green village.”
Freya suddenly responded when Brendel finished explaining.
“So that’s the reason. Brendel, when you said you had something to do, it was this? No wonder you always
managed to lead us away from danger and wanted to go to the green village with your injuries. If you
wanted to repair that thing, why don’t you just tell us?”
Before Brendel could say anything, the future Goddess of War bowed her head.
“Sorry, Brendel, I’m also at fault. I was angry with you at that time, but I didn’t think that it was for our
sake.”
[Hah?]
Brendel suddenly felt that he was too much of a genius, as he managed to actually weave such a story out
from nowhere. And it even let Freya connect everything from the beginning. He did not know whether it
was because he was just too smart or because Freya was just too stupid.
He suddenly felt a little embarrassed when he saw Freya’s apologetic face. (TL: This scumbag Brendel!)
With Freya’s speech, everyone already believed in Brendel’s story. She was the best militia out of Bucce’s
current batch, and even Marden had a good impression of her. She was also a native of Bucce, and surely
she had no reason to lie to them right?
Even Bretton rubbed his forehead and asked: “Can that thing still move?”
“I can’t say for sure. I’ll try my best to test it out. I already reestablished the contact with it, and the only
thing left is for it to recover on its own.” Brendel lied without battling an eyelid.
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[If I could move that thing, I don’t need to waste my time bullshitting you, pff.]
A level 23 gargoyle, never mind a necromancer, even if Rothko was to fight against it he would have
trouble handling it.
Bretton was unsatisfied with this reply: “You’re really as stupid as a pig. How did you let the enemy
discover the gargoyle flying in the air. If we had this flying scout, our position would be much better.”
“Is your particular talent called ‘Shirking your responsibilities’? If I’m not here, will you forget to fight
your own battles too?” Brendel mocked him.
“Hmph!”
“Alright, that’s enough. The battles ahead should be our duty. Kid, we will believe in what you said. But
the Madara undead in front of us are still alert, and it will be different when we bring the villagers along
with us, compared to just the guards moving. Do you really think we can escape?” Marden asked
pensively.
“This would have to be under your responsibility, Captain Marden.”
“Well said.” The old veteran could not help but look at Brendel thoughtfully. He found it strange that
Brendel seemed to know what he was thinking at every other turn and answered it. He thought that if
this young man changed his career and entered into politics, he would have a great future.
Only the Gods know that Brendel knew his personality all too well.
Marden stood up and ordered: “On my command, the Bucce guards shall gather here and prepare to
break out of this siege!”
“”Understood!””
The guards stood up together at the same time.
Marden looked back and said: “Zeta, tell the villagers to let the men amongst them to gather up. Now is
the time for Aouine’s men to protect their home and families.”
Zeta looked puzzledly at him. “Captain?”
“What are you looking at? Are you afraid of death? Let me tell you Bucce’s guards youngsters, this is the
moment where you fulfill your oath. We will attack the Madara’s vanguard before dawn to break out of
the siege, but I doubt anyone here will be able to survive.
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However, that is fine! Because the Bucce’s villagers will sing of our bravery and tell everyone in this
world that we are not afraid of death, and have fulfilled our responsibilities till the very end.”
The old veteran swept his gaze on everyone with his expression solemn:
“My old commander used to say this to me, ‘It’s a warrior’s duty to protect the weak.’ I give you now this
exact quote what he said, and I hope you remember the glory of defending your kingdom!
Therefore, all of you know what you have to do right?
Bretton, I want you to lead the rest of the villagers to escape from the River of Daggers. There’s only one
requirement needed here, do you understand?”
“I do.” Bretton’s eyes were heavy, but he bowed and replied.
“Very good.” Marden nodded: “Kid, and Freya, the two of you. I’m requesting you as militia to
immediately join the Bucce guards, do any of you have an objection?”
Freya immediately shook her head.
But Brendel nodded under everyone’s shocked looks: “I have an objection.”
Marden paused in surprise.
“Speak,” He looked at Brendel for a while: “If you’re afraid of death, then you can get the fuck out of here
right now. Bucce’s guards have no use for cock-sucking cowards.”
There were murmurs of laughter from his surroundings, but strangely Bretton was silent. Brendel
glanced at him in wonder, then his eyes fell onto Romaine and he remembered what they had talked
about earlier.
“I have never saw them before. My aunt was already with me by the time I started to remember things.
She even told me, little Romaine, remember to repay my kindness!”
“… So that’s why you want to become a merchant?”
“Yup.”
“That’s a strange thought.”
“It’s fine that you think that way.”
Brendel smiled in his heart. He looked back at Marden.
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“Captain Marden, from Bucce’s point of view, the decision you made is fine, but have you forgotten to ask
a question?”
“What question?” Marden was once again baffled, becoming more and more curious of this kid.
“The three villages in the Bucce’s region act as a buffer for Fortress Riedon, and Bucce’s guards always
had the responsibilities of alerting Fortress Riedon of any invaders. If you chose to leave just like this,
then what will happen to Fortress Riedon that didn’t receive any warning? I would not think that all the
responsibilities are fulfilled till the very end.”
Everyone’s faces gradually changed as they heard Brendel’s speech. He was right. If they merely led the
Bucce’s villagers out of danger, they would not have accomplish the responsibilities that were given to
them. If Madara managed to break Fortress Riedon, then Stronghold Vermiere’s defensive line would be
compromised.
And if that was to happen, then someday the entire Grinoires’s region might be taken by the Madara’s
undead army. The young men were at a loss for words when they thought that Madara might be able to
invade the Capital with their undead army, Bruglas.
But what could they do here?
“We tried our fucking best!”
“We could only do so much under this damn situation!”
“It’s not that we abandoned Fortress Riedon, i-it’s Fortress Riedon that abandoned us!” (TL: What the?!)
But Marden just stared at Brendel. Since he pointed this out, it would mean that he had a solution.
“Indeed. I do know of a path that could bypass the siege and lead straight to Fortress Riedon. Even though
the chance is small, it’s better than nothing.” When Brendel said this, the air in his lungs seemed to be
squeezed out of him. He exhaled deeply.
He looked back at Romaine again who had lowered her head and was fretfully fidgeting with her bag.
“Which path?”
“The Zevail mountain pathway.”
Marden took a deep breath. Even though he had searched for various routes in his mind, he had avoided
this place subconsciously. He wanted to remind and ask Brendel if he knew how dangerous this pathway
was.
This pathway was the south of Beldor’s forest, passing through the pine valley and river, and led to out to
the wild forest of Aouine’s borders. Once they were out of of the pathway they were at the edge of
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civilization, but ever since ‘The Roaring Year’ (Year 350 of the first Era), there was no one who ever came
out alive after they entered this mountain path.
There was even a rumor of fierce dragons in the valley.
He even thought there was a sliver of hope to survive from attacking Madara, compared to entering the
pathway which would result in certain death. He contemplated for a long time, but was unable to discard
the idea that the pathway was more dangerous.
“That’s a route of no return, kid.” The old veteran shook his head.
“There is no need to fulfill your responsibilities, only your attempt in doing so.” Brendel replied.
“But I can’t send my soldiers to death there, that would be irresponsible to them. A warrior should have
glory in death.”
“That is not a problem.” Brendel replied: “I’ll go.”
There was a complete silence.
“Wh-, say that again?” Marden was completely dumbfounded.
“I’ll go.”
“Why would you… the responsibilities of Bucce’s guards have nothing to do with you at all?! Kid, if you
want to force yourself, why not join us?” The old veteran could not help but ask for the reason.
“No, I’m not forcing myself.” Brendel looked back at Romaine and gave a small smile. “I have my reason
why I need to go there. If there are any other reasons, they are just there along for the ride. Now then,
Little Romaine, are you willing to come along with me?”
“Brendel?”
Romaine stopped what she was doing and lifted her head up in delighted surprise.
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Chapter 22 – Accident
The decision for a three pronged approach was quickly accepted, and it was now a matter of how they
were going to move out.
Marden will personally lead the guards to attack Madara’s undead army before dawn and attempt to
break out of the siege, while Bretton will lead the remaining villagers across the River of Daggers. Brendel
and Romaine will travel across the Zevail mountain pathway to inform Fortress Riedon of the attack.
They were going to move out in three hours.
Marden dismissed them, and the young guards quietly turned around and left. They did not waste their
breaths on any more words, and only the sound of clinking equipment being packed by them.
The campfire’s wood crackled while the flames flicked chaotically, and the shadows swayed about on the
ground that was full of leaves and pebbles. Everyone had many things to prepare for the attack. The final
few hours of the night felt like grueling torture to them.
Freya had gone to gather the third militia squadron, while Brendel packed his own bag and stashed the
remaining health potion that he found. The other bottle that he took from the tomb had been given to
Jonathon.
Brendel was actually unwilling to see someone die before his very eyes and saved the youth, with the
excuse of ‘I wanted to have Bucce’s citizens’ good will and his family’s gratitude’ given to the militia.
He felt that his identity as a modern person was affecting him every waking moment. He wanted to
pursue a better world as he witnessed the cruel battlefield in front of him.
He randomly stuffed two days worth of food into the bag, mostly dried jerky and biscuits that were made
with various ingredients. The Amber Sword’s world had stronger production values compared to the real
medieval era on Earth, thus there was abundant resources here.
Anyone who knew this world would understand their civilization level was relatively high, but the
progression seemed to have taken on a different route compared to Earth.
When he checked his items again and pulled out the bottle of health potion, he was surprised. He
discovered a hard piece of paper that was stuck under the bottle. It looked it was glued onto it but he
easily took it out.
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It was slightly bigger than a poker card, with the width about the size of a palm. There were magical sigil
patterns on the back of the card, while there was a knight kneeling on the ground on the other side. The
knight was wearing a full set of armor with his hands raising the sword to the air.
At the top left hand corner of the card, there was the number ‘ii’ written in ancient language, while at the
center bottom were six yellow crystals. Brendel recognized these crystals in the game as a term called
‘Element Type’. Six yellow crystals represent ‘Earth Element’ and ‘6’.
Brendel was very knowledgeable about the game’s lore and there were very few things that he did not
know, but the thing in his hand was a riddle that he knew nothing much about. He pondered for a while
and was certain that this was taken from Gerald’s tomb, but that itself did not provide any clues to what
this was.
He might be able to search the internet forums or the game’s information panel in the game, but here
Brendel was limited to level 1 in all his knowledge skills, what could he search for?
After considering all possibilities, he finally raised the card with his fingers, and asked the merchant girl
who was concentrating on repairing the edges of her dress with a needle and thread.
“Little Romaine, do you know anything about this?”
“D-don’t call me that!” Romaine’s little eyebrows went up to her hair:
“Huh? What’s this, a tarot card?”
“I know what a tarot card looks like.”
“Then I have no idea what’s that.”
Brendel scrutinized the card and wanted to say something more, but he suddenly squinted his eyes. He
spotted Bretton and a few of the young guards pulling their horses into the trees’ shadows.
[What are they up to?]
He suddenly thought about the strange behavior that Bretton had when Marden and he were discussing.
As suspicion grew in his heart, he kept the card away and stood up. He began to follow them.
“Wait here for me.” He said to Romaine.
“No problem.”
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The guards might be youths with great potential, and their individual strength significantly surpassing an
average person, but they were not alert of their surroundings. The entire group that walked in the forest
actually did not discover the person who was tailing them at all.
Certainly, there was also the fact that Brendel was a veteran at moving in the shadows, from the time
where he had to fight against the big guilds or to negotiate with them in the game. It was just that he did
not realize that he was using these techniques subconsciously.
…………………………………………………………………………….
If a normal person saw how Brendel was tailing them, they would not see anything unusual about his
movements, but Zeta who was scouting in the tree nearly had his eyes popped out. He immediately
recognized the young man as Brendel. His captain had personally told the guards before that he was
merely passable in swordsmanship and useless in all other areas.
The swordsmanship of a militia did not really count for anything in their eyes, and any of them could
even defeat Freya or Irene. However, as members of the guards, they had their own pride and did not
pick fights with a militia.
No matter how much Bretton hated Brendel, he would not say something like, “I’m going to teach you a
lesson!”, because it would look like he was lowering his status as a guard.
Yet, at this very moment, what Zeta saw in Brendel was something completely different. He remembered
the time when he was mentored by an esquire who even received a Scarlet Medal, but his techniques
definitely paled in comparison to this young man. (TL: Esquire is one rank below a knight.)
Brendel was like a shadow hiding in the darkness. Every time he moved, he avoided the ever-changing
lights from the valley. It was by chance that Zeta spotted him because Brendel was in between the light
and his position, otherwise he believed that he would have no chance of spotting him.
Was the vice-captain wrong about him? Perhaps he was actually a scout for the guards? Or was he really
Madara’s spy?
Zeta suddenly felt himself tense up. What should he do? He definitely could not make any noises,
otherwise he would spoil the vice-captain’s plan. The camp was only thirty meters away and any
commotions would draw the attention of others.
He took a deep breath and gestured at Ryan who was in another tree nearby, indicating him to pay
attention to Brendel’s direction. At first Ryan was a little puzzled why Zeta kept pointing at a direction
where nobody was at, and even thought he might be drunk, but soon enough he saw Brendel and his
expression changed.
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[Holy shit, is this guy a chameleon?]
“What are we going to do?” He gestured and ask.
“I’ll go up first, cover me from the right.” Zeta gestured back.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, his skill in the sword is formidable, at least a ‘second-class unranked swordsman’.”
A ‘second-class unranked swordsman’ was a specialized term amongst swordsmen. This rank was the
equivalent of the best guards, while a ‘first-class’ was of a white rank Swordsman’s strength, or
equivalent to a player from level 5-20. Zeta was afraid that Brendel hid more of his capabilities, thus he
treated him with utmost wariness.
Ryan nodded to acknowledge his plan.
………………………………………………………………………….
Brendel was in complete surprise.
[Twenty over men, ten over battle horses, classmate Bretton, are you trying to cause a mutiny?]
But he knew that was impossible and unnecessary for Bretton to do something like that. After following
them for a while, they stopped and discussed quietly among themselves. When he wanted to approach
closer, he suddenly felt he was in danger.
[It’s too quiet. Right about halfway through this journey, the insects suddenly stopped making noises.]
He used to pair up with a girl called ‘Shadow’ with the profession of ‘nightingale’. Even though the
scouting and searching was done by this profession in the game, Brendel learned enough from her and
experienced many battles to adopt an instinctive sharpness, and even the slightest movement from a
blade of grass was enough to put him on alert.
Just like how he foresaw Rothko’s search for him back then in Bucce.
Brendel immediately sensed an arm trying to wrap around his neck from behind, a technique used by
scouts. Brendel took one step backwards, his hands immediately working to grab the opponent’s elbow
and wrist. He made use of his body weight and sank to the ground, and raise his arms upwards to pull and
throw this unknown person, and instantaneously sent a black figure flying to the tree. The figure knocked
against the tree and emitted a muffled sound of pain.
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The strength between the two was about the same, but Brendel had the slight advantage of attacking first.
However, he saw that the figure’s immediate action was not to defend himself but to rush at him, and a
flash in his mind quickly made him realize there was another person nearby.
A silver flash of light streaked across the air, and Brendel’s ‘Thorn of Light’ was instantly unsheathed. He
stepped sideways and the sword was already at the other man’s neck.
The dim light from the reflection of his sword lit their faces.
Zeta and Ryan were astonished. Even though they thought that Brendel was perhaps stronger than their
vice-captain, there had to be a limit to his skill. Even if Bretton was the top swordsman amongst them, it
was impossible for him to fight against two guards at the same time.
They felt like they were somehow in a dream and just stared at Brendel’s sword.
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
“Listen up, everyone. Captain Marden is an old veteran from the November War. Everyone here should be
familiar with this point. He had already fulfilled his duty to the kingdom and proved his loyalty. We have
an old saying, ‘If Mother Marsha allows you to live, then you should cherish your luck.’
We cannot allow a veteran who had survived against all odds from the November War to bet his life once
again. That is why I made this plan. Please allow me to lead all of you to protect Bucce. It is not because I
desire to steal glory from someone else, but this is simply something that I cannot run away from.”
“Well said, vice-captain!”
“We will support you.”
“Captain Marden will understand.”
Bretton smiled. When Marden ordered him to lead the villagers to the River of Daggers, he had decided to
refuse. However, he knew of the old man’s temper and he would never allow him to object, therefore he
decided to make a bet here.
He did understand that Marden was trying to protect him. The captain had said more than once that he
would become someone of importance, and would become a pillar to support this kingdom. But Bretton
also understood that Aouine did not need any cowards.
Once he thought about it, he saw Brendel’s face in his mind. The useless bastard actually took the
initiative to suggest crossing Zevail’s mountain pathway. He thought that Brendel was just trying to find
an excuse and run away. It was definitely a possibility.
But right at this moment, a light noise in the quiet forest made everyone turn their heads.
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They saw Brendel pointing his sword at Zeta and Ryan’s backs as they walked out from the bushes. At
first everyone did not react to this scene, then their expressions changed like they saw a ghost.
“Zeta?”
“Ryan, what happened?”
“Ha ha, we made a mistake.” Zeta’s face was one of embarrassment.
As for Brendel, he looked at the vice captain with surprise on his face. He did not expect this fellow to be
so bold; he actually wanted to lead these willing youths for a diversionary attack against Madara. What
sort of spirit did he exactly have?
Brendel found it a little funny but he also respected this decision. Was it merely a youth’s hot-blooded
nature, or just his ideals? And yet when he took a closer look at Bretton, he saw there were traces of
responsibility in his eyes.
Bretton was glowering at Brendel, how could he not do so? If Brendel yelled out and alerted the camp, his
entire plans would have been for naught.
“What do you want?” Bretton growled at him. He wanted to use a stronger tone but he was hoping that
Brendel would not divulge his plan, which he was almost certain of.
Brendel lowered his sword.
TL: First of all, I’m not too sure about this chapter’s grammar. The viewpoints just keep on changing like a
roulette. If anyone spots any mistakes, just inform me and I’ll correct things.
Second, thanks to the donators. This chapter would not be out today without your support.
Finally, I will be busy tomorrow to prepare for art school this Friday (kind of excited, cause I’ll finally
learn to draw some quality fanart properly) and there might be no chapters. I need to upgrade my laptop
to Windows 10 and purchase a few software licenses. My coffee capsules are down to my last four, and I
will be out to replenish my stocks and order the books while I’m at it.
Edit: I’m upgrading to Win 10 to be ready for DirectX 12 in case anyone is wondering. Even though I can
do it later, I’m not comfortable upgrading it when my school starts.
Crap, I cannot un-see a spoiler comment. Guys, just so you know, I skimmed ahead to see whether the
series is good or bust (skip to random ch 100+ and read the story a little), and I’m 99.99% sure that it’s a
great series. For the most part, I’m reading and translating at the same time, but I just saw a spoiler that I
can’t unsee -_-, so no spoilers please.
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TL: So it rained really heavily in the morning and I didn’t want to go out. I’ll be heading out tomorrow to
settle various stuff, so there might not be chapters available.
And yes, I fixed the mistake in this chapter, thanks guys.
Chapter 23 – Dawn, mountain pathway
“It’s too dark. Seems like it’s not a good time to take a stroll right now.” Brendel smiled. His eyes quickly
swept over everyone, and walked straight to the center of the twenty odd people in front of him.
The young guards subconsciously parted to let him cross. Bretton gripped the sword in his hand tightly.
He glared menacingly at Brendel but he also refrained himself from taking any action, as he knew he
would not be able to suppress the commotion if they fought. One of his men at his side tried to rush up to
Brendel, but he was held back by Bretton’s other hand.
The tension in the forest was as taut as a bowstring.
But Brendel kept walking to the other end of the forest before he stopped and spoke.
“Bretton, the things that you learned in the guards included disobeying orders? Your plan sucks. All of
you should know Captain Marden’s temper well enough. Why do all of you even bother to try and force
him to agree to your petition? If it was me, I’ll just bring everyone out secretly and leave one person
behind to inform him.”
Everyone looked at each other with a loss for words.
Bretton’s hand on his sword shook a little. A streak of suspicion flashed in his eyes, involuntarily
wondering what this fellow was planning.
“Well, go ahead and tell me when you are moving out to attack Madara, so I can decide when to move as
well.”
“…… Before the Crimson Star disappears.”
The young vice-captain thought for a while before replying. Even though he was wary of Brendel’s
motives, his plan did sound more enticing, and the possibility to execute his plan was much higher.
“Then you should go to the stretch of the ‘Fox Forest’ and hide there. That particular area should be the
nearest and safest location to attack the Madara’s undead army. I’ll pick up a piece of paper and bring it to
Marden and let him know of your plan later on.”
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“……….”
“Also, be focused when you fight against the necromancers, their magic spells will only work against
people with weak willpower!”
“Brendel, just what exactly do you want? How did you find Zeta and Ryan, and how did you manage to
beat them?” Bretton asked darkly as he took his hand away from his sword.
“Alright, this might possibly be the final time I’m seeing you after we part. Whether we are rivals or hate
each other’s guts, it’s possible that everything will become memories after this. Ultimately, we’re Aouine’s
citizens, so I’ll wish you luck.”
Brendel waved his hand to indicate what he thought was not anything worth mentioning.
Bretton watched him leave silently.
………………………………………………………
Leaving Marden’s fury at Bretton’s actions aside, the old veteran found that there was no way for him to
attack the Madara’s undead army any longer. He could only arrange for Freya to gather the villagers to
form a defensive squad and prepare to break the siege at the River of Daggers in the north.
And right about this moment, Jonathon, who had lost his hand, was seeing seeing Brendel and Romaine
off. Little Fenix accompanied by his side to see them off too. Because of little Fenix’s age, Freya forced him
to leave the militia. He was dissatisfied with her decision, but he recovered quickly when Brendel praised
him a little, and insisted on following Brendel to Fortress Riedon.
Of course Brendel did not agree to his request. He figured that he would probably be stabbed by Freya
when he reached Anchorite if he allowed him to join.
Little Fenix was just too young and unsuitable, even though he indeed needed one more pair of hands.
Brendel stroked the brat’s head.
On the other hand, Jonathon was at the sides, opening and closing his mouth without saying anything. He
looked at Brendel in shame. He knew that he survived because of him.
“I-I’m sorry…… Brendel, Thank you….. For saving me at that time.” He finally stuttered.
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“It’s fine. Everyone has their moment of confusion. Jonathon, the militia is willing to bring you back
because they believe you will return to them. Alright, concentrate. Don’t let anyone else look down on you
any longer.”
“Thank you.”
Brendel nodded and looked up in the sky. The stars were beginning to fade, signalling the arrival of dawn.
This was the darkest moment where the stars and moon disappeared, but it was going to be fine. The
sunrise was coming soon.
He took his gaze away from the sky, and lit torches together with Romaine. Even though it was a little
unwise to light torches to travel in the dark, they were leaving the area where Madara’s undead
controlled. If there were beasts that appeared, the biggest threats were probably going to be just mere
wolves. He was certain that he could handle five of them easily.
The two of them left to the south of the camp, passing through the dense trees. The most common black
pine trees in the Grinoires region appeared everywhere as far as they could see into the distance. There
were occasional animal shadows that flitted in the light but quickly vanished.
They gradually passed through two hills and the area around them became steeper.
Anyone who saw their surroundings were be puzzled as to why the trees were decaying there. There
were many rugged sharp boulders that jutted out from the slope, and the valley in front of them were
filled with such rocks.
“Brendel?” Romaine asked, suddenly finding the environment to be a little frightening.
“It’s nothing. Just follow me closely.”
Brendel knew his destination was getting closer when he saw this scenery.
He had traveled this pathway in the game before. It was a very famous place amongst the players, and
remarkably dangerous for anyone below level twenty.
He could not help but recall memories about that place.
The Zevail mountain pathway was at the southern Beldor forest area, and the trees extended all the way
to the Pine River. This area was excavated in the past to transport forest logs down the river, but with
Madara’s expansion in the region, the logging mills were mostly abandoned.
The Zevail mountain pathway became disused and turned into a haven for illegal merchants who
smuggled using the mountain pathway to avoid checkpoints. Some time later, a Golden Demon Tree set
its roots in the area, taking the earth’s nutrients away and the entire forest surrounding that area started
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to decay. It also killed all creatures that carelessly entered into that area, and the area was slowly
perceived by people as a place of certain death.
The level 31 Golden Demon Tree had evolved to a ‘Rank Two creature’, and had the strength of a ‘Steel
Swordsman’ or a ‘Mid-ranked Wizard’. Even the formal army of the kingdom would not want to go
against such a troublesome enemy.
Since it did not stop the communication between Fortress Riedon and Bucce, the kingdom’s knights did
not bother to take care of it.
But this was a famous grinding spot within the game. The Golden Demon Tree remained undefeated in
the game for the first three years, and the NPCs even made a wooden post in front of the entrance, where
the Dwarven, Elven and Aouine’s common language were written on it:
“Beware! Those who enter this area should give up on all hope.”
Of course there were short-sighted players who wanted to challenge themselves. However, these solo
players who went in separately did not even get see the appearance of the boss and perished. It was
about a year in before people started going in with parties to adventure there, but the furthest they went
in was to the stretch of the Pine river before they were forced back.
This continued to the latter half of the second year, and there were constant news of entire parties who
died there circulating in the bars, turning into a hot topic during meals. When the ‘War of the Black Rose’
happened for the second time, the parties that entered the mountain pathway dwindled down, but in
exchange they were much stronger.
Brendel recalled that he entered the mountain pathway around that time. His experience in the game was
quite plain. He was neither aggressive nor was he conservative. He managed to go to the Pine River and
witnessed the unending bleak scenery filled with dying trees and dark shadows.
What gave him the deepest impression was not the sudden change of the background from Bucce to the
area here, but the strength of the enemies and unbelievably high encounter rate. Every day his party was
in a state of fatigue, and the party was finally dismissed when they could not continue onwards.
But two months after his stint, a guild called ‘Freedom’ completely tackled this area. They became very
famous for a period of time. However, people realized afterwards they were not that powerful, and
simply found a special method to engage the enemy by luck. This method was released as a recorded
video onto the internet by enthusiastic players, and brought about a craze where players soloed the
Golden Demon Tree.
Brendel was one of those people who benefited from the footage that was released, and managed to grind
a item called ‘Heart of the Golden Tree’.
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The average level of the players back then was level 27.
But what he wanted to do here was simply to cross the mountain pathway and skip the Golden Demon
Tree boss. He had the Ring of the Wind Empress, as well as the Thorn of Light that had a purification
effect against the undead, so he might have a chance to survive.
He reminisced about his gaming years with relish. The prices of the magical equipment in the past did not
go down for an entire year, and he did not think that he would be able to cross this pathway with his
equipment stats over 10 OZ at such a low level.
Indeed, the godlike equipment he had now was something that he could not imagine.
Due to his knowledge in his past life, the facts that he owned two godly equipment from the very start
made him feel surreal. If he was fortunate enough to escape from this disaster…. He felt a little
hotblooded thinking about the future.
Precisely because of that, he had to cherish the chance in front of him. He gripped his sword a little
tighter and called Romaine to follow a little closer to him.
The future merchant girl seemed to have an aptitude for adventuring. She nimbly jumped onto the sharp
boulders on the way down to the valley without any trouble.
Even though dawn had probably broken by now, the darkness around them did not seem to lift. The only
sources of light came from their burning torches, illuminating their rocky surroundings with long
shadows.
If one was to look at them from afar, they would appear like two stars within the forest.
Brendel recalled there was a plateau nearby that allowed them to avoid encounters. It was too dangerous
to enter the Zevail pathway currently, so he decided to travel in the daytime where it was a little safer to
cross the pathway, and they were also likely to be out of the range of Madara’s undead army by now.
The earliest undead army to reach Fortress Riedon in history was Kebias’s division in the morning of the
third day. This would mean that he had a full day to arrange his plans. The time remaining was plentiful.
He raised his head up, and saw the outline of a sign in front of him.
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Chapter 24 – Withered trees
The deeper they went into the mountain pathway, the more desolate the scenery became. There was
nearly no vegetation on the ground, and the path that was void of life was filled with intersecting rocks
that appeared like sharp fangs.
Wilted brambles and grass had grown from within the cracks of the walls. Withered trees seemed to
manifest themselves in the distant darkness. The cold wind could be heard blowing through tree
branches like ghastly whispers.
Brendel knew that Demonic Trees drained the nutrients from the soil and turned into this to a barren
wilderness that people came to know about. He raised his torch, and there were occasional decrepit
skeletons that appeared in the shadows. They appeared to be animals like mountain goats which had
accidentally barged into this forbidden area, and turned into the Demonic Trees’ food.
Romaine nimbly followed behind with her torch raised with one hand, while she gripped her bag with the
other and looked everywhere with curiosity and tension. This was the first time that she traveled this far
away from her home, and she felt like she was beginning to fulfill a merchant’s dream. The difficulty,
excitement and the endless wealth and treasures awaited her, just like how this dream nurtured the
numerous other merchants and adventurers in this continent.
She even had a sense of security by following Brendel.
The two sources of light passed through the narrow valley. Brendel’s hand was placed over his sword’s
hilt. Once he passed through this area in the game, he would have entered a den of monsters of a certain
type called the Rotting Beasts.
The Golden Demonic Tree was a terrifying creature. It was a variant of the Golden Trees, and its former
body was most likely the Holy Elven Tree. However, ‘The Tree Shepherd’ who belong to one the great evil
cults, implanted the tree with the ‘Blood of Gods’ and turned it into a Golden Tree.
In this chaotic world, darkness thrived where civilization’s fire was unable to reach, and not only did the
undead exist, there were regions where leaders found their own evil cults. In the game, evil disciples
followed the footsteps of ‘The Tree Shepherd’ and did surreptitious things. There were signs of their
actions everywhere, letting people know of their existence, but no one knew what their motives were.
Even Brendel was no exception.
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The Golden Demon Tree had two abilities. The first was to turn plants into living creatures. It was able to
turn shrubberies into monsters in the form of humans, and they were called Rotting Beasts. These
Rotting Beasts were the scouts of the Golden Demon Tree which populate every area of this narrow
valley.
A single Rotten Beast in the game was level 7, and their strength was roughly the equivalent of the guards
that Brendel saw, but their intelligence was considered low. Veteran ranked Rotten beasts were over
level 13, and this Grade 1 Rank was a difficult opponent for him.
The second ability it had was turn to infuse its fruits with demonic mana. When the fruits of the Golden
Demon Tree fell onto the ground, it would turn into a wilderling creature, growing to over two meters tall
within a day. These are elite guards of the Golden Demon Tree, and their level was between level 20 to
22. The only chance Brendel had if he encountered them was to use the Ring of the Wind Empress.
After several decades, these Rotten Beasts and Demonic Creatures had accumulated to a large number. If
Brendel did not attain his current equipment, it would have been an impossible task for Romaine and
himself to pass this narrow valley. He would also have to take special care to avoid the Golden Demon
Tree which had reached the Grade 2 Rank.
They continued to progress with shuffling sounds from their footsteps, which sounded a little frightening
in this lonely area. Brendel fondly remembered that he used to come here with a large bundle of ropes,
oil, torch, dry rations and a hook to this area and fight the Golden Demon Tree hundreds of times.
The loot from the Golden Demon Tree was between 20 OZ and 30 OZ, and the best drop from it was the
legendary ‘Heart of the Golden Tree’, which restored 1 hp every minute, and considered to be a godly
artifact in the early game.
The only difference Brendel felt was the future merchant girl following behind him. He suddenly felt that
it was somewhat romantic to adventure with the girl that he was interested in. (TL: Was that a
confession?)
“Brendel?” Romaine suddenly whispered to alert him.
He turned around and noticed her gaze on his hand. He was slightly surprised as he found the Thorn of
Light to be glowing with white light from its sheath.
[There are undead nearby!]
He was startled but immediately realized that the Madara undead might have sent a squadron to patrol
this area to ensure there was no one who slipped through their grasp. He relaxed a little as he considered
a squadron to be an easy battle, as long as he did not alert the Rotten Beasts in the valley.
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He pulled out the sword and started testing various directions. It turned brighter as he pointed to a
specific location and he immediately knew they were ahead. He gestured for Romaine to stick closely to
him and extinguished their torches and moved in that direction.
Indeed, there was a squadron of undead. Leading them was the necromancer Kabara. Its performance in
Bucce not only let the human scout escape, it also led to the demise of a fellow necromancer. Rothko
assigned it to this area to punish it for the disappointing performance, and also to remind it not to be too
eager to display himself in front of its master or superior. (TL: Kabara appeared in Chapter 5.)
Kabara understood its error, but the urgent issue was how to defend against the Rotting Beasts in front of
him.
The necromancer and its soldiers had first defeated a Rotting Beast that was in the form of a human with
full of thorns, but three other Rotting Beasts immediately charged at them. A pair of glowing flames
protected by branches, presumably on their heads, were glaring at the undead soldiers. When Brendel
took a further look, he saw there were broken skeleton bones around the Rotting Beasts.
Their battle had begun.
[What exactly are these creatures?!] Kabara’s green flames dimmed in its eye sockets.
Seeing that that the enemy was going to attack again, he could only reluctantly order its skeleton soldiers
to change their weapons to their bows. The soldiers lit their arrows with a ghastly blue Soul Fire, and a
wave of arrows shot at the creatures. Two Rotting Beasts that were struck by the arrows yelled along
their branches swaying about, causing a shuffling sound and they fell onto the ground, turning into two
bright bundles of intense flames.
The necromancer instantly chuckled. They were indeed stronger than their skeletons, but these plants
were afraid of fire. What a blunder, how did it not think of this point earlier. Kabara raised its staff, and
caused the remaining Rotting Beast to explode into half, and a shower of wooden splinters flew
everywhere.
Brendel climbed onto a white boulder and involuntarily laughed when he saw the necromancer gloating
from the victory.
[This moron is seeking death. It actually dared to use magic here.]
The Golden Demon Tree’s favorite nutrient was mana and it sought after it like a drug. If there was any
ripples of mana caused by any spells, it would immediately appear. This necromancer might not have
known about it, but it was certainly courting death.
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But this meant that they were in trouble and they needed to find a way to go some place higher,
otherwise they would killed along with these mindless undead.
He turned to Romaine and pulled her down. She had been looking and blinking at the undead. Her bright
eyes did not contain fear, but curiosity.
“I recognize that necromancer.” She whispered.
“Shhh!”
Brendel treated what Romaine said as a joke. The undead’s appearance was similar enough to each other
to make it hard to identify them, and they basically had no difference in their outer appearance other
than the ripples of their soul. It was not only limited to the low ranking undead, and even when he
identified the higher ranking ones, he did it by finding the decorations on their body or special bodily
traits.
“I really do recognize it, Brendel, this was the one that I saw at your home from far away.” She sweared.
“Ookay, just lower your voice, if you alert them we are going to be in deep trouble.”
Brendel squinted. He had already seen shadows advancing from the darkness, and based on their
movements they should be Rotting Beasts. After counting over thirty of them, he stopped. The numbers
were still increasing. Yet the necromancer still had not ordered the skeletons to extinguish the Soul Fire
on their arrows. The Rotting Beasts were attracted to light, and he decided to treat them with their
deaths as a foregone conclusion.
“There seems to be a lot of things around us, Brendel.” Romaine said.
“Yeah, come with me. Lower your body, and don’t alert them.”
The two people continued to climb higher slowly with Brendel leading in front. He started to note the
good points of bringing her along. She did not panic at all under this situation, and it was a difficult thing
for a normal person to do so.
He recalled in the game where a bunch of female players in the party would scream whenever they
entered some frightening places. But that was not the most embarrassing situation, as some of the guys
also did that too.
He reminisced as he progressed upwards and looked down quietly from time to time.
The rotting beasts had started to gather into torrents from several directions below, surrounding the
necromancer and the few skeletons. Kabara finally felt something was amiss, and started to cast a spell of
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Shadow Curtain. But before he finished chanting, two dark red creatures came out from his blind spot
from between the boulders and smashed his remaining skeleton soldiers to bits.
[Marsha above, Lord Rothko! What are these damn things, there was no need to patrol here at all!]
The necromancer did not care about its subordinates at all, as there was no compassion within the
undead. But it was allowed to have self-preservation, and it jumped up onto the boulders quickly. A
necromancer’s agility and strength were not low, but people tend to be misled by their appearance.
But Brendel did not enjoy this scene at all, because the necromancer actually jumped to his direction.
[Are you fucking kidding me, can you choose a better direction?!]
He obviously did not dare to pull out the ‘Thorn of Light’, otherwise in this darkness it would become a
‘Lure of Light’, where every enemy would have its eyes on him.
Fortunately, a dark red Rotten Beast suddenly jumped up to grab the necromancer’s ankle which sank a
little. Right at this moment the Rotten Beasts had surrounded this area and all the skeleton soldiers had
probably been crushed to bits. If Kabara hesitated for one second it would have followed their fate.
[Kill it!] Brendel yelled in his mind.
He felt Romaine gripping his shoulder from behind, almost as if she was as tense as he was. Anyone who
saw the situation would see that their positions would be exposed if the necromancer came any closer.
But Romaine’s breaths landed on his ears and made him a little distracted. He turned around to look at
her, and found she was staring at some other place.
[Huh?]
Brendel subconsciously looked into her direction and his heart plunged into an icy river.
TL: Uhh… cliffhanger.
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TL: >_<… I went out with my laptop to school intending to finish the remainder of CH 25, and I
realized I left the other half of the chapter in my PC, so this ended coming out late.
I was really frustrated at myself today, because I feel like I didn’t prepare enough (there was an
assessment to see everyone’s level for this first day). It’s a bit unfortunate, but I think the next chapter
will be in tomorrow as I really need to spend more time practicing.
And uhh, I might need you guys to spot any English errors, I translated the chapter during public
transport.
Chapter 25 – Minute and second
Brendel followed her gaze and nearly let go of his Thorn of Light, both sword and scabbard, out of his
hand from a tremble.
[What the hell?]
At the narrow valley where it intersected the area of sharp boulders, the area at one extreme end was
filled with throngs of Rotten Beasts chasing after the necromancer Kabara on the cliff, resembling a tidal
wave that was climbing up slowly.
And on the other side, there was a slim figure that was also climbing up the narrow valley’s cliff in his line
of vision. She carried a huge bundle on her back, and a sword hung from the bundle, swaying along with
the girl’s long ponytail as she slowly proceeded forward.
[Freya?]
He rubbed his eyes, almost thinking that he saw wrongly. But Romaine wouldn’t be wrong at spotting her,
and the reason why she was nervous was because it was definitely Freya. But did she not follow Marden
to the River of Daggers, why did she appear here? He could not believe she would abandon the militia’s
third squadron.
“Brendel, that’s Freya.”
“I see her, just don’t make any sound, I’ll think of something!”
“She will be caught by them so we need to help her right?” She turned her head back and asked testily.
“No, Romaine! I don’t need your help on this matter, I’ll definitely think of something.”
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He found it was a great pity that he did not even have the chance to go bonkers. The situation was very
delicate, and the key to change the situation was not in his hands. It was decided on whether Mother
Marsha’s mood was good today, and unfortunately it looked like she was not.
The undead’s situation was just as bad. Brendel turned back and saw the necromancer cutting out his feet
without any hesitation, and forced the Rotten Beast that had grabbed onto it back into the midst of the
other monsters.
It quickly flipped over and used its bony hands to climb up the cliff. Its 1.7 OZ strength allowed its light
skeletal body to climb rapidly as if it was flying on it. However, when it boosted itself upwards mid-way
of the cliff, it suddenly paused.
Kabara raised its head, and the green flames in its sockets illuminated a male human’s shocked and angry
face on top of a gigantic boulder. While it felt that the ripples of his lifeforce was a little familiar, it was of
no importance, because it had already raised its bone staff at Brendel.
[A human maggot.] It thought in its mind.
Brendel was unable to care anymore at this moment, he pulled out his sword with a singing ring, the
Thorn of Light bursting with dazzling radiance in the darkness, and thrust it straight into Kabra’s
forehead, creating a light crack. A golden flame surged forth from the crack and spread everywhere.
“Ga—” Half of a word was stuck in Kabara’s throat. The speed from Brendel’s thrust was so swift that it
was unable to react, and it felt it was reaching the end of its life.
Kabara had once thought it would become a great necromancer.
It tried to stagger backwards but the youth grabbed its bony hand. It was surprised for a moment,
wondering why he wanted to save it. Yet it was an undead that forever worshiped the Dragon of Calamity,
how could it ever accept a lowly human’s aid?
Just when it was feeling vexation over his actions, it saw that he smoothly pulled off the ring from its
index finger.
“Despicable! You human maggot, bandit……”
This was Kabara’s last thought, and the Soul Fire in its eyes were extinguished.
Three experience points.
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Brendel was surprised that this necromancer had a remarkable Ring of Spiders which added +0.2
Perception. The familiar patterns struck out at him, as he had one in the past that he kept as a souvenir
and did not throw it away.
Perception was a stat that allowed a character to sense its surroundings, and boosted hearing, smelling,
sight, touch and taste to complete a comprehension towards space and objects.
It was a very important attribute in the game. There was a low level dungeon in Bruglas called ‘The Public
Mausoleum’, where it did not allow the usage of a fire. Parties had to keep dodging a high level monster in
the complicated passageway in it, and items that raised perception and agility were once highly sought
after because of it.
Brendel’s friend had once given this exact ring to him, and when he reminisced about it he felt tearful. He
nearly sold everything he had to gather a full set of 10 OZ worth of perception equipment, and in the end
he still failed to complete ‘The Public Mausoleum’.
With the chain of thoughts, he suddenly recalled there was a wonderful item for warriors within this
dungeon, The Emblem of Bravery, +2 Military swordsmanship. He pat his head, as he had forgotten about
this item. He had spared no expenses in order to get this emblem in the past.
“Brendel, Brendel!” Romaine’s voice was full of anxiety.
He was startled, the merchant girl did not panic so easily, did something happen to Freya? He quickly
threw the necromancer away, and saw a Rotten Beast which caught up to Freya. It extended its withered
branch-like claws and grabbed onto the bundle’s strap that the girl was carrying, and hauled her
backwards. (TL: Yes, Brendel, daydream away and see if anyone remains calm…)
“Freya, be careful!” Romaine exclaimed in surprise and she stood up and wanted to run downwards, but
Brendel grabbed her and pulled the girl who could not read the situation back.
[Seriously, please stop adding to my pile of troubles!]
“Just stay here and wait!” He threw the Ring of Spiders at Romaine to let her look after it.
There was a limit to how much magical equipment a character could use, and the witches speculated that
it had something to do with a human’s mana pool. Brendel, a level 2 mercenary had reached the peak of
what he could use when he had 40 OZ worth of equipment.
“Okay, Brendel, but…..”
When he looked around his surroundings one more time, he realized that he was worried to leave this
clumsy girl here. He had pulled out the Thorn of Light earlier, lit the area and attracted attention to
himself. If he left her here, she might be attacked.
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If little Romaine got injured he would really regret it. But Freya was also in the midst of grave danger, and
he already treated this determined and kind lass as his most important partner, how could he do nothing
at all? He was really in a dilemma here.
All these thoughts passed through his mind in a fraction of a second.
At the bottom of the valley, Freya shrugged off the Rotten Beast’s claws, and struggled to run forward two
steps before falling down. Her helpless eyes glimmered with a little hope when she saw them in front of
her.
“Brendel—” She got dragged backwards before she managed to finish her sentence.
“Pull out your sword.” He shouted.
“It’s grabbing on to my bag, I can’t get to it–”
[This blockhead!]
He decisively passed the Thorn of Light to Romaine: “This sword is able to curb them, protect yourself!”
“What about you, Brendel?”
The youth shook his head to inform her not to worry, and ran towards Freya’s direction.
[Damn it. This isn’t the first time anyway, if Mother Marsha likes to play jokes on me, then go ahead and
do so.]
Monsters seemed to like picking off the weak first just like how it was in the game. Before he even jumped
down, a human-shaped shrubbery had blocked his path. (TL: We want…… a shrubbery! *dramatic
music*…….. You must cut down the mightiest tree in the forest…… withhhhh a herring! *dramatic music*)
A young Rotten Beast, level 7 creature, with 2.2 Strength, 3 Physique, 1.2 Agility, Dark attribute, weak to
fire and striking, half-resistant to piercing attacks.
Brendel’s memories came back in a rush. The unique points of a plant-type monster was its high physique
but low agility, and the Thorn of Light was truly their bane. Except he did not have it right now. He gritted
his teeth and cursed quietly. The only thing he could rely on was his 2.1 Agility and he did not intend to
waste time with this enemy.
The Rotten Beast in front of him obviously did not feel the same way as it lumbered heavily towards him.
Even though it was in a human shape, it ran on all fours, completely looking like a wild human that had
not evolved.
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Brendel dodged sideways to avoid its claws, and the sharp tips from the branches scratched a few bloody
marks across his forehead. He thought it was fortunate that it was not an undead, otherwise the
debilitating poison in his body would accumulate again.
But he did not have the time to celebrate as a green line scrolled down in his retinas:
“Emergency warning: You have been affected by a paralyzing poison.”
[Fuck! I completely forgot about this!] Brendel nearly cursed out loudly.
Because he was over level twenty in the game and could easily pass through the Rotten Beast’s territory
stealthily, he forgot that this creature’s attacks also had poison. Even if it was weak, the combination of
the remaining debilitating poison and paralyzing poison would cause significant deficits to his status.
Even though he cursed his own mistake, his actions did not slow down at all. His hands grabbed the
enemy’s thorny claws and pushed it back, targeted the dark red Rotten Beast and used the ability
‘Charge’.
This dark red Rotten Beast was actually a mature type.
Brendel took a deep breath. A mature Rotten Beast had 4.7 Strength which surpassed even a Gargoyle. A
Grade 1 Rank creature’s power was not easily trifled with. But he suddenly noted something strange, a
mature beast should have dragged Freya away easily right?
Brendel used the young Rotten Beast as a stepping platform and kicked off from it, did a spin in the air,
and his skill activated, his speed accelerating across the sharp intersecting rocks with a blurry afterimage.
Dozens of meters were covered in a mere second.
“Let go of your bag, Freya!”
But she held on to it and shook her head defiantly. One of her hands grabbed onto the nearby rock but she
was unable to hold on much longer. One of her fingers slipped.
But he finally reached before she let go of her hand entirely.
“Lower your head!” He bellowed, and he pulled out her sword on the bag when he charged over, then
sliced off the strap that the mature Rotten Beast was holding on to.
The dark red human-shrubbery figure immediately lost its balance and fell backwards. It tried to regain
its stability by grabbing on to something, but Brendel followed up immediately with a kick to the chest,
and it fell backwards to a deep recess in the valley.
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Rotten Beasts were very light and the one that fell down might not perish from it, but it certainly would
not be able to climb back up for a while. Brendel finally relaxed after he saw that it disappeared into the
darkness. However, he snapped his head back and his tone became severely reproachful:
“Are you seeking death!”
Freya raised her head and looked at him with her bright eyes. She probably did not expect him to be so
furious, and she bit her lips, turning her head away stubbornly.
He wanted to continue his excoriation, but paused when he suddenly saw that her hands were full of
abrasions and blood. Furthermore, their dangerous situation was still not resolved. He sighed and pulled
her up and said: “I have many things to ask you but we will talk later. Romaine is still waiting for us up
there.”
“Okay.”
When he wanted to turn back, he saw two golden light entered into his chest. Two XP. He looked back in
shock and discovered Romaine raising her skirt with one hand while carrying the Elven sword with the
other, running down towards him. The young Rotten Beast had been carefully skewered by her and
turned into a pile of ashes.
The merchant girl was also shocked when she saw the results, not expecting the sword in her hand to be
so powerful!
“Why did you also come down?” Brendel suddenly felt an urge to send a smack on her head.
“I thought very seriously for a while, Brendel, but I think I don’t have the means to defend myself.”
He went speechless for a while.
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TL: The author wasn’t very clear in describing how the area looked like, whether Brendel was on an area
that allowed stability. Half the time I wasn’t sure whether climbing = steep mountain climbing or just
hiking a slope, and “look over there, Brendel!” … sure, look over… what? Just… use your imagination.
Chapter 26 – Elite Rotten Beast
“You’re going to scold me right, Brendel?”
“No, just quickly come over. Be careful.”
Brendel felt frustrated and funny over Romaine’s careful steps. But when he looked up, there were three
other young Rotten Beasts occupying the boulder he and Romaine were at earlier.
He then surveyed his surroundings, and found they had became the shrubbery monsters’ targets after the
undead squadron was annhilated. It was especially true when the merchant girl still held the shimmering
Thorn of Light, and it was almost like a candle’s flame in the darkness, attracting the servants of the
Golden Tree.
Brendel could almost hear the Golden Demon Tree roaring for its thirst of mana in his mind. They had to
leave this place before as they even might even encounter Demonic Creatures, the personal guards of the
Golden Demon Tree. He turned back to Freya.
“How about it, you can you still go on?”
Freya nodded.
“Then we will be going up from the other side, take your sword and be careful.” He said as he passed the
girl’s sword back over. Even though the Rotten Beasts occupied the high grounds where they were
originally were, there were none of these shrubbery monsters in the opposite direction.
These plant creatures’ speed were not very fast, and their speed in moving across the intersecting
boulders were only as fast as normal humans. Their main advantages were their numbers, familiarity
with the land, high physique and resilience. But he had to find a way to escape them.
Freya brought her bloody hands onto the steep slope and the pain made her flinch, but she gritted her
teeth and tore her sleeves to get makeshift bandages and wrapped them around her hands. She then
continued to climb up the sharp rocks.
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Brendel felt sorry and admiration when he saw this scene. However, there was not much time left and he
quickly took back the Thorn of Light back from Romaine and let her climb up first. When he looked back,
there were already two Rotten Beast below them that were on the move.
“Brendel, hurry up!” Romaine said.
Freya’s face was pale from the anxiety and stretched out her hand towards him. But he did not have the
time to reply to them. The two Rotten Beasts had half stood up and hissed threateningly at the youth.
From a certain viewpoint, these Rotten Beasts did not count as intelligent life, and were purely the
puppets of the Golden Demon Tree.
Brendel swung his sword horizontally, and the flash of light cutting through the darkness made them
retreat slightly. He wanted to grab Freya’s hand with this slight opening, but they immediately charged
forward with a low roar.
[You really are seeking death!]
Brendel became furious and used his high agility to jump up, flew across in mid-air and used the Rotten
Beasts’ heads as a foothold and swiveled, his upper body already in the best position for an attack.
A horizontal slash.
“Ah.”
Freya uttered in surprise, finally knowing how far apart she was from Brendel in swordsmanship. She did
not think herself as talented, but her greatest pride was believing that she had worked harder and was
more focused than most people to do something; Her swordsmanship which was the best in the militia
did not mean she was talented, and very few people noticed how much effort she put into training.
This was the reason Marden admired her and made her the leader of the militia squadron.
But her swordsmanship’s foundation could only be considered as stable, while Brendel’s swordmanship
was truly extraordinary and if there was a word to describe it, it would be ‘Flawless’.
With a single slash, a head was lopped off, without any mistakes at all.
A ring of silver fire burst out from the headless Rotten Beast’s wound, and it quickly consumed the
creature. The other Rotten Beast shrieked sharply at him, its claws suddenly extending and swung at him.
As Rotten Beasts rarely did something like this, many people were deceived by the range of their attacks,
but Brendel was unfazed.
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[Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me!]
He had already experienced this attack before in the game, why would he step into the same trap again?
He was already prepared against this attack, and raised his sword to block it. The Rotten Beast’s claws
struck against the Thorn of Light and caused a shower of silvery sparks to fly everywhere. It retreated in
agony, but Brendel did not let the chance slip and launched a counter attack.
He took a big step forward and thrust the Elven sword straight at it.
This was his common technique in the game, but his basic stats and current swordsmanship level made
him feel exceedingly clumsy when he executed the attack, with his timing also lagging behind. He took
note of his delay and estimated that a Steel-Ranked swordsman would easily be able to avoid his sword,
but right now this Rotten Beast had no chance of dodging it.
The sword pierced through its throat.
Fiery silver flames burst out from the entry and exit wounds, turning the Rotten Beast into a pile of ashes
in the blink of an eye. 6 golden lights flew in the sky and into Brendel’s chest.
The strength of the ‘Purification’ greatly surprised Brendel. He had never seen anything like it in the
game.
“Brendel, you’re actually so skilled!” Romaine was momentarily stunned,
Freya was at a loss for words. She had thought that Brendel belonged to Bruglas’s militia, but now that
she think about it, he was most likely lying to her. She was not stupid, how could a militia be so skilled?
But truthfully the two of them were not skilled enough to judge Brendel’s current level. He was severely
lacking in speed and strength, and the techniques that he barely managed to use were due to his
experience.
He also made use of the large difference in the agility between him and the Rotten Beast, and thus was
able to execute his mid-air spin, but if he faced another enemy he would definitely not attempt this
method. Without the proper stats and skill level, many of the techniques he knew were mostly useless.
[What a joke, I’m actually painting a target on my back if I do this stunt without unsealing my ‘Element’
status.]
Brendel did not spend any time enjoying the girls’ reactions as he noticed that more Rotten Beasts were
climbing up. He quickly signaled for the two of them to continue climbing, and subconsciously looked at
the pile of ashes. It was a gaming instinct of his, and funnily enough he wanted to see if any loot dropped
from them.
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[Of course not. Well it certainly is different from the game, didn’t they at least drop 1 or 2 copper coins?]
He shook his head and continued climbing up the slope.
A mature Rotten Beast had superior strength and physique compared to a young Mature Beast, but its
agility was only two thirds of their 1.2 Agility. Romaine and Freya had standard militia training so their
speed did not lose out to a young Rotten Beast, not to mention Brendel.
The three of them kept climbing higher and higher, gradually pulling apart from the shrubbery monsters.
However, the latter had seemingly endless stamina and kept pursuing them, and this cat and mouse game
continued for several minutes.
The differences in physique were starting to show.
Even though Brendel was not affected much, Freya had started to pant a little, and Romaine’s face was as
pale as a sheet. Brendel offered to carry her on his back, but she refused to let him do so.
He looked back at them and they were behind them approximately tens of meters away. It was fortunate
they had not surrounded them from the front due to their lack of intelligence, or else it would have been
over. But it was a matter of time before they caught up to them, as a young Rotten Beast had 3.0 physique
which was even higher than his own.
He looked up and checked the distance to reach the peak of the mountain. It was not too far away.
But at this time, Romaine suddenly shouted breathlessly: “Brendel, look over at the other side on top of
the mountain!”
He followed Romaine’s instruction. His pupils contracted slightly as he saw a gigantic Rotten Beast that
was over three meters tall, which had suddenly came out from a fissure. It moved quickly towards them.
[Holy shit! An Elite version, this is the leader of the Rotten Beasts!]
He loved to see this creature in the game, but now he was hurling every known expletives in his heart at
it. This particular thing was an evolved version of the Rotten Beast as it had directly received the Golden
Tree’s blood. Not only did it had an increase in both strength and physique, but most importantly, it had
1.7 agility which would definitely match their own party.
“Freya, Romaine, the both of you quickly go to the edge of the slope over there, and climb upwards to that
vertical cliff. There’s a grappling hook and rope in my bag, and once we climb up these monsters would
not be able to catch up temporarily!”
He decisively threw his bag to Romaine. He was the only male here, and he had to take up the
responsibility.
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Even though there was gender equality back in his world, it was an etiquette for the guys to be in charge
of defending the rear in the game, and he made this decision immediately without thinking.
“I’m staying behind.” Freya said.
He looked and saw her determined face. He knew that he was unable to persuade her, so he nodded. But
this was also because he needed another assistant and at least Freya was a suitable candidate. Romaine
who lazed around in militia training and aspired to be a merchant instead, was surely not.
“Romaine, hurry, we’re depending on you.”
“Okay, Brendel!” She nodded as hard as she could and moved to the designated area as fast as she could.
The Elite Rotten Beast quickly leaped towards them. The throng of Rotten Beast was approximately forty
meters away. Brendel and Freya looked at each other and estimated they had approximately thirty
seconds to finish this battle.
“The range of its claws are three meters long, so be careful of its attacks. We should stand apart from each
other. It is also able to shoot the thorns from its body and they are poisoned. Be sure to dodge this attack
from the front.”
She clenched her sword nervously and took a deep breath. Even though she did not know why Brendel
knew all these, she was certain that he would not lie to her. She tried to calm herself and nodded quietly.
Brendel grasped his own hands. They felt a little stiff. The paralyzing poison from before had started to
show an effect. He opened his character window to check his stats, and discovered that his agility had
dropped 0.1 OZ.
He then eyed the Elite Rotten Beast with a lament.
[Elite Rotten Beasts only drop money in the game, it’s over ten silver coins! Surely there would be some
loot here right?]
But judging from the previous example… He grumbled inwardly.
TL: Phew. This took really long to TL because I kept checking the chapter. Anyways, this is the last of the
sponsored chapter. Thanks again for your donations, very much appreciated.
The next chapter will resume its normal schedule, which will be next Saturday.
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TL: Just a warning.
If you plan to eat something or are already eating something, you might want to finish your food before
reading this chapter. Apparently Brendel has a very active imagination.
Chapter 27 – Soul Gem
The gigantic Rotten Beast raised its branch-like claws that were the size of a human and used it to smash
at Brendel. He quickly bent his body to evade it, and the attack went past his head like a hammer. The
withered branches of the claw dragged the air along with it, causing his hair to dance wildly while it
continued to swing against a boulder behind him. The boulder was knocked away with a deafening
boom, and it flew twenty to thirty meters away.
Brendel spied on the boulder to see it hit and crash against the walls three times, before finally piercing
deeply into the ground, bringing debris and dust everywhere to where it landed
He felt a sudden tightness in his throat; the monster’s strength was just too terrifying. If he got struck
even once, his entire skeleton would not be able to absorb the impact, and would instantly be reduced to
bits. His organs would be ruptured from the immense pressure, while the shattered bone remains would
pierce them and create a bloody mess everywhere.
Brendel quickly searched through his memories. A Elite Rotten Beast’s 8.9 OZ was one of the strongest
Level 20 Creatures around, and only Berserkers and the Dwarven Steel Guards would be able to match its
strength.
He had no intentions of facing it head on. He quickly gestured to Freya to protect him from the sides, and
used his advantage in agility to get into range for an attack. He swung the Thorn of Light at its left foot.
The monster was nearly 5 meters tall, the branch-like claws were nearly 3 meters wide, and it had great
attack range. But when it lowered its head, it found that it had trouble hitting Brendel who was below
him.
Brendel struck its leg with his sword, but the bright purification flames only left a scorch mark on it. Cold
sweat broke out on his forehead when he saw the result.
Even though the Elite Rotten Beast had high physique, toughness and resistance, the end result should
not be this. This meant that there was a ‘Power Rating Difference’ here. This was a system setting that
was in the game but he did not expect it to be here in this world as well.
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Still, the attack from Brendel made the gigantic Rotten Beast raise its head up and roar. The ear-piercing
bellow made the nearby blades of grass quiver.
Brendel felt a dull ache in his chest, and Freya even coughed out blood.
[The skill ‘Howling Fury’ from the Elite Rotten Beast should not have so much effect on us! Is this because
our levels are too low?]
Brendel felt he was damaged everywhere inside his body. The data in his retina showed different levels of
damage in his organs.
“Brendel!” Romaine shouted not too far away.
He turned back and discovered she had finished setting the hook to the rope, as well as attaching it to the
cliff above. He felt relived. Romaine could be relied on when there were critical moments. She was calm
during desperate times and certainly had the potential to become a merchant.
He looked at the other direction. The young Rotten Beasts were very close to finish climbing up, and they
only had a few seconds left.
“Freya.” He immediately shouted.
“I’m, cough, fine.” She resolutely wiped away the trail of blood from her lips, raised her sword up and
took on a defensive posture again.
“I’m going to finish it off, cover me, but stay out of its attack range.”
She nodded. Gripping the sword firmly with two hands, she attacked the Elite Rotten Beast’s flank with a
low roar. It wanted to stomp on Brendel but got distracted by her. Due to its low intelligence, it diverted
its attention to Freya as she appeared to be more threatening.
It turned around immediately and spread out its branches, and numerous thorns whistled through the air
and shot at Freya.
She was prepared for the attack as Brendel had warned her about it a while ago. She immediately curled
up, defending her chest and head with both her arms. She gritted her teeth as her whole body bled from
the attack and was sent crashing back against a boulder from the thorns. However, she was still pleased
that she had gained time for Brendel.
Brendel had no time to worry about Freya; he retreated from the Rotten Beast and squatted down, raised
his right hand and aimed at the injured left leg with his shining finger.
“Oss!”
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The air temporarily went still, then an explosive current of wind blasted at the Elite Rotten Beast’s left
leg. Splinters flew everywhere. Nearly half of its body went missing. Withered leaves scattered like it was
raining as it lost its balance and fell backwards.
Even if the monster’s defense was doubled, it was unable to defend against a 20 OZ charged attack.
Brendel activated his ‘Charge’ skill next, dashing forward and jumped high up, matching the moment
where it fell down. He raised the Thorn of Light and swung it down with all his strength, slashing through
its neck with gravity aiding him.
The Elite Rotten Beast roared again, wanting to resist, but Brendel twisted the sword to drive it further
in. Silver flames burst out frantically, and the mighty monster finally lowered its head, its life reaching to
an end. As the life force and resistance from the Elite Rotten Beast ended, the flames instantly consumed
the entire body and it was turned into a massive fire.
Numerous golden lights flew from the fire and into Brendel’s chest.
17 XP.
He suddenly felt a cold feeling in his palm and looked at it. Black smoke gathered from the gigantic Rotten
Beast and poured onto his palm. It gradually became solid and formed into a black color crystal.
[A soul gem!]
Brendel was shocked but he quickly smiled gleefully. The power from a soul was the purest form of
energy in this world. Not only did Madara’s wizards use them, other wizards from different schools were
analyzing their uses in the game. With different rituals, it could be turned into XP to himself or other
people, and even replenish a magical equipment’s energy or activate certain items.
For example, the Ring of the Wind Empress.
This size of the Soul Gem looked like it contained at least 30 XP, and was enough to charge the Ring of the
Wind Empress at least once. How could he not be delighted at this? He thought he had to find a safe place
and hide for at least three hours before proceeding. Without a charge on the ring he would not have
dared to advance any further, but that would have been too much time wasted.
[To think there’s a chance to succeed at the end.]
He sheathed his sword and checked the young Rotten Beasts’ progress. He found there was already one of
them on the plateau they were at and received a shock. He and Freya were exhausted from the fight, and
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they would not be able to fight another battle. If they were dragged into a fight again, the situation would
become dire.
Freya was relieved when she saw him kill the gigantic monster, but her heart raced when she saw the
enemies appearing on the plateau. She tried standing up with furrowed eyebrows, but Brendel ran over
to her with long strides and carried her like a princess towards the rope without giving her a chance to
resist.
“Ah—”
“L-let me down.”
The future Goddess of War, currently a countryside girl from Bucce who was blushing, struggled for a
while. But Brendel did not listen to her and she could only let him quietly carry her as she hid her
crimson face to the sides.
Romaine had already climbed up when they reached the vertical cliff. She was a decisive person without
much fear, and if they still did not reach the cliff, Brendel was sure that she would climb down again.
More and more Rotten Beasts were hot on their heels; they were running out of time.
He wrapped the rope on Freya, then on his own waist. Even though he felt her body turn rigid, he was
unable to worry too much. With the boost in experience points, he leveled up his Mecenary profession to
3. He was able to bring the two of them up with a single hand with 2.5 OZ in strength,
A young Rotten Beast abruptly jumped and tried to grab his feet as he climbed up, but Brendel’s lightning
reactions guarded against it by drawing the sword from the scabbard and slashing it, instantly sending it
back to the throng of monsters. He continued to climb upwards after sheathing his sword.
The three of them were able to reach the top, and they sighed with relief at the same time. Brendel saw
that the monsters tried to imitate them by climbing the rope up. He cut the rope with the sword and sent
them dropping down without thinking. They had plenty of rope left, and the only important thing they
needed to keep was the hook.
Brendel knew that the area they were in extended for kilometers. If the servants of the Golden Demonic
Tree still wanted to find them, they had to go all the way to the other end of the mountain valley, so he
had enough time to rest. He sat down on his butt and gave a long sigh.
“Nice one!” He gave a thumbs up at Romaine. Her performance was just amazing earlier.
[This ‘Brendel’ really has good luck to be able to pick her up.]
“Really? My aunt also said this many times, ‘Little Romaine, you are really the best.’”
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The merchant girl puffed up her chest in pride, but quickly cast concerned glances on Freya. He knew she
was concerned with her best friend’s injury, so he answered:
“Don’t worry, these are just superficial wounds. Once we find a safe place and bandage her up, it should
be fine.”
Freya was still blushing and did not reply.
Brendel finally got the chance to breathe and he glanced at the future Goddess of War.
He felt a little cross. He wondered how she survived the ‘War of the Black Rose’. Was it the qualities of
being ‘determined’ and ‘calm’?
The past Freya gave him an impression like that. Even though she was a little naive, she had great
composure that normal people would not have. Perhaps she had her own reasons to come here but not
letting her bag go made Brendel displeased. She was too stubborn, but perhaps that stubborn nature of
hers nurtured her tenacious character.
[This is still a bad thing in the battlefield.]
“Why did you come here?” In the end she was a fellow soldier, and he did not want to hurt her feelings.
He thought for a while and decided to use a gentle tone.
Freya was silent for a while, then she removed a ring from her finger: “This is the seal ring from the
Captain of the guards. Captain Marden asked me to bring this to you when you report to Fortress Riedon.”
Brendel patted his own forehead.
It was not because he forgot about this matter. The truth was he did not expect to be treated seriously by
the people at Fortress Riedon. The militia like Freya might not know this but a veteran like Marden
understood it clearly. If the nobility in Fortress Riedon treated the defense in Bucce with importance, the
situation with Madara would not happen today.
The biggest reason why he wanted to go to Fortress Riedon was because of Romaine’s aunt. He did not
expect Marden to be moved by his actions and actually sent his personal ring over. He had overlooked
this, and he would have rejected Marden personally if he predicted this would happen.
After all, this ring would be of great use to the refugees.
“You were the one who requested to come right?” But Brendel reflected on it for a while longer, believing
that the veteran soldier would never send Freya to her death even if the ring was of great importance.
The girl combed and tidied her ponytail, then nodded.
“Why bother.”
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“You’re not from Bucce, Brendel, what excuses do I have to run away? I’m the leader of the third militia
squadron and I need to set myself as an example.” She looked at him and answered.
“And what’s inside the bag?”
The future Goddess of War lowered her head and hugged the bag. She hesitated for a while.
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TL: Please excuse any errors as I have not been sleeping very well at all. I might have to pause for 1-2
days as I finish my art assignment. I want my GPA 4.0, cough.
Edit: So anyone who reads the raws and come back to read my version should know that I don’t follow
the text 100%. It’s at the level where I even completely rewrite it, because a) Author contradicts himself,
b) I sometimes change 4th wall narration to Brendel’s 1st person thoughts to make it more immersive. c)
I remove a lot of redundant stuff, d) I dismiss cliche writing almost entirely.
The latest chapters I’m TLing seem to be on a roll with Brendel’s long monologues + author’s 4th wall, so
I’m editing it pretty heavily. I’m almost 99.99% certain that you guys won’t notice anything strange (since
no one’s complaining yet on PWP), but just so you know.
Chapter 28 – Haven
“The Half Plate of the Wind Empress!?”
Brendel opened the heavy bag and took a look inside. He rubbed his temples after finding the copper
colored armor tucked neatly in it.
[It’s no wonder then… It’s no wonder why the mature Rotten Beast could not drag Freya away. This
armor was protecting her.]
“Why didn’t you wear this?”
“The armor shone with light the last time I wore it, and I was afraid Madara’s undead would see me. I
wanted to wait for daytime when it a little brighter…..”
“Light?”
“It’s a a green color light that wraps around the armor sigils.”
“That’s called the ‘Wind’s Feathers’, it’s not light.” Brendel sighed when he saw her looking puzzledly at
himself. This was the most basic knowledge in the game, so he did not expect Freya not to know it at all.
He could only pick up the armor and explain it to her.
The Half Plate of the Wind Empress was the product of the blacksmith Saint Orso. Just like his ring, the
armor had the sigil of the Wind Empress, but these items had their own additional trademark from the
creators. For example the true Ring of The Wind Empress were made by the druids, while Saint Orso
placed his own kingdom’s emblem on the armor.
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Brendel’s ring was a replica and might have been made from a human wizard. Strange, even if it was a
replica, Brendel’s grandfather should not have owned this particular equipment. He was unable to gather
any useful information from his memories, so he stopped thinking about it. If he was to look at it as a
gamer, then this might be a hidden mission, but that would also have to done later when he was able to
find that lame merchant in the Black Pepper Street.
On the other hand, this armor plate definitely came from Elven hands. This was an equipment specifically
made for the Elven guards by the Elves; but ever since the ‘Year of the Returning Light’, there were
hundreds of such armor plates that were brought into various kingdoms, so they were not particularly
valuable.
In the game’s equivalent, it was a 15 OZ equipment.
The ‘Wind’s Feathers’ was added onto the the armor’s Wind Empress sigils. It was a type of magic that
reduces incoming force, or the game equivalent of ‘reduce incoming damage’. Plant creatures were
particularly affected by this type of magic, so it was not a surprise that the mature Rotten Beast had their
strength sealed to a significant degree.
The thing that Freya did not know was the light that came from ‘Wind’s Feathers’ could only be seen if it
activated against enemies’ attacks.
Freya felt incredibly embarrassed as Brendel explained. She felt like she was a country bumpkin and
made a laughing stock out of herself. Her head kept lowering until she finally grumbled in a tiny voice:
“Why didn’t tell me this earlier?”
[Am I a mind reader? A telepath? Or Mother Marsha?] Brendel refuted in his mind.
But he understood that he had subconsciously treated many things like it was common knowledge and
caused some misunderstanding. It was difficult to adjust his gamer’s habits as he had immersed himself
in ‘The Amber Sword’ for years.
When he saw Freya’s crimson face and her arms hugging the bag tightly, he felt that he did not need to
ask why she did not throw the bag away. It was because he was the one who entrusted the armor to her.
Brendel felt quite pleased that she trusted in his armor that he gave to her this much, and did not have
the heart to scold her anymore.
“This equipment is not a living thing, but you are. No matter how precious this might be, you have to
protect yourself first if you encounter a situation like this again, understand?” He said.
“I’m sorry.”
“How about the third militia?”
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“I handed things over to little Fenix.”
“Little Fenix?”
“Yes, Uncle Marden told me that he might be the most hopeful person in Bucce to make it big, so I used to
take care of him and hope that he would become Bucce’s pride, but I thought that you might be right. How
could he grow without tempering himself?”
“You might have thought it through, but did Irene agree on it?”
Brendel sighed again with relief. Freya had walked out from her little world. He thought she might still
insist on making the same naive decisions, but realized after her composed behavior that she had grown
instead.
“Irene and I have the same idea.”
He nodded. He was able to relax as the squadron’s affairs were settled.
[It was fortunate that there wasn’t much of a problem in the militia. Even though Freya’s a little
headstrong, and somewhat of a petty person, but she’s a reliable partner. But it really bugs me that she
did not throw away the bag at that critical moment. Then again I feel really touched. Hah… This is a heavy
friendship.]
He turned back and discovered Romaine, who was separated by a campfire, studying the cave they were
using to avoid the enemies. It was as if the cave was some sort of rare treasure to her. He wondered if she
would ever be worried about her surroundings.
“Brendel, how did you know about this place? It looks as if those terrifying monsters will not be able to
find us if we are in here.” She asked.
Freya nodded: “But we can’t keep hiding here forever. When the day is a little brighter, let’s set off.”
Brendel also nodded. Both of them were right. The Zevail pathway had several hiding places, and back
then in that fateful year, countless ‘Nightingales’ and ‘Hunters’ paid with their lives to seek out this
passageway, allowing the players to avoid the majority of the Golden Demonic Tree’s servants and get
close to this BOSS. (TL: Boss directly written in English.)
But it had two caveats.
The first one was the need to travel all the way to the heart of Zevail’s pathway, into the ‘Forbidden
Garden’. There were several broken ridges and they had to use a rope to go across. What would await
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them would be a bunch of personal guards of the Golden Demonic Tree. Despite these enemies, he was
confident that he could handle it.
The second difficult point was leaving from the ‘Forbidden Garden’ shadow passageway. He needed
Grifond’s crystal key, which was hanging from the Golden Demonic Tree’s branches. In the past, he killed
the boss and took it away, but Brendel had to improvise this time.
He roughly enacted the entire process in his mind, and if there was any situation that suddenly cropped
up, he would have to handle it on the fly. A perfect plan could only exist in novels and it could not be done
in reality.
This was the importance of having a trump card, and why Brendel placed so much importance in the
‘Ring of the Wind Empress’.
He took out the soul gem to check on it in detail under the fire. The heavy item looked more like obsidian,
but a wizard would be able to differentiate it if they poured energy into it, while a normal human being
would be to see the differences visually if they were familiar with it.
Brendel brought it near to the campfire and the crystal immediately looked like it was about to evaporate.
This proved it was a soul gem. The power of the soul was extremely unstable under fire if there was no
protection, and it explained why Madara’s lower ranked undead feared fire.
“What is that?” Romaine asked curiously.
He placed the crystal to his ring and infused 10 OZ worth of power into it. The crystal first darkened a
little before turning a little more transparent. Pouring any more power would be a waste.
He considered using the gargoyle statue. He would have the best chance of repairing and activating it, but
ultimately gave up on it. There were at least 300 different command combinations to activate it, and he
spent the entire night testing it out half of the commands combination without succeeding. The remaining
20 OZ = 20 XP was not something meager either.
It would probably take 100 XP to completely repair the statue.
[What else can I do with this then? Keep this and wait for another use?]
To the current Brendel, XP that was used now would be useful XP. He needed to raise his strength
urgently. He could only change the world by surviving right here and now.
[Use it on myself? Or add it to a skill’s XP bar? But the ratio is just plain terrible, 10 XP needed to change
into 1 AP! Plus, there are no skills right now that I need to learn from the Mercenary profession. But I
can’t possibly waste it to level up the Militia’s level right? I have to at least wait till I have an abundance of
XP.]
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Brendel felt he was in between a rock and a hard place. He checked the outside sky again. It was starting
to become fairly bright, and they were ready to move off. The servants relied on phototaxis receptors,
sounds and mana ripples to sense their surroundings, so there was no difference to them be it day or
night. Humans would have an easier time if they traveled in the daytime, as the light from the torch
flames were a giveaway to the Rotten Beasts.
His hand searched within his pockets to see if there was anything else that he could use, and he quickly
found that card with an artistic drawing on it. Brendel suddenly had the idea of experimenting on it.
To identity an item required a full set of alchemy tools and information books. Players who were not so
good at doing that simply went to a NPC. However, it was quite expensive to identify things and the game
allowed players to use items even if they did not know what it is.
So many players developed a system to test the items out.
He first tried using common chants but nothing happened. Then he brought the soul gem to touch the
card and check if there was any reaction. Usually there would be some mana resonance if the item reacts
to the soul’s energy.
But he did not expect the card to suddenly shine with piercing radiance from the moment he touched it
with the soul gem. In fact, the soul gem completely lost its color and became a transparent crystal.
[Absorbing reaction!]
Brendel nearly jumped up in shock, and he stared speechlessly at the transparent crystal in his hand.
Soul gems that lost their potency were called ‘Creation Containers’, wizards and elementalists bought
these containers and used them as storage for spells. They were similar to ‘spell scrolls’ in other games,
while these crystals were the ‘spell scrolls’ in this world.
But Brendel was not concerned about this right now. He felt a terrifying shiver traveling all the way up to
his spine. ‘Mana Absorption’ was one of the strongest mana ripples amongst the resonance types. He had
gambled wrongly, and even if the Golden Demonic Tree was more than ten miles away, it would have felt
this……
This was not the only enemy. With such a strong reaction, who knows if there were any strange creatures
who had their eyes on him?
Brendel did not understand why the card reacted so strongly with the ‘Mana Absorption’ effect. Such
effects only appear when it is a magical equipment over 40 OZ, and this card did not look like one.
Brendel quickly made his decision and stood up. Freya and Romaine naturally looked at him in surprise
when they saw the light.
“We’re leaving. Now.“
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TL Edit: Ok. I didn’t want to do this but I’m going to issue a final warning. I have said many times I don’t
want spoilers, but someone had repeatedly ignored them and posted information in the comments that I
cannot unsee.
I have not read ahead while the people who had asked me for the raws or got it from novelupdates, did so
at their own pleasure. That’s fine with me, but don’t expect me to feel pleased when you talk about the
future chapters.
People have asked why I don’t post the raw link, and it’s precisely because I’m worried that spoilers
might appear. I’m at most half a chapter ahead of the readers to ensure there are no translation issues, so
I don’t know exactly what happens in Fortress Riedon or whatever place after that.
The only few chapters that I took a look at are in in the 100s and 200s chapters, to ensure that the amber
sword doesn’t suddenly spiral down into a trashy novel or something.
I don’t deliberately stall my translations, and I’m up there with the cliffhangers with you guys who can’t
read the raws.
Finally, it’s going to be the weekends pretty soon. I’ll definitely translate the next chapter at the very least.
Chapter 29 – Tumen’s Legacy.
Romaine and Freya extinguished the campfire and followed Brendel who started running. They guessed
that Brendel’s sudden change in his behavior was due to that piercing light, and Freya did not understand
how it was created.
Romaine had an idea as to what happened back then as she saw the soul gem in his hands.
[Ah. That’s right, he gave me a ring. I really like the spiderweb design on it.]
It was rare in this world to create a design using spiderwebs, but she liked things that were uncommon.
[I wonder if it has the same magic like the one on Brendel’s hand.] She knew that his ring was special and
was able to command the wind to slay his foes.
This was a side of Brendel that she had never seen before, and she looked curiously at his back. She felt
that the things he did was full of mysteries and secrets.
“Brendel, what happened?” In contrast to Romaine’s carefree attitude of ‘I just need to follow Brendel.’,
Freya was more serious. She thought that her responsibility was to take some of Brendel’s burdens off.
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“Nothing much of importance. But we need to leave this area immediately.” Brendel suppressed his
uneasiness and replied. He pulled out the Elven sword and it glimmered against the barren boulders. He
really did not know how to explain to Romaine and Freya about the ‘Mana Absorbtion’ effect.
To put in words, it was like an osmosis process where a higher rating magical item took energy away
from a lower rating magical item. But it was incredibly rare for an artifact below 40 OZ to do something
like this. It was impossible to explain these gaming world’s jargon or scientic words to Freya and
Romaine.
Freya looked worriedly at him, but did not inquire any further.
Brendel observed the valley. There did not seem to be any movement below but he felt insecure in his
heart. He requested Freya to wear the armor, while Romaine was to prepare the rope.
Freya was already wearing normal clothes on her, so she took out the ‘Half Plate of the Wind Empress’
and started to wear it over her body. The only drawback was that she had no prior training in using
heavy armor, so there was no hope in her wearing it quickly.
On the other hand, Romaine was anxious and a little excited. She wanted to help her out but was afraid of
Freya scolding her. Even though they were friends, Freya’s anger was not something to take lightly and
she knew that she might actually create more trouble for her.
Brendel felt he could wait for them a little while. What he was more worried about the creatures being
attracted from within the valley from the powerful mana ripple.
He could not help but raise the card in his hand. He was shocked that the Gerald’s most important
possession was not the ‘Thorn of Light’, but this card instead. A magical artifact that could possibly above
40 OZ, just exactly how amazing was this thing?
In this long chaotic era, the Human and Elven wizards were unable to solve the problem of adding Grade
2 power into magical equipments. It was only until the ‘Year of the Twilight Moon’ (Chaos Era: Year 471),
which was when a genius was able to finally solve it.
This genius was Tumen, the Elementalist Emperor.
He invented the technique of implanting Holy Sigils into items, which solved the problem of imbuing
them with Grade 2 power. From then onwards, creating magical items that over 40 OZ and above became
a reality.
He did not think the card was some form of sealed Holy Sigil. But he had never seen such a complicated
form of Holy Sigil before. It was not the Elven’s Wind Empress Holy Sigil, neither the Kirrlutz’s Fire God
Holy Sigil, nor the Irendar’s Water King Holy Sigil.
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He stared at the complicated Sigil and felt a headache coming on. Tumen’s techniques that were handed
down underwent many evolution. Logically, the current Holy Sigils in this era could never be as
complicated as this.
[Ancient artifact?]
As he was trying to figure things out, the card in his suddenly floated without warning. It fired a pillar of
light in the gray sky, and a few moments later, another pillar of light shot out from the southeast
mountains in response.
[Resonance!?]
Brendel was unable to react at all as he watched the event unfold in a stupor. He immediately wanted to
find a table and flip it, because the mana ripple had turned into a mana tidal wave. He figured that even
the Madara’s undead army miles away were alarmed. A resonance meant that this was a ‘Combination
Item’.
The worst part was how the other item that resonated was within the Zevail’s mountain pathway.
“”Brendel?””
Both Freya and Romaine spoke at the same time. They knew that the card in Brendel’s hand had to be a
problem.
“I’ll explain to you in a moment, have you worn the armor?” Brendel took a final look at the valley and
used an urgent tone to ask.
She nodded.
The powerful mana reaction had already attracted the servants of the Golden Demonic Tree. He saw the
shadows of several Rotten Beast passing by from the dry cavern from below. He did not dare to delay any
further and told them to throw any items that would drag them down, and set off by following the narrow
path along the steep wall.
Rations and water were supposed to be precious commodities, but they could not carry it right now.
Brendel only took some basic equipment and a few bundles of rope. Everyone kept a torch and they
strove to fight for every second. As they continued advancing, more and more Rotten Beasts gathered at
the valley, as if the entire Zevail mountain had came alive.
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Brendel’s heart raced when he looked below. It was a truly a zerg. The first batch of monsters would take
at least ten minutes before reaching their campfire. Even though there might be a few Rotten Beasts who
managed to see them, the number was ultimately inconsequential to Brendel.
He was more worried about the Demonic Tree Guards that might have changed their patrolling routes
from this sudden change. They had to reach the center portion of the Zevail pathway before the guards
found them. That was the only area for to be able to defeat the first patrolling team.
He knew these guards had just crossed the river in this place, and even if they turn back now, they
needed two hours. He had grinded this dungeon back in the game countless times, and he was only
worried about the differences in this world and the game.
Fortunately, they were just ahead by a single step. The three of them saw a batch of creatures wrapped in
ivy arriving in the eastern side, and they discovered each other at the same time. When these Demonic
Trees stood at their full size, they were approximately twice the size of a human. They were also wrapped
with aerial roots and were eyeless, but they had membranous organs on their limbs to detect sound. (TL:
Wiki aerial roots to get a description.)
They were also differentiated by young and mature Demonic Trees. The mature Demonic Tree had high
agility and ran on the mountains like they was on flat ground. They were also adept at climbing, and was
Brendel’s biggest threat. However, there were only one mature Demonic Tree for every ten young
Demonic Tree, and it coincided with his memories in the game here.
“We need to reach the peak before them.” Brendel’s palms started sweating when he saw the Demonic
Trees getting closer to them. There was a huge boulder at the peak and could be used by detonating an
explosive to loosen it. It would roll down and crush the Demonic Trees, then close off the entrance from
the valley. Brendel did not have any explosives, but he had the Ring of the Wind Empress.
His agility had fallen by 0.3 because of the paralyzing poison. He would have easily gotten up to the small
flat plateau on the peak of the mountain if he was at his peak, but he had to rely on the girls now.
They did not really understand what he was thinking but they nodded. They were currently treading on
thin ice, and even though Brendel did not say anything, they knew the monsters were trouble from his
anxious demeanor.
Freya and Brendel managed to get to the peak, while Romaine lagged a little behind with a pale face while
panting. There was a mature Demonic Tree that appeared on the other side. A level 22 monster, and
Brendel knew that if they fought they had zero possibility of winning.
Brendel took off his ring immediately and threw it at Freya. He shouted: “Wear this ring on your index
finger. Find the weak link holding the boulder, aim at it and activate this ring with the command ‘oss’. Do
you understand?”
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She caught it and paused: “Brendel?”
“I’ll distract this monster, hurry up.” Brendel wanted to have Romaine do it instead as he would have
another helper to cover him, but Romaine was still behind them when he looked back.
[This is the result for lazing around regularly.] He shook his head.
Brendel took a deep breath. He was so tense that his body felt numb. Even though he presented himself
as calm and composed in front of Freya, it did not mean he was not afraid. The enemy had the power of a
strong Grade 1 rank. Without the Ring of the Wind Empress, he found it hard to believe that he could
reliably match the opponent.
[4.5 OZ strength, 6 OZ physique, 2 OZ agility. Toughness and defense are extremely high. Its skin has
corrosive poison, well versed in range attack, and has the ability to bind. It’s weak against fire and
slashes.]
He mentally recalled the opponent’s stats. This mature Demonic Tree’s stats were not so different from
the Elite Rotten Beast, but he knew there was a great difference in how they battled.
Brendel was still thinking of the opponent’s differences, while the ivy on the Demonic Tree suddenly
seemed to come alive. Countless ivy branches suddenly came at him. He evaded to one side and rolled to
evade the ivy branches that looked delicate, but they pierced through a boulder like steel pikes a ‘ksssh’
sound. The surface of the boulder started smoking with a hissing sound. Fear ran freely through his veins.
[A corrosive attack. This is the most frightening aspect of the Demonic Tree. Typical weapons would not
be able to hurt them, and instead get ruined by their corrosive nature.]
The Demonic Trees knew that it had missed when it heard the sound. It moved its ivy to the side, and
whipped at Brendel again. He hurled expletives at it in his mind but continued to evade it. The ‘Iron Whip’
continued to sweep over the surface and hurled stones everywhere.
Rock pieces struck the area above Brendel’s eyebrows, and it immediately bled. But he did not dare to
utter any sounds and just grabbed the ‘Thorn of Light’ and advanced when he saw a gap.
He took a few steps forward but immediately paused.
A series of words appeared in his retina.
“Summon the Holy Sword?”
TL: As usual I need to rely on the community’s eyes for these few weeks.
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Chapter 30 – Heroic Deck
[Summon the Holy Sword? There are many swords in Vaunte deem as Holy Swords. The Wind Sword,
‘Nordrasis’. The ‘Sword of the Endless Sky’ could be considered another one, and even an Amber Sword
simply named ‘Ultimate’… Not that I owned any of these back then.]
[Is this a type of magic? I know the priest has a low level Light Magic Spell called ‘Spell of Holy Swords’,
but that’s just a series of attacking chants. It has nothing to do with summoning, and the magic
vocabulary in the game is exceedingly strict and cannot be changed randomly.]
[Leaving this question aside, the players in the game have no extreme side effects from using magic, like
splitting headaches. At most one will feel exhausted, so…]
As he finished contemplating, he put his mind to it and accepted the command, ‘Summon the Holy Sword’.
There were no downsides to this transaction, and he also treated this as a last ditch effort.
Brendel slowed down slightly from his thinking and the Demonic Tree launched an attack with its snake-
like vine whips, but he quickly lowered his body and swung his sword up. An arc of silver flash cut off the
two vine whips that gave off a rotting smell, and they turned into ashes in the air.
He quickly pushed himself off with one hand from the ground, and accelerated to the Demonic Tree’s
area. When he wanted to continue with his next course of action, the words in his retinas changed.
“The Path of Warriors, unlocked.”
“Heroic Deck, Chapter 2, Holy Sword of the Knight.”
“Due to the Character’s first time in unlocking the ‘Cards of Fate’, it shall be entered into the system.”
The ghostly words appeared and quickly disappeared.
“Holy Sword, symbol of the Knight’s Dedication and the Sword of Purity.”
“Effect: Pay 6 Earth Element Points (EP) from the Element Pool, and summon the Holy Sword into play.
All conditions have been met, Character, please display your card. Point your thumb to the center of the
Sigil of Fate, and establish your Mana Link with your index finger and thumb to light up the Holy Sword.”
Brendel immediately that found he was distracted by the amount of words that popped up and almost
could not see the Demonic Tree. His hands stopped moving for a moment, and the attacks from the
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Demonic Tree’s vine made him fall back. He grumbled in his mind, but also knew the chance for him to
succeed in his attack was slim even if the words did not distract him.
He sighed involuntarily. He quickly glanced at Freya, who was struggling as hard as possible to climb
towards the boulder. She was not far away from her goal, but the bouncing ponytail made Brendel pause
for a while.
His concentration changed to the other side without any further issues, and he discovered that the young
Demonic Trees at below were a few steps behind. It seemed that she would be fine. Romaine who was
somewhere below him, however, was in a terrible state. She was panting heavily and unable to climb any
higher.
The Demonic Tree and Brendel had crossed blows, and neither gained any advantages. The Demonic Tree
realized that the human before him was not powerful, but it was afraid of the Elven Sword. Brendel knew
what it was thinking as well.
He gripped his sword again, but the words in his retinas showed a final message:
‘Display the card?’
Brendel looked blankly ahead, but his gamer mind quickly worked and he thought of the card in his
belongings. And as if to answer his thoughts, he instantly found it.
[So this sigil is called the ‘Holy Sigil of Fate’, but I don’t recall hearing about it before.] He was a little
puzzled, but his thumb had already been placed on it.
“Heroic Deck, Chapter 2, Holy Sword of the Knight, successfully targeted.”
A blinding pillar of light shot out from the card.
The ripples from the magic struck into every living creature’s minds like a sharp knife. Not only did the
mature Demonic Tree bellowed, even Freya and Romaine were rooted to they were and they looked at
Brendel.
They saw him holding the card up high in his hand, which kept firing pulses of light until it disappeared.
“Brendel, t-the card in your hand disappeared!” Romaine shouted anxiously. Her eyes were astonishingly
good as she was a good fifty meters away.
But he did not hear anything what she said, as he could only look blankly at the words in his retinas:
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“Holy Sword, symbol of the Knight’s Dedication and the Sword of Purity.”
“When this card is in play, pay 1 Earth EP to attack your enemies, or pay 1 Earth EP to dismiss your
sickness, curses or darkness-related status.”
“The Character is required to pay 2 Earth EP and 2 Spiritual Points (SP) to maintain the ‘Holy Sword’
every ten minutes.”
“The effect of the Holy Sword affects 1000 meters.”
[Hah?]
[What kind of evil witchcraft is this?]
Brendel had never heard of a magical artifact requiring the player to keep providing power to it. SP does
not really need to be explained as it is related to Willpower, but only a few professions had ‘Element
Pool’, like elementalist, magic swordsman, sun knight. They were the only professions where their magic
required using elemental powers.
[There was never a magical artifact in the game that required a player’s Elemental Pool. Doesn’t that
mean I won’t be able to use this artifact if I don’t have an Elemental Pool? No, I charged it with the soul
gem earlier.]
[Then, the most important thing is the maintenance. To keep using this card means I have to prepare
enough Soul Gems. Yet Soul Gems are rare and not every monster drops it.]
All these questions flashed through his mind, but he did not question the power of this artifact, and as
expected of a 40 OZ item, the effect was beyond doubt.
A sword made from pure light appeared behind his back. It was several meters tall, with a broad blade
and shining armguard with a pair of wings stemming from it. If one looked from afar, Brendel appeared
like had had grown a pair of white wings.
The merchant girl looked blankly at him, her eyes recording everything down, then glittered with
idolization and excitement. Brendel was incredibly cool!
Freya had also stopped moving as she saw what happened, but she quickly remembered she had own
mission. She gritted her teeth and continued to climb upwards. The wounds on her hands opened again,
and the pain made her furrow her eyebrows.
Brendel checked his status. When the Holy Sword appeared, his negative stats were completely removed.
When the debilitating and paralyzing poison dissolved like snow as he felt the holy light nourishing him
within his body.
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40 OZ, Grade 2 rank, a ‘Deacon’ ranked priest. Anyone who saw Brendel would believe that he was one if
they did not look at his clothes. (TL: Okay, I just made that rank up. What’s the hierarchy rank for one that
is below a priest?)
[This is just strange. This card was summoned with the Earth Element but it’s able to emulate the Holy
Element effects. Just who exactly made this card?]
Under his increasing aura of power, the Demonic Tree moved about restlessly. It found it hard to
suppress its fear with the intimidating figure of Brendel’s.
It screeched loudly and finally attacked. The vines around its body suddenly increased in size, and all of
them aimed towards Brendel.
“Brendel, watch out!” Romained warned from below.
He frowned.
[Because I don’t have an Element Pool, I don’t know how much Earth EP I can take. If I take the
conversion of the soul gem at face value, then I should have 20 earth EP. Summoning used up 6, so I
should have 14 Earth EP left. This is still ample.]
He raised his right hand and waved across, paying 1 Earth EP to use the ‘Attack’ function of the Holy
Sword. A golden sword made from light shot out from his fingers.
All the vines that crossed its path with the sword turned into ashes.
[This is the Spell of the Holy Sword.]
He immediately recognize it. It was a low level Priest’s spell, but the attacking power was just as
frightening if the OZ was raised accordingly. The Demonic Tree groaned painfully and tried to retreat.
Brendel’s attack had destroyed a third of its vine. The Demonic Tree relied on the Golden Demonic Tree’s
mana for nourishment, and the vines required many years to grow.
Brendel obviously did not give the enemy the chance to run, and continued to unleash attacks on it. Three
golden swords pierced through the Demonic Tree’s body while one golden sword slashed it. The Demonic
Tree exploded with a huge bang from the center of the body and turned into ashes.
Right at this moment, Freya also activated the Ring of the Wind Empress. Even though her aim was
slightly off, the wind bullet still managed to knock the huge boulder down, and along with a series of large
crashing noises, the boulder the size of a small hill went crashing down, turning the ground rocks and
Demonic Trees into dust.
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Dozens of Demonic Trees perished in an instant, and the Golden Demonic Tree felt the loss. It gave a
terrifying wail, it’s scream traveling throughout the Zevail mountain pathway.
Brendel heard of this scream hundreds of times and was used to it. He even found it nostalgic, but Freya
and Romaine jumped up with shock and looked at each other.
“W-what was that Brendel?” Freya asked from the mountain peak.
“Don’t worry, we won’t meet that thing.” Brendel sighed with relief when the fight was over. Once this
patrol group was settled, the remaining task was much easier. He estimated the remaining time to
maintain the Holy Sword to be approximately thirty minutes, but it was not enough time for them to walk
out from this valley. If he dismissed the Holy Sword, he would be able to summon it one more time.
He decisively kept the card once he considered the possibility. Romaine finally finished climbing
breathlessly and asked: “Brendel, what was, that?”
“It’s the power of this card. I didn’t realize it was a magic artifact earlier.” He looked at the stars within
Romaine’s eyes and answered ambiguously.
“Magic artifact?” Freya was surprised to hear this answer. The ring that he had gave her was one, the Half
Plate of the Wind Empress was another one, but why would a normal person know so much about magic?
In her eyes, magic was so mystical that it could only appear in stories of legends.
She stared at the youth below her, trying to see through his real identity. He said he was a militia from
Bruglas, but she felt more and more that it was nothing more than a dismissive lie.
Right at this moment, an astonishing scene that was more impressive than before was happening, but she
could not see it. Brendel raised his head to find that golden lights from the surrounding mountain were
flying towards him.
Killing monsters that outleveled him was a wonderful feeling.
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TL: When I reached home, I just plonked into bed and slept like a log. Oops. I’m heading to school in a few
minutes so I didn’t check for any mistakes aside from spell check. I’ll get back to it when I come back from
school.
Shoutout to Arlos31 – He/She is a major donator to the series.
Chapter 31 – Aftermath of the battle.
420 XP.
The golden lights gathered in mid air to form a stream that steadily flowed into Brendel’s body. As he
looked at the ruined battlefield, he sat down weakly on a boulder.
[That was a Level 22 monster. Even if I add in my militia and commoner level, I’m only level 6. Crossing a
difference of 14 levels, even I’m back in my world playing the game, I wouldn’t do something as crazy as
this.]
He would not have done this if he had the chance. His original plan was to lure that monster to the area
below the boulder, wait till Freya was done with her task, until she was able come over to fight together
and find a chance to escape. Yet this chance was almost non-existent, and very few people in the game
would attempt something like this.
He did not feel that it was a big deal when he decided to go ahead with this plan, but now that the battle
was over and he had the time to reflect on it, his back was drenched in cold sweat. He used his utmost
effort to calmly reply some of the girls’ questions in order not to make them worry, but he knew clearly
what sort of situation it really was.
He felt he had exhausted all his bravery, but he did not realize that people matured in such strenuous
circumstances. Freya was also another person who changed. She was only a simple militia a few days ago,
but she had became a decisive person now.
He slowly calmed down. This battle was an incredible reward to him at the eleventh hour. He needed to
level up to level 5 so he could unlock the second class skill.
[Level 4 requires 70 XP, level 5, 130 XP, level 6 220 XP.]
Mercenary Level 4 (0.3 Strength, 0.2 Physique, 0.2 Agility, 0.1 Perception)
Mercenary Level 5 (0.3 Strength, 0.3 Physique, 0.2 Agility, 0.1 Willpower)
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Mercenary Level 6 (0.4 Strength, 0.3 Physique, 0.2 Agility, 0.2 Perception)
When he leveled up, the character window reflected the changes as it displayed in his eyes. His current
stats that are of importance:
2.5 > 3.5 Strength
2.3 > 2.9 Agility
2.4 > 3.2 Physique
[My stats are three times a normal person, and my Absolute Power Rating is 25 times above them. Just
based on my stats alone, I can even handle the entire Bucce militia all by myself. And if I factor my own
experience into the mix, I should be able to handle ten of the guards. I definitely got the status of Grade 1
Rank.]
If Bretton got onto a battle horse he would barely reach the Grade 1 Rank, and Marden already
considered him as a genius. He was only twenty years old and with his talent he might become a
Centurion Knight, and from certain point of views, he was considered as someone of important value to
the country.
And Brendel was younger than him by a year.
Nearly half of the entire continent would not be able to reach Grade 1 their entire life, and only one out of
ten could accomplish it before the age of twenty.
[Not enough. Many babies who receive the baptization at the Holy Cathedral of Fire were already gifted
with the status of a Grade 1 Rank. They have a status of ‘Enlightened’. There are even rarer cases where
they actually broke the barrier of a Grade 2 rank, the status of ‘Chosen’.
There are numerous people who are talented in the ‘Knight’ profession. This world greatly favors
strength, and I need to utilize my advantages to stand out from the crowd.]
A Mercenary would unlock the skill ‘Power Break’ when he reached level 5, his next action would
consume 3 times the stamina and add 1 OZ Strength to the attack.
This was the most important offensive skill in the early levels, and Brendel generously added AP to the
skill. At level 6, ‘Power Break’ would only use 55 AP altogether, while it added 4 OZ Strength to the attack,
instantly reaching an intermediate Grade 1 Rank’s strength. (TL: 3.5 OZ + 4 OZ, still loses out to that Elite
Rotten Beast, lolz.)
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He added the rest of the AP into ‘Military Swordsmanship’ and ‘Brawling’. Finally he added 6 XP into the
militia to make it Level 3, and his Strength and Physique added another 0.2 OZ.
This was why so many people in the game took on secondary professions even if there was a penalty to
XP gain. It was simply better in the early stages compared to focusing on one profession.
[But I am certain that there has to be a line drawn here. The players who took on countless professions
paid the price later on.]
When one entered the Grade 3 Rank later and their Element had started to unseal, the advantages from
taking multiple professions will gradually disappear.
With his overall level of 10, Brendel closed his eyes and exhaled quietly. The Rotten Beasts were
practically XP in his eyes now. If he did not need to go to Fortress Riedon in such a hurry, he would have
grinded here to level 15 with just half a month. Time was not on his side.
He opened his eyes and squinted at the distant valleys. There were some signs of Rotten Beasts that
appeared to move towards to their direction. The earlier commotion had alarmed them.
Brendel took up the sword on his side. He was not afraid of them but it would not be good if they were
tied down by them. Romaine’s aunt was still in the city and they were fighting against time to reach
before the Madara’s undead army reached Fortress Riedon.
He suddenly recalled the Seal Ring that Marden gave him and took it out to look at it. The youth recalled
something as he looked at the pattern of black pine leaves, and smiled coldly.
The old veteran soldier from the November War did not understand this point. Bucce was Stronghold
Vermeire’s most important buffer since its establishment from the ‘Year of Thunderbolt’.
But politics was not as simple as it looked on the surface. Because of the lack of sufficient funds and
various things that were omitted, constructing both Fortress Riedon and Stronghold Vermiere was the
limit at that time. These nobles did not consider creating a warning system in these buffer areas at all.
As long as they had their fortress and stronghold, they could get by very well. As for the countryside
villages, Madara did not attack every year right?
It was a fact that Aouine was on the verge of collapse. Even if there were loyal citizens like Freya, Bretton
and Marden fighting for this country, the corrupted upper echelons were destroying the country at the
very foundations. Bucce was somewhat of a special exception, but Brendel knew that he could see the
signs where the country was heading into destruction from other regions.
He sighed again as he looked to the south. The sky was covered by layers of clouds, dimming the
afternoon sun. In that direction, a dark kingdom was about to rise.
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“Brendel, your ring.”
He turned back and saw Freya gazing at him with burning eyes. He involuntarily joked: “Did it look nice
on your finger?”
“You—” The ponytailed girl immediately blushed, averted her head, and saw Romaine giggling at the
other side of the hill.
“Romaine you idiot!”
“What did I do again?” The merchant girl was stunned for a moment.
Brendel gave a chuckle. He knew that she was just venting her anger. He wore the ring back on his finger
and felt the Card of Fate. Even though he had never seen it before, it had certainly became his trump card.
[Ten minutes worth of a Grade 2 Rank’s power. Many things could be done, killing the Golden Demonic
Tree is one of them.]
He decided to change his plan. The loot from the Golden Demonic Tree was just too tempting. With every
bit of strength gained from here, he would have more confidence in Fortress Riedon. Killing the boss
would not take too much time as they would pass by it.
He estimated for a while and he had approximately eight hours left. It was more than enough, but he
hoped to get another Soul Gem to make things more reliable. The attacks from the card relied on Earth
EP.
He was even planning to unlock his Elemental Pool. But it was not very advantageous to take on a side
profession like an Elementalist or Magic Swordsman for a 40 OZ or so item. It was best for professions to
be related so it complemented each other. Elementalist, Sun Knight, Magic swordsman are professions
that are independent and hardly add anything to a warrior profession. He treated his own profession like
a warrior, as they had the same skills and looked roughly the same in the early stages.
And even if he did want to unlock the Elemental Pool, he needed to take on a mission to unlock his soul,
which he was not certain whether he could even find or trigger the mission.
He stopped thinking about it after a while as he had to plan out his way into the Forbidden Garden. If he
went straight to it, he was able to save two hours, and he planned to seek out another Elite Rotten Beast.
He stood up and patted Freya’s shoulders. She was glaring at him.
[Alright, we rested enough, let’s move on.]
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Unfortunately, his action that was well-intended, because Freya subconsciously stepped back, patted onto
a very bad place, The feedback from his touch felt nice, even through the golden scaled armor there was a
soft and elastic feel to it.
The atmosphere turned in an instant.
Brendel watched as the future Goddess of War turned scarlet, then turned white and finally dark. He
wanted to explain himself, but a sword swung mercilessly at him.
“Shameless lout!”
“Wait, I didn’t mean to do that, gahhh!”
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TL: Okay, I probably need your eyes for any grammar errors… Just too busy.
Chapter 32 – Forbidden Garden
As the fog in the forest dissipated, the battle that took place in it ended. The young guards’ sudden attack
did bring about an unexpected effect on the Madara’s vanguard, but the situation quickly became clear
when Kabias gathered the high level undead.
The forest turned silent.
“Lord Kabias.” The pale undead acolyte brought his hand to his chest and bowed respectfully to the giant
skeleton.
“I had thought that you maggots wouldn’t bother to greet me, Rothko.”
The skeleton general who wore a bronze armor sat on top of a pile of corpses. Its legs were crossed and
the flames in his eyes burned intensely. It gripped its double-edged axe, while the other hand was placed
on its knee, and looked down upon the weak acolyte, full of contempt.
The dark lords and the undead wizards hated each other. They had gathered together under the call from
the Mercury Staff, but they did not choose to work together by choice. As for the blood lords, they had
kept amongst themselves and rarely interfered with Madara’s politics. They had stayed in this
fragmented for several centuries before emerging from their stable cocoon.
The prophecy from the witches, overlapped with the Goddess Helene’s own revelation. ‘The Darkness
shall rise from the east’, regardless of the dark lords, undead wizards or the bloods, everyone believed
that this era was indeed going to end, and the new era would be ushered in by Madara.
Rothko smiled. Kabias is a general under Tarkus, and he was merely a small leader of a company, and
there was no argument in their ranks. To draw the ire of this skeleton was because their vanguard stole
the thunder amongst all the other generals. Three hundred skeletons and twenty necromancers defeated
the Bucce guards, completely defeated the Green village’s militia to allow Kabias unfettered access, then
finally vanquishing Bucce guards. His results could even be described as glorious. (TL: What! I like
Bretton =[… )
In Madara’s tradition, the undead’s vanguard are used as cannon fodder to sap the enemy’s strength, and
under the worst circumstances they were used as a delaying tactic or buffer. It was typical to have one
third of a squadron of Aouine’s guards to easily defeat such a vanguard comprising of skeletons and
necromancers.
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In Tarkus plans, Rothko was nothing more to a chess pawn used for disruption, while the real hammers
to strike the nail in the Aouine’s coffins were Kabias and Wesker. It was unexpected of this undead
acolyte named Rothko, and it surprised Tarkus. Just as he was surprised his right wing, Wesker who
committed a huge error in the battlefield.The battlefield was always changing, and even outstanding
commanders were unable to be ahead of every step, even if Tarkus was famed for being reliable.
Since the acolyte was from a lowly birthright and did not know his future, he naturally did not refute
anything. On the contrary, Kabias’s words were like a type of glory to him. Kabias was biased against all
the necromancers, but doing something like this raised his status.
He looked at the black warriors who lined up behind Kabias and felt a little envious. He might have gotten
a fair amount of loot from the battles, but the majority of them had to be given to the superiors, and what
remained behind was not enough to summon even one black warrior. He heard that there was a paladin’s
tomb in the Green village, and certainly the best body to be converted, but the Green village was Kabias’s
territory now. (TL: Change of title, Holy knight > Paladin.)
[Even though it’s a pity, but there would be plenty of chances in the future. This time all the leaders are
aiming to get something good out of this war.]
He thought for a while before replying: “Lord Kabias, there are a few rats who escaped to the north. We
had not seen the refugees since yesterday’s afternoon, and I suspect that the attack here was a diversion,
and the remainder of their forces had moved towards the north and entered the River of Daggers.”
It was enough for him to stop there. Wesker was in charge of the northern area. If he wanted to capture
live specimens or get a share of the loot, he had to get the skeleton’s approval. A small leader like himself
could not shoulder this responsibility.
But Kabias was no fool either. It glanced at the little acolyte and realized the little worm’s scheme. It
adjusted its lower jaw, creating a clacking sound.
“You want me to go against that bald headed Wesker? What do I get out of this, little maggot.”
“You would be able to increase your strength, isn’t this advantage good enough, my lord?”
“Hmph. They are merely a bunch of weak humans. I have no interest in creating weak skeletons.
“I heard that there is a veteran soldier amongst the guards who survived the November war. He is the
leader of the guards.”
Kabias flaming eyes pulsed: “Looks like that fellow Wesker is lucky today.”
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Rothko sighed. He knew that his persuasion had failed, so he raised his head to take his leave. Kabias and
him were from different units and as a member of the undead wizard’s faction, his vanguard did not need
to listen to Kabias. If it was not for this matter, he would not have sought out Kabias.
But at this moment, he suddenly felt a tremor in his heart and he looked to the south.
The giant skeleton also looked in the same direction, bypassing the forest and looked at the mountains
covered in ominous shadows.
[[A terrifying mana response.]]
“The Zevail mountain pathway.” Kabias sniffed the air, as if it could sense the magic coming from the pine
river. (TL: It’s one thing to pretend that Kabias can talk even though he’s a skeleton, it’s another to
pretend he has lungs to suck the air in.)
Rothko did not answer, because he immediately felt an even more powerful mana ripple from that
direction.
[What is that damned Golden Demonic Tree doing?]
Any wizard within dozens of miles would be able to feel that response. He was suddenly a little worried,
and wondered if the magicians from the White-bearded Legion within Fortress Riedon discovered
something.
“We had best send out some people in advance, Lord Kabias.”
“Hmph, I know what to do even without you telling me. We undead have a stronger reaction to magic.
When you become a Lich, you are free to teach me.”
Rothko smiled again.
………………………………………………………………………..
Brendel brought Freya and Romaine out from a crack from the wall. He gestured for them to stop, and he
looked outside to take everything within the valley into his eyes. In the depressed grounds that were
filled with gray boulders, a huge golden tree with healthy leaves stood quietly in the center of the valley.
[This is the Forbidden Garden.]
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The Golden Demonic Tree had absorbed the nutrients from the land and the surrounding mana. The earth
had became barren and lost the Earth Element. Brendel raised his head, the sky was gloomy and dark, as
if black clouds were gathering above them. This was also due to the unnatural balance of the elements.
As the Earth Element has been completely stripped, other elements gathered here in huge amounts,
causing the order of the elements to be chaotic. The law of the elements were set when Mother Marsha
created the world, and governed by the Elven kings, but there could be various reasons for it to be
unstable, like the Golden Demonic Tree which disrupted the law.
In the past, an elementalist’s strength would be sealed by 30%. It was the reason why no teams hardly
accepted any elementalists. The elementalists even described this bit of history as ‘History of the three
years with bloody tears’.
Romaine and Freya stared at the strange Golden Demonic Tree. They had only heard of a creature like
this in bedtime stories, and even wondered if they were dreaming when they saw it in front of them.
Furthermore, the beauty of the Golden Demonic Tree contrasted deeply with the dystopic background.
“W-what is that?” Freya stammered.
“It’s so pretty. Brendel, is that the Golden Apple Tree in the mythical tales? The monsters are the guards
of this tree right? I can’t believe there’s a living thing in this environment that is so beautiful!”
“That’s an oak tree, Romaine.” Freya sighed.
“I-I know that, so it’s an oak tree!” Romaine’s eyebrows darted up to her hair while she corrected herself
quickly.
“Don’t get trapped by its beauty. This is probably the most dangerous creature—-, no, it should be
monster.” Brendel’s eyes scanned the entire mountain, and quickly discovered another batch of Demonic
Tree patrolling the area. These monsters wrapped with whips slowly moved towards the pathway filled
with boulders,
[It matches my memories of the game.]
“Monster?”
“Yes. The monsters that we met earlier are born from this tree.”
“How?” Freya’s eyes went wild with shock.
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They were not as tense as before when they saw the patrolling Demonic Trees. The three of them had
fought against the servants of the Golden Demonic Tree and Brendel took in another 65 XP, even
managing to get a Tree Crystal from a Mature Demonic Tree.
This a crafting material in the game, but Brendel did not know how the production stats was calculated,
and simply carried it along as it might benefit them later on.
He also realized that Freya and Romaine’s apparent growth. Especially the future Goddes of War. Her
strength and agility had risen sharply from the battles, and she was almost at the level of a guard. The
only thing that Brendel did not understand was how they received XP, and from the looks of it, their
progress was much slower than him.
Freya as a pure militia should have increased her level repeatedly from killing a high level monster like
the Demonic Tree, but he felt that he increased his Mercenary profession much faster. It was all very
puzzling.
But he quickly put away these idle thoughts because he had more important things to do. If the Golden
Demonic Tree discovered them first, then it would summon the Rotten Beasts from the outside to its aid,
and leave them with little time.
He had estimated in the game before, the first batch of Rotten Beast would reach in fifteen minutes, and if
they were still unable to finish off the Golden Demonic Tree, they had to consider running away.
But Brendel did not immediately seek to initiate a fight. He had another issue that needed an answer even
before he thought of defeating the Demonic Tree patrol. He looked up at the steep slope.
“Wait for me here, don’t get discovered.” He turned back and replied.
“Brendel?”
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TL: Yup. Busy. Many assignments. Need your eyes. Check mistakes. May check errors on weekend if
schedule permitting.
Chapter 33 – Before the assault
Brendel looked at the steep slope that was shaped like a knife, then turned back to Romaine and let her
wear the Ring of Spiderweb. He realized that her perception was surprisingly high, and letting her wear
this ring would increase her ability.
Romaine had spied on the beautiful ring with black and white patterns for a long time, and was naturally
happy to receive it. But she still asked curiously: “Is this a magic ring too, Brendel?”
“Mmm. It allows you to hear better. So pay attention and if there is any commotions, inform Freya. I’ll be
back very soon.”
In this valley, there were another monster besides the Golden Demonic Tree that was of considerable
danger, a Rock Wurm. It was a rare elite that came from the side effects of the mana imbalance. During
the first time it appeared in the game, Brendel nearly ended up being defeated by it.
“There are other enemies?” Both of them spoke at the same time.
“There might be, doesn’t it pay to be careful?” He did not want to act like a clarvoyant as it was not going
to be easy to explain things in the future if he chose that path, so he chose to answer in vague manner.
But Freya nodded understandingly and tightened her grip on the longsword and guarded Romaine.
“I’ll protect her, but come back quickly.”
“Erm?” He looked at her in surprise.
[When did this silly girl became so cooperative?]
He was a little flustered, but it did not look like some conspiracy, so he put down his backpack
hesitatingly and took out a rope and hook. He looked at the girls again, before carefully climbing out.
“Freya, is Brendel going to be alright alone?” Romaine whispered and asked.
“He has his own plans and we can’t help him with it. It will be enough if we don’t let him worry over
here.”
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“Freya?”
Freya swayed her ponytail, her bright eyes showed a serious expression. She was not admitting defeat,
but felt that her current strength could only do so much. She had earnestly reflected on herself, and she
had to have high expectations of herself as a leader of a squadron.
She exhaled slowly and brought her sword close to her chest. She was determined.
On the other side, Brendel advanced on the steep slope by using the rope. He was still tens of meters
away from a certain gap in the wall. He breathed in deeply and glanced behind his back. It was fortunate
the Golden Demonic Tree and its guards rely on sound and mana to discover their targets, otherwise he
was completely open at his position.
He grabbed onto a protruding rock, and the sand trickled from the rock’s surface. The tiny sound did not
count for much, but he was worried that it would escalate into something bigger, and he tried to limit his
actions as quietly as possible.
[30 meters more. it will soon be over.]
There was no soul gem that dropped along the way, but Brendel knew he still had one more chance.
There was a treasure in the gap— no, claiming it as a treasure was sort of wrong. Players would call all
resources and rewards from hidden places as treasure, but the treasure was a memento.
In the plot within the game, there was a young noble who loved to adventure called Bergens. He came to
this valley with his allies, and was separated from them. He managed to escape to the gap, but due to his
injuries he died there.
There was some possessions along with a keepsake on him. He could bring the keepsake to Bruglas to
complete the mission, and even though the reward was not promising, it was better than nothing.
But the possession that the noble had was more interesting. As it was a random treasure, anything could
be given out as long as the person’s luck was good. The greatest treasure that Brendel opened was an
Amber Relic Stone. Brendel did not hope to get that, and it would be good enough if he got a soul gem.
The percentage to get one was actually pretty high here.
He quickly climbed into the gap and immediately saw the unfortunate noble’s skeleton collapsing to one
side. For one moment Brendel thought he had gone back into the game, as every detail appeared to be the
same.
He quickly composed himself and carefully went over to the skeleton, and his eyes fell onto a small bag.
He was stunned for a moment as he noticed a piece of dry and dusty lambskin paper inside it.
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[There was nothing like this in the game!]
He picked up the paper lightly and discovered that it was a will. There were only a few lines on it:
“Mother Marsha above, I might not be in this world for much longer. If I am to meet an unfortunate end,
and the one who chanced upon my will, I would legally transfer all my possessions on my body to you.
Furthermore, I have a secret wealth passed down from my ancestors, and would award 1/3 to you. Please
pass 1/3 to my wife, Sadie, and 1/3 to my daughter…… (unintelligible).
If you are interested in this wealth, please pass my will and my keepsake to my wife, and tell her ‘The
date on the Barde ball’ and she sill understand what I wish to convey.
Finally, I am sorry, Sadie. May Mother Marsha punish me.”
Brendel read everything and looked blankly at the paper. He had never seen this piece of paper. The only
mission to this was taking the seal ring off and passing it to the Bruglas citizen registry and he would
receive a certain amount of money. The mission would end there and there was no further continuation.
[What does this mean? Is it because this world is different from the game?]
Brendel shook his head. He instinctively refuse to believe that judgment. Everything had matched to his
memories to every last detail, and there was no reason why there was an exception here. He pondered on
it for a while.
[What could be the reason? Wait— Of course! It might be possible that the first person who discovered
this will receive a unique mission. There are many ‘first’ missions and ‘only’ missions… But did such a
thing ever happen in repeatable dungeons? Nobody had mention this before…]
He continued to hesitate for a long time, and finally took the will and seal ring carefully and put them
away on him. He somehow felt that this mission sounded familiar. Someone seemed to have completed a
mission with a similar ring to it, but the daughter’s name and the address of the family was completely
blurred out, otherwise this mission would be much simpler.
Brendel did not really mind this point. The harder it was meant that the rewards would be much better.
At the very worst he would start from the Bruglas citizen registry, as he had the clue of the noble’s name
as well as his wife. But that would be a future thing, and he had to face his own problems now.
He inspected his victory loot next. Two red gems, around 30 silver coins which was a windfall, a smoking
pipe, a glass bead and a gray stone fragment. Brendel poured everything out and carefully inspected them
once again, and he was disappointed that he did not discover any soul gem. He sighed.
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It was a decent reward if it was in the game, but he did not need money or materials, but items with an
immediate impact on increasing his strength. But even though it was disappointing, he still swept
everything into his bag. He did not check what was of use as they were just trinklets.
After cleaning out the gap’s goodies, he took a final look at the skeleton before returning where he came
from. Everything turned out smoothly, and the girls were relieved when they saw him returning to the
wall’s opening.
“Brendel, you’re finally back. When you were not around, Freya and I were so tense. There was no sound
at all in the surroundings.” Romaine patted her chest and exhaled with relief.
“Don’t pull me into this-” Freya’s face turned crimson.
“I’m just out there to check the surroundings. There is a patrolling team out there, and we should quickly
kill them.”
“Do we need to go out?”
“We can also wait here. When it is a little later we can leave from the other end of the exit. We can avoid a
fight, we would be tight on the remaining time.”
“How long?” Freya asked.
“We will set out two hours later.”
The girl paused for a while. “How far is Fortress Riedon from here?”
The furthest she had left from home was Verbin. Even though she had heard of Fortress Riedon from the
adults’ lips, it was nothing more than an impression.
“Let’s put it this way, if we are going to be late for two hours, we will be running against the undead
army.” He looked at Romaine: “We might reach the fortress a little earlier, but there would be little time
left.”
“If we destroy the tree we will save time?”
“There is a hidden passageway behind which was used by merchants in the past to avoid the checkpoints.
I have seen it in the Bruglas’s city documents, when I was still a militia.” He lied without skipping a
heartbeat. There was no falsehood about the passageway though, since it was knowledge from the game.
“Is the tree dangerous?” He pointed towards it.
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“Incredibly dangerous. It’s 50/50.” Brendel answered gravely. Even though he wanted to gamble and
finish the Golden Demonic Tree, but he had to tell the the girls the truth about the risk they are taking.
In a party, everyone had to make a choice about their lives, no one could force another. The basic rules in
The Amber Sword.
Freya went silent.
“Romaine, are you fine with it?”
Romaine shook her head: “I liked adventuring. My life was meant to do meaningful things.”
Freya took back her gaze on her and nodded: “I understand. Brendel, please bring us to defeat it. Even if
we are to fail, I will also not regret it.”
He grinned. He did not expect Freya’s reaction to be so big: “You don’t need to be so polite about this, I’ll
tell you how to defeat it. But we need to settle the patrol team. Six Demonic Trees, we are familiar with
them already but we need to end it in an instant.”
He brought them to the wall opening’s edge. They could see the monsters clearly. He circled an area: “We
will sneak over there and launch an attack with my gesture. Before we fight we should take it slowly, and
we cannot let them discover us.”
“We still have at least half an hour, so we don’t need to hurry.”
“Freya.”
“Yes.”
“Romaine and I will attack from the right, while you hide below that boulder on that left side. When we
launch an attack, you will attack the two that are at the very back. Do you remember their weaknesses?”
Brendel wanted Romaine on her side to protect her, and ease Freya’s pressure. That merchant lass did
not have any combat strength.
She nodded. The Demonic Trees’ weaknesses were at their four limbs, because their sensory organs were
on the four of them. If they lost their limbs there were not a threat. But she was a little tense. The way
how they handled these trees from before were schemes based on surprise, like falling boulders or
something, but it was a frontal assault now. She was not worried about Brendel’s capabilities, but was she
able to do so? Freya was uncertain.
He glanced at her and knew what she was thinking. Every newbie had the same problem, and even
though Freya should be considered a ‘NPC’, but she was probably no different. He thought for a while, and
spoke encouragingly: “You don’t need to worry too much, your armor limits them by a lot, and you should
attack aggressively.”
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She nodded.
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TL: It turns out all the assignments are given till the end of the year for polishing (and a relief cause I
totally did not manage to finish perspective drawing at all). On Friday, I’ll be on two weeks break and I’ll
back to school for another 4 months worth of intensive stuff.
Anyways, good news for you guys, cause I’ll be taking at least 1 full day (probably this Friday) to do
nothing but just TL so you guys and myself can gorge on some Christmas reading, and no more of that
damnable cliffhangers. This will be exclusive from the donations.
Regarding the schedule of donated chapters, it kind of depends on how crazy my schedule is. I probably
can’t do 1 ch per day if I get 4-5 assignments per week because it takes at least 3 hours to do 1 chapter of
The Amber Sword, and I spend an ungodly amount of time researching on my assignments while leaving
almost no time for drawing from that schedule.
I don’t even have the bloody time to read the books that I bought (grrrrr), while my coffee intake has
increased dramatically to the point I’m going to take a look at my budget again during my term break.
So it’s probably going to be 1-1.5 hrs/day for donated chapters, while the regular translations will
hopefully continue as per normal.
I haven’t check this chapter for mistakes too >_>.
If anyone has any tips/video links on digital drawing for perspective it will be greatly appreciated,
because this shit takes up so much time it’s not even funny (and this affects my TL schedule the most). My
fastest method currently is to duplicate lots of rectangles and transform it to the perspective line, while
figuring out how to make it 3D later on (still researching on it).
I need a good texture + color tutorial on painting walls too, so I can be ahead of my class schedule (which
will be 2/3 points VP and some recreation of 2D vehicles into perspective, and finally it will probably be
some environments + texture).
End announcement break.
Chapter 34 – Golden Demonic Tree
Three people made their way down to the valley silently and waited in ambush. Brendel made it look like
time was frozen, as his movements were so delicate and subtle, and one would find it impossible to
discover anything out of the ordinary if they were to survey the surroundings.
He had walked on this path more than a hundred times. He had failed before in his attempts and got
discovered when he was still unfamiliar, but he would not fail here now. Even though the Demonic Trees
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had exceptional strength, these naturally blind creatures were not effective in investigating their
surroundings.
The tense Brendel heard the faint rustling of pebbles rubbing against boots. He turned his back and saw
Freya anxiously looking back at him. The youth furrowed his brows.
[Freya, you’re still too tense.]
He stopped to allow Romaine to pass him. The merchant girl had very well by lowering her body and
breathing evenly. Her strides were not overly large and she did not move too slowly too, and she was as
elegant as a cat. Her current mentality was filled with dexterous cautiousness from the excitement, and
her heart which was as taut as a string strangely pushed out her potential. She was like a natural
adventurer.
“Romaine, you’re doing really well, keep on doing this.” Brendel encouraged her by mouthing the words
out.
She quickly nodded in response, her actions were really small, but she could not suppress the pride in her
heart.
As Romaine passed by Brendel, he looked back at Freya. She seemed to know her own problems, and she
lowered her head involuntarily. He sighed in silence when he saw this scene. No matter how one looked
at her, it was clear that she did not possess outstanding wisdom, judgment, mentality, physique, and one
would have thought she would become nothing more than an ordinary person.
But Brendel knew there had to be something that allowed her to hold the legendary name of ‘The
Goddess of War’.
He narrowed his eyes into a line and looked thoughtfully at her. Her light orange colored hair was on full
display when she lowered her head, reasonably dense and soft looking, and it looked like she had taken
much care on it. She did not comb it skilfully, but it was meticulously done.
At this moment she was crouching her body and progressing past him. The girl did not utter any sound,
and only her long ponytail followed her bobbing action, almost as if it to display her will in her heart.
Brendel knew that it was her unbending will.
His heart skipped a beat.
“Freya.”
She paused for a moment.
“You’re too tense, relax a little.”
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“Sorry, I……”
“It’s fine. Do you see the boulder in front? We should split up here from now onwards. Hide yourself
behind there until the patrol team passes by. You must attract the attention of the last two Demonic Trees
at the first moment we launch an attack.”
She nodded.
“Go ahead, I’ll wait here to watch over you. Freya, I’m sure you can do it well.” He turned his body and laid
beside a field of broken rocks and gestured to her.
She showed off shock as this was different from the initial plan. But she was not stupid to not know that
he stayed behind to boost her confidence. She felt slightly moved, but she could only press her lips firmly
together and nodded gravely at this moment.
He noticed that her actions a little more steady than before as she progressed forward, and he felt
relieved.
This was a very normal reaction to situations like this, and someone like Romaine who was calm and bold
was rare. When he turned his head the other way, he noticed that she had stopped moving and was
looking curiously at him. He gave an exasperated sigh and gestured at her to keep on moving forward.
It was unfortunate that her mind was steady but her thoughts were beyond common sense. On the other
hand, it was Freya who was more reliable and he looked forward to see her grow into the Goddess of War
in the future.
She quickly reached the proposed position. The patrol team had just crossed half of the mountain valley,
and it was pretty much impossible for them to do something out of the ordinary. It was just she was too
nervous. Brendel had a little trouble as encouraging her took precious time away, and they were already
in their ambush range.
At this distance he might be discovered.
But he was still that veteran warrior in the game, forcefully willing himself to gauge the best timing and
the enemies’ pathing to the best moment without any errors. When he finally was beside Romaine, he had
to wipe the cold perspiration on his forehead. It was too close for comfort, but his actions were flawless
and did not let his emotions affect his abilities.
Romaine noticed the perspiration and quickly handed a checkered handkerchief to him. He noted the
handkerchief and faintly remembered that it was a handicraft from the northern region Vieiro. It was
difficult to find something like this in Bucce, and was one of the merchant girl’s favorite items.
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“Thanks.” He mouthed the word.
“I should be the one thanking you, Brendel.” She hugged her bag and answered earnestly: “It might be
very dangerous in a while, and there might not be such a chance later right? So I want to tell you that I am
thankful, Brendel.”
Brendel was taken aback slightly, but he gave a faint smile.
In a few heartbeats, the six Demonic Trees were already near them, and the three of them who hid behind
the sharp boulders could hear the shuffling sounds of their footsteps approaching nearer and nearer. The
Demonic Trees used a low rumbling note to pass information to each other, while they were able to
feedback to their parent by just communicating by telepathy.
Brendel saw Freya pulling her sword out, who went as far as to wrap her blade with her clothes to
prevent the reflection of the light from the blade from appearing. Brendel nodded at her thoughtfulness
even though it was unnecessary here. She was improving every day and moved away from that idealistic
village girl.
He gestured immediately.
‘I will go first, you will sneak attack them.’
Freya’s brows creased together. He was always trying to take on the dangerous portion of the job to
himself which made her feel uneasy and displeased at the same time. But even so, she knew that this was
the best plan and could only nod reluctantly.
The Demonic Tree moved across the ground and continued downwards to an array of rocks. They
suddenly stopped and extended their search everywhere, and communicated differently with a series of
notes that had different tones.
Brendel pulled out the ‘Thorn of Light’, with one arm protecting romaine, and gave an attack signal to
Freya—
[Right now, they should be behind us and far apart from each other. Now is the best time!]
Brendel charged out in an arch and his first target was a mature Demonic Tree. Freya decisively pulled
out his sword and rushed towards to the back lines of the group, and her targets were the two closest
Demonic Trees.
The Demonic Trees in charge of the rear were typically alert, and thus their reactions were the quickest.
They discovered Freya as they turned their heads backwards and bellowed loudly. The vines that pierced
through the air like a javelin whistled sharply like a shriek.
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Freya swung her hands outwards and blocked the four chain-like whips away as the ‘Feathers of Wind’
shone individually to protect her. She jumped high up and knocked onto a Demonic Tree. The dimming
‘Feathers of Wind’ lit themselves once again, and the giant creature was knocked flying away by the
sudden assault.
She remembered Brendel’s words earlier that her armor was highly effective against them and she
should just attack with her limbs.
She gritted her teeth as she headed towards to the Demonic Tree lying on the ground without any real
plan. The whips came at her with the force of a tidal wave, and she knew she had limited strength and
might be knocked away, so she raised her sword up high and cleaved downwards at the Demonic Tree’s
right arm.
There was a light crunching sound and its right arm containing the vines flew straight up, but Freya was
also knocked away onto the ground from the enemy’s attack in return. When she started to get up,
another Demonic Tree whipped at her and she rolled onto the ground several times. Even though the Half
Plate of the Wind Empress protected her, the impact ruptured her inner body and she coughed out blood.
The enemy on the ground would not recover quickly, and she had only one more enemy left. However,
she was unable to find any chance to attack as she wiped the blood away from her mouth.
She drew in a breath of air lightly.
At the other end, Brendel had already finished off his enemy from the ambush. The ‘Thorn of Light’ in his
hands were like a line of silvery flash: His first attack was a stab that entered the Demonic Tree’s right
flank, which then came across in an arc to sever the right arm and several vines, turning it into flying
ashes.
The second attack was a slash that lopped off its two legs, and the instant the creature lost its balance and
crashed to the ground, the icy blade had went across its neck.
Under the web of swirling lights, the mature Demonic Tree turned into ashes.
This was the advantage of his guerrilla tactic, but the rest of them had to use some improvisation. He had
a few ideas, and he decided to retreat after his successful strike. The remainder of the Demonic Trees
obviously would not let him get away and the three Demonic Trees chased after him with a roar.
Brendel lured them to a narrow pathway where they formed a line subconsciously to keep pursuing him,
but what awaited them was a gleaming silver ring on his finger.
“Oss!”
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Freya heard a frightening blast coming from the left side and she knew it came from Brendel. She was
momentarily distracted and when she regained her senses, she realized that the enemy in front of her
was actually stunned by the sound explosion.
As an ignorant youth from Bucce, she did not understand that the sound explosion greatly affected the
Demonic Tree that was sensitive to sound. It nearly caused a complete loss to its judgment of the world
around it, and the world around him was endless waves of bright light where nothing existed.
The only thing of importance to her that it was a chance, and it was more than enough. She raised the
sword that was almost corroded to the breaking point and she mercilessly chopped the Demonic Tree’s
legs.
The short battle seemed to draw at a end by her sword’s arc.
With a crisp cracking sound, the Demonic Tree and her sword were snapped in half. She almost could not
believe she had succeeded and her mouth was agape with surprised. Then she finally noticed Romaine
opposite of her, panting tiredly with a Madara’s black steel sword in her hands.
“Romaine!”
“Freya, s-sorry, Brendel told me to help you………”
She smiled: “It’s no problem at all, thanks.”
Brendel saw this scene unfold when he came out from the narrow pathway of rocks and was
momentarily dazed. He thought that she was going to become angry but her reaction was quite contrary
to his prediction.
He did not entirely plan this for the sake of reducing Freya’s burden, but also partly on the tactical
consideration. The crux of this plan was actually on her side. The strength of the enemy team heavily
relied on the mature Demonic Tree as the leader, and the two Demonic Trees that were vigilant.
As long as these two Demonic Trees were bogged down, he would be able to kill the mature Demonic
Tree easily and execute the plan to lure the remaining Demonic Trees. If the enemies were able to do a
counter attack in this open terrain, he might not be able to protect Freya and Romaine’s safety even if he
was five levels higher.
He was agonizing over the explanation but she seemed to have understood this point already.
“Why is the Golden Demonic Tree quiet?” She asked him when she saw him coming over, and asked: “It
can’t move?”
Brendel woke up from his stupor. He shook his head. The Golden Demonic Tree was not going to stay
quiet, and in fact it was the exact opposite. The moment they attacked, the Golden Demonic Tree had
noticed them already and already launched its counter attack.
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It merely did it silently.
“We only have a minute, and I’ll explain to you how to handle the Golden Demonic Tree. Both of you must
listen carefully, unless you want your souls to be trapped within the that Golden Demonic Tree.” He
replied.
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TL: Welp, it’s good that this cliffhanger isn’t going to last too long…
Chapter 35 – The illusion of the past
The sun was brightest in this spring under the clear sky.
During April, the viridescent grass extended itself to the end of Bruglas’s river, verdant and luxuriant
trees grew in the forest, and one could find a watermill or sawmill at the golden currents of the river’s
turn.
The crystal clear water flowed along the pebbles in the stream, crossing the pine mountains and then
downwards to the Vieiro area. To the natives who lived there, this river was like an endless song that
carried the wisdom of the ages.
The old Brendel believed in that story and he traveled along the river to listen to the sounds within the
forest. There were bears residing in it, but it was difficult to spot them. In his memories, this was the
place where his grandfather loved to bring him in the past.
And in the current Brendel’s memory, this was a newbie’s region that he was instantly familiar. Most of
the creatures were low leveled while the bears were the BOSS of this area, and dropped quality hides.
(BOSS was written directly in English in the raws, which I opted to keep as a flavor.)
The two memories had meshed together and sprang up in his mind here.
Just a few minutes ago where he recalled the strategy to fight against the Golden Demonic Tree —
“Freya, Romaine. I’ll keep things short. Both of you should have realized that the Golden Demonic Tree’s
real power is the spiritual strength within it. This is the reason why it is able to control so many Rotten
Beasts and Demonic Trees.” (TL: Any DnD terms regarding mind power? Spiritual strength sounds lame)
“Spiritual strength?”
“Romaine, don’t interrupt.”
“Sorry, Freya.”
“Yes, spiritual strength. The ability to spy on thoughts and gain control of people’s hearts, and the Golden
Demonic Tree is able to create grand illusions and detain the souls in there.” Brendel replied: “The truth
is when we fought against the Demonic Trees, the Golden Demonic Tree has started to affect our
thoughts. It is always dreaming, and this dream shall merge with us very soon.”
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“Dream?”
“Yes, very soon we will enter into our own dreams. You would see something unbelievable in it, but
before that happens I have crucial points that I need to tell you……”
Brendel pointed in the center of the valley. The Golden Demonic Tree was becoming more beautiful in
their eyes. The branches extended everywhere, seemingly unleashing a vibrant life towards the world. It
was a sign that it was spreading the dream world towards reality.
In the game, the Tree Shepherd bestowed the Golden Tree a drop of blood from the gods to awaken the
powers within it, but this Elven tree also slumbered into an eternal dream. The contents of the dream was
a world of darkness and ghastly whispers, and any normal mortals would sink into madness just by
catching a glimpse of the world.
This world was considerably fatal to the players in the game. Once they entered into it they were prone to
death any time. But in order to defeat the Golden Demonic Tree they had to enter this dream.
This was the first stage of fighting against the Golden Demonic Tree, Phantasmagoria.
This stage was once considered to be the hardest battle in the game, but the guild ‘Freedom’ solved this
problem by using a trick. It was a rarely known secret a bit earlier on, but Brendel returned to this area
when the secret had been distributed widely. It was also a coincidence that his resources at hand allowed
him to complete the first stage, but it was probably insufficient for the second stage.
When the first stage ended, he would have to seek victory by using their real abilities, which would be
difficult for their current strength.
[The players who enter this dungeon has an average level of 25. I’m only at level 10, and the girls’ levels
are definitely below me. Even with all our rare equipment, it would be difficult to finish the boss battle in
15 minutes, and after that the Rotten Beasts will arrive.
The Holy Sword would be my trump card. If I make every strike count, then it might just be barely
possible to take down the Golden Demonic Tree within that time frame.]
“Crucial points?” Freya’s voice brought him back to reality. (TL: Sometimes I wonder how long in real
time Brendel’s inner monologue is…)
Brendel took a moment to recall what Freya said, then nodded: “The Golden Demonic Tree’s dream will
invade our own, but you must remember you are the ones who control the dream. Regardless of how it
constructs your dream, or create the most fearsome of beasts, they would never go past your limits.”
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[Back in the game, the Golden Demonic Tree will create the strongest monsters that a player met alone
and recreate that dream. In addition there were several other negative attributes added into the mix, and
with every injury and mistake made, the negative attributes would increase while the enemies became
even stronger. This ends up as a loop where the enemies become stronger while the player becomes
weaker and finally gets defeated as a result.]
Brendel did not know how these negative attributes would present itself here. But there is only one
answer. They had to be brimming with confidence and ensure that they are at their best condition to
secure victory.
He pointed at his temple and looked gravely at the girls: “Gather your concentration and keep up your
determination to fight. The human’s ‘Will’ attribute.”
“‘Will’ Attribute?”
“Don’t interrupt, Romaine!” Brendel snapped in exasperation: “I’m talking about willpower. A human’s
willpower can be unstable, and it will fluctuate based on your conditions. Gather your concentration and
hold on to your determination to keep on fighting. That way, your willpower will always remain at its
peak. As long as your willpower holds steady, the Golden Demonic Tree will find it difficult to bring about
your negative emotions. Don’t get controlled by that negative emotion, otherwise there would be dire
consequences.”
“How dire?” The merchant girl looked at him with bright eyes.
He did not reply. He was afraid his answer will make them tense, and that was also a negative emotion. In
the game’s lore, defeat would mean that their souls would be detained eternally in the Golden Demonic
Tree, until it was purified by flames into ashes, where the souls would finally be released. But even then
their bodies would not survive the loss of the souls.
The surroundings were starting to become foggy.
Brendel still had one more rule that he did not manage to finish explaining. The first person who woke up
had the ability to enter another person’s dream and signal to the person, boosting their confidence and
faith to allow them to defeat the dream more easily.
Each person had only one chance to do something like that, so there was a tactical placement; The
strongest individual will enter the dream first, then the second strongest, the third strongest and so forth.
That way the strongest person will be in time to aid the next person. This allowed for less members to be
defeated in the game, which was the trick that ‘Freedom’ discovered.
Brendel quickly decided the order.
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“I’ll be first to enter the dream state. Next is Freya, and the last is Romaine.”
“How do you enter the dream state?” Freya asked.
“Just continue to close your eyes and you will be pht—” Brendel bit his tongue when he saw the merchant
girl actually closing her eyes to try it out. He immediately used his forefingers to pull the corners of her
eyes to bring up her eyelids.
“Ah!” She uttered a short yelp as Brendel flicked her forehead.
“My esteemed lady! Curiosity killed the cat!”
“S-sorry.”
“The dream world that’s filled with magic and spiritual powers is very dangerous. You must be cautious.
I’m closing my eyes now.”
He sighed. Since he had the most experience amongst them, he naturally should be the first one to enter
the dream. Freya had many mind barriers as the future Goddess of War and she was in greater danger, so
he had to quickly aid her without any errors. On the other hand, Romaine should have the easiest time
escaping from the Golden Demonic Tree’s control, and with Freya’s help, she should have no problems at
all.
The first stage was five minutes in reality. In the dream world it extended to half an hour. If they were not
able to free themselves in the dream world, they would be lost forever and detained eternally.
This looked like a very strong plan to him, and at the very least he did not spot any problems on the
surface. If he succeeded there would be a generous reward from it, and they would have sufficient time to
move within the fortress.
There was no one who knew better than Brendel on the fortress’s situation and how the future would
turn out. Every bit of extra time meant additional hope in finding Romaine’s aunt and successfully
escaping from there.
He patted on the ‘Thorn of Light’ on his waist and breathed deeply. The dream world was incredibly
realistic. The scent of the river’s wet earth filled his nose, a taste that belonged to the Bruglas’s April
grasses and forest trees.
But what did it mean for the Golden Demonic Tree to throw him here? Did it think that the strongest
creature he met was the old brown bear in this forest?
If that was the case, it was merely a rare level 16 elite, and he could easily defeat it.
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But in his memories, it was never easy with the Golden Demonic Tree. If anything, the creatures that were
corrupted by the ‘Blood of Gods’ were the most malevolent creatures in this world. There was no
reasoning to how evil they were.
[If I counted the time correctly, I should entering a plot event right about now right?]
Even though he had been in this world for a few days, he still subconsciously used terms unique to his
previous world.
At this moment, he heard a series of sounds where metal struck each other. His ears moved. At his
current level three Military Swordsmanship, he was able to discern from his ears that two people were
fighting.
[But it doesn’t sound like a duel, but mere practice.]
He did not choose to evade this event as he knew that it was pointless to do so. Furthermore, avoiding
danger meant that he was fleeing and counted as a negative emotion, which might be used by the Golden
Demonic Tree. He followed the source of the sound and discovered they came from the nearby watermill
and logging mill. When he drew in a little closer and looked across the water wheel, he saw two
surprising figures.
It was an old man full of silvery grayish hair with long sideburns. He wore a deep blue colored uniform
with a familiar emblem, and there was a sword in his hand. His figure gave an indomitable impression, as
if he was an immovable mountain. But what made Brendel’s heart skip a beat was his expression, and his
eyes displayed an unassailable will behind them. If anyone with a guilty bone in his body saw him, they
would immediately avert their eyes away in contrition.
The other person was a boy holding a wooden sword. He looked no different from other boys, but the
meaning was different in his eyes.
This boy was… Brendel.
More accurately, it was a young Brendel.
He raised his head in shock as he realized who the old man was. That was definitely his grandfather, a
veteran in the November’s war and one who had received the Candlelight emblem–
[Holy shit! The Candlelight emblem from the Holy Cathedral of flames isn’t something that can be gotten
easily—]
His heart quickened as he realized that the dream world was a little different from the game. But with
that hesitation, he realized the aura from his grandfather was becoming stronger, even affecting his mind.
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“I’m being hit with negative emotions!” He immediately realized he was affected subconsciously. It was
completely different in the game, since there was no way a game could affect the mind, but right here in
this real world…!
[This is going to be much more difficult compared to the game with this…]
Brendel gritted his teeth as he checked the bag on his belt. Fortunately he still had a trump card. Even
though this was utterly unexpected, it was still in his control.
He calmed down as he realized this.
The old man’s eyes stopped on him. He stared at him for a moment before speaking.
“Lad, are you qualified to inherit everything from my grandson?”
This sentence made Brendel’s body tremble.
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TL: This… chapter is amazing.
Chapter 36 – Surpass me
Brendel’s mind was greatly shaken. It was his biggest secret in this world. Even though the old and new
Brendel had merged together, it was hard for him to explain how the two memories merged together.
Even he willed himself to accept everything, there was still a subconscious barrier remaining in him.
[This secret that I wanted to keep locked inside my heart was actually ripped out at the very first moment
by the Golden Demonic Tree… No—]
He immediately shook his head. It was impossible for The Golden Demonic Tree to break it open so
quickly. That creature must be using the way how he thinks—– Why would Brendel’s grandfather say
something like that?
He suddenly understood that he himself would have thought this old man would say something like this.
[I am my own enemy here. The things that I fear and hidden away in my subconscious are reflected on
Brendel’s grandfather.]
He shut his eyes and took a deep breath. After realizing that his deepest thoughts in his mind were not
revealed yet, the feeling that his defenses were completely exposed to the enemy disappeared, and he
calmed down quickly. He had deflected this first attack made by the Golden Demonic Tree by chance, and
his current mentality actually stabilized. He gulped and cried inwardly that he was lucky.
He pulled out the ‘Thorn of Light’, answering the old man: “We would know whether I have the
qualifications once we crossed swords.”
The old man nodded: “Very good. You sound like a Damon man. But there are many people in this world
who brag too much, and I don’t want to see my descendent to be a useless fool.”
Brendel’s mind responded. This was not a test. His grandfather’s reaction was a reflection of his own
confidence. This meant this his will was gradually recovering to its peak condition.
[This is a good sign.]
He indicated for his grandfather to make the first move. Even if it was within a dream, the opponent was
someone that was his senior. Being polite showed off his confidence, and so he did it.
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Within this dream world, the person who made the first move did not represent that he would gain the
upper hand. It was possible that it was a trap arranged by the malicious creature. Only by guarding the
weaknesses tightly would deny him the chance to invade the mind.
The old man nodded again and he shifted his left foot forward, and the sword on his left shoulder. This
was the highest form within the Military Swordsmanship. When Brendel saw that, his forehead went
numb.
[Even back in the game I did not train my swordsmanship to this level, who the bloody heck was your
grandfather!]
This thought pass through his mind for just a flash, and he felt the sword in his arm become a little
heavier. He yelled expletives in his mind, this slight gap actually got caught by the Golden Demonic Tree.
[Are you fucking serious!]
He went into a defensive stance. Because he did not have any other sword techniques with levels in it, he
could only choose to use something that was more familiar from the Military Swordsmanship. Under such
a veteran opponent, there was no meaning to use flashy techniques from the higher ranks. Without
putting levels in it or meeting the required stats, it was full of flaws in front of his grandfather.
Brendel was also a veteran warrior and he understood his position clearly.
There was no indication from the old man, but he made his move with the sword flashing at Brendel. His
sword was not very fast, but the skill behind it was impeccable. There was no weakness in the attack and
it appeared like an ordinary swing, but one would feel that the sword could strike from anywhere with
the next attack.
The air escaped from Brendel’s lungs.
[This is the swordsmanship from Brendel’s grandfather? Then it’s no wonder he could get the Candlelight
Emblem. This monstrous skill… No wonder Brendel’s innate skill with the sword was so impressive. If
this old man had a better lineage, he would definitely receive the title of a knight.]
Brendel had no way to counter the attack, so he had no choice but to try and seal the next attack. There
was a loud clash from the swords, and Brendel staggered from the strength of the opponent. His mind
panicked and before he could stop his thoughts, he felt the opponent’s sword growing heavier.
[Holy fuck, you god damned Golden Demonic Tree!]
Brendel certainly knew what was going on. It could not be compared to the game’s version at all. This was
a true puppet master, not that rubbish AI in the game. But Brendel did not feel scared at this moment, and
he was overflowing with the will to fight back.
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He stared at his grandfather’s eyes. His expression was perfectly calm like still water, as if he could read
someone’s heart.
He suddenly felt puzzled. Why did such an outstanding grandfather have such a faint impression in the
old Brendel’s memories. Even when he saw him for the first time, he had to look at the young Brendel’s
memory to confirm it was his grandfather.
[Something is wrong.]
He searched his memories again. The old Brendel’s memory of his grandfather was a rigid person who
was not fond of speaking of laughing. The next impression was the Candlelight emblem and the aura as a
veteran from the November War. But these memories were not as strong as the ones like the painting and
old home.
The grandfather and grandson had lived together for several years, why did he appear to be so estranged
to Brendel when they met again under this situation? The old Brendel did not appear to be someone who
would forget his own grandfather’s appearance.
He fended off the old man’s sword once again and the sound between metal sang out. He felt the
opponent’s sword grow heavier again, almost to the point where the sword nearly left his hand. His felt a
shock in his mind, and he looked at the old man again.
His expression had become strict, as if he was displeased.
He read the message in his mind.
[What the fuck! This is self-doubt!]
He received another blow to his mind, and the defence in his mind grew from a tiny crack and spread
outwards. His attacks became more and more flimsy, and the old man rushed attacks knocked him over
to the ground. His blood grew cold as he quickly rolled over from the impact and got up.
But when he turned back, there was no grassy plains anymore. It was a gray house. Indeed, it was the old
house in Bucce, where he woke up that fateful night in this world.
Brendel’s perspiration gathered on his forehead. This meant the Golden Demonic Tree had invaded
further into his heart. He could not help but reach to the bag on his belt. But he hesitated and questioned
himself if he wanted to use a trick instead.
There was a sudden reluctance in his heart. He looked at the old man’s face. His grandfather still had the
same strictness, but there was signs of disappointment on his wrinkled face.
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The disappointment pierced through his mind.
It was as if the twenty years of Brendel’s memory had suddenly become clear and escaped from his body,
wanting to fight his grandfather.
He suddenly felt this thought growing in his mind, and knew that it was the old Brendel’s feelings
affecting himself. He was merging into this world and with the memories of his loved ones.
But he shook his head.
[No, It’s possible that the Golden Demonic Tree was utilizing the weakness of a human. I have to use that
technique to leave this dream world.]
But when he placed his hand over to that position, he received a shock. The old man’s disappointment
had become more apparent.
[…No, I cannot abandon Brendel.]
[But you must understand, the Golden Demonic Tree is using his weakness.]
[Even so, that is part of me now.]
[You will fail.]
[But throwing away my weakness doesn’t mean I defeated myself.]
Brendel suddenly became quiet. He realized why he had not spoken even once after he pulled his sword.
The old man had many chances to completely destroy his mind defense, and yet there was only complete
disappointment on his face.
He said nothing, but simply quietly waited and looked at him.
Brendel felt as if lightning had streaked across his mind and lit up every dark corner in his heart. This was
not the Golden Demonic Tree’s handiwork of pity.
[No, this is the absolute sanctuary that the youth guarded in his memories!]
Then why?
He took another look at the old man’s face. In the dark corners of his face, was it only disappointment?
Of course it was.
He felt his whole body tremble. Why did the old man feel disappointed?
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[Because it was the endless expectations that he had. This is the old Brendel’s memory of his grandfather.
He was strict and full of expectations. His eyes are full of disappointment, but it is not to censure. It was in
hope that Brendel could understand his feelings behind this expectation.]
[He wanted to let you, the old Brendel, know his love for you.]
Brendel raised his head and gripped his sword tightly. He bit his lips and forced himself to hold back his
tears. He thought he understood this world, but realized he did not understand it enough.
“Brendel, remember what I told you? Your back must be as straight as your sword. The men of the Damon
family must live proudly. You are my grandson, and the best amongst the rest of them.” The old man
raised his swords again.
“Come, let me see what you learned during ten years when I was gone.”
He nodded, unable to stop the pouring tears. These were his grandfather’s words, but they were also not.
This was the answer the old Brendel’s heart wanted to have and the path he wanted to cross.
Brendel took a deep breath.
The two swords crossed each other —
“Stand up Brendel. How can a Damon man be so weak.”
“What are you crying for. Would a little torn skin kill you?”
“Speak up, how do you want me to punish you this time?”
The grandfather in his memories who sat strictly on the seat of the elders, who sat silently and looked at
him with disappointment.
The grandfather in his memories who was always dissatisfied with seemingly everything that he did.
But the old man in his memories, finally walked the last journey in his life. The Brendel who was a child
stood before that bed, feeling his Grandfather’s hand gently placing over his head and stroking his hair,
then finally losing its strength and falling across his small face.
It was a rough hand, but made him feel he could be relied on. His sigh at the very end, was it still
disappointment, or expectations filled with responsibilities?
Brendel felt the dream state dissolving around him. In his hand was a fading Candlelight emblem that was
turning into ashes. He did not speak for a long time.
“Thank you, elder.”
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TL: So in case it’s too subtle, the reason for the old Brendel’s weak memories of his grandfather, is
because he perceived his grandfather as one who only saw disappointment in him, and at the end of his
memories the lines blurred because subconsciously he realized that his grandfather might have loved
him deeply, which became the basis for that sanctuary where the Golden Demonic Tree could not breach
(the old man did not want to hurt Brendel).
New Brendel realized the truth at the very end and accepted the old Brendel’s memories and feelings. If I
have to take a guess at what the grandfather and old Brendel wanted, the title of the chapter is probably a
huge hint.
Anyways, hopefully there’s no Engrish here. Please inform me if you spot any mistakes.
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Chapter 37 – Awakening
Brendel opened his eyes after waking up from his grandfather’s dream. He felt his forehead was
completely cold from the perspiration. He looked up at the gloomy sky and breathed out slowly. There
were immediate ways to shake off the dream prison, either by using equipment that strengthen the
willpower attribute or special abilities. An example would be his innate talent, ‘Unyielding’.
But he realized subconsciously that it was not the best solution.
Regardless, the past memories of the old Brendel had merged together with his own. He was no longer
just purely Brendel or Sophie, and they were now one and the same in one body. If he ignored the old
Brendel’s weaknesses, then one day he would be unable to look at his own weaknesses.
He needed to recognize for what he was now, to be able to accept everything that happened in his past.
This growth was not limited to just his mind— Accepting Brendel’s past had benefited him a great deal.
Brendel’s grandfather personally taught his grandson his swordsmanship, but Brendel had
subconsciously sealed his own memories because he had given up on himself.
With all the memories of the young Brendel unlocked, the swordsmanship that he had learned merged
within his soul.
[Just exactly what sort of swordsmanship is this?]
The past Brendel had sealed off his grandfather’s swordsmanship because he deemed himself unworthy
to use it. Even so his innate talent in the sword enabled him to become the best fighter in Anchorite’s
militia batch.
The current Brendel opened his character window, and saw it had changed from before:
Civilian Soldier [Military Swordsmanship (Level 3+1), Grappling techniques (Level 3), Tactical Theory
(Level 0), Military Organization (Level 0)]
The levels in the ability panel could not go past the level of the profession, but equipment and mission
rewards were exceptions. A normal human who trained for 30-40 years would have the same level 4
Swordsmanship, but it was impossibly rare to find it on an eighteen years old youth.
Brendel felt that if he managed to completely absorb what his other grandfather had taught him, he
would have increased his level 4 military swordsmanship another 30% more in the XP panel. When he
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recalled the old veteran’s swordsmanship, he felt a chill creeping behind his back. That was at least a level
10 Aouine’s military swordsmanship, and the old veteran was definitely a legendary figure.
Brendel sat up from the ground with complicated thoughts. He looked across the mountain valley. The fog
surrounding the Golden Demonic Tree felt like it had dissipated a little, indicating that the power of the
dream world was weakening. When he looked at the girls, he found they had their eyes closed tightly,
occasionally creasing their brows.
Romaine’s face was pale, but her expression was very peaceful.
[Good. It seems that her situation is not as bad as I thought. Once she receives a mental boost, the Golden
Demonic Tree’s first stage would not be difficult to deal with.]
He went over to Freya and pressed his finger on her forehead. He hesitated just a little before selecting
‘Faith’.
The Golden Demonic Tree utilized negative emotions to bring people into a trap that it created. Players
had to use positive emotions to handle things. From how he looked at Freya’s usual performance, he
believed that her determined and resolute ways were just a form of protection to hide her weaknesses.
He hoped that she had more self confidence, as it would allow her to mature into the Goddess of War.
…He suddenly realized the girls were currently defenseless. It was easy to take advantage of the girls. He
could not help but look at two girls who were deeply asleep. The translucent appearance on Romaine’s
forehead made him want to kiss it.
His heart beat painfully in his chest, and he quickly stopped his thoughts. Even though he liked the
merchant girl, he was not a shameless person. He rubbed his forehead as stranger thoughts flared up in
his mind.
Then he thought about his dream again to curb his stray thoughts.
His mentality was different after leaving that world. He felt like he had become stronger from that feeling
of loss. He knew that he was not going to turn back to his past world now, and the meaning in his life was
to finish walking the road before him—
After understanding the past Brendel’s desires, he was going to plan his own road. He knew the ‘War of
the Black Rose’ was about to end soon, as the battle in the game only extended from the end of May to the
end of July.
None of the nobles wanted to be involved in this battle.
This coincided with Madara’s plans as well. It was an unprecedented change for Aouine when Madara
defeated the kingdom successfully, but Madara did not wish to provoke the Alliance of Light, and they had
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to retreat at some point. Since neither of the two kingdoms wanted to continue a battle of attrition, they
opted for a truce.
It was somewhat of a farce, and Brendel knew that the Aouine he wanted to fight for was not the current
Aouine.
He was waiting for the Regent Princess to take over the throne.
And during the time he waited for this event to take place, he would take his own actions. He knew that
after the war ended, the royal family would want to commend people who stood out in the war,
establishing heroic figures to assuage the hearts of the citizens. But he was uninterested in this title, and
more to the point, he was indifferent to the antiquated system.
[But allowing Freya to take up some training in the capital is a good idea. What should I do in the
meantime?]
Brendel pondered on the future. In front of him was the beginning of a chaotic era. He had limited
strength on his own and he needed a land of his own. He had to gather people to support his ideals, and
by using his own knowledge in the world’s future events and his own familiarity with it, he could
definitely make his territory grow quickly.
[So where should I start? Walk down the path of Aouine’s internal affairs? … No, never mind about the
fact that I won’t realize my plans in time, I don’t want to be involved in the upcoming wars too early. I
have to restrain my actions so that I don’t stand out and get discovered by powerful factions.]
[Becoming the lord of some existing region is also a no, with the same reason as above. Another road I
can take is to become a pioneer. Both the players and NPCs in the game had pioneers. In this dark world,
not all lands are controlled by the nobles. The borders of the kingdom, the areas in between the civilized
and savaged areas, and there were many other lands that had not been tilled, were ready to be taken]
[There’s a certain government decree, once a pioneer found a new land of their own, they could receive a
position of nobility based on their size of the lands.]
These titles, however, were not to be used as hereditary titles, and most of the lands would ultimately be
taken back by the kingdom and the holy cathedral after three generations. But there were still many
people who were taken in by this route, and they gambled everything to find a land. Adventurers,
mercenaries, illegal merchants, and even paladins from a legitimate background, as well as clergies, there
were no differences here.
When he thought about the available lands, he became excited. He knew of many such lands near
Aouine’s borders, and even though there were differences between them, all of them were valid choices.
But when it came to the time to choose, he hesitated.
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[I don’t really require a good location with a strong advantage in development, the key thing is to have a
clandestine area, so it is best to choose those lands with ‘relics’ in them. Since I’m lacking in manpower
and resources, I could also save a lot of effort by taking these areas over.]
He continued to go through his memories and finally decided on a place. It was a land that was
remarkably famous in the game, but the players who owned the land committed a fatal error and allowed
his enemies to burn it all down. It was a famous topic in the forums that did not die down and
continuously brought up all the time.
He could envision countless people saying: “If ‘Valhalla’ was still around, it would surely be another
different landscape right?”
He felt thrilled at this idea. He had also thought of this moment himself. If that legendary land was not
destroyed, then the final development phase would have gone beyond anyone’s expectations.
[To think that I have a chance of realizing this fantasy with my own hands!]
He continued to fantasize wildly by himself, before realizing the person in front of him moved a little.
Freya then opened her eyes and saw Brendel putting his finger on her forehead. She was puzzled for a
moment before it disappeared quickly. She quickly woke up from her stupor and retreated backwards,
blushing and looking at him.
Even if she did not say anything, Brendel was able to read the words on her face:
“S-shameless lout, what are you doing!”
He shook his head and wanted to explain, but Freya abruptly reacted like she had recalled something. Her
blush deepened another shade: “Sorry, I……”
“It’s fine, alright, quickly give Romaine an alarm clock, and tell her to wake up.” He pretended to ease
things over.
“Alarm clock?”
He coughed as he realized he had forgotten to explain. He explained the origin of ‘Faith’ and its uses in a
hurry. Freya’s expressions became tense when she finished listening to the explanation that he thought
was simple.
“W-why didn’t you let Romaine use it first?” She asked and stood up anxiously.
He was momentarily stunned.
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[Hm? No matter how I slice it, you have a weaker mind, Miss Goddess of War–]
But before he finished his thoughts, Freya had already rushed over to Romaine’s side and picked her up.
She still had a peaceful expression, but Brendel discovered two streams of tears from Romaine’s face
when Freya picked her up. His mouth went wide with shock.
“What’s going on!” He could not imagine that Romaine actually cried.
“I’ll tell you later.” Freya took a deep breath and put her hand on her forehead, but there was no reaction.
She was taken aback for a moment and immediately said: “Turn your head away!”
“What for?”
“Turn away, hurry up, and no peeking!”
Brendel’s left eyebrow went up but he immediately nodded. Unfortunately, his curiosity was actually no
less than Romaine, and after a while, he spied behind his back. He saw Freya hugging Romaine with their
foreheads touching each other, and Freya muttered fretfully: “Little Romaine, hurry up and wake up.
Have you forgotten our promise?”
He froze for just a little while. He did not expect the merchant girl who spoke whatever was on her mind
to have her own secret, even though he knew they had a very good relationship. But he found Freya’s
eyes glaring furiously at him before his surprise was over.
“Apologies, someone else inside me insisted on looking.” Brendel tried to blame someone else.
“Y-you devious, outrageous scumbag!” Freya lambasted him with crimson cheeks.
“Sorry, sorry.”
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Chapter 38 – The battle for time
Romaine’s conditions were not as optimistic as Brendel had imagined. With each passing second the
atmosphere became more intense, and he realized that there must be a secret that she kept in a heart—
and a secret that was so deeply hidden away in her heart would ultimately present itself as fatal in this
dream world.
There were only the sounds of Freya and his anxious breaths while the merchant girl slept quietly in her
arms, and Brendel found himself completely afraid— that Romaine would never wake up from her
slumber.
He looked at the Golden Demonic Tree, the connection between the dream world and reality was
becoming weaker, and it was going to wake up anytime.
“Brendel?”
Freya’s fists were clenched into a tight ball, and she had trouble finding words to rouse Romaine from her
anxiety. He said they had only five minutes, but Romaine still looked like she was deeply immersed in her
dream. Yet Freya knew she could not blame the youth, because she was the only one who knew
Romaine’s secret in Bucce.
She was starting to regret that she did not tell Brendel, but how could she know that this dream world
was so complicated?
However, Brendel did not fall into a spiral of confusion and thought quickly. He suddenly threw the
‘Thorn of Light’ over to them.
“Let her hold this.”
“What?”
“The sword has the ability to purify darkness, let her hold it.” Even though his lips uttered these words,
he knew in his heart that the Elven Sword only added 1 OZ of ‘Will’. He could only hope that it was
enough to bring her out of danger.
[Mother Marsha!]
He prayed to the highest holy figure in his heart, begging her to be more merciful to Romaine. Perhaps it
was the sword, or perhaps it was his prayers to Marsha, not long after, she actually woke with a moan.
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She blinked and rubbed her eyes to look at the two of them, looking blankly for a while, before speaking
happily: “Freya, you’re already up. You know, I had a nightmare earlier!”
“Ah!”
Freya was still in a daze, then she yelled from the bottom of her heart. She did not hear what the
merchant girl said at all, but simply hugged her and cried. She had believed that there was no hope left
but Brendel’s solution really worked.
“Romaine, you idiot!”
“W-what did you say?! I’m not an idiot!” Romaine seemed to have received a fatal blow, and she flailed
her limbs in indignation.
Brendel was much calmer than Freya. The aid from the Thorn of Light and another person’s ‘Faith’ should
be able to wake her up from the dream world no matter how deep she was in, but he was more worried
about the aftermath of this situation.
But he knew that she was fine from her silly reaction.
“Alright, it’s fine to stop your tears now.” He continued: “The Golden Demonic Tree is going to wake up
any time, and if there is anything to else to say, we should save it until the battle is over.”
Freya wiped away her tears and nodded.
“What should we do, Brendel?” She asked.
“We’re not the main protagonists in this battle, but a Rock Wurm in this valley–”
“What’s that?”
“Let me finish, Romaine! The Rock Wurm is something from that is born (Earth Element Type) as a
Element Creature. It’s a natural enemy of the Golden Demonic Tree, but before the Rock Wurm becomes a
mature adult, the Golden Demonic Tree is able to force it outside the valley by controlling the roots in the
ground. It takes about 80 to 120 years for a Rock Wurm to become mature but we can’t wait this long, so
we need to help it.”
“Help it?” Freya asked.
Brendel received the Elven Sword from Romaine, and he replied: “The Golden Demonic Tree’s body is
very frail. The only attack it has is the roots extending from the ground and impaling its enemies. We
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need to to force it to attack us and the more roots it takes out from the ground, the less it has to fend off
the Rock Wurm. Once that happens, the Rock Wurm is able to enter the center of this valley.”
“But we only have ten minutes. The first batch of Rotten Beast will arrive in ten minutes, and if we still
have not killed it in that time frame, you must run towards the west side without hesitation. There’s a
passageway there that’s quite visible.”
“What about you?” Romaine looked up at him.
“Protecting the rear should be left to a gentleman. This is the ladies’ prerogative.” He softly poked her
bright forehead with his finger. He looked back at Freya who was tying up her ponytail in preparation for
battle. She noticed his gaze and nodded.
He paused momentarily as he expected her to demand staying behind. There was no reluctance on her
expression but a steady gaze.
[It looks like she matured from the dream world.]
He smiled happily as he saw a scintilla of the future Goddess of War’s presence on her. Then he turned
back: “Romaine, wear the ring I gave you.”
The merchant girl immediately raised her hand smugly, waving the black and white ring clearly.
“Your task is to listen to the tremors from the ground, if you discover anything you must tell us straight
away.”
“Understood, Brendel.”
“Then let’s move out. Once we cross the array of rocks below us, we will approach the Golden Demonic
Tree. Pay attention to the formation below, as there’s a broken layer that will delay the Golden Demonic
Tree from discovering us.” Brendel started moving as he spoke, and ran up to the protruding boulder,
then signaled to Romaine and Freya to come over to him.
Freya grabbed Romaine’s hand and went over. She did so to prevent her from running around the place
and to protect her at the same time. Also, she wanted him to concentrate on his task, and once the
opportunity presented itself, they could attack the Golden Demonic Tree.
The three of them quickly rushed towards the indicated spot. He did not remember wrongly as they did
not receive any attacks. But once they crossed the zone, Romaine immediately heard something from the
ground.
“Brendel, there are noises in the ground.”
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His heart thumped loudly, and he immediately yelled: “Scatter, scatter now!”
Freya instantly pushed Romaine to the sides, and the three of them separated from each other. Two thick
vines sprang from the ground. The Golden Demonic Tree did not expect the insects here to foresee its
attack, and the roots received Brendel’s attack without being prepared for it.
The youth cleaved into the center of the vines that were as thick as a bucket. It bit deeply into them, and
silver flames immediately burst forth, burning them with a crackling sound. The Golden Demonic Tree
trembled in pain from the attack, and the entire valley reverberated with a buzz.
[It’s calling for reinforcement again.]
Brendel’s heart sank. Time was running out. He looked back and saw Freya dodging the vines gracefully,
and countered by slashing onto them. Even she only managed to cut through a third of the vine’s body,
the clean attack impressed him.
[A great improvement in her swordsmanship. She benefited a lot from the dream.]
“Brendel, there’s another sound!” Romaine had moved towards the edge of the battlefield before turning
around and yelling.
“How far?” Brendel yelled subconsciously, but immediately noticed his mistake. He had treated Romaine
as a ‘Nightingale’ in the party, but she was only more sensitive in her perception and not a professional
scout in the game.
“70 to 100 meters, probably.” Romaine thought for a moment.
“That far?” Brendel was taken aback slightly, before chopping off the vine that was attacking him. The
remaining stump lost its vitality and sank down lifelessly; the place where it was cut off was burned
black.
“60 meters.”
Brendel hesitated for a while, even though he found it a little incredulous, he decided to trust her: “Freya,
enough! Do you see that small path over there, prepare to go over there.”
Freya’s actions only stopped for a split second before she raised the sword over her chest, and defended
against the vine who whipped her over to one side. The ‘Feathers of Wind’ lit up and became a web of
light, negating most of the impact and she rolled on the ground several times before climbing up. She was
already at Romaine’s side.
“Romaine, let’s go!” She grabbed the merchant girl’s hand and ran to the indicated location.
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“Ehhh! What about Brendel?”
“He will definitely catch up.”
[Oh? That lass has finally learned to trust me and not overextend herself.]
Brendel was relieved. He was afraid that Freya would make things complicated by staying behind. The
vine that attacked Freya went after her again, but Brendel severed it into two from the earlier opening
she made.
He did not dare to stay behind any longer with the enemies cleared. The movement below the ground
was loud enough that he even could hear them, proving that Romaine’s judgment was accurate. But he
was still surprised, how could that ditsy girl hear something at least 70 meters away?
[If I calculate it…. that’s at least 5 OZ worth of perception.]
That thought only appeared for just a split second and he immediately ran away. It was not hard for him
to catch up to Freya and Romaine, but the three of them were constantly interrupted by the roots
appearing.
Then suddenly, they heard a huge boom at the southern valley, and all the vines that were attacking them
pulled back.
Brendel did not need to say anything, but the girls knew that the Rock Wurm had joined the fray.
“Did we win?” Romaine asked in delight.
He shook his head. They still had to enter the heart of the valley. In the remaining time, the Golden
Demonic Tree would constantly measure which side was more threatening and move its numerous roots
to stop them. This defense would not last very long and ultimately end in their victory.
As long as they managed to do it within the time frame.
There was less than five minutes.
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TL: So I have some bad news for myself, the first two volumes of the amber sword that I ordered are ‘Out
of Print’ – Which I won’t be able to tell if there is any difference in the WN and LN version.
I can do this marathon of chapters since I’m doing it on my free time and treating like my break, but I’ll be
working on my art assignments for the next 2 weeks after this. If you guys want more of the chapters
from the series, then I can only shake my donation box, paypal: silentwolfie@gmail.com , and ask for
some support here.
Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the past few days. And feel free to skip to the main story, or be
prepared to have a long read about the previous poll’s thoughts.
TL: I love polls. It gives me insight to the human soul!
JK.
So I assume the people who voted ‘others’ means that this series resembles korean novels and their
VRMMORPG protagonists’ counterparts? Maybe it’s because of Brendel stealing the spider ring from the
necromancer and his love for loot… 8)
I’m surprised that the choice ‘JP novel’ got the highest votes, although I can’t tell if it’s because of my TL
style or because the plot sounds like JP stuff. Maybe it resembles Log Horizon in some ways? Hmm….
So ‘Western novel’. At first when I read the first few chapters and skimmed through the later ones, I
thought it’s going to be a bit like game of thrones, wheel of time, or some western novel in the beginning,
but the development of epic plot is slow here. Don’t get me wrong, I still think there’s a presence of
dragons and dungeons influence, and I’m enjoying the journey the protagonist is having, but it’s a little
different than what I expected. I spent a considerable amount of time thinking about name translations,
gosh, the amount of names….swoon.
‘Chinese novels’ received a pretty warm reception with 14.5%. I personally thought it’s going to be one of
the lowest because it’s missing that flavor text of ‘You don’t know mount tai!’ or ‘You’re seeking death!’ or
‘*insert reference to face* or ‘the time of 1 joss stick or time of a few breaths or the time to empty 1
teacup of tea’. Lol.
Despite the nice story here, it’s a fact that CN web-novelists get paid by the amount of words they put into
each chapter, and I feel like they are writing against a deadline in many chapters. So this is the only part
where I think it resembles a Chinese novel, for all the wrong reasons >_>.
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If you are able to read the raws without relying on MTL, you might find that there’s a fair bit of difference
in the writing style and it’s in need of an editor like all other webnovels. If you MTL the series, then I’ll
just warn you guys again that I edit the series heavily. Plot is generally intact, but don’t get confused if
you see all sorts of small details missing or added in.
I rewrote the sloppy areas, removed filler words as much as I could and added details to most of the
major fights. Hopefully the story is polished and presented with a stylistic flair in English.
Truth be told, I was actually concerned a few weeks ago, cause the score for this series in novelupdates
was 2.8/5.0, which made me wonder if it was because the story simply sucked, or my TL sucked, or a
combination of the two. Fortunately the score climbed up, so I feel more confident to let the cat out of the
bag. Cough.
‘Mixture of the great three’ (JP, CN, Eng). Nothing much to say here, plenty of reasons listed as above. I
personally vote this category.
Finally, ‘if you don’t know what it resembles’, time to read more novels, kek.
Chapter 39 – Redacted
There was a blast at the southern side of the valley, and another blast half a minute later.
Brendel strained his ears and he confirmed that the Rock Wurm had passed through the valley which was
heading inside to the Forbidden Garden. This creature that was clad in a rock armor had uncountable
needle-like teeth shaped like a whirlpool for its mouth, easily passing through the earth and tearing up
the hardest rocks.
He had seen a mature Rock Wurm in the game before. It was thirty meters long and there had to be at
least three people to surround and fight it. The defense of the creature was astonishingly high, even a 40
OZ Vran Sword was not be able to pierce through the rock armor and do damage.
[Damn it. Two sounds. If the BOSS causes the Rock Wurm to take a long detour, its attention would be on
us again.]
The roots of the Golden Demonic Tree in the forbidden valley extended nearly a kilometer, and factoring
in the Rock Wurm’s fastest speed, Brendel estimated that it would at least require two minutes and thirty
seconds to burst out of the ground.
[We’re nearly at the center of the Forbidden Garden. Once we finish bypassing this uneven ground, we
would be able to reach the main body of the Golden Demonic Tree. If this BOSS does not interfere with us,
that is.]
There was two minutes left.
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But he knew that the Golden Demonic Tree would definitely try and stop them. Before he finished his
thoughts, there were crackling noises coming from the solid ground. They were in such close vicinity of
the Golden Demonic Tree that its actions came without warning, and Romaine was unable to warn him in
time.
The three of them felt the ground sink before them, and the prepared Brendel stabbed the ground with
the Elven sword to support himself, while his other hand prevented the merchant girl from falling down.
When he looked to the sides, Freya was half kneeling on the ground as she tried to steady herself.
Before the three of them had the chance to relax, the ground sank once again with a crack visibly forming
before them.
“What is it trying to do?” Freya nearly fell backwards and asked uneasily.
“It’s trying to kill us, concentrate and follow me.” He pulled Romaine up from the ground, tore out the
sword and sheathed it, then lifted the merchant girl with his arm and jumped over the crack caused by
the roots.
Romaine’s face was like a red apple when she found herself hoisted by his arm, and her eyes were opened
comically and she did not dare to let her breath out.
Freya also wanted to jump up, but the Golden Demonic Tree was ready with an attack. The roots emerged
from the ground and struck her across the chest. If it was not for Brendel’s swift reactions to pull her
back, she would have fallen into the crevice along with the rocks and mud.
“Thanks.” Freya shrugged his hand off and thanked him.
“Now is not the time for words.” Brendel pulled his sword out and cut an incoming vine whip into two.
“Move ahead. We’re nearly at the tree.”
There were snake-like tree vines appearing in front of them when they finally reached in front of the
BOSS. The crevice behind them was gradually becoming bigger, but Brendel was used to this scene.
[You might have given me a surprise during the first stage but it looks like you have ran out of tricks.]
The ability in the game was an extensive AOE attack to rip open the ground, but that did not mean it could
not be countered.
“Look carefully!”
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He shouted to Freya while holding on tightly to Romaine. He watched the vines carefully, letting the
‘whip’ pass by, then grabbed tightly onto it—
The Golden Demonic Tree apparently did not expect that. It tried to curl up the vine and shook it back and
forth, trying to throw Brendel away.
But the youth held tightly onto it with one arm. Both Romaine and him bobbed up and down as the vine
tried to shake him off, but it was a futile attempt. The BOSS finally got impatient and raised the vine up
high, gathering momentum, managing to throw him backwards. Yet he utilized the momentum from the
swing and landed thirty meters away from the crevice safely.
His high stats in strength allowed him to possess four times the strength of a normal human, while his
nimble agility allowed him to handle the tree’s sudden movements, and his robust physique allowed him
to absorb the impact. If it was a normal person, their internal organs would have ruptured from the
landing, but Brendel only felt slightly unused to the feeling when he landed.
This was the advantages of having high stats, and he knew that everything he did had meaning to it when
he landed safely.
He immediately shouted to Freya: “Follow me!”
He pulled the merchant girl along without stopping, heading towards the Golden Demonic Tree.
“Brendel, wait— I can’t catch up.”
But he could not afford to listen to what the merchant girl said, as the ground suddenly erupted in front of
him with a crashing sound when he turned at a corner. Numerous vines sprang forth to form a web,
covering the Golden Demonic Tree.
[Shit! There’s less than one minute left.]
Brendel paused for a moment, while Romaine gasped for breath behind him. She looked up at the tree in
front of her; no matter how she looked at it, its appearance looked like a Golden Apple Tree made by the
gods.
He studied the web carefully. It appeared to be identical to the game. The countless vines wiggled for a
moment before they attacked him at the same time.
With a roar, Brendel unleashed his attacks without reservations, the Elven sword flashing with a
phantasmal silver fire in a blinding speed. Each of his slashes accurately severed the numerous vines that
assaulted him in succession into halves, which in turn burst up into flames and turned to ashes. Then he
released Romaine and took a step backwards, raising his sword with both of his hands:
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“Power Break!”
One step forward.
Brendel felt an overwhelming strength spreading from his shoulders to his arms and hands, and he
sundered the web in front of him in a beautiful silver arc. The blade seemed to compress the air from two
sides, forcing a screaming explosion of wind to sing from the sword. The web of overflowing vines broke
apart like a sea of rotten firewood, and there was a large depression from the center of the web.
Freya staggered across the uneven ground and rushed towards the tree from behind, where she managed
to see this scene in front of her. She always thought she had seen his limits every single time when he was
in action, but this was the first time she saw him using this explosive power.
The Golden Demonic Tree was unable to block them any longer, and could only watch them break into
the heart of the garden.
“The two of you attack the trunk and roots and I’ll attack the main body—”
He took out the Card of Fate, and spoke in his heart: “Activate the Holy Sword!”
……………………………………………………………………….
Even in the summer time, the Silver Claw Fortress was still covered by a layer of frost. It was built on the
Corcov mountains in order to oversee the savages in the forest. But after the Balta province was built, it
was used as one of the royal family’s villa.
There was an ancient pine tree in the fortress’s diamond shaped garden. It had miraculously survived
from a fire within the Silver Claw Fortress, and the owner thought it was a good omen. Thus the tree was
kept after the fortress was rebuilt.
And under this pine tree, a solemn atmosphere extended from it.
A adolescent girl was standing there in a thick uniform of the knights. She had beautiful silver hair, and
her half pointed ears proved that she had another bloodline beyond a human, but she did not have the
elegance and aloof beauty of an elf.
The fifteen-year-old girl wore a somber face, holding on tightly to a black and heavy longsword with both
her hands. Her stance took on the form of an Aouine’s knight’s defensive posture.
She pursed her lips tightly, ordering the younger boy in front of him: “Haruze, attack me!”
A tone that denied any refusals.
“Older sis…….”
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“Attack!”
The young boy could only force himself to strike with the sword. But the girl cleanly parried his blade and
pushed his chest with one hand, making him fall straight onto the ground.
The surrounding servants audibly breathed inwardly.
“Again!” The girl’s expression did not change as she spoke.
“Sister, I…..”
“Stand up, again.”
The boy could only stand up. He took one step backwards, before gritting his teeth and charging over
again. But the girl with the knight’s uniform passed the sword from her right hand to her left and simply
swung upwards, easily knocking her opponent’s sword away.
“Why did you get distracted?”
“Sorry.”
“Again.”
……………………………………………………
Ten minutes later.
The young girl went to the dressing room. She allowed two maidservants to remove her heavy uniform.
Her perspiration and hot air were visibly seen in the cold air. She did not turn her head and simply asked:
“Where is my father?”
“The Madara’s envoy has arrived, your royal highness.”
“His majesty is meeting Marquis Kluge in the secret meeting room.” Another maidservant replied with
her head lowered.
The girl looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was cold and void of expression. She changed into a
dress, inserted her hand into her long silver hair and sent it backwards. She raised her head and said:
“Bring me to Gammel.” She had thought there would be a chance to turn the battle around, but the wily
Marquis Kluge was someone who could not be trusted. She had to find a trustworthy confidant to speak
about this, and not in front of these servants.
“Yes, your royal highness.”
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This was the beginning of June in the ‘year of bustling summer leaves and flowers’.
………………………………………………………………….
Brendel looked at the Golden Demonic Tree’s branches which were gradually losing its color. They
weakly drooped down and he knew this terrifying monster had reached the end of its life. He felt
mentally tired. He had paid two EP to maintain the holysword, and that effect seemed to have affected his
mind as well.
He was a warrior and not a wizard. Even then, a specialized wizard at his level would only have ten plus
EP.
Freya and Romaine sat down at one side with their stamina completely drained. Freya had injured her
arm a little but she was otherwise fine. In comparison, they were delighted to have defeated an
impossible foe.
Both of them looked curiously as they saw Brendel walking forward to the Golden Demonic Tree.
[Power Break!]
He swung the Elven Sword across the trunk of the tree. The dying Golden Demonic Tree was nothing
more than an oak tree now, and it was unable to resist Brendel’s 7.7 OZ worth of strength. The meteoric
strike tore the upper body of the tree away and it splintered everywhere as it crashed onto the ground.
The girls called out in surprise, not understanding what he was doing.
Brendel knew that the Golden Demonic Tree hung its dead preys on the tree’s crown and slowly absorbed
the mana from them. Despite the passing years, there might be some loot on it.
Brendel walked over and he saw a card on the floor with his first glance.
Chapter 39 – The death of the Golden Tree
TL: You read that right. Not Golden Demonic Tree, but Golden Tree. Since the title for this chapter has
spoilers, I have shifted it =X
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TL: First, Happy new year guys.
So there are a few reasons why I delayed on TLing TAS. Ch 39 was a pretty great chapter to stop, the boss
was defeated, there was hardly any cliffhanger here and was sort of the end of an arc. Other reasons
include RL stuff + catching up on TV drama shows, and the ongoing fight against my assignments. I’m
about halfway through my arm assignment, while I have 4 other assignments (some partially completed).
In any case, I hope there isn’t any painful cliffhanger for at least a few chapters, because I still have more
perspective assignments which will take a gross amount of time which might affect things for a while.
Excuse me if I fail to reply to the comments.
Ch 40 – The war in summer
After the dust settled, Brendel immediately saw the palm-sized card on the ground. He picked it up; there
was a tree painted on the face of the card. It was depicted as a majestic tree where a mysterious sheen
extending from the body of the tree towards the crown. On the upper left of the card there was a VII
written on it, but there was no crystal representing any of the elements.
Brendel looked puzzledly at it, but he immediately called up the character window and scanned it.
The depiction on the cards changed an overlay:
The secret grounds of the Holy Tree
(The Forbidden Sanctuary of the Elves VII)
[Basic Forest]
Adds 1 Water EP every week into the Elemental Pool.
Tapping: Creates the landscape of a forest.
‘My soul returnth upon to my homeland’
“This card is called ‘The Forbidden Sanctuary of the Elves’?” Brendel looked pensively at the card. There
was no description to activate the card.
[Does it mean that keeping this card in the deck will automatically generate 1 point of water EP? But what
if I don’t have an Elemental Pool? Even ‘tapping the card to create a forest’ needs some analyzing. But
now is not the time to try experiments here. Although the servants of the Golden Demonic Tree are going
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to scatter and wither, the Rock Wurm will absorb the remnants of the Earth Element and mana. After
which, it might pick a fight with us.]
He kept the card away and thought about the Mana Resonation earlier.
[There should be another card from the Knight Deck nearby. Unfortunately that resonation is caused
naturally and cannot be repeated manually, otherwise I might be able to search the area using this
method.]
He called out to Freya and Romaine to gather some of the tree’s acorns. Mature acorns could be used to
make high grade Mana potions which were highly prized in the game. Unfortunately there were only a
few of them there were mature, and there was no chance of getting an endless supply of the mana
potions.
He walked over to another location and pulled apart the leaves, discovering a pair of defensive gauntlets.
They added 2 bonus defense points but there was a requirement of 2.5 OZ strength. They felt weighty in
his hands, and he let Freya test it out as he hoped that she would be able to withstand more attacks.
However, once she received the gloves, both her arms were pulled down by the weight. She returned the
gauntlets with regret.
“That’s a shame,” Brendel shook his head: “If you’re able to wear this along with the Half Plate of the
Wind Empress, any swordsman below the Iron Grade will not be able to harm you.”
“Sorry.”
“What’s there to be sorry about, even the majority of the people in the guards are not capable of wearing
them.” Brendel said as he wore them himself. Freya noted the details in his words, and was slightly taken
aback. Did it not mean that he was amongst the top fighters in the guards?
In truth, Brendel completely surpassed Bretton or any of his subordinates.
The three of them continued to search the tree’s crown. Romaine found a short sword that added 0.1 OZ
to agility, Freya found an expensive 22 OZ magic ring that required 1 MP to cast a layer of flames on an
equipped sword.
The rest of the items were mostly junk that lost its mana long ago. Brendel cut away the bark to find the
Heart of the Golden Tree. He was disappointed to find that it was still in a crystal form, compared to what
he had received in the game as there was a difference of three years. He became alert when he discovered
this factor and he could not use the knowledge from the future to look at the things that were in the
present.
[This world is the real deal. History is going to progress slowly here.]
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When he took out the ‘Heart of the Golden Tree’, he felt a slight breeze coming from the Golden Demonic
Tree. He raised his head and saw eight golden colored lights flying from the tree to his chest.
[800 XP.]
Brendel was momentarily stunned. Even though the XP gain was not a lot, he still felt a grave impact
every time he received the experience points. There was a system that existed in this world which made
him grow stronger every single time, and he clearly felt the difference when he leveled up.
He was still reveling in his monologues when he saw Romaine running over, carefully holding something
in both her hands like she was going to present a gift. All the equipment they found were identified by
Brendel, who quickly discerned the history and identity of the item with just a single glance. It was also
why Brendel became a walking encyclopedia in Romaine’s heart.
“Brendel, you’re looking for this right?” She held up the card with both her hands and asked carefully.
He looked at the card in her hand. The patterns on the card were gray in color, and the painting on it
depicted a tall knight with a squire by his side wearing a long robe. The color of the card was the same as
his ‘Holy Sword’ card. He immediately recognized it as the card that resonated, and when he received it
—
Highland Squire
(Knight IX)
Water EP 1
[Human/Scholar, Grade 8 Living creature]
When Highland Squire comes into play, add 1 point of prestige every week.
Maintenance: When this card comes into play, pay 1 Water EP/day.
‘The bravery of the Highlands’
[This is a summoning card. This Highland squire is a scholar, and the description probably means that it
was an apprentice squire from the Karsuk’s Highlands. The alliance between the Karsuk’s wizards and
knights had existed for more than two centuries. Grade 8 scholar… It’s not amazing, but using it at the
right timing would be a great help.]
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He looked at Romaine who was looking at him with great expectations, and smiled: “Thank you, this is
really useful to me.”
“No problem.” She said happily.
At this time Freya came running from the north and worriedly said: “Brendel, Romaine, I think the Rock
Wurm is coming from the north, should we avoid it?”
“The Rock Wurm?” Brendel considered for a moment. He had originally planned for them to take a rest
for a while, but he did not expect it to move so quickly. Even though it might not attack them, it was better
to choose a safe approach.
He nodded: “The two of you should leave first. I’ll arrange something to prevent that thing from chasing
us.”
The Rock Wurm relied on its ability to smell mana and vibration to determine the location of its pray,
therefore scattering mana objects would be able to draw its attention away. Brendel waited for the girls
to leave before taking out a Holy Potion and piercing a small through it with his sword. He placed the
potion at one of the crevice in a boulder, then checked his surroundings. He confirmed that he did not
miss anything and retreated alone to the west.
He considered the possibility of Madara sending a small squadron to investigate the Mana Resonance. By
that point of time, the Rock Wurm which would stay here will teach a lesson to these skeletons and
avenge Bretton and the other guards.
……………………………………………………………………….
The sixth month of the Year of bustling summer leaves and flowers. Events progressed without diverting
from its course as according to Brendel’s knowledge.
The secret emissary reached the Winter Claw Fortress. The Sixth King of Aouine accepted Marquis
Kluge’s suggestion not to receive the emissary, and thus the War of the Black Rose quickly went into its
second phase.
On the battlefield, the Karsuk province formally faced Madara’s twin armies, ‘Winter Solstice’, ‘Black
Crow’. They gravely threatened the province, and Duke Orkin and the messenger who sent out his letter,
wept and stated the morale of the soldiers were going to collapse if they don’t receive any aid soon.
At the same time, at Karlman’s mountain regions further to the north which was close to the sea channels,
a group of undead army advanced secretly in light armor.
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And the province in southern Grinoires, Fortress Vermiere was facing repeated attacks from Incirsta’s
grand army. The region in Bucce was in a bizarre silence. A commanding officer, Earl Pola, once sent a
letter of inquiry to the 104th swordsman platoon in Fortress Riedon, but the final reply was:
“Everything is fine.”
……………………………………………………………………………….
It was the first day of the sixth month. Brendel and the girls proceeded through the secret passageway in
the Forbidden Garden. They rushed towards Fortress Riedon, racing against time. They already
discovered signs of undead activity, but the scale was small, and it appeared that undead scouts were
nearby Fortress Riedon.
This made the small party tense. They were ahead of Madara’s forces by a step, but they did not know
how far ahead they were.
And on the midnight of this day, Brendel led them out of the final section of Mountain Zevail’s pathway.
They found themselves out of the forest, southern of Fortress Riedon in a place called Vendeck. It was a
small mountain that oversaw the Pine River and Webster River. The lights from Fortress Riedon made it
appear like it was a dazzling jewel, quietly lying on several miles of the mountain valleys, illuminating the
stretch of rivers.
The girls lost their breaths when they saw this scenery. They had constantly imagined how Fortress
Riedon looked like, but they did not expect the place to look like the night sky in the darkness.
But Romaine suddenly poked Brendel’s back and whispered:
“Brendel, there’s an army behind us.”
“Army?”
“Yes, look to the north. We just passed the valley this afternoon, can you see it?”
“That’s ten kilometers away, and it’s so dark, how can you see that place clearly? My noble lady, please
don’t joke at this time!” He sighed in a exaggerated manner.
“But I can see it.”
“Brendel, Romaine might be telling the truth.” Freya interjected.
[…… Of course I know she’s probably right, I already seen her perception first-hand. I’m just joking to
ease the tension. You’re going to become old quickly if you’re always so serious, Miss Future Goddess of
War…..]
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TL: TSTBGAM will be up soon. I cleared my 2 pt perspective assignment pretty quickly.
CH 41 – Spy
He looked back at Romaine, and found that she was looking back at him. Her eyes which were full of
curiosity made people feel uncomfortable at times, but Brendel was truly fond of her and found her
mannerisms to be cute.
He contemplated for a while before replying: “Let’s stop here for a while.”
“Stop for a while?” Freya asked: “But the Madara’s forces are right behind us, and they would arrive about
two or three hours later. We don’t have much time, Brendel.”
But he shook the Seal Ring in front of the girls and answered: “It is now midnight. The city will be on full
alert, and just having this alone does not really say anything. If we are treated as the Madara’s scouts,
everything would go wrong, understand?”
“T-then, what should we do?” Freya thought that all her efforts that she put in should have a little use.
He glanced at her. In his mind, he knew clearly he was full of crap. Fortress Riedon did not notice
Madara’s invasion? That might not be true! The nobles would not neglect their own safety, what they
wanted was to hide inside the fortress and stubbornly defend until reinforcements arrived.
He remembered in the Year of the Hidden Beasts (Year 342), the undead army swept across the east of
Karsuk, leaving the entire region void of life. The governor of City of Silver Horses ordered the gates to be
shut, ignoring the pleas of the eastern region, causing the refugees to flee to the west. In the end, that
stretch of land was still empty even until now.
Even so, these city lords did not receive any censure or blame, or perhaps the royal family had no power
left to rebuke the lords since the ascension of Aouine’s previous king. The girls did not understand what
happened to the Karsuk region, but he knew what happened.
His true intention was to rescue Romaine’s aunt, and possibly a few others if he could, but reporting to
the army of Fortress Riedon? He had never placed hope in this aspect, and he certainly did not think
himself as a messiah.
Rather than hoping the nobles would listen to reason, he would rather bet on pigs flying in the air as a
better possibility. There were many clashes amongst the players and the arrogant nobles in the game,
and even until the political changes in the twelve month, they were still fighting it out.
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He did not even have one good impression of the bastards at all.
When he considered the pieces in his mind, he realized that Freya might see things differently. He spied
on her with the corners of his eyes. She was staring vacantly at the campfire — The countryside girl still
believed in this country. It was not a bad thing, but he was worried that she would be impulsive when it
came to the critical juncture.
And even if displayed the facts before her, she might not believe him. This would only lead to a rift
between them and he did not wish to argue with her. He continued to mull things over, then a sudden
idea hit him.
[There are some moves I need to consider in advance for this plan.]
He pretended to think a while longer, then answered: “I have thought things through. It seems like we
don’t have much of a choice. We are still Aouine’s citizens and we cannot avoid the dangers here.”
“But,” He paused: “We need to prepare for every situation.”
His logical and grand speech made the girls nod in agreement. Even Freya’s attitude softened. She looked
at him with appreciative eyes, suddenly finding that he was not such a shameless lout.
Only the Gods knew that Brendel felt relieved after his speech. He realized that he finally found a way to
bridge himself to his past and the current Brendel. He was never a person to be mired in rules, but the
recent days made him feel that there was a huge hand continuously pushing him from behind, and that
made him feel breathless at every turn.
But with his growing strength and the baptism from the Golden Demonic Tree’s dream, he finally felt the
carefree feeling from the past returning to him. This made him feel like things could be solved easily. His
thoughts also had the addition of the former Brendel’s flexibility.
He took out the black gargoyle statue which still had a small crack on it.
He said: “You need to be prepared as well. Turn your ring to face inwards, Freya. Your fire agate is too
conspicuous. Little Romaine, you need to keep your dagger close to your body. The lazy guards won’t
search too close for it.”
“Do I need to turn my ring too?”
“That’s not necessary, nobody will want your cheap ring.”
“Brendel, these people are the guards of the fortress! Why do you look like you don’t…… trust them too
much?” She asked.
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“… I had never trusted them in the first place. Once we reach there you will understand what I mean. In
any case, just follow what I said for the time being.”
Freya had never entered the city and felt that he was overdoing things. But she could only choose to
believe since he was the leader of such things now.
Brendel took out various trinklets while he explained. The only thing that he had not identified was the
trinklets from the fallen noble. He found that the pipe was only a common item and he he threw it away.
He did not know what the dark gray colored stones were, but there was bound to be something that he
did not recognize since there were thousands of different materials.
But the crystal beads were interesting. He discovered they were the containers of a spent soul gem, or
more accurately, a storage spell item. The spell inside them should be a silencing spell, an appropriate
magic to use for going around the monster’s nest during adventuring.
But what made him feel awkward was the inability of activating the storage spell items since he was a
warrior. He hesitated for a while before keeping the cards and the items away, so the greedy guards
would not take them away later on.
He checked the night sky. It was still early.
They started to leave Vendeck from the east, and there were signs of bright stars illuminating the
buildings in their path. They were mostly farms distributed on the two shores of the Pine Forest, one
after another. There were also inns in the outskirts, which only adventurers and illegal merchants would
patronize these buildings. Many NPCs treated the players like they were grave robbers, since it was true
that the majority of them had done something similar.
They walked in the wild for approximately an hour, and suddenly Fortress Rideon appeared right in front
of them. There were fire baskets at the towers, which lit the surroundings dozens of meters away.
Brendel told the girls to slow down, and to gradually walk out of the darkness into the edge of the light.
The guards were chatting with each other, and there was even a faint snoring sound. He was particularly
sensitive to the noises, and he furrowed his brows. There were approximately seven or eight of them in
the tower.
Once the three of them appeared, the chatting ceased.
“Identify yourself!” The guards looked warily at them for a while, and one of them revealed himself with a
helmet and demanded them to answer. Romaine squinted and looked up, finding a black pine symbol on
the helmet’s top.
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Brendel had once explained to her that the black pine symbol represented the local forces, while that
white-mane something army was a symbol of a wolf. ‘Brendel really knows everything’, she thought.
“A men and two women. We came from the forest. Sir, we saw something strange there. Me and my wives
are completely scared, and we want to seek refuge in the fortress!” Brendel raised his arm and shouted
loudly.
Freya who was behind listened in fury and embarrassment, what was ‘a man and two woman’, the
crudeness of it all! When she heard him saying they were his wives, she finally stabbed Brendel’s back
with the sword’s hilt, this damned bastard must have done it on purpose!
Romaine looked like she was fine with it, perhaps even feeling that it was a good thing to be Brendel’s
wife.
Brendel could only suffer in silence. This was the only way to make the guards lay down their vigilance.
They did not look similar to each other in appearance, and he could not possibly say they were siblings.
“Are you carrying weapons?” The guard asked again.
Freya tensely held on to her sword when she heard that question, but Brendel calmly answered: “We
dare not set foot in the forest without weapons, sir, and we also trained as militia in the past.”
The tower became silent, and there was a long pause.
After a while, a basket was let down from above, and the guard shouted: “Take off your weapons and
place them in the basket. We will receive you one by one.”
Brendel nodded to Freya to let them do the same. Even though the ‘Thorn of Light’ was more elegant in
appearance, without activating the sword it did not look like a Magic Sword. Once the weapons were
handed over the basket lift was sent down. Brendel was the first to go up in case something happened to
the girls up there. Freya allowed Romaine to go next, and finally she was the last one to be pulled up.
She sat down on the lift’s seat as she was pulled up, but when she reached the top of the tower, she saw
that Brendel and Romaine were restrained with swords on their necks. Two of the guards pulled out their
swords and walked over to her.
“What is this?” Freya asked in astonishment. She cast her gaze at Brendel, but he looked away and did not
answer her query.
She panicked a little. Brendel was always the leader of the group, but now it was as if she became the
decision maker. What should she do? Let the guards restrain her? Was this the way how they did things?
[Brendel, answer me, what the hell are you thinking, damn it!]
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“Take them away, these people are Madara’s scouts!” At this moment, she suddenly heard someone
barking orders from the corner. She was greatly taken aback, and spoke without thinking: “You knew that
the Madara’s army was attacking?”
Brendel’s expression was one of tragedy. Even though she had grown, she was a still a naive lass who had
not seen the various aspects of society. A few mere words was enough to make her lose her composure.
She might feel there was nothing wrong in her question, but the guards in Fortress Riedon was afraid of
people from Bucce reporting the situation.
They wanted to suppress this information in order to shirk the responsibility.
Brendel knew that all too well. These people thought they could rely on Fortress Riedon’s tall and sturdy
walls, but none of them knew the war was going to advance in a direction beyond their wildest dreams.
“Wait, we’re not Madara’s scouts!” Freya argued: “We’re Bucce’s militia, we have the Seal Ring of the
Bucce’s guard captain!”
But the voice completely ignored her and yelled: “Restrain her now, what are you waiting for?” The
person walked out from the darkness, bearing a dark armor, with the feather on his helmet indicating
that he was the leader of the guards.
The perverted middle-aged man stared lasciviously at Freya, his mind thinking that he had gotten
something good. He believed that Freya was telling the truth as she was still wearing the militia’s
armbands, but he had other plans in mind.
[How interesting. To think there’s such a fine woman in that poverty-stricken Bucce.]
He stroked his chin.
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Chapter 42 – Middle-aged person
Brendel looked at the helpless Freya who did not know what to do, and he guessed that she should have a
certain understanding of the guards’ true appearance by now. It was still not enough, so he continued to
wait and let her see with her own eyes and understand what kind of plight they were currently in.
He did not wish to break her love for this kingdom, but there were times where such emotions were
insufficient and would only lead to a disaster. He hoped that Freya would learn to be calm under
desperate situations. If there was a need to protect the girls, he would do so should the guards intend to
harm them.
He continued to wait for Freya’s actions, but suddenly realize her gaze was someplace faraway. He
paused slightly before he followed her line of sight.
He then noted that the place she was looking at was the ‘Eastern Camp’ in Fortress Riedon, and saw a
group of people varying in height tightly surrounding a tall man. Behind him was a group of the ‘White
Mane’ light infantry.
Brendel suddenly felt things were turning interesting. He did not expect to have such good luck, and he
felt like he found a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Freya was certainly quick to have noted these
people with authority, and he nodded inwardly as he guessed what Freya was thinking about.
From a normal person’s point of view, Freya’s reactions were correct.
He turned back to Freya and saw the two guards were about to pull out their swords and close in on
Freya. She jumped into the tower and rushed for the weapons.
The two guards were startled and hurriedly readied their swords to fight her, but Freya abruptly closed
in on them and grabbed the first guard’s sword wrist with her right hand.
They had not expected her to resist when her companions had already been captured and was caught off-
guard by the series of events.
She then swiveled her body to the side and struck with her left hand at the other guard’s armpit, then
grabbed onto his sword and kicked him backwards as he cried out in pain. Her actions were done in a
single stroke, almost as if it was done in the blink of an eye.
The first guard pulled away from her grasp, but she was ready with the stolen sword and thrust three
times at him. With the growth she had gained from the earlier battles, she forced him back all the way to
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the wall, struck him on the head with the sword’s hilt and caused him to slump lifelessly onto the ground
with a bleeding head.
She then turned around again, her intimidating air frightening the other four guards and their captain,
and they stepped backwards at the same time.
Freya was displeased. She had always thought that the soldiers in Fortress Riedon were as amazing as
Brendel, but their standards were actually this terrible! (TL: Kek. Anyone can probably see something is
very wrong with Brendel.)
Brendel applauded her in his heart. The soldiers in this fortress were only at the standard of veteran
militia, but her current prowess was enough to become one of the guards. Furthermore, she had the
qualities of being calm and steady now.
He eyed the ‘White Mane’ light infantry.
[But if she underestimates the kingdom’s regular army, she is going to be in trouble. I’ll keep an eye out
for her decisions. Right now —]
He suddenly grabbed the two guards next to him and threw them out before they could react. He took
hold of the Elven sword next and knocked the longswords of the guards who were holding Romaine
away.
“What do you intend to do?” He ignored the sobbing guards on the ground and the other stunned guards,
then grabbed Romaine’s hand and went over to Freya.
Freya glared at him for a few seconds, then looked at the camp. Her intentions were clear enough.
“Over there? That’s fine, it’s good to go straight to the boss than to waste time with the summons.” He
laughed.
“What does that mean?” Romaine asked curiously as she rubbed her wrists. The guards used a lot of force
to restrain her and her wrists were numb.
“I mean, let’s hear out the lords.”
Freya felt that he was trying to hint at something but now was not a good time to refute his words. She
looked at the frightened guard captain with disgust, then proceeded forward by jumping out of the tower.
“Brendel, Freya looks like she’s angry.”
“It’s fine, let’s just catch up to her.”
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The Golden Apple Lord, Esebar, had a pleasant day until he saw the current events unfold before his eyes.
He watched the girl charge forward to him and was taken aback for a moment. The soldiers behind him
rushed forward to surround her and the other two people behind her.
Esebar looked at their attire and found they were dressed like they were from the countryside. After a
blank moment, he felt anger rising from his chest.
[What are these fuckers doing! How dare they let these filthy countryside swill intrude here, who’s the
captain on the duty here, I’ll skin his hide!]
Esebar’s face went red with anger, ready to explode, but he felt someone poking him with a cane. He
looked back and saw the revolting businessman, Sir Burnley. He had no wish to talk to this penny-
pinching podgy bastard. Burnly was constantly filled with the stench of copper, and his face was
hideously decorated with layers of fat, but Esebar at least understood they were on the same side.
Burnley pointed at Freya’s uniform, and Esebar received a jolt when he saw Freya’s emblem.
[Bucce’s militia, didn’t the report say that the Madara’s army had reached Beldor Forest? How did they
come over here?]
He cast a glance behind him, hoping the person with high authority did not notice the commotion here.
He grabbed his sword tightly and barked at the soldiers around him: “What are you waiting for, capture
these assassins.”
[Assassins?]
Freya was dazed by his words. Her eyes were wide open with surprise and she wanted to argue back, but
the clear rings of swords being pulled out by the guards pierced her heart painfully.
“What is happening here?”
At this moment, a low and solemn voice interrupted them. The soldiers parted sideways, and revealed a
middle-aged man with sunken eyes and a tall nose; his face cold and dark. He held a golden cane in his
hand and looked at everyone in the vicinity with a haughty gaze.
Esebar took a deep breath and cursed in his mind. His brain worked quickly and answered without
changing his expression: “There are a few commoners who barged in, and they might be assassins.”
“Commoners?” The middle-aged man furrowed his brows.
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“My lord, we are not assassins. We’re Bucce’s militia and we are here to report th–”
The middle-aged man showed signs of loathing, and he interrupted her: “What is your name.”
“F-Freya.” She lowered her head when she saw his cold gaze.
“How about you?” He asked Romaine who was beside Freya.
“I’m Romaine, Mister.” The merchant girl blinked and replied.
A few people giggled in the crowd but they quickly stopped themselves. The middle-aged man did not
change his expression, but merely waved his hand and said: “Take them away, I’ll decide everything once
you are done with the questioning.”
“My lord, we…….” Freya raised her head in a panic to try and explain.
But he did not bother to listen to her and let the guards surround them. But a few moments later, he
spoke again.
“Hold on.”
As if there was a hidden power behind his words, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at
him.
“Bring that man’s sword to me and let me take a look.” He pointed at Brendel with his cane.
‘Sword?’
The soldiers were momentarily confused, then looked at Brendel’s sword and noticed its design.
[Fuck, that’s an Elven sword which is reputed by its beauty. This is commonly traded amongst the nobles,
damn this greedy bastard. He wants both the women and the sword!] Esebar cursed in his mind once
again.
What made him angry was the status that he had. His rank was much higher than Esebar, and he could
only give up as he could not afford to offend the powers behind him.
Brendel looked at Freya and saw that she was lost and disoriented. He knew it was about time to end the
farce, but he still maintained a poker face and shrugged.
He handed the sword over obediently.
[This man is at least sensible.] Esebar approved this action.
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A soldier carried the sword over with care, and presented it with both his hands to the middle-aged man,
who read out the Elven words on the sword:
“(Thy sword shall burst forth from light, and strike thy enemies with terror)”
He raised the sword up and the Elven sword shone in his hand. The people surrounding him took a deep
breath. It was a magic sword, and the nobles cast their gaze on Brendel and the others. They felt they
were assassins as no militia would have a magic weapon.
The middle-aged man looked at the glowing longsword and smiled for the first time. He looked at the
merchant Burnley and said: “Sir Burnley, you have a discerning eye for these sort of things, can you tell
me this sword’s history?”
The fat noble quickly moved over to him with his wobbling body to ingratiate himself in front of him: “It
is true that I have seen a few Elven weapons, but it is you, my lord, who has a discerning eye in your
circle.”
The middle-aged man gave a cold laugh and said: “Then for the sake of this sword, treat them well
tonight. I’ll interrogate these assassins myself. You would best take care of the ladies here, and tell your
captain Granzon what I said here. Do not think that I am ignorant of the dirty things they do.”
His words became colder and colder, and actually caused the soldier in front of him to shudder. But the
other people around him revealed a meaningful smile. The more evident the lord’s attitude was, the
better it was for them.
It was merely a sword and two women after all, and they were more interested in waiting for other
opportunities.
Freya raged with anger and it showed on her burning face. She took a deep breath, clenched her teeth and
fists, and for a moment Brendel was worried she would do something rash.
Brendel looked up at the middle-aged man as he swung the glimmering sword about. He creased his
brows as he tried to recall this person. It looked like he was a high ranking person but he could not
remember his face.
[This person’s reaction is interesting. Well, the fun part is coming right up.]
When they were taken away by the guards, he clearly heard the middle-aged man ask:
“Alright, let us get down to business. Mister Esebar, when do you plan on letting me go out of this city?”
His voice was cold with a tinge of sarcasm.
“My lord, this is a dangerous time right now, the Madara forces have already arrived at Stronghold
Vermiere. The sidelines of Bucce might fall any moment and it is currently too dangerous. This is
especially so when you are a chief councillor for the king, and we cannot let any danger to befall you.”
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The middle-aged man smiled without saying anything else.
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Chapter 43
TL: It’s probably going to be a long week ahead for me, going to work real hard on plenty of gesture
drawings, 100 of them at least…??
Needs assistance on spell check again. There are many names this chapter which took a long time to TL,
grumble grumble.
It kind of surprised me to see that ‘This series feels unique’ took first place for the previous poll. From a
genre point of view, this book did not really bring anything new to the table. That “system” that Brendel
has is common in JP WNs, dozens of Chinese WNs protagonists taking over bodies and “second chance
time travel” (sort of).
The only thing that I feel is considerably unique is the portrayal of the characters that felt kind of western
DnD fiction with a touch of asian vibe (?), which was kind of exactly how that poll before the current one
showed (Many of you felt that it was a mixture of writing style). It even beat out the ‘story plot’ choice by
a very thin margin, haha.
‘Brendel’s inner monologues’ was sort of a troll choice, so I can’t really guess if you guys are serious or
not (lol). The least favorite poll choice was the ‘battles’, which is most likely the opposite of xianxia which
is full of ‘crack’ fights. But I’m still glad that you read this series for the plot and unique writing style.
Chapter 43 – Not a highland knight?
The captain of the guards led them into the cells, then threatened Brendel’s group coldly with a few lines
and left. Freya was fuming mad but Brendel sat leisurely in the darkness. He observed his surroundings
with the torches’ ambient light.
[This is the second level of the prison’s location. 32 Rooms, with 4 wardens comprising of the 104th
swordsman squadron’s light infantry. Hahaha, this reminds me of the PK that I did back then in the game.
It’s not the first time I visited this place, and I was imprisoned in the third level. The players were terrible
outlaws in the eyes of the NPCs.]
He took out the gargoyle idol from his pocket and felt all over the surface. The cracks were nearly gone.
He finally turned back to the opposite cell and asked in the complete darkness: “Freya, Romaine, are you
alright?”
“Brendel, how long will we be locked up?” The merchant girl’s voice came over with slight unease.
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[Hmm? She sounds a little scared. These girls should be safe although it’s a little dark. How should I put
her at ease-]
Suddenly a dull and loud thud echoed in the darkness.
“Damn it! These damned bastards, why did everyone in Bucce try so hard for these people!” Freya
punched on the wooden bars in fury.
“The ones inside, stop that shit right now! Do you want to be whipped?” The warden immediately warned
with a menacing voice.
Even though Freya wanted nothing more than to punch the bastards outside one by one, she recognized
her situation she was in and took a deep breath to calm down.
“Brendel, what are we going to do now?” She asked softly.
Romaine immediately cut in and asked: “This is the Black Prison right? My aunt said there are some
people who get locked here for their whole lives without seeing the day ever again. Brendel, are we going
to have the same fate?”
“Romaine, just shut up!” Freya answer in the place of Brendel.
He smiled: “Do you still have any hope in them?”
“I hope that everyone of them dies!” She replied in a rage.
“But if we don’t get their help, Fortress Riedon will be in danger.” Brendel stood up and walked to the
prison’s door and said quietly.
She was silent for a while.
“I have done my best,” She said: “I don’t have an infinite pool of stamina and I can only do much for
Bucce.”
[Very good. Looks like the ‘Goddess raising’ plan is working well. I definitely need Freya to help me in the
future. It’s good that the amount of trouble that I took was not a waste.]
“It’s good that you thought things through.”
“Do you have a plan?”
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“Yes, the two of you back away a little.”
It was precisely because he had a way to escape that he dared to enter this place.
The next night was a true nightmare but the nobles in Fortress Riedon did not know that. Freya had
brought the final chance right before them, but they locked the group up under a false reason.
[These nobles really are digging their own graves and jumping into them,]
“Wait, Brendel, w-what are you thinking of doing? Don’t do anything rash, this is the prison!” Even though
Freya wanted the nobles to die, she was still a citizen and did not want to commit treason by escaping out
so openly.
“I know what I’m doing.”
“What do you know! Ah, Romaine, persuade him!” She lowered her voice. She wanted someone, even the
wardens, to stop Brendel’s crazy actions, yet somewhere in her mind, she did not want the guards to
notice the commotion inside the room. She was deeply conflicted for a moment.
“Brendel, I also want to escape.” Romaine answered.
“Shut up!!! I did not want you to persuade him in this manner!” Freya was in tears as the two of them did
not seem to understand what their actions were going to bring about. Escaping was punishable by death,
and she did not know what to do when the two of her best companions were about to become wanted
criminals.
Brendel took out the ‘Highland Squire’ card and threw it onto the ground. He paid it with 1 water EP
(elemental point) provided by the ‘Garden of the Holy Tree’. A burst of smoke came and went, and a
youth carrying a large number of scrolls with a long robe patted his sleeves, and walked out from the
smoke.
[It’s impossible to store EP without an elemental pool. The EP generated from the Earth card will be lost
but I can pay it directly within this week.]
“My name is Ciel, my lord, I am pleased to serve you.” The youth looked at him and bowed deeply.
“Are you a highland magician?” He asked.
“An apprenticed.” The youth corrected him earnestly.
Brendel discovered that he was able to perceive his stats, so he called up the window to take a look.
Name: Ciel
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Class: Highland Magician Apprentice
HP: 16
Mana: 8
Magic spells:
Basic Creation (2 MP), Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Knowledge:
Basic Magic, Creation Magic, Basic knowledge in geography and locations, Sigil Magic 1 OZ.
“You learned Conjuration Magic?” (TL: It translates literally to Law Magic….)
“Yes.”
Conjuration wizards was a type of generalist wizard, and they focused on Conjuration principles. The
magic manipulates the line between the material world and the world of laws, with gems as a medium of
power to create a spell.
There were nine different types of wizards in The Amber Sword. Conjuration Magic, Elemental Magic,
Chord Magic, Shaman Magic, Sigil Magic, Holy Magic, Astral Magic, Necromancy and Leyline Magic. Each
type represented a different set of magic, but majority of the people were unable to differentiate between
them and classified them as merely wizards.
“Brendel, is someone talking to you?” Freya suddenly stopped and asked.
“Yes, it’s my attendant.” Brendel replied.
“Attendant?” The girl was confused.
Brendel took out the soul crystal that stored a ‘Silence Sound’ spell which affected ten feet of its
surroundings and threw it at the youth: “Activate it.”
A warrior could not use a magic item but a wizard apprentice obviously could. Ciel caught the crystal and
supplied 1 MP into it and the surface of the crystal should a little. Freya suddenly realized she was unable
to create any sound, and her heart beat furiously in the presence of the mysterious magic. She reacted the
same way a normal person would, especially so when she did not know it was Brendel who did it.
Ciel nodded to his owner.
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Brendel turned to the wooden bars that were thicker than his arms and punched it. He had raised his
Mercenary to level 8 and Militia to lvl 6. With his overall level of 15, he had 5.4 OZ of strength and with
Power Break added to it — (TL: + 1 villager level)
The sturdy bars broke from the center and flew violently against the opposite bars, continuing its
momentum and bounced twice without any sound. The two girls watched it break with splinters and dust
flying everywhere. He walked out from the cell and Ciel followed behind him. He grabbed the steel chains
from the other cell and pulled it like a rope. It changed its shape from the force and broke apart link by
link, then he opened the door and waited until the magic’s effect was gone.
“Oh, do you ladies want to stay in here a little longer?” He stood outside the cell and looked at the
surprised girls and asked cheekily.
“Y-y-you, broke out?” Freya could not believe what she saw, this was too lawless! And he was too skillful
with this which was probably because it was not the first time he did this!
He only grinned. He escaped countless times in the game, and he even succeeded escaping from the
harbor Ampere Seale’s prison fortress.
[Back then the forums were even roused by the players who managed to escape from Kirrlutz’s capital’s
prison.]
“And who is he?” Freya noticed there was someone else beside Brendel.
“My esteemed ladies, I am Sir lord’s squire.” Ciel lowered his head and greeted the two girls.
“Squire?”
“Sir lord?”
They nearly failed to control their voices, what was going on? Was there a secret passageway, why did
Brendel mysteriously became a lord and even had a squire?
Freya patted her face to check if she was dreaming. If that youth who stayed in that old mansion suddenly
became a lord after a few months, then she should become a Goddess of War too right?
“H-how did you come in?” She blurted out in a hurry.
“Like you can see, I’m a magician.” Ciel answered without skipping a beat. Brendel greatly appreciated
that, this bugger had a level of bullshitting that could compete with him.
“A magician” Freya was taken aback.
“Y-y-you are a Highland Knight, Brendel, you’re actually a Darnian!” She looked at him with disbelief.
There was one place in this world where a magician would become a knight’s squire, the Karsuk’s region
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where the Highland Knights had allied with the wizards for more than three hundred years, forming
Aouine’s strongest forces and known as the White Knights. They were legends in every household.
At this moment Freya believed that Brendel was a noble youth from a high ranking knight family.
[No wonder, no wonder he was so amazing. He was so calm in every situation because he was a knight.]
She suddenly lowered her head.
[This bastard is a noble, yet he came to me and Romaine who are just commoners, he must be up to
something bad!]
She immediately linked the bad deeds that she heard from her aunt and jerked backwards.
Brendel obviously did not know what was going on in the girl’s creative mind, and merely thought she
could not accept the events that had transpired. In fact he thought that if they felt better with this
explanation, he could skip the trouble of explaining himself. He shook his head and looked at Ciel, who
also looked back at him.
Reality was always so troublesome.
“Alright, you two girls, it’s about time to go” Brendel looked at Romaine who was hiding in the dark with
her bright eyes looking at him curiously. He shook his head and asked: “You are not going to plan to stay
here till dawn right?”
“Brendel, are you really a knight?” She suddenly asked.
“No, I’m just Brendel.”
“Okay, then I’m coming out.”
“Please—“
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Chapter 44
TL: I have to shift the Amber Sword schedule to every Friday instead. My art class stuff has begun to go
into more irritating stuff like, craft a skull in zbrush and draw perspective stuff from blueprints, more
muscles, gestures, time consuming crap etc. Luckily I’m starting on some digital illustrations on
characters so I can finally post something interesting.
If I have the time, I might want to take on a temporary JP title.
Chapter 44 – Not jailbreaking?
The three remaining people came out from the prison. The girls looked on as Brendel easily handled the
patrolling wardens, and the entire process was silent and practiced. Freya had her suspicion that Brendel
had special training as a Highland Knight, but was it necessary to train to do something like this?
After the wardens were settled, the four of them walked towards the central area of the level. The guard
who kept watch of the keys was surprised when they saw them coming out from the darkness, and
subconsciously pulled out the sword from the wall.
Brendel immediately raised his gauntlets he stole from a warden and charged over to him. A blue
shimmering glow washed over the gauntlets as he blocked the guard’s sword. The blue light was around
the size of a soccer ball, and there was a force from within that pushed away the sharp blade.
Brendel grabbed the sword away when the white mane light infantry became surprised, and pushed him
back to the wall with tremendous force. A dull thud and a withering gasp could be heard as the guard
fainted. Brendel saw that the guards were merely normal soldiers, so he did not use fatal force and simply
knocked them out.
Freya blurted out after she watched him knock down the final foe: “I can’t believe you’re so strong. If I did
not see you in action, I would still be naive about the strength of the knights.”
“You don’t have to look down on yourself. A mid white-ranked swordsman is more than enough to handle
the guards.” Brendel searched for the key to go up the next level on the warden.
“White-ranked swordsman?”
“It means unranked,” Ciel explained next to her: “The blacksteel, silver, gold swordsmen rank
counterparts are, squires, knights and veteran knights. The blacksteel swordsmen are Aouine’s knights’
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reserves.If there are any nobles with slight potential, they would be sent to great noble families to
become squires.” (TL: The pacing of words is a little unclear here, but nobles probably have nothing to do
with swordsmen. They are just training to become knights.)
“According to tradition, a grade 1 ranking swordsman enjoy the authority of not taking off his hat when
they meet low ranking nobles like squires and lords, but this tradition has stopped approximately fifty
years ago. Any rank that is below the blacksteel swordsmen, would be unranked. Typically the army
guards, militia are of this level, separated only by the words of ‘upper’ and ‘lower’.”
“So this is how it is classified.” Freya stood pensively. Just a while ago her mind was still mired in being
the top militia swords user, but now her horizons have broadened.
But Ciel was not done yet as he had seen through his lord’s intention to nurture the girl, so he continued:
“A blacksteel swordsman represents a grade 1 power, silver swordsman as grade 2 power, gold
swordsman as grade 3 power. Our wizards counterpart are cantrip wizard, first circle wizard and second
circle wizard. There are also similar distinctions for the priests and other professions, and these
distinctions are not of a country’s standards, but from the Holy Cathedral of Flames’s strict rules.”
The girls blinked repeatedly as they received the lesson. It was not actually uncommon knowledge for the
commoners, but Bucce was simply too isolated.
“The strongest kingdom like Kirrlutz and Bansel, their standing army’s soldiers are comprised of the
blacksteel rank, while most of the captains are of the silver rank. In comparison, more than half of
Aouine’s border army’s soldiers have not reached the blacksteel rank, and even an appointed captain of
the knights is at the intermediate blacksteel rank.” Ciel intentionally pointed things out.
“Ciel, if you spread this, our heads would be chopped off.”
“My lord, if you are not afraid of being executed, as an attached squire I would not be afraid too.” The
youth lightly replied, before continuing: “My lord should also have the standards of a blacksteel rank. It is
a very rare thing to see with your lordship’s age, and Ciel is very pleased to have the chance to follow
such an outstanding person.”
[If I’m going to compare to the people with the ‘enlightened’ or ‘chosen’ status, or even the ones with
knight talents, I’m nothing much at all. Then again the results that I accomplished are quite puzzling
indeed.]
Ciel did not know the circumstances, but since Brendel felt good from the praise he did not reveal
anything.
Especially when it came to the girls’ amazed gazes.
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Ciel looked at the guard on the floor and asked softly: “Number 5, 17 and 22, these seems to be other
prisoners in these three cells. Should we let them out to aid us in our escape, my lord? If the outside area
is the soldier camp, the more people we have, the better our chances to escape.”
Freya glared at him. Brendel had talked about other stuff during their temporary stay in the cells. The
people who were locked here were guilty of terrible crimes.
“No, it will affect my plans if there are more people.” Brendel said confidently.
“As you wish.”
Brendel turned his head back: “Romaine, do you know where your aunt is?”
She shook her head: “I don’t know exactly either, she only said that she would be staying with a relative.”
“Where is that relative staying?”
“The location is at Ponoa’s market. I heard that person is a distant relatative of my aunt. He’s a small fur
merchant called Hood.” Freya said.
Brendel glanced at Romaine: “Your family certainly has the tradition of having merchants.”
Romaine merely smiled sweetly.
Since Brendel had the desired location, it was easy to decide on the next step. The first level of the prison
was even smaller, and there was only one warden there. Brendel was certain that there were four
wardens in their level because of them. He quickly settled the warden here and they proceeded upwards,
and found themselves in the inner soldier camp.
He was familiar with this area, and he led his party swiftly to the warehouse and retrieved Freya’s half
plate. They then equipped themselves with a sword. He found that it was a pity that the soldiers who
fainted did not provide XP, otherwise he would have woken them up and knocked them a few times.
Ciel repeatedly gave the advice of freeing the other prisoners to let them escape from the riot: The reason
was very simple, it was easy for them to handle one or two white-maned light infantry soldiers, just rush
them from the shadows and they were down for the count. But once they got to the outside camp, it was
impossible to escape with just the four of them.
But Brendel denied it.
In the midst of their discussion, Brendel had already led them to the highest point of this soldier camp; a
tower. He opened the wooden door at the peak, and there was a open pathway in front of them. This
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tower was used as a last minute resort to aid the walls, and one of the areas overlooked approximately a
fifth of the city.
But he was not here to look at the scenery. They had incapacitated seven guards along their way, and
according to the standards of the white-mane army, they would discover that there was something amiss
after ten minutes. He looked up at the sky. The sky was beautifully illuminated by the moon and stars,
and despite the thick clouds, the shape of the moon could still be seen.
“What are you doing, Brendel?” Freya poked him from behind. A stray thought appeared in her mind and
she wondered if this fellow actually broke out of the jail just to see the moonlight. Even though it was
probably unlikely, but looking at the crazy actions that he did in the past few days, it might be possible.
She looked at Ciel next, and the youth also had his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky with
his lord silently. They certainly had great coordination with each other.
“The moonlight tonight is pretty good.” Brendel answered.
“You—” Freya really wanted to punch his face to see if he could still laugh about it.
“My aunt said that the moon’s name is Luca, and was born because of Iren, a goddess. Because there is a
moon,this world became mysterious.” Romaine also looked up at the moon and commented.
“Your aunt knows a lot,” Ciel also added in: “There is a secret amongst the wizards, a book called ‘The
annals of darkness’, which described the things that happened long ago in the past.”
“Are you saying that Romaine’s aunt is a wizard?” Freya was stunned.
“That might not be so, it might be possible that she is someone related to magic. Some witches in the rural
areas have also heard of such rumors.” He replied.
Freya’s eyes went to Romaine, but the latter did not seem to hear any of their talk and simply looked at
the moon. Freya did think that Romaine’s aunt Jennie was indeed a little mysterious. She frequently
brought strange things back to the village, and the villagers said she was a witch and did not really
communicate with her family.
While Brendel listened to their conversation on one side, he suddenly heard strange words in his mind:
XVI: The Tower
The fallen ‘moonlight’ that devours light.
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He was momentarily dazed for a while, and thought he was in an illusion. He quickly shook his head, but
could not stop but remember that dream when he was unconscious.
In a scenery filled with ghastly darkness, isolated from the world. There was only a moon shining on the
tower in the midst of a black lake, signifying the beginning and end of his dream. There was when he met
Freya.
But when he was about to mull over this thought, the merchant girl suddenly said: “There’s something
coming over, Brendel.”
The three of them looked around in alert.
After twenty seconds, they heard a low and dull sound of wings flapping. Freya was in vigilance and
unease, but Brendel and Ciel were relaxed.
Brendel looked up, and the next instant a gargoyle broke through from the clouds. The rock devil with its
wings extended contrasted deeply from the bright moonlight, and became a figure that was full of
intrigue.
“Brendel, it’s your gargoyle!” Romaine recognized it immediately.
“Yes. Are you afraid of heights?”
The merchant girl hurriedly shook her head.
“W-what are you going to do Brendel?” Freya immediately thought of something and her face paled
immediately.
………………………………………………………………..
The Golden Apple Lord barged into Burnley’s home with a grave expression. This noble who was famed
in the industry was checking out a finely crafted bronze armor with a magnifying glass. Any armor that
was in the ancient era of ‘The Returning Light’ was prized by all collectors.
Burnley unhurriedly laid down his magnifying glass, glance at his partner with slight ridicule: “What
happened, did that fellow went out of the city with his men?”
“It’s not something as serious as that, but the criminals tonight escaped!” When Esebar said this, he was
so furious that he punched a random spot. He was actually not furious over the escape, but it was another
madman who intruded his home and yelled at him.
“That is certainly a small matter. How did they escape?”
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“I’m not angry over this.” The Golden Apple Lord shook his head and took a deep breath: “I’m angry over
that ‘Tiger’ Luc Beson actually created a din in my home, saying that I locked a Highland Knight’s
descendant in his prison and I caused him trouble!”
“Highland knight?” Burnley paused.
“Yes, he said there was a Highland Knight amongst the three, and his magician squire came to rescue him.
Holy Mother Marsha above, he ran over to me and demanded to have him, saying that man must not be
harmed and added to his army.” The Golden Apple Lord was in delirious anger when he spat his words
out.
“And in conclusion?”
“The conclusion, the conclusion is I have to bring him to settle this! In the middle of the night, this bastard
is just too much!” He roared.
“Don’t be too impulsive, let Granzon handle this. I’ll move some men from my personal army to aid you.”
Burnely smiled and answered.
The Golden Apple Lord looked thankfully at him. It was the first time that he felt this rotund face was not
as hateful. But after a while he reminded him: “I still have one more matter. I recently heard you moved a
batch of armor to the city? You need to be careful. Even though it’s not a big matter to raise your own
forces, you have to be careful of your secrets falling into your enemies’ hands.”
He looked around the room.
“It’s just a personal hobby.” The industry specialist continued to smile.
TL: The title is contradictory -.-
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Chapter 45
TL: Okay, so there has been a regular donator for full TAS sponsored chapters (going on for months now).
I was sort of, well because I’m busy with school, I didn’t really focus much on getting donations but he
requested me to put one button up.
So, I found a pretty interesting “Buy me a coffee” button, and you all should know that I really love
coffee… Tip me once a month or anything for $2, should be reasonable right? In regards to extra
sponsored chapters rate, it should come about 2 days/1 extra chapter. I’ll try to work on it during travel
time on my laptop to squeeze it in.
Thanks for your support, everyone.
Chapter 45 – Night scenery
Brendel and his squire jumped down from his gargoyle, and they saw Romaine and Freya with a pale face
in the alley. The latter was glaring at him with a hateful gaze. Brendel found it a little funny that the
Goddess of War was afraid of height, and discovered that she resembled the girls in his party in the past
due to her frightened expressions in the air.
“Alright, I’m going to talk a little about our current situation.” Brendel was afraid that Freya would seek
revenge on him and rushed to speak first.
Freya lightly scoffed when she saw through his trick. She turned her head away and could not be
bothered to argue with him.
“We have already delivered the news, it is up to the nobles to take action or not; the next thing we must
do is to find Romaine’s aunt and escape from Fortress Riedon, but it will not be easy to do so.” Brendel
gestured upwards to instruct the gargoyle to go up to the rooftop and survey the surroundings. He had
tried every night to test out the keywords to activate the gargoyle and he finally discovered one that was
of use.
However, he still lacked an attack command.
“Freya and Romaine are registered militia, so your relatives at Fortress Riedon will seek to record your
names. If we go directly to Romaine’s distant relative, we might be discovered right there, especially
when we don’t know if he could be trusted.”
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“Isn’t aunt Jennie going to be in grave danger?” Freya asked.
Brendel glanced at Romaine. She did not say anything and was lowering her head to play with the corners
of her sleeves.
“Overall the opposition will also have a reaction time, but if we are going to do these things one at a time
together, our chances to fail will be significantly higher. In order to save time, we need to move
separately, and each of us need to confirm what our own roles.”
He took a deep breath. He had taken on the role of a leader just like in the game once again. But now that
the fate of other people was in his hands, he felt a scintilla of tenseness.
His gaze overlooked the three faces, then pointed:
“Freya will go and contact Romaine’s relative.”
“Me?” Freya pointed at herself puzzledly.
“Yes.”
“But I only know he is staying in Ponoa’s market. I don’t even which street it is, in fact I don’t even know
where the market is…?” She said with a troubled expression.
“You can ask around for the directions. Ponoa’s market is nearby, just walk out of this alley and you will
see a pub called ‘The Red Bronze Dragon’s story bar’, and you can seek news in there.” Brendel suddenly
smiled: “But you need to be careful, the mecenaries’ hands in the bar might not be very proper, don’t get
taken advantage of.”
Freya’s face went into a flaming red, and she glared angrily at him: “Sh-shameless….. lout!”
Ciel was giggling in one corner. He thought his lord was quite interesting. Nobles hardly went to such a
low-class area like a pub, but it seemed that Brendel understood the kingdom from the top to the bottom.
Wizards liked to be with intelligent people, especially with people who were knowledgeable in many
things.
“When you find the merchant called Hood, don’t reveal your identity and give him a little time. Invite him
to the pub and let us meet him there. Take note of his reactions, and you would know if he is reliable. If
you discover the presence of the army, there’s no need to worry. They won’t move until they are clear of
our relationship, since they want to bring us all down at the same time.”
Freya thought about it for a while, as if to check whether she was able to do all these, then finally nodded.
“Then what about me, Brendel?” Romaine blinked and asked.
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“You will help us get a horse carriage and wait for us at the north gate. There are only two hostels in
Fortress Riedon, so it is very possible these areas are being watched. If you discover any problems with
any one of them, then you can just go ahead to the north gate alone. No matter what happens, we will
leave the city in the morning. If we are lucky, we can escape before the order is given to lock the city
gates.”
The merchant girl nodded readily.
Brendel then took out some money from the noble’s relic from The Forbidden Garden, and split it into
half and passed to them: “The things that you are about to do might require some money. Here is thirty
silver coins, each person with half of it should be more than enough. And if it is possible, purchase some
food as well, Romaine.”
The merchant girl nodded earnestly.
“Then what about you, Brendel?” Freya asked.
“Your independent actions might be too difficult as the White-Mane army might be able to spot the two of
you anytime. Ciel and I will visit a few ‘Old Friends’, and draw the attention of the Fortress guards.”
Brendel said unhurriedly.
Only the Gods know how much determination Brendel had when he spoke. He was used to danger, just
like leading the girls and himself out of Zevail’s pathway, but he had never thought himself as a hero or a
messiah.
‘A detailed plan might fail, not to mention a desperate one.’ This was his guild leader’s advice to Brendel
in the game, and became his proud motto.
This time, even he did not know how much risk was involved. But he had promised Romaine in his old
home, and there times that he had to keep his promise as a man. He felt that his desire to fulfill his
promise calmed him down. He would definitely succeed.
“Are you crazy, Brendel!” Freya understood there was something wrong in his words, and her eyes went
wide with shock: “Y-you’re going be sentenced to death by hanging, what are we going to do?”
She suddenly realized her words were a little ambiguous and she blushed, trying to explain: “I mean, I
don’t want to be like you and become a bandit……”
Brendel felt the tsundere girl was a little cute: “Don’t worry, I’ll invite you to join me when there’s a
chance.”
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There was definitely a chance, but he did not know how much of a chance he had to persuade the future
Goddess of War to join him.
“None at all,” Freya said with spite: “You should stay with Romaine, I’m worried for her.”
“There’s no need to, I trust little Romaine.”
The merchant girl’s eyebrows went up, and she was secretly delighted.
Freya was grinding her teeth with anger. She knew that this bastard knew that she was worried about
him, but he wanted to force her to say it out loud. And the more infuriating thing was, he might not listen
to her even when she said it.
“Fine. I can’t be bothered.” She lowered her head and flung her ponytail backwards with her hand: “B-be
careful.” (TL: Classic tsundere never dies!)
The merchant girl gave him a small gesture of ‘Everything’s okay’, and this was learned from Brendel two
days ago: “I’ll wait for you at the north gate, Brendel! The future great merchant’s horse carriage will
move only when Brendel’s in it~”
Brendel felt his heart skip a beat, and he smiled at her.
……………………………………………………………………………….
In the White-Mane army’s camp after ten minutes of the breakout—
“You said you did not hear anything at all?”
Luc Beson picked up a broken piece of wood and pointed at a section and asked: “From the damage, this
looks like it’s at a Rank 1 strength. A blacksteel swordsman broke down our prison’s door, and you are
telling me that none of you heard it?”
The ‘Tiger’ Luc Beson was 45 years old, with dusky skin and a prominent forehead that looked like it was
sliced with a knife. His high cheekbones came from his half highland bloodline. His face was slightly
flattened, thin, and his deep gaze held a hint of wildness. Luc Beson had been the captain of the 104th
White-mane swordsman army for ten years. If he was to advance he would have to rely on his reputation
in his army and his successes.
But he was politically inclined to the Evertons, which was also the restoration faction, and it was the truth
that the White-Mane army already became Earl Pola’s personal army. His position in the army was not
welcomed, but this did not hinder him from displaying his prestige to his subordinates, and he was not
the whelps that came from some noble backdoor.
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The general’s words immediately made the lower ranked officers look at each other. Especially the
wardens who were in charge of the security tonight, who went red. There were the White-Mane’s
infantry, wearing a blue army uniform, with a pointed helm who walked in and out of the room. The
greatest difference they had from the guards was the sigil on their shoulder; a white patch of wolf fur.
This unique decoration was awarded to this army who participated in the ‘Hastings war’ where they did
not retreat from it. It was also where the army got their fame from.
“If he is a highland knight, then his squire might be able to do something like that.” Someone said.
“In the White-Mane’s army, it is not important what your opponents did, it is what you did. A response
time of ten minutes, are you the militia?”
Luc Beson’s rebuke immediately silenced everyone.
At this moment, an army officer brought his attendent and announced himself. He pushed the door open
and brought with him a stack of goatskin papers: “Captain, we checked the Bucce’s militia. There is
indeed a Romaine and Freya recorded in it, but the youth called Brendel does not seem to be a Bucce’s
local.”
Luc Beson confirmed his thoughts, and he tapped the table with his fingers: “And?”
The attendent walked near him and said something to his ears, and Luc Beson nodded. He asked again:
“What is the answer of his majesty’s secret missionary?”
“The earl did not say, but he hinted that we should execute him.” The officer answered.
Luc Beson was slightly surprised. A kingdom’s missionary would take offense over a commoner? He
rubbed his chin, trying to read the meaning behind everything, but before that the entire room was
buzzing with debate.
“Really, but why would that old bastard be angry over that commoner?”
“I think he might be interested in the two women, that perverted bastard.”
“A useless jester, I saw him admiring that Elven sword.”
“A bumpkin who had never seen the world.” Someone laughed with derison.
Luc Beson immediately smacked the table, and the officers stopped talking. He wanted to censure them
again, but someone else pushed the door open, a soldier from the outside.
“Captain, the local parliament is on fire.”
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“A damned diversion,” Luc Beson cursed inwardly and stood up to issue his orders: “I’m giving you ten
minutes. The second and third squadrons are to gather with the fastest speed!”
The officers stood up.
He pointed at one side: “The two of you, monitor the areas of interest. McLemore, your mission is the
hostels, all of you should know what to do, do not alarm them.”
The three of them who were appointed lowered their heads and answered. They did not dare to waste
any more time and immediately left the room.
“Captain, how about lord Esebar?”
“There’s no need to remind him or the others, that bunch of bastards must have ran to their missionary
and bootlick him. They must rely on one side, right.”
The captain’s words made the room echo with a riot of laughter.
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TL: If anyone donated, please let me know through the comments. It’s a new thing for me to use a button
and I’m not sure if it’s functioning properly.
Please point out my errors too. I’m a little short on time.
Chapter 46 – Lv up
‘The Red Bronze Dragon’s Story Bar’ was a pub located between Ponoa’s street and the Traveller’s
bridge. It ran through the night and welcomed all manners of people, mercenaries, adventurers,
prostitutes and dubious merchants.
If one was able to tolerate the chaotic environment and vulgar talk, this was indeed a good place to find
entertainment. There was cheap beer, waitress who wore revealing clothes, and food to fill the stomach.
Even if one was to drink a whole night, he would not spend more than a few copper coins, and not worry
about the guards hauling him to prison.
But Freya trembled when she walked towards this dirty area. The countryside lass gripped her sword
tightly, her mind filled with Brendel’s hints.
She lowered her crimson face, carefully walking through the gaps of the crowd. She felt her ponytail hair
standing up from the anxiety in her heart. Her thoughts spiraled into every direction. What happened if
someone was to molest her? Chop his hand off? Stab him? (TL: Lol.)
She spied on the waitresses who wore revealing clothes, and felt her ears burn. She could only think of
‘How could they wore something like this! Do they have no shame!’.
She walked over to the bar with both hands on her sword, and the plump bar owner who was sitting
down with his hand supporting his cheek sized her up, from the top of her head to her feet.
“This place isn’t for you, little missy.”
She finally noticed that Brendel lied to her. She gritted her teeth and her sword clattered from her
trembling hands with fury. But she did not want to vent her anger in front of a stranger and asked with
her lowered head: “Excuse me, I’m here to gather information on someone……”
Leto looked at the girl’s head that was so low that it was going to reach the bar’s wooden structure, and
he could not help but chuckled.
“This bar is indeed the place for information, but little missy, we’re not free!”
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“I know, I’ll pay for the information. Please help me.”
“Very well, who’re you looking for?”
“Hood, a fur merchant in Ponoa’s market.”
“That fellow, huh. Are you his relative from the countryside?”
Freya shook her head hastily: “No, someone asked me to pass a letter to him.”
Leto shook his head, but at this moment, a group of guards walked hurriedly outside the bar’s doors. He
keenly felt the girl’s body shook slightly. He had been the owner for over a decade, and his observation
skills were unmatched in the vicinity, and he found there was something unusual with this small detail.
And as if it was turning into a real-life play, a guard actually walked back and shouted just outside the
door: “Oh right, Leto, did you see any suspicious people around?”
Leto stood up. He saw the girl was pretending to be calm in front of him, but her fingers were turning
white from gripping the sword. He sighed and asked: “Are they finding you?”
Freya looked up in surprise, and she was ready to draw her sword.
“You don’t need to be tense, this is my professional habit.”
She looked on in a daze, but recovered instantaneously and quickly said: “I-I have money, can you hide
me?”
“A hundred Tor, do you have it?” Leto asked with a smile. His bar had many dubious characters around,
and it was a common thing for him to hide a criminal, furthermore he found this lass to be interesting.
A hundred Tor is a silver coin, and she nodded quickly. She quickly walked to the back of the bar and Leto
had her hide into a wooden barrel. A few of the guards also went with the first guard and they entered
into the bar.
None of the patrons in the bar wanted to look at them, and they naturally would not point fingers. There
were rules in various places, and even in this low-class place, they had their rules.
This was the ‘gray’ area. The guards in the city would seek information, but the merchants and thieves
would also do the same. They know of each other’s existence, but they held by the rules and did not deal
with them in the open.
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This was the rules of a game.
While Leto stood by them, the naive Freya had a different mindset. When she hid into the dark barrel, she
immediately regretted.
[Freya, what the hell were you thinking! Didn’t you even consider that he might betray you? Are you even
a captain of the third militia squadron?]
She listened to the conversation between the owner and the guards with a tense heart. She was gravely
afraid of the cover suddenly opening and hauled out. Even though things were not stated out directly, she
knew what fate she had if she was to be caught.
But after a while, she heard someone knocking on the barrel.
“They are gone, come out.”
Freya opened the barrel a little and took a look. The guards were indeed gone, and she relaxed with a sigh
of relief. Then she noticed that everyone was looking at her with a bemused expression, and a few of
them even raised their glasses with respect.
“Not bad at all, a little lass actually dares to against the bastard soldiers in the army!”
“Here’s a drink to you!”
Freya turned to the owner with a red face: “Thank you.”
“There’s no need to thank me. That’s a hundred Tor.” The fat owner laughed and beckoned to a girl in the
room. A girl with tanned skin with braids came to Freya’s side.
“This is my daughter, let her take you to Hood’s home. Ah, that’s right, little lass. Let me give you an
advice. Don’t move alone in the middle of the night, where are your companions?”
She thought of the lout, Brendel, and she wanted to get angry but could not do so. She realized that he
was trying to hone her views of the world, and just thinking about her display earlier, she could only bury
her head in the sand.
“I’m Sue.” The girl looked at her and offered to shake her hand: “I usually help father to look after this
shop, but I’m free now. Come with me.” (TL: If you want to live.)
“Thank you, my name is Freya.”
………………………………………………………………………..
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“Someone is trying to take advantage of the situation, my lord.”
Ciel said and looked at the fire from a distant building.
Brendel creased his brows. He did not think there were other factions in the city. The huge fire in the
parliament did not help him at all, and in the contrary, it created considerable trouble for him.
But this timing was really well done. It had to be done internally, and at the very least knew that they had
escaped.
He thought about the situation back then, perhaps it was a noble from that night.
[But who? What are his goals?]
After a while, he shook his head and tossed his random ideas out. Even though he was displeased from
being used, but as an unimportant character he did not have the right to be displeased.
“I hope this wouldn’t bring us too much trouble.” He said: “But perhaps we would not be affected. It might
be good if we received help, let’s mind about our own tasks.”
“But my lord, you have not told me what we are going to do.” Ciel said.
“Someone borrowed my sword, so I have to collect it.” The King Oberg the seventh that Brendel knew was
not a generous king, but he did not know how close he was with his close aides. (TL: I’m not sure if this
king refers to the current king or the next future king. In chapter 40, it was Oberg the sixth.)
“Who?”
“An earl.”
Ciel snorted: “I have never seen anyone more lawless than you, my lord. Do you really think that your
neck is stronger than the rope?”
“When we escaped we are already going to be executed by the rope. If that is the case, who is going to
care whether it’s one or two ropes?” Brendel laughed. He was quite anxious in truth, but he discovered
that his squire was quite funny.
“That is certainly true, but what is my lord going to do?”
“Attack from the front, it’s best to make the commotion as big as possible.”
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Ciel looked at Brendel closely. Even though Brendel was making small conversation, his pale face and
clammy-looking hands betrayed the tenseness in his heart. Even so, he was still planning things out
calmly and steadily.
“What is going to happen if you die?” Brendel asked after thinking for a while.
“A card which dies in the battlefield will go into the graveyard. Before my lord is able to pull out from
there, I will stay there forever.” Ciel said.
“If that’s the case, I have to be more careful.”
Brendel said as he estimate the remaining time in his heart. After calculating everything, he raised his
hand to grip onto the flying gargoyle in the air. Ciel also grabbed it.
The two of them looked each other and nodded. The gargoyle flew quickly into the air, and under the
cover of the night, they flew towards a small forest within the fortress.
The wind whistled past them, and Ciel asked: “My lord, are you certain that the earl is staying in a forest
like this? And not the within that small castle?”
Ciel pointed to a small castle between the Pine River and Webster river.
“What did you say, I can’t hear it through the wind?”
“I said, did my lord fly in a wrong direction?”
“Me? Of course not, did I say I’m going to pick a fight with the earl right now?”
“Then what are we going to do?”
“Of course it’s to level up! A workman must sharpen his tools if he wants to do his work well.”
“Level up? Is that some form of ancient language?”
“Shut up! Let me tell you this. In a game there are always three things. Technique, equipment and stats.”
Brendel shouted in the wind: “When you look at these three things, one of them is bound to help you. If
you are going to become a full-fledged wizard one day, you will thank me for telling you this secret.”
“Game?”
“Human life is like a game, and a game reflects the human life, do you get it?”
“I somehow get it. My lord is truly wise.” Ciel said with a lying face. He could only think about the freezing
night air and he felt his limbs were turning into ice.
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Brendel stared at the forest and calculated again.
[At most there is 15 minutes left.]
………………………………………………………………………..
In the castle.
The middle-aged man sat on the sofa and observed the slender sword in his hand, before placing it down.
His expression did not change and still retained a cold demeanor. But the chill in his eyes were more
apparent.
“What do you think?” The figure behind him asked.
“This should be that sword. I don’t know how that young man got it, but he must disappear from this
world. But the two women beside him, I’m very interested in them.”
“It’s fine to have a hobby, but the key thing is not to let it interfere with your job.”
“If I don’t give them hints, how would those short-sighted fools think of using my name to do things?
Since they were the one who killed, whether if it was bootlicking me or not, no one would suspect me. All
that is needed is a suitable reason. As for that man’s reputation, when did we ever care?”
The middle-aged man thin lips curled into a cold smile: “And you also said it, it’s fine to have a hobby.”
That figure smiled in return and his eyes went back to the sword: “Have you found anything?”
The middle-aged man shook his head: “It’s never that simple.”
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TL: So I have more bad news, I am still behind by at least 2 assignments. I’ll be updating 1 chapter of the
Amber Sword and Strategy (1 day or so), then the next update will be on 14 or 15 Feb. By then I should be
able to clear everything and updates should resume as per normal (hopefully with chapters that were not
updated during my absence).
Chapter 47 – Babasha
Brendel commanded the gargoyle to release them, and Ciel and him fell onto the soft meadow in the area.
They were in a silent forest of a mountain peak, and what entered their line of sight was a crooked
wooden house like a house from the slums. It was two storey high, and there were rays of yellow light
from candlesticks pouring out from the gaps of the wooden planks.
“My lord, is this the place that you where you can ‘lvup’?” Ciel rubbed his sore wrist from the gargoyle’s
grip as he carefully studied the house before him. His face was full of serious suspicion: “I do not wish to
question you my lord, but no matter how I look at it, this place looks similar to the witches’ houses in
Bunoxone.”
“You are not wrong, there is a witch currently residing in this house.”
“Oh, the witches do indeed have a way to raise the powers temporarily.”
“No, that temporary power is not sufficient.”
“Then my lord’s goal is spiritual magic? It is indeed a power that can be used under emergencies. But my
lord, these spirits are difficult to control, and even though I can think of several ways to deceive them, I
have never tried them out—”
Brendel already started to walk towards the wooden house, while the young man followed him from
behind quickly and continued to speak.
“Ciel, tell me your methods the next time. This time however, we’re here to make a transaction.”
“Transaction?”
Brendel reached the door and readied himself mentally.
He was the only one who knew that the witch called Babasha was nothing more than a cover for
something else. When the nobles designed their fortresses, they tend to make an emergency passageway,
and the former owner of the pine fortress and duke of Grinoires created a secret passageway to this hill,
due to the numerous enemies he had in the political circle.
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And Babasha, who was the duke’s witch advisor, naturally protected the passageway. This secret was
only revealed after the Second War of the Black rose, where players failed to reoccupy the pine fortress
and seeked for an alternative way, leading to the discovery of the fortress’s blueprints.
Brendel was vert familiar with the level 32 witch. When he was grinding in the fortress, he was still
inexperienced in the ways of the game and loved to gamble, so he fell prey to the old witch, as her place
was the only shop that sold secret goods.
This time, however, he had to try and curb this witch so that he could execute his plans. His right hand
was constantly on his sword’s hilt, and his fingers were cold from his tension.
He hesitated for a while, but knocked onto the strangely bent door three times.
There was a voice that quickly came from the second storey, old and sharp: “Who is it, if you want a
divination come again tomorrow.”
“I don’t want a divination. I have brought something along.”
“Do you know the rules if you’re here to do a transaction?” The voice replied after a short pause.
“I have what you want, witch.”
“Is that so? Then you better have brought something that I want, otherwise I’ll tear your beating heart out
and feed it to my dog.” The shrieking voice sounded out from the second storey to the first storey, along
with the sound of someone walking down a light of stairs.
The door quickly opened, revealing an ugly old face. The witch raised her pointy hat and looked at him
with a pair of cloudy eyes. “Speak quickly.”
He did not even think and quickly drew his sword and placed it on her neck. His action surprised the two
people beside him, and Ciel broke out in a cold sweat: Was there anyone who did a transaction like this?
His whole body was as taut as a string when he drew his sword, and he felt a little weak when he
succeeded in his action. He exhaled his breath in a hurry. If he was slower by a slight moment, Babasha
had more than ten spells to turn him into dust.
But fortunately, perhaps even this witch had underestimated her guest. Because of her powers of a First
Circle wizard, she did not see this lower Iron-ranked swordsman as a threat. Perhaps Babasha still
thought that she might have a chance even if the sword impaled her, but for Brendel the battle was
already decided.
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Ciel quickly compared Brendel’s actions. From escaping the jail and seeking the duke, all that he did could
not have compared to this moment. Babasha was a First Circle-ranked wizard, and Mother Marsha above,
she could easily defeat ten of himself.
And yet his lord’s first action was to place his sword at her neck.
“Young man, what are you trying to do here.” Babasha’s countenance turned cold and demanded in a
shrill voice.
“By the time your little finger completes the Third Movement of the spell you’re planning, I will pierce my
sword through your heart. I have always heard the witches say that the heart is a human’s source of life,
and reacts to the Three Corners of Mana. I had always wanted to test whether that is true. If I am you, I
will stop that foolish act immediately.”
Brendel’s chilly voice rang through the air, and Babasha and Ciel’s expressions immediately changed
drastically.
[This old witch was actually casting magic. I didn’t even notice it at all, and that must be a powerful spell.
But how did my lord noticed her actions?]
While Babasha was thoroughly shocked. A swordsman who did not even a have a shred of mana
recognized her spell, and even saw what stage she was in at casting the spell.
[Did the world somehow change when I was not paying attention?!]
Her attitude changed.
“What do you want?”
“The duke of Grinoires does not appear to have any friends in the capital. My guess is that he loaned it to
the earl because he is someone close to the king. If that is the case, why do you need to give your life up
for a stranger?”
Even though Brendel was sure of his actions, his sword hand was still trembling slightly. He continued to
observe Babasha’s every movement and eyes, afraid that she was up to something. Even though a level 32
witch should have no secrets to him, his perception was too low and could only guess what she was up to.
[It’s a fight to see who have the bigger galls.]
Babasha’s expression changed again: “What are you talking about?”
“My demand is very simple. I want you to swear an oath upon your Star. Let me use the passageway to
the pine fortress just this once, and I will also not speak of this passageway to anyone.”
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The witch looked at him liked he was a devil.
[The secret passageway was only known to the duke and myself. Even his family members did not know,
so how does this man know? Is he the illegitimate son of the duke?]
“What if I say no?”
“I do not wish to kill you.”
Babasha finally realized that she had no room for negotiation. She thought for a while and prepared to
swear to the Throne of Witch King with her finger pointed at the star, but Brendel shook his head.
“Babasha, isn’t your Star sign the Long Snake?”
The witch’s body shook visibly. She looked at his jet black eyes. It was as if all her secrets were revealed
under his sharp gaze. A witch’s star sign was a witch’s greatest secret, and she had only told the duke to
gain his trust. She felt that Brendel was more and more mysterious, and did not dare to pull off any more
tricks, and swore an oath to her star sign.
Brendel finally relaxed himself, and realized that his back was completely soaked with perspiration. He
spoke to Ciel:
“Ciel, go to the bookshelf located at the back of the house, and take the very first scroll on the right side,
the box on the second shelf, and three reagents left from the third shelf. Do not touch the rest.”
Ciel was completely impressed with his lord at this moment, and even felt that he was becoming more of
an enigma.
Babasha felt she had fallen into a bottomless abyss. The young man in front of her actually knew what
was useful on her shelf, and the other items were full of evil curses.
When Ciel opened the box he yelled in delight: “These are element crystals. My lord if you take some time
to absorb them you can use the elements directly.”
But Brendel shook his head. He simply went over and picked up the dusty reagents and asked: “Do you
know what these are?”
Babasha also looked up puzzledly. Even she did know what they contained. She was able to feel that was
a mana ripple from the reagents at her level, so she had kept it for decades and there was a thick layer of
dust on it.
Some reagents are poisonous or if the method to use them was wrong, it would also be fatal. Magic was a
powerful, mysterious and dangerous thing.
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Ciel took a while at to look at it, but he shook his head.
“This is a mana potion, how can you not even recognize this?” Brendel wiped away the dust with a little
dissatisfaction, revealing the pale blue liquid.
“”Impossible!”” Babasha and Ciel were shocked.
“What are you surprised for, aren’t they just mana potion? I want to ask you now, this three mana
potions’ effectiveness can raise your mana pool four times. Discounting the change in your powers, what
is your wizard rank after having four times the mana pool?”
“A middle ranked wizard.” Ciel replied in a hoarse voice.
“Therefore, this is one of the targets I was talking about. Consider yourself as a middle-ranked wizard
even before you use the potions, although the truth is you’re still an apprentice, understand?”
Ciel nodded subconsciously.
[That’s a mana potion, even called as the ‘Wizard’s Gold’! This item was created using high alchemical
skills, and it is as hard as making a holy potion. I only saw these potions in scrolls, but my lord is just
throwing them at me without a second thought?]
Brendel took the lambskin scroll taken from the shelf: “There is an Arte scribed into the scroll here. The
air around the sword’s edges would become sharp after using the technique. It is also one of the methods.
Do you understand what I mean by ‘lvup’ now?” (TL: Arte = Ougi = skill = ability, you get what I mean)
“Learning a skill isn’t something that is done within a day, my lord. Is there any point in looking at it just
before—”
Ciel immediately refuted, but he saw Brendel glancing at the scroll and then discarding it instantly. As the
scroll fell onto the ground with a rustling sound, the latter stood there blankly for a few seconds. Then
suddenly he swung his sword at the door. With a cracking sound, the door split into two and flew
outwards ten over meters before falling onto the ground.
Ciel’s mouth hung there as if his jaw was about to drop to the ground.
Brendel furrowed his brows. Just learning the skill took 153 TP. This was not even a subclass’s skill, but
the amount of points required to learn it was just ridiculous. The prerequisite to get this intermediate
sword skill without a scroll was level 25, and the amount of XP spent was going to be impossible for him
right now.
But he definitely considered it to be worthy of the points. There were only ten over intermediate skills he
learned in his previous life, and half of them came from his own profession. He had nearly gotten this
scroll back then, but because of his bad luck he missed the opportunity to get it.
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Regardless of the next action in his plan, this technique was necessary to get.
He lowered his sword and looked back at Babasha: “I’m borrowing these things for a while, are you fine
with it?”
Rather than borrowing them, it was more like robbing. But this witch was not something of a good person
either, so he did not feel guilty about it. But with a simple line, Babasha knelt onto the floor with a
thudding sound, lowering her forehead until it touched the ground and said:
“The black prophecy said, only the Dragon of Darkness is able to see all the secrets of a witch. All methods
that are used before are nothing than mere tricks. The ancestor of Miirna, you have returned—”
This time Brendel and Ciel were stunned.
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TL: Thanks for the donation, Jeff. So I kind of have to work on 1 more amber chapter because there was a
10 dollars backlog for nearly a month. I have to push Strategy’s chapter to the weekend, I’m really sorry if
you’re a fan of that series.
As usual, I need some help on grammar + spellcheck.
Chapter 48 – Infiltration
The Dragon of Darkness was the sworn enemy of the four saints in the holy war. It was especially true for
the King of Fire, Gatel, who wanted revenge for his kingdom’s demise. Even though he was confused with
the witch Babasha’s words, he did not acknowledge her words. A small misstep would make him the
enemy of the world.
“The Dragon of Darkness, Odin? I do know that the witches see him as the guide towards the Fate of
Darkness, but I have nothing with it.”
He looked at Babasha, but she still bowed down with trembling fear. He was slightly taken aback at her
reaction, but suddenly realized he made a mistake with his words. He had forgotten that the people in
this world had deeply revered the Gods and the mysterious powers, and even if they were enemies of
them, they would not speak of them lightly.
He completely did not accept them as a player, while the other Brendel’s memories influenced his choice
of words. When he spoke of the names, he naturally spoke of them like they were equals.
While this action did not appear to be anything wrong to him, it was an offensive remark to Ciel and
Babasha’s ears. But the current circumstances were at a subtle state. Babasha was in a state of deep fear,
while Ciel regarded his lord with exalted eyes, and hearing Brendel’s reply made them feel that he was
hinting at something.
Brendel noticed that point and he shook his head: “Forget it, you’re free to think whatever you like. As
long as you do not interfere with me, and simply wait here until the sun is up.”
Babasha’s forehead still laid on the ground and she did not dare to move even one muscle.
Brendel gestured at the stunned Ciel, then told him that there was a hidden trapdoor under the table
nearby and asked him to open it. The young man moved the table with a skeptical expression, and took
away the carpet that was under it. Indeed, there was a trapdoor there.
By this moment Ciel did not feel any surprise about his lord’s omniscence and could only concluded there
were things in the world that could not be explained with human means.
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He reached for the handle and pulled it up with effort, revealing a dark hole with a spiraling staircase.
“My lord, are we going to go in right now?” He asked.
“Of course, what else do you think was going to happen?”
“Oh? But Fortress Riedon is so big, isn’t there any other place that allows us to ‘lvup’?”
“Do you really think magic items are like ‘Big White Vegetables’ that you can pick up from the ground
anytime you want to?” (TL: Literally TLed as cabbage.)
“I meant ‘Lettuce’, you know that right?” Brendel rubbed his forehead as he realized he misspoke again.
There were slight differences in the terminology in this world.
“Of course, but it is very different when my lord speaks of it. Big, white, vegetable, it must have been
derived from the ancient language, even the pronunciation sounds close to it.”
Brendel could not suppress his laughter. He did know of other secret areas in fortress Riedon, in example,
the underground church and the well known ‘Tower of Winds’. However, there were Guardian Bosses’
restrictions to them, while Babasha was a NPC where he could use crafty means to get an upper hand.
After considering many times, he decided to give up on the rest of the locations.
Right now the ideal dream would be to acquire all the items that he knew, while raising his power at the
same time, but there was just not enough time. His current goal was to survive the war, and not to gather
items at a leisurely rate and wait for the war to be over.
Once the war was over, he had plenty of time to gather XP and prepare the best equipments for himself
before Aouine’s internal civil strife. After checking through his plans, he concluded that it was possible for
him to become one of the strongest in the continent.
As a player, he recognized that stats, equipment and techniques made up the system to become strong.
He picked up the box that was beside him, transferring all the Element Crystals into his bag at his waist:
12 Wind Crystals
1 Fire Crystal
3 Water Crystals
Each crystal contain 1 point of energy.
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After sweeping off with Babasha’s collection and acting like a professional robber, Brendel even took
Babasha’s candle and went into the passageway. The witch’s candle was also a magical item, which could
teleport someone to where its light reach. This was a secret that was only known amongst the witches,
but it was not a secret to him.
The passageway was approximately 1.5 kilometers long, and most of the passageway only allowed one
person to enter at a time as it was very narrow. At the areas where it became bigger, there were three
poisonous spiders the size of human beings. The witches normally did something like this, raising beasts
for them to become their guards. Babasha put them there to please the duke, but they were a total of 9 XP
to Brendel. (TL: Lol. Can you imagine if the duke tried to escape, and the spiders attacked him? This is just
asking for snark.)
The end of the passageway led to the cellar. After Brendel reached there, he started to search for the
switch and used it, and the shelf holding the wines slid to one side.
The two of them sighed with relief after walking out from the passageway. The stale air and accumulated
dust were hard to adjust to, and Ciel thought his lungs were covered with a thick layer of dust after that
ordeal.
“We took a little longer than fifteen minutes, my lord.” Ciel took out a watch and glanced it after coming
from the passageway.
“That is fine.”
“Hmm?”
“I originally wanted to go the duke’s treasury, but we probably have to give on that. But the collection
there are just some paintings and jewellery, they are not really useful.”
“My lord is truly decisive. Not everyone can remain unmoved by the treasure in front of them.”
“No, you’re mistaken, Ciel. I mean that you can just take a few of them on our way up, I’ll tell you which
items are the real deal.”
“…………..”
Ciel was surprised at his lord’s unreadable greed, but he did not know that it was not his character, but
simply a player’s subconscious action.
The two of them continued up the stairs and stopped at the same time to go over their plans. Brendel
extinguished his candle and passed it to his squire, then placed his hand at the cellar’s door to the outside.
He activated his skill and the door knob broke apart with a cracking sound.
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Then he immediately pushed the door outwards. The two guards that were there turned their heads in
dumb surprise, while Brendel’s other hand had already pulled out his sword. With an elegant swing with
silver light trailing behind the sword, the guards’ half drawn swords were knocked away along with their
sheaths.
They became fearful and wanted to run away, but he could not allow them to do so, and chased them
from behind and ended their lives with a stab to each person.
This was the first time Brendel killed someone.
He did not think at all when he killed them, and his mind was blank when he did so. He felt he was even
calmer than his normal self. If he hesitated, Ciel and himself would end up in a dead end, and in this life
and death situation, he did not consider what Romaine or Freya would do.
His survival instinct was more than enough to make him do it.
Yet after he killed them, he suddenly felt dizzy as if he could not breath anymore. He tried to steady his
body and forced himself to inhale, but he was rooted where he was and could not move. The blood
dripped onto the floor.
At that moment, different thoughts went through in his mind and allowed him to gain a perspective on
the situation he was in. The fleeting moment of chaos was merely to find an excuse, and when he found
one he felt a little better.
“My lord?” Ciel noticed his strange behavior.
Brendel raised his hand to indcate he was fine. Even though he planned to bring the two corpses to the
cellar to hide them, he did not have the mood to do so anymore. The best he could do was not to look at
their bodies.
He did not develop a fear after killing them, but he could not accept the sudden blow.
Then he suddenly realize there was no XP for killing humans. Even though he desparately needed the XP,
he felt consoled by the fact he did not gain any. His mind rejected the notion of getting XP from killing
humans.
[No matter what, I am still a human being. Trading a human life for mere XP is not something I can
accept.]
“We’re going to move separately now.” Brendel took a deep breath and replied.
“As you command.”
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“I’m going to seek the earl and create trouble along the way, you should go to the other end and strike the
alarm there.”
Brendel said as he mentally counted one to a hundred in his mind. When he counted to thirty, he had
already calmed down.
“Strike the alarm?”
“Have you forgotten what I said? We’re going to attack directly, and the bigger the commotion the better
it is.”
“Are we going to go back where we came from?”
“No, we must kill our way out.”
Ciel was flabbergasted: “Why?”
“The guest room is at the fortress’s upper levels. We only have time to escape from there, but if the
White-Mane army brings along archers, then we’re going to need Mother Marsha’s blessings.”
Ciel nodded and prepared to leave. He did not ask any further questions. If he had to satisfy his curiosity
he did not need to become a squire. The knights and their squires had to be ready for battle with their
skill sets.
But Brendel took the initiative and called him: “Wait, why are you in such a hurry?”
“What is it, my lord? Is there anything else?”
“Of course. If you go up the stairs and turn left, you will find a corridor, and there are genuine artifacts
towards the end. If you see something that is easy to carry and sell, just feel free to take them.”
“………………….”
Ciel stared at him for a while and finally spoke: “I take back my words, my lord.”
“What words?”
“‘Not everyone can remain unmoved by the treasure in front of them’, it should be, indeed, everyone is
moved by the treasure in front of them.”
No, you see Ciel, I have the responsibility to take up on the burden on little Romaine and her aunt. It’s not
easy helping a family and it’s a man’s reponsibility and I really have my reasons.
“Please leave your words to the duke, my lord. Please do not worry, I learned appraising in Buga. I’ll pick
the most valuable objects.”
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Brendel blinked twice, then made a wolfish grin.
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TL: OZ = Unit to measure stats. Hopefully I didn’t revert back to using EN for the past chapters.
Edit 2: For now my new PC is up and ready (and I retrieved the txt file, but I still need to try the recurse
thing so that I can access my old Win 7 stuff), you guys can expect a new chapter to break that cliffhanger
tomorrow.
Chapter 49 – Sword Arte
Since Brendel did not intentionally try to be stealthy, he was discovered at the courtyard in the first level
by a patrolling team. The seven guards tried to flank him, but Brendel killed three of them easily and the
remaining four scattered, alerting the fortress of an invader.
There was a total of thirty two guards within the fortress, and the majority of them were mercenaries.
The leader of the guards was mercenary captain from Randner, with the capability of a mid level Iron-
ranked swordsman with commanding abilities.
Thus, when Brendel entered the second level, he was ambushed at the dining hall with eleven guards
waiting for him. The first moment he pushed open the door, the central lamp in the hall was lit up, with
the archers in the floor above immediately raining their arrows down below.
With such a close distance, the arrows were already at his face once they left the bows, and he was only
able to guard his face, chest and abdomen. His gauntles flashed a faint blue and some of lethal arrows
were deflected, while several of the arrows brushed across his arms and thighs.
[Fuck!]
Brendel gritted his teeth and cursed. With 4 OZ worth in his physique stats, he was able to automatically
turn the lethal damage into normal damage. The wounds that were supposedly inflicted became nothing
more than bruises. Even so, the pain he received did not lessen.
If this was a normal situation, Brendel would have chosen another path as he knew that there were going
to be guards ambushing him from the floor above. There might have been guards at the stairs at the side
sections, but the situation would not be as treacherous as this location.
But this was a different situation.
He swung his sword at diagonally, and a transparent rippling wave came from his blade. A huge crash
echoed in the hall as half of it was struck by his sword. The candle-holders, plates and utensils on the long
dining table were propelled forward from the wave, while the ceiling’s chandelier exploded into shards.
The railings on the corridor cracked and shattered into pieces.
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The guards were cut open by the wave and they fell back lifelessly.
‘The White Raven Sword Rave’, Aouine’s Royal Court’s sword arte. This secret technique was a rare
ranged ability that a warrior profession could learn in the early period. At level 0, the sword arte was able
to reach approximately five meters away, with a even bigger cross-section impact. At level 25, it was able
to strike at the enemies hundred of meters away, and it was comparable to a swordsman who had
awakened the Elements within him.
The expenditure of this arte merely used 3 points of stamina, a mere fraction when compared to
unleashing the Elemental Powers. It was the reason as to why so many people pursued these techniques.
This unworldly attack made the remaining guards in the living room fall into a deathly silence. It was only
when a piece of broken wood fell from the second floor onto the ground, that woke everyone from the
stupor—
“Knight!”
“A paladin!” (TL: Literally ‘Holy Cathedral knight’, but as people have suggested, it’s paladin.)
“Mother Marsha above! Ser Arnon, let’s retreat!” The guards yelled out as they lost their morale and
retreated.
A sword aura was the basic technique of a warrior who had awakened his Elements. According to
tradition, the Cathedral of Flames would grant them the official title of a knight, and to differentiate them
from the various kingdoms’ conferred title of ‘knights’, they were called Paladins.
Even a tier three ranked swordsman could not fight against the Knights, not to mention ordinary people
like them. Unless there were enough people to drain their stamina, there was no use in fighting them.
“It’s not a fucking paladin!” The team leader Arnon pulled his closest aide back as he swore loudly.
[That was a royal swordsman, are we embroiled in some shitty political battle?] (TL: Literally “palace
swordsman”)
He lived up as their leader as he was much more experienced than them and guessed otherwise. He even
knew the noble lord upstairs was a close courtier to the king. Even though this was not the first time he
got involved in a political war, this was the first time he saw a royal swordsman.
[He used the highest grade Royal Arte, and that was one of the powers only the Crown would have. A low
Iron-ranked swordsman possessing such power…]
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For a single moment, Arnon was envious of him, but he quickly remembered his responsibilities. He
raised his head up to check his surroundings. Brendel killed four people with that single strike, and the
remaining guards either ran away or were too scared to move.
Arnon did not have any time to feel the loss, and he stood up with a hand gesture as he shouted: “Retreat!
Retreat! Find the people of the spiraling staircase and get them to fall back. That place can’t be held
anymore, we’re going up to the next floor.”
The remaining guards finally cleared their minds and immediately ran to the doors. Some of them threw
away their bow and arrows. Arnon felt demoralized when he saw this scene.
“Fucking hell, these nobles are just made out of trouble!” He cursed as he turned back and slapped the
aide who he just pulled back. He screamed at him as the latter shook off the fright: “Inform the Fortress’s
camp and sound the alarm, do you understand!”
“Sounding the alarm, but the earl said that was used to warn the entire city right?” The aide was confused.
“Shut the fuck up! If this ‘guest’ dies, we’re all dead, do you hear me?!”
The aide paused and then nodded urgently. He was scared of the enemy having accomplices, so he did not
use the staircase, but climbed down using a rope quietly. Even though it took a little more time, it was
definitely safer.
He knew which camp Arnon was referring to. There was a group of White-Mane infantry dedicated to the
defense of the inner fortress. Even though they usually looked down on each other, he still hoped to see
them as quickly as possible.
But before he even saw them, he discovered to his shock that there were two guards wearing deep blue
uniform lying dead on the ground. He immediately realized the enemy had allies.
But he was still late, a beam of white light shot from the camp’s second floor, piercing through the aide’s
chest. The magic arrow threw the body meters away and struck against a pine tree before it collapsed
into a heap.
Ciel stared at the window’s hole for a long time, before confirming that he was completely dead and he
had no other allies with him. He took out his watch and looked at the time, then looked back at the rope
leading to the watchtower nearby.
Arnon did not know that his aide was killed, or even the team of White-mane infantry was wiped out
completely. He still clung on to the hope of his men resisting a little longer until there were
reinforcements.
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They were currently defending on the staircase which led to the third floor. Behind them was the guest
room, and they were cornered with no place to escape to. Even though he looked down on the servants,
he envied them as they were able to hide in some random place, while he had to stay behind and defend
as he was the leader of the guards.
If the earl was killed under his watch, he would have to change his name and become a bandit.
The young swordsman quickly appeared in front of him.
[A few more minutes left. But it is strange that these people are so weak. I thought I would have a lot of
trouble fighting my way through. The leader at at least a mid Iron-ranked swordsman, and he should be
the one holding the advantage…]
Brendel estimated the time. There were a few minutes left.
[……. Maybe I’m thinking about this wrongly. I naturally received the techniques that came along with the
profession, and I thought that the others would have the same thing. The guards that are stationed here,
most of them are comprised of militia members, learned some terrible swordsmanship, and the
remaining techniques they have come about from practical battles.]
[No matter what, I can’t be merciful here. These guards understand what it means to protect the earl, and
there is no other choice left for us here.]
The archers readied their bows and fired their arrows, and he casually flicked away the arrows. In truth,
he only needed to fend off Arnon’s arrow, as the rest of them were no threat to him.
“First squadron, advance!” After seeing that the arrows were of no effect and Brendel was coming closer,
Arnon could only steel him and lead his men onwards.
The seven men who were in the first squadron cursed Arnon for being shameless. Why was he not the
first one to go up first? Even though they thought they were going to die, a shadow streaked past them.
They turned back subconsciously, only to find that the Death God had bypassed them to their captain—
Arnon came from a military background, and learn Aouine’s formal military swordsmanship but other
than that he had not learned any techniques. Despite this, he had crossed blades with a Sun Knight, and
know that there was a technique called ‘Charge’, which allowed one to increase his acceleration many
times in an instant. He felt the hair on his skin stand up, and he raised his sword up and blocked in front
of him. The experience from his countless battles saved him, as two swords clashed together–
“As expected of a mid level Iron-ranked.”
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Brendel gauged the opponent in front of him. There was almost no signs of the opponent raising his
sword to defend himself, and this was definitely an experienced fighter. A NPC like this in the game
caused great trouble to him when he was around level twenty back then.
But he was no longer that novice from before.
Brendel reacted quickly and did not allow his opponent to have a chance to rest. He brought his sword
over his head and swung it down.
[Power Break?! Who is this crazy bastard! First he used a Royal Arte, then a knight’s technique, now it
was a warrior’s Power Break, has the world gone crazy?!]
Arnon’s heart nearly stopped and the blood in his veins grew cold. If it was someone else, that person
would have died without understanding what had happened.
As soon as he saw Brendel’s technique, he did not have the notion to counter-attack anymore, and
immediately went into the most defensive stance he knew. When the two swords crossed again, both of
their swords bent into an exaggerated form along with a ear-splitting metallic scream. Brendel stood
firmly at where he was, while the leader stumbled back seven steps, and nearly fell onto the floor.
Arnon had 9 OZ worth of strength and logically he should be able to tie Brendel down till the
reinforcements come, but the situation was different due to the power of the techniques.
With Arnon’s retreat, the guards at both sides finally took action and tried to flank him, but with
Brendel’s casual flick, a wind slash struck them and cut many of them down.
He continued to move forward, and Arnon threw the sword in his hand onto the ground without any
hesitation and shouted: “I surrender!”
Just as he finished his sentence, the alarm outside rang loudly.
“If you surrender then throw down your weapons and get lost!”
Brendel bellowed.
The guards felt as if they were saved, and they threw the weapons in their hands down and ran away.
Their hands were already trembling from the fear, and their last shred of morale was gone when their
leader agreed to surrender.
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Chapter 50 – Earl
The huge brass bell was hung on the giant watchtower in the Pine Fortress, and when it was struck the
sound transmitted throughout the city. The ringing sound was like a invisible wave that spread
everywhere, and the slumbering streets were infused with energy, and everyone woke up.
There were many who went to the streets in surprise and asked what each other what happened.
Luc Beson who was waiting for news within Fortress Riedon’s soldier camp, heard the alarm clearly from
the window. When he turned his head to look at the brightly lit city outside the window, his expression
turned. He did not wait for the soldiers to come in with their report, and he pushed the door open and
rushed outside, yelling:
“Are you all deaf? Get up right now! Gather up! Let the second and third company follow me to the Pine
Fortress immediately. That fucking retard Esebar!”
Everyone looked at each other.
“Commander, the city gate?” Someone asked.
“Are you a moron? Other than that highland knight, who else is able to attack the Pine Fortress. That idiot
Esebar hid the news of the prisoners’ escape, now he’s going to face the consequences,” After he vented
his anger, his tone was less severe: “If anything happens to that person in that fortress, be prepared to
face the king’s wrath. I don’t want to be the scapegoat in this matter if someone is after him, so all of you
had better get the target! ”
Everyone was stunned for a moment, before rushing off to get prepared.
Luc Beson sighed.
[But this is a Highland Knight, and with his wizard squire, this will be difficult. The Highland Knights have
always been independent, and even during the strongest era of the Corvado’s kingdom, the royal family
was unable to control these self-serving bastards. Can we really stop him?]
He cursed Esebar and his female relatives again.
—————————————————————————-
Freya followed the girl and they walked across a very long and dark alley. When she heard the sound of
the ringing bell, she turned her head back subconsciously and worry showed on her face.
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“What’s the matter?” The girl, Sue, asked.
“Sorry, it’s nothing.”
“A war is coming.” Sue suddenly said.
Freya paused for a moment and looked at her puzzledly.
“The nobles have ordered the bell to ring only where when there’s a war happening. Even though nobody
talks about it, but they know everytime the bell rings there will be a war.” Sue said softly.
“You mean to say they know there’s going to be a war soon?”
“They? Are you referring to the nobles? Of course they know, they have their own information network.
Usually once the rumors start circulating in the city’s bars, they would have known them already.”
Freya did not reply but clenched her fists tightly. Her eyes stared at the ground, with a cold fury
emanating from them.
“Why hasn’t the city reacted?”
“Even if there is an reaction we wouldn’t be able to see it, but the nobles would have prepared for it.
Fortress Riedon is a place with strong walls and defended by the kingdom’s army, so the people in the
city are not too worried about it. However, the prices of bread and wheat today has increased by ten
percent. This is something that is not usually seen.”
“What happens if Fortress Riedon falls?”
“How could that be?”
Freya could not help but recall Brendel’s firm attitude and words. She shook her head to drive the notion
away, but she still replied.
“I have a friend who says that Fortress Riedon will fall.”
“Then he must be a liar.” Sue answered calmly.
——————————————————————————————–
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After Ciel struck the bell, he moved to the camp’s peak tower. He glanced at the city’s river from the wall,
then watched the street as soldiers gathered there. He was not able to ascertain the faction of these
troops due to the darkness, but he guessed that they were the nobles’ private armies.
His foremost concern was not these troops, so he surveyed his surroundings again, and spotted a suitable
location after a while. It was an area within the fortress. He lit the witch’s candle in his hand and recalled
Brendel’s method.
“Et’ham.”
The first syllable invoked the Dark Abyss’s powers, governed by the Twin Goddess Iren. This particular
power was used by the witches as a medium to invoke the candle’s power. Ciel raised the candle up,
allowing the light to travel approximately fifteen meters away.
He picked a tree in his mind and he was instantly dragged forth into a path of light. When he came back to
his senses, he found he was at the top of the tree.
“Incredible. As expected of the witches.” Ciel glanced around and he picked another tree. (TL: I’m
currently missing the Names Glossary txt file as I have not searched for it. Names and locations might not
be accurate.)
After repeating seven or eight times, the candle in Ciel’s hand had burned to the point where only a small
stump remained. He raised the candle a final time and selected a fortress’s window, and he was covered
in darkness when he traveled to the area.
He shook his head to drive off the dizzy feeling that was caused by candle. He could faintly hear the
fighting sounds in the area that was in front of him.
[It’s a little late, but that should be fine. My lord has already given me some leeway.] Ciel comforted
himself, but he did not know Brendel wanted to stab him with his sword for failing to appear.
—————————————- A few minutes ago—————————————-
When Brendel pushed open the heavy oak door, he did not see the Earl whom he expected to hide in one
corner and shiver. The room was well lit by the candles that were made from suet, and the latter was
sitting comfortably on a couch. He wore a formal woolen attire that was ironed to the point where there
was not even a wrinkle on it. He raised his head and looked at Brendel with a haughty look, and in front of
him was the Elven sword.
Brendel was slightly surprised at this scene. He did not think that the Earl was this brave, but
immediately became cautious after thinking it through.
[He’s not even affected in the least bit. Something is wrong.]
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“I didn’t think it was you, lad. I thought it was the assassins from the trash factions in Acobs Fortress–
Ahh, but you could also be the assassin that they hired. Please, tell me the truth.” The middle-aged man
furrowed his brows but his tone was even.
[Acobs Fortress? This bastard isn’t with the Royal faction?] Brendel’s mind was whirling in confusion, but
he shook his head.
“I’m afraid not, your Lordship. But if you would cooperate with me, I’m not interested in killing you, to tell
the truth.”
“Oh? You’re not interested in killing me? Then I must thank you, but it’s such a pity. I’m very interested in
killing you-” Before his words ended, a crossbow suddenly appeared in the middle-aged man’s hands;
Brendel’s eyes caught the arrow with a ghastly blue gleam and realized there was poison on it.
But he was already prepared as he knew the nobles’ tricks very well. He knocked the arrow away with his
sword with a ear-piercing clink, and before he had the time to relax, he heard a rushing wind behind him.
He subconsciously blocked the attack with his sword—
There was a loud crashing sound.
Brendel was thrown onto a shelf at the wall and he was smashed against it. After a continuous series of
wooden din, he climbed out of the wreckage with gritted teeth.
[An Iron high-ranking swordsman. Fuck. He still ambushed me too. Have you no shame? If it’s not for the
fact there’s fucking SOBs in the game that didn’t know the meaning of shame, I’m dead meat!]
Brendel felt the fear rushing at him when he got up, that was a close shave for him. He calculated the risk
in his mind again, an opponent of this caliber was troublesome.
[15 OZ worth of strength. Even if I used power break I might not get the upper hand.]
But his opponent and the middle-aged man were also shocked. Their ambush which should have worked,
failed completely. Even though Brendel was appearing to be in shabby condition, but everyone knew that
the wounds on him did not really mean anything.
The middle-aged man furrowed his brows again, but spoke mockingly after a while: “I didn’t expect a
maggot-looking commoner to have some capabilties, but this doesn’t change the ending.”
He picked up the Elven sword from the table and laughed coldly.
“You should have already noticed my guard’s abilities. You’re not his match. But it’s quite obvious, how
could a dirty commoner like yourself own a treasure like this? How about a trade, cut off your disgusting
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hand that touched this sword, give me your two companions and I’ll let you live. I promise I’ll treat them
well enough, at least comparable to dogs, hahahaha–”
He said as he laughed manically.
Brendel’s breath was released in a cold mist, a blazing fury growing in his eyes and his entire demeanor
changed.
Even though he knew the earl was antagonizing him on purpose, he could not suppress the rage that was
brewing within him. In this world, Romaine and Freya were the earliest people that he met, and everyone
in the third militia squadron, had become precious to him.
And the other’s Brendel’s grandfather had become his biggest driving force in this world.
[How can I let you continue spew all these fucking nonsense!]
The fingers on his sword turned white from his grip.
The other two men looked delighted from Brendel’s expression, and the middle aged man gestured with
his hands behind his back.
“Ulysses, corner him!” The middle-aged man commanded him.
The tall swordsman immediately pressed forward. His skill in the sword was considerable, and there
were no openings in his attacks. He smirked as he saw Brendel’s body leaning forward and adopting the
most aggressive stance in the military swordsmanship, and his eyes were on the middle-aged man.
It was a mistake for Brendel to be so impulsive.
Ulysses moved even closer, waiting for a chance to get a clean kill. He could almost see the opening in
Brendel’s side.
“Ulysses!” The middle-aged man suddenly shouted and Ulysses suddenly spotted an opening in Brendel’s
flank as his attention was taken away.
The grin in Ulysses had not appeared fully, and Brendel’s silver ring on his thumb was in front of him—
“Oss!”
There was no chance to evade. Tendrils of air converged onto one point and formed spiraling lances,
directly striking his face, chest and abdomen, and they were bent in a bizarre way. The immense wind
pressure smashed him into the ceiling and there was a loud explosive sound. The candle flames were all
extinguished and the room immediately dimmed. Gravel and concrete bits fell down, along with body
parts and blood.
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Before the middle-aged man was able to respond from this sudden change, a sword was placed at his
neck
“Speak, how exactly do you want to die.” Brendel asked coldly.
“…… You dare to kill me?” The middle-aged man pushed down his fear and said.
“Why would I not dare to do so?”
“I’m Earl Dunn, one of the important minister serving the king directly. Do you intend to be enemies with
the entire Aouine?” Dunn’s eyes were like a poisonous snake as he glared at Brendel. “Not only you, your
companions will be subject to the same crime.”
Brendel paused for a while and fell into deep silence.
Dunn continued to speak.
“I can release you and your companions, but for the sake of my reputation, you must leave your Elven
sword behind.” Even though Dunn promised him, his eyes were full of deep hatred.
Brendel finally let out a mirthful laugh. He looked condescendingly at Dunn as if he was a moron. “Your
lordship, just what exactly did you think I was doing?”
Dunn paused.
“I was thinking, some living creatures are just hopelessly stupid, even when death comes knocking on
their fucking door, they don’t even realize that.” Brendel shook his head: “Killing an important minister?
Escaping from prison? Nobody would even care about these trifling things, because history will be
written like this—”
“In the year of the bustling flowers and summer leaves, the sixth month on the second morning, Madara’s
army conquered Fortress Riedon. Earl Dunn, the Golden Apple Lord and the captain of the White-Mane
army, Luc Beson unfortunately perished in the lines of battle for the kingdom.”
“I, am nothing more than a guest here.”
Dunn’s eyes went wide as he looked at Brendel as if he saw a ghost.
“Do you think I’m lying to you? I don’t have the mood to joke with you. Since you’re unwilling to
cooperate, then it’s time to lend me your head.” Brendel finished speaking and lopped Dunn’s head off.
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TL: Thanks for the continued support on the series. I’ll be able to work on more chapters of my series
during the weekend (I hope).
Chapter 51 – Wealth
Brendel fell down onto the ground on his butt.
The series of battles had caused him to go weak in his knees, and there were no real advantages to be
gained from them, and these actions that he took did not match his personality at all.
His eyes were randomly cast upon Dunn’s headless body, and then he stopped moving. His eyes were
glued on the ring on his middle finger.
This ring was a long snake biting its tail in the form of an ‘O’ letter, and Brendel’s eyes went wide with
shock.
“Fuck me, are you serious?! This bastard is a member of ‘Origin’?” His hand went for the ‘Thorn of light’
on the table, but he was late by a heartbeat: The snake on the ring moved and twisted, then a chilling
voice echoed in the room.
“Very good, you bastard. Even though I don’t know who you are, you will not live for long—”
The shrieking voice abruptly started and ended. If Brendel did not know what this organization was, he
might have thought he was hearing things.
[Origin… This organization is similar to the ‘Tree Shepherd’, except they are even more mysterious than
the latter. Back then in the game’s history when Saint Orso overturned Aouine, they were already
present. No one knew what their goal was, but more than half of the in-game high level missions were
related to this organization—]
Brendel knew that the high level members in this organization were able to sense each through the
‘Ouroboros’ ring. Once someone died, the members would immediately know and choose a new person to
replace him.
And what awaited next was endless revenge.
“Damn it. These bunch of bastards again, Mother Marsha, are you toying with me?” Brendel got up with
the support of the Elven sword. He had a difficult time in the end game as he had also killed one of the
high ranking members, and the circumstances surrounding it was similar to what happened here.
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“My lord, are you in here?” When Ciel arrived the battle was over, but he thought his lord would have
easily ended things and wanting him to gather here was nothing more than a polite instruction.
But Brendel’s anger boiled over when he heard the voice. If he wasn’t alert enough, Ciel would have seen
a corpse or turned back into a card after he died.
He throw a piece of the rubble at him, and the surprised apprentice dodged to one side.
“Woah! My lord, please listen to my explanation—”
“Save it. Don’t do that again.” Brendel’s feelings were soothed after he scolded Ciel. There was at least one
advantage for him right now. Madara would raze this place to the ground and ‘Origin’ would have a hard
time finding out who killed Dunn. Even their organization was big, but they were not omniscient.
With that thought in mind, he felt much calmer. If they could not find him, then they would not be able to
exact their revenge.
“How many mana potions are left?” Brendel asked.
“I didn’t use one at all, but I’m really drained.” The young man smiled shyly as he did not wish to say that
he did not use them as they were too precious.
Brendel cast a disapproving look.
“We’re going up to the rooftop, drink one potion on the way up. This mana potion isn’t instant, and before
the next battle begins, I want to see you revived with completely recovered stats.”
“What is ‘revived with completely recovered stats.’?”
“It’s very simple. A wizard without mana has no difference from a dead person. When your mana is full,
you’re revived with recovered stats.”
“Even that’s a little cruel, but it seems like it’s true from a certain point of view.” Ciel nodded.
“Naturally. Do you think I have the time to bullshit with you?” Even though Brendel was not a wizard, he
was still able to teach Ciel till he was at least level 40. But he felt a little puzzled.
[Why is this guy and Babasha placing so much importance on these mana potions? Even though it’s
slightly expensive, there is no need to treat it with so much importance right?]
“My lord’s words are very right.” Ciel was completely convinced.
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Brendel walked over to Dunn and brought the Elven sword near to his corpse. There was a glimmering
light on the sword that looked like it was able to reveal the color of the blood on Dunn’s clothes.
Brendel frowned and thought back on everything, then nodded.
“My lord, what are you doing?”
“I’m saving myself.”
“Saving yourself?”
“Stop wasting time and follow me. Tell me what you discovered too.” Brendel knew that he could not let
Ciel to be proud of his achievements, otherwise there would be mistakes made the next time.
As the two of them moved off, Ciel reported what he saw to Brendel. When he heard that the nobles’
armies were gathered outside this fortress, he was worried and pleased at the same time. It was going to
be difficult to escape from so many people, but on the other hand Freya and Romaine’s situation would be
much easier. Even though he wanted to let them grow on their own, he was still worried about the girls.
After walking for a while, he suddenly remembered something.
“Ah, right. Ciel, what about the things I told you to do?”
“What task is that?”
“A task where a highland knight requested his squire to gather some stuff so that he could pay for living
expenses.”
Ciel got excited when he remembered it: “My lord, I picked up some wonderful stuff.”
“With my lord’s expertise, I’m sure you have heard the name Lamona, the little princess of Saint Osor. But
her most famous reputation isn’t this title, it was during the time in Kirrlutz where she worked as a court
artist. She painted Vaunte and the artwork’s name is ‘The voice of the souls’. She was a founder of an
artistic style and was a grandmaster. I truly did not expect this earl to be such a fan of her work. There
were many treasures in his collection.”
“No, I have never heard of this name. I am only interested in how much it can sell for.” Brendel shook his
head. Most of the gamers are more interested in grabbing gold and silver artifacts. When he thought
about it they were really like barbarians.
“Such uncivilized behavior, my lord, uncivilized!” Ciel shook his head with distaste. “But it should be fine
to sell this in the black market for a few million coins.”
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“Barely passable.”
Ciel was a little crestfallen when he saw they he did not have the same hobby as Brendel, but he still tried
to be enthusiastic and took out a book from his magic bag. “My lord, I also got this book.”
“What is this?”
“This is a book to keep magic cards. There is something special within this,” The squire took a card out
after he opened the book: “Look at this my lord.”
Brendel had guess what it was when he saw the card, but he was only able to confirm that it was a Card of
Fate after Ciel passed it over to him.
It was a green colored card which represented the wind series. There was a ‘X’ on it on the top left hand
corner, while there was a triangular shape with glowing lights painted on the card. There were different
lines on the three corners—
Ta’m – Target of the spell
Stau – The magic to invoke the spell
Ee – The eyes of the god that governed magic.
The required cost to use this card was three wind crystals.
Brendel flipped the card and used his system on it.
(Magic Control)
(The High Tower X)
(Wind element 3)
(Instant spell)
(Choose a target for the spell and choose another target to receive the energy.)
(Your magic shall be controlled by the High Tower guard, Ordo.)
Ciel observed Brendel’s expression and explained when he found an appropriate time for it. “This is a
rare White Magic card, my lord. It looks like we have good luck.”
“A White Magic Card?” Brendel asked.
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“It means that there are no prerequisites in using this card.”
“It doesn’t need a cost to use this?”
“No, my lord. There are many magic spells and cards in the Cards of Fate. Other than the basic land cards,
you have to under a certain condition. The knight cards, as an example, can only be used by knights or
warriors who walks ‘The path of bravery’, so my lord is able to use that.”
“And a white magic card can be used by anyone?”
“Exactly, my lord.”
Brendel rubbed his forehead. He remembered the scene in Gerald’s tomb and wondered if there was
anything related to this. He had never heard of these cards in the game, and today was the first time
where he thought about this in detail.
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TL: I’ll see if I can squeeze in a JP chapter after I wake up.
TL: So before you start reading the chapter, I just want to say that Danganronpa is out. This is one of the
best mystery visual novels (novel + voiced lines + graphics) you can get right now if you haven’t played it
before. Some of you might not know this, but I first came from the visual novel side before translating
webnovels. I highly recommend this game.
If you would like to look at my port report, you can check out this.
If you would like to look at my review of the game, check out this.
Chapter 52 – Little Romaine couldn’t possibly take such a risk
Romaine raised her head and looked at the wooden signature board. Her face was slightly flushed under
the cold night air. Even though it was early summer, the temperature in the highland area during the
night time was very low.
The wooden signature board had turned black from decades of rain and wind, and on it was a running
horse. She did not recognize the words on them but she guessed she was at the right place. Both her
hands were placed on her precious bag, and she rubbed her leather boots together.
[This should be the place right? That ‘Running Horse Inn’ or something?]
With the alarm that came from a distant place, a group of patrol troops passed by her. The merchant girl
was not afraid and curiously observed them. and watched them leave the area. When the alarm finally
stopped ringing, she let out a small sigh and stepped into the inn.
The owner of the inn was a dwarf. He appeared exactly like the Dwarves depicted in stories, with a long
bush beard with wheat color, and they were braided together. On the dwarf’s neck were bronze chains.
Intricate patterns and Dwarven words were carved on the chain rings, depicting the family name, birth
and given name.
Famous family names like ‘Firebeard’, ‘Rocksigil’, ‘Orichalheart’ would even create the precious and
heavy gold chain for each member.
These chains were a proud symbol just like their beards, and the Dwarven families had centuries of
history along with them. They would gladly wear the chain around and let the jangling chains sound out
loudly. It was a rare sight for a dwarf to appear in the human society, and the inn’s owner, Khodrum
Barrock, made use of this notion and dressed himself up like a person of great importance, as well as
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spreading rumors through the use of coins. Many people visited this mysterious dwarf and his business
naturally got better and better.
Khodrum wore a robe made of silk today, with three ruby rings on his stubby fingers, as well as a cat-eye
stone ring and an emerald ring. He had a nephew, a human, and was able to establish further relations
with them. As to why the dwarf had a human nephew, no one really knows.
But his nephew who was serving in the white-mane’s army was currently discussing with him in private
along with his companion. The three of them had been talking for a little while.
“You’re saying if I see a lass I should agree to any of her requests? Why is that? If she wants my entire
fortune, am I supposed to give it too? No, no this suggestion sounds just too stupid.” The Dwarven boss
shook his head forcefully and grumbled.
“Uncle Khodrum, please listen to me properly. I’m not asking you to give her anything other than to
prepare a horse cart for her. Don’t alarm her and prepare another horse cart so we can follow her from
behind.”
“Only horse carts?” Khodrum looked suspiciously at his nephew with his beady eyes.
“Of course.”
“Fine, will she pay?”
The young man sighed, but knowing his uncle’s temperament, he quickly added on: “Of course she will,
but don’t haggle with her too much and raise the price too high. Please don’t frighten her away, and if
uncle helps me out, I’ll be able to take the credit of capturing her!”
“I don’t really understand, but you mean that you like that lass? I can consider give you a 0.5 % discount.”
“N-no! It’s something like this, this girl is actually a spy from Madara. She and her companions escaped
from prison and should be seeking to leave the fortress as soon as possible. Captain Luc Beson tasked us
to look at the paths that they would escape from.”
“Then why don’t you capture her directly?” Khodrum asked in curiosity.
Puck rubbed his temples. “Uncle Khodrum, she still has her companions, and in order to capture all of
them, we want to follow her and catch them when their guard is down. Do you understand?”
“Not really.”
“Okay, in any case, I’ll top up the money if she pays any less. Please be at ease, uncle Khodrum.”
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“Get her guard down, satisfy her request? I understand that.” The dwarf nodded.
Even though he had to nitpick at everything, the speed at which he cleared the task was very fast. He
called the workers over and ordered them, then informed his nephew: “I already prepared everything.
When is the girl going to come?”
“I’m not sure but I hope she’s going to come over to our side first, I don’t want to see that bastard
Granzon looking down on me.” The young man sighed, then suddenly felt his companion patting his back
with everything he had. He turned his head and saw Romaine. He immediately jumped up and pushed the
dwarf towards the front.
“That’s her, she’s coming! Quick, uncle, everything depends on you!”
“Relax, young man. Don’t push me like a sack of potatoes, I have been doing this for thirty years and I
know what to do.” Khodrum did not forget to brag.
When Romaine came in, she was looking all over the place with great interest. She had never seen a
building that was mainly made out of rocks. She felt something familiar when she saw the pillars and
walls, but then she spotted the dwarf whose beard nearly reached the ground.
“Are you a midget?” She asked.
“No, I’m a Dwarven person.” The inn’s boss corrected her.
“Mr Dwarven, are you the boss here?”
“I am a dwarf, not Mr Dwarven. Lass, do you understand the difference? And yes, I’m the boss.”
“I would like to rent a horse cart, do you rent them here?”
“Of course, what do you think I do here?”
“Do I need to pay?” Romaine was still looking curiously at the store.
“That’s a given thing. Doing a business has a transaction of coins and goods. We calculate the days of how
long the guests want to rent them for, but strictly speaking, a horse rental inn typically rents them out for
only a day. If the horse cart is damaged because of the guest, we will have to seek payment for it.
Furthermore, our drivers have the right to refuse any orders that might harm their lives. When this
particular rule and that particular rule occur…..” Khodrum spoke without stopping when it came to
business.
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“How much do I need to pay if I want to rent for half a day?”
“Thirty coins.”
Romaine took out a blue-grayish pouch, turned it over and shook it. There were three copper coins on her
hand. She raised her head and asked without any change on her face: “I only have this much, can I still
rent the horse cart?”
“You can rent a horse wheel……..” Was what Khodrum wanted to say, but he suddenly recalled his
nephew’s words, so he changed his tune stiffly. “Fine, even though this is short, lass, when do you want
the cart?”
“I want it now. How do I get to the horse cart?”
“The cart is right behind. Here is your card number. Take it and you can find the right cart. Well, do you
need me to bring you over?” Khodrum passed the copper card over in pain. He had not done a business
transaction where he did it a loss for many years.
“Nope. I still have my friends waiting out there, and I have to ask them for their opinions. Can we finish
the transaction now?”
“Of course. Finishing a transaction is my favorite thing in the world.” Khodrum dabbed his forehead. This
transaction violated his principles in the worst ways. But for the sake of his nephew and his coins, he
accepted it grudgingly.
Puck and his companion watched Romaine leave with satisfaction, and they ran out and he pulled his
uncle and asked.
“Did you manage to do it?”
“Certainly, just think who your uncle Khodrum is? I have made transactions with man-eating devils
before.” The dwarf described everything that had transpired, but Puck smacked his forehead and yelled.
“Marsha above, Uncle Khodrum, what are you doing, she definitely knows we’re here! She won’t sit in
your horse cart. We have messed things up!”
“Uncle, which merchant would do business at a loss, operating at a tenth of the original cost, you overdid
things uncle! She must have suspected from the very beginning, what else did she say?” The young man
had a grim expression as he did not expect his uncle to mess things up with his good intentions.
“She said she had to seek her companions opinions.”
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“Companions?” Puck looked at his partner and they went out immediately. The dwarf shouted behind
them.
“I say, wait, you two little wankers, where’s my promised money!”
He was fuming.
“These youngsters nowadays have no respect for the elderly.” When he looked back, he saw one of his
worker running over.
“Boss, the horse cart that you arranged has driven away.”
“The horse cart that I arranged, what cart?” Khodrum looked at his worker in confusion.
“The horse cart which you said to fulfill any requests that the girl wants. That girl is really pretty and
polite. Is she Master Puck’s lover?”
“What!” The dwarf looked at the worker as if he was going to kill him.
……………………………………………………….
“Miss, where are we going to?”
The horse cart advanced forward with the wheels turning against the rocks. The monotonous sounds
were accompanied with the scenery changing quickly, and the girl looked on with interest. But she
replied quickly-
“I like the scenery around here, can we go to the south gate? Then let’s go one round to the north gate? Is
there anything of interest around here?”
“Of course. We should pass by the Knight Everton’s residence.”
“Everton? Who’s that?”
“Knight Everton was a famous hero……….”
……………………………………………………………………….
Brendel and Ciel climbed up to the peak tower of the Pine Fortress. They took in a sharp breath when
they saw the troops surrounding the fortress. The disorganized mercenaries had lit up their torch in a
random order, and it looked like there were stars on the ground, forming a fiery dragon that coiled
around the fortress.
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The private army of the nobles had already broken through the gate and were advancing in the courtyard.
The wind bullet that caused a loud explosive earlier had alerted them and they prepared to attack with
force.
Both of Brendel and Ciel’s faces were slightly pallid. It would be a miracle if they managed to escape from
this. Even though they could rely on the gargoyle, but it might not be able to fly high enough.
Brendel held his breath as he felt that things were spiraling out of his calculations. He pointed at another
fiery dragon that was appearing in the distance: “Do you see that? The white-mane army is also coming
over-”
“I wish that I didn’t see that, my lord.”
“That’s true.”
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TL: Sorry guys, I have to probably delay the JP series until I have some real free time in March. The next
TL release will probably be next week or if I have free time.
Chapter 53 – The line between life and death
“Ser Esebar, take a look at this.” The leader of the mercenaries handed the brass telescope over to the
noble after using it.
The Golden Apple Lord sat steadily on an Arreck horse.
Aouine’s cavalry troops once used them as the main choice as war horses, but they eventually switched to
the double-footed flying dragons. Despite the change, the nobles still used rode the horses to represent
their status.
Esebar received the telescope and looked into the distance with it, then passed to his ally, the
businessman Burnley with an impassive face.
The Golden Apple Lord was not too anxious. Even if Earl Dunn died on their territory, the only thing that
would get affected was merely their reputation. The nobles in this area prized actual power over
reputation, and if the king sought someone to blame, it was naturally the bastard Luc Beson who was at
fault, not the gentlemen here.
In fact, he wanted the Earl to get into an accident, but he did not dare to do anything that was too obvious.
Right now, he merely gathered his private army and prepared to attack the keep.
But he needed to capture the person who invaded the fortress. If White-Mane army captured the invader
instead, and if they doctored the military records, the responsibility would fall onto him.
Burnley took the telescope with a smile, looked through it and said: “There are people on the tower’s
peak.”
“Makavu, get some archers over. Their status must be at least a white rank because the opponent is a
Iron-ranked swordsman.” The Golden Apple Lord pointed at the top of the tower as he instructed the
leader of the mercenaries.
“Understood, Ser Esebar. Just wait and see. Regardless of whether he’s a Iron-ranked swordsman or a
Highland Knight, we will definitely turn him into a body filled with arrows.” The mercenary leader
answered and left immediately.
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The nobles’ private armies split into two lines, allowing their leader to ride run over. Not far away the
riders rode on their horses over from the river noisily, and the scenery was filled with chaotuc dancing
light.
The Golden Apple Lord narrowed his eyes: “These riders are really crass.”
“If they appeared here, does that mean that Earl Dunn is—” Burnley gestured with his hand across his
neck with a beaming face.
“Hmph. A second generation from the Les Brulais family. The king favors him because of his lips. Thanks
to that, he thinks nothing of the other ministers and everyone hates him because of his arrogance. Dying
in the streets is a very normal thing for him.” The Golden Apple Lord snorted from his nose.
“This man is a reputed archaeologist who can identify items. The king looks favorably on him because of
this.” Burnley corrected his partner’s mistake.
“He’s nothing more than a fool.”
A scout reported in while the two men discussed. The rider came to them with a weary war horse and he
spoke: “My lord, the White-Mane army is here.”
“Oh? How many?” The Golden Apple Lord asked.
“Twenty of them. They appear to be the vanguard.”
“Block them outside.” He pointed with his horse whip and ordered the scout.
“Understood.”
As soon as the rider left, another came up to him and reported: “My lord, the archers are ready.”
The Golden Apple Lord nodded: “That should be enough. Get Granzon to break the fortress as soon as
possible. I suspected they had the ability to fly a long time ago. Looks like my guess isn’t wrong, and this
time we will definitely get them.”
“That is a Highland knight. How are you going to take care of it?” Burnley asked.
“This is originally a difficult thing, but since they killed that idiot so openly, even if he is a member of the
White Knights on active duty, no one can save him.”
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The Golden Apple Lord watched as a black figure landed on the tower’s peak, which then carried the two
and flew over the soldiers’ heads. He looked at his soldiers and saw them readying their bows. With a
whistle, the order was given and hundreds of arrows fired at the same time—
“Ahhhh, my lord! They have archers!” Ciel shook to his left and right as he yelled in fright.
“Cut the crap, I can see them with my own eyes!” Brendel answered gloomily. He struck down an arrow
with his sword, and the force that transmitted over from it numbed his fingers slightly. His heart sank as
he realized the opponents had Iron-ranked archers. The arrows flew at them from all angles and struck
the gargoyle’s wings, and if they continued to go near them, he would have no way to handle the arrows.
“Fly to the ground.” He commanded with a low growl.
“Fly down?” Ciel’s eyes were wide open as he thought that his lord had become insane.
[We’re going to die!!!]
“We can’t fly back over and we can’t go back. We are completely surrounded by his men. If that is the
case, we should fight our way out, perhaps we have a chance at surviving.” Brendel said calmly and stared
at the immense crowd on the ground.
“My lord, you gamble too much.”
“Believing in your strength is called bravery, placing your fate on luck is called reckless. There is a fine
line between these two things, and the key is to know how to walk on it. This is one of my motto in the
game, remember this well.” Brendel replied as he looked at his squire.
“Game?”
“Didn’t I tell you this before? Life is like a game, a game is like life.” Brendel suddenly laughed as the
weight lifted from his chest, and felt never more awake in his life.
The gargoyle flew lower while the whistling air passed by the two men. They were almost able to see the
archers clearly by now. Another whistle resounded in the air, and another volley of arrows came at them.
Brendel desperately tried to block them all, but an arrow slipped by and drew blood from his side.
The gargoyle turned a full circle and drew most of the firepower away. It boasted one of the highest
defence as a level twenty creature, and even a fully charged strike from Brendel’s ring did not manage to
bring it down completely. These arrows did not damage it in the slightest.
Unfortunately, the agility in the air was nothing special, otherwise Brendel could order it to use various
aerial maneuvers to bring them out of the siege. He thought for a while before taking a ruby out from his
pouch. He had taken it from the Dunn’s corpse.
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“Is your mana at full capacity?”
“Yes.”
“Then conjure a bow for me.”
“Bow?” Ciel was momentarily stunned as he took the ruby. “My lord, I suggest to conjure a shield rather
than a bow.”
“Offense is the best defense.”
“Then leave it to me-” The wizard apprentice nodded and raised the ruby. “Projection ability, conjure a
bow with an equivalent exchange!” Countless light beams poured from the ruby and curved around it,
then formed into a longbow.
The longbow had no physical body, and was merely formed with leylines of magic. The string and the two
corners of bow were written with complicated sigils and represented the laws of magic. The conceptual
body of the bow was a principle of magic, and it was paid by converting the energy in precious gems. It
did not require an arrow to fire a projectile.
“My willpower can only allow this bow to fire four times.” Ciel said as he handed the bow over to Brendel.
“Let’s try it out.”
The third volley of arrows came again—
“What is this monster?” The Golden Apple Lord pointed at the dark creature with immense wings.
Burnley’s eyes glinted, but he did not reply.
“That is a gargoyle, my lord. It is a masterpiece of Buga’s smiths, a type of war puppet.”
It was a mercenary who replied politely.
“That is a gargoyle?” The Golden Apple Lord’s expression changed. He drew in a deep breath. He had
heard of Karsuk’s highland wizards were a connection left behind by Buga’s archmagi, and it appeared
that the rumors were somewhat valid. His heart started calculating. It was still fine to offend a highland
knight, but Buga’s archmagi were something else entirely.
“Ser Esebar, we have no choice.” Burnley’s eyes changed a little and tried to persuade him.
The Golden Apple Lord suddenly turned back and looked at him, and Burnley suddenly realized that he
overdid things. The fat businessman laughed and shook his head. “But it is true that Buga’s wizards are
not people to be trifled with-”
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The Golden Apple Lord raised his head and felt uneasy.
Brendel and Ciel landed on the ground without suffering any additional injuries. Another volley of arrows
came again, and Brendel cut them down with his sword. As soon as the raining arrows ended, he
sheathed the sword and brought the bow up as he jumped onto the gargoyle’s back and they flew
towards the archers.
Makavu was in the midst of the archers. He almost could not believe his eyes when he saw Brendel flying
up from the ground area, but his experience in the myriad battles in his history brought about a sense of
danger when he realized there was a gargoyle.
He immediately shouted to his vice captain: “It’s close enough, have the archers fire at will!”
The soldiers understood the meaning, and the riders from the sides prepared to surround the area.
The soldiers fired again—
Brendel took in another deep breath. There was no need for any bow techniques with the conjured bow,
but he had trouble balancing himself on the flying creature. He aimed for a few seconds, then lightly
released the bowstring. A white beam of light shot into the throng of soldiers five meters away from
Makavu, shattering the rocks nearby into pebbles.
“Oh.” Ciel sighed as he watched.
Brendel did not panic and became even steady. He pulled the bow again and this arrow pierced two
archers behind Makavu and the arrow exploded in the vicinity, hurting the soldiers around the area of
impact.
He pulled the bow again. Makavu was already retreating in a hurry as he mistook Brendel for a wizard.
This arrow brought the vice-captain down from his horse. Brendel was becoming more accurate.
[This is the last arrow. They are about to counter attack!]
Brendel’s eyes followed Makavu with a grimace as he wormed into the crowd. He hesitated before
unleashing the arrow into the archers, causing the arrow to explode. Due to the tightly packed area, four
of them died, and the archers retreated.
Because of the chaos, there was an opening as they fled in different directions.
The gargoyle turned around and grabbed Ciel. This had given Brendel a little time and he felt that his
judgment was correct. He then ordered the gargoyle to fly past them. Just when he thought everything
was fine, a lasso came from the crowd and accurately looped around one of the Gargoyle’s wings.
Brendel was shocked and he turned his head around to spot the mercenary leader, Makavu.
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Because of the unexpected turn of events, the gargoyle flew unsteadily in an arch, then descended nearby
into the river. Makavu cried out in delight and released the rope. He did not care about his bloody palms
and yelled out: “Now! Capture them!”
The situation suddenly changed.
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TL: I will be concentrating on the JP series next week and I expect the next regular release for the CN
series on 12 March.
I also want to say my sincere thanks to the donators. You guys allowed me to purchase a lot of artbooks,
and I’ll post up some photos on them once they arrive some time in late march.
Chapter 54 – Breakthrough
The gargoyle skidded against the soft river ground ten over meters after it was forced down. The damage
against this monstrous creature was minor, but Brendel and Ciel were hurled towards the ground with
considerable impact.
The nobles’ soldiers around them immediately became excited once they landed on the ground, and they
swarmed towards them like angry insects. Even though they were a bunch of low ranking mobs, the
riders’ charge made them look terrifying. After Ciel stood up from the ground and shook off the sand, he
received a shock after looking at his surroundings and immediately asked: “My lord, what should we do
now?”
Brendel pulled his leg out from the mud and drew his sword. He yelled: “Cut the crap, create a wall now!”
This was the classic strategy of Aouine’s wizards against the riders. The players’ strategies gradually
evolved from this basic spell as it was effective against inexperienced riders.
Ciel immediately understood and used a ruby and pointed to the front: “To halt, to counter, Wall of
creation—” Strings of light extended everywhere and formed a wall. The strings of light disappeared and
a firm wall made of air was created.
Most of the riders had no idea what it was and they charged forward. There were a few experienced
soldiers who split into two directions while Makavu tried to command his troops to circle the enemies,
but the noise created from the galloping horses drowned his voice.
The first row of riders crashed into the wall of air. The horses knelt onto the ground, while the riders
were thrown upwards and crashes into the wall. The next row of riders trampled onto the first row and
then stumbled to the ground. As the third row crashed onto the second row, the increasing pressure
shattered the wall of air, and suddenly a great number of the corpses were propelled forward and landed
near Brendel’s feet.
This happened in a single instant, and the forceful impact frightened even Brendel and Ciel. They took a
step backwards involuntarily.
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Makavu cursed in anger from behind. The first row of riders were immediately killed, and the second row
of riders were heavily injured. The third row of riders were mostly incapacitated and could not join back
in the fray. Twenty odd men were never going to come back and rejoin his army, and he felt heartbroken
by that fact.
He clenched his teeth and quickly bandaged his bloodied hands, then charged forth with a brandished
greatsword. There were still ten over veteran riders remaining and he needed to lead them personally to
suppress the two enemies in front, until the footmen were able to catch up with them.
[We need to target that wizard! If he continues to use his magic it would spell disaster for us!]
Makavu waved his greatsword twice, signalling his men to spread out and surround the enemies. He was
fuming slightly when he saw their hesitant behavior. Each one of them was at least an Iron-rank, but
when it came to the critical moment they were reluctant to advance.
“Charge! Attack as one!” Makavu understood he needed to spur them despite his anger.
He did not know that Brendel had been observing him for quite some time already.
[I fought more than enough times to know what you’re thinking. There’s no need to try and hide your
tactics.] Brendel watched Makavu advance on an Arreck horse as he continued to issue out commands.
He spat out the sand in his mouth and tapped Ciel’s shoulder, then pointed to Makavu.
“See that man, coordinate with me at the right moment with a magic arrow.”
Ciel immediately shook his head. “He’s on a horse and I’m not that accurate.”
“No problem, you don’t need to worry about mana conservation, if you miss just keep on shooting.”
“Then it should be fine.”
Brendel checked the riders in his surroundings, grabbed his sword’s hilt and readied himself. After
Makavu and his riders circled once, Makavu raised his sword just like he expected.
[He’s preparing to charge with everyone.]
Thirty meters.
Twenty meters.
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Brendel was waiting for a chance like this. He went into a stance and unleashed his sword from the
scabbard. Light burst forth along with a violent gust. Makavu saw the translucent ripple spreading forth
along the ground, dragging pebbles along its path. Even though he had never seen the royal court’s sword
style, he recognized that danger was coming towards him. He immediately jumped high up from his
horse.
As he went up in mid-air, Brendel’s technique swept past the Arreck horse, and the giant horse suddenly
stumbled forward and collapsed into a heap.
Its four limbs were severed.
Makavu drew a cold breath as he thought of a term.
[Sword aura—]
But before he could finish his thoughts, a beam of white light pierced through the air and struck his chest.
A second beam stabbed his shoulder, the third beam impaled his abdomen, and the final beam of light
went past him. Makavu changed directions three times before crashing down onto the sand lifelessly.
This sudden change made the riders pull their reins. They were not shocked by Makavu’s death, but by
the technique displayed before them. It was a signature move used by paladins. Their expressions
changed into fear as they wondered who the young man was.
“You’re quite accurate.” Brendel sheathed his sword.
“Ho ho. But this credit belongs to my lord.” Ciel answered with a straight face.
Brendel smiled when he heard that. He checked the scenery in front of him. Even though the riders were
stunned into inaction, he could not relax as he saw the shadows from the infantry in the Long Spear
Forest.
He exhaled as he rearranged his plan. He looked to the north as he realized the only chance was in that
direction. He was not sure whether he was able to pull it off but he pointed in that direction and yelled:
“Wstry (Advance forth)!”
[If I don’t have any attack commands for the gargoyle, then I’ll use the move command as a substitute.]
The Golden Apple Lord watched the events unfold from a high view. His face was contorted into an ugly
expression. Even though these troops were not elites, he had paid for them, especially Makavu. Even
though he was a low-born, he was a strong commander and a capable fighter.
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“A highland knight is indeed a highland knight. I didn’t really believe in the rumors of the legendary
prowess of the White Knight army, but it looks like that was no falsity in it.” Burnley said with a smile of
his face.
“Looks like Earl Dunn is most likely dead. I wonder if that ‘Tiger’ dares to take on this highland knight.
But if he manages to do so, even a dead body would be disadvantageous to us, especially when we did not
manage to find the two women.”
“I just find it strange as to why this particular young man needed to kill Dunn. If this man is really a
Bucce’s militia, wouldn’t be better for him to use the Earl as a hostage? This is such a pity, we could have
use Dunn’s social powers.” Burnley pretended to be dismayed by the events, but his eyes were laughing.
“Not necessarily. There’s no need to stand on any political factions too quickly. The matters between the
royal family and the White-mane army are still undecided. But no matter what, whether that man is an
assassin or had some other goals in his mind, I think that sword of his has something very wrong with
it—” The Golden Apple Lord grabbed his reins and adjusted himself on the horse.
“That Elven Sword?”
Esebar wanted to nod, but suddenly saw his soldiers were splitting apart like they were avoiding a wave.
He paused momentarily, then spotted a gargoyle charging at him. His words faltered as he pulled his
reins subconsciously. He wanted to turn away, but because he used too much force as he was too tense,
the horse actually stood up in hind legs with a neigh.
“Lord Esebar, be careful!”
As the gargoyle was over twenty levels, its strength was higher than most Iron-ranked fighters, and along
with its formidable defense, charging into the midst of the unranked soldiers was akin to a tiger charging
into the midst of lambs. With the advent of this giant monster, the soldiers suddenly felt an innate fear
taking over their bodies. One of them even yelled panickedly: “Dragon!!!”
Brendel expected the gargoyle to easily crush the soldiers’ weak formations, but he also understood that
the situation would not last for long. The soldiers were momentarily confused, but once they recovered
the gargoyle would not be able to fight against their number.
If they were well trained, whether the gargoyle could even handle ten soldiers was a question.
He needed to utilize the chaotic scene and prevent them from regaining their formation, and he acted on
it quickly.
“Ciel, follow and cover me.”
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He rushed forward as he finished speaking. The pathway made by the gargoyle was closing up as the
soldiers wanted to block their enemies, but Brendel swung his sword forward, and the wind pressure
was like a scythe going through the soldiers, reaping them like wheat.
The soldiers who were behind them fell back in fright as they abandoned all notions to continue fighting,
creating a greater pathway than the gargoyle did. If Makavu was still around they might be able to form
up, but their leader was now gone.
Brendel and Ciel quickly passed through the Long Spear Forest. If there were any stragglers who wanted
to follow them, Ciel shot them down with magic arrows. He still had two bottles of mana potion, and the
magic arrow spell was a cheap and effective magic.
Brendel raised his heads and faintly saw a group of nobles on top of the hill nearby. He saw Lord Burnley
and issued another command.
“That fat bastard, ary — (Take) –!”
Before he finished issuing the command, he suddenly found a group of riders coming from the left flank.
These riders wore deep blue garments with a pointed hat, donned silver armor with shoulder guards,
along with a white tussle behind them. These were the light calvary of the White-Mane army.
The two groups realized that the ‘Tiger’ Luc Beson had arrived.
“Bacchus, Taron, take down that Madara spy!” Even the midst of the noisy army, Luc Beson’s calm voice
still resounded clearly, sending a chill to everyone present.
Two tall riders came from the left and right at Brendel after Luc Beson finished speaking.
“Very good.” Brendel scoffed coldly in his heart and activated his ‘Charge’ skill, dashing past them in an
instant. Bacchus and Taron stopped for a moment, and when they realized what happened and turned
behind them, the young man had gone past them ten over meters.
Not only them, the majority of the White-Mane army were also stunned. The two men were squadron
leaders and were low Iron-ranked fighters, and Brendel pulled away so easily?
Luc Beson’s eyebrows went up.
[Charge skill? This young man is also related to the Sun knights?]
He immediately raised his right hand: “Odin, Kline, stop him!”
Two riders advanced together. The squadron leaders were especially proficient in their riding skills, and
even though they started off late, they immediately caught up with Brendel.
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But before the soldiers could cheer for their leaders, Odin and Kline were already thrown off their horses.
Everyone’s eyes went wide open.
The ones who had quicker eyes saw the event unfold clearly: The young man did not stop, exchanged a
single blow with each of them, destroyed both their swords, and they were thrown backwards like they
were knocked by a dragon.
“Power Break!” A person’s cry immediately made many people realize what happened.
Brendel did not hear or say anything as his attention was on Burnley. The gargoyle had already grabbed
him. This was the key to escaping this dead end.
[Victory is at hand, right?]
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Chapter 55 – Sword, light
Along with a fiercesome cry, the gargoyle swoop down from the sky and its hook-like claws latched onto
Burnley’s shoulders, then raised the ball-like figure into the sky. The businessman reacted subconsciously
and tried to wiggle out of the gargolye’s grasp, but realized he was in mid air and paled instantly and
stopped moving.
Everyone raised their heads up. Even though they knew they might do the same thing as Burnley, they
secretly despised him for his cowardice.
Brendel raised his hand up and yelled admist the army without looking back: “Uom (come back)!”
When he finally looked behind him, the soldiers before him took a step back under his gaze. However,
once they did so, they revealed that Ciel was surrounded by hundreds of spears.
“Don’t attack me, I surrender!” The young wizard raised his hands up to show that he did not intend to
resist.
[I say, can you be any more spineless?]
Brendel sighed once and shook his head. But Ciel did not seem to see his actions and blinked at him
repeatedly, saying: ‘Everything is up to you my lord, I already did my best.’
Brendel wanted to pull his hair out.
The White-Mane riders marched up and circled behind Brendel’s back, as if they wanted to take control
of the situation from the nobles.
The Golden Apple Lord from afar started cursing, but there a number of factors that prevented him from
controlling the enemy before him. Makavu was dead, Burnley was dangling in the air, Granzon was still in
the fortress. There was no one beside him that was of use.
He could only ride forth alone. The truth he was enduring the cold perspiration in his back. He was
almost certain that the gargoyle was coming from him.
[But why did he capture Burnley?]
The Golden Apple Lord gestured and brought forth a few nobles along with him, riding towards the
center of the army that surrounded Brendel. He stopped in front of Luc Beson. The two parties had
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nothing much to say as the tension between the nobles and regional army leader of Grinoires was too
much for civility.
The ‘Tiger’ Luc Beson stood tall like a spear on the horse’s back. He smirked as he looked at Esebar and
the nobles behind him. He might be in the White-Mane army, but his heart was in the monarch’s faction
which sought to regain its power. The two parties looked down on each other, so he naturally did not
want to waste any time on them.
He was more interested in Brendel and peered at him. The young man managed to create chaos in front
of a big army, and managed to either escape or defeat his squadron leaders in the blink of an eye. But he
was surprised to find Brendel’s gaze was on him.
[Does he know me?]
Luc Beson frowned but quickly composed himself.
“Young man, I’ll give you a chance to put the pitiful fellow, Lord Burnley, down to the ground. As you can
see, your ally is in our hands.” Luc Beson took over the entire situation once he spoke.
Brendel confirmed that he was Luc Beson after hearing his voice. He had heard of his voice during
missions in Fortress Riedon before the first Black Rose War.
[The Tiger, Luc Beson. An upper silver-ranked swordsman, one of the stronger fighters in the entire
Aouine region.]
Brendel did not dare to underestimate a formidable foe like him. His thoughts moved quickly. He glanced
at Luc Beson and Esebar, knowing that his only chance at survival was on these two people.
This standoff between these two men was not by coincidence.
This rivalry between the nobles and the regional army was due to Aouine’s unique political rule. As the
country came from the splintered Kirrlutz, its rules were derived from the Black Bible. Due to the long
history of the lords fighting one another, the fourth ruler of Aouine, Einz the first created the rule of
having a regional army governing their own location.
The lords started to create their own ‘country’ like a principality. Within this ‘countries’ the lords enjoyed
complete administrative power and their own laws. However, the king imposed a tax on all the mines,
foresting lands and farms, while the nobles were free to impose a second tax. The nobles were also
unable to hold their own private armies, and the defense was left to royalty or the regional army.
With this dual system of separating the army and administration, the royal family controlled all the states
and created a strong kingdom. However, no matter how glorious Aouine was, there was going to be
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ambitious offenders that would plague the kingdom. When the royal family’s authority waned, the
opposers gradually appeared.
The first appearance of internal strife came around the rule of the ‘Pious Disciple’, King Edelweiss, sixty
years ago. It was also when he was succeeded by King Corvado. Duch Arreck, who also had the same
succession rights, was spiteful over this event, and when King Edelweiss passed away, the regional
armies gradually started to support different factions. (TL: There might be some inaccurate TL here. The
history lesson is killing me.)
When the royal family found that they were unable to control the huge armies, the authority in the capital
started waning: And ever since the ‘Year of the Empty Beast’, the tax official was unable to gain access to a
third of the lands. It was evident that the royal family’s authority had been reduced to be a miserable
state.
Duch Arreck had forced King Oberg the sixth to change a new set of defense laws, and they only
controlled the minor kingdom’s armies. Cifahd’s black bladed army and Ampere Seale’s eleventh
voluntary calvary.
Under such circumstances, the royal family’s hold over many areas were becoming weaker. However, the
contest for power was becoming more intense between the nobles and the regional armies. In the
Grinoires region, the earl and the archduke’s enmity was well known as a source of entertainment in
pubs.
And in Fortress Riedon, this conflict was present in the nobles and Luc Beson. They held the same
attitude in abandoning Bucce, but Luc Beson was in a disadvantage as he was weaker in political
maneuvering and capability. Someone had to take responsibility for the failure.
But now there was a change when Brendel and his partners came along.
If they were truly Bucce’s militia and they were still present for questioning, Esebar’s excuses would
become a lie, and it was a considerable matter for deceiving the king. Even if the royal family was reduced
nothing more than just a name, the ministers in the capital would be able to legitimately use this as an
excuse to turn on each other.
[And because of this… I have at least a chance to escape from this unharmed. Even if Esebar wants me
dead, he had to seek Luc Beson’s approval.]
Brendel felt a little sad. He knew that this would be the outcome but he was unable to explain it clearly to
Freya. If she knew that the final conclusion was still to leave it to these warring factions, she probably
would not be able to accept it.
[But even if it’s sad, it’s thanks to your short-sightedness that I can use this excuse.]
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After hearind Luc Beson’s words, he could not help but display a chilling smile: “That is certainly
laughable, my esteemed nobles.”
Everyone was stunned from hearing his conflicting tone.
“Laughable?” Luc Beson smiled from his horse as he looked down from the higher ground: “Why do you
find it laughable?”
[Your grin is going to be wiped off soon.] Brendel beckoned the gargoyle to come to him, and held his
Elven sword from the left hand to his right.
“Ser Luc Beson.” He turned his head to him once again. “You want me to let down this fat bastard down?”
He smacked Burnley’s face with his hand, recalling the events that happened two hours ago. It was when
Earl Dunn took away his sword and raised it to take a close look– (TL: OH? Gee, that event felt like it
happened WEEKS ago. I wonder why.)
The memories played back smoothly across his mind like a flowing river, calming him. He tilted his head
and answered: “I find it laughable that, some people don’t even know they are heading to the gallows. Do
you really believe you can stay in Fortress Riedon safely and Madara’s army wouldn’t invade Aouine’s
territory?”
“Madara?” Both Luc Beson and the Golden Apple Lord were confused..
“What are you trying to say exactly, you bas—, you fellow.” The Golden Apple Lord asked while
considering his status that was related to Buga’s wizards.
Brendel did not want to waste anymore time, and he took up his sword and place it at Burnley’s neck.
Before he finished speaking, the Elven sword flared up with brilliant light.
“Lord Burnley’s family is well reputed for its wealth and knowledge, can you tell me what history this
sword has?” Brendel copied a certain man’s tone with a cold sneer.
That fat man suddenly struggled with all his might in the gargoyle’s grasp and tried to retreat backwards.
Brendel finally confirmed the suspicion in his heart and ignored him. He rebuked angrily at the two men:
“This sword is called ‘Thorn of light’, a sword that was created admist light. All undead creatures are
revealed by this sword’s brilliance, but you short-sighted morons only sought to admire it, but forgot
what happened when Earl Dunn took it.”
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“My esteemed nobles, do you really believe this fat pig is your ally? How remarkably laughable, you don’t
even know Tarkus have planted a spy amongst you—”
Luc Beson and the nobles were tongue-tied as they did not know whether this was true. Even though the
White-Mane army’s captain already believed Brendel’s words, but he wished that it was untrue.
Brendel thrust the sword into Burnley’s ball-like figure. The latter shrieked pitifully as his body rapidly
shrank, and his appearance changed to that of a ugly and desiccated monster.
“A lich!” Luc Beson recognized this creature in an instant.
Esebar was even more exaggerated as his body sagged as he yelled. “Impossible!”
His response frightened everyone and they cast their eyes on him. Brendel’s expression was cold. He
finally knew what happened in Fortress Riedon and why it fell so quickly.
[But history— or the future… cannot be changed now.]
Esebar felt the perspiration on his forehead. The words from the damnable fat bastard appeared like a
deadly trap now. In order to capture Brendel, he had took out a third of the Fortress’s guards and placed
them under Burnley.
And these private troops, were most likely undead creatures by now.
When they still hesitated over this matter, ghastly blue flames could suddenly be seen from Riedon’s west
and northern areas. Everyone understood what happened by now.
Esebar felt the world was spinning.
“Re-retreat! To the south gate now!”
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Chapter 56
TL: I managed to clear 2 major assignments so I can allocate a bit of time into TLing more chapters this
week. The plan is to TL the Jap series with 6 hours over the weekends, but I should be able to squeeze in 1
ch of TAS and TSTBGAM today. Needs some help with grammar too.
The request to clean up the TOC has to wait until I clear all my assignments which I should hopefully get
it done by next week. Hopefully.
Chapter 56 – Witness
Brendel coldly watched the gathered nobles who argued ceaselessly at one side. The din created by the
nobles and the soldiers did not appear to end anytime soon.
The nobles wanted to leave the fortress by the north gate, without any regards for the citizens as they
could not care less about them.
[These bastards did not even mention about the citizens even once.]
There was no one amongst the nobles who cared about political fights anymore. Some placed importance
on their assets, even to the point where they would rather die than give their wealth up, others stressed
that survival was the most important thing.
[Do these nobles think that Madara’s undead would care about their status or wealth? These bloody
morons are grating my nerves.]
Brendel lowered his head and wiped his sword. He had received 220 XP, one of the highest gain apart
from the Golden Demonic Tree boss.
[Looks like that was a mid-ranked lich. It was fortunate that it did not react in time as these things are
usually level 30 plus.]
Due to the low strength, the gargoyle was able to trap the lich in its claws, making it unable to move and
ultimately allowed Brendel to kill it easily.
The lich was not limited to mere XP. Brendel chopped off its head earlier under everyone’s stares and
took out a bone material. He then sliced off its four fingers from the right hand, pried open its head and
pulled out its teeth one by one.
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Everyone watched Brendel’s unthinkable actions in silenced horror as if he was a devil. His actions was
like an experienced hunter who was processing its prey.
Brendel did not think it was unnatural since he really was processing his prey. The lich was different
from regular mobs, as its soul fire had a chance to be molded into a gem, the four fingers holding on to its
staff could be used as a spell regent, while the teeth could be made into paralyzing poison. One could even
describe that the lich’s body was full of treasure.
Ciel knew a little as to what Brendel was doing, so he stood beside him faithfully. The nobles’ soldiers
whose loyalty was to money, had scattered due to the low morale, and Luc Beson’s soldiers had fallen
back to their leader. The young wizard recalled the moment where Brendel tested the sword at Dunn’s
corpse, and understood that his every action had deep meaning to it, and could not be more impressed in
his mind. (TL: Okay… I don’t recall if that sword lit up lol. So Dunn is an undead too or something?)
As Ciel watched Brendel continue to dismantle the lich, he felt the revered archmagi in Karsuk could not
compare against him.
On the other side, Luc Beson had regained his composure after the temporary shock. He was not like the
nobles who were eager to escape, and looked at Brendel with interest as he grabbed his horse’s reins. In
his eyes, Brendel was steady, decisive and flexible, and he was formidable at his age.
[If he’s ten years older, his accomplishments would have been remarkable.]
Although he was in the royal faction, the current Aouine made him shake his head. He raised his head and
look at the dark sky, wondering what future the country had.
But only the heavens knew Brendel did not plan this ahead, but simply chose the best option for escape.
He looked at Ciel who stood beside him, and asked: “Between the White Knight and the Black Warrior,
which one do you find it easier to deal with?”
Ciel was momentarily stunned by the sudden question and did not know how to respond.
Brendel shook his head as he watched the squabbling nobles escape to the east. Their former comrades’
bodies were simply left behind at the river without anyone caring about them. (TL: I made a mistake in
the previous chapter, Esebar intended to retreat to the East, not north.)
“The poet Goebbels depicted Karsuk’s nobles as brigands, but I think Grinoires is not too far off.” Ciel spat
out his words in derision.
“This country is at its final moments.” Brendel did not care if Luc Beson could hear him as he spoke
condescendingly. He did not desire to seek revenge against the people who were going to face death.
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[Retreating to the east side means they will face Tarkus’s most infamous general, ‘The Dragon Calamity’,
Lord Tamara.]
“Are you not fleeing?” Luc Beson appeared as if he did not hear Brendel’s words as he asked.
Before Brendel had the chance to reply, there were sounds of wings beating in the air. Everyone in the
vicinity looked up as they saw two huge bone dragons passing by over their heads, and fear spread
throughout them. Hellish purple flames burned between their black bones, and their gigantic tattered
wings emitted a dull beating sound as they flew through the air, and the wind that swept through the
ground made their hair prick up.
The people on the ground felt like their souls were shrieking from an unending nightmare. In their minds,
they saw nothing but bleak hopelessness, and phantom-like bones were suddenly climbing out from the
ground with maggots crawling all over them. The ground seemed to turn into a dry, decaying landscape
without end.
Brendel punched himself in the arm and recovered from his afflicted status.
[Damn it. The dragons’ fear aura hit me pretty hard. Just flying over us affected us this much…]
He checked his surroundings and the war horses were running away because of the fright, or dropped to
the ground because of their weakened knees.
Then he saw Luc Beson who also shrugged off the dragons’ aura. The latter appeared surprised as he saw
Brendel’s quick recovery. “Come with me, lad. As you can see, an individual’s power is small against such
foes.”
Brendel looked grimly at him, then shook his head.
[You died in history. I’m not going to be caught in your misfortune here. It has been hard to get to this
point, but if I can escape from this dead city, I will have fulfilled half of my plans. And from then on, I can
grind my level up and wait for Aouine’s final moments.]
Brendel was not about to step into the trap at this point, and decided to tell him the truth: “I’m breaking
through the north as my friends are waiting for me there. If you don’t mind, you can join me.”
Luc Beson stared at him in hesitation, but shook his head at the end. There were huge burning blue
flames in the west and northern areas, indicating that the undead army invaded through that direction.
Even though he admired him, he did not wish to move to a risky area.
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Brendel did not tell him that all the other areas were a dead end other than the north due to the distance.
Time was of the essence, and explaining that to him was going to take too long.
He patted Ciel’s arm and said: “If that is the case, then we shall take our leave. If there is a chance in the
future, let us meet again.”
Luc Beson did not have much of a difference compared to the nobles, but he was at least capable. He was
also one of the rarer person in this era who still thought about this country, so Brendel did not mind if he
had survived.
[There’s also the fact that I might be considered as a heretic and sent to be burned by firewood. Luc
Beson is not Freya or Romaine, He might be able to see past my bullshit.]
Brendel did not take any unnecessary risk.
……………………………………………………………………………….
The year of the bustling flowers and summer leaves, the second day of the sixth moon.
The peaceful land in Fortress Riedon turn into ashes under the burning flames. The undead rampaged
everywhere, causing chaos and destroyed many lives.
The citizens found that prayers could not save them and the nobles they relied on abandoned them. A
scar that could never be healed was carved into their hearts and gradually spread everywhere from this
battlefield.
[The first step towards Aouine’s demise.]
The news of Fortress Riedon’s fall only reached Fortress Vermeire on the sixth day, while Tarkus’s
secondary army was at Anchorite’s doorsteps. The defensive lines to Fortress Vermeire were gone and
they held on with much difficulty.
The eleventh day, Vieiro discovered Madara’s army and send the news to Corvado, and on the twelve day,
Oberg the seven met Madara’s messenger in secret. (TL: Gosh, how many more names are you going to
throw at me.)
On the thirteen day, the merchant alliance of Ampere Seale announced they were going to participate in
the war.
On the fourteen day, Madara’s messenger was formally received.
On the twentieth day, the battles at the frontlines stopped temporarily. Both countries established a team
of envoys, and there was a long negotiation period.
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But the talks was progressing slowly and Madara’s army kept burning the lands everywhere, and
Aouine’s troops struggled painfully as though they were trapped in quicksand.
Aouine’s slow reactions caused immense losses to the nobles but the royal family was happy to see that
happen.
The talks continued to progress. On the seventh month and fifth day, the Madara army advanced into
Randner, they encountered Ampere Seale’s hired mercenary army for the first time.
The history’s event of’ Battle at Fortress Frangerd’ raised its curtains as Incirsta became famous in this
battle. Under the undead gunners’ cover, the black knights ripped apart Ampere Seale’s flanks again and
again, finally defeating them.
Madara managed to advanced greatly after this, reaching even the capital of Randner. Tarkus, Incirsta,
Verand, Augusta and Tabhita became known throughout the lands.
On the seventh month sixteen day, Oberg the seven saw the messenger again. Three days later, the talks
finally ended and the first ‘War of the Black rose’ ended.
TL: Names everywhere. Bleah. This is the last chapter of The Amber Sword “Volume 1”. The second
volume rewinds the events and there would be some sweet battles (at last).
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TL: This is a sponsored chapter. Thank you very much.
Volume 2 – The dust laden kingdom
Chapter 1 – The burning city.
The time was the year of bustling flowers and summer leaves, the morning of the second day of the sixth
month.
Freya quickly reached ‘number 51’ at the market with the assistance of Sue, the bar’s owner’s daughter.
She took a look at the Ponoa’s market area. Even though it was morning, there were a decent amount of
people in this place. Torches were lit everywhere, and the brightness more or less made people feel
safe—
She prepared to move, but Sue suddenly grabbed her arm: “Stop, there’s someone hidden in the alley.”
The young girl with braids stood between the edges of the shadow and light in the street’s corner, her
hand against the wall and observing the outside area in alertness.
“Are they soldiers?” Freya’s heart jumped.
“I don’t know. But these faces are unfamiliar, they are definitely not people from this city’s region.” Sue
shook her head and answered quietly.
Freya brought a clenched fist to her lips, pondering anxiously. If they appeared in the Ponoa market now,
they were most likely the soldiers of the White-Mane army.
[Brendel have predicted this would happen. They really went to find hood. Have they talked to him?
Should I still continue to meet with him?] Freya furrowed her brows.
[… Wait, Brendel said that it was okay even if I discovered the soldiers. Without knowing our relationship,
they won’t act immediately as they want to capture all of us.]
Freya took a deep breath. She turned her head and asked: “Sue, can you answer me a question?”
“What is it?”
“How do you know when someone is lying?”
The dark-skinned girl laughed: “Did you ask this question because I help out at the bar?”
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Freya flushed a little, she was indeed eyeing Sue’s vastly superior experience compared to hers. Most of
the citizens and her naively thought that the nobles would act and save them if anything happened, but
Sue pointed out the truth within a couple of lines during their conversation.
In Freya’s heart, this slightly cold girl was very sharp and assertive.
“No problem. I help people everyone out once in a while,” Sue smiled: “Freya, look at me.”
“Huh?”
“Your friend that says that Fortress Riedon will be conquered, what is his name?”
Freya was momentarily taken aback as she did not know why she asked this question. She panicked a
little in her heart, and her eyes darted about: “B-Brendel.”
Sue’s eyes glinted: “You like him, right?”
“N-no, Brendel, he, likes Romaine.”
“Eyes, Freya, look at me.” Sue’s deep brown eyes was a pool of still water as it reflected Freya: “And who
is Romaine?”
Freya’s face looked like it has been set ablazed by fire. Her eyes swam about and did not dare to look at
Sue, and tried to explain with stuttering in her words, but she did not where to begin with. She suddenly
felt she was the biggest fool under the sky, and wanted to find a crevice and hide in there.
“Understand?” Sue asked.
“Y-yes.” Freya lowered her head, while nodding hard.
She took another deep breath to calm herself, her fingers on the sword’s hilt and ready to move out, but
she suddenly turned back and grabbed Sue’s arm. “Sue, can you wait for me for a while?”
Sue paused for a while, but she nodded her head. Freya felt a little mystified by her actions, but she kept
feeling Sue was like Brendel, and it gave her a little more confidence.
She walked out of the alley and acted like there was no one around her and did not pay attention to her
surroundings, like she always came to Ponoa’s number 51. She hesitated a little when she felt two pair of
eyes on her back, but quickly knocked on the door.
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The bangs on the door felt like they came from her heart. Freya waited for a while and the door opened
with a creak, showing a man who was hunched over and bald, and it was difficult to ascertain his age.
When he saw Freya, he stopped moving for an instant, then retreated a step back as he recognized her.
(Freya, look at me.)
Freya noted the miniscule change in his expression. A somber, icy feeling rose from her heart.
[Brendel said I should note his reactions and decide…]
“Who are you, what is your matter with me?” The hunched man asked after a while. Freya stood there in
silence for a minute, and stared him coldly. Just when the man wanted to retreat, she suddenly pulled out
her sword with a singing flourish and placed it on his neck.
At that moment where the unexpected happened, Sue saw a few people on the streets jerked visibly, but
they soon resumed what they were doing. Their actions were subtle, but the girl hiding in the alley saw
everything.
Freya did not know what happened behind her at all. She merely tried to hold her sword calmly and
spoke steadily: “Are you the witch’s ally?”
“Don’t kill me, they forced, for—, witch?” The hunched man was terrified over the sudden change, fell
onto his butt, before finally understood what the stoic girl said.
[Ciel also said something about her Romaine’s aunt having to do something with witches… I didn’t think I
was able to come up with something—] Her mind was actually blank when she drew out her sword. She
continued to speak: “Her name should be ‘Jennie’, but never mind…… It doesn’t matter since it seems I
need to give you a lesson first.”
She raised her sword as she spoke, and Hood immediately shrieked in pitiful sobs: “Wait, wait, ser, I-I
have nothing to do with her…… Ah, no, I mean, to say, I’m not her ally or anything, I’m just a relative to
her, no, no, I mean distant relative!”
“Oh?”
“It’s true, it’s true! Please believe me, believe me, she’s just an occult who comes to the fortress
occasionally to buy stuff! And she just buys some weird things! She lives with her niece in Bucce!”
Freya glared at the man while repressing her hate for him. She hoisted him up in the air: “But my
informant told me that she entered the city a few days ago. You better not be lying, as a…. wizard, I can rip
out your memories!”
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Hood was delirious from the sword on his neck, and could not pick out what was wrong with Freya’s
words: “I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you everything! She left two days ago and went to the north of here.”
Freya looked at his eyes and threw him away in disgust. She sighed a little when she heard Sue’s whistle.
[Damn it. How much time did I waste here, the men outside must have noticed something when I drew
my sword. Maybe I overdid things when I raised him up… I need to leave.]
She ran outside.
[Aunt Jennie isn’t here. The north of Fortress Riedon is Bruglas, what is she doing there? This man doesn’t
seem he’s lying.]
She gritted her teeth as she hesitated what she should do next.
…………………………………………………………………………………… (TL: Timeline changes to the seventh month, in

case people are going to get confused.)
The afternoon’s sunlight poured through the room’s arched-shaped windows, and it was decorated with
care was lit up brightly. The youthful princess who was dressed entirely in silver sat down in a chair with
a high back support next to a dainty round table.
She sat down in a proper posture with her hand holding on to a cup of red tea, while her other hand was
holding on to a spoon. She did not move at all, and her silver eyes looked straight ahead as if she was lost
in thought while listening to the story.
Her hair was a pretty silver color with ringlets. Her half pointy ears peeked out amongst her hair with
pale tips. She was Oberg’s the seventh’ favorite daughter, and recognized as the most beautiful lady in
Aouine. (TL: Google Ringlets, kind of hard to explain.)
If she was in Brendel’s era, no matter if it’s a NPC or player, they would call her the ‘Regent Princess’. If
there was anyone who could compare to the fame of the Goddess of War, it would be her, except her age
was a little tender now. (TL: Regent = a person appointed to administer a state because the monarch is a
minor or is absent or incapacitated.)
“The little girl is quite smart. Everyone in the Everton family is indeed capable.” After a while, the
princess placed her teacup down, and asked: “And what happened next, Lord Oberbeck?”
Standing in front of her was a stern looking middle-aged man, and if Brendel was here, he would have
recognized him. This man’s appearance was the true ‘Earl Dunn’. There were not many who recognized
this man even within the nobles’ circle, but there was a famed nickname that was more recognized:
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‘The Wolf Lord’ Oberbeck. (TL: How exciting. Anyway, that Earl Dunn in Fortress Riedon is a fake. Read
on.)
He was a close aide to the king, and one of the key members in the royal faction, and had a good
relationship with the Everton family.
Oberbeck observed the princess. He knew that she was not simple and could not casually end things,
especially when she was the king’s favorite.
This time he borrowed the family name of ‘Lais Bruman’ Dunn to go to Fortress Riedon as a antiquarian.
The two men were similar because they loved to collect antiques. Even though they were quite different
in appearance, there was not too much of a problem because not many could identify him. It was
especially true since he had to do a secret mission for Oberg the seventh.
He paused for a while to recollect his thoughts, then suddenly realized that the princess had asked him a
question: “Of course, the daughter of Lord Everton, it looks like she is as brilliant as her father, but it’s a
pity…….”
He wanted to say ‘it’s a pity she’s a woman’, but he realized he was speaking to the princess, and quickly
swallowed the later half of his words.
(TL: At the beginning of the next chapter, it states that Freya is the daughter of that Lord Everton. I kind
of had to check things up because things are becoming complicated and wanted to make sure for sure. I’m
like, ‘what? has the earl has come back to life?’, ‘and who is that daughter, exactly’, yup.)
The girl before him obviously knew what he wanted to say, but did not pursue it. She merely asked
another question: “But Lord Oberbeck, I am puzzled about your story. It’s strange that you created
trouble for that young man.”
Oberbeck’s mind thought she was asking a rhetoric question, but he still replied politely: “I was merely
worried about his actions. He is a highland knight, and together with his wizard squire, with Everton’s
daughter at his side. My lady, you do know that Karsuk’s white knights do not stand on the same path—”
“I do, but they do not object his actions.”
“Precisely because of that, I thought of testing him. Since that person is only my double, I thought it was
more important to make sure of the Karsuk’s knight’s intentions. I will even do it myself for the sake of
the king.” Oberbeck answered
(TL: Okay, so in case it’s not clear enough. The real Dunn went along with fake Dunn, ordered him to test
out Brendel’s intentions, Fake Dunn died, Real Dunn went back and is speaking to the princess. So right
now it’s not Freya’s timeline now, but somewhere in the seventh month. I think. Does real Dunn know
about fake Dunn’s connection to the big bad faction? I have no idea.)
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“I will thank you in my father’s place, Lord Oberbeck.” The princess knew that his father and Oberbeck
was planning to do something to Karsuk, but she did not think it would succeed. She had guessed what
they were planning and it was just bound to fail.
She continued to ponder for a while and thought that there were a few more names that had to be added
to the royal family’s ‘Basta Calvary Academy’. She wanted to hint something to Oberbeck, then stopped
herself as she thought of her current status.
Finally she changed the topic: “What happened next Lord Oberbeck? I wish to listen to the story next. I
still have a couple of hours before my history lesson starts.”
“It would be my pleasure.”
TL: Future chapters will jump between Freya/Brendel’s timeline and princess’s timeline. If there is
anything confusing, please ask questions in the comment section. Phew. This one took a longer time than
expected.
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TL: Okay. I should be less busy next Friday, should be able to clear the final 4 assignments this weekend
(hopefully). But you can expect probably 1 more TAS chapter this weekend, and 2 TSTBGAM (I hope).
Chapter 2 – Mercenary
(TL: We are still at the princess timeline.)
Oberbeck took out an ordinary polished brass necklace with a crystal in the center. There was a word
engraved on the crystal, ‘Freya’. He presented the necklace to the princess and spoke: “She wore this with
her. Her name supposedly came from this, but the truth is, this was her mother’s necklace, my lady.”
“Her mother?” The princess examined the necklace without changing her expression.
“Indeed, she was the same Lord Everton’s wife, who died in that chaos seventeen years ago.”
“Then you mean to say that girl is the last of the Evertons?”
“Yes.”
“Since Lord Oberbeck is already here, that would mean that girl had successfully escaped from danger?”
“You can indeed put it that way, but the entire process was a little bizarre.” The middle-aged man nodded
at first, then suddenly raised his brow as though he had thought of something interesting.
“Oh?”
“Actually, the main cause was still that young man.”
“He is the cause of everything again?”
“No, it’s just that young man kept doing some strangely amazing actions in the entire journey. While I put
it lightly, the entire journey was filled with unpredictable danger, to the point that I cannot change the
outcome. There were many people who were prepared for the very worst, but he managed to turn the
dire event entirely—”
Oberbeck could not resist a cold laugh: “If I am to be direct, then compared to the worthless trash inside
that fortress, this young man was the only person who made Madara suffer losses repeatedly.”
“Hmm?” The princess’s silver eyes brightened a little.
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“He even got something wonderful out of this journey,” The middle-aged man frowned, in order to recall
the prior events: “But let this minister temporarily hold on to this mystery a little longer as to what it is.”
“I am even more interested in listening now. This young man actually made Lord Oberbeck praise him to
the skies. Time grows short for me, so please start telling me the story and who he is, Lord Oberbeck.”
He nodded and began to narrate the events that happened.
……………………………………………………………………. (TL: Time goes back to Freya.)
Freya heard Sue whistle with clarity to alert her. She had ran towards the street, and discovered there
were five strangers that started to surround her. She knew that her consecutive actions were taken too
far and finally forced her enemies to act.
She did not even take the time to think and dashed back to the house, pushing away Hood in the process.
The people behind her immediately sped up to catch her, but Freya had already fallen back to a room and
locked it and blocked it with a cupboard.
There were loud bangs that happened next against the door, and Freya thought her heart was going to
jump out of her. She looked at the wooden window and gritted her teeth, covered her head with both of
her hands and hurled herself against it.
Even though she had the armor plate to protect her, she broke it with enough impact to numb her arms
and forehead. She rolled against the ground a few times and then crawled up. She found herself in the
other side of the alley, and saw Sue coming from another path who ran towards her.
But her face was void of color, as if she saw something frightening.
“S–” Freya wanted to beckon to her but she froze.
She spotted blue lights flying across the air, moving towards the central area. It was as if the sky was
filled with stars, and she was momentarily confused, but realized that they were arrows.
“Be careful!” Freya shouted as she recalled that night in Bucce, dashing towards Sue and knocked her
onto the ground. She covered Sue’s body.
The torrent of arrows soon fell onto the vicinity. Countless arrows rained against the thin roof tiles, and
Madara’s heavy cone-shaped arrows penetrated the buildings, and shrieks could be heard from the
house.
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Multiple arrows struck against Freya’s armor but they were deflected away. She thought she was going to
die the next moment, and she closed her eyes in fear but she did not move at all to protect Sue.
The assault lasted approximately a minute Two volleys were unleashed before it finally ended. Freya got
up and pulled Sue’s trembling arm. They looked at each other, noting each other lingering fear.
“S-S-Skeletons, outside” Sue’s breath was uneven, and she felt like her heart was going to stop any
moment.
Freya’s heart grew cold. She knew that Madara’s army were already in the fortress when the arrows were
fired. She never suspected that Brendel would lie to her, but she did not think it would be this fast. She
realized why he wanted to choose such a specific timing now.
She dragged Sue’s arm again: “Sue, let’s go now!”
“Where?” Sue asked in confusion.
“We need to escape from here! We have to leave this area now!” Freya’s mind was swirling in anxiety. She
finally understood what sort of pressure Brendel was facing at this moment. She thought about for a little
and decided to take one step at a time until she met up with Brendel.
“I have to go back to the bar, my father’s still there.”
“Then I’ll go with you.”
Sue nodded.
The Ponoa’s market was in the west of Fortress Riedon and close to the Pine River, while the bar was
situated in between the Ponoa’s market and the Traveler’s bridge that was situated in the north. The
distance was not very far, but when Freya and Sue reached there, there was a huge burning fire in the
west. The streets and the bar’s exterior were filled with people.
First it was the huge fire in the noble’s parliament, then it was the guards’ active movements. The night
was filled with great unrest and everyone huddled together and whispered, asking what happened
exactly.
Opinions were divided, some thought Madara’s army was already at the city gates, some thought it was
caused by nobles, but no one knew Madara had already entered the city. Freya and Sue parted the crowd
and discovered that the bar’s owner and the other patrons were already outside on the street. They were
pointing at the raging fire in the west.
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Sue immediately dashed into her father’s arms. He was slightly confused but patted her back to calm her
down. The latter whispered something to him and his expression darkened. He looked at Freya and
nodded to express his thanks, then faced the bunch of mercenaries behind him.
He clapped loudly to gather their attention, and someone even quipped: “What’s wrong, Leto, are you
going to treat us to some beer because of this huge fireworks?”
Everyone cheered loudly in agreement.
But Leto answered gravely: “Treating you to alcohol is certainly possible, but today is not the day. Listen
up gentlemen, Madara is already in the city.”
Some people did not understand what he meant and took a few seconds before the meaning sank in. Leto
repeated again, and the thirty odd people was silenced
‘Are you serious?’ This question was written on everyone’s face.
“Sue told me that. She wouldn’t lie to me.” Leto said earnestly.
Freya’s brows furrowed slightly. Normally people would not discuss this in the open, because even she
knew that it might cause a panic to break out. But either Leto did not consider this or he had his own
plans.
[It’s more likely to be the latter…]
The crowd took some time to take in the information, and finally someone asked with some difficulty.
“What should we do?”
Everyone was thinking of the same thing. They did not flee immediately or yelled out in panic. Freya
carefully observed their reactions, and understood that these regular guests had a particular relationship
with the bar’s owner.
“We should take the fight to them and escape.”
“Everyone, let’s do that.”
“But how are we going to do that?”
If Madara attacked from the west, a normal person would think that the east would be the safest. But
these mercenaries had fought in the battlefield and knew something about basic strategy. There was the
option of doing a sudden raid on a single Aouine’s gate, or surrounding Aouine’s gates.
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Especially when it came to the motive of Madara’s strategy. Were the undead here to merely kill people,
to take this city, or to advance even further than this city?
This was a problem for the kingdoms in this continent. They did not understand what the undead wanted
to do and what strategy they had in mind.
Everyone put in their input for a while, but no one could find a way to convince everyone. Freya waited
anxiously, raising her sword up and down, then finally threw in a sentence carelessly into the fray: “I-I
know of someone, who could bring everyone out—”
Her words silenced the entire crowd. They cast their gaze on her, and one of them who recognized her,
whistled and said: “Isn’t this the lass from just now?”
Freya’s face blushed a little from their stares.
[Ahhh, what did I just do? … Will Brendel blame me for this?]
She suddenly realized she was afraid of that, but she calmed down and thought of Brendel’s point of view.
[He’s always trying to find additional help. If these people are gathered, then it is going to be a source of
power that he can use. But how am I supposed to convince them? I can’t command these veteran
mercenaries as a mere militia captain. These people put their lives on the line in the battlefield
everyday… No, it’s worth a try no matter what.]
Freya recomposed herself. She grabbed her sword and put it horizontally across her chest. Her
appearance looked like like she was a reserved person, and everyone looked at Leto.
“This lass saved my girl a while ago.”
“Well then, my lady, why should we trust you?” Someone from the back asked.
[It’s here.]
Freya took a deep breath.
“You can definitely trust me. Do you know why the guards wanted to catch me and my companions?”
“Why?”
“Because we’re Bucce’s militia and we were attacked by Madara’s undead. We escaped from Madara’s
army just to inform Fortress Riedon, but the nobles’ reactions disappointed us—”
She paused for a while. “I think all of you here don’t expect these selfish nobles to save you, right?”
“Of course, they are a bunch of maggots.”
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“Maggots. That is a great description, Cheers to that.”
“Cheers.” Everyone echoed that.
“Then you mean to say you have a way to avoid Madara’s detection?” Leto looked at her and asked.
Freya nodded.
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Chapter 3 – Freya’s calvary army
The bar owner fell into silence after hearing Freya’s answer, and she saw an unconvinced expression on
his face. She looked around the street and discovered that the people had the same attitude as the bar’s
owner. Her heart tightened and she gripped her sword hilt, wanting to and swing it onto the ground to
release the tension in her.
“Freya’s friend had said that Fortress Riedon was going to fall, and everyone here would not believe
something like this before tonight. I don’t believe it either, but the truth is right before us. Freya is Bucce’s
militia and I think she has a way out of this.” Sue suddenly spoke at this moment.
Everyone paused, and even Freya looked at the girl. Freya cast a grateful glance at her.
“… I actually don’t have the means to avoid Madara.” Freya thought for a while and spoke honestly, but
everyone was momentarily stunned from her words. She continued speaking.
“But, I know someone who might have this ability.”
“You mean you are not even sure whether that person can avoid Madara?” Someone asked.
Freya nodded, and immediately saw many of them shrugged. These mercenaries did not put their hope
onto a girl like her, even adopting a joking attitude towards her response, as they found her to be
considerably charming.
“Wait, please! I know, as a stranger, it must look ridiculous to ask everyone to trust me,” She struck the
sword against the ground, and composed herself. Her voice became clearer and louder “I’m just offering
you a possibility—
She thought for a while: “It’s like a b-bet, I, I….”
She struggled for a long time, but could not find an appropriate description to use. She started to regret
her choice to try and explain in a manner that only mercenaries would be familiar with.
“Like setting our bets down on gambling dice right? If we get it right, we will win big?” One of the gigantic
mercenary soldier laughed: “That’s a good explanation, Call me Mano, yeah? So missy, I just need to lay
down my bets right?”
He turned back to the others, and a few people laughed kindly.
“Mano, you damned gambler, you’re going to throw your life away one day!”
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“Gahahaha!!!”
Freya blushed a little, but she nodded quickly: “Yes, something like that. If you think you can trust in my
words, why not take a further look at whether the plan is feasible? I think if you see my friend, you will be
able to judge for yourself. At the very least, I trust in him.”
The mercenaries fell into silence once again. They felt that her proposal had merit to it, and Sue had
guaranteed Freya as a reliable person. There was also the fact where they were going nowhere with their
own debate, and could go their separate ways if things did not turn out well later on.
However, no one wanted to be the first to volunteer, and the atmosphere was growing colder by the
minute. Freya was becoming more and more anxious.
“I believe in Freya.”
Sue was the first to walk out, and she looked at her father. Leto scratched his head. If she already made up
her mind, he had to do it too. He sighed, and everyone laughed.
“Alright, stop laughing at me already. I’m going as well, so everyone should take a look. I’m sure everyone
will acquiesce to my daughter’s choice this one time right?”
“That’s really shameless, Leto.”
“How can you use Miss Sue as your shield?”
“Where has your dignity gone to!”
Everyone started making a din, but they basically agreed with Leto’s words. The bar owner shrugged off
the pointed criticism and looked smug. A few moments later, they made a head count on the number of
people who did not want to go. The twenty odd people that remained behind was somewhat interested in
her proposal, but their pride refused to go along with a young girl like her and act under her orders.
“Well then lass, the ones who are going with you are here. Now tell us what requests you have for us.”
Leto folded his arms and asked.
The mercenaries understood there were no free meals in this world. They typically saw this as a
transaction, and would decide whether to continue joining her depending on her demands.
Freya did not understand this notion but she responded with a tense voice: “My request is actually very
simple. I just want all of us to escape from this place. If you choose to trust and join me, I hope…….. that
you will listen to my orders and commands, otherwise our agreement will lose its meaning. I know this is
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a little offending, but I have to insist on this issue. If you have any problems with it, I will not enforce
this.”
“This is certainly the basic thing that we need to do.” The mercenaries murmured, but they might not
choose to follow an order that might send them to their deaths. Still, they agreed to do so.
“Is there anything else? What else can you do?”
“I’m not sure as to what extent I can do, but I will definitely fight together with everyone. We are allies in
this battle, and I think this issue wouldn’t affect our agreement.” Freya answered after thinking for a
while.
“That’s more than enough missy. I’ll recognize you as the leader as long as you can do it!” Mano answered
along with a few nods from the crowd. A few people, changed their minds at the last moment, and in the
end there were seventeen people left. This was beyond Freya’s expectations as she thought she might not
even get even one person.
Before they could proceed with further discussions, the news of Madara entering from the west area had
already reached the people here, and the people in the street started to make a commotion. Leto
immediately gathered everyone and asked to follow him to take as much as they can from the bar. At this
moment they could only try to gather food resource as much as possible before the street became utter
chaos.
There was a difference between the mercenaries and the militia, with the former always thinking ahead
of the future and nothing else.
“What should we do now, Commander Freya?” Mano asked.
“There’s no need to call me commander, my status is no different from yours.” Freya spoke with a tinge of
red in her face. She nearly could not breathe during her entire speech from the tension.
[I feel like I’m dreaming… But I can definitely do this and help Brendel. I can’t continue being a burden.
Hmm…]
“Does everyone know how to ride a horse?”
“Of course.”
“Then we’re going to steal some horses.” Freya replied.
………………………………………………………………………… (TL: Princess POV)
“Steal horses?” The princess played with a metal soup spoon.
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“Fortress Riedon has a horse market where the nobles exchanged war horses, slaves and serfs. This is
public knowledge. And the truth is when some of the ministers come here to this region, these nobles are
the ones who provide them with this news.” Oberbeck explained.
“These wretched people.” The princess calmly placed her teacup down. “But how did that girl know?”
“This has something to do with her status. During that fateful year, our men placed her at Fortress Riedon
when she was three years old, and she most likely had a deep impression there.
“You lot are merciless, you left a small little girl at that tender age all alone in that unfamiliar place?””
“We had no choice. That year, the commotion was too big, and even Everton’s wife did not make it.
Besides that, we had a plan to ensure her safety.”
“She knows how to ride?”
“How could a member of the Evertons not know about horse-riding? We arranged an elite knight from
the Silver Wing Legion to adopt her. The only thing that we don’t know is why the family moved out of
Fortress Riedon to go to such a remote location like Bucce.”
“Did she succeed?” Even though she guess Freya succeeded because of Oberbeck’s tone, she could not
help but to confirm it.
“Yes. I did already say that all the nobles’ attentions were taken away by that young man. The market
basically had no defense and they easily succeeded in the task. These mercenaries are considerably
formidable, able to become soldiers of the kingdom’s frontline army.”
The princess nodded. Aouine’s frontline armies were different from the others. There were a few
designated armies such as the Imperial Guards, Silver Wing Legion, as well as Seifer’s 11th calvary corps.
The regular soldiers maintained its strength at the Iron-ranked status, and were a few cuts above the
White-mane army.
As for the other regular regiments, their abilities were even lesser, and their battle prowess were no
different from the nobles’ private army.
With Oberbeck’s description, the half-elf princess understood the strength of the mercenaries who were
with Freya.
“What happened next?”
“The things that happened next is the most interesting portion. After Miss Freya lead the calvary to rejoin
that amazing young man…… It’s a story where they vanquished Madara’s army wherever they went.”
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Oberbeck was usually stoic, but when he recalled the memory of Brendel led the army charging into
Madara’s troops, his eyebrows danced.
“That amazing young man.” The princess said.
Oberbeck coughed twice as he noted his mistake.
But the girl did not mind and she looked at the time. “I still have a little time left, Lord Oberbeck, please
continue with the next section of your story.”
“It would be my pleasure.”
TL: There has been some comments about the story’s directions, and I just want to give you my take on it.
This series breaks a lot of the CN tropes, especially those that are prevalent in Xianxia and Wuxia series.
It’s refreshing to me in that sense.
Understandably there are some criticism on the stereotypical characters like Freya and villains, or
expressing disapproval on Romaine’s one-screw-less attitude, but at least there’s a decent backstory as to
why the characters turn out that way. And most important of all, there is character growth which is
seriously lacking in most CN series, and I appreciate that a lot.
Freya has taken a leaf out of Brendel’s book and put more thought into her actions instead of acting the
way she did for the previous volume, and we can see that change without Brendel being there by her side.
That’s pretty big, otherwise if Brendel did not influence her, it will be a progression of where she loses
everyone because of her careless actions > becomes cold and stoic > becomes that future goddess of
war.
As for the princess + Earl, that’s obviously foreshadowing. Brendel will kick ass and eventually meet the
princess, and he might throw a pokeball at her, I dunno.
As for the change in writing style…
The POV changes are sort of nice in a narrative way in my opinion, but the thing that is problematic about
this approach; the TL time in between the chapters is taking far too long and disrupts it in a negative way,
and the author introduced some of the elements in a pretty convoluted manner, and my TL time to edit
these issues isn’t a lot or frequent.
I just want to say that, give it another 50 chapters, then re-read the starting of volume 2 before judging
this writing style. At the end of the day, if you do re-read this series, this approach might be more lasting
than just simply “Brendel’s adventures”.
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TL: Well, let’s see how much I can TL over the next 2-3 days. It has been a long day for me so I need to get
some sleep first.
Next update will be 10 hours later or something
Chapter 4 – Chaos
(TL: We’re now going back to Brendel.)
The news of Madara’s grand army inside the fortress spread throughout the entire place like a plague.
The pine forest within this mountain region was described as the blighted land of evil, due to the undead
and thieves existing in there for centuries. It was as if Aouine’s misfortune grew from there, and so the
citizens trained themselves to prepare themselves for the fight, while the nobles pledged themselves to
lead them when there were any invasions.
This fairy-tale like legend that seemed to exist forever in the minds of the citizens had came to life, baring
their fangs and ready to devour them, but that was when the citizens realized that the nobles and the
army of Fortress Riedon were nowhere to be seen.
As Brendel ran through the area, he saw more and more people rushing in and out of their houses. The
people who still did no know what was happening quickly asked the people in the street, then hurriedly
went inside to the house and brought some luggage and their family members out, then proceeded to the
north gate.
More and more people gathered, until it finally formed a large throng in the streets. This scenery was like
an oil painting in his eyes.
Children grabbed the adults’ hands with their faces full of curiosity, while the wives held on to their
husband, their faces full of anxiety. The massively packed crowd of people were nearly quiet with hardly
anyone speaking, and there was only the sound of shuffling footsteps that moved forward.
But this silence did not last. Because there was no one to lead them, there were horse carriages which
eventually crashed into each other and blocked the road. The crowd’s progress slowed down which led to
quarrels. A brawl started with the people at the back cursing at them, and there was a sort of fear that
infected the crowd.
This event happened right at the moment where Brendel and Ciel found Romaine, and so Brendel
instructed the carriage driver to drive to the sides after they got in.
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“Brendel, you’re finally here. I was really worried.” Romaine sighed with great relief. She had waited a
little nervously as she rubbed her shoes against the carriage’s wooden board constantly.
Brendel and Ciel sat at the left and right side of the carriage in order to guard, and looked at the growing
chaos in the street.
“There were a lot of people along the way which delayed us a little.” Brendel pulled out his sword and
answered.
“Where’s Freya?”
“I don’t know, let’s wait and see.”
Ciel who was watching the chaos quietly suddenly whispered to Brendel: “My lord, someone is inciting
the crowd.”
“What sort of advantage will they have if they do this?” Brendel was surprised. He did not understand it.
He had never paid attention what the NPCs did in the game and he was certainly not a psychologist.
“They are afraid that it’s not chaotic enough.”
“Why is that?”
“Because these people knew subconsciously that only chaos will bring them advantage. Ambitious people
will not stay silent, my lord. Some of them even hope that something like this will happen in order to
exploit them.” Ciel glared at the people outside as he replied coldly.
“What? They are doing this even though this is such a dire situation. Do they value their own lives?”
Brendel understood that there were such human traits in society, but it was the first time he saw it
happening before his very own eyes.
The scene became even more chaotic as the people near the overturned horse carriage started shoving
each other and crying children could be heard. That was not the end of it, as someone yelled out the news
of Madara’s army nearby in this vicinity, and everyone started panicking.
“This is the moment, my lord. My teacher taught me that such madness is derived from the boldness of
ambitious people and they would act as one.” Ciel pointed at the people responsible for the chaos. “When
I was learning magic in Karsuk, my teacher showed me and other disciples not only the method of
deciphering magic words in a tall dark rock tower, he also taught us how to manipulate someone’s heart.”
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Brendel nodded.
The archmagi in Karsuk taught differently from Buga’s Archmagi. The latter wore white robes and walked
across the white marble floor in their academy, and they appeared more as sage-like leaders amongst
their more mysterious counterparts.
“What are they doing?” Romaine asked curiously with her eyes open wide.
“Stealing, robbing, using violence to get the things they want, which they normally don’t dare to dream of
owning, just like you, my beautiful lady. ”
“D, don’t praise me, I won’t thank you.” Romaine blushed and her eyebrows raised high up.
The dreaded fight finally happened. No one knew who threw the first punch, but many people starting
hitting each other. People started to force their through and family members were torn apart as they
rushed through. The ones who fell onto the ground were trampled on and they never stood up again.
Yells and shrieks, along with wailing echoed throughout the street.
Brendel silently watched the events unfold. He could not stop it and could only ask the driver to move
towards the side. However, this action drew attention, and some of the people who started the riot
noticed him. When they saw Romaine, their eyes displayed greed.
These men were comprised of ruffians who did nothing everyday, or disgraced mercenaries or
adventurers who did illegal things. They had planned signs and after communicating with each other
silently, they pushed away the people who were blocking them and went closer to Brendel.
Brendel frowned and he placed one hand on his sword. Ciel and Romaine became tense.
“Hey you lot, it’s not good if you have one whole carriage to yourself, especially during this difficult times.
Let me take a seat too.” A mercenary with dirty leather armor grabbed onto the rails without asking for
permission.
“Scram.” Brendel placed his sword and place it on his neck.
“Kid, I just want to take a ride, are you really going to murder someone over that?” The mercenary did not
expect Brendel to be so unyielding and was surprised. He stopped moving, placed one foot onto the
platform, looked at Brendel with ill intentions, then shouted: “You lordly nobles, when it comes to the
critical moment you lot abandon us and escape. I simply just want to take a free ride, you nitwit selfish
fuckers. If you have the guts, kill me—”
The men started to crowd around the mercenary and looked at Brendel with taunting eyes. But their
gazes were more on Romaine with lust.
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“Brendel…..” Romaine was a little frightened and she grabbed his arm with her slim fingers..
Brendel turned around and patted her hand. He then swiveled his head back and spoke to the mercenary
with full of disdain: Did you see that? There’s a lady in this carriage. She doesn’t welcome any of you and
you can fuck off right now.
Brendel’s brusque attitude apparently angered him. The mercenary hurled curses at him and tried to
board the carriage. The men beside him also attempted to overrun him, as if they were convinced he was
a noble youth who would not fight back when shove comes to push.
“M-my lord, d-don’t—” Before Ciel finished speaking, his mouth unhinged as he watched Brendel thrust
deeply into the mercenary’s chest and kicked him backwards, knocking the crowd backwards.
The mercenary had an expression of utter disbelief. Brendel felt a little disgusted when he felt the blade
penetrate into the mercenary’s chest, but there was no hesitation in what he did.
[I might feel no differently from the average person, my heart cries for the people who are suffering from
Madara’s invasion, but I have no mercy for you fucking trash!]
The other men took a few steps back when Brendel murdered the mercenary in cold blood, but they
quickly realized they were the side with an overwhelming advantage in numbers.
“You fucking noble, you killed a human in plain sight!” Someone immediately shouted.
“That’s right, we just wanted to get a ride!”
“You bloody animal!”
“These nobles have never seen us as humans at all!” The men slowly stepped forward while they incited
the surrounding crowd with slandering words.
“Drag him down out from the carriage now!”
“Beat him to death!” The crowd around the horse carriage grew larger. They only believed in what they
just saw and heard. Ciel and Romaine were deeply worried as they could see things were turning into a
terrible direction.
Brendel sheathed his sword and looked coldly at the crowd and sat down at the edge of the carriage’s
platform. Very soon, another man rushed up as he thought the this ‘noble youth’ would rein in his
attitude.
But he was wrong.
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Brendel did not say anything and simply thrust his sword straight into that man’s throat with lightning
speed. The man clutched at his throat with terror and stumbled backwards, before crumpling down
slowly. The sword not only shocked the inciting men, it also caused the crowd to go up in an uproar.
But Brendel stood up and jumped down from the carriage. His jump made everyone retreat into a circle.
He walked forward into their center as he continued to glare coldly at them. His sword suddenly swung
over the top of the crowd.
A gust of wind flew across their heads, and besides a few strands of cut hair, the roof of a house nearby
exploded loudly with a bang, and a meter long crack could be seen visibly.
Everyone stared at the crack in amazement.
“Take care of yourselves.”
Brendel spat the words out in an austere manner, sheathed his sword and climbed back into the carriage.
He was more concerned about Freya’s side rather than wasting time with the mastermind.
[Why is she still not here?]
On the other hand Romaine was looking at Brendel with starry eyes.
“You’re amazing Brendel.” Romaine praised him.
“There’s nothing glorious about killing a man, especially when these people are mere citizens.” Brendel
shook his head.
“But you’re the only one who can protect me.”
Brendel paused for a while before giving a faint smile.
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TL: I’ll tl TSTBGAM next after this chapter.
Chapter 5 – Confrontation
Brendel’s sword swing shook everyone’s heart, stopping their feet after he slew the second man. Even
though there were still people blocking the street and surrounding their carriage, everyone knew that he
was not someone to be trifled with, and kept at a delicate distance.
The two corpses were simply left there in the open. Without the youth’s answer on what they could do,
they did not have the bravery to do anything and could only pretend not to see them. These two bodies
were also a deterrent to the new influx of people who came to see what the commotion was about.
Brendel sat in the carriage as he continued to wait for Freya with worry, but he did not display any of his
emotions on his face. Suddenly a new batch of fearsome looking men came up from behind, forcing their
way through the crowd and pushing them to the sides, even striking people who resisted a little.
“Trouble never seems to stop.” Brendel was alert and he frowned again.
“Who are they?” Ciel asked.
“They are merchants from the city.” The driver was terribly frightened in the beginning, almost wanting
to abandon the carriage when Brendel killed the men, but suddenly realized that the stronger this noble
was, the better the chance to survive this ordeal.
“They also look like they are bullies in the city.” Brendel observed their actions, then glanced at the
driver’s face. The driver seemed to hesitate, as if he wanted to say something more, but Brendel knew
that it did not mean anything well.
“Your peers doesn’t seem like good people, Romaine.”
“No problem, ” She sat beside him with a confident face, feeling very safe.
The group of men came near to the carriage, intending to pull the inhabitants off from it, but they
suddenly spotted the two corpses on the ground and their expressions changed. The merchants and their
guards exchanged glances, as they knew who to bully and who to leave alone.
They wavered for a while, then decided to push their through instead of picking a fight with the people
inside the carriage. However, the guards who accompanied the merchants were used to bullying and they
used more force than usual, and their numbers were big enough to push the people around near to the
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carriage. Because of that, a middle-aged man lost his footing after someone shoved him, and his head
knocked onto the carriage’s wheel, bleeding profusely from the long gash that he sustained upon contact.
“Father!” A young panicked voice rang out admist the crowd. A boy was getting pushed further away.
The middle-aged man grunted as he used the carriage as a support to get up. He went straight up and
charged angrily towards the guard who knocked him down. The guard who did not expect resistance was
thrown into the crowd. Everyone went into a chaotic uproar, but the middle-aged man quickly ran
towards the boy.
Just before he reached his son, the other guards already swarmed him like angry bees and struck him to
the ground.
“Let go of my father!” The boy managed to slip past the packed crowd and ran straight to his father in
tears. He tried to pull off the guards who were forcing his father down, but one of them simply flung his
arm and the boy fell backwards. The guard who was knocked down by the middle-aged man cursed
loudly as he got up, pulling his sword out as he cursed. He grabbed the middle-aged man’s hair and
twisted his head.
“You fucking cockstain, are you tired of living? I’ll grant your wish today.”
The middle-aged man struggled futilely as the other guards pushed him down. The crowd who saw this
scene turned their heads away. Even though they were angry and sad over this outcome, none of them
dared to step out.
The guard continued to hurl insults at him as he raised his sword over his head, but before it swung
down, a blast of wind came from the carriage. This visible wind blade not only went struck the sword, it
also went past the hand that carried it. The guard suddenly screamed as he held a bloody stump; his hand
was completely severed.
This sudden incident shocked the rest of the guards, and they pulled out their swords immediately,
causing a metallic song to sound out as Brendel jumped down from the carriage again.
“Who are you?” The merchant yelled out after a moment. Even though Brendel’s attack awed him, he saw
that Brendel was a young man and his attire did not look like he was a local noble. However, the
merchant had never left Fortress Riedon his entire life and did not experience much of the world. If he
was a noble from the capital, then he would at least recognize how big a threat Brendel’s attack was.
The youth merely glanced at the merchant and did not bother to talk any further.
But with this attack, Brendel’s situation changed immediately. There were many people in the crowd who
experienced the guards’ oppression and were furious over their actions, but they did not have the power
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nor the courage to stand up to them. Now that someone with the ability to do so stood out, everyone
subconsciously rallied to him.
Brendel suddenly became their natural leader and the atmosphere changed subtly. The merchants
wanted to rely on numbers to suppress Brendel, but they hesitated when they saw the crowd gathering
behind him.
A herd of sheep was not frightening, but a lion leading them was a different story, and Brendel had
became that lion.
But the merchant who shouted at Brendel did not know that he could slay all of them two or three times
all by himself. The merchant got increasingly irritated with the guard’s shrieks with his severed hand.
At this time, another group of men came to this area. Brendel took a look at their attire and recognized
them as the Fortress Riedon’s cavalry who dealed with the public order.
Fortress Riedon was protected by the white-mane army, so there were no formal kingdom guards here.
The local public order was maintained by forces belonging to the nobles. These forces were comprised of
cavalry and infantry, and were more of a representation of the nobles’ powers than a true policing force.
Most of these forces were even more corrupt than the merchants, and the most laughable thing was how
the infantry and cavalry viewed each other as enemies. In Brendel’s memories, they even hired players to
steal each other’s territory.
However, after completing the series of missions he thoroughly despised them. He furrowed his brows as
he watched them come nearer.
“What are all of you doing, fighting in the streets like there’s no law here.” The leader of the squadron
spoke with an air of superiority. He glanced sidewards at the merchant, then relaxed his expression: “Ah,
isn’t this messere Markov, how is your business recently?”
“Not too bad, Captain Gaspard. But there’s a man here who killed openly in the street and injured my
men, what do you think you should do about this?”
The leader frowned. If it was an ordinary day, he would have the mood to extort from the youth in front
of him, but now that Fortress Riedon was about to fall and everyone was about to be killed, he did not
have the mood to do something like that. However, he was used to a dominating attitude and he
subconsciously spoke to the youth with a condescending attitude.
“Who are you?”
Brendel lied after eyeing him. “Dunn.”
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The leader looked suspiciously at Brendel, but suddenly there was a commotion behind them. Two yells
with full of fright rang out loudly: “Monsters, monsters! They are a lot of monsters coming here!”
“It’s the undead, everyone run!”
Madara’s vanguard was coming.
People started to move even faster and started to push towards Gaspard’s and Markov’s guards, but they
immediately hit back the swords in their sheaths, forcing them to halt in their advance, and cries could be
heard all over the place.
Gaspard rubbed his forehead. He was different from Markov who had never been outside Fortress
Riedon, and knew that this situation could not be contained. He had to think of another way, and his eyes
went back at Brendel.
“You, bring your carriage over and block the road.” He pointed at Brendel: “You lot, block the road! The
rest of you, stand to one side and let us pass!”
The citizens behind Brendel were in a dazed stupor once he said that. Gaspard’s usual actions in the day
already displeased the citizens and for them to brandish their swords to stop them from blocking the
road was the last straw.
“Why should we!” Someone yelled angrily.
“What a fucking stupid question.” Gaspard motioned his men to move away, and he pulled out his sword.
“As a citizen of Fortress Riedon, helping the Public Order’s Cavalry to maintain the public order is your
duty. What of it, do you want to resist?”
Everyone looked at the parted cavalry with their bared swords, and looked at the raging blue flames that
were burning behind them, and admist these ghastly flames, they could see shadows of skeletons
appearing. For a moment, they did not know what to reply.
Many eyes fell back on Brendel.
[Damn it. Standing out was indeed a problem.]
Brendel felt uncomfortable all over, but once he looked at the despair in the citizens’ eyes after being
threatened by Gaspard and his cavalry, he sighed and lamented at this situation.
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His soul came from the modern era, his bones were mired and steeped in a civilized, peaceful and
prosperous society. He was proud of the place he came from, and it was a sanctuary that he would never
let anyone trample upon.
He leaned forward slightly and entered into the most common Aouine’s military swordmanship attacking
stance.
“I’m counting to ten,” Brendel’s voice spoke clearly, and Gaspard turned around. “If you don’t scram after
ten counts, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
Everyone stopped moving, and fell into silence.
Gaspard and Markov were especially surprised, and they almost felt as if their hearing had problems. The
cavalry leader felt like he had been given a slap on the face, and the muscles in his neck bulged and tensed
as he roared out.
“Kill this fucking bastard!”
The cavalry raised his swords and charged at his command.
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Chapter 6 – A natural Lord
A miracle had happened before the citizen’s eyes.
The cavalry who charged towards the youth were crumpled like a piece of paper. Each time the youth
moved, swords would either break or bend backwards, and steel splinters flew all over the place. The
force carried behind the youth’s sword even hurled the rider’s horse upwards, before the rider flew off
from the impact.
One, two, three, the citizens behind Brendel whispered, until seven of the riders were dismounted
forcefully. The remaining three riders were already frightened to the point where they held the reins
tightly and did not advance any further.
Gaspard stared at Brendel as if he was a devil, while Markov and his guards were frightened to the point
where they forgot what they were holding in his hands. The refugees broke past their lines and ran to
Brendel.
“Who are you?” Gaspard felt that the blood draining from his limbs. He had seen the captains in the White
Mane’s squadrons training fights, and he felt they were elite fighters, but compared to the youth in front
of him, they were amateurs.
[Who exactly is this person?!]
Brendel sheathed his sword and exhaled lightly. He used Power Break seven times, and he drained a fifth
of his stamina, and he felt his hands were starting to go a little numb.
“I have already said my name. I’m Dunn.” Brendel pointed his sword at Gaspard and Markov. “Now, are all
of you calm enough to listen to my words?”
The two leaders exchanged looks. How could they not listen? The riders who charged at him were not
exactly amazing, but they were well trained and charged at their opponent with a horse. Even the soldiers
of the White Mane army would avoid their direct attacks.
But he merely struck seven times with his sword, and each single blow knocked off a rider off his horse,
and at the end of the fight he looked like he was not even tired, and even the captains under Luc Beson
could not compare to him.
[He looks like he’s at least a intermediate Iron-ranked fighter, but he’s so young…] Gaspard swallowed.
The captains under Luc Beson were veterans who were thirty to forty years old.
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“Very good. It looks like you’re ready to listen.” Brendel nodded at the tongue-tied duo. “I regret asking
you to scram, so I’m taking back my words. I want all of you to block the road. I don’t care how many
undead comes here, your mission is to block them.”
“Ciel.” He continued speaking.
“Yes.” Ciel jumped down when he saw Brendel beckoning to him, and took out his pocket watch and
passed it to him.
Brendel looked at the time. There was still a minute left to 4 PM, but Freya was still nowhere to be seen.
After rubbing his forehead he raised his head up and said clearly: “All of you here are respected members
of Fortress Riedon’s cavalry, helping out the refugees to gain time is a duty that you have. I am sure that
none of you needs me to remind what you need to do, and will stand out with bravery to rush to the
frontlines-”
“My lord, I am a merchant.” Markov did not dare to act smugly anymore and spoke carefully.
Brendel looked at him with an exasperated sigh. “You’re now under conscription.”
Markov’s mouth moved up and down wordlessly.
“Of course,” Brendel looked at the riders who got up from the ground. “I will be here personally to
oversee everyone of you. Anyone who wants to flee as a deserted soldier, you can come back over here
and try my steel. Whether you want to test me or fight against these damned skeletons, choose one.”
The citizens behind him had already started to move out to the north. People were pushing each other
and trampled onto hapless people who stumbled onto the ground. The crowd was in a frenzied chaos as
shrieks, curses and wails continued to poured forth from them, as if they were painting a picture of the
world ending.
Admist this chaotic scene, the only place of calmness stemmed from Brendel alone.
“The rest of you, grasp this opportunity and leave now. Do not waste this chance that the cavalry gets for
you by risking their lives.” Brendel tried to motion some of the remaining people who did not move. He
was not a messiah, but he did not want to see more lives thrown away.
But he did not expect the majority of them to stay behind. The people had seen the unfortunate victims
trampled to death by the frightened crowd, and even if they got out they were not certain that they could
flee from Madara’s pursuit later on. They would rather place their hopes on Brendel, hoping that the
incredible youth before them was able to lead them out.
There were many people with power in this world, but there were few who protected the weak. Brendel’s
actions had left a deep impression to them, and the last sentence seemed to make them trust in him.
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“You’re unwilling to leave?” Brendel looked shocked, suddenly guessing the thoughts of the people before
him. He scratched his head and turned around, and saw Ciel with a face full of admiration. Brendel
blurted out.
“What now?”
“In the era of the holy saints, the knights had eight virtues. Mercy was one of them. Every year in this era,
there are many knights who swore to uphold the eight virtues in the Holy Cathedral of fire, but who
amongst them are able to do something like this?”
The young man continued to speak. “To let the weak depend on you is the charm of the strong. But my
lord, how are we going to achieve this?”
“I’ll think of something. Just let them stay.” He went to Markov and Gaspard. “Have you considered
carefully?”
“Definitely, yes, we will fight against the skeletons.” Markov nodded as hard as he could.
Gaspard said nothing, but ordered his men to gather. He had talked with Markov and agreed that they
had better odds fighting against the skeletons. If they went against the youth they would be killed
instantly, while they had a better chance to fight Madara’s army. Furthermore, Brendel had said that he
would stay behind, and it was likely he would help out in fighting the undead.
Gaspard was the leader of the cavalry, and was at least considered as a capable man who would submit
when the time called for it. He was even better at doing it more naturally then Markov, since he had to
watch himself in front of Luc Beson and Lord Esebar. In the end he still watched himself in front of the
youth.
Brendel, on the other hand, admired his decisive personality to be ‘flexible’. He stood there waiting for
the riders whose weapons he broke to change to short swords, and at least for the time being he did not
have to consider that the men had no weapons.
The guards and riders’ faces were uneasy, with the exception of Gaspard.
These men might have been dominating bullies during the normal times, but they were no different from
a common man when they faced the fearless undead. Once they thought they were going to face such a
frightening existence in the legends, they felt their limbs tremble. The merchant Markov took a long spear
and stood beside Brendel, trembling like a leaf without saying anything, and it was apparent that even
standing there was difficult for him.
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The citizens behind them looked at Brendel and wondered why the youth did not escape. Because of the
words Ciel used to address Brendel, they thought he was at least a knight of some title. Since they decided
to follow Brendel, they did not dare to leave if he did not.
A prolonged silence between them happened.
Finally, the first skeleton soldier appeared from the other end of a burning street, with two more behind
it.
[Scouts.]
Brendel immediately recognized them. They came over with the sounds of bones striking against the
hard ground. Their speed were not too fast or slow. He checked the pocket watch again. If Freya still did
not come, he would let Ciel and Romaine move ahead first, while he would go out to find her. He would
still see her as a comrade even if she did not manage to succeed, even if he was disappointed at her
results.
He put down the watch as he saw the skeletons approaching the guards. There were seven of them, and if
they divide themselves into three groups, they would easily destroy the low level skeletons, but they
actually crumpled right there onto the ground, not even able to turn and flee—
The three skeletons killed the seven of them.
The eleven riders were so shocked and frightened they did not even have the courage to go up and fight
back. Brendel was dumbfounded and surprised at the outcome that he could not react in time to save the
guards. For one moment, he wanted to just cut the useless riders in front of him and be done with it,
before checking himself as he still needed more bodies to cut a path through Madara’s army to save the
citizens.
“What are you bunch of morons doing?! Where did your bravery go after bullying the citizens for so
long!” Brendel shook his head and yelled at Gaspard: “You, show them how it’s done.”
“Me?” Gaspard might looked like he was calm, but his hands were turning into jelly.
Brendel said nothing more and just looked at him.
Gaspard clenched his teeth. He knew that he was most likely going to end up dead. He normally drank
and feasted while sleeping with some wench during the normal times, and had already discarded his
swordsmanship a long time ago. He glared at his subordinates, but they quickly averted their faces away
and pretended not to meet his eyes.
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“You bunch of bastards raised by prostitutes!” The rider cursed out loudly as he charged forward with his
long sword, half trembling. One against three, and the youth appeared as if he had not intention to fight.
He closed his eyes as he galloped closer to the skeletons, almost certain that he was going to be dead.
But right at this moment, there were rumbling noises that felt like horses galloping. Gaspard was a rider
himself, and was familiar with the noises. That was the sound of a vanguard cavalry charging together.
The rumbling noises got louder, as if it was thunder that came from a distance away. The earth seemed to
tremble, and the skeletons turned their heads around, noticing the oddity of Lifeforce gathered together.
Three horses suddenly jumped out from the burning flames, and sword flashes could be seen as the
skeletons were struck down into pieces. The riders on them pulled the horses’ reins, and galloped
towards Brendel before stopping a slight distance away from him—
Brendel looked up and saw the figure of a person wearing sky blue armor, with one hand holding a
sword, while the other hand pulling the reins. The long ponytail was illuminated by the flames in the
street, and Brendel saw an elegant rider on top of a horse.
Behind her, more and more riders came out from the flames and gathered behind her, the majority of
them wearing outfits that belonged to mercenaries.
[The majority of them looks like they are at least of an Iron-ranked fighter, and quite a few of them are at
least intermediate ranks…] Brendel was surprised.
[Where did this group of mercenaries come from? There are at least ten over people here that are as good
as Luc Beson’s captains! Wait— Could this be the private army of Freya’s father?] Brendel knew of
Freya’s true birth, and took a wild guess.
“Brendel, where’s Romaine?” Freya looked curiously at the people in front of her.
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Chapter 7 – Leader
The densely packed refugees successfully escaped from the north gate. They were spread out in the Pine
River’s region and marched towards the valley plains, appearing like a trail of ants under the moonlight.
The misty lands ahead was the very south of the Hunting Deer mountainous range. In this area, there was
a small mountain called the Silver Sparrow. There were beautiful Grinores fir trees growing in it, and
these trees were shaped like a tower that point straight at the sky. Bears and bristling wolves frequently
appeared in this area, and players tend to party in the game to handle any sudden dangers that occur
suddenly.
Brendel believed the first step was to enter this area to avoid any dangers that would come from the
valley plains. Madara’s forces had been completely unleashed, and they would absorb raise even more
undead from the people they killed.
[The greatest nightmare would be seeing an endless sea of skeletons in the valley plains… Fortunately
that has not come to pass.]
But under the foggy night, there were signs of skeleton riders appearing in and out of the shadows,
signifying a terrible omen. These skeletons came directly from the heart of Madara’s land, and it was
difficult to create them during this era. However, these creatures were common in the game world’s era
where magic and swordsmanship became increasingly complicated with repeated wars.
Brendel stared at the quick shadows that darted in and out of the fog. They spied at the masses and
disappeared after a short while, only to reappear somewhere closer to the throng of refugees. Brendel
became a little worried and instructed Freya to check on the refugees behind them, as well as to protect
the flanks. He soon went to check on the refugees himself.
Freya’s suggestion to steal the nobles’ horses appeared as a great suggestion to the mercenaries, proving
that she was willing to risk everything to fight alongside with the mercenaries. If Brendel had not taught
her various things, she would not have managed to pull this off.
She was the first to charge into the market which was still being pelted with arrows, then cleanly severed
the rope that raised the bridge to allowed the citizens to escape. From then on, Leto and the other
mercenaries decided to stay behind and bet on her.
In comparison, the youth who was constantly praised by that young girl appeared to be meek in their
eyes. He merely traveled quietly in the horse carriage beside the driver with his hand on his sword,
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brooding quietly while Ciel, a young man who wore a long robe was dozing off in the carriage. Romaine
was peering out curiously at the environment, while taking care some of the children who sat in there.
She did not feel tired at all, only feeling her heart beating quickly. It was exciting and thrilling to escape
from the undead with such a mysterious night. It was the adventure that she had been waiting all along.
Mano’s mouth curled and twisted. He stamped a ‘useless weakling’ on Brendel’s forehead in his eyes once
he saw that Brendel did not know how to ride a horse.
[This noble brat must be some sort fake strategist who has never been in a war. How do you even
command an army when you can’t even ride?! … No, this cannot do. I can’t let a naive girl like Freya fall
prey to his lies.]
He poked at his companion beside him and gestured at him, then to two horses. The companion looked at
his eyes and immediately understood. The truth was the group of mercenaries had the same mindset.
Furthermore, Brendel even let Freya order them to protect the refugees. Even though they were silent on
the issue, their hearts were displeased. Why were they bringing this burden along with them? Now that
all the mercenaries had a horse, they should actually dash straight away to safety and stay far away from
the undead blight.
In fact, some of them had already suggested this thought to Leto, but the bar owner dismissed their
grumblings and sent them straight off to Freya instead. There was a code of honor amongst the
mercenaries. Freya was the one who led them to steal horses successfully, and they had an agreement
prior to this, and thus they could not simply just leave.
The mercenaries continued to wait since they agreed to see if Brendel had a strategy in mind, but if he did
not fulfill that agreement….
The skeleton riders appeared thirty seconds faster than the previous time, before disappearing quietly
into the night. The huge crescent moon was somewhere to the east, and it illuminated the fang-shaped
mountains that were shrouded in fog. Brendel looked at the pocket watch after the skeleton rider
disappeared, with the edge of the pocket watch casting a cold glint on his face.
“Why are you quiet?” He turned his head towards Freya who rode beside him. She looked uneasy ever
since she rejoined him, and constantly kept her head down.
He had not expected to encounter so many refugees who were willing to follow him, but Freya’s timely
arrival with so many mercenaries had helped him out, and he wanted to praise her for that.
[Originally there were just a few dozens, but the refugees have grown to two or three hundred. Since
there is a herd mentality, they would be more and more people joining me… Hmm…]
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On the other hand, Freya was afraid that her independent action would cause Brendel to be unhappy, but
she was afraid to voice out her opinion. She originally wanted to simply surpass him, but now she only
wanted to perform as favorably as she could in Brendel’s heart. This change in mentality was too subtle
for her to notice it.
“Y-you’re not blaming me?” She raised up her head with wild eyes after noticing there was nothing odd in
Brendel’s voice. Her light brown eyes were clear and reflected the moonlight greatly, showing off the
evident surprise in her eyes.
“Is there something I should blame you for? You did really well.”
“But I was late.”
“Any plans will have their moments where things don’t go right. As long as you don’t cross the limit it’s
fine. I’m a little late myself.”
“Erm, I……”
The two of them suddenly went quiet as they noticed a mercenary approaching them. He greeted Brendel
politely like a commoner would greet a noble. He then raised the two horses’ reins up. “My lord, please
choose a horse and ride. It will be easier for you if a fight breaks out.”
Brendel observed him for a few seconds, before guessing what he had in mind. He jumped down the
carriage, raised his head towards him and asked: “What are the vital points for riding a horse?”
The mercenary was momentarily surprised when he got down, but immediately showed deep
condescension in his eyes when he heard his words.
[Mother Marsha above, this silly halfwit is making me laugh. If you don’t know how to ride one, don’t act
as if you know how to. Do you really think you can learn how to ride one in a day? Heavens, there are only
a few nobles who can’t ride a horse!]
It was especially shameful in the eyes of a soldier who fought in battles for not knowing how to ride.
However, in order to let him make a fool out of himself in front of Freya, he still taught him in detail.
[Even if I tell you everything, you would never be able to ride one so quickly, otherwise we riders should
just knock our heads onto a wall.]
“First, you should go the side of the horse, see that stirop? Since you’re doing it for the first time, you
should place your feet slowly onto it before –”
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The moment he opened his mouth to instruct him, Brendel already received the notification on whether
he would like to spend 15 AP to learn riding. He appeared to be unfamiliar on mounting the horse when
he placed his foot on the stirop, but when he lifted himself up over the horse, he pulled the reins and
started trotting around, as if he had rode for years.
[Well, level 3 horse riding is sufficient to do combat on a horse. I spent 45 AP in total.]
Brendel wanted to learn the skill a long time ago, but he did not know that Freya knew how to ride one,
otherwise he would have asked her a long time ago. He could not help but long for the ‘Probe’ ability.
When he turned towards the mercenary, he saw him glaring back with a face full of humiliation and
anger.
————————– Princess POV ———————————-
“Wait,” The princess interrupted Oberbeck’s narration. “Did you say he was an amateur when he climbed
up the horse?”
“Indeed so, my lady. If I am not wrong, he was very unused to the action of climbing a horse, similar to
many beginners. Oberbeck answered politely.”
“Can a person really learn a skill like this in moments?” The girl could not believe it. Even though that she
thought herself as smart, she still spent half a month in doing so.
“Unless he wanted to intentionally deceive that man, I am afraid the truth is simply that.” Oberbeck felt
that it was unbelievable as well, but he did not believe the young man was able to fool him.
“Surely he did that on purpose. This man is really a master at manipulating hearts.” The princess
murmured to herself.
[That might not be true.] Oberbeck answered in his heart, but he did not say it out loud and merely
continued the story.
——————————Back to Brendel————————–
Ciel who watched the encounter between them, also jumped down from the carriage, cast a glance at the
mercenary and took over the reins. He mounted the horse elegantly. He was a squire and riding was a
necessary skill for him. Even though he was not considered as an elite rider, he was considerably
experienced in it.
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Freya watched the two of them, thinking that he was good in everything but was just too fond of
deceiving people. The girl felt a little flushed when she remembered the incident where he taught her
first aid.
The mercenary looked the lord and his squire showing off their riding skills, and he felt he was played a
fool and had a deep shade of purple in his face. Mano who was behind them noticed that his companion
was in a disadvantage, so he quickly rode up and came to their sides.
“Young man, how long more do we need to protect these men?” He was quite straightforward, and asked
Brendel directly.
“From here to the Valley of Sharp Boulders. If we can bring them to the other side, we can basically
ensure their safety.”
Brendel started urging his horse forward so that he could catch up with Freya.
“Perhaps you can’t do it, but I can.”
Mano also followed him, while he asked curiously.
“How are you going to do that?”
Brendel pulled out his sword and pointed at an area high up.
“There are skeleton riders up there and they are the elite scouts of Madara’s army, and they come directly
from Madara’s core lands. Bring some men and chase them away. The refugees need at least half an hour
more before they are able to reach the Silver Sparrow Mountain, and I want to ensure there is no threat
to the flanks.”
Mano looked blankly at Brendel as he did not expect that his question was the excuse for Brendel to give
him a command. He looked at Freya as their agreement was with her, not Brendel.
“Brendel?” Freya was willing to believe his words, but she found his attitude to be too demanding.
Brendel sheathed his sword and replied: “I say, most of you, or perhaps everyone of you, is just thinking
for yourself on how to escape here safely. There’s no need for me to say any more since you’re unwilling
to bring these refugees out with me. You have an agreement with Freya, right? Speak up. If you are able to
convince me, I’ll let everyone leave with a horse.”
Mano straightened his back up. He finally realized this ‘Noble youth’ was not a simple man. He had
dictated the flow of the conversation with just a few sentences. As a leader who had led a group of
mercenaries back then, he was employed by various nobles, but he had never seen one with such an
impressive air about him.
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“Since we’re mercenaries, we’re willing to work for you if you can pay us. However, under such
extraordinary circumstances, we have to consider ourselves first, there’s nothing shameful about it.” The
veteran mercenary replied naturally.
“Indeed. But I have to refute your point of view. Do you truly believe that you would be able to escape
from here just because you have a horse? Madara’s army also consist of aerial units. Have you seen spirits
and bone eagles? These creatures, which are the eyes of the undead wizards, fly and patrol the area. Do
you know how to avoid them?”
Brendel patted his sword. He did not believe these mercenaries understood the frightening aspects of the
undead army. Just because they killed a few skeletons and vampires, they understood Madara’s army
system? In that case he undead wizards should just take a hammer and destroy themselves.
Leto and his daughter had followed Mano closely when they saw him approaching Brendel. He frowned at
Brendel’s words.
“Then you have a plan?”
“I am uncertain of the outcome. I doubt anyone has a perfect plan for this. But my chances in the forest
are much higher, so I have to consider how to stop the skeleton riders from following us. If they attack
our flanks, the refugees will not be able to move quickly.”
Mano and Leto went into a silent deliberation. They felt that his words were true.
Brendel suddenly urged his forward forward, climbing up onto a high spot. He turned back to the
mercenary and took a ruby out from his pocket: “If you truly want to have a chance at surviving, then
follow me. If you choose to run away, then only those who are blessed by the gods would be able to make
it out. My order is very simple.
Listen to my commands, and protect Freya so that she can lead these refugees out of the valley of the
other end. All of you are mercenaries, so this ruby is my initial deposit. If you succeed in my request, they
would be more where it comes from.”
He threw the ruby up and it landed in an arc beside Leto’s feet. Freya pointed at herself in confusion, and
she asked loudly: “Me? Brendel why is it me?” She looked at the refugees in confusion. They were
obviously brought by Brendel, so she simply could not understand why she was the one to lead the
refugees out.
It was not that she was unwilling, but she did not know if she could do it if there were so many people.
She was starting to become uneasy.
[I’m just a small militia captain. Now I’m leading dozens of experienced mercenaries, which suddenly
jumped up to hundreds and might even reach a thousand??!]
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Brendel merely smiled as he had already planned things out. He rode back to Leto and Mano, beckoning
them.
“Go now. Gather your men and choose how you want to die. Go your separate ways and encounter the
Madara’s army and become an undead as well, or take my money and become a real mercenary who
chooses to protect the weak, cutting a bloody pathway for them.”
He turned his head back again. The skeleton riders once again appeared under the moonlight. This time
they were faster by ten seconds.
(TL: Stirop, Middle English, = stirrup. It’s the foot platform that a rider will step on before lifting himself
and placing himself over the horse.)
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Chapter 8 – Cavalry, charge forward!
Leto and Mano chose to believe in Brendel’s words. There was conviction in his voice, and even if he was
lying to them, he at least had the confidence and ability to lead. In addition, he had a great reason for
them to follow him.
Money.
This word was closely tied to mercenaries, and it was a bridge that made the unreasonable things into
reasonable logic.
There was no need to gather ten odd veteran mercenaries. They communicated by hand gestures, and
they gathered quickly from the crowd in mere moments.
[These men are not common soldiers, not bad at all.] Brendel thought to himself.
He also made the riders from Fortress Riedon’s Public Order Cavalry gather up as well. He needed the
men at hand to be split up into two groups. Even though this was a shabby lot, but they could be used if
they were trained.
He urged his horse round this group once, then stopped at one side. He checked the pocket watch again
and estimated.
A number of the long snaking crowd of refugees who progressed slowly looked at the gathered riders.
They wondered what this group of twenty odd riders was going to do. The majority of them who joined in
later did not know who Brendel was, but had a deep impression of the female rider who maintained
order.
They kept asking each other who the girl was, and for some reason Freya’s status kept rising. From the
captain of a militia to the captain of the Public Order Cavalry, a member of the White-Mane swordsman
army and even the captain of the Aouine Kingdom’s guards. In any case, they recognized her as the leader
and they simply needed to follow her and they would be led to safety.
The needle moved to the final second that Brendel planned, and he started to move.
He raised the Elven sword and pointed forward. The riders immediately followed him, and under his
instruction, they dashed towards a road leading to the higher ground.
“What the hell is he doing?”
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“Won’t we look like fools if we just rush up like this if the group of skeleton riders appear in the other
direction?” Mano blurted out.
“Fuck! If these monsters appear on the other side and charged into the refugees, they would be
disorganized even if we run back in time. This bloody brat doesn’t know how to fight at all, I can’t believe
you fell for his damned lies!” Another man fumed.
“Didn’t you believe in him just now?”
“…. I’m just out for the money.” That man paused slightly before refuting.
Brendel ordered them to move even faster. The riders charged forth, creating a thunderous sound.
[Two seconds. Almost… There!]
The group of riders took to the high ground first, but they were immediately surprised by the scene
before them. (TL: High ground offers a wider FOV, and troops tend to tire less when fighting uphill and
move faster. For more info, go wikipedia it.)
Forty odd skeleton riders were retreating backwards. This proved that Brendel chose the right location,
stole the higher ground and surprised the enemy, and everyone glanced at the youth for a moment,
wondering how he managed to know the enemy’s location.
Brendel waved his sword twice after determining the undead’s formation, and charged forth towards the
skeleton riders, ordering the mercenaries to charge along with him.
[What?! Now is not the time to charge at them, you’re too impatient! What if these undead move into a
direction? Furthermore we don’t know how fast they can retreat, we might lose our advantage if we just
rush blindly!] Mano thought to himself.
The other mercenaries were also of the same opinion. They should wait a little longer, since they held the
high ground and will always have the advantage. Even the riders from Fortress Riedon who had a little
more faith from him after he stole the high ground, hesitated and did not want to let go of this advantage.
But Brendel did not seemed to notice and merely pointed at the direction, which merely meant that
everyone was to charge forth!
After a second, when he realized they did not not follow him, he turned his head and roared.
“Are you all chickenshit cowards! Charge! Even if we don’t have the advantage of the high ground, they
will not be able to occupy the high ground if we attack them!”
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Brendel seemed to inject a form of energy into the men after they heard the roar. The fact that he was to
charge in the fray instilled a sense of confidence in them. In Aouine’s strongest era, the cavalry and nobles
who fought with them, became the emblem of unstoppable bravery that was recognized throughout the
continent, and now in this place, they were about to become the same emblem of—
Unstoppable bravery.
No one had seen this happen in this kingdom for many decades. It was as if it had become a glorious
memory of the past, and these memories were slowly fading into darkness and disappear.
But right now, there was a figure in this high ground outside Fortress Riedon, that was a lightning
streaking across the dark chasm, as if to cut through a hidden curtain to signify the start of a new era.
Ciel watched the back of his lord with gleaming eyes, his heart overwhelmed with emotions. He urged his
horse forward, and whistled with his fingers.
The mercenaries unsheathed their weapons and roared, rushing forward like a broken dam. Even the
most timid soldier in the riders felt his blood was boiling too every part in his body, feeling as if he
unstoppable and unbreakable.
A mercenary watched Brendel ride on the horse with precise control as if he was one with the horse.
“Mano, did you say he didn’t know how to ride at all?”
“He didn’t know how to do it in the beginning.”
“You must be fooled by him, haha.”
“Oh fuck off!” He blustered angrily.
Everyone believed that they would be victorious.
————————- Princess POV ——————————
The princess froze with a teacup in her hand. The tea was already cold, but she was so engrossed in the
story that she did not realized that. When Oberbeck started describing the cavalry’s charge, her silver
eyes shone brightly.
After a long moment, she asked in a daze: “He led the charge?”
Then she started to murmur as she rearranged her thoughts. “That’s incredible. It feels like we have gone
back to our brightest era. Aouine’s knights who held war horns and fluttering capes with the squires
holding on to the flags. When the war horns are blown, the riders would charge forth and create a sea of
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our cities’ emblems, Corvado, Grinoires, Ankries that represented our kingdom. They were
unstoppable…”
Oberbeck coughed once. He knew that the princess had great ambition for the royal family, but he sighed
as she was not a boy. Compared to the Oberg the seventh’s son who had a weak personality, the princess
was a better leader..
[This is fate laughing at us.]
The girl finally realized her blunder, but she naturally diverted the topic. “And then, did they win?”
—————————- Brendel POV ———————
Their charge was faster than the skeletons’ retreat. In the mercenaries eyes, a miracle seemed to happen.
No matter how the skeleton riders twisted and turn, their path was always predicted by Brendel. Each
time Brendel’s sword point out into a direction, the mercenaries would move in that direction and
become closer to the skeletons.
Finally, the riders collided into the weak formation of the skeleton riders like a giant hammer. Brendel
swung his sword with a roar, and the sword arte smashed into four riders, bending and shattering the
bones into the air and raining onto the ground. The mercenaries struck and charged ahead onto the
flanks, creating a giant hole in their defense.
Brendel continued forward, pulling his sword back to prepare for a strike, then smashed the skeleton
rider that was in front of him with the ability ‘Power Break’. The rider was immediately hurled
backwards onto another skeleton. Two veteran mercenaries coordinated perfectly and destroyed the
skeletons easily.
Brendel then urged his horse forward towards the commanding necromancer. Before it managed to
recite the second spellword, Brendel thrust the Thorn of Light into its skull, immediately hoisting it up
into the air before he threw it to the ground. White flames burned from the pierced area and it turned
into ashes.
Each time Brendel charged in and out, countless golden lights would fly up into the sky and then flew into
his chest. The mercenaries would work together with him and shatter another skeleton quickly.
However, once the skeleton riders lost their commanding leader, they started to gather together and
prepare for their own charge due to their instinct to destroy living creatures. However, Brendel
commanded the mercenaries to get to the higher ground and prepare for another charge.
After a moment, they clashed into each other again, but the skeleton riders were completely defeated.
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Brendel had aimed for this outcome. If the necromancer was not defeated, they would gradually be able
to pull away from them as their horses had unlimited stamina. He then ordered the mercenaries to stop
and rest on the spot, while ordering Ciel to come along with him so he could gather the loot.
Everyone could not believe it. They actually won, and only two of their men were injured.
But they did not know that Brendel was incredibly familiar with the skeleton riders’ strategy, even more
so than the commanding necromancer that led them. His lips curled for a while. Madara was a like a
cursed rival. He had never defeated them during this era in the game, but it was different now.
After looking through the loot, he asked Gaspard to gather up all the swords as there was nothing
particular valuable on them. Madara’s obsidian swords were better than what the mercenaries had, as
they used Soul Fire to forge the steel.
Brendel went up to Leto and Mano, and pointed to a place far away. “Do you hear that?”
Leto and Mano looked differently at Brendel. He not only proved his commanding abilities in the battle,
his terrifying sword skills and prowess deeply shocked everyone present.
The skeletons that crossed swords with him either had their shoulders or whole body twisted off, and
their swords even bend or broke from the Elven Sword’s strike.
The greatest impression on him, however, was the unbelievable confidence they had when they charged
alongside with him, and everyone fell in love with the thrilling excitement.
As Leto and Mano listened carefully, they heard clacking sounds.
“A skeleton army…. No, a sea of skeletons.”
Brendel was surprised. He did not expect it was Leto who first answered, and his judgment was accurate.
He had thought that he was merely a bar owner, but his identity seemed that it was not as simple as he
thought.
[Strange. Where did this bunch of mercenaries come from. Their abilities are just too good to be some
common mercenaries.]
Mano’s expression also changed. The number within the fog were most likely thousands. He scrutinized
Brendel again.
[This youth…. how did he know the skeletons are there. Even the timing to attack the scouts was just too
good, even to the point of choosing the best timing to do so. If these scouts were not removed, then it
would truly be disastrous. Unless we abandoned these refugees we won’t be able to escape from that
army…]
“Do we need to check their progress” Leto’s face was grave.
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“No, there’s no need to. Their scouts are not here anymore and they won’t be able to catch up with us.”
Brendel waved his hand. “I only want the both of you to know this, there’s no need to say it out loud. I’m
familiar with Madara’s tactics, so if you just follow me, I have the confidence to bring you out–”
“But there’s one thing. The battles ahead cannot be avoided, and everyone of us might perish here. You
have to be prepared, because the battles would only intensify and will not be so simple like the one we
had just now.”
“Prepared,” Mano laughed. “Kid, we’re mercenaries. We’re definitely better than you in this regard. Let
me tell you something, Leto experienced the ‘Roanoke’s Valley blood Battle.”
[A veteran of ‘The November War’?] Brendel smiled as he looked at Leto and sheathed his sword without
saying anything.
He looked up at the moon. The sky was becoming brighter, hinting at dawn’s arrival. At least they were
not going to meet Spirits in this night.
He exhaled.
TL: Feels like Leto = Dunn. Lol.
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TL: I’m off to find food. Next update should be 4-5 hours later.
Chapter 9 – The first day.
It was just as Brendel had predicted, after the mercenaries defeated the scouting group of skeleton riders,
the undead army did not find them. Brendel successfully led the refugees into the Silver Sparrow
Mountain.
[The low level undead and vampires’ strength will drastically go down during the daytime. Until they
completely vanquish the White-Mane army, they would not let the skeletons to advance all over the
mountainous region. But at the same time, once they take hold of the graveyards in Fortress Riedon, their
army will drastically increase. Based on the game, when Tarkus reached the northern area, Dragos, their
army had already grown to a hundred thousand, 5 times the number of the entire Grinoires forces…]
Brendel pondered as he watched the refugees. The number of the refugees that joined them had grown to
approximately five hundred, and along with them were horse carriages and mules carrying heavy
luggage, and the entire length of the people was even half a kilometer long. Some of these refugees were
even fortunate enough to find their lost relatives, and for a moment they felt there was hope.
Romaine had sneaked off during the daytime and moved off with her precious backpack. She was sitting
on another carriage which was filled with luggage. A few kids were sitting there and listening to her story
with wild eyes about how brilliant Brendel was throughout the whole journey.
She suddenly saw a man and woman riding towards her, and she lowered her head in fright.
Brendel only slept for three hours. That was the first time in these few days that he slept, but because of
his constant worrying over the Madara’s army, he did not sleep well. Despite that, he quickly spotted
someone familiar, and realized that the girl who was acting strangely was Romaine. He laughed and
shook his head:
“Why did you sneak out?”
“I’m bored.” Romaine answered with a lowered head.
“It’s dangerous outside,” Freya frowned and glared at her best friend, her voice full of worry: “If there’s
something that happened to you, how am I going to explain to aunt Jennie?”
“There’s nothing really dangerous here, I’m just telling them a story.” When Romaine said that, her
eyebrows went up.
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The brats nodded.
“I’m not talking about what you’re doing right now,” Freya sighed. “Do you know how bad things are right
now?”
Brendel found it a little funny and asked: “What story are you telling them?”
“It’s about you.”
Brendel beckoned to her and asked her to come closer. The merchant girl paused slightly, but went to the
edge of the carriage without suspecting him. However the youth grabbed her face with both of his palms
and pinched both her cheeks firmly: You must listen to Freya and take care of yourself, okay?
Romaine was frightened to the point that she whined pitifully, trying to pry his hands off and raised both
of her short eyebrows: “I. mmmf….. got it, l-let gooo!”
Then she ducked to the other corner of the carriage and watched him warily.
Brendel smiled inwardly as he felt the warmth remained in his fingers. But when he looked at Freya, she
was full of envy. After she met his eyes, she immediately blushed and turned her head angrily and said:
“S-shameless, I don’t care anymore…….”
She threw down this line and left, leaving a speechless Brendel behind and wondering what he did to
offend that girl. As he stood there scratching his head, Leto and Mano came to find him.
They came to find him because they wanted to choose some men to make a militia group. The truth was,
after entering the Silver Sparrow mountain, the surroundings had become increasingly complicated.
There were many fir trees that blocked their vision, and besides the need to spot for Madara’s scouts,
they also had to be alert against the bears and bristling wolves in this forest.
With the increasing number of refugees joining them, even if Brendel throw in all the riders to guard
them, there might not be enough to defend them.
Furthermore, they had to send a few riders in a fan shaped direction to scout for the way ahead, their
numbers were just too tight.
Fortunately, there were many who done militia training and they were willing to fight. With the
distribution of the skeleton’s swords and their personal stock of weapons, they were able to equip fifty
odd men. Leto and Mano arranged them to guard the flanks and rear, as well as having them to patrol the
refugees to maintain order. However, even though it was easy on paper, implementing was actually
troublesome. They spent the entire morning doing this. Leto wanted to report the outcome to Brendel.
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But Mano wanted to talk about something else. He had gathered the armor pieces from the skeleton
riders with Ciel, and wanted Brendel to take a look at the fragments.
Brendel inspected the broken fragments individually under the sun, then felt the inner layer, finally
turning the fragments all around. He found the familiar sigil, an eye.
He placed the armor back onto Mano’s hand and said: “Looks like the scouts are from the [Undead
Maggot]’s army, just like the history log—”
He suddenly realized Mano was looking at him in confusion, and he immediately coughed: “The Undead
Maggot, Medes, is half zombie. As a leader of Madara’s army, he’s especially good at gathering numbers,
but he likes to move in the night. If that time comes, you would be able to see a zombie army crawling all
over the mountains.”
Leto and Mano looked at each other. They did not understand why Brendel knew so much about Madara,
but he did not look like he was bragging, especially when there was no need to. He had already impressed
them with yesterday’s night battle.
Suddenly Brendel stopped talking and looked at the sky. There were several black dots in the south-
eastern skies, and he was uncertain they were mountain birds or Madara’s bone eagles. But he soon
abandoned that thought.
They were under the cover of thick trees which severely limited their vision.
At the remaining years of the final era, between 421st and 426th years, the bone eagles filled the skies,
and even when the players used flying dragons, they were unable to drive them back. That was when
Madara was at its height, using overwhelming numbers as a strategy to the limits.
However with such few eagles, once they reach Hunting Deer Mountains with even thicker forests, even if
they had one or two thousand refugees, they would not be discovered. This was why Brendel chose to go
to the Silver Sparrow Mountain’s path instead of the river area which was far easier to move. He did not
mention this alternate path as he was afraid of divided opinions amongst the mercenaries.
Even though he believed they wanted to help out the refugees, mentioning this was not a good idea—
Brendel thought for a while and continued. “Even though Medes likes to move in the night, he wouldn’t
slack off in the day either. He would get elite ghouls and wights to hound the refugees. Their priorities
however, should be on the White-Mane army, except they probably don’t know where Luc Beson is.”
[The worst outcome is we get discovered by the Bone Dragons. There should be three of them under
Tarkus. If we moved towards a stretch of open area like a river valley or something…. But Tarkus would
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most likely stay in Fortress Riedon for a few days, since that place is the greatest obstacle while the area
towards Dragos is unprotected…]
Brendel spoke as he looked into the direction of the river valley.
At this point, Brendel had become a rising star or a future leader amongst his peers in Leto and Mano’s
eyes. Even the way how they looked at him as a noble was different from the usual ones they met.
Brendel had actually once tried to change Ciel’s way of addressing him, but after hearing the charming
youth’s way of addressing him with a serious ‘My master’, he suddenly shivered, and silently
acknowledged the title of ‘My lord’ instead.
After considering the issue, he could only attribute this problem as a ‘Default Factory Settings’.
No additional problems occured after the security issue was settled in the morning. However, the number
of refugees became bigger and bigger. Groups of refugees escaped from the river valley’s direction, and
brought about news of the Madara’s army.
Brendel had predicted correctly. Medes army of ghouls and wights combined their forces along with
Kabias’s skeletal army and fought intensely with the White-Mane army, and Brendel estimated that they
would have an outcome only in the evening.
The number of refugees had expanded to approximately a thousand. In the middle of their journey,
Brendel had allowed them to stop and make a meal. It was fortunate that these refugees that escaped
from the north of Fortress Riedon had sufficient time to gather necessities and food as Madara’s army
concentrated their forces in the other three directions, and Brendel did not need to think about the lack
of food.
But even so, he had also considered his choice properly. The forest in the Hunting Deer Mountain was a
place filled with resources. The different types of animals were plentiful and there was an abundance of
fruits and mushrooms. If they tried to gather these resources, even though it might be difficult to support
one or two thousand people, they would not starve.
In the afternoon around three pm or so, the scouts ahead brought news for Brendel, however, this was
not about Madara—
Someone requested to see him.
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TL: Yup, please continue to help me check for spelling errors and what not.
Chapter 10 – Alchemy
Brendel was basking in the warm sun in between two fir trees, when he saw the riders bringing one
person —
[Hmm? There’s one whole group of people behind that man.]
The man and his group followed the mercenaries and slid down from a slope and walked towards
Brendel. Two of them took the long way and led their horses down the slope. They either wore thick
leather armor, or had chain mails on them, and a few of them were bandaged. WIth a painted shield and
long sword, they looked like they were mercenaries just like Mano.
They were not far from Brendel, and he could see a gigantic man beside Gaspard, which appeared to be
the leader.
[Probably a man from Arreck in the north, or at least he has that lineage from that area.]
That man had an eye-catching crimson beard, a squarish face, and a sword scar across his brow. He wore
a shirt with a broad opening in the center, showcasing incredible muscles with apparent striations on
them, and his sleeves were folded back to his elbow.
[This man must be confident in his own prowess, otherwise he wouldn’t have worn only a leather
shoulder guard… Other than a row of axes on his belt, there’s no other weapons on him. That’s an Arreck
weapon used by the native warriors, sometimes used as a throwing weapon.]
That barbarian-like giant took off his head and bowed respectfully. “I greet you, respected lord knight, I
represent the Crimson Wolves Mercenaries, and I am their leader, Batum.”
[Batum? That’s certainly Arreck’s word for red or crimson.]
His hand lowered closer to his sword, but it was subtle enough that Batum did not notice it. Brendel
merely nodded and wait for his response.
Right at this moment, the refugees had spread rumors about Brendel’s identity. At this point of time,
holding the status of a noble had an advantage, so Brendel did not deny or admit that he was one, instead
displaying an ambiguous response to create a mysterious air about him.
Batum’s heart grew conflicted as Brendel did not say anything. He inquired carefully.
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“Respected Lord knight, are you bringing these refugees to escape from Madara’s army?”
Brendel took a look at him and nodded.
“If I may be so bold, do you still lack men?”
“Why, do you intend to join us?” Brendel was surprised, but he immediately realized these mercenaries
were most likely chased all the way from the River of Sharp Rocks. Their group must be completely
exhausted and needed someone to offer them protection.
[Just as expected, Luc Beson was defeated. The White-Mane army and Medes, Kabias has just ended.]
Brendel looked up and check the mountains that were in a distance away.
[It seems that even more refugees and the White-Mane army will join us… The scale of our size is going to
become bigger.]
Batum saw that the young noble was holding on to his sword, and he stared ahead in a daze. His heart
was becoming anxious. He quickly nodded: “Yes, respected Lord Knight, we just need a little food and
medicine and a bit of rest, and we can fight for you.”
“What happened there?” Brendel suddenly said.
Batum looked at him in confusion.
“I’m talking about the River of Sharp Rocks. How many Madara undead did you see.”
“Countless, Lord Knight, there were countless troops of skeleton riders, and they kept chasing endlessly
during the night time. They forced the refugees to flee constantly, and that fucking son of a whore Luc
Beson did not even managed to defend against them even once. He had lost battle after battle, then finally
they got ambushed by a large group of fucking monsters, and the entire army was nearly wiped out!”
Brendel was not surprised at this outcome. Even though the ‘tiger’ Luc Beson was indeed a considerably
impressive leader, he was unable to escape from this tragedy, and failure was a given.
“— Wait, a group of monsters? What kind of monsters?”
“These creatures are as tall as humans, their skin was completely smooth and their bodies are of a dark
green color. They wore long steel claws and there was a terrible rotting smell on them. They climbed up
the boulders around the river and suddenly ambushed us. We did not prepare ourselves for their attacks
and the survivors were only two or three out of ten men.”
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[Ghouls. Were there wights that appeared as well? These ghouls are one rank higher than the skeleton
riders, and one rank lower than the black warriors and pale knights, but their numbers are great… How
many are there? One hundred? Two hundred? They are level 20 creatures and each of them has the
strength of a low Iron-ranked fighter… It’s not surprising that the White-Mane army would lose,
especially when they ambushed them.]
“Lord knight?” Batum once again troubled when Brendel fell into silence.
Brendel finally nodded. “If you want to join my group, you have to observe my rules. I will hire you, and
besides the money, I will also give you a place to rest. Gaspard, bring them some food, medicine and
bandages.”
He patted Batum’s shoulder. “Rest well. You have to prepare yourself for the upcoming battles.”
“Thank you for you generosity, Lord Knight!” Batum bowed deeply. Brendel’s terms were beyond his
expectations. He had been to many places, but he had never such a kind noble.
Another mercenary rider who escorted Batum asked: “What about you, my lord?”
“The rest of you return to your posts. I need to be alone and rest for a while.” Brendel answered while he
looked at his surroundings.
[This place is suitable.]
Brendel did not need to rest, but he wanted to use alchemy. Alchemy in Vaunte was not a mysterious art,
and the people in most workshops knew at least a little of it. But to raise it a level where it was of use,
required a vast experience and knowledge.
In game terms, there were two set of different usage before level 5 and after level 5. Artisans used this
technique to gather different materials, and before level 5 it appeared like chemistry.
After level 5, it becomes a mysterious art. Wizards would use alchemy to extract pure crystals and
magical reagants. They would then use it to transmute things and even create magical potions.
By combining them with blacksmithing, technology and enchantment, they would be able to create the
legendary magic armor. There were many blacksmiths and apprentices working in a workshop, and
Brendel was able to obtain ‘Basic Alchemy’ after asking a few questions.
Raising the alchemy skill set required 122 AP, but this did not prove to be a problem for him, as he had
leveled up enough to get 164 AP.
[The ideal situation for me is to get level 6 Alchemy so I can make magic potions, but my true status is a
‘Commoner’. As a NPC commoner, I can only learn up to level 5 Alchemy, a noble – level 7, an alchemist
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specialist – level 15. If I want to go up any higher, I need to change my status. The same goes for learning
side skills from other professions…]
After waiting for Batum and the other riders have left, he continued to wait a while and confirming there
was no one else, he came to an empty area, and carefully swept away the leaves. He drew out his sword
and draw a simple magic circle.
[Energy Transmutation. Blood Transmutation.]
Magic circles came from level 4 alchemy, with artisans using them to extract energy and crystalize them.
However, the Blood Transmutation was the true reason why he wanted to avoid everyone. This
technique actually came from Madara, and the Holy Cathedral of Fire strictly forbade the usage of this
spell. This was because it harmed the user and went against their basic rules.
However, this was incredibly useful as a skill because it ignored the need for materials, and under any
circumstances, the user would be able to transmute simple materials into something useful.
But the players in Aouine, Kirrlutz used it freely as they only wanted effectiveness. The price for using it
was merely dropping a level if they were discovered.
However, Brendel was a little anxious here. It was a scenario of ‘Off with his head!’ instead of just
dropping a level, since doing it in the open was challenging the authority of the Holy Cathedral of Fire.
Even though he had Ciel as a lookout, he really did not want to do this in the open.
He sighed and took out the teeth that was taken from the lich, then pierce his thumb with the sword. A
blood of drop formed and he turned it over the center of the magic circle. A flash of red light appeared,
and the teeth had became grey crystals with the size of a thumb.
When it was completed, Brendel felt his heart jump once. He had received -1 damage.
He wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead, then picked up the crystals. These crystals were made
from spirit energy, and were different from soul gems. If someone tried to absorb the these impure
crystals, they would immediately become poisoned and die.
[These things are going to become the most important tools tonight…]
But he did not stop there. He took out 32 teeth and 4 fingers, and a Number 5 potion.
However, after transmuting half of them and around 5 minutes later, Ciel’s voice could be heard. “Who’s
there?”
Brendel’s heart jumped. He quickly wiped away the magic circles and kept all ingredients, picked up the
Thorn of Light and ran out.
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As he walked out of towards the Fir trees, he saw a middle-aged man standing in front of Ciel. He
furrowed his brows for a moment, before recalling that he was the man who was knocked onto the
carriage’s wheel.
[Why is he here?]
In Brendel’s memory, this man was quite brave as he fought back against Markov’s men, except it was not
a wise thing.
But he did not expect the words that came from his lips.
“My lord, are you using Blood Transmutation circles? Please take care of your body—”
Brendel and Ciel’s minds went completely blank.
[How did he know? He stood here for a long time? That’s not possible!] Ciel did not believe that he could
not even detect this commoner. The squire was ready to use magic.
But the middle-aged man saw that their puzzled faces and he bowed. “My lord, I have not had the
opportunity to thank you for saving me. My name is Tamar”, an alchemist.
“Tamar…? Y-you’re Tamar!?”
Brendel felt the name was familiar at first, but he suddenly recalled the name of Madara’s Grandmaster
alchemist who was prominent in the 380th year. His mouth fell open, then carefully observed him. He
looked at him carefully to ensure if it was that Tamar, and he definitely appeared to be like him.
[Shit… It’s because of that fucking bastard Markov. Tamar must have been turned into an undead after
Madara occupied this place. And his hatred must be due to his son’s death… Shit, that makes fucking
sense.]
But Brendel believed he was that person because of his familiarity with alchemy. Tamar was able to see
there was a backlash on Brendel and determined the exact alchemy circle, and this was not any alchemist
can do.
The Tamar in history was an incredibly powerful undead. Majority of the high level undead was because
of him, Mesut and Serylen. The famous ability of Tamar was to convert a corpse directly into a skeleton,
which practically doubled Madara’s forces.
[Mother Marsha above, hahaha, looks like it would be pretty difficult for Madara to use that ability.]
Brendel beamed when he looked at the human Tamar.
“M-my lord?” His smile frightened Tamar. He had heard dirty rumors about nobles acquiring a ‘different
taste’, but he was confused since he was already old. He was a little fretful. (TL: Seriously?)
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It was Ciel who had to cough loudly to wake Brendel, who quickly explained: “Are you the Grandmaster
alchemist Tamar in Fortress Riedon?”
[Grandmaster Alchemist? But that’s a title reserved for the best, when did I become so famous?] Tamar
was confused and quickly shook his head. “My lord, I’m just an unknown alchemist working for some
nobles, and I have no successful inventions at all—”
[You’re still unknown? Hahaha, I picked up a great treasure!] Brendel was delighted.
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Chapter 11 – Into the night
As they rejoined the refugees, Brendel got to know that Tamar was searching for him ever since he woke
up from his coma, so that he could thank Brendel. When he saw Brendel and Ciel leaving away from the
refugees, he followed them and waited till they were alone.
But Brendel was not too worried that Tamar would whistleblow to the Holy Cathedral of Fire because he
did not appear to be that sort of person.
While Brendel was surprised at Tamar’s identity, the latter felt he was mysterious. The middle-aged man
had only seen the descriptions of the Blood Transmutation circle, and even he did not know how to use it.
However, he could feel the negative feedback within Brendel’s body and guessed that he was using this
forbidden magic.
But this talent of detecting negative magic did not come to many people.
Tamar did not have any opinions on this particular magic. To him, many nobles did illegal things. The
Holy Cathedral of Fire forbade the black markets and illegal slavery, but the market for it in this area was
just as prosperous, and the irony was even some members of the holy church participated in these dirty
businesses.
The truth was, Tamar actually hoped to discuss the techniques of alchemy with him. He thought for a
while before asking.
“My lord, what exactly are you trying to create?”
When Brendel heard the future Grandmaster call him ‘My Lord, he actually felt smug about it.
“I need a batch of spirit crystals. I have some higher undead bones, and I need it to make a Soul Statue.”
He needed a Soul Statue (White Deer). This was a simpler type amongst the soul statues. It was able to
summon a white colored male deer’s spirit that was able to detect undead Shades. In Vaunte’s old legend,
the white deer resided in place where souls went for their eternal rest, thus they were particularly
sensitive to them.
[This is one of the mid-ranked undead types that we might encounter, and one of the most terrifying units
that an undead necromancer can employ against us.]
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“Soul Statue?” Tamar felt that it was unthinkable. That was nothing more than a simple alchemy tool, and
the only difficulty was getting the materials for it. He found it hard to accept that Brendel would use a
forbidden magic to make such a simple item.
“Sir Tamar, there’s really no need to be suspicious. It’s because I lack alchemy tools to do it…..”
Tamar nearly tripped and fall to the ground after hearing his words.
The reason why Blood Transmutation was powerful was because of the incredible speed and clean
execution in the battlefield, something that normal alchemy could not compete with. But the price for
transmuting a high level item was also an incredible burden on the user.
In the past, where the holy faction fought with the undead faction, there were many who sacrificed
themselves to summon powerful creatures for the sake of victory. Ultimately, this went against the
teachings of the church, and forbidden to be used.
But now this noble youth actually used this as a substitute for magic tools…. Any alchemist would bring
their tools along with them, even if they had to risk their lives…
“… Errr, my lord. Actually, I have magical tools with me. If you don’t mind, you are free to use them. Blood
Transmutation magic is a forbidden magic that damages your body greatly, it’s best not to use it.” Tamar
finally reacted to his words after a long time.
“Of course I wouldn’t mind, please let me use them.” Brendel was not silly enough to use his own blood if
there was a set of magical tools at hand. He saved his own HP and obtained a future Grandmaster
alchemist. His mood rapidly improved and he discussed alchemy techniques with Ciel and Tamar
leisurely. (TL: Pokeball thrown.)
As a wizard apprentice in Karsuk, Ciel had seen a lot of archmagi who were as proficient as a
grandmaster alchemist. Even if he himself was not proficient in it, he had a natural disposition for
alchemy.
As for Brendel who had level 5 alchemy, he would easily be able to obtain a professional first-grade
alchemist rank if he went to Aouine’s formal alchemy exam. At this point of time, he was more like a
genius compared to Tamar who was still knocking on the door leading to ‘genius’.
The more Brendel discussed with Tamar, the more shocked he was. Some of the ideas that Tamar had
were extraordinary, and Brendel was certain that he would become that legendary Grandmaster
someday.
Alchemy was something that was incredibly expensive. In the black market or wizard’s market, a lich’s
tooth cost more than three hundred coins, and a simple White Deer Statue required thirty teeth.
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They continued to the refugees’s camp, and Brendel suddenly spotted Freya walking around in a daze. He
walked up towards her and waved his hand in front of her, but there was no response, so he had no
choice but to tap on her head—
Freya jumped up and looked for the person who did that: “W-what the hell are you doing!” After realizing
it was Brendel, she showed a furious expression: “Brendel! Where did you run off to, there are so many
people that came over that I can’t handle it anymore!”
Her voice became softer and softer, as if she was suffering from great injustice rather than complaining.
She had tried her best in leading the refugees, but with the increasing numbers, she felt she was
completely exhausted. Just like Brendel, she had never not slept for days, and she was under more stress
than Brendel did because she had to constantly settle the problems that the refugees had.
Ciel and Tamar stepped away when they saw Brendel and Freya talking together, and they continued
discussing about the topic they had. As for the things that were happening to this pair of youths in front
of them, they pretended like they have not seen anything.
It was evident to the others that Freya relied on Brendel, but the latter was not aware of it at all. Ciel
watched them like it was an interesting story, while Tamar thought the young lady was the noble’s fiance.
“You didn’t sleep at all?”
“There’s no time to do so when so many people are coming in to join us. I had to assign a place for them
and distribute the rations… Brendel, did you know that the White-Mane army was defeated? We just
received a lot of soldiers that came from the River of Sharp Rocks, I heard that many people died…….”
Freya rubbed her eyes that were as red as a rabbit and grumbled unhappily.
Brendel looked at her with a slack jaw. He rubbed his forehead as he realized that this silly girl actually
took care of everything all by herself. “Did you really take everything on by yourself?”
“T-then what was I supposed to do?” Freya looked at him in bewilderment.
“Aren’t the veterans Leto and Mano there? Even if they are unable to do it, you should choose a few
reliable people from the refugees and give them the authority so that they could assist you.” Brendel felt
that this girl had a great lack of common sense.
“Wha–, Y-you should have told me this earlier!”
Brendel knocked on her head: “This has nothing to do with me, you’re just too silly.”
Freya’s face turned bright red and pushed his hand away. “I-I’ll talk to you later.”
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She ran away as if her skirt had caught on fire, leaving behind a swinging ponytail behind her. Brendel
shook his head as he laughed a little
“So how is she?” Ciel grinned and walked up to Brendel once Freya left.
Brendel raised his water tumbler and asked puzzledly “What do you mean by that?”
“Freya, she’s a pretty good girl. She’s kind and serious till the point of being adorable. Can’t you tell, my
lord, she actually likes you.”
Brendel had poured water into his mouth and he spat it out with a ‘pfff’.
“What did you say?”
“I say, Miss Romaine and Miss Freya are in serious trouble, my lord…”
……………………………………
Brendel spent the entire afternoon trying to carve a suitable statue. Because it was the first alchemy tool
he made, he wanted to create the statue all by himself, but after ruining a few blocks of fir wood, he
realized there was a great difference in reality and dreams.
His best product looked like a carrot of stick and not a deer, and had no choice but to leave it to Tamar to
finish it. Most of the alchemists were actually accomplished in sewing, painting and even blacksmithing,
unlike Brendel who was cheating his way through.
When he got out of his carriage, it was nearly evening. The sun was setting into the western mountains,
and it painted them with a copper color. The tip of the fir trees seemed to glitter, as if there was gold dust
scattered onto them.
He looked at the evening sky and could not resist thinking of going into the western region. If he did, he
would be able to reach an island in the Fallen Moon Sea if he traveled far enough. It was also the first time
that he traveled a long journey in the game.
[This world is really right before my eyes….]
After a while, Brendel tried to spend time to find Romaine, but after searching for a long time, he still
could not find her. It was impossible to find her most of the time. That girl seemed to have endless
energy, and her warm heart must had gathered considerable fame for her, since he overheard the
refugees discussing about her when he searched for her.
He looked at the sky again. It was already turning dark. At about 7.30 pm, Brendel ordered the refugees to
stop in between a deep valley. The lack of light made things look dark. The two sides of the wall seemed
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to brighten and darken from time to time. The fog started to settle and they could not hear the night birds
warbling, making them feel exceedingly uneasy.
[This is the only place that can avoid the bone eagles. But when it comes to night time, it’s when the
Shades would appear…]
After settling the refugees, he commanded the defensive team to cut down wood. He wanted to make a
badge of spears to equip the newcomers.
His true force was still the mercenaries and the cavalry from Fortress Riedon, but he planned to add
additional personnel like the mercenaries that he accepted early, as well as the White-Mane army’s
infantry. By enlisting even more civilians, their numbers might possibly grow to two hundred.
Right now he did not lack manpower, he lacked weapons.
He had told Ciel to gather the leaders of the patrol Leto, Mano, Gaspard and Batum. He had to talk about
the plan in the evening otherwise there might be repercussion.
8 PM, the final ray of sunlight made its exit, and the first star of the Witch-king appeared in the sky.
Brendel and the leaders stood on top of a hill. He looked at the refugees who were busy setting up a tent.
He spoke.
“I think everyone knows what happened. You have most likely heard about the outcome of the White-
Mane army. Madara’s strategy is not merely about pursuing us, they want to destroy us completely, and
allow the news of the Fortress Riedon’s fall spread to Vermiere”
“Then what should we do, my lord. At this time, the number of the undead army far surpassed us. Our
scouts said that there were a sea of skeletons. They might have been slow in the daytime, but once
evening sets in, they would be all over the place.”
“And there are zombies.” Someone added on.
“There’s definitely a way, but it’s impossible to avoid them. Because of Luc Beson’s failure, [Undead
Maggot] Medes and Kabias’s army is right in front of us, and we need to consider taking a shortcut. Has
anyone heard of the [Land of the Holy Saint’s remains]?”
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TL: Alright, here is the last chapter of the marathon run. Thank you very much for your support. The next
regular update will be this weekend, unless there’s another sponsored chapter.
Chapter 12 – Holy Saint’s remains
————– Princess POV —————
“Land of the Holy Saint’s remains?”
Legend stated that the natives in the mountainous valley built a sanctuary during the Era of the Holy
Saints. A statue of the king was placed at the entrance of the valley, and all manners of dark creatures that
tried to enter would be struck by lightning, and all forms of dark energy would be suppressed to the
limits.
In the Era of Darkness, humans, elves and dwarves went out of this protected land, and the gathered
knights formed under one banner and defeated the [Dragon of Twilight], ‘Calamity’, bringing about the
new era: ‘Year of Chaos’. (TL: Coughs out blood. Hopefully I don’t TL things wrongly…)
“It’s the blessed land that is protected by the king, my lady.” Oberbeck answered.
“He actually found that fabled land?” Her tea had been replaced, but the princess did not even noticed
that. She merely played with the silver spoon as she listened to Oberbeck’s tale.
“That youth probably knew how to get to this mystical place, but he didn’t know the exact location.”
Oberbeck said. “But his method of searching for that area is quite unique. My lady, I am sure you have
heard the Witch King in Bunoxone who inherited the power of the stars. The archmagi in various factions
believe that this lifeforce from the stars, comes directly from the Blind Goddess, Elaine.”
“I thought this is just a myth.”
“That might not entirely so.”
“Can I continue to listen to the story?”
“My lady, your teacher, Lord Panos is probably waiting for you.”
The princess laughed and said slyly: “I’m already late, Lord Oberbeck. Please continue your story, I want
to know what happened during the night.”
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Lord Oberbeck smiled as he had predicted this outcome, so he continued: “Then our story have to start
from a legend concerning a king and a white male dear.”
—————————-Brendel POV————————
The night had gone dark completely. Strong winds blew across the land, causing the fir trees to rustle
loudly against the wind, and the refugees felt like they were listening to ocean waves.
Freya stared at the gloomy sky with great worry as the wind caused her hair stands to dance across her
face. She grabbed her best friend’s hand and whispered: “Does that idiot Brendel have any confidence in
what he said? He talked about some land of the holy saint’s remains, but Leto and Mano never heard of it
before. They are natives too—”
“Calm down, there’s absolutely no problems when it comes to Brendel.” Romaine sat down and stared at
the starry sky, answering as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“You didn’t think about it all, right?”
“There’s no need to in the first place.”
Freya was exasperated at the girl whose mind was filled with blank space, but at least she felt that she
was more relaxed than before. She wondered if Brendel and Romaine had the same quality to make
people feel at ease.
[Brendel’s way of making people feel at ease comes from his steady confidence, while Romaine is her
natural disposition not to worry about things….] She suddenly wondered what would happen if both of
them were not at her side when she meet an obstacle.
Suddenly there were voices of loud gasps that came from the refugees. Romaine and Freya turned their
heads, and they could not believe their eyes:
There was an ethereal creature of beauty, a white deer with a translucent body, lighting up the area
around it with soft light. It appeared elegant and noble, with long slim limbs and a sturdy body, its antlers
on its head sharp as blades.
This creature seemed like it did not belong in this world as it jumped onto a body, leaving behind a trail of
light similar to fireflies behind it.
The leaders, Leto, Mano and Batum stood up at the same time as they stared at it. Brendel, who was
holding onto a statue, was somewhere further away with Tamar at his side. The deer jumped up higher
onto the boulders in the mountain, turned around and nodded to them, then ran further ahead.
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“The finished product is a little imperfect, but it’s quite impressive since our conditions are limited.”
Brendel said. He was very pleased at his first result in making an alchemy tool.
Tamar and Ciel gave the same opinion, but the young squire still asked: “My lord, how true is that blessed
land that you talked about?”
“You heard of that before?” Brendel was surprised.
“Certainly. Knowledge about the ancient history is something a wizard must study. Many different forms
of magic came from the Era of the Holy Saints.”
“I can guarantee that the land is real, but that area is always covered in fog, and I am not sure exactly
where it is. I can only pray that the Goddess Elaine can lend us some help, so that my precious deer can
find the way.”
[Except that countless players visited that place and got nothing. I didn’t get anything out from it either.
It’s famous as heck in the game, and everyone speculated that there was something amazing in it… but no
one has ever discovered what secret there is—]
“Lend us some help?” Tamar asked.
“I mean I hope that Goddess Elaine is going to bless us.” Brendel answered.
“What happens if she doesn’t?” Ciel turned his head towards Brendel and asked.
Brendel did not reply. There was at least three thousand skeletons and ghouls right behind them, and
Medes and Kabias elite forces in front. With the shades in this forest, this night was going to be very
dangerous for them.
The white deer caused the refugees to exclaim in wonder as it ran to the other side of the mountain valley
before stopping. Brendel knew that the night’s adventure was about to start. He looked at the pocket
watch.
[11 PM. Time to move out.]
He gave the order to get the refugees to break the camp and move. The conscripted militia which were
armed with long spears, marched together with the refugees, and two long snaking group of people
started walking out of the valley, with fifty riders guarding the rear. The stars and moon were bright
enough for them to see the road without lighting torches.
Brendel and Ciel rode together with the riders, with the former pulling out the Thorn of Light. The sword
did not glow, proving that there were no undead nearby.
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“Get the refugees to follow the white deer. It will lead us to safety.” Brendel turned and instructed the
riders.
A man beside Mano suddenly rode up and asked loudly: “My lord, are we really able to cross that
something valley and be ahead of the Madara’s army?”
“Definitely.”
“I’m not suspecting you, my lord, but all of these things you say sound unbelievable.”
“It is true. But all of you simply have to trust me at this point of time. I’m not going to risk my life over
some false information.”
“But how we are going to move to the north when there’s a large undead army in front? There are at least
three other groups of Madara’s undead patrolling this region, with them surrounding the nearby area.
Each of them came from different directions, one is from the River of Sharp Rocks, the other comes from
the side Hunting Deer Mountain’s forest. These are most likely comprised of Pale Knights and Ghouls.” An
officer from the White Mane army came up.
Brendel suddenly recognized the two of them. He had fought against the two men once in Fortress
Riedon and disarmed both of them, even sending them flying backwards. It seemed that they had deep
prejudice against his judgment.
“If we fight against Medes’s troops directly, we’re all going to be killed.”
Brendel looked at him. He needed someone to keep the White-Mane army’s soldiers in line, so he did not
get angry and replied politely. “What is your name?”
“Please call me Taron, my lord.”
“Then Ser Taron, there’s no need to worry, their armies are bound to have openings we can exploit.”
“What openings are you talking about?”
Brendel did not want to reveal the gargoyle’s secret to them.
“We’re going to go to the rear of Medes’s army, and they will pass through here in half an hour.”
Everyone was silenced at that moment, and even the ones who were starting to believe in him started
questioning his sanity for following Medes’s army.
But Leto suddenly said: “That is a good idea, if we are able to grasp the right timing.”
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Brendel looked at him in astonishment.
[This plan is just a random fib… To even make it work, we have to get the right timing to cut across their
weakest link of segmented troops, while suppressing their runners so they can’t alert the other patrolling
units. This requires a great command of the situation during a battle… I have only done this once in the
game and simply used this as an excuse to shut this Taron up—]
Brendel did not expect Leto to guess what he had done before, and even dared to go along with what he
said. Everyone was stunned, but Mano was the next to recover and understand Leto’s intentions. “Alright,
I’ll bet on it as well—”
The rest of them gradually understood what his intentions were. But even after understanding what he
had in mind, everyone wondered if the three of them were crazy. Brendel looked at the gargoyle which
was a speck of black in the sky.
[But the odds are much better than the last time since I have the gargoyle to survey the surroundings…]
————————— Madara POV —————————–
The [Undead Maggot] Medes knew there was a group of refugees that escaped into the direction of the
Silver Sparrow Mountain. The group had even defeated his squadron of undead skeletons.
But he did not place too much importance on chasing after that batch of refugees, as his attention was on
working together with Kabias to deal with the White-Mane army.
[The humans are weak.]
It was just as easy as he had predicted. Aouine’s formal army was completely defeated by them. They had
chased them all the way from morning and delivered a final blow by ambushing them. When the sun had
set, the battle had ended. Even though their vanguard forces were heavily damaged, they were mostly
cannon holder. The ghouls and Kabias’s skeleton cavalry did not suffer much losses.
In comparison, the forty odd skeleton riders hurt his scouting forces greatly. To regain this forces
required a long time.
It was at this point that Medes turned his attention on this group of refugees. Lord Tarkus had given an
order to seal the pathway to the River of Sharp rocks with their lives, and everyone who participated in
this war did not dare be careless.
[Something is amissed…]
The leader who led the group of refugees appeared to be skilled at avoiding the bone eagles that were
spying on them. Ever since morning, they had only caught glimpses of the refugees five times, and at the
end of the night, they lost their presence entirely.
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[This is a bad omen.]
Under the weak soul fire, Medes opened the goatskin map. He drew several circles on the Silver Sparrow
Mountain.
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Chapter 13 – The calm before the storm
The refugees kept moving to the east after they exited the mountain valley. The group formed a long
serpentine shape when the path got narrower, progressing slower because they did not lit up torches and
traveled in the dark. Even though the stars and moon offered a certain degree of brightness, they were
hindered by the fir trees. Shadows seemed to dart about when the refugees marched through, and they
shivered with trepidation.
Under Brendel’s orders, Freya had separated the refugees into different sections, with two guards
maintaining order at every section. Freya told them what they needed to do so that they would not
impede the progress, while Brendel told them what would happen if they failed to follow orders, and with
this coaxing and threatening approach, they managed to achieve a balance to maintain speed and order.
The veterans Mano and Leto were not too worried about their movements as noises were easily muffled
because of the thick forest, becoming nothing more than a whisper within a short distance. The reason for
this was because of the strong wind that caused the fir trees to rustle constantly and loudly.
Brendel strained his ears to listen to the wind while he led the horse forward on foot. There seemed to be
all sorts of noises in it: There was the rustling of Fir trees, groups of birds singing together, but there
seemed to be some strange music and whispers in them, as if they were speaking another language.
Aouine’s southern region described this whispers as the witches trying to bewitch travelers as there were
many who did not return after traveling to this part of the forest.
Brendel did not believe in them, but now that he had experienced it, he felt there was indeed a certain air
of mystery.
The other mercenaries also led their horses on foot as they wanted to reserve the horses’ stamina to
prepare for the upcoming battle. Even though these specially bred war horses’ stamina were
approximately twenty percent better than a normal horse, the cavalry riders did not want to ride on them
to maintain their charging prowess.
They had advanced to the east for approximately five kilometers, and was considered to have left the
Silver Sparrow Mountain’s area.
[This area should be considered the area of the Hunting Deer forest… Only seasonal hunters would
appear here.]
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Brendel had already sent out the gargoyle to survey the west and southern area, while the other scouts
have returned from their various assignments.
After a few minutes later, the scouts came up to Brendel with pale faces.
The scouts have discovered the entire region ahead was filled with skeletons, even before they reached
their designated locations.
[They must have received a shock… It’s not pleasant at all to listen to a sea of skeletons walk on the hard
ground.]
Brendel soothed them and allowed them to rest, while turning to the other riders and explained their
weakness, so that they would be ready to fight when the time comes.
He send out another scout in the the northwest.
Brendel knew what Madara’s formation was after listening to the scouts’ reports. They were laid carefully
in order to be flexible in their movements, and their scouts controlled a large area where they were
mobile enough to aid both the front and rear army.
These Madara’s leaders were the true reason why the Dark Lords were able to pull off their strategies
and formations.
[Fortunately this formation has a fatal weakness. As long as they lose the support of the Shades, the
necromancers will reorganize their army, and the space between each squadron will become huge.
There’s an additional weakness to it if the enemy leader is weak enough, with the classic scenario where
they can only command a small fraction of the army at a single time…. That will be advantageous for us,
but at the same time, I need to be careful of Medes’s army. If he’s the one leading, that additional
weakness will not be there.]
There were not many ways to discover a shade’s presence.
But Brendel ‘knew’ of a way.
Mano kept looking down at the white deer as he led a group of volunteer militia. Brendel had told him
that the beautiful white deer would be able to show them where the terrifying shades were.
Mano was irritated. He hated this mysterious act of Brendel talking like a mysterious wizard, and he
would rather have a proper battle. They were ahead of the refugees by nearly a kilometer, but the white
deer still did not act like what Brendel had said it would do.
Just when he wanted to curse and grumble, the white deer suddenly turned its head into another
direction and pawed at the ground with a distressed expression.
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[Over there?!]
Mano immediately drew out his saber and commanded everyone to go over to the direction where the
white deer indicated.
There was nothing strange about that area with fir trees, but when they started to surround that area,
they saw a translucent white humanoid figure.
[M-marsha above! This is the shade!?]
Everyone’s feet stopped when they saw that white figure, but it shrieked loudly and rushed straight at
them. The scream made their blood curdle, while the forest suddenly went into deep silence.
Mano had never fought such a bizarre battle in his life. The Shade’s face seemed to show his friends’ face
who had died in battle, but he quickly shook his head and ignored it. Brendel had warned him about this;
these illusions were not real.
Mano did not dare to suspect Brendel any longer; the scene in front of him was just madness.
Mano gripped his saber tightly and swung at the Shade. The blade went past the body and immediately
developed a layer of ice. Mano cursed inwardly as he did not feel the impact.
Spirits were in between the reality and the ethereal, and physical attacks had a fifty percent chance to fail.
Mano was unable to pull off an evasive maneuver as the Shade went for his head. He immediately turned
his upper body sideways, and the Shade’s fingernails pass through his shoulder.
The veteran soldier immediately felt an intense chill piercing at his bone, and he lost all sensation to it.
“Attack, attack now, you worthless bastards!” He roared at the frightened militia. They finally woke up
from their stupor and raised their long spears and attacked the Shade.
Three spears went through the shadow-like creature, but the other two spears managed to impale the
creature and lift it up. It screamed loudly. Mano then jumped high up and tried to cleave the shade into
two. It screamed loudly and disappeared when the saber cut through its neck to the lower torso.
Everyone finally relaxed, and a few even of them felt weak in their knees and just sat onto the ground,
and no one had the mood to talk about what had happened.
Brendel watched the scene from far away.
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[As expected of an Iron-ranked fighter, he’s more than enough to take care of these intermediate ranked
undead. His commanding abilities are also good, it’s fortunate that I have these veteran mercenaries,
otherwise trying to care of these Shades might be a problem.]
He suddenly turned his head back to Freya.
[Although this Soul Statue is a common thing, the one who discovered that the White Deer has the ability
to actually discover the undead was Freya… Did I just plagiarize her idea? Uhh, in any case, once we start
clearing out all these Shades, the necromancers will eventually discover that a number of their Shades did
not report back… If they stop moving for one or two hours, we can do a lot.]
Brendel’s surveyed the ground through the gargoyle’s eyes, and he finally spotted a group of skeleton
riders passing through the forest. He was not sure if he had missed other groups of skeletons, but he was
certain that it was one of the vanguard groups. He commanded the gargoyle to sweep the place again, and
after three minutes, he spotted another group of riders.
The gargoyle then went deeper into the mountain region, and he spotted a large group of skeleton
infantry.
[Just like I thought. They gathered up. Approximately two mid-sized companies of skeleton soldiers—]
Brendel found two more companies as the Brendel flew through the valley. Even though he could not see
which leader it belonged to, he did not think that they would be easy to deal with.
[This is just the beginning of an even bigger army. It shouldn’t be the ‘Pale Knight’ Ebdon or Vesa in the
rear, probably Direndall or Ladios. Two generals under Tarkus, with the army split into five divisions.
They have around ten thousand undead stretched across twenty thirty kilometers, and they are moving
in the night just like I thought… The timing is bad. We need to move quickly.]
Even though Brendel still wanted to survey even further and see what unit was ahead, the gargoyle had
already reached its maximum flying area. He had once lied to Marden and Bretton that it surveyed the
entire Bucce region, but that was not the case.
It was 1.05 AM.
Taron reported that the scouts surveying the north western area had returned, and the elite forces had
appeared in the River of Sharp Rocks.
The mercenaries’ faces were grim when the news spread. They had kept a sliver of hope in their hearts,
but the worst outcome had happened.
The refugees were surrounded.
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For one moment they thought of breaking through the north before the undead completely surrounded
them, but the mercenaries looked at Brendel and Freya, then at the refugees, and they thought it was
impossible to do so. Everyone was at a loss for words.
Freya grabbed her reins anxiously and cast her eyes at Brendel subconsciously, but he did not seemed to
notice the atmosphere of the mercenaries at all. He merely looked at the pocket watch once, then got up
onto his horse.
He pulled out his sword and said: “Listen up, everyone—”
The youth’s voice was strong and clear.
“There are two companies of undead in the south-west direction, their distance up to two to three
kilometers away. Somewhere further beyond that area is another company of undead. Along the way are
two to four scouting groups of skeleton riders. We need to eliminate two of these scouting parties and
attack one of the companies to create an opening.
Then we’re going to go to the rear of Medes’s army just like we planned. We have two hours to complete
all of this, after which we will be playing hide and seek with the undead army.” Brendel raised his sword
and rode around the mercenaries, suddenly showing signs of condescension.
“Why, is everyone afraid?”
No reply came back, as everyone was stunned as he suddenly came up with information that the scouts
did not bring back, and some wondered if he was lying through his teeth.
Yet, contrary to everyone’s expectations, with most of them experiencing it first hand, the things that
happened so far had coincided with everything that he had said. As they looked at him, they saw that very
same figure who led them charging downwards on that high ground to vanquish the group of skeleton
riders.
It was as if his sword pointed to a miraculous road of victory, and no matter how hard or difficult it was,
he was going to lead through that road.
Brendel looked at them without moving his eyes away without saying anything.
[Déjà vu… I led a similar charge with my allies back then in the game as well…]
One of his party members even said that he was best suited as a vanguard leader, as he had never swayed
from the things he decided upon.
Every mercenary got onto their horses, and drew out their weapons at the same time.
“For victory-”
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“For Aouine!!!”
TL: Urgh. It’s a god damn cliffhanger.
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Chapter 14 – Piercing through
Nearly everyone was stunned.
Brendel had led the cavalry through the forest quickly and pointed out the location of the undead as if he
had the ability of clairvoyance. Only Taron and a few of Luc Beson’s soldiers guessed that it had to
something to do with the gargoyle, but they did not have much time to think about it.
Brendel immediately gave the order to attack, and fifty odd riders charged along side with him. They split
up into various groups as they got nearer, and surrounded the enemy, sealing off the possible retreating
paths.
[Good. The enemy is moving just like how I predicted and they are completely surrounded.]
The mercenaries and Luc Beson’s soldiers started to see Brendel as a leader that was only heard in
legends.
The initial battle began with Brendel’s sword arte, smashing five skeleton soldiers into pieces as he
charged straight at the enemy. The skeletons that tried to block him from reaching the commanding
necromancer was sent flying backwards approximately seven or eight meters. The same scene the men
witnessed earlier repeated itself, with Brendel thrusting his sword straight through the necromancer,
with everyone reforming and charging at the remaining skeletons, crushing the enemy completely.
After traveling for about five minutes, they met and defeated a group of skeleton riders which caused
them slightly more trouble. It was a complete victory for them, but this time there were three riders who
got injured. Brendel immediately rushed over to them and bandaged them up. Due to his skill, their
bleeding stopped in a matter of moments, which was even more effective than some blood staunching
medicine, and he sent one of the more heavily injured person back to rejoin the refugees.
This minor action won him even more repute, and even Taron and Luc Beson’s men started to think there
was nothing that Brendel could not do.
[…. Hah. 779 XP for the two battles. With the combined XP from the previous battles, I reached level 17. If
this situation wasn’t a game, I might even feel bored because of how static Madara’s riders tactical
placements and strategies are in this era…]
The greatest improvement in the undead tactics came along when Incirsta reformed the ranks, and they
became more flexible and difficult to deal with.
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At the same time when Freya instructed the refugees to abandon the horse carriages to improve their
marching speed, the Madara undead found they were in trouble.
Medes, a half ghoul and skeleton, received the report from the frontline. The undead acolytes had sent
over ten shades to the south, but there was only half that returned to their ranks.
[The refugees did it? Or a trap set by a greater force?]
Medes scratched his maimed head, sending several fat maggots that crawled out from his head in
surprise. Some of then crawled into his eye sockets and cavities of his face, and he grabbed one and sent it
into his teeth, eating it.
He then took out the map he used earlier and started drawing lines to indicate where the group of
refugees might go.
[The enemy has the ability to suppress the shades and my predictions might not be right… I need to have
the acolytes send out a second batch of shades to verify them, but at the same time my army has to speed
up so that we can seal off the escape paths along with Ebdon and the other undead leaders.]
There were seven undead leaders who were out there, including himself, hunting for refugees in every
direction. No matter how cunning the refugees were, they had no way of running out. Madara had a
proverb: ‘No matter how clever the rats were, they cannot escape a sealed oil barrel’.
[When the sun rises, the entire southern region here will be covered of the shadows of Brumand’s black
roses, and Madara will seize victory—]
Medes petted a zombie that was lying down like an obedient dog. But just as he thought everything was
going according to plan, Brendel was cornering a company’s undead leader.
Approximately five minutes ago, the Black Knight Xelsa confirmed that he had lost contact with two
groups of ten skeleton riders each, and it started wondering if he was targeted by an unknown group of
Aouine’s army. Despite the immediate response by sending out shades and riders to the eleventh
company nearby, none of his scouts returned.
That was when it realized the situation was grave.
When Brendel and his mercenaries appeared on a hill nearby the undead company, they saw that they
had stopped and was preparing to camp on the spot. Batum, Leto and Mano did not see anything odd in
their formations, but Brendel secretly frowned.
[The quality of their captains are outstanding, or at least this one is. I was hoping that this undead
company would form up with the nearest company ahead after losing their scouts, and we would be able
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to lead the refugees over with this hole in their formation, but the commanding officer made the best
judgment in such a short time.]
“What are they doing?”
Taron knew a little of Madara’s strategy, and he asked out of curiosity. He looked at Brendel, not doubting
his ability in his mind anymore.
“They are on guard at the very same spot. I wanted to confuse their leader by killing all their scouts
cleanly and quickly, making it think that there was a force that was at least three times bigger than their
numbers.”
“Three times? Then why doesn’t their leader regroup with the nearby undead forces. Are they not afraid
of getting surrounded?”
“The leader is waiting for their allies’ scouts.”
“Are they not afraid that we can stop their scouts too?” Mano quipped while polishing his saber.
Brendel glanced at him.
[Do you really think we can stop them anytime we want? If it’s not for one of the best scouting unit type
like the gargoyle, do you really think we can sweep up all the scouts that were sent out?]
“Destroying their scouts have told them there are enemies in this direction. The reason why we
destroyed the two groups of skeleton riders, is because Brendel plans to destroy this entire company as
well.”
“Then we don’t have too much time in this plan right?”
“One hour. We must finish before that and clean up the battlefield too.” Brendel answered.
[Freya will reach this place with the militia in about twenty minutes…]
When Xelsa surveyed the area, he suddenly saw a group of soldiers with long spears walking down from
the hilltop. He was momentarily taken aback as their attire was different from any of Aouine’s troops.
He turned his head around and asked with a hoarse voice: “This army belongs to which city’s troops?”
The necromancer beside him immediately bowed respectfully and answered: “They appear to be militia.”
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“Militia? How can a group of militia defeat two squadrons of our skeleton riders?”
The Black Knight felt there was something amiss, and he straightened up on his force and signalled.
“Change to your bows.”
“The target is one hundred and forty feet, scatter shot formation……. Fire!”
The skeleton soldiers had switched to the longbows on their back when they received the command, and
started to fire upon his order. A series of highly strung strings trilled as black arrows flew across the fir
trees and into the hill.
The wind in the hilly areas were very strong, and the arrows basically had no aim into them. However,
the militia that had very little training was frightened by them. When they saw the arrows, they stopped
momentarily before descending into chaos.
Freya immediately rode back to the right flank and issued commands to the Aouine’s light infantry and
remaining mercenaries to lead the militia.
“Lower your bodies and keep your head! Remember your training, do not stop moving! Follow me and
fight for your families!”
Freya roared with her sword in hand. Her commands seemed to work, and the militia quickly regained
their courage and regrouped, moving at a quicker pace than before.
The dark knight furrowed his brows, and ordered the skeletons to unleash another volley.
“Targets, one hundred feet. Take aim— Fire!”
The skeletons’ arrows were much accurate this time, and there were a few militia who were struck down
by the arrows, rolling down the hill.
But after the two volleys of arrows, the militia had overcome their fear and steadied themselves. The
arrows were not as effective as they had imagined it to be.
Xelsa immediately changed his strategy and targeted the female knight. The third volley of arrows
concentrated on her, but her armor lit up with countless spots of lights, and every arrow that was fired at
her deflected everywhere.
This miraculous scene stunned everyone, and they cheered and roared out Freya’s name—
“An Elven imperial soldier?!” The Black Knight was so furious that he nearly laughed. He did not
understand where this ridiculous army came from.
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Brendel who was hiding along with the mercenaries from a short distance ahead in the hills, nodded
when he saw Freya leading the army calmly with decisive orders.
[Even though she’s a little clumsy during the normal days, but this battle proves she’s the future Goddess
of War.]
He took out the pocket watch and checked the time.
[We are on schedule—]
He got up on his horse and gestured. The mercenaries mounted their horses, and when he saw they were
ready, he pulled out his the Thorn of Light. A dazzling light burst forth as he roared,
“Move out!”
The sudden roar and dazzling light made the enemy and Freya’s army look at Brendel and the charging
mercenaries behind him.
“An Elven sword!” Xelsa immediately recognized it and almost screamed. He pulled out his own sword.
“Ciel!” Brendel raised his sword high up and shouted.
The young squire instantly raised the ruby in his hand and pointed at the sword: “Sharpness, shall split all
into two, the creation of blades.”
A white beam of light extended from Brendel’s sword before it disappeared a moment later. The magic
had temporarily improved the quality of the blade, making it sharper and harder.
“My lord, a new day is about to arrive, please remember to pay the cost to my maintenance.” Ciel grinned
and said when he finished performing the spell.
Brendel smiled faintly in response, then took on a serious face. He pointed his sword at Xelsa’s formation,
signifying the upcoming battle.
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Chapter 15 – One against hundred
The distance was seventy meters away. Brendel did not order the men to rush straight at the enemy, but
led them at a steady pace into a small forest, and appeared from the other end of it.
Xelsa felt things were getting out of hand as he urged his horse forward. He waved his black blade in front
of the skeletons:
“Turn, turn around you damned fools!”
“Third and forth rows, ready your spears, hurry! You bunch of stupid bones!”
Xelsa used a hoarse and hollow voice as he hurled abuses at them, splitting up the soldiers into two
groups. One was to face Freya’s militia, and the other was to check the incoming cavalry that suddenly
appeared.
The spears were raised and lowered together at the same time. The first row of skeletons pointed slightly
upwards, while the second row lower their spears at shoulder height, forming an iron wall of steel.
Brendel looked at the ghastly spear tips. He was almost immune to the tension after experiencing battles
so many times, and there was not a shred of fear in his taut face. His breathing was even and ready to
enter into the fray.
[… Judging from the appearance of the enemy leader, he’s approximately level 20 to 30 and he’s probably
wearing equipment of the same level. If that’s the case, he’s at the upper tier of a Iron-ranked fighter. His
stats is most likely higher because he’s an elite as well…]
Brendel pointed his sword into Xelsa’s flanks, and the cavalry started to turn to curve and turn away from
the spears, inching closer to the flanks of the skeletons’ formation.
Xelsa was greatly distressed. The opponents were full of seasoned mercenaries and their commander
instantly reacted to any changes that the skeletons made in their formations. No matter how many times
he tried to lure the enemy with false openings in the skeletons’ formations, the enemy would ignore it
and aim for their weakest areas.
[Any lesser commanders would have charged at us by now…! These fucking maggots are coming around
us again!]
Xelsa ordered the skeletons to turn approximately one hundred and twenty degrees, but they were slow
to react and turn. Reassembling a formation that could resist the cavalry’s charge was extremely
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troublesome, and he had to assign nearly all his necromancers in his company to ensure that the
formation was done right.
[Fuck! The militia and infantry are coming from the other side. This group of skeletons are much weaker
because there’s not enough necromancers to lead them!]
“Fire your arrows at will!”
The skeleton soldiers had shot their forth volley of arrows, until Xelsa ordered them to fire at will.
The combined army comprised of militia and infantry led by Freya was ten meters away. This group of
men that were from different cities and age started showing various degrees of fear and tension.
Their hands held either long spears or Madara’s black steel swords with their breaths were disarrayed.
Their formation was starting to lose its shape, but they still advanced forward. In front of them was
gleaming skeletons without fear or excitement. They had no emotions or thought, and merely observed
the incoming miltia with their orange-red Soul Fire in their eye sockets.
Freya realized right away that her army was starting to become disorderly again, and her mind went into
a blank for a short moment because she did not know what to do. But she quickly clenched her teeth and
raised her sword and charged straight into the midst of the enemy like a lightning bolt.
That was the beginning of her change from a militia to a knight.
—————— Romaine’s POV ———————-
The forest of spears entered into Romaine’s eyes.
“Freya!”
She had carefully ran out from the refugees and hid carefully at the hilltop, but she was frightened when
she saw Freya charging straight at the skeleton soldiers with their spears pointing forward.
Suddenly she heard galloping sounds and she turned her head. She found the girl called Sue was riding on
a war horse, going straight to the battlefield.
[She looks like she has great riding skills… Hmm… Riding looks interesting.]
——————– Back to the battle POV ——————
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Freya went to the skeletons’ flank and raised her longsword, swiping away the spears that came at her.
But she was able to handle only a few attacks at a given time, and many of the skeletons were able to
thrust their spears into her. Her armor lit up and most of their attacks grazed her, but even the magic that
was woven into the had its limits.
Two spears found their way through Freya’s upper torso, ripping long gashes across her chest and neck,
while one spear lodged itself into her abdomen, and blood poured out like an overturned tumbler.
She uttered a guttural sound as she severed the spear. The militia had clashed with the Madara’s undead
by this point, but the skeletons’ formation was affected by Freya’s reckless attacks and they were forced
back under the combined pressure. She urged the horse to turn around and retreat from the flanks, then
charged straight into another section of the skeleton troops—
Xelsa who had his attention drawn by the Brendel and mercenaries, received a shock when he found the
skeleton troops’ formation crumbling. He had thought his army would at least be able to defend for a
while, but he did not think that they would be crushed so thoroughly once they made contact. He sought
for their leader, and saw her issuing orders to her army to move in an orderly manner without rushing.
Each time they moved a step forward, skeleton bones could be found flying through the air.
He exhaled, the misty breath temporarily covering his lips.
[If I had more necromancers, they could still remake their formations…. But on the other side is the
enemy’s cavalry—]
He turned his head back to the cavalry and received another shock.
Brendel had his full attention on Xelsa, and when he saw Xelsa was distracted, he led the cavalry closer to
the skeletons’ flanks, and Xelsa was unable to react in time.
Brendel raised his sword up and waved it once.
The cavalry behind him raised their swords at the same time.
“Destroy them!” Brendel shouted.
“Aouine shall be victorious!!!”
The calvary charged straight at the skeletons in full speed as they roared loudly. The gravel on the ground
seemed to dance as the ground vibrated.
The skeletons in Xelsa’s rear had started to reach his sides as they were pushed back, with the Freya and
army starting to surround the necromancers. He chopped a skeleton into two as it blocked his way.
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“Lower your spe—”
Brendel lowered his body and swung the Thorn of Light. He used the [White Raven’s Sword Rave], and
the wind pressure swept across the skeletons like a scythe, smashing five skeletons from the first and
second row backwards. He then released his reins and raised both his hands up to the direction of the
skeleton formation. Two blue light beams shot at them, knocking their long spears to the side.
One human and one horse lunged into their formation without stopping, and several skeletons that were
knocked, got crushed by the horse’s hooves.
It might have looked dangerous, but Brendel was confident of his 4.3 OZ agility which was several times
faster than a normal man, and the skeletons’ movements in his eyes actually looked like they were
crawling slowly. This tiny gap in the enemy’s timing was a huge opening that could be easily used against
them.
“Protect your horses!”
Brendel yelled as the first row of mercenaries made contact with the disorderly skeleton troops. Loud
crashing sounds repeated as rows of skeletons fell backwards by their charge. The skeleton soldiers were
forced back and almost squeezed the necromancers.
The mercenaries were veterans who were experienced in charging. They easily tore through the enemy’s
ranks and knocked back their spears with ease with their war horses, with the second group of riders
ready to charge straight into the enemy’s chaotic formation. They would then reform and launch an
assault at the skeletons again, and a few minutes later, the Madara army was in shambles.
Their first charge had the greatest casualties, of which two of them were knocked down by the spears,
with the first row of war horses receiving injuries. However, with their Iron-ranked strength, they
managed to create a devastating impact that even Brendel did not expect.
Freya and Brendel’s combined army nearly pierced through the undead army that had the size of two
hundred men with their first assault.
Xelsa could not believe that his army was defeated so easily. His necromancers had tried to stop Brendel’s
rampaging charge by casting the spell [Curtain of Darkness] to blind him, but he was completely
unaffected by it and severed the offending necromancers into two after charging out of the area, with
white flames burning them up into ashes. Another necromancer tried to cast debilitating magic on him,
but he swung a sword arte from seven or eight meters away and cleaved it into two as well.
Every time Brendel swung his sword, the surrounding skeletons would burst up into flames. Holy fire
burned all around him, as if he was surrounded by a heavenly glow, and soon his undead enemies were
all turned into ashes.
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It was as if nothing could stop his rampage, and the mercenaries who finally had the chance to rest a little,
witnessed his feat and could not help but open their mouths wide.
Finally, when there was nothing but a scarce number of skeletons left, his eyes fell upon Xelsa.
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TL: This chapter is considerably short, almost half of its normal size. The next update kind of depends. I
have to rush 2 assignments and see what else there are for this week. Typically if there are any sponsored
chapters, I’ll try to finish it within 2 days. So there might be an update tomorrow or the day after.
Depends.
This is a sponsored chapter. Thank you very much.
Chapter 16 – Rout
One slash, one kill, a force that could not be stopped even by a legion.
[[[What kind of imposing power is this?!]]]
It was not only Xelsa who thought of this, the militia and mercenaries who saw Brendel’s frenzied
destruction stopped what they were doing. They even thought a legendary paladin would not be able to
surpass what he did. The humans who were still in the midst in attacking cheered at the same time, their
morale greatly boosted.
The militia destroyed off the skeletons who were in front of them, and Xelsa knew that he was defeated.
But the noble blood in him from the dark lands did not allow him to admit defeat—
[What kind of army is this…? They look nothing more like a bunch of disorganized garbage who are not
even equipped properly. They are even worse than militia because they are hastily formed from a group
of refugees. This group of men who had even lost their reason to fight… But the one who led them… is far
more impressive. Aouine is a nothing more than a decadent kingdom now. How could our glorious
undead be defeated by an army like this? ]
Xelsa could not help but lament in his heart.
The Black Knight pulled out his sword, the soul fire in him flaring up. He dragged the necromancer beside
him who was of a higher level and pointed at Brendel, ordering him loudly to use a [Mental Blast] on him.
He then patted the neck of his horse, bringing along the three Black Warrior guards with him. Even if he
had no chance of gaining victory, he had to reclaim his glory by killing the enemy’s leader. This was
Madara’s pride, the pride that only the nobles had.
Brendel who was observing Xelsa, immediately realized that the situation he was in. He pointed at the
necromancer and called out to Ciel. The wizard apprentice fired a ray of white light at the necromancer
who was in the middle of casting a spell. But Ciel did not expect his magic to be deflected when it struck
the necromancer’s ribs.
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[Ciel’s level is too low.]
Brendel immediately understood that when he saw the necromancer resisting Ciel’s spell. A few
remaining skeletons were in his path, and he had no choice but to destroy them first. He cut them down
and raised his left hand—
A sky blue triangular magic formation formed around his wrist.
Brendel paid 3 Wind EP into the Elemental Pool, and activated the magic card.
This sky blue card combination represented the power of wind, flexible and varied, a magic that was
unpredictable due to its nature of countering the enemy after they launched an attack first.
A transparent ripple with razor sharp edges launched from the necromancer’s forehead, aiming towards
Brendel and the people nearby him, but it suddenly stopped moving in the middle of its path, as if time
had frozen. A hurricane formed in the battlefield and seemed to howl in everyone’s ears. The mental blast
was then sent back to the caster, and countless undead skulls exploded in its path.
The necromancer who had lost its head shook once, and dropped down from the horse.
[[Magic swordsman!]]
The mercenaries and militia who did not understand magic very well, did not think it was unusual of
Brendel to cast a spell after seeing the undead set on fire with his slashes. But the ones who were more
experienced trembled. Not only was he a genius in tactical battle and fighter who had the strength of an
Iron-ranked fighter, he was a wizard who was powerful enough to destroy the enemy’s necromancers
with ease!
Xelsa felt his body turning cold. Once again, he could not understand where the leader of their cavalry
come from. He held an Elven sword with incredible skills, leading his men with brilliant tactial commands
and he was even able to use magic.
[How could this man be not famous in Aouine? And if he is not, Is he going to be someone who will rise to
become a legendary figure in history?]
When he hesitated, two of his personal guards had stepped up to stop Brendel who was charging at them.
The youth’s expression did not change, and disarmed the first Black Warrior’s two handed sword with a
violent metallic crash, then slashed across the neck and chest armor in a straight arc downwards. An
explosive sound echoed in the mountain valley as he threw down the Black Warrior down along with his
horse onto the ground.
He then punched the second guard’s giant sword away with a deafening clang, and urged his horse
forward by tightening his legs around its abdomen. After grabbing the Black Warrior’s arm with his left
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hand, he thrust his sword through his heart and lifted him off the horse, then throwing him onto the
ground.
He narrowed his eyes as he saw a -72 HP above the Black Warrior’s head.
[The damage done by the Thorn of Light is ridiculous. Although I must say, it’s bizarre to look at the
numbers appearing out of thin air…]
The Black Warrior had started to burn up when the final guard attacked him. Brendel deflected the
incoming sword and decapitated the enemy with ease. But a metallic ringing sword from the Thorn of
Light made him look at it, and he was delighted to see a magic necklace that added +0.3 OZ strength.
[I had always thought that it was strange for the loot that I got to be so dismal. After fighting against so
many Madara undead and even the Golden Apple Tree boss, the loot drops have been awful to the point I
even wondered if there’s a difference from the game.]
When he was momentarily distracted, he found a sword piercing towards him. He was jolted back to his
senses and dodge to the side. He found the Black Knight had came before himself.
The youth looked around him. All his guards and skeletons have been destroyed, but instead of running
away from surrendering, Xelsa merely came before him and waited.
[Does he want to challenge me to a duel?]
He was taken aback.
Freya grimaced as she held the wound on her waist with pressure. She felt that her heart was itching or
something, like she was more concerned with the armor being spoiled. She thought for a while before
persuading herself it was because of the rarity of the armor.
Freya ordered the militia to check for any remaining undead that was not destroyed or escaped, and to
account for the wounded and dead. She rode around with the horse and found a skeleton soldier crawling
on the ground with a broken leg. Before she was able to destroy it, someone else rushed up to it and
struck the skeleton through the head with a sword.
She stopped and turned around, and Freya saw that it was Sue.
“Sue?”
The girl with bronze skin rode over and looked at Freya with concern.
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“Freya, are you injured?”
“I’m fine, did you see Brendel?” Freya had pulled away from the main area a considerable distance.
“Him? Why are you so concerned about him when he’s a coward who won’t even accept a knight’s duel?”
“A knight duel?”
Author’s notes on magic items
Iron-ranked label is termed as [Alchemy item], the weakest class of magic item.
Bronze-ranked [Minor light], low class magic item.
Brass-ranked [Magic], is considered as a true Magic Class item. I.E, Brendel’s Ring of the Wind Empress,
Freya’s Flame Ring, with the typical ability of launching magic.
Silver-ranked (Legendary), items that are rarely found. An example would be Brendel’s Thorn of Light,
and it was able to change the power ratio to a certain level, like how Brendel easily defeated undead that
was above his natural level.
Gold-ranked items (Fantasy). Items that can only be found in myths or bard’s songs. There are very few
people who own them.
Dark Gold-ranked items (Godly). There are only a few core members in big guilds in the game that
managed to get them, and seen as a representation of their status.
As for ultimate unique items, like the Mercury Staff (TL: probably owned Madara’s undead boss), Lament
of the Wind Empress (ring), or the holy dragon spear Gungnir.
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TL: The resolution of this battle finally appears. For the different types of rarity of items, I will now
classify them as ‘XXX-ranked rating’. Let’s hope I don’t forget that rule lol.
This chapter is also sponsored. Thank you very much.
Chapter 17 – Cleaning the battlefield.
————— Princess POV ——————-
“A knight’s duel?” The silver-colored hair princess could not suppress a smile when she heard that,
impressed that the Black Knight was able to think of a tactic to try and delay the time. But she soon sighed
and turned her head towards the scenery outside the window in a daze, looking past the floating dust
that was visible in the sunlight. She frowned with worry as she thought about a number of things—
[Give up one’s honor? Throwing away your pride as a knight to avoid battling the ‘Dark Blooming Roses
of Madara’? … This land has been plagued by war for centuries, and is now hardly loved by its citizens,
but did that youth change their hearts when he led them?]
The princess did not know that her prediction would become reality. She looked back at Oberbeck and
they both did not speak for a long time.
“The Wise King, Erik, our first ancestor king led citizens from Kirrlutz to independence in order to battle
the unending corruption in the empire. Our country was formed for the sake of defying the nobles’
arrogance and greed.
And now, our nobles have become greedy and noble. Have we lost our virtues and the heart to protect
justice, to the point of losing the ability to gather people?”
“I dare not to presume anything, but even though the nobles are corrupted beyond recognition, at least
our citizens still believe in the crown.” Oberbeck answered.
The princess nodded, her mood lifting a little.
Oberbeck was able to see through inner her thoughts and continued speaking. “No matter rotten the
ground is, a seed is still able to grow beneath it, my lady. Even since the time from our ancestor king,
Ansen the tenth, we have been training militias and forming forces, for the sake of sowing these seeds.
That youth that I met was able to give up on his pride and honor, showing the younger generation of
Aouine is no lesser than any of Madara’s forces.”
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However, the two did not point out that particular youth was from the Highland Knights, and had nothing
to do with the crown. Still, the princess could not imagine why he was able to give up his honor as a
knight.
However, they did not know that Brendel was not a knight in the first place.
—————- Battle’s POV —————-
Xelsa did not expect it too, so he could only die in humiliation under the combined attacks of the
mercenaries.
Brendel had completely ignored him, except the moment where he swung his sword without any
warning. Xelsa blocked it in time, but he was thrown off the horse, and Brendel ordered the mercenaries
to attack Xelsa immediately.
Brendel met Xelsa’s eyes when he attacked him. He saw that the Black Knight pursued in the belief of true
honor and faith.
[One person never only hold so much strength, but when you put ten of thousands together, that force
would become a strong force. ‘Madara’s blooming black roses’ are starting to form. Unfortunately, I don’t
agree with that honorable notion, and I don’t intend to.]
In contrast, Xelsa looked at the young human knight from the ground. He saw only pragmatism from his
cold eyes.
Brendel knew what would happen in the future, but he also knew that no one would believe that future
would appear. Therefore he had to become even stronger, to let his wings grow one feather at a time, in
order to make the world respect his opinions, and before that happened, all fame to him was nothing but
vanity.
[The only one I can rely on is myself if I am to save Aouine and everyone else. A Black Knight trying to
change my thoughts because of a stupid knight duel? Ridiculous.]
A knight’s duel required fair witnesses from both side, a series of ceremonies and rituals. He would never
agree to this ridiculous suggestion unless he was mad. Perhaps the ‘knights’ in this era would agree and
respect his opponent as they observed such virtues as sacred things, but he was from another world.
[The only warfare available to me is unrestricted warfare, not fucking fair duels—]
Ultimately, Xelsa was unable to understand why the knight refused a duel, and only had unending regret
when the militia struck their gleaming weapons into his chest.
The undead enemy had been completely defeated.
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Brendel led his horse to run a few steps before stopping. He turned it around and found everyone was
looking at him strangely. It was not strange, since a knight refusing a duel was considered as an
important matter. Even though the mercenaries had seen many things, they were still affected by the
world’s thoughts.
Brendel sheathed his sword.
“You might wonder why I refused his duel. It’s simple. The duels between nobles should be done with
respect with both side, and the enemy knight is desecrating that because of the deceit in his mind.”
He paused for a moment before continuing. “As to why I said that, all of you can think about it.”
Everyone except Leto and Taron and his men still felt a little uncomfortable. Brendel changed his tactics
and said: “Of course, that’s mostly bullshit. To be more exact, I have no interest in taking a bet without
any rewards in it—”
This obviously suited the mercenaries and many of them acknowledged that with hearty laughs. Mano
nodded vigorously, almost thinking that Brendel was someone he could get along very well.
Leto and Taron still looked a little unconvinced after noting the hidden meaning behind Brendel’s words,
but Brendel knew he could only try to explain so much, as any more would have a backlash.
He quickly gave the order to the mercenaries to tidy up the battlefield and pick up the loot, while he
dismounted and went near Xelsa and the Black Warriors’ bodies.
[Time to get my rewards—]
There were some small items that was burned along with the Black Warrior when they got struck by the
Thorn of Light. They looked quite disgusting, but they were considered as treasure in his eyes. He kicked
away the empty armor that was much bigger than the average human. The chest armor needed to be
reforged to be usable for a human, so it was worthless in his eyes.
[Let’s see, are there any magic items that could be easily carried….]
Unfortunately, he did not get much after separating the ashes with his fingers. He found an ‘Iron-ranked
rating’ ring in the form of a snake. It only added +0.1 OZ agility, but it was better than nothing.
He was not too sad about the situation yet as the three Black Warriors were the appetizers, and if he got
anything from it he would be happy.
[Now for the level 20 + elite Black Knight…]
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The half plate that the Black Knight was his size, but the mercenaries made quite a few holes and dents on
it. He cursed out loudly.
[Seriously, will these bloody idiots think about their commander a little? I don’t even have an armor plate
on myself as a commander!]
Brendel then knelt beside Xelsa and started rummaging through his waist bag, as most of the magic items
and protection trinkets were kept in this place.
Brendel quickly found a snake statue and three protection amulets. They were considered as good items
in the game as they would bring luck to the person who brought them along. In the game lore, they were
originally made by the wizards in the Forest of Ice in the north.
But they were gradually made popular and spread to other areas years later, and became highly valued
by people. They were rated with ‘Bronze-ranked rating’, with the important property of not affected by
the limitations of the overall magic capacity. (TL: A person can only use that many magic items before
reaching their limits. I.E, if Brendel has only 100 OZ worth of magic capacity, he can’t equip magical
equipment past that number otherwise it will not work.)
The amulets separately gave +1 HP, +2 HP, +0.1 defense.
[Well, they are made with awful quality, but it’s better than nothing.]
He kept away the amulets and inspected the snake statue carefully, before identifying it as an object that
bestowed poison onto blades. There were similar statues made by druids, but some necromancers
created them and upon activation, they would release a poison magic.
[12 OZ worth of magic capacity requirement. There’s HP damage along with weakening when the poison
is applied. Shit, you fucking dirty cheating bastard, and you dare to pass yourself off as a knight? A knight
using poison?!]
Brendel thought it was lucky that he was not a honorable person himself, otherwise he would be in
trouble.
He kept it well hidden away. His current status was still a Highland Knight and anyone who recognized
the statue would make things problematic.
[They are a lot of rules binding the knights. A light punishment for breaking them is losing the title, but a
heavy punishment would be the equivalent of burning witches alive. That shit isn’t a joke.]
He then flipped over Xelsa’s body and checked his neck and hands. He did not find any necklace or rings,
but a frost-coloured glass bracelet.
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[… Glass Bracelet?]
“Elemental Bracelet!” Brendel was stunned and quickly pulled it off his body. Even though the game
stated it as a ‘Bronze-ranked rating’, this was highly useful as it could add on damage to close or ranged
combat with a certain amount of elemental damage.
[The lowest tier for this kind of bracelet is 25 OZ, and it can do an additional 4-4 elemental damage! The
Thorn of Light is only 9-9 damage without having critical damage.]
Brendel suppressed the immense delight in his heart. This item was as expensive as the extremely rare
‘Silver-ranked rating’ items in the game, and an item that he could not afford at the height of its
popularity.
[Attack damage is life. Especially when it comes to melee professions in the early stages. Sadly this can
only be used by level 20 and above so I can’t use it for now…]
He tucked it away carefully into his bag, giving it more importance than the Thorn of Light.
[Even though the Thorn of Light is a legendary weapon, it’s only good for Iron-ranked tier swordsmen.
Once I go beyond that level I need to find a better replacement for it… Especially with the toughness of
the sword… The fights against the Black Warriors’s two handed swords made me feel uncomfortable
since my blade is so much thinner. The bracelet is different in this aspect, and I can’t think of a better
replacement for it before level 40.]
Finally, he determined that he did not miss anything from Xelsa’s body and stood up and sighed. The
rewards from this battle were excellent. Besides gaining 770 XP, the equipment that he received was
enough to increase his overall rating by two times.
If he was able to get another elemental ring and bracelet, he would be able to form a pure attack build
and defeat a dragon whelp in the Vierio region before level thirty. He unsheathed his sword and blow on
its edge, acting as though as the dragon’s treasures were already in front of him.
But after a moment, he went back to his normal state and stopped having delusions.
He checked his surroundings and discovered that most of them had brought back something, especially
Leto and Mano who were more experienced than the other mercenaries. Their targets were the
necromancers, and getting one or two alchemy items from them aided with their personal strength.
Brendel checked the timing again after the entire battlefield was cleared. The time taken from the start of
the battle was forty-five minutes. The militia was also done with their search. He quickly checked the
surroundings as he felt that Madara’s undead riders could appear anytime at this moment. The gargoyle
could only scout one direction at a single time, so they had to be quick.
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The refugees had already gone ahead in the gargoyle’s directions, led by a few veteran mercenaries. With
the gargoyle scouting ahead, he was not worried that the refugees would run into trouble. He called out
to the mercenaries and regrouped with them, and they rode off to find Freya.
Right up to this point, his plan was progressing considerably well, and the only thing left was to play hide
and seek with Madara, until the moment where the star constellation of ‘King of Knights’ appeared. He
took out the deer statue and raised his head to look at the sky.
TL: Brendel is accusing Xelsa for having impure motives like delaying the battle so Madara’s undead can
discover them, and that is against the spirit of a fair duel. Also, it seems like lots of people kind of forgot
what happened to that necromancer back then where he stole that spider ring. Imo, Brendel will most
likely troll the enemies whenever possible and hardly engage in a fair fight, especially when he’s leading
that group of refugees..
TL 2: Actually I have no idea what this 4-4 and 9-9 means. 4D4? 9D9? But 9D9 sounds ridiculously high
for DnD damage, and I find it strange that there’s no minimum-maximum damage fluctuation. Head
scratch. I might not want to include future weapon damage numbers as I feel it will detract the
seriousness of the story.
Edit: Let me explain why I find that having numbers is bad. Typically DnD will first apply attack rolls, i.e
21 > 20, and damage rolls next (9-9 + 1 strength*stats modifier + bonus damage . So if Brendel nicks a
black warrior, he does -72 damage (it was stated somewhere one or two chapters ago). If he strikes at the
chest (attack roll 30 > 20), he does the same damage.
Only when he does maybe like head thrust (attack roll 40 > 20, perfect critical), he does 144 damage.
Does that sound ridiculous? So even if I see through the text with “The Amber Sword in-game
calculation”, the numbers 4-4, 9-9, makes no sense to me. I am very much in favor of removing such
numbers because the author has never stated his ‘system’ properly as far as I know of.
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TL: No, I’m not mean enough to do an April’s fool joke. I rewrote a lot of the pacing within this chapter so
there might be some Engrish issues. Please help me check for them. This chapter is sponsored.
Chapter 18 – Blitz
After defeating Xelsa, Brendel led the mercenaries to regroup with Freya and the militia. They moved
quickly and caught up with the refugees, and proceeded towards the south. Approximately half an hour
later, Brendel discovered another company of undead soldiers, and defeated them with considerable ease
as they did not have an elite commander.
[We defeated two companies of undead and have successfully created an opening between their
patrolling routes… In front of us are three massive groups of undead units, probably led by Direndall,
Ladios and Gloeb. The situation looks dangerous, but if we are careful in our position, we’re in a balanced
position where we’re in the eye of a storm.]
Even though there were slight casualties, Brendel’s plan still worked.
In the southern region of the Hunting Deer Mountain, the combined Madara undead armies discovered a
huge problem after a while. They had initially thought they have surrounded the group of refugees, only
to discover that they had disappeared as if they had grown wings and flew away.
After Medes met up with Wesker and Ebdon, he issued orders to his captains and scour the area. They
had searched the surrounded area carefully, but they were unable to discover them.
[Is the information wrong?]
Medes did not believe in coincidences. He immediately wondered if they had hidden in a mountain valley
and was waiting for them to move away from this region. He then issued an order to the entire undead
army to send their scouts out spread out from their area in order to find the refugees.
But once the orders were issued out, Gloeb and Direndall discovered that there were two companies that
suddenly disappeared, and believed that there might be a mysterious army that had broken through their
surrounding forces and were at their rear—
“How did this happen? An army of one thousand odd troops that escaped detection from ten combined
scouting units?” Gloeb said.
“It can’t be just luck or coincidence…” Direndall agreed.
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The two captains did not waste any time and informed Medes with the information of the missing troops.
The latter flew into a huge rage and threw the maps from the table on their faces.
He pointed at their noses and roared at them: “You bunch of useless trash! The third batch of graduates
from Brumand’s roses are worse than maggots! Get out of my sight now!”
The two captains did not dare to retort him and retreated hastily. Medes took a few moments and calmed
down before summoning Ebdon and Wesker to discuss the issue. They quickly decided to divide their
forces into two and extend them into two wings to prevent the refugees from crossing the region.
He then issued a second order and ordered the three captains to continue searching for the refugees.
Even though he looked down at these new undead nobles like he looked down at Kabias, he had to rely on
their strength at this moment.
[In the end this is era of the newcomers. I just hope I did not react too slowly.]
At this point of time, Brendel had led the refugees to bypass Ladios’s army without him knowing, and was
approximately three kilometers away from the third undead company.
[Something is strange… Did Medes make a move?]
Brendel quickly rode back and ordered the veteran militias to turn back with a shout. His action did not
puzzle anyone as he had done this several times to avoid the undead scouting riders.
The veteran militias respectively led their assigned groups of refugees to move in the opposite direction.
One of them asked like he was hoping to gain favor with him: “My lord, did the vanguard discover the
undead monsters?”
“No, they did not. Lead the refugees to the north and throw away all belongings except their food, water
and weapons. We’re going to advance forward as fast as we can.”
Brendel looked at them and replied.
His words surprised everyone, as they had just escaped from that direction which were filled with
undead with considerable difficulty, and yet they were going back in that direction. People started
wondering if he was going crazy.
Brendel pulled the the horse’s reins and let it turn one round. He looked at the uneasy people who
overheard him: “Don’t worry. I have not turned crazy yet. Quickly move, as this is the only chance we
have if we want to live.”
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They looked back at him with palpitations in their hearts. But they could do nothing other than trust in
him, as the nobles in Fortress Riedon had long abandoned them. He was the only knight that had stayed
behind to lead them out of this desperate situation.
They had also heard of his bravery and wisdom as if he was a peerless fighter who defeated the enemy
with ease from the militia, to the point where it sounded like exaggeration. However, the vanguard had
brought about the news of victory repeatedly and brought back victory spoils like weapons.
[It looks like my authority is starting to be established since they are not questioning my order. Sadly, this
glory is pointless and cannot be used since I’m a fake knight. The only true advantage that can be gotten
here is my personal gain in strength. I need to see how the path of the future is coming and walk on it
carefully, instead of enjoying the fame and what not.]
He started to move ahead while he thought about the distant future.
After a short while later, there was a repeated rumble within the mountain valley, and everyone stopped
to look at the scene. It looked like a king was calling forth his knights. Brendel gave the order to signal the
mercenaries and militia to gather up as he needed to instruct them.
A battle was about to happen again, and their nerves began to tighten up.
Brendel had made things looked like they were fine, but he was truly fighting against time every moment.
Aside from battles, he had constantly looked at the pocket watch, to the point where visible perspiration
formed on the surface of it.
No one except him knew how dangerous some of the previous battles were. Some of them took longer
than expected and lasted for several more minutes, and that amount of time could have been disastrous
as the main undead army might be able to encounter the refugees.
The mercenaries and militia gathered at one spot and wondered what the youth’s intentions were. They
had bypassed several Madara undead armies and fulfilled half of their expected journey, but they
suddenly retreated back to where they came from a while ago. Even Freya who trusted Brendel greatly
was filled with uneasiness. She looked at him several times with the intention of speaking but stopped
herself every time.
Brendel rode to their front.
“Some of you have already known this from the scouts that returned. Madara’s undead armies have
changed their formations and started to spread into two wings to seal off the routes. A third force is
regrouping and spreading out to search for us.”
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The mercenaries who knew this wondered if the youth plan to race against time and bypass the wings. It
was not strange to avoid the battles, but in order to do so the refugees have to move at least twenty
kilometers ahead in order to completely avoid any contact with the enemy.
This was hardly a realistic option.
Brendel suddenly stopped and looked at Freya. She was looking pale and was about to fall off her horse.
“Freya, why don’t you rest for a while?”
She merely glared at him, and he had to give a wry smile in response.
“I already asked you to let me bandage your wounds, but you didn’t want to listen to me…”
She blushed all the way to her neck when she heard his words.
[What is this moron doing in front of everyone? How can I let him bandage my body, damn it.]
She hated Brendel for spouting nonsense, averted her head away and shut her eyes. Brendel was so
stunned at her response that his mouth was open.
[Didn’t you say Freya likes me? This is liking me? You’re not lying to me right?] Brendel looked at his
squire suspiciously.
“My lord, can I do something for you?” Ciel felt nervous when he saw Brendel trying to burn holes in him
with his eyes, and could only try to ask carefully.
“No, nothing at all.” Brendel shook his head.
When he turned back, the mercenaries were staring and giggling at him. They had heard the story
between him and Freya from Ciel one day ago about the relationship between him, Freya and Romaine.
The scene made the mercenaries look at him in a different way. His results were beyond imagination
when he led them to fight Madara’s undead, and as much as they respected and trusted him, they also
feared this genius. However, this flaw in him had made everyone realize that he was still very much a
normal person.
“What are you all laughing at?”
“””No, nothing at all. My lord, you’re mistaken.””” Everyone answered at the same time.
“I hope that’s the truth,” Brendel looked at them in frustration, “Otherwise, you will get it from me!
Alright, I don’t want to explain too much. This is the only thing I want to say.”
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“Prepare for battle!” He pulled out his sword.
[After defeating all the undead troops we encountered so far, we have gathered enough weapons to
create an army about five hundred… Since the undead is spreading out their troops with such haste, their
central force is going to be weakened. With the advantage of the gargoyle, I can pick a battle anytime with
controlled numbers. Now is the best moment to strike at Madara’s heart, and make our movements even
more unpredictable…]
Brendel’s tactical plan was to blitz Ladios’s army as hard as possible.
After a minutes later, Brendel led the army of five hundred odd men and struck at Ladios’s left company
of two hundred undead soldiers, and the enemies were unable to defend themselves properly.
The youth swept the undead army like a hurricane, and it was only thirty minutes later that Ladios finally
realized he had lost his entire left flank. When the intermediate-ranked undead wizard brought back the
news to Medes, Brendel had advanced to another location three kilometers away, and destroyed another
of Gloeb’s company of undead troops.
Brendel continued to blitz into the enemies’ ranks.
He took out his pocket watch and checked the time. The constellation of the King of Knights was
approximately fifty minutes away—-
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TL: Boss battle!
Chapter 19 – The silver blade, the white knight
—————– Medes POV —————–
Medes suddenly realized he had suddenly lost the ability to control the battefield. He had nearly ten
thousand undead under his command, but he was unable to use them effectively. He first thought that the
enemy had made their way around his army after receiving the initial reports of losing two companies,
and thus sent out his army by spreading them out like two wings, with Ebdon and Wesker leading them.
But not even half an hour later, Gloeb and Ladios lost both their left flanks.
[This group of refugees…. No, this secret army… Given their speed and effective tactics, they are as good
as our main force, or even better than that. Aouine’s imperial guards? Or The Knights of Freedom? It feels
like someone of great importance is leading the refugees.]
Medes looked at the map which had circles and lines drawn on it. It was apparent as to what the enemy
wanted to accomplish.
[They’re trying to break out of the siege by force! The enemy is moving in straight lines at our positions,
cutting through our forces like a sharp knife into our heart.]
Medes had a series of cold shudders as he analyzed the map. He suddenly stood up and overturned the
table with a furious roar. He went outside of the camp and looked at the dark forest. The undead troops
were outside waiting for his orders, but he did not have the confidence in his judgment this time.
[What army is this? When did Aouine have such a commander?]
——————– Brendel POV ————————
TL: Some music needed here.
The cavalry galloped through the valley like an unstoppable wave, and the earth shook under the horses’
charge.
Brendel raised his sword and pointed to a new direction. The glow of the Elven sword kept flickering as if
it was a flag that was moving along with the wind, and it was the symbol of victory that the youth carried.
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Some of the mercenaries were from the November’s war, some had experienced the Battle of
Moonflowers, some had experienced Karsuk’s wars. Aouine had disappointed them repeatedly, as if the
country was forever silent, its will buried under the annals of history, and the past glory would never
belong to them again.
That is why they fought for money and became mercenaries, and their goals were to pursue rewards and
treasures, and had long ago abandoned the fame and faith as warriors.
But there was no one who did not crave victory, even if he was a veteran who had experienced countless
battles. Today Brendel had shown them that the banners and flags that had been trampled upon
hundreds and thousands of time could be picked up. Today he had shown them that victory could be
obtained, regardless of what motives they had, be it for glory or for the sake of the unfortunate and
lamentable refugees.
As long as they followed him, victory, was this easy.
Their hearts were set ablazed by his words and spurred on by his actions. If today, they had to believe in
a legend, they would believe he was undefeatable.
Each time they charged at the enemy, hundred of skeletons were easily destroyed and laid down to their
eternal rest. None of the enemy commanders stood a chance—
These frightening undead soldiers might have made Fortress Riedon’s formal army tremble, but when it
came to facing them, they would be turned into dust!
At that very moment, the riders believed that they were invincible.
Brendel pointed at another direction, and they roared to acknowledge his order. No one seemed to know
the meaning of exhaustion, and even the militia who marched quickly behind them moved with vigor.
They had only one thought in their minds:
Advance, continue to advance, as quickly as possible!
No one had the energy to consider other things, as their energy was spend on generating adrenaline.
Their pupils were dilated and they struggled to breath in as much air as possible, to the point where they
had to exchange their lives to drag down an enemy to hell.
Kill the Madara undead!
They could almost see the youth’s sword pointing to a door, and behind it was the pathway to a miracle.
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Brendel finally saw an undead group in front of him. He believed that he had broke through the second or
third line of defence.
[This time we’re near the heart of the undead army. Is it Ebdon or Wesker, or the ‘Undead Maggot’
Medes?]
A huge group of gleaming white skeletons were marching beside the river, many times more than what
they had encountered. He narrowed his eyes as he saw two groups of Black Warriors beside the
commander.
[A high-ranking commander!]
Brendel found that he had caught a big fish. He’s not entirely certain whether he could devour it, but he
was already on a road of no return, and he had no choice to defeat it.
He raised his sword up, the light from his sword shining to the point that everyone around it felt blinded
by it. The wind echoed deafeningly in his ears, and he could not hear any other sounds other this own
breathing. He shouted as loudly as he could:
“Riders, charge!”
“””Attack!!!”””
There were forty-nine riders along with him, but it was as if there was a dam had suddenly broken from
the mountain valley. The noise made from their roars echoed throughout the area as they charged
straight at their leader.
‘The Pale Knight’ Ebdon’s expression immediately changed.
Just like Medes, it had wondered who the commander was and what division the mysterious army
belonged to. However, it did not expect to meet under such circumstances.
When it turned its head around, the blazing frost flames that leaked out from his eyes through the helmet
saw the dauntless group of riders charging down the valley, with a youth leading its charge with his right
hand high up with a sword that glowed as bright as the stars.
For one moment, it thought it had returned to the old era where knights still believed in their chivalry.
It had remembered, that once upon a time the proud knights of Kirrlutz rode on grand gryphons and
dignified horses, without any reliance on any tactics, charged straight at the enemy.
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In this world, there was no other army like them, as if they were born to charge, and even if they were to
perish they had to die during charging. Their lives were simply meant for that one moment of glory and
victory.
Ebdon found that its heart loosened for one single moment as it thought it had returned to that year.
Under that army who viewed death as the highest honor… It lost the best moment to react. When Ebdon
regained its senses and ordered the skeletons to get ready, everything was too late.
Brendel’s army was like the sharpest lance that aimed to strike the heart of the undead’s formation, as if
he was a king leading his knights forward.
“Necromancers!” Ebdon pulled out his own sword and shrieked from his soul.
Ten necromancers raised their bone staffs together.
A black tempest suddenly appeared in front of the undead army. The hurricane of darkness pulled
everything up, grinding rocks into dust and the trees wilted as they became black smoke, rising up to the
air in a scream.
Ebdon felt it had lost its breath, almost wondering if it had seen an illusion. It was not possible for the
current Aouine to possess a group of cavalry like that… Then The Pale Knight realized, that it did not need
to breathe since a very long time ago.
It sighed inwardly.
But the next moment, the flames in its eyes stopped moving and its mouth widened a little.
The youth burst out from the tempest. A blue magical sigil was shining on his right hand, and when he
pointed his sword forward, the tempest immediately moved towards towards the undead forces.
At that moment, Brendel was the ruler of the tempest and he yelled out two words.
“Magic Control!”
Rows of skeletons crashed into each other, and a few of the skeletons’ Soul Fire were blown out as the
tempest blew straight into them.
But Brendel suffered damage as he had charged through the tempest, and he fell off the horse.
Everyone in the battlefield stopped their actions when he saw him falling off.
Freya who was leading the militia who happened to see this scene by coincidence covered her mouth
with her hand with a silent scream forming in her.
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[Even if it is him, he can also collapse?]
The mercenaries who followed him lost their grips on the horses’ reins, and finally woke up from their
dream.
But Brendel quickly shrugged off the effects and readied himself in an instant before he even touched the
ground.
[This is the best moment. Charge. Activate.]
Once his feet landed on the ground, he jumped up and launched himself like an arrow. A silver line
streaked across the battlefield.
Everyone watched that striking silver line—- which symbolized a miracle.
Once the line came to a stop, twelve skeletons were severed into half. Brendel had jumped straight into
the midst of undead with his sword held high up.
He looked at the gigantic undead knight before him that was covered in white armor, as well as the frost
colored flames in his eyes.
[So it’s you. The Pale Knight Ebdon, former hero of Aouine.] Brendel looked at him and readied his sword,
a thin gathering of wind forming on the gleaming sword.
“Your road ends here, young man!” Ebdon looked at Brendel as he parried his sword.
[A silver-ranked knight.] Brendel did not fight the impact from the opponent’s sword and retreated
immediately.
[This is going to be difficult.]
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Chapter 20 – The knight of the past (1)
TL: If you want music to go along?
“Young man, your road ends here.”
The single sword in Ebdon’s hand is an ordinary magic sword named ‘The White Fang’, but it was the
proof of this knight’s entire fame and honor.
Its left hand supported his right wrist, and when it finished speaking, the thin blade ignited, and a white
layer of flame sprang from the sword.
[Ebdon’s famous sword’s skill, ‘White Blaze’.]
Compared to him, Ebdon was the true imperial swordsman. The former Ebdon was a knight at the age of
seventeen, and when he was forty he was considered a master fighter. He spent his entire life fighting for
Aouine and was considered a hero, but the ‘White Rider’ Ebdon was the name that spread throughout the
continent.
In his era, Ebdon was one of four Madara’s Apocalypse Knights, and the name of ‘White Rider’ was
attached to the ‘Conqueror’ Ebdon. This name alone terrified children and adults alike. (TL: Yes, that’s
from the four horsemen of the apocalypse and the first time it ever appeared in the series, oh gosh the
pain of editing every single name that I tled wrongly…)
As soon as Brendel retreated, he immediately felt the situation was too difficult for him to handle alone.
[Out of the entire forces in this region, there are two leaders I don’t want to meet. One is the Conqueror,
‘The White Rider’, Ebdon, the other is the King of Wars ‘The Red Rider’ Ladios. Looks like Mother Marsha
is playing a joke on me again.]
But Ebdon moved immediately with its horse, and before Brendel was able to finish his thoughts, Ebdon
had already attacked slashed diagonally from above. The burning white blade swung down towards his
head, making him feel the freezing air that rushed at his face. He immediately felt his breath was stifled,
and without a moment to waste, immediately rolled sideways.
The white flames blew across the ground and a blast rang out from it. Rocks and gravel flew all over the
place as if an explosion had occurred there, and he saw that there was a clean cut on the ground
extending all the way to a boulder that was in the swing’s path.
[The wind pressure alone is able to destroy rocks. That’s the proof of a true Silver-ranked swordsman.]
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Brendel felt goosebumps rising all over his body. Even with his skill Power Break, his White Raven Sword
Arte was only able to destroy wooden materials.
Ebdon did not waste any time when it saw Brendel escaping to the sides, and urged its Nightmare
Warhorse forward without any regards for the undead around him, trampling the skeletons down in
order to reach Brendel’s side.
When Ebdon got close enough, it made the horse jump ahead of Brendel, with another slash towards the
youth’s neck.
[Shit!]
Brendel saw that there was no escape, and he could only used the Thorn of Light with Power Break to
increase his strength. A grating sound of metallic scream happened when their swords met each other.
Both swords bend backwards to their utmost limits, and Brendel was finally pushed backwards by like a
cannonball. He rolled uncontrollably on the ground a few times, before he managed to stop himself and
crawl up with trembling arms.
[At least 25 OZ in strength. Move, you stupid hand!]
His right hand received the greatest impact, and for a moment he lost the feelings in his fingers, before
pins and needles rushed to prick them. Brendel felt that it was lucky of him to activate the Power Break in
time, otherwise his hand would be rendered useless.
[This is getting crazy. A single slash from his sword is over a ton each.]
Brendel watched the rider that was clad in pure white rushing straight at him. He wished that he had his
Holy Sword card ready to use. In order to win against a monster like this, he had to rely on that type of
power, but at the same time, he did not have the available earth EP to pay for it at this moment.
Ebdon and its horse was nearly in front of him —
Brendel gritted his teeth and raised his sword over his head with both hands, the blade pointing slightly
downwards towards the ground as well as parallel to it, his eyes glaring at Ebdon His stance was one of
the best for parrying within the military swordsmanship.
“The stance is unrefined.”
The White Rider looked down at him from the horse, and a cold raspy voice transmitted from the helmet.
Another slash faster than the previous attacks came, with the compressed air forming from the edges of
the blade.
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[Incoming!]
Brendel immediately took a step forward to meet The White Fang by using the fuller portion of his blade.
At the single instant where the point of contact happened, he adjusted the angle of the blade. Sparks flew,
and he actually managed to make Ebdon’s blade slide away —
But the remaining strength transmitted from the blade still made him fall backwards. Brendel’s left leg
immediately went back further and downwards. It was as if he had frequently adjusted his entire balance
using this sword stance and became part of his instinct. His feet slid away to the sides, but at the end of it
he was steady in a half-kneeling position.
Brendel’s shirt was nearly drenched in perspiration. He had accomplished this in the game many times,
but that was with the assistance with the system to predict several things that include the path of the
sword and body position, and it even aided him in correcting wrong postures.
This was done without any assistance at all.
[If I missed that by a centimeter, I’m most likely dead—]
But he actually managed to do it.
He swung his right arm a few times as he still felt that it was not listening to his command properly. The
opponent’s strength was just too much. Each time he crossed swords he felt like a truck had struck him.
Even if he managed to parry the blade, his muscles and bones were groaning.
Ebdon uttered a puzzled sound under its helmet. The swordsmanship was nothing special, but he seemed
very experienced as he found the appropriate technique to defend himself as if he was a veteran.
He turned his horse back and went further away, preparing to charge at him.
How could Brendel give Ebdon another chance when he finally escaped from the opponent’s attacking
pace? He immediately raised his right hand and aimed his thumb at Ebdon and roared.
“Oss!”
“Magic incantation?” The burning white flames in Ebdon’s eyes shook a little when it heard Brendel’s
words. He quickly turned around and used his sword and prepared to block himself.
A huge current of air along with an explosive sound had already approached Ebdon, along with huge
scars on the ground behind its trail, but Ebdon slashed through it and parted the current into two waves
which instantly sent the line of skeletons into the air, which broke apart even before it reached the river
shore.
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Scores of bones fell down onto the ground, and noisy cracking sounds could be heard, with another
metallic scream interrupting the unpleasant music cacophony.
[Charge. Activate.]
Before the dust had even settled, Ebdon had already brought its sword up as Brendel had suddenly
appeared from above, and it met his attack in the air.
There were no weakness in his defense.
Brendel was not surprised at all. An elite figure like himself at this level, could only be stronger compared
to the Golden Demonic Tree. In actual truth, he had also relied on the Holy Sword card to fight against the
Golden Demonic Tree, otherwise it was hard to know who was going to be the victor. He did not hope to
leave anything to chance when it came to fighting Ebdon.
At this point of time, he could only will himself for a battle that was beyond his strength.
His next attack came before he landed on his feet. His right arm pulled back and launched a Sword Arte
next. Ebdon immediately reacted and swung its sword without any expression, and the wind pressure
dissipated from the arc of white flames.
Finally, Ebdon pulled its sword back and did not move. It sat on its horse quietly and looked at Brendel,
trying to remember a distant story.
In the story, there were long trumpets that blew out melodious music in the Baltha Highlands, with
swallow-tailed flags flying in the winds.
“White Raven Swordsmanship.” It opened its mouth and said.
“A scion of the Royal Family?” Ebdon asked coldly from the horse.
Brendel was surprised for a moment.
[Did Ebdon have anything to do with the Corvado empire? But I didn’t hear anything like that in the
game… Regardless of that I should deny it… What would happen if there’s some revenge element in this
history. I heard some stories about a level 30 boss suddenly going to level 40s and instantly killed off that
party attacking it. A legendary level 40 elite boss becoming level 50?!]
When he thought of that, he immediately shook his head forcefully.
But he did not expect Ebdon to point his sword at him and say coldly: “If that is the case, killing you
would not go against my oath.”
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Brendel nearly puked out blood when he heard that, and his mind was instantly filled with regret.
[God damn it, this bloody bird arse’s oath, shit, I should have impersonated a royal family member, what
the blood hell, I just shot myself in the foot!]
On the other side, Ebdon had resumed into a battle stance with his horse again. Brendel felt really
helpless at this point.
[If I combine Power Break with a Sword Arte to fight the enemy, I’m going to spend 9 points of stamina
every time, that’s way over the limits. Ebdon is at least a level 30+ elite, with 200+ HP. He even split the
wind bullet that’s capped at 30 damage, at best he had just received some minor abrasions and that’s
about it. Sure, I can kill him if I managed to stab him two or three times with the Thorn of Light, but I can’t
even touch him with my attack combination just now.]
He looked sideways at the mercenaries and could only hope that the mercenaries were able to support
him.
But the mercenaries were engaging the undead skeletons at this moment. They had the upper hand
because of his charge, but it looked like it was impossible for them to reach here for a while. He could
only place his hope in the militia who was nearby to sweep up the remaining undead so they could be
freed up.
———————— Freya POV ———————
Freya who was leading the militia into the fray frowned. She had caught glimpses of Brendel’s fights but
had lost sight of him. With such a large amount of undead, she guessed that their commander was highly-
ranked. She was no longer the naive village girl, and was different from the people who blindly believed
in him. She was certain that Brendel was in a difficult battle, and she searched around the battlefield.
She found Ciel and Sue nearby.
“Sue, please help me out.”
“Huh?” That young girl was confused.
“Help me lead the miltia.”
“What?”
“I need to help Brendel,” Freya replied and called out to Ciel: “Ciel, come with me.”
“Miss Freya, I’m fine with that, but are you sure that you’re fine?” Ciel was taken aback. Brendel had
instructed him to look after the injured Freya, but it was true that he was much more worried about his
master.
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Freya looked at him in the eye and nodded.
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TL: Next chapter is the conclusion of the boss fight, but I think I need to TL the next chapter 3 days later
because there are 2 assignments that are due on Wednesday.
Brendel swung his sword to parry the white fang, and a blast of wind sprang from the points where the
blades connected, driving his hair back in a fluttering mess. He did not resist the force and slid backwards
with his eyes narrowed from the pain from his hands.
His skin had ripped and the blood was starting to flow onto the sword’s hilt. While he had not received
any apparent injuries from the opponent’s blade, the images on his retina had repeatedly flashed, and his
HP bar had dropped by over thirty points.
[Beyond the apparent wounds from my hands, this means that my internal organs are starting to get
damaged. Any more of this impact will mean that they will get ruptured. Internal bleeding is going to
happen… If it’s not for my high Physique, I wouldn’t be able to receive even one blow from Ebdon and die
from the impact.]
But what made him anguished was the fact that Ebdon seemed to have realized that as well. Its timing for
each strike had shortened and was becoming stronger as well, not giving him a chance to even breathe
for a moment.
[Doesn’t this bastard care about his own troops? I won’t be able to last if this continues, but your entire
army is getting wiped out! Do you really think you’re stronger than the entire army here?]
But he did not know that ridiculous thought was the closest to reality. Even though Ebdon was
considered as a hero of Aouine, but it had become twisted after he had woken up as an undead. Even
though most undead did not retain their memories before they died, Ebdon managed to retain most of its
glorious moments and often revel in them. As an undead, it saw through the memories like another
person, and the bloodbath in the battles made it merciless.
Ebdon was destined to become a Madara high ranking general due to its great insight, and sought only to
kill the most dangerous enemies. And in front him, was an excellent commander whose threat was
greater than the entire army combined. It would forsake the chance at victory just to kill the youth.
But Brendel’s performance had greatly exceeded its expectations. As a master of Aouine’s
swordsmanship, it was able to discern that Brendel had learn some of the most basic military
swordsmanship with probably one or two imperial sword artes. Even though his skills appeared to be no
better than an imperial guard, he had defended against its attacks time after time without fail.
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Ultimately, it could only choose to utilize its overpowering strength and slowly torture him to death. This
was difficult for it to accept as this method was despicable, but it had sworn another oath to the undead
and chose to throw his honor—
Ebdon knew that any other undead would choose to do the same.
“May Mother Marsha bless Madara.” The undead knight’s flames in its eyes were cold as the unforgiving
sword threatened to cleave Brendel into two.
But as soon the blade went down, Brendel had rolled to the sides, as if he knew that it was going to attack
him before hand. The White Fang in its hands could only slam into the ground, inching past Brendel every
time. The times when Brendel were unable to dodge in time, would be parried away in a bizarre manner
by using his unrefined skills.
[Again!]
This scene was beyond Ebdon’s imagination. The flames in its eyes flashed uncontrollably. This was the
third time it changed to to another sword technique. At first it used its most familiar technique —
Aouine’s military swordsmanship, then it switched to Aouine’s imperial swordsmanship, but Brendel
seemed to be able to see through all of them. It thought that he had the advantage of having the same
country’s swordsmanship, so he switched to Madara’s Black Cross swordsmanship, but Brendel did not
show any signs of being unfamiliar, and seemed to predict its attacks even more accurately…….
But it did not know that Brendel was only familiar with Aouine’s military swordsmanship to
approximately level thirty. In his long journey, he had seen hundreds of different sword skills, be it a
common or high level technique, but if there were two that he was the most familiar with—
They would be the Paladin’s swordsmanship and Madara’s undead Black Cross swordsmanship. The
reason was simply because he had used the Paladin’s swordsmanship the longest in the game, and fought
against the undead for decades and had seen the Black Cross swordsmanship the most.
However, under the opponent’s higher stats in both agility and strength, he had no chance to even
counter attack. And he even had trouble capturing the opponent’s movements, and was relying on his
experience to predict where the enemy would attack.
[Damn it… My stamina is nearing half my bar. If that happens my strength and reactions will drop, and if
it falls to a third, I might not even be able to put up a proper stance. This battle hasn’t even been three
minutes yet—]
Brendel’s forehead was already covered in sweat. Under Ebdon’s constant push, he gradually started to
lose the ability to think about anything else. At first he was still able to observe the battlefield once in a
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while, but with each percentage of his stamina gone, he nearly had to use all his focus to avoid Ebdon’s
attack every time.
The number of times the swords met had increased.
It was like an endless cycle that spiraled into disaster. If he had to cross swords with Ebdon, he would feel
exhausted and bruised each time, and with that exhaustion find it impossible to dodge its attacks.
He was already grinding his molars to hold on desperately. The current situation was no different from
being sentenced to death. He had to squeeze very last potential from his spent body escape from death
each time, and his body screamed and begged to let it rest, causing him to want to give up entirely.
And yet each time when he wanted to do so, the faces of everyone that he led would suddenly appear in
the corner in his heart, making it boil in his chest to continue resisting the enormous undead before him
— and dodged to the sides.
He had blinked for a moment when he got up, but when he opened them, what entered his eyes was a
field of dark snow. His senses was suddenly on full alert, as the skin on his scalp seemed to be numbed.
Ebdon had used his full strength to bring down Brendel. The Silver-ranked abilities showed themselves
as a white flame burst forth to the front of him in the shape of a crescent. A few moments later, the
boulders in the mountain valley broke and started rolling down.
This sword had reached to nearly a hundred and fifty feet, cutting the walls of the mountain valley.
The freezing winds blew past the current area as the army fell into a voiceless silence.
Everyone in the army was terrified. They had heard stories about the prowess of the Silver-ranked
fighters, but they have never seen it with their own eyes. This was almost unachievable by human
strength, and everyone felt impressed and frightened from the bottom of their hearts.
The mercenaries who were nearer to Brendel froze for a moment, unable to believe that Brendel was
fighting a monster like this for so long.
Brendel had not even sought for help, and they suddenly realize that he was desperately trying to fulfill
the promise to everyone of them. They had always thought that he had effortlessly solved every situation,
but he had actually been trying to complete it to the very best of his abilities.
What were they doing, wasting time with these undead?
“Shit! Has anyone seen Brendel?”
“We need to help him out now!”
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“Do you think he’s still alive after that strike!”
The mercenaries that blindly trusted in Brendel, suddenly felt they truly belong to him as a commander.
Ebdon sheathed his sword with a clear ring.
“Brendel!”
Freya had rode from the side to find Brendel, but she was too late when she finally found them. After that
attack, it seemed like everything had ended.
Freya dropped her sword onto the ground with a clank. She almost could not believe her eyes. The youth
who brought her out of Bucce and showed off the world to her, this shameless cad…
Was gone forever?
She suddenly felt someone patting on her shoulder, and she turned her head back in a daze. Ciel looked at
the area below them, his eyes not blinking:
“Miss Freya, if I’m still here, it means that my lord isn’t dead yet.”
“Wh……at?” She paused for a moment, not able to understand the entire meaning of his sentences.
But at least she understood part of it —
Because she saw a familiar figure climbing out from a pile of broken rocks.
Brendel felt his entire body was about to fall apart. His shirt had been ripped apart from the wind
pressure and his forehead was full of blood, and there were countless wounds on his body. (TL: I can
imagine the fanservice. Sort of.)
But he suppressed the pain and grinned.
“You bastard, to think that you would underestimate me at this final moment—“
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Ebdon lowered his head in slight confusion to the rocks, but Brendel had already leaped into the air. His
entire body was in a blur, and behind him were countless afterimages of himself, and within a split
moment, he had already crossed over a dozen meters.
It immediately found that it could not capture his movement. He was like a gust of wind that seemed to
went past him, and before it was able to react, he was already behind its back.
[I seen him use this before at the start of battle, but experiencing this terrifying technique for myself is
different. This young man isn’t simple!]
Ebdon’s White Fang left its sheath immediately, instinctively covering his back with it. A loud clang rang
out as it blocked the Thorn of Light.
This defense had left the boundaries of swordsmanship.
They were using their experience to fight each other.
Brendel immediately stepped to the side like a ghastly spirit leaving hazy shadows behind, and struck at
Ebdon’s left chest.
[One more second left to the Charge technique.]
But Ebdon immediately swept its sword around to parry the tip of his blade, not showing any signs of
weakness—
[Even with 44 OZ worth of agility, he still managed to block the first and second attack… This foe is really
troublesome.]
Suddenly the flames in the undead knight flared. He suddenly felt another presence behind him and felt
an attack coming towards it. He immediately turned around and swung his sword, only to find a gargoyle
that was split into two and tumbling onto the ground.
That moment seemed to extend itself for a long time, Ebdon watched the gargoyle slowly crumble into
several pieces and fall onto the ground, but it immediately knew that the situation had turned.
Brendel placed a foot forward and took a deep breath. He launched his final Power Break onto the White
Raven Sword Arte.
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The wave unleashed onto Ebdon and his Nightmare horse. The wave instantly severed the horse’s head
and caused it to stumble downwards, but Ebdon threw his sword onto the ground and a gigantic force
propelled Brendel backwards along with his sword.
[The Wall of Will! Shit, that technique is from the Sun Knight Aegwynn!]
Brendel stumbled backwards eight steps before he rushed up again with clenched teeth. Ebdon had
successfully gained enough time for it to launch a counter attack. It threw his white cape away and picked
up the White Fang and marched straight to Brendel. Three consecutive metallic wails rang throughout
the valley, and each time the swords struck each other, Brendel was forced to retreat backwards. The air
in the youth’s chest was completely knocked out and he could not maintain a proper stance anymore —
“Aouine,” Ebdon watched coldly as Brendel could not defend properly anymore and raised his sword. The
white flames in his eyes seem to freeze everything: “Has grown too old.”
The white blade lunged forward.
Brendel’s teeth gritted so hard that his gums bled. He struck down at Ebdon’s blade, but it hardly
diverged from its course and he tried to grab the sword next. The leather gloves glowed blue for a
moment but it still pierced through, causing the blade to run through his palm, cutting apart his chain
armor and split apart the links, until it snaked its way into the youth’s abdomen.
The scarlet blood that flowed down was as red as old wine.
But Ebdon did not find victory.
Brendel had an insane look in his eyes as he gripped its right wrist with his left hand, locking the White
Fang in place. He raised the Elven Sword with the right hand.
Ebdon found the words ‘A’ssonston, Donamiru-‘ glowing on the Thorn of Light—
And then.
The sword thrust forward.
Ebdon tried to use the left hand to block it, but the sword immediately burned through with as the
purification fire flared up, stabbing straight into its chest.
Two swords, connected the knights together. At that moment they could only hear the cold wind.
“Hahahaha,” Brendel said weakly: “You bastard, you are wrong……”
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“You think you won, young man?” Ebdon said with a cold voice.
Its chest felt like it was burning up, the pain torturing him, but at the same time the wound was not fatal.
“No, it’s just that……. Even though Aouine has grown old……. There are still people who loved it
regardless.”
Brendel coughed. Ebdon was waiting for this moment, but he had also planned for the same thing.
They pulled their swords out together at the same time, and Brendel ignored Ebdon’s attack which made
its way to his lungs. At the same time, he had hacked off the undead knight’s left arm far away.
Two of them stepped back at the same time.
Brendel immediately fell to the ground and started coughing. Specks of blood fell onto the ground. He felt
burning sensations all over his chest, and he had never experienced such pain ever in his life, except for
one place— Bucce.
The talent ‘Unyielding’ had already activated, and he stood up with his sword supporting him.
Ebdon was ready to act. Its injuries were much lighter than Brendel, and even though it was surprised
and impressed with his tenacity and unshakeable resolution, it needed victory more than ever.
It stumbled a little on the rocks in its path. It had difficulty maintaining its balance, but it was at a better
state compared to Brendel who had knelt down once again to the ground.
Ebdon glanced at the mercenaries who were closing in. It quickly raised its sword and rushed at Brendel
again.
Suddenly a golden flash of light came from the high ground.
[That is not an illusion!]
It quickly turned its head to check the source and immediately saw a ring that was on a woman’s thumb
shining like a star.
Freya shouted clearly: “Flamme!”
The mercenaries saw a straight line of fire streaking across the air, but Ebdon saw a gigantic ball of fire
charging straight at him. The speed of the fireball was so fast that the mercenaries only saw a line of
fire—
Ebdon tried to parry it with its sword, but it was late in doing so.
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The fire immediately exploded onto him, creating a powerful wave of shockwave that swept through the
mountain valley, flinging everyone’s hair backwards with the the needles of the fir trees flying all over to
the sky. The mercenaries’ horses stopped in fright and they stood up in fright, sending a few of them onto
the ground. The flames continued to persist for a moment longer, before it vanished into the night.
Brendel was also sent backwards, but after the dust settled, he saw Ebdon half-kneeling on the ground.
He did not move.
[I-I won?]
He rubbed his forehead. The fireball from Freya had actually caused AOE damage to him and sent him a
fright, but immediately recalled that he was as resilient as a cockroach. A grin slowly formed on his face
as the realization that he was the victor.
[The ‘Unyielding’ talent was my final trump card…]
He took a look at him once more, wondering what Aouine’s former hero thought at the end of his life.
[Did he still sought after the past glory in his memory?]
Brendel thought for a while before he finally prepared himself to sit up. Suddenly, there were sounds of
shuffling noises behind him and he became alert. When he turned his head around, he saw Freya and Ciel
coming towards him anxiously.
“Brendel!” Freya had nothing on her mind other than to support him up. She asked carefully while she
looked at the youth who was still lying down on the ground: “Brendel, are y-you alright?”
Just as he wanted to assure her, his mind suddenly thought of something and laid back down.
“Freya, is that you?” He suddenly coughed repeatedly after asking weakly on the ground.
“Y, yes, it’s me….. C-can’t you see me?” Freya’s tears were already falling when she saw his body was
covered with wounds, and the uncontrollable bleeding from his abdomen and chest made it clear that he
was not going to make it. “Brendel, don’t talk anymore, I-I’ll bandage you up…..”
“Freya… There’s… no point. I-I need to request you to do something for me.”
“W-what is it?” Freya’s heart sank when she heard him speak in this manner.
“Can you….. kiss me?”
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“Eh, ahh…. huh?” Freya’s mind stopped working for a moment. But her face was serious after it registered
in her mind.
Brendel could not hold back his laughter as he sat straight up with some effort. “I’m joking, Freya, here,
help me up instead–”
“Y-your wounds, don’t move Brendel! Stop….. I-I’ll kiss you!” Freya shouted loudly as she thought he was
upset with her for not fulfilling his last request.
Brendel coughed and explained quickly: “No, seriously, I’m really fine.”
“How can that be possible!”
“You know that I’m not only a knight, I’m also a wizard—” Brendel knew that she would not believe him
so easily with his fatal injuries, so he could only use a white lie.
“A-are you really fine?”
“Of course.”
Brendel pretended to be fine as he rummaged for Holy Potion number 9 in his bag with full of cold sweat
on his forehead.
Freya looked at him in a daze, first turning from white into red, then to white again, then to red again.
Finally she clenched her fist and bit her lips.
“Brendel, you, you…….”
“Shameless cad!”
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This chapter is sponsored, thank you very much. So in the author’s narration Ebdon is an ‘It’, while
Brendel uses ‘he/him/his’.
Chapter 23 – Mission?
Holy Potion 9’s effect was not as powerful as the other types of health potions; the effect of this particular
one merely managed to pull Brendel away from eternal death. In addition to the potion, Ciel and Freya
helped him bandage up his wounds, and the Emergency First Aid skill finally stopped the bleeding. Even
though he felt faint from the loss of blood and was extremely pale, he confirmed that he was no longer in
danger from his Stats Window.
Brendel stood up shakily, but after a few steps he nearly stumbled onto the ground. Ciel and Freya
quickly went to his sides to help him up. He looked at Freya with surprise as he thought she would get
angry for at least a day over his tasteless joke and ignore him.
Freya felt his gaze and she turned her head away. Her face was red with anger when she found out that he
lief, but after thinking about it, she felt that this ending was better than losing Brendel. But at the same
time, she gnashed her teeth and reminded herself that she should not fall so easily to this rotten bastard’s
tricks anymore.
After a few moments, Brendel started to think about his plans again. They walked up to the horses and he
patted Ciel’s horse and spoke to his squire:
“Ciel, help me up—”
Before Ciel reacted, Freya went in front of Brendel and blocked him: “Wait, w-what are you trying to do
again!”
“I’m going to sit on a horse?”
“No!”
“What’s wrong?” Brendel was confused.
“Y-your injuries are too bad to be able to ride on a horse, can you stop being so reckless. Think about
those are concerned with you…” She grumbled with embarrassment.
She thought about how this had happened before. She did not understand if he knew that his injuries
would be fatal on anyone else.
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He looked at her expression and finally understood her concern. His attitude weakened and explained to
her: “Freya, I’m really fine now. I just drank a holy potion, didn’t you recall how we saved Jonathon with
the potion that night?”
Freya bit her lips. She half-believed his words, but the fact that he had just stumbled stayed in her mind.
Yet every time she argued with him, she seemed to be on the losing end, so she chose to stubbornly stand
before him and say nothing.
Brendel did not know how to persuade her. He could try to use harsh words to depict the current
situation, but this would hurt her in the process and he did not want to do it to a girl who thought nothing
but the best for him.
“Freya, please let my lord get on the horse.” Ciel suddenly spoke up just when Brendel was about to sigh
in exasperation.
Freya looked at Ciel in disbelief. She had expected the squire to be on her side. In the continent Vaunte,
squires were compelled to follow their knights and protect them, but why did Ciel look like he was not
concerned with his master’s life?
“Ciel, why are you…..” She faltered for a moment and trailed off as she did not know what to say.
“My lord is really out of danger. He’s just a little weak, so please leave the duty of taking care of my lord to
me—” He said as he glanced at Brendel with a little concern in his eyes, but there was much more
admiration and respect in them: “My lord has to think of our situation. He has to ride on a horse to show
that he has not fallen, that he’s still the banner that will lead us forward—”
Ciel said with pride. “This is his honor to fight for all of us., and the reason why he holds the sword into
his hand.”
Brendel grinned when he heard the lavish praise. But the truth was that simple, he had to continue riding
to give the mercenaries and the refugees the confidence that victory was at hand.
This battle was many times more intense than the previous battles, and the militia and refugees’ morale
had been shaken. Even though he did not understand the art of war very well, the current army that he
had was really nothing more than rabble. If they had already controlled the battlefield, they would still be
fine, but once they meet any setback, they would quickly collapse.
Therefore he must show that was like an invincible figure that would always lead them to victory. As long
as he was still standing, the remaining people that followed him would understand that there was still
hope.
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Freya looked at Brendel with a complicated expression, and after seeing him nodding in agreement to
Ciel’s words, she finally stepped aside.
Brendel got onto the horse with Ciel’s aid, but he was so weak that he wondered if he could even hold on
to the reins properly.
[I can’t believe what I’m doing. A few days ago, I was just a normal citizen… I really don’t understand why
I have so much determination and will to keep going on and lead these people…]
The refugees watched their commander ride up to them. It was as if he had gained another victory and
the only casualty was his horse.
Only those who were near him could see his body constantly trembling from the pain, as well as the cold
perspiration on his forehead. But he was completely silent and did not say anything, not even bothering
to look around him but maintaining a cold and stoic expression.
Leto and Mano looked at each other when they saw this scene. They bowed their heads in respect and
went off to regroup with the cavalry. They wanted to ask if Brendel needed any assistance, but looking at
his actions, they understood that he did not need any and he would not let them do so anyway.
They did not fully understand his personality, but this proved that he was full of pride from the
determination to lead them to safety.
His pride was like the symbol of Aouine’s flag.
After giving out some instructions, Brendel rode over to the half-kneeling Ebdon. He threw away the
gargoyle statue along his way. It had lost its meaning when the gargoyle was cleaved into two from
Ebdon’s attack.
[It might be repairable if I had some true experts here, but the process is complicated to the point that it’s
better to just make another one. This is one of the most important items that I lost here. From now
onwards we’re going in blind. Other than that my gloves should be considered as useless. Perhaps it could
be sewed back together, but the defensive magic in it might not work anymore…]
Brendel could not imagine that he was able to defeat a legendary figure like Ebdon in a duel, even in the
game. But this ridiculous script had turned into reality. Ebdon was still kneeling there quietly.
[Ebdon. Born in the Year of the Walnut Trees. He came from a noble family and subsequently became a
knight. He then joined Aouine’s Knights of Freedom and fought against Kirrlutz. This was his brightest
moment and became a good commander. He participated in a few famous battle and won much fame and
glory within his kingdom. When he finally lived his life fully, for some reason he had woken up as an
undead…]
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Brendel knew a great deal about the lore within the game, especially when Ebdon was one of the top elite
commanders an was literally impossible to kill. There were very little missions around him, but Brendel
suspected there might be a hidden mission when he said something about an oath.
[Most of the hidden missions have seriously good rewards. Something like the Ring of The Wind Empress
at the start of the game could be considered legendary because it’s a 20 OZ equipment. But at the same
time I only know secret missions that start after level 40… Hmm, wait, Ebdon… is still alive?]
He rode next to Ebdon and spoke.
“Do you have anything to say, Ebdon?”
A moment of silence.
“Young man, do you….. know me?”The undead knight suddenly moved a little and asked with a raspy and
low voice.
Brendel shook his head. “I do not know you. But perhaps I do know the name Ebdon as an Aouine hero
who should be resting for all eternity, back in the embrace of Mother Marsha.”
“You might have his name, but you are not him.”
Ebdon scoffed coldly, and stood up by putting strength in its sword.
“You should have died a long time ago, young man, but you have not.” It said emotionlessly. “It seems like
your victory was not a coincidence. If you know about this body’s past and you’re here to speak to me,
what else do you want to know?”
Freya received a jump when she saw Ebdon standing up from the ground. She immediately started to ride
up to Brendel to protect him, but Ciel stopped him with his arm. He slowly shook his head to stop her. He
did not know what relationship his lord had with the undead knight, but he felt that they should know
each other. Furthermore, Brendel was a very cautious person who did not easily place himself in danger.
Brendel hesitated for a while, but he wanted to use his experience in the game and try something out.
“You had asked me earlier if I was a scion of the Royal Family, if I say I am one now, what of it?”
The undead knight merely laughed.
Brendel sighed inwardly and mocked himself. Looks like there was a difference in the game and reality
after all.
498
“Looks like you’re going to bring your secret to Mother Marsha, Ebdon.” He could only lament when he
discovered he could not weasel out the mission.
But Ebdon shook its head.
“Not so.”
It said.
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TL: Ebdon is really quite cool for a boss. Anyways, please help me check if there are any Engrish mistakes
here.
Chapter 24 – Lion heart
“These words are not actually meant for you, but I believe that you can do it.” Ebdon was silent for a
moment, before it raised its head up to look at the youth.
Brendel was silent as he grabbed the reins with one hand. He hesitated to reply.
Ebdon immediately guessed that he did not believe in the words it had just said, but it did not seem to
mind. He merely knelt on his right knee, straightened up his chest and placed his sword into before him
with both gloves on the hilt.
“The king slumbers within the valley when the twin moons can be seen. The Evergreen Winter Tree
shadow points to the northwest where gathered stars fade away as the dawn lowers her authority—”
Brendel’s expression did not change after he heard the words. He rode past Ebdon before turning back to
him again. There were many riddles like this in the game.
[I was never good at solving at all these puzzles. The twin moon probably references the two moons that
appear together under Vaunte’s sky. The king slumbers in the valley… The grave of the Holy Saint? But it
might be some random Aouine King.]
Brendel’s brows furrowed a little.
[The Evergreen Winter Tree points to the northwest… Aouine doesn’t seem to have this variety of tree,
does this mean it’s a metaphor for something? Or a noble’s symbol? The meaning of the Evergreen
Winter Tree means saintly, but there are numerous Houses in Aouine that have the symbol of the
Evergreen Winter Tree leaves. As for the remaining two sentences… I don’t have a clue at all.]
Ebdon intentionally gave Brendel time, once it saw that Brendel was looking at him again, he continued
speaking: “The two-faced statue did not speak or utter, has it forgotten the Holy Oath? The emerald lake
in the pure white mountain, lies a sword amongst swords buried in rocks.”
“Hold on!” Brendel suddenly interrupted Ebdon. He suddenly felt a strange excitement within him.
[Sword amongst swords?! The genuine Lion Heart? That’s the sword of that was passed down generation
to generation from Aouine’s first king, ‘The Kind Erik’.]
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The Lion Heart was the symbol of the Lion Dynasty, as well as one of the four Kirrlutz’s holy weapon.
When Erik brought it out from the Kirrlutz Empire, it became Aouine’s royal family symbol. But hardly
anyone knew the real Lion Heart had been lost in Aouine’s internal civil war a long time ago. The kings
who passed down this sword from that point onwards is nothing more than a fake. There were very few
people who knew this secret, and there was most likely going to be chaos if this secret ever got revealed.
Brendel only knew about this after Aouine’s demise happened.
[If Ebdon is really speaking about the true Lion Heart, then the later half of the riddle makes sense. The
Holy Oath probably referred to Erik’s Oath as a Holy Saint Knight, to rebel and lead the Empire’s citizens
away from the arrogant and greedy nobles. He had made a strong rebellion, and that was where the ‘Kind’
word came from when he fought for the citizens. But the other stuff about the lake, mountain and rock… I
don’t get it.]
The lore within the game stated that the kingdom was strongly tied to the Lion Heart, and it appeared to
be true. Ever since Aouine lost the real sword, each generation was weaker than the previous one, until
Aouine finally perished. But Brendel did not believe in this saying, a kingdom’s demise could hardly be
attributed to a single sword, no matter how legendary it was. To him, it sounded like an excuse to push
away the responsibility.
But even so, he was curious over why the sword was so amazing to the point where it was circulated with
by poets and bards.
[Based on the speculation of the forums… This weapon is at least a level 60 weapon with a Fantasy-
ranked rating.] (TL: Fantasy-rank is one tier above Thorn of Light.)
So he blurted out to ask: “What’s the emerald lake?”
But Ebdon unexpectedly shook his head: “I don’t know either. Sometimes when I think about my past, I
would frequently recall these words, and there is even a divine oath that’s still binding me. But I don’t
know where my memories come from and why it continues to haunt me.”
“Not every undead likes their memories.” Brendel replied. He suddenly felt that Ebdon was someone
more important in its former life. At least in his memories, Ebdon did not have any ties to the royal
family.
“I know that I’m more unique compared to the other undead.” Ebdon rubbed the helmet on his head. “The
undead that live in the shadows are intelligent, but I’m different compared to them and I don’t trust them
with this secret. But when I see you, young man, I somehow feel that you can unravel this riddle.”
Brendel did not answer Ebdon. He felt that it was telling the truth, but he did not trust it easily.
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[…The two-faced statue did not speak or utter? The Saint Statue in Randner? But if that’s the true identity
of the riddle, it’s going to be quite a hassle. To make it speak I need the Sage Slate… But the nearest Sage
Slate is in Bruglas that’s half a month’s journey. The black market rate for that is 500,000 Tol coins. That’s
quite a large sum of money… But should I be thankful that this side mission intersects with the thing I’m
about to do next?]
Brendel started to calculate the days he had to execute his next plan in his mind quickly and found that he
did not have much time.
He straightened up on his horse and said: “Is that all you have to say?”
Ebdon nodded: “I still have one more request.”
“Speak.”
Brendel looked around. The mercenaries appeared to be ready to move off any time. The battle in the
valley had ended.
Ebdon took off the emblem on his chest. “I wish to die like a real knight. I wish that my armor and sword
to accompany me in my eternal sleep. This is called the Lion Emblem— It contains powerful magic in it,
but it has no meaning to me now. I want to entrust this along with my waist pouch. The things in them
might prove to be useful to you.”
Brendel knew that he could forcefully take the White Fang away, and he had planned to give the sword to
Freya, but when he looked at Ebdon, he still nodded.
The two of them knew that such promises meant nothing to an undead and a living person, but Ebdon
had told him this much because he trusted in him. Based on this, Brendel could not find the heart to
betray him.
But.
Ebdon must be killed here. The refugees will not agree to have a high-ranking undead general to
accompany them—
Brendel received the emblem and looked at it with the system activated. The brass emblem was
fashioned into a lion’s head.
[The Lion Emblem, Collision Aura + 1?! It’s a skill emblem!]
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Brendel nearly dropped the emblem with his fumbling fingers. The skill ‘Collision Aura’ was a core skill of
the Templar Knights. The highest level that could be reached was level 29, while non-related professions
could only learn up to level 10. The first level gave +1 to defence, while each incremental level before
level 10 was +0.5. With level 10-20, each level added +1 to defence, and after level 20, each incremental
level was stacked.
This meant that level 21 would add +2 in defence, level 22 would add +3 in defence, level 23 would add
+4 in defence.
[If I reach level 29 and gain +10 defence on that level, then having this ring would add +11 in defence!
That’s as crazy as having three full plates worth of defense!]
When Brendel saw this emblem he immediately decided to become a Paladin which could similarly learn
Collision Aura to the highest level. In addition to the ring, there was another full-plate and shield that
added +1 ‘Collision Aura’ each. With the combination of everything, he could gain + 36 defense.
[That’s like a portable fortress, heck, even the soldiers around me within 60 feet is equivalent to a tank.
What kind of prowess would the cavalry have if I lead the charge?]
Brendel suddenly recalled that Ebdon was Madara’s vanguard in the game. In the later part of the game, it
had the highest defense amongst the four riders.
[As expected as the Conqueror Ebdon… No wonder they called him that.]
Even though his mind was flooded with emotions and excitement, his expression did not change. After
days of experiencing life and death, Brendel felt he was becoming more mature than before. If he got this
in the game he would have probably done a naked dance to celebrate the event.
He kept the emblem and looked at Ebdon’s pouch. But he quickly found that his collection was not
abundant. There were some low grade materials, while the most valuable material was some metal bits to
make a full plate.
[Hmm. Looks like Ebdon also understands the power from this emblem. He had already started to plan to
go in that direction.]
Brendel attached the pouch to his belt and looked at Ebdon again.
“Do you have any other requests?”
Ebdon shook his head. “Please do it.”
Brendel knew that it was a disgraceful thing to die alone in this battlefield. A knight’s death should at
least in his enemies’ ahnds in a battlefield, to send him into eternal rest. He could at least do this much.
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Ciel pulled out his sword and walked up to Ebdon, but Brendel stopped him.
Brendel pulled out his own sword with much difficulty and exchanged glances with Ebdon. He rode up to
him and thrust his sword into the opponent’s chest.
Ebdon broke into a smile as the flames in his flared up.
“Young man, I told you these secrets because I am still ‘Ebdon’ from Madara. I should thank you for
releasing me.”
The undead knight gave a final sigh: “But at the same time, I have to die as a noble undead. The undying
Madara represents unyielding flames, it’s just that I did not expect to lose…..”
The Soul Fire within its eyes finally extinguished.
The ‘White Rider’ Ebdon was finally gone, and Brendel understood there would not be any Madara’s four
vanguards any more from this point forth. He looked quietly at the remains before countless silver
particles rose from its corpse and integrated into his body. This was something that he had not
experienced before as a warm energy went into his entire body.
[This seems to be pure soul energy… Well, if I’m going by the system, that’s 1300 XP. The combined XP
from killing the enemies from previous battles is nearly 2000. It’s more than enough to level up and make
things easier for the upcoming battles… but that’s not a good idea as it will interfere with my plans for the
future…]
He raised his head up and looked at the sky. The clouds have already disappeared, and he could see a
cross-shaped constellation in the sky.
[The constellation of the King of Knights.]
He took out the statue in his pouch and raised it up. The elegant deer reappeared on the mountain’s edge,
before it turned around and disappeared to the northeast direction.
He suddenly spotted Leto riding up to him.
“We have discovered a lot of ghouls to the sides of this mountain……” Leto lowered his voice and
whispered.
“Understood, we’re still on track in regards to timing.” Brendel answered with the same calmness. “Get
the refugees to make a move now. We won’t have enough time to waste on exchanging words right now.”
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TL: Next update should be next weekend.
Chapter 25 – Home of the fairies
——————-Princess POV———————-
“This person is certainly audacious to call himself a member of the royal family.”
The princess lightly placed her fringe of silver hair to the back of her pointed ears with her fingers, then
took the porcelain teacup and gently sipped from it, smiling.
“The king slumbers within the valley when the twin moons can be seen— What do you think of the riddle,
Lord Oberbeck?” She mused for a while before asking.
“The majority of the noble families in our kingdom have their own secrets, and this is an undeniable fact.
But Ebdon mentioned about the oath to the royal family. It’s likely that the treasure has to something to
do with the royal family.” Oberbeck replied.
“I think it goes slightly more complicated than that, Lord Oberbeck. The Holy Oath might have something
to do with the first king, Erik.”
Oberbeck nodded. “The emerald lake in the pure white mountain — There are stories that the place is
where a Saint took his eternal rest.”
“I see. May I know how it came about?”
“The fishermen in the region frequently stated that they saw the Knight of the Lake in the mist. He guards
the Lake of the Goddess, located in the central island, and white boulders could be spotted within the
island. That is perhaps the mountain to the riddle.”
“Thank you for the explanation, Lord Oberbeck. Do you have any idea what the two-faced statue means?”
“I’m afraid I have no idea what is that, my lady.”
“That’s true. A mysterious treasure like this is most likely unknown to everyone. It’s certainly a very
interesting aspect in the stories about knights.”
She covered her lips and laughed: “I must have made you laugh for my childish behavior.”
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“Not at all, my lady. I too wonder about the identity of this former Ebdon. As far as I know there isn’t a
royal knight named Ebdon.”
“Perhaps his former name was something else.”
“Indeed, that’s my guess as well.”
The half-elf princess did not look at the middle-aged man, but she guessed that he must have done a
careful investigation.
[Oberbeck seemed to be highly impressed with that young man… He must have reported to Father about
this matter as well, but what exactly was he impressed about? Personal strength? It’s certainly a factor,
but the most likely reason is the power behind that youth.]
The princess stroked her chin.
[Are the Highland knights so important? This kingdom needs a new power so that it could revitalize itself,
but the Highland Knights, militia, or a new formal army are unlikely to be able to achieve that purpose.
That young man…?]
She shook her head.
[No, that’s not possib– Wait… Am I jealous?]
For some reason she felt a little threatened by him and was slightly stunned when she thought about the
issue. She shook her head again.
“My lady?” Oberbeck noticed her strange actions.
“Ah, I apologize. Please continue the events.”
Oberbeck cast a strange look at her as he nodded.
——————— Brendel POV —————-
The first moon had set in the west, while the second moon was still in the middle of the sky.
Fog had started to appear in the fir forest, bringing a frosty nip to everyone. Brendel looked down from
the horse, confirming that the white deer had started to bring them into the lower grounds in the east.
A few minutes ago, Leto had came up to him to report the zombie army had stopped chasing their tracks.
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[Looks like they discovered that Ebdon’s forces are gone. Medes has most likely called back his forces as a
precaution.]
The valley was silent.
Two grand statues over thirty meters tall suddenly could be seen from the fog. Everyone except Brendel
raised their heads up and stared in wonder at them without saying anything for a long time.
They did not think that there would be such a place after crossing the remote valley. They felt like they
had caught a glimpse of history from a thousand years ago, and they felt a strange solemn feeling growing
from their heart.
The statues had long robes and layered armor pieces, with war dresses attached beneath the plated
armor. The helmet was of Elven-make as the two sides of it were of a winged design. One hand held a long
lance, the other held a gigantic shield. Their gazes were peering into the distance.
They were recognized as the Holy Warriors from the Golden Races, where they fought against the
Twilight Dragon in the Era of Darkness, until they finally rescued the continent from its grasp.
The statues represented the guardians of all sentient beings.
As they passed beneath the statues’ feet, they felt rejuvenated, as if all fatigue and dirt had been washed
away.
Many people even stopped to check if they was somehow in an illusion.
Brendel did not tell them that this was Vaunte’s strongest protective barrier ‘The tenth Percept’. Its
effects were very distinct on the people who gained their strength from darkness. A normal human being
would enjoy the restoration of strength and purification when they passed through the barrier, but an
undead would immediately be turned from extremely evil into extremely righteous if they managed to
survive the statues’ test.
But that was exceedingly unlikely, as even Madara’s any of the 24 eternal undead lords would most likely
be turned into dust.
Once they passed through under the statues and into the valley’s entrance, they found that the inner
valley was becoming broader and broader, till the point it became an area of flat land. White fog
surrounded both sides of the area and one could not see the edges.
There seemed to be some form of living spirit that was made up of white smoke, sometimes forming into
an angel flying in the sky, or a fearsome gryphon, or a knight on a tall horse, but they disappeared within
the blink of an eye.
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No one dared to stray too far from Brendel’s side. The refugees had stopped talking long ago and merely
kept watching at the ever-changing environment.
Freya who was in the rear felt things were becoming more and more surreal. This place looked like it was
somewhere that a common man would not understand, but Brendel did not appear surprised or excited.
She started to fret again after realizing that he was someone who was as mysterious as this place was.
Even though she had constantly fought beside him, she felt that she could not follow his footsteps as she
was just a normal girl.
She frowned and look at Romaine.
[Romaine’s aunt has her own secret ways and Romaine… Maybe someone like her is more suited for
Brendel… They are the type after all…]
Freya became more and more upset as she thought about it, and in the end hung her head down and rode
behind alone, far away from the rest.
Brendel did not notice anything unusual as he was handling Romaine’s strange questions.
“What’s this place Brendel?”
“Didn’t I tell you earlier? This place is the where the grave of the Holy Saint is.”
“But you didn’t mention where the grave is just now.”
Brendel’s headache grew a little. He turned his around to look for some help and saw Ciel with a serious
expression.
[… Yeah right. He’s not going to be reliable at this moment. Urgh, never mind.]
He looked at Romaine again. She was filthy all over with mud as she sat proudly on the horse.
[This was something that can’t be helped… If she hadn’t stole a horse to learn how to ride on it, she
wouldn’t become so dirty.]
When Brendel knew that this event happened a while ago, he was really scared as she might fallen and
broke something. But when he ran up to her, he found that she had tied a robe to herself to the horse’s
back firmly, running about with a puffed up chest.
He obviously pinched her ear and lectured her for a long time about the things that she could and could
not do.
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“The Grave of the Holy Saint is where the ancient kings and sages take their eternal rest. They used their
spirits to make a new border, and named as the ‘Kingdom of Sanctuary’. where all their citizens would be
blessed while any invaders would be trapped within forever.”
“Does that mean they are many places like this?” Romaine tilted her body towards the horse and looked
at Brendel from the side.
“Naturally.”
Brendel took a deep breath to enjoy the air within this valley, and nearly choked with eyebrows nearly
bundled together.
[This damn girl needs to go for a bath straight away after we’re out from danger. I can’t believe she can
tolerate herself to be so dirty… Sometimes I really want to look inside her brain and what’s going on
inside—]
“Are they all called Grave of the Holy Saint?”
The conversation between Romaine and Brendel had drawn the people around them a little closer. This
place was filled with wonder and they wanted to listen to the youth’s explanation. The mercenaries were
a little curious as to how Brendel know about it. Some of the more experienced members in their group
had seen more than the common noble, but even so, they had never heard of the phrases that he
explained to Romaine.
[I heard that this young man is a Highland Knight, but are they really so mysterious?]
Not only were the mercenaries puzzled, even Ciel felt a little strange. Even as a wizard’s apprentice, his
knowledge regarding about this was limited. Even in the Black Tower, there were hardly a few wizards
who are proficient in this matter, and certainly no more than five people.
[Where exactly does my master learn about all this information?]
Ciel did not voice out his questions. Anyone who was able to use the Cards of Fate was not someone
simple.
Brendel shook his head when he heard Romaine’s question.
“They have their own names. Each grave has something to related with the person residing in it. This
place which is filled with a strange fog that never seems to end, based on my knowledge, is called the
‘Home of the Fairies’…..”
“Home of the Fairies?”
“The King of Knights is one of the eleven ancient kings, a guardian of the human race even before the King
of Flames, Gatel. The King of Knights made a promise with the Fairy Queen, and the queen allowed him to
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eat the Golden Apple to become king. After he died, his soul would return to this land and sleep there
forever, and continue to uphold the promise—”
“This land is where chaos started. Time stops here during the night, and only when dawn breaks would
time move again. Legend depicts that there is a Golden Apple Tree here in the center of the valley, where
the Fairy Queen lives. If any common man sees her that she does not approve of, they will never be able
to leave.”
A moment of silence happened, and Brendel turned his head to see why Romaine was quiet. She was
looking at him with clear eyes.
“The Golden Apple?”
“What did you remember from the things I said? Only three words? The Golden Apple?” Brendel’s mood
turned sour as he realized that Romaine did not pay attention.
Romaine nodded earnestly.
“Alright, I’m not going to talk about this anymore.” He was almost at a loss for words, but when he was
preparing to lecture her about logic and reasoning, he suddenly stopped moving and looked to another
direction.
Everyone turned their heads along with him to look at what Brendel was looking at.
A solitary tree in the distance.
[What… is that?]
Brendel was stunned.
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I’ll check for any mistakes tomorrow.
TL: Good news and bad news. Good news, lecturer has give the thumbs up to draw a full illustration of the
concepts and I finished my other stuff early, so I can TL it.
Bad news, the level of complexity of the designs is enough to make my head spin, and I might need to stop
TLing my series for 1 week to meet the deadline. Anyway, I’ll see how it goes.
The next update will be tomorrow.
Chapter 26 – The golden mystery
Everyone who heard Brendel describing the Golden Apple Tree paused for a moment when they saw the
lone tree in the distance. The mercenaries who overheard about the part where no mortal could leave
when they saw fairy queen, shivered in fright when they linked the tree to Brendel’s story.
They immediately kept their glances to a minimal, afraid of being trapped here forever. They had just
escaped from Madara’s undead with much difficulty to survive, but they did not have any intention to
stay here forever.
But Brendel did not care about the fairy tale at all. He had searched the entire valley along with all the
other players in the game. It was certainly mysterious for the residents that lived here, but in the game
there was nothing but a desolate land and fog, not even an animal.
There was no monsters, no treasure, no living creatures. The legendary fairy queen in the lore spread
about only through the mouths of the NPCs, and no player has ever seen her.
And that was why it shook him to the core when he saw the tree. He was more than certain that there was
nothing like that in the game.
[The way how we got into the valley had not changed at all, and the scenery matched my memories.
There was nothing in particular that’s worth noticing either in the day or night… But there’s something
that has changed here. Timing differences…? Unlikely… Was there a mission about this? I don’t think so…]
Brendel rubbed his forehead.
[Then… this reality is different from the game? Or someone carefully hid his experience within the game
because it’s a one-time mission? The latter seems like a better fit, but how did he get all the secrets in this
area? Is it triggered by the number of times one enters the valley?]
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Brendel clenched and unclenched his fist.
[Let me think… The first player discovered this area… announced the information excitedly in the
forums… then there was some form of NPC confirmation that a knight had gone to that area after the
player found that area…. And then another player from a guild confirmed the rumors shortly after that… I
feel like I’m forgetting something important.]
Brendel was uncertain about this unforeseen event, as it meant that there could be something that was
beyond his calculations. Yet his heart was racing from this unknown event, especially when this secret
mission was something that had never been discovered before.
[The rewards must be off the charts since it involves ancient lore!]
He quickly made up his mind and made a gesture to let the mercenaries to get the refugees to stop
marching. Time was slowed down in this place, and three full days here was equivalent to a single night
outside this area. They could stop and eat, explore the entire valley and not take more than a single day.
He saw Leto looking at him in a puzzled manner. Brendel pointed at the tree and said
“I feel there’s something wrong and I want to check it out.”
“Do you need my help?” Leto might have been a veteran soldier that participated in the November War,
but he was ignorant in the ways of the mysterious lore.
Brendel shook his head.
Brendel did require some help, but he did not trust the mercenaries. This was something that possibly
concerned legendary treasures, and he did not wish to share it with them. He looked at Ciel whom he
trusted the most, but he had nearly spent all his mana points in the battle earlier, and he was just slightly
stronger than a normal person.
He looked at Romaine next. She did not fit the requirement either. Even though she had strong
perception, but her overall strength was too weak and insufficient for her to take on such a risky mission.
Romaine looked at him and blinked innocently.
[There’s really no need to try and get all puppy-eyes at me… I’m not bringing you.]
He turned his head around and found Freya in an inattentive mood.
“Freya?”
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“Hah? Ah!” She looked him in a moment of confusion before she blushed.
“What’s wrong?” Brendel was confused by her actions as well. He knew her to be one who had her own
opinions on the current situation, but ever since she entered the valley she acted strangely.
He even thought she might have been swapped by some Madara’s undead, if not for the Thorn of Light
which did not react at all.
“N-nothing, What do you need, Brendel?” She was thinking about the tasteless request that he had a while
ago, and she was afraid that he might be able to see through her thoughts.
“I’m going to take a look at the tree in front, come along with me.”
Freya paused for a while before nodding vigorously: “S-sure.”
“I want to go too.” Romaine started twisting her body left and right in protest.
“Just stay here without doing anything else. If you want to learn riding so much, I’ll let Ciel teach you. If I
find that you’re still bound to your horse later, I’ll drag you over and tie you to my horse’s back.” Brendel
replied spitefully as he threw a glance at her.
“But I am unable to learn it.” Romaine simply answered without thinking.
He shook his head: “That’s fine since there’s a lot of time. It’s very easy to ride a horse, and if you can’t
ride one you can’t go on adventures with me.”
“That’s no problem at all. I’ll tie myself to the horse’s back without any problems. I don’t feel that it’s
uncomfortable.”
“It matters a lot, and it has nothing to do with how you feel.” He glared at her for a while, before ignoring
her whining.
He instructed Leto on the things to note and brought along a crossbow, before calling out to Freya to set
off.
Brendel had searched this path before along with numerous other players. As he rode towards the tree,
he finally confirmed that the area here was definitely different from what had happened in the game. He
kept circling the boulders nearby, before Freya finally called out to him to ask: “Brendel, what exactly are
you looking at?”
“I’m looking for the entrance.” Brendel kept turning the horse round and round to look at the chaotic
white boulders. Finally he seemed to have discovered something and jumped down from the horse, and
walked towards the center of the boulder.
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“Entrance?” Freya also followed him and jumped down from the horse.
“Yes. It’s right here, follow me-” Brendel replied as he pulled out the Elven sword and walked through a
small gap between two boulders.
[‘Fate’s fork’. The game’s indicator stated this in the journal, but nothing is showing up in my retina right
now. There’s a iron box behind these rocks which contain a rock slate necessary for the unique area.]
He kept thinking about this event when a sudden blast of wind came at him. He was considerably careful
in searching, and before he was able to think about it, his body had already made the decision for him to
retreat. He knocked Freya down as a golden arrow aimed at his former postion where his nose was.
The two of them fell backwards, but Brendel looked at the shooter’s direction at the last moment and
spotted a golden figure disappearing behind the boulders.
[Shit… I’m lucky my reactions are fast enough, because I really didn’t spot where the attacker attacked
from just now.]
“Who’s there!” Brendel had subconsciously pushed himself up from the ground to chase the attacker, but
when he pushed himself up with his hand, he immediately felt there was much softness in his grasp.
When he finally found out what it was, his mind was a blank.
[…………. Seriously?]
He turned his head back and indeed discovered that his hand was placed squarely into an undesirable
spot on the girl’s chest. Freya was staring at him with her clear light brown eyes, and she did not know
what to say for quite some time.
But she finally reacted and pushed him to one side, before scrambling to her feet and kept quiet.
He also regained his senses and pretended to look for that golden figure, but there was nothing there at
all.
“I’m, err, sorry……” He thought for a very long time, but only managed to squeeze out a dry apology.
“Err, mmm, who was that just now?” Freya’s face was flushed with blood.
“I’m not sure. I saw a golden figure, but fairies don’t appear like that, but more like they are creatures that
are summoned.” Brendel’s mind worked furiously and his thoughts were cleared up.
“A-are you fine?” The girl’s voice was incredibly soft.
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Brendel looked at her and hook his head. He had been trying to look for a golden arrow, but there was
nothing but a deep hole in the boulder’s wall.
[Arrow of Light?]
Brendel’s brow furrowed.
[That’s from a high grade weapon… This is not an illusion, but judging from the opponent’s speed, he’s
not as powerful as Ebdon. As long as I sustain my vigilance I’ll be fine.]
Brendel had confirmed his current strength when he fought against Ebdon. If he went all out, he would
barely be at the level of a Silver-ranked fighter, and any enemy below that was not much of a trouble to
him.
After checking the area, Brendel gestured to Freya for her to be on the alert, while he gripped the Elven
sword tightly and slowly advanced.
[The enemy escaped to the north. That area is where the ‘Fate’s fork’ is at. Does that mean he came from
that place? But I have never heard of someone being attacked in the game.]
He immediately spotted an iron box in a stone platform as he reached around the bend. Anyone with a
level higher than a Gold-rank was able to destroy the box, but it was a meaningless action as the box
would be restored the next night.
Brendel looked around his surroundings. He did not trust his memories entirely now. This enemy had
proven that events that did not appear in the game, happened here. Not only was there some mysterious
living entity, he looked like he was an enemy.
After confirming there was no one around, he opened the box. But when he did so, he was completely
stunned.
There was a pair of earring beside a rock slate.
[What… is this?]
He hesitated. He was now afraid that there was a magic trap in the box. Again, there was nothing like that
in the game, but he did not want to take a risk. He did a simple test by allowing the Elven sword to go
near the box. Typically there was a simple defensive measure for magic traps that worked sometimes.
There was no such reaction.
He then took the ring and glanced at it, before throwing back into the box like it scalded him.
[Ring of Infinite Ice, +2 to knowledge, +1 to will]
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Brendel cried in pain and clasped his head with both his hands. An explosive pain went through his mind
like a thousand needles had stabbed it.
“Brendel?” Freya jumped in fright and she immediately went over to support him.
“I’m fine, be careful of the surroundings.” Brendel gasped for breath as he he took the box with one hand.
He cursed the person who put the ring into the box.
[Damn it. Who’s the bloody moron who put in this 95oz equipment into this box… That was pure magic
recoil because my level is too low. This area is still a beginner’s area, and even the max level of any enemy
would not be over fifty, but this ring is at least level seventy and above.]
Brendel had used his ‘Will’ to investigate the ring, and caused a strong backlash to his mind. The pain
subsided after a while, and Brendel started to think about the events again.
[… I see. So that is why I felt that things are strange. What if this is an event that was impossible for any
players to get? Rather than thinking that the NPC knight in the game came second after the first player
who discovered it, the NPC was the first to discover this. That’s because the players started to investigate
the veracity of the first player’s claim and discovered the rumors about the NPC discovering this area.]
Brendel stared at the ring.
[A hidden quest beyond level seventy? Try and aim for it? Or retreat right away? The risk is crazy, but the
rewards are just as impressive. I completed 3 such quests in the game last time, and I got a ‘Fantasy’
ranked weapon, an intermediate secret skill, as well as a billion Tor coins. Because of these three quests, I
managed to get into the upper echelons. But… level seventy? Just any level seventy enemy would be
enough to kill me outright just by looking at me.]
Brendel’s heart raced.
[But there’s another problem. If I wait till three months later, the secret mission here might be gone. The
timing around that time is when the first player discovered this area, so…… what should I do?]
The youth took in a deep breath and looked at Freya.
“Brendel?” She found that there was a strange look in his eyes, and she asked him in trepidation.
“If I am going to choose to risk my life, would you follow me?” Brendel found his voice was hoarse.
“… I would, but I wouldn’t want you to risk it.” Freya thought carefully for a moment before answering.
Brendel took in her words and nodded, letting out a long sigh.
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Chapter 27 – Knowing when to call it quits
Once Brendel heard Freya’s words, he immediately calmed down. He had cleared three secret quests and
knew even more of such secret quests that were of equivalent level.
[There is absolutely no need for me to take on such a risk. When I fought against Ebdon, I literally used
everything I had to defeat him. Fighting against anything that is above level seventy is completely
suicidal. Furthermore, the first player who found this place did so three months later. Madara’s undead
forces will retreat in approximately one or two months later, and they most likely won’t search this area
because of the protective barrier. If I truly want to aim for this secret quest, I can try doing so later on,
especially when my level is higher.]
He took the ring and kept it stashed away and patted the Freya’s shoulder: “Let’s go back.”
“Brendel?”
“There are plenty of chances to take such risks, but we only have a single life each,” Brendel smiled
mockingly at himself: “You are completely right. There are problems with my attitude just now.”
[The First War of the Black Rose ends at the end of July, Aouine’s internal strife shows itself during
September, and finally there’s a political shift in November. I have only five months to raise my levels as
much as possible, but I’m obviously going too fast for considering what I did just now.]
Brendel wanted to gain enough strength to at least protect the people around him, even if he was unable
to change the history was about to take place. He knew that the world would descend into utter chaos,
and things like justice and logic would be destroyed by the wars ahead. In order to survive in the chaotic
world ahead, he had to do ridiculous tasks in order to become stronger.
Romaine and Freya might not be able to understand, and even Ciel who followed him might not be able to
understand either. Sometimes Brendel felt the feeling of frustration was even stronger in him because he
knew he was powerless to stop the events that came along.
He sheathed his sword and walked towards the exit, and indicated to Freya to follow him.
When the two left the area, two person slowly walked out from the dark gaps between the rocks.
The taller person looked like she was female. She dressed in a strange robe that was white in color, with
her sleeves, shoulders and chest area decorated with blue sigils. The upper dress fit tightly to her waist,
but the sleeves and pants were uniquely wide. She had long silver hair and her eyes seemed like the
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deepest lake that was dark green in color. There were crimson patterns on her face, but she did not have
any expressions.
“Rauze, are you not going to stop them from leaving?” Her voice was completely neutral and boring.
“Phoral, if you keep showing off your aggressive nature by showing off your claws and teeth, it won’t be
fun anymore.” The reply that came back seemed to be full of excitement.
The shorter girl appeared like she was approximately fifteen years old. Her long golden hair was tied into
twin ponytails, and she wore a traditional leather attire like many other adventurers. On her back was a
heavy iron box that was taller than a human, with a constellation design that linked five different stars
together.
Phoral thought for a while.
“Then why did you attack them?”
“Tsk. You’re really boring, I’m just testing them.”
“I see. I was wondering if the Principality of Gold had something wrong when your attack was less than
two percent effective—”
“I really don’t want to marry a person as boring as you…”
“Rauze, we’re from the dragon race.”
“‘Person’ is just an analogy, bleah, I don’t wanna talk about this anymore. That human male actually took
away your ring. Doesn’t he know what this means?” (TL: Dun dun dunnnnn, it’s a trap?)
She giggled as she spoke. Phoral looked at her without answering. (TL: Sorry, I couldn’t resist that pun.
Don’t ask me about their identities, I really have no idea who they are.)
“Tsk. You’re really a boring fellow. But I really want to see his expressions when he sees the little present
I gave him. I heard that humans are really greedy creatures.”
“Didn’t you came here to find the legend of the Golden Apple Tree? Why did you give away that item to
them?”
“Hahhh…. The legend about the Golden Apple Tree isn’t as interesting as these small creatures fighting
for their lives, ya know? I decided to give this adventure to them because of that reason. Also, I find that
human male kinda familiar, he might be related to the King of Knights or something.”
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Phoral stared at her: “Do you know the King of Knights?”
She immediately coughed: “That’s just an expression, expression!”
“What exactly are you scheming?”
“Ha ha ha… Just a simple test…”
Rauze started giggling again. Phoral’s brows furrowed.
When Leto saw Brendel and Freya returning to the camp, the mercenaries had already settled the
refugees and started cooking a meal. The fire that was started in the foggy valley seemed to add some
vitality into the empty land.
The mercenaries and militia were completely exhausted after the series of battles in the night. When
Brendel rode back, he discovered that most of them were sleeping. However, some of the refugees
volunteered to be cooks and roused the people who defended up when the meal was cooked, personally
handing them the hot food..
Brendel appreciated the scene before him.
[The future can be changed. The people I rescued today can rescue even more people in the future, and
bit by bit we can write a new history. Even though I’m still weak right now, I’m definitely becoming
stronger.]
Leto approached and greeted him, asking him in a quiet voice if he wanted to set off immediately. Brendel
looked around him and found Ciel and Sue sleeping deeply on a wooden box. He then took another look at
the refugees and mercenaries, discovering that the entire camp was mostly quiet.
He thought for a while and shook his head. His plan was already half completed and there was no need to
push the people here too hard. They could still pull ahead of the Madara’s ahead even if they slept for a
while due to the time dilation in this area.
The exit in the north valley was very close to the River of Sharp rocks, and reaching there meant that
victory was nearly at hand.
“Have you slept, Mister Leto?” Brendel asked.
“Don’t worry, my lord. I’m a mercenary. We’re very much capable of taking care of ourselves in a situation
like this.” Leto patted his chest and laughed.
Brendel nodded.
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“Then Freya, go ahead and sleep for a while.” He turned around and looked at the girl who had not slept
for several days. Even though this place restored the body’s physical strength, it was unable to restore
mental fatigue.
She shook her head immediately. “Don’t worry, I can still go on.”
“This is an order.”
“I, I…..”
She glared at him.
[Did I say I’m going to obey your orders?! I’m the militia captain right!] She growled in her head, but
every time she thought of the youth’s elegance in leading everyone to safety, his words felt like they were
naturally right, and in the end she could only lower her head and nod.
“I… I got it.”
Brendel obviously did not know the mental anguish going on in her head, but merely watched her leave
with his eyes on her to make sure she went to rest. Finally, he turned his head around and asked Leto:
“Ah, I want to ask where’s Romaine now.”
“I just saw Miss Romaine riding with the cavalry.” Leto looked at the squadron in front as he spoke. His
expression appeared like he had just witnessed something unbelievable.
“Riding with the cavalry?” Brendel did not notice Leto’s expressions, but merely repeat his words in a
troubled manner.
[This crazy lass went around the place by tying herself to the horse again? Looks like she has forgotten
some of the punishments that I administered a while ago…]
But before he decided to grind his fists into her head again, he heard a voice calling out to him. “Brendel,
hey, you’re back?”
Anyone could tell it was the lass with her distinctive voice.
When he turned around, he saw that she was riding proudly on the horse in front of him.
“W-when did you learn how to ride?” Brendel was really surprised when he took a closer look at her. He
was able to learn it instantly with the help of the game’s AI system, but Romaine obviously did not have
something like that.
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“Because I’m one hundred percent merchant material!” Romaine stopped her horse in front of him and
answered haughtily.
“What does this have anything to do with a merchant?”
“Eh? It has nothing to do with it?” Romaine’s eyes went wild with surprise. “But don’t all merchants know
how to ride a horse?”
“Ah, Miss Romaine, I have to say this, but the majority of the merchants don’t know how to ride a horse.”
Leto aided Brendel in his straight retort.
Romaine’s dainty eyebrows nearly bunched up together: “I-is that so? Well, there’s no problem at all
since I’m one of the better merchants, right Brendel?”
“Yeah, sure.” Brendel’s reply was half-hearted. He thought that it was heaven’s way of compensating for a
natural scatterbrain. He eyed her with her exasperation, dismounted and said: “Okay, little Romaine,
since you’re so free, accompany me to walk around the camp.”
“Sure.” She looked quite excited.
“Do you need me to go along, my lord?” Leto asked patiently.
Brendel nearly coughed up blood.
[Nice going, mister. Do you really need to try so hard to be a third wheel?]
But Leto had asked out of good intentions and Brendel could only agree in a gloomy nod.
Suddenly Brendel felt a strange shift in the bag on his waist and he froze momentarily. He opened it to
check and his expression immediately changed. He blinked and thought that he had seen something
wrongly, so he closed the bag, then opened it again.
He still thought he was hallucinating.
Why would he have this object in his bag?
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Chapter 28 – The end of the tale
—————– Princess POV —————
The princess with silver hair did not speak for a long time after the story ended. She supported her chin
with her fingers and looked at the sunset outside the giant arched window. It was nearly night time.
“So what is the ending of this tale, Lord Oberbeck?” She asked.
“Isn’t the ending apparent enough, my lady? It ends with me finishing narrating the tale to the princess
here.”
“You could put it that way, Lord Oberbeck, but you have not told me the most interesting thing.” The
princess asked with interest.
“Oh?”
“You said ‘he got something good out of it over the journey”, but I have not heard anything of that
description from the beginning of the tale, Lord Oberbeck.”
“Is that right, my lady, but this old minister here recalled clearly that he had described it perfectly.” Lord
Oberbeck laughed heartily as he faked surprise.
“You mean the emblem that Ebdon gave him? It’s nothing more than a magic emblem only right? I think
with Lord Oberbeck’s experience in magical artifacts, you wouldn’t be interested in that.” (TL: Given that
Brendel can actually decide his entire profession on this trinklet… Or how Ebdon was Madara’s top
ranking vanguard, heh.)
“No, no, of course not. My lady, why not think about it a little more?”
She tapped on her chin and considered for a while.
“Then it has to be something from the Valley of the Saint. I believe there’s a portion where you gave little
description as to what happened.”
“You are certainly wise, my lady.” Oberbeck praised her from the bottom of his heart. “But I did not
intentionally left out anything. At that moment, I felt two powerful presence hiding nearby and I did not
dare to approach any closer. I wanted to warn them of the danger, but I discovered them too late.”
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“Oh? Even though Lord Oberbeck is not known for your skill in the sword, but I recall that you’re at least
a Gold-ranked fighter. There was actually someone who was actually strong enough to stop you from
approaching them?”
“Unfortunately so. However, it looked like they did not want anyone to discover them, and merely gave a
warning to stop the two from advancing any further.” Oberbeck replied with some fear in his heart.
“Then that youth must have gotten something from there. Ah, Lord Oberbeck, you did not tell me what he
saw when he opened his bag.”
Lord Oberbeck checked his surroundings and mouthed the words out. The princess’s expressions
changed a little. “That thing really exists?”
Oberbeck nodded: “I have heard of this item in legends, and I was just as surprise as my lady. It is
unfortunate because once the item has gone through a mortal’s hand, it would not beloing to another.”
“I see. It is a little regrettable, as it might change my brother’s personality. For a kingdom like Aouine, he
is a little too soft.” She looked at him: “Otherwise Lord Oberbeck would have made an attempt to steal it,
right?”
Oberbeck did not deny it. “That wouldn’t change even if he is a friend of Lord Everton’s daughter.”
“I’m afraid that their relationship might not be as simple as friends only.” The princess chuckled.
Lord Oberbeck knew that she was reminding him not to use her.
[It is true that I considered using the king’s only daughter to get to this Highland Knight. But it seems like
she’s resistant to that idea. Still, she’s a daughter of the crown and has to get married someday. That
youth could actually be considered as a good candidate, and he is definitely much better than the majority
of the noble youths that I have seen.]
He bowed: “My lady, since the story has ended and the the day grows shorter, please allow this old
minister to leave.”
“Feel free to do so, Lord Oberbeck. I would still like to sit here in peace for a while.”
He tried to stifle the smile that was forming as he looked at her. He knew that she was trying to avoid her
history teacher, and he might even be complaining to the king right now.
“Avoiding the issue is not a good plan, my lady.” He tried to remind her in a small voice.
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The princess smiled with a sly look in her eyes. “But it is still a plan.”
Lord Oberbeck took his leave and closed the door after saying his goodbyes—
The princess stood up and went to the window to look at the scenery outside.
[What happened after that?]
———————- Brendel’s POV —————-
There was a wind that started in the forest.
The trees swayed against the constant bursts of winds like a watter current. The seemingly unending fog
started to move. The layers of fog stacked together, and it contrasted greatly with the clusters of fiery red
berries.
The hooves clad in metal broke the twigs and berries on the ground as they trampled across the river
which had sharp rocks jutting out from the beach. Thirty four horses galloped across the shallow water
and made it splash like fireworks.
The skeletons near the area clearly felt the disturbance and they sought out for the source. When they
finally discovered the disturbance, they found that there were war horses appearing right in front of
them.
The Arreck war horses charged straight into the fragile bones and smashed into them, either shattering
their bones immediately or knocking them back into the jagged rocks and destroying them. The cavalry
created an empty path, before it slowed down: The young leader gestured to the riders and they stopped
moving.
Shouts pierced through the morning’s air.
“Victory!”
“We won!”
“Long live Aouine!”
“Long live Brendel!”
The mercenaries cheered loudly with their arms raised. Their collective cheers echoed throughout the
valley as they combined into one.
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Brendel took down his leather helmet and threw it away as he splattered water onto his forehead to wash
away the perspiration. A gust of wind blew and he felt refreshed from it. He then mounted his horse and
looked at the surrounding environment.
[Over. It’s finally over!]
He clenched his fist. It was a nightmarish battle when they fought against Ebdon’s army. Everyone had
used up all their strength when they finally reached the Valley of the Saint.
Two thousand mere refugees managed to cut through a bloody path after being surrounded by ten of
thousands of undead. It sounded like it was a daydream, but the reality was they made it happen. It was
true that some of them did not make it and they wept in sadness over their cold bodies, but they managed
to survive. (TL: When you think about it, it was almost always Brendel’s army > enemy size, and
mostly the reason why a smaller army would win a bigger army. If you split up the undead into 50
groups, and have Brendel’s army of 500 militia/mercenaries vs 200 undead all the time…)
Almost all the mercenaries had injuries on them, but they looked at him with convinced eyes as they
know who had brought them to safety.
It was almost like a miracle.
The youth had fulfilled his promise as he said that he would point a path leading to a miracle
Freya brought the militia along with her at this stage.
Her sentences were,
“Did we really win, Brendel?”
He nodded at the girl. He did not speak, but the militia behind her were silent when they saw him nod.
Some of the people there dropped their weapons onto the ground as they saw their leader’s action. They
almost could not believe their eyes when they realized they had escaped to safety after just one full day.
They had repeatedly broke through the enemy lines, even when the White-Mane army was unable to
defeat the undead at all.
Someone from the militia yelled out loudly as if it in denial: “Lord knight, did we really win?”
Brendel nodded again.
Everyone started jumping and yelling in delight. Some of them started weeping while a few others ran
backwards to inform the refugees. The cavalry tried to keep a straight face, but after a few moments they
were grinning from ear to ear.
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Brendel noticed Freya looking at him in a slight stare, and he asked: “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. Thanks, Brendel.” Came the reply.
Brendel laughed in response. He started to look at the green forest far away from him.
[The Forest of Grand deer. That’s a nostalgic place. It’s a place that I used to pass when I traveled from
Bruglas to Fortress Riedon, with quite a lot of wolverines in them. There’s a particular point of interest,
an ancient castle, that I need to go at some point in the future.]
Brendel started evaluating his options.
[I have nearly gotten 5000 XP from the past battles. The Cards of Fate are something of great value as a
magical item and a trump card that I can use, so I have to spend 2000 XP to attain an EP pool. Next is the
Scholar and Knight professions. The sub-profession as a scholar allows for additional development on the
main profession class, as well as providing higher TP.]
(TL: EP elemental points, TP – Tactical points – Required for raising skills.)
[Technique skills in this world are a rare thing, because the majority of the people here are NPCs, while a
player could easily get their own innate techniques because of what their profession class brings along. In
this case, I also know missions that provide techniques as well, so I should put them in my schedule so
that I have an advantage over the people here. Considering the path ahead of me if I want to become a
paladin, I need to establish a good relationship with the Holy Cathedral of Fire.]
Brendel then thought about the overall journey.
[I merely completed a quest to ‘rescue the refugees’. The Tarkus in history had combined multiple
undead units and conquered many Aouine cities before they pulled out which led to the prologue of
Aouine’s demise. I used to laugh at Aouine’s weak leadership, but until I led this group of NPCs, I finally
realized that war isn’t so simple.]
He shook his head.
[A gamer looking at Aouine’s history with a pair of gamer’s eyes. That’s wrong. When you throw this
situation to the royal king or the Regent Princess later on, they will most likely be helpless in this
situation. I can’t imagine how it feels like to watch their kingdom crumble bit by bit over the decades… In
any case, we have already reached the north side of the River of Sharp Rocks.]
Once they defeated the squadron here, they had swept Medes’s last line of troops that surrounded the
region.
Suddenly he felt someone patting his back. When he turned around, he saw Leto and the other
mercenaries, along with the remnants of the White-Mane army gathered together.
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“My lord, what are your plans.” The first to speak was Batum who appeared like a coarse city dweller in
Brendel’s eyes. His orange-red beard was especially striking.
“My plans?”
“We have discussed amongst ourselves, we would follow you if you wish to keep us by your side.” Mano
answered in a straightforward manner.
The mercenaries found out that they were more keen to work for the youth after experiencing the past
few days compared to working for others.
Brendel was confused for a moment before realizing they were asking to be his retainers, but he was not
a real noble and his identity was merely upheld by Ciel. He thought for a while before replying.
“It’s not suitable for you to follow me at the moment.”
Everyone was taken aback, but Leto understood there was something else in his words. “Then what are
your plans, my lord.”
But Brendel returned the question to him. “What exactly do you plan to do if I can’t accept you?”
They looked at each other, but it was Gaspard from the Fortress Riedon’s public policing forces that
answered. “We intend to form a mercenary group, if my lord has other thoughts. We fought together so
we can trust each other.”
“Aren’t you interested in continuing your post as a captain?”
Gaspard laughed. “No, I already gave my thoughts about this, and my men are also willing to walk this
road.”
“What about you and your men?” Brendel turned to Taron and the rest of the White-Mane army.
“Besides us, there are also a few men from the refugees who are interested in joining us. However, a few
of the mercenaries and the White-Mane soldiers have their own plans. The rest amongst the refugees are
farmers and city dwellers.” Batum was the one who replied.
Brendel took another glance at him. Batum did not appear to be a simple mercenary to be able to analyze
the refugees’ composition.
“Taron?” Brendel was interested in the White-Mane’s sub-officer as he was one of the kingdom’s
veterans. Taron closed his eyes and thought for a while before answering in a solemn voice.
“I wish to follow you, lord knight. If you disagree, I can only return to the White-Mane Army.”
“You’re disappointed?” Brendel was surprised after listening to the tone in his voice.
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Taron nodded.
“Alright, let’s establish a mercenary group first and… the group’s name shall be ‘The Amber Sword’.”
Everyone paused.
Leto asked gingerly. “What does my lord mean?”
“Ahh, also, try and get some of the artisans from the refugees to go with you. Of course, you can’t force
them if they don’t want to. On the other hand, I need Batum to come along with me for the next task that
I’m about to do.”
He turned back to Taron. “If you really wish to stay behind, then go along with Mister Leto. I’m not sure
what I can do for your men, but I will let you know very soon.”
Taron slowly nodded.
“Where are you going next, my lord?” Gaspard asked.
“I’m heading to Ankries. Someone’s waiting for me there, then I’m going off to Bruglas. If everything goes
well, I believe I can inherit a land very soon. At that point we can discuss again.” Brendel replied
confidently.
Everyone looked at each other again. There were many noble youths, but knights who inherited lands
were very few. It appeared like he was a Highland Knight from the legends, and they thought they had
chosen the right decision to follow him.
Brendel looked beyond at the horizon as he started to form his plans clearly in his mind.
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No worries, I’m sure the story isn’t going to turn into a merchant novel. Maybe. Next update will come a
few hours later. Please inform me of any errors.
Chapter 29 – Romaine’s plans
The start of every year was called the ‘Month of Winter chords.’ One charismatic person would host the
event, so the first month was also called the ‘Month of socialization’, and many banquets and festivals
were held during that time period.
The sixth month was called the ‘Month of Hazy Summer’. The word ‘hazy’ referred to the moonlight
during the summer nights, where magic woke up from the Summer’s Slumber. This was when the
wizards, both living and undead, had their busiest activities.
When it came to the seventh month, the ‘Month of flowing fire’, it was when the day was longest
throughout the year. The Sun God would reach the peak of his powers and the beast-kin in the far east
held their biggest celebration, the Festival of Flames.
Similarly, the kingdoms who were under the protection of the Holy Cathedral of Fire considered this
month an important one. The celebration for this event that happened once a year in Aouine should have
started early, but the noble officials in the Grinoires region had no mood to spend time on the events due
to the constant battles they faced from Madara.
However, it appeared there was some changes as there were rumors that the army comprised of
frightening undead creatures had stopped at Dragos and did not proceed any further to the north. The
Silver-Winged knights had won two victorious battles and reclaimed much land, despite several defeats.
Many more rumors spread throughout the land, and people were unable to differentiate the truth.
Fortunately, most of the commoners would rather believe in good news, and they praised Duke Nakkin
for being wise and strong.
On the seventh day, Incirsta’s army turned towards Randner, and the villages in the Grinoires area
received their peace again.
People started claiming that the war was over because it was the time when the Sun walked on the Earth,
and once the undead touched the ground they would burn up, and the kingdom was naturally going to go
for a counter attack.
No one knew where the rumors started, but it was spread around the nearby areas within a few days.
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Brendel sat next to a wooden table and listened to the farmers’ discussion nearby him. He and a few
others had just left Ankries and were heading to Bruglas without much issues. The undead numbers were
getting smaller, so the farmers were at least right about the war ending soon.
Marden had successfully brought the villagers to Ankries, and the news of the fall of Bucce region quickly
spread to Fortress Vermeire. He naturally became a hero and the guards and militia that he brought along
were glorified and placed into a list where rewards awaited them. Freya and Romaine were also in the
list, but this was certainly not the end of the rewards. Brendel knew that there was a more important play
going on later.
[After the war, the kingdom is going to require ‘Heroes’ in order to boost the morale of the citizens. In a
war, victory or defeat isn’t that important, but it’s more important to have figureheads that allow people
to look at.]
When Brendel and the others reached Ankries, Marden and the the militia were sent to Bruglas without
any delay. The nobles wanted to gather goodwill from the capital, and the army needed to be praised,
therefore they had no reason for any clashes.
In the end, the glory was attached to the local White-Mane army instead of the local nobles, which
signified that Ankries also had political clashes between the two factions.
However, two news surprised Brendel.
[Bucce’s guards did not get wiped out by the undead forces entirely. Bretton and a few of the men close to
him survived. Ahh, I feel really annoyed when I think about that hateful bastard, but at the same time I
somehow feel relieved that he survived this.]
The other news really surprised him and made him feel at a loss.
[The ‘Tiger’ Luc Beson survived. What should I make of this? I know I changed history somewhat, but
what did I do to help him survive?]
“Damn these bastards! What does it have anything to do with these cowardly nobles when Madara
changed their targets to attack? Why doesn’t anyone know Brendel and who is Earl Nakkin?”
Freya was grumbling at the side and he looked over to her, only to find that she had a displeased
demeanor.
Brendel could not suppress a smile.
“Earl Nakkin is the current head of the Douglas family. The family is very well known in this area and they
go back a long time in history, and there are no common nobles that can be compared to them.”
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She jumped slightly when she suddenly heard him speak, and her earlier temper subsided quickly. “B-but
he can’t take the credit that others made….”
“The goals from the upper echelons are different from us. We basically will not have any contact with
them. Furthermore, there’s no need to get angry with the farmers here. You look down on the nobles
because you already know what’s inside their hearts, but these farmers are ignorant of the truth. In their
eyes, the nobles are people of high importance that takes care of the country.”
Freya paused slightly when she suddenly realized that she had stereotypical thoughts as well in the past.
She believed the city dwellers to be arrogant because of how much they know, while the nobles are far
above the commoners who controlled everything. She looked closely at the youth. After she met Brendel,
she had learned many more truths about the world, and seemed to grow up a lot.
The events that appeared mysterious and difficult had become common place now.
[Was Brendel the one who changed me, or did the war somehow changed my views?]
Brendel noticed she was deep in thought. “What are you thinking?”
“Have I changed?”
“Humans naturally change, Freya. It just depends where the change is.”
“What?” She looked at him in slight confusion.
“Wisdom.”
“Wisdom?”
“Because you see more things then the others, and know more than the others, that you find the world
becoming more insignificant. That is wisdom.”
“Then what about you?”
“You can think of it this way. When you know the things I know, the world would become complicated in
your eyes, and the events from the future would cause you an endless amount of worry.” The youth
paused for a while before answering.
Freya thought about it and shook her head to show that she did not understand.
Brendel smile: “You might come to know of it in the future—“
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He suddenly Romaine placing her chin onto the table with utter boredom with her puppy eyes on him.
His pleasant mood was cut by half.
“What is it not?” He asked.
“Nothing.” Romaine immediately denied it.
Brendel found himself at a loss for words. The common sense of the girl in front of him frequently
stopped his conversation from continuing. He contemplated for a while before changing the topic.
“Come to think of it, what are you planning since yesterday?”
Romaine’s eyes shone and she sat up.
“I’m calculating the price.”
“Price?”
“Ever since the Month of the Moon Flowers, Ankries’s food prices went up by fifty percent. If the war
continues until winter, then the merchant Romaine will be able to make her first profit.” She answered
with logical sense.
Her words surprised both of them. It looked like the lass was having a great time for the past two days in
Ankries, off to complete her own adventures, but did not realize that she had investigated the market.
But Brendel was surprised at the merchant girl’s acuity, while Freya was surprised that her best friend
had a serious side to her.
“Looks like you can’t complete it,” Brendel got interested and replied: “The war will only last to the
middle of the seventh month. Looks like your first plan is about to go up in smokes, great merchant lady.”
“Really?”
“Most likely.” Brendel said that it was hundred percent in his heart. He was hoping to see the dejected
look on Romaine’s face, but he was quickly disappointed. (TL: We now know that he’s a S.)
“Hey, Brendel.” She blinked. “I heard that Bruglas constantly supplies food and wine to Dragos, Ankries
and the Bucce region every year right? Ankries and Dragos are also Grinoires’s most important southern
areas because they produce food right?”
[You even investigated this?] Brendel looked at little Romaine.
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“Then Bruglas with the population of thirty-five thousand, they would have stopped producing wine at
the end of the fifth month because of the war situation right?”
“Considering that the nobles received the news early, I think they might have stopped doing so at the
beginning of the fifth month.” Brendel reflected on the overall Madara invasion and realized that very few
people would notice any signs of the war because of how controlled the information was.
Romaine nodded. “Then if the war ends during the middle of the seven month, Ankries wouldn’t be able
to support two festivals, and if Bruglas wants to transfer wine and food, they would have to do so from
the north and pass over the Grey Eagle mountains. If that is the case, the wine prices from that region
should be expensive if you add on the fees incurred by the journey.”
“Who exactly told you this?” Brendel listened in surprise.
“My aunt said that ignoring the advice from your elders would be punished by the Gods.” Romaine looked
at the two in front of her and answered seriously. “Old man Anton, the cripple Carl and Mister John are
people who had produced wine for half their lives for Bruglas. Brendel, do you want the Great Merchant
Romaine to introduce any of them them to you? They are really good at what they do!”
Brendel looked at the merchant girl and her imaginary wagging tail that was working furiously. He could
believe that people liked her carefree spirit, but what was with the ‘Great Merchant Romaine’?
“So you want want to gain a profit before the war ends? That’s your plan?”
She nodded furiously.
“You lack the capital?”
She continued to nod furiously.
“Wait,” Freya finally found an appropriate time to stop them. She frowned as she spoke. “Brendel, you’re
aren’t going to become crazy like Romaine right? We don’t have much money.”
“Perhaps little Romaine can give us a surprise on this matter.”
But Freya did not believe that such an opportunity would drop onto their laps.
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Alright, this marks the end of the sponsored chapters. Thank you very much for your support.
You can expect two more regular chapters, probably one more chapter later on, and another tomorrow.
Chapter 30 – Brendel’s plans
But Freya did not get to finish her talk as she saw Romaine’s sad face, and swallowed the angry words
that she had.
“W-whatever. I can’t be bothered anymore.”
Brendel already knew that Freya was someone who had all bark and no bite, so he took out his own bag
and emptied it. A few silver coins fell out from it, and it appeared like he had around five hundred Tor.
His mouth opened slightly as he did not expect that he had so little money. He had sold off a low grade
gem from Ebdon’s loot for a good price in Ankries that was worth of tens of thousands of Tor. He had split
up up the money into three parts and divided them to Freya and Romaine. But after purchasing some
ingredients for an alchemy potion, he used up most of it.
The ingredients that he had were planned to make a High-potion that was supposed to raise willpower
for a short time. It was called a ‘Berserker’s potion for mages’ in the game, and it was more likely to be
even more popular in this world.
But this item was an investment that would not see profit like the painting of the Elven princess that was
worth a few million Tor.
[Especially this darn painting. I can’t sell it anytime soon. I kind of regret leaving the decision to Ciel. If I
had known this I would have just asked him to take some random gold or silver plates… This type of
special item isn’t easily sold even in the black market, unless I have personal connections.]
He arranged the coins on the table and sighed. “Looks like I only have this much. But Freya should have
some money left, right—“
“W-what does your problems have anything to do with me?” Freya nearly choked from her ill mood. She
glared at Brendel, but still took out her money pouch. “Grrrr. All our travel funds are inside here. Do what
you want—“
Freya threw out over four thousand Tor and he looked at her in surprise.
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They had been traveling around the Dragos region for nearly a month, and Romaine, Batum, Tamar and
his son, as well as himself and Freya had been living on her budget. In fact, they had four more horses and
the horse cart rental, so Brendel did not expect her to have much of the money left.
[Hoh… To think Freya is a budget planner…]
“What are you looking at?” Freya checked her clothes when she found Brendel staring at her.
“Nothing. I just thought you’re really a wise person. I wonder who’s lucky enough to marry you.”
“Freya is mine.” Romaine smiled happily.
Freya blushed like the evening sunset, her heart beating quickly. “What do you mean by lucky, s-stop
talking nonsense.”
Then she glared angrily at Romaine: “And you, just shut up.”
But the merchant girl was long immune to such attacks. She smiled as she took out her bag which was
just as empty as Brendel. “It looks like I ran out of money too.”
“Damn it, where did all your money go?!” Freya blurted out when she saw the empty bag. Logically,
Romaine was the one who did not need to use any money.
“Investigating the market requires money, you know. Also I bought a storage warehouse and prepared a
bit of wine.”
“You bought a warehouse?” Freya’s face asked when it happened.
“When Freya isn’t paying attention.”
“You need to tell us!”
Romaine thought seriously for a moment before wagging her finger. “A merchant needs to keep her
secrets, heh.”
“You and your stupid secrets!” Freya was angry to the point she lost the ability to continue talking.
“Little Romaine, you stored wine and not food?” But Brendel raised a question.
“Yup, I mainly chose Juniper Berries Wine and the local sweet wines.” Romaine nodded.
Brendel was silent for a long while as he looked at her. He finally asked.
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“You predicted that the war will end at the seventh month?”
“I thought it would be a little later than that. I didn’t think the situation would turn so fast. The Madara
undead at Dragos didn’t seem like they are going to advance, so I think they are going to seek for another
target. Didn’t Brendel always say that opportunities usually come only once, and I think the undead
commander also know this. In any case, the nobles will definitely want a festival once the war ends.”
“When did you learn all these things?” Freya looked at her in disbelief.
“It’s a merchant’s secret.” Romaine’s imaginary tail wagged proudly again.
“You really do learn very fast.” Brendel’s hand looked like he was going to pat her head, but his fingers
flicked Romaine’s forehead and made her clasp it. Her brows furrowed and she complained: “D-don’t flick
my forehead Brendel!”
Brendel looked at the pool of money.
[But maybe it has nothing to do with any learning and is more of a natural instinct. It’s rare to see
someone as talented as little Romaine. I have to maintain my identity after Bruglas, and I need a lot of
capital to fulfill my plans. Even before constructing any new buildings, Leto and his large group of
mercenaries still require me to pay them. Now that I have taken another look at the budget before us, it
seems that I have to the task of earning money up in my schedule.]
[The higher ranked items that I have, like the painting or potion, can’t be sold in the southern Grinoires
region due to many reasons. Too poor, too politically sensitive, hardly any black market presence….
Unless I go to Grinoires’s Folcrose, or the northern free port Ampere Seale, or Monsteras. These areas are
where the filthy rich nobles reside, and selling in the black market in that area wouldn’t raise too much
attention… The best option is still alchemy.]
Brendel decided that it was best for him to use alchemy since he also had Tamar as an assistant. He
briefly considered to pretend to be a prophet of sorts since he knew the future events, but abandoned it
when he considered that he might be branded as a heretic and burned on a stake like a witch.
[Most of the nobles like to use poison or acquire mana potions so they can recruit intermediate tier
wizards… Hmm profits would be…]
“Romaine, how much do you need, is one hundred thousand Tor enough?”
“One hundred thousand?” Freya was surprised. “When did we have so much money?”
“I heard that Nakkin’s treasury has quite a bit of money in it.” Brendel rubbed his chin.
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“Y-you—” Freya’s face immediately paled. From the performance in Fortress Riedon, she was certain that
Brendel could pull it off.
But Romaine did not act like she cared at all, and replied without any guilt in her voice. “It’s best to have
more than that. I can guarantee that the profits would double.”
“Stop that and persuade Brendel, h-he’s trying to—” Freya carefully looked around her and did not finish
her sentence. She was afraid that someone would inform the local authorities and they would not be
permitted to leave this inn.
“Freya, Brendel can be trusted.”
“Your head cannot be trusted!”
Freya was fuming , but she ultimately made up her mind not to let Brendel steal from the treasury of a
noble. The escape from Fortress Riedon was a last resort, but no matter what, this attempt must not be
allowed.
She convinced herself that it was out of justice and not because she was afraid of seeing Brendel’s neck in
a noose. She glared at Brendel once she thought it through and calmed down.
“Why did you bring all of us to whis village?” She suddenly asked Brendel.
There did not seem to be anything in this village except for a single inn. There were only twenty or thirty
families and this looked like a place that people stopped for a while and rest, but they were here for the
entire morning.
But Brendel was equally impatient as well. He had sent out Batum for a task half an hour ago, but he still
had not returned.
[Did I predict it wrongly? … No, this place is the right place. My memory isn’t bad enough that I can
mistaken it for a different place. What does this mean? That person hasn’t moved in to this place yet? But
didn’t the forums state that he was always here?]
Brendel finally raised his eyebrow when he saw the striking red moustache from Batum at the corner of
the street.
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Chapter 31- Master of the Mithril Fort, Tulman
In the Amber Sword, there had been a long standing rumor in the forums. A hidden sage that had a level
of hundred and twenty was residing in the Needle Forest between Bruglas and Ankries. It was only after a
long period into the game before a player finally discovered that legendary figure.
[Austein Tulman. Master of the Mithril Fort. Grand sage, as well as an intermediate wizard. The Silver
leader of the Twelve Circles magic association. After the association disbanded, he left the air city Kanogi
and retired in the Needle Forest. Users tried to garner goodwill from him and found that they could get
the sub profession Sage from him, but the majority of them chose to pay a little money and get the
profession from Bruglas’s library for nobles.]
Brendel did not know if there were any additional side quests or secrets from him as no users mentioned
that they did. However, regardless of whether they succeeded or not, he was about to try out personally
now.
[There’s no harm in trying anyway. I personally think it strange that a level 120 titled sage only offered a
profession as a reward. Since I didn’t try it out in the game, I’ll do it now. If there’s a shortcut to success,
I’ll definitely take it.]
He found out from Batum that Tulman did not live in the village, but a short distance away on a hill. Due
to his small error, Batum took the entire morning before finding out the correct place.
[That’s a pretty big blunder that I made.]
The four of them slowly made their way to the Sage’s house. The path from Ankries to Bruglas was
considerably used, so they did not see a rustic scenery like Bucce’s region had.
Every short distance or so, they found wooden fences line in a row, with fallen leaves covering the
gravels. It was a place that made people relax, and Freya lost herself in the beautiful forest, while
Romaine followed from behind and scampered everywhere, finding this place to be very interesting.
It was only Brendel who saw enough of this scenery to be irritated after walking for nearly an hour. He
asked Batum who was in front of him: “Batum, are you certain that the person I’m looking for is living in
this area?”
Batum wiped the sweat off from his face while he took off his hat. “I’m certain of that, my lord. If you’re
looking for an old man with a long white beard and long grey robes, there’s only one person in this area.
Please be assured of Batum’s search.”
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Brendel nodded.
He mostly trusted in Batum. The mercenary had done a reasonable job in his tasks, and he had listened
carefully to his orders without much issues.
Batum also found that Brendel had given him tasks within a mercenary’s capacity and did not
overestimate his abilities, and the former was impressed with his leader’s eye for men.
The only thing that he did not understand was the relationship between his wizard squire and Brendel.
The youth named Ciel kept appearing and disappearing out of nowhere, and he could only view it as the
mysterious ways of a Highland Knight.
Freya exclaimed with surprise when they finally reached the end of the forest. There was a lone wooden
house in the midst of a grassy hill, with a clear path leading to it.
It was quite a unique house, as it looked like half an overturned barrel on the ground. The door was
located in the center of this ‘barrel’, while the two sides had windows decorated with pots of various
silver and purple flowers. Even Brendel could not identity all of the flowers, but he noted that they might
be rare magical plants.
They walked to the wooden fences surrounding the house and found a bell on the gate.
[If Tulman isn’t taking a nap or something, he has most likely discovered our presence with a magic spell.
Anyone who rings this bell will most likely draw his ire. This is not used for alerting him that someone is
in front of his house but alerting him that there’s an emergency or something, like a dragon invading the
village, heh.]
He suddenly felt someone touching his shoulder, and he saw Freya’s troubled face when he turned
around.
“Brendel, what is this place?”
She noticed that Brendel was here to meet someone, but she had no clue as to who it was.
“It’s an old man’s home.” Brendel’s gaze was back on the house’s wooden door.
“An old man?”
“Yup. He’s a wizard.”
Freya nearly knocked the sword off from her belt as she yelped in surprise. Not only her, even the veteran
Batum straightened up when he heard that. They were meeting a real wizard that was unlike the flaky
apprentice Ciel.
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Many people in the entire continent and not just Aouine alone, viewed wizards as the most mysterious
figures in bedtime stories, and listened to their rumors growing up, and even associated them with
monsters and Gods.
But most of them did not know that it was a common sight to see wizards in the biggest cities, especially
in the royal court or academies established by the royal families. The only rare variants were the Black
Wizards or witches that were truly unique to be placed inside legendary stories.
But Brendel discovered that Romaine was looking a little tense.
“Why are you looking so anxious?”
“My aunt says we need to be polite when we greet wizards, otherwise there might be unncessary
trouble.”
“Hmm?”
Before Brendel could answer, there was an elderly voice that came from within the house. The door
opened with a creak.
“This isn’t something what commoners would say. Little girl, who’s your aunt?”
The old voice matched the person who spoke. An elderly man appeared before them with grey long robes
and silvery hair, along with a pair of shell-rimmed spectacles. His white beard extended all the way to his
waist and swayed as he approached the four.
Everyone saw the legendary Tulman for the first time, even Brendel.
“My aunt is my aunt.” Romaine did not appear shy at all.
The old man looked at the others with clouded eyes. They swept past Brendel and Batum, but they
paused for a while when he looked at Freya.
Finally, they went back to Romaine and he smacked his lips. “I know who your aunt is when I look at you.
Hmph, you definitely got her personality right. “
[What, this wizard knows Romaine’s aunt? But he’s a real wizard from those rumored stories!] Freya
could not believe her ears.
[Tulman actually knows Romaine’s aunt as a witch.] Brendel was surprised that Tulman seemed to know
Romaine’s aunt personally.
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“You know Aune Jennie? “Have you seen Romaine’s aunt before?”” Both of them talked at the same time.
Tulman wanted to go back into the house, but he stopped when he heard them. He looked at Freya first
without saying anything, but when he looked at Brendel, he asked.
“Young man, do you know the meaning of courtesy?”
Brendel coughed as he realized his mistake. He could only smile and act like nothing had happened.
“Wasting time is an embarrassing act, Ser Tulman. I’m only trying to save time—“
Tulman narrowed eyes widened slightly: “Do you know me?”
“Certainly,” Brendel did not mince his words: “The Master of the Mithril Fort, Silver Leader of the Twelve
Circle Association. I certainly know of Ser Tulman.”
The hat in Batum’s hands dropped when he heard that. There was a famous legend where a group
comprised of brigands and mercenaries that numbered nearly five hundred, along with two ogres, had
their eyes on the legendary Mithril items.
They were all turned into stone by the Master of the Mithril Fort..
They were still placed on a desolate beach where seafarers could see them from time to time.
That legendary figure was now in front of him and what shocked him was Brendel’s casual attitude
towards him. He could not help but feel this lord knight was insane.
But he was even more shocked to find out what happened later on.
Tulman turned around and looked at the young man again when he heard his words. He carefully
observed him as if to make sure that there was no one like him in his memories, before he spoke again.
“Young man, it seems like you’re prepared when you came here. But who exactly are you, I don’t recall
someone like you in my memories. Whose son are you?”
Brendel thought that was something suspicious when Tulman recognized Romaine’s aunt.
[One of the famous witches? Perhaps the legendary Blue Witch who abandoned her title as the ruler of
witches to live in the world of mortals? Hmm. Well I can think about it later on.]
Brendel shook his head. “I’m not a son of any of your acquaintances. I came here because I have a
question.”
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“Question?”
Brendel cleared his throat and spoke with an accent: “Stam—“
The old man looked as if he understood something, but his eyebrows knitted together soon enough.
“What is the meaning of that word?”
Brendel’s eyebrow went up. He just spoke a word from Kirrlutz’s poem of world creation, the text in the
original Blue Poem. In the later era, every original document in the game literally sparked a war between
wizards each time they were discovered. Cold perspiration formed on his head when he thought there
were no ‘Nature Slates’ in this world.
[W-wait. It’s because the era isn’t right. The main quest isn’t about Madara conquering Aouine, the real
primary quest started when the Nature Slates started showing up. The ‘World Wizard War 1’…. Or
something. Cough. I don’t intend to spark the war but this word should be enough to spark the interest of
Tulman. It’s meaningless if one doesn’t have the entire text, but it’s a word from the ‘Creation of the
World’…]
Brendel believed that Tulman was able to recognize the research value in it.
“Ser Tulman, have you heard of the Blue Poem, the poem of creation from Kirrlutz?”
Tulman stroked his beard. He had indeed felt the ancient magic and meaning from that word. It was not
powerful, but it seemed to encompass the origin of magic. He thought that it was an ancient dragon word,
or a variant of wizard or druid languages, but he did not manage to find anything close to it after carefully
searching his memories.
Tulman did not suspect the youth was lying to him, and quite frankly as a sage who had spent a century
researching such things, he would be impressed with the people who managed to lie to him.
“You mean the very first historic poem that Kirrlutz translated as the Holy Elven song?”
Brendel knew that the Silver Citizens were biased against humans. The residents of Buga were humans of
ancient blood and despised the humans who lived on the surface. However, the lineage of Kirrlutz
extended deeply into history and made the Silver Citizens jealous and certainly something they were
unwilling to admit.
Brendel simply nodded as all these had nothing to do with him.
“What does it have anything to do with what you said?”
The discussion had gone beyond the limit as to what the other three people could accept. They did not
understand anything what Brendel and Tulman were saying. Freya could only watch as Brendel’s shadow
grew bigger in her heart, while Batum’s jaws were completely opened.
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[Ahem. Indeed, I certainly don’t know what exactly it has to do with what I said…] Only the Gods know
that Brendel was trying to pull a false one.
“It’s a word from the Blue Poem, describing how Mother Marsha created this world with kind intentions,
Ser Tulman. I believe you are able to experience the magic for yourself on the word itself.”
Tulman’s expression changed and he hurriedly went back into his house. There was a series of noises
where books were opened and pages being turned.
Brendel knew that his plan had half succeeded, and he gestured to the others to come along with him. All
four of them went into Tulman’s home.
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TL: Next week’s update kind of depends on how many assignments I’m left with. I seem to be just barely
ahead my schedule, but I’m almost certain my group project is about to come up next week. If this
particular assignment does come up, I might have to stop TLing for a while, even there any sponsored
chapters, so that I don’t drag my classmates down because I didn’t devote enough time. I’ll inform you
guys again on Tuesday.
Chapter 32 – Scholar
The first thing that Brendel saw when he entered Tulman’s house were manuscripts strewn all over the
incredibly polished pine floor. When he turned to the left, he saw a thick book placed on a pedestal. The
technology in this world was not advanced, and the papers that were made are considerably thick. They
had to use leather skin with binding to lock it in place, thus making it bulky and cumbersome when
transporting the books, and they easily spoiled too.
Even though the kingdom had a library as well as a royal academy, they were typically reserved for
merchants, and ranked nobles’ descendants. Most of the time, the commoners would rather send their
children to various workshops and work as an apprentice.
Brendel walked up to the book and checked the contents quickly.
[Ancient languages. Tulman is actually studying them. Judging from his notes, he looks like he’s studying
the variants of the old Highland language used in Kirrlutz. Based on his notes, he seemed to have made a
certain amount of progress. If I pass these notes to Batum or Freya, they will most likely treat them as
scrap paper.]
Tulman finally stopped flipping through the books inside his house and went up to him.
“Young man, where did you discover this language?” Tulman finally found a obscure variant language
that resembled Brendel’s pronunciation from his related documents.
Tulman discovered that there were five ancient Kirrlutz tribes, and the weakest group amongst them was
called Deronhi. Their language appeared to be greatly similar to the Blue Poem’s word and the Kirrlutz’s
ancestors might have truly recorded down history.
Tulman have always suspected that the Kirrlutz’s current citizens were not true descendants, but was
unable to deny that the King of Flames, Gatel, had traits of the ancient Kirrlutz’s race.
Brendel grinned but he did not answer.
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Tulman pushed his spectacles up and he carried a huge book from the inner room and walked out. He sat
down on a chair near the window and faced Brendel. He looked at the four of them, before opening the
shelf next to the chair and took out a smoking pipe from the second drawer. He tapped the pipe on the
table, and flames immediately lit the leaves in it, causing the smoke to rise up. (TL: I nearly wrote weed,
lol.)
He put the pipe in his mouth and took a deep breath, puffed out smoke from his nostrils and said: “It
seems like you have something that you want, young man. State your request then. I must say you have
succeeded in making these old bones interested.”
He then placed the pipe onto an ash tray, and said with smoke coming out from his lips: “But you have not
won yet. Boy, even though I am already old, I have not gone senile yet. What exactly do you want to get
from me if you only have a single word? You had better bring something that is of use.”
The old man’s words finally made Batum and Freya realize that Brendel was trying to make a transaction,
but they did not know what exactly he wanted to do.
Romaine was fond of Brendel’s calm attitude. Even though it sounded like the old man was being
stubborn, he was already admitting defeat.
“I’m a Highland knight. I require someone to invite me to the Scholar’s Circle, and my squire’s mentor told
me come here as well as what I should do. This is how it really is, Ser Tulman.” Brendel decided to
squeeze everything he could from the fake identity. If one was to look at it from a certain point of view, he
was not lying.
In the rules of the Highland, the wizard apprentice’s mentor had the responsibilities of teaching the
knight as well. Brendel believed that Tulman knew many of the wizards in the Black Tower, and would
not reveal himself as a fake Highland Knight.
Tulman placed one arm on the armrest as he inhaled from the pipe again and sank into deep thought. He
was thinking of which one of his old acquaintances sent this troublesome man to him. Even though he
was not a powerful wizard, he was a great scholar and well known alchemist, high famed amongst the
wizards. His friends and enemies were all over Vaunte, and he had difficulty guessing who it was that
played a joke on him.
But in the end, he thought that recommending a newcomer to the Scholar’s Circle was not a big issue, and
looking at Brendel’s performance, he would not cause him to lose any face.
So Tulman grabbed a parchment and placed it on the table, picked up a quill nearby and wrote something
on it. Then he rolled it up and placed it into an envelop, dripped wax on it and stamped his seal onto it.
He raised his head up.
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“I’ll recommend you to Earl Panos to learn from him for a while and you will know how we do things. He
might be an old-fashioned person, but he’s a very good teacher, what do you think?”
“Perfect.” Brendel answered.
[So much negotiation and so much of my performance, just to save a few hundred Tor for registration in
that place? I can’t take this lying down!]
He decided to try and put more work into it. He walked up and grabbed the letter with his fingers.
“Ser Tulman, about that word, the humble me has also studied the Kirrlutz’s ancient languages as well. I
have discovered something interesting. The natives who are still living in the Baltha Highland seem to
keep to their old ways, and there are a few wizards amongst them who still hold on to single words
passed down from the ancient times, keeping the ancient Kirrlutz’s language alive—“
Brendel said with half-truths mixed into it. It was true that the people there could trace their lineage to
the old Kirrlutz’s citizens, and the clues to a ‘Nature Slate’ started out from there, but the first Nature
Slate was somewhere else.
The slates were of no practical use to Brendel, and he did not want to plunge the world into a chaotic war.
Tulman’s eyes lit up, as the leaves burned and dimmed.
“You’re studying the Kirrlutz’s ancient languages?” He looked suspiciously at the youth. “Tell me of your
views.”
“I believe that Ser Tulman has already discovered that the ancient languages incorporates magic into it.
All their words are linked to the origin of magic, but the Era of Chaos was the moment where things split.
After that moment, the magic in their words started to weaken…..” Brendel thought for a while before
taking some random lore that he had seen from the forums.
Tulman nodded and he acknowledged it with his eyes.
“The cause of effect is probably from long wars.” Brendel continued.
“Long wars, interesting,” The old man took a ring from the drawer and passed it to Brendel. “You can go
to Earl Panos’s private library collection and take a look there. If you have any new ideas, then come back
to me with this ring.”
[Oh? It’s working. Looks like a quest to me. I’m not sure if anyone made it to this point, but it sounds like
it’s going to be quite difficult. Still, it’s a start.]
546
Brendel was delighted.
[He’s probably planning to set off to the Baltha Highland to research the lore there and come back here,
but I wonder if he is going to get anything out of it.]
He took the ring and letter, and there were elegant green words hovering in his vision:
{Do you accept the sub-profession ‘Scholar’?}
Brendel immediately accepted it. A new sub-profession bar appeared in his stats window.
Scholar
Level 0, 0/6
Level 1 History Knowledge
In the game, a sub-profession is different from a main profession. Sub-professions did not introduce new
techniques or stats, but allowed users to gain unique abilities. It was something akin to having ‘Status’.
For example, when a user reached level 5 and above, it allowed a user to acquire a ‘Skilled’ title before the
sub-profession class, and in Brendel’s case, he would be a ‘Skilled Scholar’. There would not be any XP
penalty interference from having too many main classes as well, unless he got more than three ‘Skilled’
sub profession titles. At the same time, being a Scholar provided many more TP points than other main
classes, and therefore it was recognized as a ‘must have profession’ in the game.
Once Brendel took on the class, he immediately put in 220 XP to raise it up to level 5, and received 250 TP
from it. Raising it beyond level 5 required the sub-skill ‘Nobles’ Knowledge’ or ‘Sigils’ Knowledge’, so
Brendel could only leave it aside.
He looked like he was slightly lost in thought when he finished setting up his class, but he raised his head
once he was done.
“Ser Tulman, you have already met my friend Romaine. She and her aunt were separated when Madara
attacked, and we’re looking for her aunt. Have you seen her?”
Tulman pushed back his glasses again as took another puff.
“Young man, I only know her aunt as an acquaintance. We have not met in over ten years, I think. When I
first saw that lass, she was just as old as this girl in front of me. To tell the truth, I did not know that she
actually lived nearby here–“
547
He quickly waved his hands when he saw Brendel’s lips move: “There’s no need to ask about it. Our types
have their own secrets. If she didn’t tell you, I won’t say anymore. Alright, our discussion should be
coming to a close. Your goal has been met, and when you think that you have enough knowledge about
this road, you can come and find me again.”
Brendel took a look at Romaine. She smiled sweetly at him: “It’s fine, Brendel. My aunt is really amazing.”
His heart skipped a beat when he saw her smile.
548
TL: Reminder that there will only be one TAS chapter this week. Next week’s update depends on how
much progress I make on the group project, otherwise it will also be 1 TAS chapter.
TL: There probably won’t be too many cliffhanger chapters but more chapters of Brendel vs nobles
politics, I think. He’s a fake noble after all, I’m intrigued to see how’s he going to get a land out from
nowhere, lol.
Anyway, thanks for the community help for Engrish checks again (Cough)
Chapter 33 – The Red Bronze Dragon, Leto
After the three of them left Tulman’s home in the Forest of Needles, Batum finally could not hold back his
curiosity and asked Brendel timidly: “My lord, do your elders know that Lord Wizard?”
The youth glanced at him and gave a smile, but he did not reply.
Batum looked at him in confusion, not knowing what Brendel meant by his smile. Even though this knight
had led them to carve out a blood road from the Madara undead army which him incredibly impressed,
he felt that Brendel did not act like a proper noble from the interactions he had with him every day.
Despite the fact that the youth had said he would inherit a land, Batum did not truly believe in his words
fully, feeling that nobles tend to exaggerate what they had. Still, he decided to follow him because he still
believed in the youth’s capabilities.
But after witnessing the interactions between the elderly wizard and the youth, he firmly believed in him
now.
[This young knight must have a powerful background, one that is unique amongst the influential families.
Normal nobles would not have anything to do with these wizards of high authority, and their lineage
might not even need to lower themselves even before the king.]
Batum scratched his head as he looked at Brendel who was in front.
The third morning, Brendel and his group finally reached Bruglas—
Bruglas could be seen as the heart of Grinoires’s southern area. The city was built along the slopes of Grey
Eagle Hills along the eastern side of the Pine River, and buildings were distributed on the upper and
lower hills.
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The city was surrounded by concentric white walls, with each wall higher than the first, and rural
villagers sometimes called Bruglas as the White City.
Under a clear sky, travellers from Ankries and Dragos were able to see the shining rooftops decorating
the streets lined along the hill.
It was certainly a breathtaking sight, and represented a prosperous civilization.
While it was not considered a large city, there were thirty-five thousand people tightly packed in it, and
probably the most densely populated areas in the Grinoires area.
The city also had many facilities and workshop situated in the Black Pine Avenue, where constant
carriages and mules carrying heavy goods passing by all the time. Travelers from other cities could be
seen haggling from the merchants as well.
Freya and Romaine were greatly surprised by the tall walls and clean streets as they came here for the
first time. The bustling area had surpassed what they had seen in Ankries and Fortress Riedon. Even
Brendel was amazed by the grandeur of the city when he saw it in the first time in the game.
Everyone became excited when they passed through the streets, but Freya and Romaine quickly stopped
before the jewelry shops. The shining and intricate things that Bruglas made were exceptional, and they
quickly caught the girls’ attention.
Freya looked enviously at a crescent brooch, while Romaine was attracted to a silver casket. Brendel
could not hold back his laughter when he saw them hugging the items tightly.
The youth gestured to Batum and both of them made their way quietly to the owner and asked the prices,
and ultimately paid a few hundred Tor to purchase the items. Romaine easily accepted the gift with
surprised delight with a happy gaze, while Freya lowered her head with a blush and thought for a long
time before accepting it, then quietly thanked him.
Brendel was not surprised at Freya’s struggle to accept it, but when he looked back, he saw Batum giving
a thumbs up stealthily. He paused before a while before laughing.
[This red beard guy is really thinking too much… I just don’t want to see both of the girls disappointed if
they didn’t get any souvenirs from the city.]
After this slight detour, they finally made their way to their destination.
The headquarters of the Silver Winged Cavalry —
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Before they actually made their way into the place, they saw the little brat Fenix.
[Hmm, looks like this kid had a pretty good time from the time we saw him. He actually looks fatter.]
Little Fenix rubbed his eyes when he saw the three of them.
“Sister Boss, Brendel, Freya! Heavens, I’m not dreaming right!”
The teenager yelled and jumped down from one of the boulders in front of the headquarters and looked
at them in wonder. Freya almost subconsciously scolded him when she saw the rowdy boy, but changed
her words at the end.
“Little Fenix, where’s everyone?”
“Everyone’s still around, we’re fine, Sister Boss!” Then he looked at Brendel with great admiration:
“Brother Brendel, everyone knows about the news where you rescued the refugees out of Fortress
Riedon. Some of them went to Dragos and then to Bruglas, so the stories about your exploits have spread
around. Did you really fight along side with the super amazing ‘Red Bronze Dragon’, Leto?”
“‘Red Bronze Dragon’, Leto?” Brendel was slightly surprised that Leto got a nickname like that, even
though he had a part in it.
“Brat, what do you really know about amazing?” Batum knew that these rumors were actually Brendel’s
instructions amongst the refugees. He did not know why the youth did not want to take this glory, but he
still wanted to interrupt Fenix.
“Of course I do. Isn’t it super amazing that a single man leading a few hundred men was able to escape the
undead siege comprised of tens of thousands of undead?” Fenix nodded with much sense in his words:
“‘Red Bronze Dragon’, Leto, I have also heard that he’s a veteran in the November’s War, like captain
Marden. Of course he’s amazing! Ah, right, who are you, mister?”
Batum nearly choked himself, but when he wanted to reply, little Fenix’s eyes suddenly shone and he
yelled loudly: “Are you the Red Beard Batum!”
“Huh, brat, do you know me?” Batum was confused.
“Of course I do. I think very few people in Bruglas do not know your name. There are rumors about the
Red Beard Batum who makes the undead quiver in their boots everywhere in the street! If you don’t
believe me, just ask the Ser Knights in the headquarters, even they know about you!”
“Making the undead quiver in their boots, this description isn’t bad at all.” Everyone loved praises, and
Batum was no exception. But just when he laughed with pride, he suddenly remembered the youth who
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created this miracle was just beside him. He quickly stashed away his laugh and snorted. “Hmph, a bunch
of morons.”
Little Fenix was baffled by his response, but as a young teenager, he thought that many skilled people had
odd temperaments and did not mind Batum’s reaction. He looked at Brendel and asked: “Brother Brendel,
you must be an important member amongst the mercenaries since you’re so amazing right?”
Brendel laughed and ruffled the kid’s hair while nodding.
“Tch, I knew it. All the other brats in the street don’t believe what I told them about you.”
Freya listened to the talk in great perplexment. She looked at Brendel and called him a great liar in her
heart, but once she thought about Brendel’s invincible charge against the numerous undead forces, she
felt her heart racing and turned her head away.
Romaine merely smiled at one side, and no one knew what she was thinking.
While they conversed amongst themselves, the news of ‘Heroes of Fortress Riedon’ returning to Bruglas
had already spread in the headquarters. The citizens in the city loved to watch events like this, so the
street was quickly filled with people. There were even a few young men from the Silver Winged Cavalry
that came out in twos and threes to look at the person who managed to fight their way out from Madara’s
undead.
The Silver Winged Cavalry was the formal troops of the White-mane army, and part of them had fought
against the Madara’s undead troops and they knew how difficult they could be. Most of them were
unwillingly to believe these ridiculous rumors, but there were reports from both the refugees and the
soldiers from Fortress Riedon that confirmed the rumors, and the commander of the Silver Winged
Cavalry, Lord Xelnal, found there might be truth in the rumors.
There were still thousands of refugees nearby Bruglas that did not leave yet, although no one seemed to
have seen the ‘Red Bronze Dragon’, Leto before.
The lower ranked and upper ranked officers saw things differently. The lower ranked officers started to
look up to the legendary figure, while the upper echelons wanted to know what was going on.
“Fenix, are these the mercenaries from Fortress Riedon?”
A few boys the age of Fenix wormed out from the crowd and asked Little Fenix.
“Of course, this is my Sister Boss, Brother Brendel, and this is……” Little Fenix pointed at Batum and
paused.
“He can’t be the ‘Red Beard Batum’?!”
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The expressions on the boys changed immediately. The striking red beard on Batum was too easy to
recognize.
“Hehe, at least you’re not stupid.” Little Fenix’s tail could be seen wagging furiously. He knew that
Brendel was impressive, but he did not think he would be linked to legendary people in the rumors. Even
though he had exaggerated some of the details and no one believed in him, he finally got revenge when he
saw their shocked expressions.
While the boys were in admiration, Brendel felt the gazes of ill intentions from some of the soldiers
within the Silver Winged Cavalry. He was not surprised at that, and had instructed them the refugees to
spread a different rumor in order to escape attention. He was still too weak and not suited to be placed
within the tempest that was to come.
At first Batum was his main choice to be his shield, but he also needed someone familiar with Aouine, so
Leto was the best choice. However, it seemed that the army was still unhappy and jealous over the events.
[The game itself had troubling cases of jealousy and pride, not to mention reality itself…]
He sighed inwardly.
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TL: So there’s a WIP of that armor I was talking about back then when you click the read more button.
There’s also something about the TLing of my version to another language.
And the current update situation is still going to continue at a one chapter per week, because I’m going to
be really busy with finishing my assignments.
Chapter 34 – The meeting with Marden again
TL: I saw there’s a request to TL my version of The Amber Sword to another language, and I need to
respond properly to this and future requests.
I can’t really say yes to that.
The problem is that I have edited the original raws quite a bit. There are small events in my version that
did not happen in the raws (the most recent example is the battle against Boss Ebdon, some stuff isn’t
there at all.), and there are stuff that I cut out completely from the raws due to various reasons. I do
believe that my edits to TAS’s events to be better but my version clearly strays from the original, and
TLing my version to another language makes me feel uncomfortable.
That being said, I won’t stop you from using my TLed stuff to another language, just that I feel that you
should take the raws rather than use my version to respect the author as much as possible.
WIP
The fluffy tail is still missing, and I still need to edit various spots, but what do you think of it guys? ~_~
The gazes from the soldiers made Brendel to be on his guard a little, but he believed that the superiors in
the White-Mane army were not incompetent and were unable to look at the big picture.
His plan had not changed.
He was not interested to enter Aouine’s decaying internal government, but the events of the refugee’s
rescue would not be to be kept under covers. Since that was the case, he planned ahead to allow the
experienced mercenaries who sought after freedom, glory and wealth to stand out.
It was far more easier to make people believe that a group of well trained mercenaries led the refugees
out successfully than a single person doing so.
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The loss of Fortress Riedon was like a bomb that could explode anytime. No matter how much the White-
Mane cavalry army stood out in the battles against Madara, they were unlikely to escape the blame of
losing the fortress. If he was to stand out alone in this particular aftermath, he would most certainly
satisfy his pride, but the nobles would be even more pleased to use him as a political example.
Therefore his plan was to make sure there were as many people in this ‘legendary tale’ as possible, so
that he could ensure that he was buried under everyone else who stood out.
He was certain that the nobles would act upon his plan, and whatever came next would be their own
doing; To find scapegoats to cast all the blame of losing Fortress Riedon to them, and to make sure that
they exaggerate the series of events in order to regain their dignity.
He wanted to have nothing to do with them and whatever tale they wanted to weave, but at this moment
he was still unable to escape right now.
The only advantage he got out of this was the fame of his mercenary’s group ‘The Amber Sword’
becoming bigger.
The crowd had their interest sated after a while, and the citizens outside the Silver Winged Cavalry
headquarters quickly dispersed, while Little Fenix and the other boys stayed behind.
Brendel was able to meet old Marden very quickly after that. The aged captain of the guards looked like
there were more wrinkles on his face since their previous meeting. He was moving about constantly with
a worried look while looking at some documents. Brendel was certain that Marden was worried because
of the situation amongst the nobles.
Within Bruglas, Earl Nakkin’s fight against the military nobles had most likely reached its peak, and only
someone carefree like Little Fenix would have the mood to pursue stories in the city.
Brendel walked over to Marden and greeted him.
Marden raised his eyebrows when he saw him, recalling memories of the fearless young man who
volunteered to warn Fortress Riedon. Even though he heard the news that Freya and Brendel were fine,
he was relieved to see them fine in person, and secretly thanked Mother Marsha for her protection.
Then his gaze moved to Freya, and she immediately placed her hand over her chest and bowed. “Captain
Marden, I’m back.”
Marden nodded and showed a relieved smile. “Good. It’s good to have you back.”
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But after he finished his sentence, his mind immediately went back to the situation about the nobles. The
citizens of Bucce were still homeless while the nobles fought for power. Even though he was not from
Bucce, he was upset over the situation.
Freya’s eyes turned red when she saw Captain Marden looking like he had aged ten years, and she
thought about her family dying in Madara’s hands.
Little Romaine kept winking at Brendel and he sighed.
[Why is this damned lass so sharp during such moments….and yet when I start to pay attention to her,
she’s completely clueless and doing some weird stuff?]
He patted Freya’s back to comfort her and said.
“Captain Marden. It might be rude to say this, but there’s really no need for any of you to think too much
about the affairs amongst the nobbles. We only need to sit quietly and wait for their final decisions since
we will not be able to influence any of their decisions in the slightest.”
Marden was taken aback as he did not expect Brendel to see through his worries immediately.
He had managed to survive through the November War, but he was completely unsuited to take part in
the war taking place in the shadows. He was already exhausted from the reports these past few days, and
sometimes he was even envious of that brat Fenix who did not even bother to put anything in his brain.
Brendel had been through this ‘history’ and he understood that someone of Marden’s position would not
be able to affect the outcome, so there was really nothing to do other than to await for the nobles’ final
decisions.
[Even though this sounds terribly bleak, it’s the truth after all.]
He merely wanted to tell Marden what he thought, but Marden looked suspiciously at him and asked:
“Young man, who exactly are you? You sound like you have a clear picture of what the nobles are thinking
of, but even if I’m not one who’s good at reading all these political affairs, it’s strange that you are able to
know more than me.”
Freya secretly confirmed her thoughts with from Marden’s words.
[Since Brendel is able to know more than Captain Marden in this aspect, his identity is basically
confirmed…]
She told Marden that Brendel was a Highland Knight, and Marden looked like he finally understood
something.
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“So you’re a noble, and a Highland Knight at that.” Marden stared at Brendel in surprise. “I had the chance
to fight along side with a Highland Knight. Even though people said they are uncontrollable, but they
certainly can be considered as heroes with unquestionable character. It looks like their descendants are
just as amazing. At least you are proof of that, Brendel.”
“…………….. You give me too much praise Captain Marden.”
“Not at all. When you said you wanted to go through the Zevail mountain path to deliver the warning, I
merely thought that you were a reckless boy who was not afraid of death. I did not support your decision
at that time, and I thought it was a mistake to send Freya to go along with you and Romaine. But you
proved me wrong. Young man, true bravery is not the same as foolhardy actions, and your performance is
the very definition of true bravery. Certainly, your actions can even be described as heroic.”
He patted both Brendel and Freya’s shoulders: “Both of you are excellent and great examples of what
Aouine youths should be like.”
Freya was silent and merely looked at Brendel.
[There would be hardly anyone left if Brendel was not there to lead everyone. All the credit should go to
him, but no one knows about it at all….]
Brendel merely kept to himself.
The two of them then finally reunited with Bucce’s militia. Erik, Iris and Mackey congratulated both of
them in the same order. Mackey even managed to bring a small barrel of wine to celebrate everyone’s
survival after the terrible ordeal. The other members patted their backs without saying anything else, but
their feelings were definitely shown through their actions.
What surprised Brendel was the encounter with Bretton who appeared together with his father. His
expression was solemn and dark, but he gave a slight nod to Brendel as they walked past each other.
[That’s interesting… he didn’t try to pick a fight with me.]
Some time after that, Mackey informed him that Bretton was severely depressed over the guilt of losing
his companions and blamed himself for the past month, and only became a little better until recently.
Brendel again fell into silence for a moment upon listening, secretly impressed with Bretton’s character.
When their reunion party was approaching its end, a group of young Silver Winged cavalry soldiers even
came in to their room to join the party. Brendel exchanged glances with Batum when they saw them.
[It seems that my plan to distribute the glory amongst the mercenaries also helped out by winning some
people over. If all the glory went to me alone, something like this wouldn’t happen at all as I would
appear to be someone out of reach.]
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Once the celebration was over, Marden came to him in private to inquire on the matters about the nobles.
Brendel made Freya stay behind and said:
“Captain Marden, the truth is the situation has already been decided. The representatives of the White-
Mane Army will make contact with us very soon and tell us of their decisions. But there’s no need to
worry about this. Whatever decisions they made has nothing to do with us, and the only thing we need to
do is to simply accept whatever rewards they want to give.”
“Can you explain?” Marden asked.
“The situation is basically like this. They need people to be heroes, someone like you or Freya who
performed admirably. They want people from the guards or the militia so that the citizens are able to link
them to the regional forces. Since you led the Bucce’s villagers to safety successfully, and you represent
the formal army of Aouine, your glory can be considered to be part of the nobles as well.”
“But a group of mercenaries leading two thousand refugees out from Madara’s army that is comprised of
tens of thousands of undead? That’s a problem for the White-Mane army. If they handle this situation
badly, they would become a laughing stock. Since the rumors have already spread throughout the
southern region of Grinoires, they have no choice but to admit this event took place. Their main concern
is how to handle this delicate situation.”
“I see, we’re actually a guise for the real people who are going to receive the rewards?” Batum suddenly
said.
Brendel nodded: “The nobles have their eyes on Freya because she was part of the army that led Fortress
Riedon’s refugees out.”
“Me?” Freya was engrossed in the discussion, but she suddenly woke up once she heard her name:
“Brendel, I —“
“Freya, listen to what I have to say first.” Brendel interrupted her. She paused for a moment before
nodding.
Marden was quiet after listening to Brendel’s analysis. He found it difficult to accept that the nobles
looked at this war like the only thing that mattered was their appearance in the public, instead of finding
a solution to the undead blight.
[What exactly are we fighting for…?]
Brendel continued: “The Silver Winged cavalry have their own principals. They dislike to work with the
mercenaries because they think that they are full of greed, and to fight in a war just for money was not
something they can accept.”
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Batum scoffed and his face was full of displeasure.
Brendel looked at him and smiled: “However, when times demand for it, they would still send someone
privately to contact them—“
“Hypocrites.” Batum’s beard seemed to bristle.
“You can describe them that way, or you can say that their vanity is the reason for their attitude.”
“But are these nobles not short-sighted to think this way?” Marden still found it hard to believe that the
high nobles would be so shallow.
“Short-sighted?” Brendel shook his head.
[The nobles are no fools and certainly not short-sighted. If anything they understand the soldiers in the
army better than they understood themselves. No, these nobles are brilliant, but the greed and vanity that
they have are the reasons why they chose to do things in this manner.
If they have power and the army behind them, these nobles would be able to become independent and
disregard the royal crown. Even if Madara invaded their territory, they would be fine with it because
Madara will retreat at some point. And in the case where something was to go horribly wrong, their
collected wealth would allow them to settle in another country in the continent without any problems at
all.
The only people who are going to suffer is the lowest denominator. If that’s the case, why would the
nobles care other than vying for more power?]
Brendel continued: “No, they don’t care because they know that Madara is going to retreat soon. What is
important is how they appear in the public. And when Madara’s undead retreat, they would want to
choose someone from the militia to be decorated as a hero. When the citizens look at that hero, they
would immediately think of Aouine’s formal army instead of the mercenaries.”
“But, isn’t Gaspard a better choice? He’s the captain in charge of Fortress Riedon’s public security, isn’t he
a better choice?” Freya restrained herself from talking about Taron. (TL: Taron is from the Fortress
Riedon’s white mane army.)
Brendel shook his head. “No, that’s the worst choice for the superiors of the White-Mane Army. The
cavalry in Fortress Riedon belongs to the nobles, a private army created to curb the power of the White-
Mane Army’s infantry. Do you really think that the military nobles of the White Mane Army is going to
allow this to happen?”
Everyone realized that Freya seemed like the best choice after Brendel explained to them, and even Freya
found herself unable to argue with Brendel.
559
560
TL: Cough. So Overwatch free beta came about and I sort of wasted a day on it to take advantage… Cough.
Reinhardt’s lionhardt armor is so sexy I just want to get it, but I doubt I can play enough to get 1000 coins
>_>.
I saw an email about the TAS’s map, I’ll take a look at it later and see if I can get things TLed.
Chapter 35 Goddess of War and Brendel
Brendel looked at the silent Freya and knew that she probably did not understand the details behind the
politics. This was something that he expected, as a person from the countryside would not have seen the
machinations behind the nobles’ goals before.
[But to summarize everything, it’s all about greed.]
He decided to be as clear as possible: “I know that it might be difficult for all of you to accept. But the
truth is we’re nothing but pawns on the chessboard, and they would not care about whether we live or
die.”
Freya was shocked when she heard that, and she looked up at him.
But Marden frowned and sighed. What Brendel said was what he had seen for the past few days. The
nobles had declared to him that the Bucce’s militia and his army would be rewarded for the defense.
Everyone’s morale was raised when they heard the news, but if he was to look at things in another way,
only one or two of them would be promoted, and a meager amount of money to be distributed amongst
them as a reward.
And every time he mentioned about Bucce’s homeless refugees, the reply was always ambiguous.
“Freya, ” Brendel looked deeply into Freya’s light brown eyes. “If you hope to see something like everyone
getting commended and rewarded for their efforts, then move back to the countryside and live a happy
and safe life after the war, you’re going to get disappointed for having such a naive and unrealistic
thought.”
“Brendel?”
“If you have the idea of just relying on someone else, you’re going to become a pawn that’s going to be
discarded by the nobles sooner or later.”
Freya had seen and heard much in Fortress Riedon, and she could somehow understand his words, so she
hesitated for a while before asking: “Then what should I do?”
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“Become stronger, until you can be a person who can protect others.”
“I-I know, but—” Freya answered in a rush.
[I’m just the leader of a small militia group, how am I supposed to become as powerful as the nobles
amongst the capital? It’s impossible!]
“You’re worried that you can’t do it?” He asked.
Freya nodded.
“There’s no need to be worried about it. An opportunity would present itself before you in the future.” He
smiled and replied.
Freya was slightly confused and looked back in a daze.
Brendel had not told her what exactly he had planned for her. In truth, he wished for her to enter into the
cavalry academy that was built by the royal crown, so that she could receive the kingdom’s formal
education on commanding an army, as well as learning various combat knowledge.
He did not wish to change the Freya’s future as a Goddess of War, but at the same time, he wanted her to
enter the higher ranks within the kingdom.
[Romaine is unable to go do something like this, and the only person with enough capabilities and my
trust, is only Freya. In regards of safety, there’s really no need to worry about it. The school is in Verand, a
land that is the private property of the Royal Crown. It is also a land that the princess would get hold of in
December when the civil war starts. Everything seems to be good for Freya.]
Brendel did not think the old military commanding style and the tactics of Aouine was inferior, but there
was a certain quality required for the strategies to work, and the Aouine army was getting weaker and
weaker, ultimately causing the strategies to be ineffective.
[With Freya’s serious attitude, she will be absorbing the knowledge taught by the school like a sponge.
When she gathers enough achievements under her belt, she will stand out from the crowd just like how it
happened in history, and catch the eye of the princess.]
Brendel recalled that it was the second year of the sixth month, that Freya met the princess during the
Academy’s 64th jousting tournament. Since he was going to stay out of the capital, he felt that there
would not be too much of a change in Freya’s future.
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[Princess Grffyn Corvado Manoff. She is only sixteen this year, but soon she will be the acting regent. I
definitely need to know her thoughts are…. And I have to borrow Freya’s help with this matter.]
Brendel considered things for a second. He felt that there were no clashes with their goals. She wanted to
revive the kingdom, while he wanted to turn Aouine’s ultimate fate around. However, he was worried
that the half-elven girl who was born in the royal family, would not be able to put the nobles’ interest
down.
His fist clenched tightly when the memories within the game appeared in his mind. It was a moment in
history that he was unable to forget; the final moment in the capital Monsteras, where the palace and city
burned in a sea of flames, while the sky was dyed black by the smoke.
That day he and many players retreated to the north, and many of them cried while looking to the south.
They were unable to change anything because there was just not enough time for them to be able to do
anything.
How was he going to watch Freya fight to the death in the Crimon Valley Dalal again?
[That day everyone of us perished in that valley. I died seven times there and lost seven levels there, and
many countless players also had the same fate that I had. But in the end, what was the result?] (TL:
Rhetorical question.)
That day he saw Freya wearing a silver plate with sunflower sigils on it, with a flag in her hand with black
pine leaves on it, the emblem of courage in Aouine. He and the thirty-six thousand players who swore to
protect Aouine did not manage to protect that flag, and even until her death, she still stood tall in the
battlefield.
[Perhaps she fulfilled her own promise… to shed every last drop of blood for this land. In the end Aouine
was too weak and old. There were actually three different armies from Kirrlutz that stood there and did
nothing. There was only Freya’s army and players. And all of us players were no match for the opponent’s
grand army.]
The brightest jewel in the Corvado family, the princess fared no better. She married an Arreck duke that
she did not like, and led a gloomy life, until she was murdered in a scheme conceived by The Unifying
Guild. (TL: Remember that fake noble that took Brendel’s sword? He’s from this guild.)
Brendel thought back on the days he met up with his guild members. They did not play the Amber Sword
constantly and some of them stopped playing, but when they did gather together, they would talk about
the past events that happened in the game. Everyone would still feel sorry when they remembered that
day when Aouine’s spirit was gone forever.
[Can I let this happen all over again? ]
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He looked at Freya, Romaine and Marden, then shook his head. If he was teleported somewhere else
where he did not meet them, he might have considered to escape and develop slowly. With his
knowledge, he would have become a legendary figure.
But experiencing the events and meeting everyone in Bucce made him realize that he was unable to do so,
and he decided to take on a burden so that he could change Aouine’s fate.
[Even now, I’m still trying to figure out the possibilities in front of me. To change history, I definitely need
to sweep everything off that’s blocking my path, and it’s possible that I have to disregard someone’s well
being. Perhaps I might have to act like a despicable noble… Not only that, I might have to fight against
every single noble in Aouine, and even the princess had to choose carefully when dealing with that five
infamous dukes.]
Brendel rubbed his forehead when he thought about his specs.
[My growth isn’t that of a player… and the enemies that I’m going to face from Madara are pretty much a
‘boss’ spec, not to mention they are considered uniquely talented, especially that boss amongst bosses,
the emperor with the Mercury Staff. Even if I joined hands with the Goddess of War, is it really possible to
change the future?]
Brendel thought about the future beyond Aouine’s demise.
[If I go further in the timeline, Kirrlutz will take a passive and cold look at things. That Griffin Empire is
not the cradle of ancient and kind human civilization. What replaced it is the pride of the highland
natives, fueled by the revolution of steel and blood. The instruments of war will sound out loudly with the
Nature Slate as the starting point. The Third Holy War will happen soon. When that happens, all the
countries will become chess pieces on a gigantic chess board, including Madara.]
Brendel’s mind shook a little when he thought of that. Doubt surfaced as he asked himself whether he
was able to handle everything, because even if he averted the Madara’s undead, what waited for him was
something even bigger. He had thought about it slightly when he led the refugees from Fortress Riedon
out.
[… Who am I kidding? Maybe it’s the pride of a ‘player from another world’, but isn’t this like a game that
has the ‘impossible’ rating on it?]
He thought that it was a little arrogant, but he felt that he needed to at least make an attempt in doing
this, at least to make amends to that regretful event.
This was also why he felt that he had to acquire enough power and authority when the Civil War started.
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[When that event happens, all methods of leveling up might be affected because of the chaos, and
especially during the chaos, it’s the best moment for me to have the opportunity to become a chess player
and acquire both land and armies.]
Brendel had already decided the location, a kingdom that was sealed once upon a time in the west.
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TL: Right now there are at least 2 assignments that I want to complete at the very least before I increase
my TLed chapters. There is one assignment due next week, and 3 more at the end of this month. At the
very least, I want to clear 2 assignments by this week and clear off the other 2 major assignments 2 weeks
later.
Chapter 36 – Brendel’s preparation (1)
TL: This is the image that I received from my email by one of the readers. Some of the minor locations
from Bucce to Bruglas isn’t written there, while the rest of the locations in this map aren’t really used yet.
map1
TL: So this is my environmental drawing that has been edited by my lecturer. I have been working on it
for weeks and it keeps getting rejected, until my lecturer finally edited at least 3 sections of the image to
show me the areas that could be improved on, and did it within in twenty or so minutes which made it so
much better. It really makes me sort of wonder if I can ever do draw environmental drawings at his level,
sigh (which is pretty much why I cut down on my chapters, I really need to put in more effort into
drawing.). It kind of matches The Amber Sword’s world, maybe? Cough. I have to clean this up.
Environment
For the donated chapters, please forgive me and wait for a little longer while I finish my assignments. For
any outstanding donations until I get back on track, I’ll do x2 chapters of that amount + rounded up
(currently there’s 2 sponsored chapters, so I’ll owe the donators 4 chapters + 1 chapter).
Finally, here’s the regular chapter for TAS.
——————- Bretton’s POV ——————
Bretton saw leaves of the evergreen trees the size of a palm on the, while he passed by the courtyard.
Legend depicted that every single leaf on the evergreen trees had the soul of a fallen warrior, thus there
were evergreen trees planted in the army camps to represent the bravery and courage of the soldiers.
(TL: Note, Bretton =/= Brendel.)
He stared at the leaves, his mind wandering back to his companions that had fallen in the war. For a
moment, he did not even hear his father, Lord Haskel, a city councilor of Bruglas, speaking to him.
“When the rewards are distributed, I’m going to try and transfer you back to Bruglas. Didn’t you want to
enter the city’s cavalry unit? My words still carry weight within the city.
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It is still fine if you want to stay within your current army unit, the patrolling squadron of the Needle
Forest isn’t at full roster yet. However, their formation follows the Arreck’s military formation, so it might
be harder for you.
In truth, my thoughts is to wait for you to be formally knighted before I assign you a stable post within
the nobles’ parliament.”
Bretton gave a affirmative nod.
“But what do you think?” Lord Haskel looked at his son and sighed. His personality was similar to his own
when he was young. He was confident but too proud. Even though it was not a bad thing at certain times,
it was not truly a desirable attribute—
Within the wisdom that was handed down from the nobles, ‘too much pride would easily lead to
setbacks’.
Lord Haskel was 62 years old in this year. It was still considered a prime age, but his appearance was
starting to look aged. His silver hair straightened out and was combed very neatly, while his sideburns
were white. He was famous for being in the radical faction when he was young in southern Grinoires, but
he was increasingly conservative and stable as he got older.
His attire was that of a normal city councilor, a long blue robe that extended to the ground, with a white
breasted vest buckle, and a long black pair of breeches. He held a cane in his hand, and looked at his only
son with a warm gaze.
Bretton looked at his father and said: “I think, I might want to go to the Basta Royal Cavalry Academy.”
(TL: Hopefully I didn’t get the name wrong -.-)
“What?” Lord Haskel was shocked.
“I have heard news from Walter. There are four slots available. The formal guards might recommend me.
The White-Mane army have their own thoughts as well. Father, I have to plead with you not to talk about
this matter with the other nobles.” Bretton explained. Walter was the vice-captain of the Silver-Winged
Cavalry and a friend of Bretton. Walter was only twenty-three years old, and it was because of his father’s
authority that he was able to take his current position.
“The news has been locked up really tightly. There has been no news from the parliament and the army
bastards. Still, this reward should not be affected have the royal crown’s interference, is there a change
somewhere in the capital?” Lord Haskel frowned.
“I am not sure, but I am determined to take this opportunity if it presents itself.” Bretton said.
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“Very well, it is good to learn more things. But remember this, our Wakefield family’s political direction
typically lies elsewhere. When you attend the academy, do not go against the royal faction, but at the
same time, you don’t have to worry too much about them.” Lord Haskel thought for a while and changed
his decision at the last moment.
Bretton’s eyes returned to the courtyard. “Who would pay attention to an insignificant person like me?”
“Your words are wrong. Everyone in the Wakefield family is of importance. Your grandfather was the
chief councilor in Bruglas, and even I am famed within the southern Grinoires. You’re my son and
definitely would be no less than any of us.” Lord Haskel rebuked him.
Bretton’s expression was blank.
The pair suddenly stopped moving as they saw a young man approaching them. He wore a deep blue
uniform, his side attached with a knight’s sword made in the 32nd year. His long silver hair extended past
his shoulders, and there was an androgynous look with his pursed lips.
“Master Sergeant Tirste.”
“Vicount Tirste.” Lord Haskel quickly pulled his son to one side as he greeted Tirste.
The man who got called as Tirste paused for a while, and looked at the two men with a pair of eyes with
the color of amethyst crystals. He nodded at them and wanted to move along, but as his gaze landed on
Bretton, he suddenly stopped and gave a laugh, then continued on his path.
“Strange.” Lord Haskel said to himself as he watched the young man walk away.
“That boy is the illegitimate son of the duke. He usually cast his eyes above our positions, but he seems to
be different today.” Lord Haskel answered.
Bretton looked at that person’s back and he did not reply. His face wore a pensive expression when he
turned back.
———————– Tirste’s Pov ——————–
Tirste pushed the door of the Silver-winged headquarters open, and the commander, vicount Megeska,
was staring outside at the arched window with the width of three men. The middle aged man with spots
of white in his hair turned back when he heard the door open, and relaxed when he saw Tirste.
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He took his pipe and pointed to the side, indicating for Tirste to seat there. “I can’t say that your arrival
was quick, Captain.”
“That’s because I had to get rid of the bastards who keep making trouble.” Tirste smiled and sat down.
Just like the rumors, Tirste was indeed the illegitimate son of Grinoires’s duke. But his mother was said to
be from the lineage of the lost Silver Citizens, and he believed that he carried the Silver Blood as well.
However, behind his facade of arrogance and cold appearance, he was considerably talented and skilled,
otherwise he would not become a core member of the Unifying Guild. (TL: I’m not sure if I already wrote
this before, but that fake Earl that Brendel encountered before was in this Unifying Guild.)
“Did you saw those men?” Megeska asked.
Tirste nodded. The young man inclined backwards, and used an even tone to continue: “The young man
and that red beard Batum are insignificant people with the strength of an Iron-ranked fighter. There are
nothing special about them, but interestingly they have a Bucce militia with them. Commander, there’s no
need for me to repeat the news that you have already gotten a long time ago right?”
The commander inhaled deeply from the pipe and placed it down: “That girl is called Freya. Amongst the
four slot, there was an indication that she must be given one. What do you think of that?”
“Interesting.” Tirste laughed: “Are you going to tell me that she’s an illegitimate daughter of someone
powerful?”
“Please, what does that have anything to do with us?” Megeska said: “But that means that these men
should not be considered as suspects. The person who killed ‘Tor’ should be at least a Silver-ranked
fighter right? I wonder about the strength of that Leto person. I heard that the ‘Silver Dove faction is
incredibly angry over this matter, and are pointing fingers at us, asking why we did not send a Silver-
ranked or Gold-ranked fighter to guard that fool.”
The young man gave a snorting laugh: “That fool is just a substitute. When we have the chance to
eliminate that famed ‘Wolf Earl’, there might be some blame to go around, but we don’t need any trash in
our organization now. In fact, I wonder if Oberbeck noticed anything suspicious about his substitute.”
Megeska nodded.
“I also received some news when we investigated the refugees. There was a commotion within Fortress
Riedon, and that position was along the noble parliament and the Pine Fortress. The details are probably
known only to the nobles, but sadly all those fools were completely killed.”
Megeska took another of puff from his pipe: “Do you think if Luc Beson knows anything about this?”
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“Even if that tiger knows anything, he wouldn’t say anything about it. His goals does not align with us.”
Tirste said a deeper meaning in his words.
“Indeed, regardless of the White-Mane army or us, he is someone who’s odd.”
“What do you plan to do now?”
“Isn’t this matter left to you, why are you asking what I’m going to do? Captain, your actions are straying a
little from the rules right?” The commander was taken aback before he laughed.
But Tirste shook his head: “No, this matter is left to you now. There’s something else that I have to check
about the transfers to the academy, and another matter I need you to help is assign me a position as a
captain within the White-Mane army.”
“Why?”
“There is news about the Lionheart sword.”
“What, that’s fast. How did they get the news?”
Tirste grinned but he did not answer.
———————– Brendel’s/Tamar POV —————
After Freya stayed back in the Silver-Winged cavalry’s camp, Brendel went to the Bruglas market and
joined up with Tamar who had been waiting for a long time.
Tamar was supposed to be one of Madara’s infamous person, but right now he wore a strange checkered
long robe and stood under the scorching sun, and showed great respect to Brendel when he saw him.
“My lord, the things that you want are ready.” Tamar was carrying a heavy bag and pulled his son as he
waited at the sides for Brendel.
His respect to Brendel was not because of his status as a lord, but because he was his savior. His son did
not have that same feeling, and he looked at Brendel with admiration because of his status.
“You managed to buy it?” Brendel was surprised as he did not expect a common market within Bruglas to
have an authentic Elven alchemist set. He merely asked Tamar to see if they had it, since the alchemist set
from Ampere Seale could also be used, although the requirements were just barely met.
“I managed to rent it from the local alchemist guild, and they want twenty Tor coins.”
Even though Tamar said that, his heart felt it was difficult to accept.
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[There is really no need to use such special equipment. Even when I was within the nobles’ parliament, I
used second hand alchemist equipment. This lord is good at everything, but he’s spending too much
money.]
Brendel rubbed his forehead. He had forgotten about this matter, but it was good to actually procure it,
especially when he would not lack money once his plans were executed.
He had his own plans that were different from Tamar’s thoughts.
[A poisoned dagger steeped in the poisonous sap from a Demon Tree (15 oz), a cursed crossbow (32 oz).
Even though I have some fundamental strength, I need some killing trump cards that I can used in the
shadows. The dagger can be sold to the nobles thanks to the undetectable nature of the poison. The signs
for the poison is similar to a sudden illness, and it’s the best way to scheme against anyone who’s below
the Iron-ranked stats.
And the cursed crossbow is something that’s needed to kill a low-class character. There’s a certain
percentage to cause debuffs like Weakening, Damage Intake and other various debilitation effects.
Higher-level characters find it easier to resist it, but anyone below the Silver-ranked level would easily
display the effects. Luckily, the problem of getting all the rare materials like a soul of a high-ranked
necromancer, is solved thanks to the fights outside Fortress Riedon.
It’s a hassle to make it because I need at least Rank 8 in Alchemy, but with the equipment and Tamar’s
help, that’s +3 in total. I can make the equipment that I need.]
TL: As usual, if there are any Engrish mistakes, please inform me. I’ll take a look at editing this later on,
this version should be considered a raw TL without proofreading.
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TL: Well I’m basically tired as heck. This news update is a bit long, bear with me please.
To be honest I have been sick for nearly a month and I am still coughing even now (which is part of the
reason why I had to cut my TLed chapters to 1 or nearly 0 per week), and I don’t see myself getting well
anytime soon, stupid persistent cough.
Moving on to the TL issue, so I’m going to see how much I can TL today, kinda depends on how bad my
cough is. These particular updates are exclusive from the donated chapters, meaning it’s kind of like me
catching up on my usual release pace. I’m able to do this because two of my assignments have been given
1 more week extension to the deadline, which I’m going to take 1 day off as my break (which is today)
and just do whatever I want.
As for the donated chapters, yes it’s accumulating >_<…. but I think I have to push it until my term
break which starts during July. So far the current amount accumulated is $110 this month or 9 chapters
worth in total. Sigh, I’m really quite sorry about this issue but unless I’m able to somehow magically
improve my art skillz, I have to take it slow. Even the next subject is hard because it’s going to be about
animals, sigh, can’t say I look forward to researching animal anatomy…
PS: In other news, I received a free sketch (I requested Horo from Spice and Wolf) from my lecturer
which honestly made me smile for the entire afternoon. I’m surprised at how delighted I am for some
reason, haha.
TL: I think I have four TAS chapters and two TSTBGAM. They haven’t gone through proofreading and I’ll
take a look at them tomorrow for Engrish mistakes. For now I’m going to play a visual novel that involve
fox ears.
Chapter 37 – Brendel’s preparation (2)
Brendel lined up eleven daggers that were intricately crafted side by side. He then used a silver hammer
to break the crystals that were harvested from the Rotten Beast and threw the fragments into the golden
liquid inside the alchemy pot. He turned his head back and asked:
“Tamar, why don’t you give it a try?”
“Me?” The middle-aged man was momentarily surprised, but he immediately showed enthusiasm on his
face. The future grandmaster alchemist might be reticent during normal times, but when the topic is
about alchemy, he could not help but talk about it excitedly. Now that he had the chance to try it for
himself, he would definitely take it.
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He might have been an alchemist who worked at the parliament, but he was typically tasked to do only
minor things like refinement for the materials, as the nobles themselves had their personal alchemist and
typically would not give away any of their secrets.
This was the first time that Tamar had the chance to create a magical artifact all by himself, and he gulped
when he saw the Elven daggers. Brendel chuckled and gave a nod.
[Tamar’s alchemy skills are going up very quickly. When I first saw him, his alchemy skills were
approximately Rank 3, and now he’s Rank 5. At this pace, he’s going to surpass me and become a true
master alchemist. This is really innate talent.]
The reason why Tamar advanced so quickly was because Brendel had passed the refinement of high
grade materials to Tamar, and allowed him to improve quickly.
However, Tamar seemed to look like he did not realize his talents, and when Brendel tried to recruit him
for thirty thousand gold per year, he actually requested to reduce the amount of gold to a mere sixth of
Brendel’s proposal.
[A grand alchemist for an annuity of 5000 gold, even close relatives wouldn’t give such a rate. Well, most
of these alchemist tend not to break their contract, and in the future I should have the capabilities to keep
him even if he requests for more money. Due to his abilities, I must keep him.]
“Alright, I’ll give it a try.” Tamar said with confidence.
The room turned quiet, and Brendel moved to the bookshelves and randomly picked a history book about
noble lineage. He had been reading such books for the past few days, and his knowledge about the nobles
and sigils have gone up, increasing his Scholar Rank to Rank 11.
With the additional TP, he raised his Militiary Swordsmanship to Rank 7 (6+1), Emergency First Aid to
Rank 4, White Raven Sword Arte to Rank 2, and took on the proficiency skills for the profession
Mercenary, as well as Stealth and Barkskin.
The Weapon Proficiency skill was a core ability of the professions ‘Warrior’ and ‘Mercenary’. There was
only one rank for this skill, but it allowed Brendel to use all related weapons for his profession.
[It’s fortunate that I got to have a profession like Mercenary. If I was to actually spend TP on proficiency
in weapons because I’m a militia, I’m going to waste thousands of TP of improving them. But at the same
time, there’s a limit to specializing in certain weapons. Other than that, the stealth trait comes from the
Nightingale profession, while Barkskin comes from druids. The Barkskin ability is especially good since it
adds 50% natural armor once per day. This combination is something I used in the past as well.]
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These two unique abilities from other professions could only be taught within Bruglas’s Royal Geography
Institute, and Brendel made sure to learn them as the chances to acquire such skills were rare.
[Hundreds of TP are gone so quickly. Technically speaking, repeated usage is also a way to level up skills,
but it takes way too much time. I have gone through a considerable amount of fights for the past few
weeks, but my swordsmanship has not even reach 6+2…]
Brendel had not turned over many pages of the book in his hand, but Tamar had already finished with his
task. Tamar brought a single dagger as if he was a child showing off his toy:
“My lord, they are done!”
“That fast?” Brendel stole a glance at the hourglass at the side, and the sand in it had only gone down by a
third. “Are there any failures?”
“No.” Tamar shook his head.
Brendel took a deep breath. It was rare to see someone who had no failures at all, and the failure rates
within the game for newcomers were nearly 50%. He took the dagger and inspected it with the Window
Stats.
[1-4 Damage, + 1-1 poison, Dagger Steeped in Demon Tree’s poison. The name of the dagger changed, as
well as the rarity. It was originally ‘White Rank’, but now it’s ‘Iron Rank’.]
Brendel got up and placed the dagger back onto the table. He thought for a while and decided that their
worth to be around two thousand gold. It was not something that was exceptionally special and only
suited for low-ranking nobles or adventurers. Upper ranking nobles had their own personal alchemist
and a blade like this would not interest them.
[A total of twenty thousand Tor coins, even if I sell them all. That’s not enough for Little Romaine.]
He took out the High Grade Crystal that he got from the Golden Demonic Tree and a Dwarven Short
Sword.
“The next equipment is going to be a little difficult. Let’s do it together this time, Tamar.”
“Together?” Tamar was a little puzzled when he heard Brendel said that. Alchemists worked alone to
avoid any mana interference from each other.
But Brendel did not have that same concern. He started to use a chalk to draw a circle formation and
added runes and numbers to it. Tamar watched him in wide eyes, recognizing the runes as star
constellation used by wizards.
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Finally, Brendel raised his head and pointed to the inner circle.
“Tamar, come over here.”
But Tamar looked on in a daze and asked: “My lord, is this the Loop Ritual?”
“Loop Ritual?”
“I heard that only wizards in Buga had this mysterious skill, where someone who’s standing on the
primary star constellation would be able to borrow many people’s power to create a magic or alchemy
ritual. My lord, is this…?”
“Something like that. This is a simplified version for 16 people. If there’s a chance I’ll draw a complete
version for sixty four people and how it to you.” Brendel nodded. This skill was something that every
gamer in his world needed to have, but Tamar saw it like it was an incredible feat.
Fire seemed to flare in Tamar’s eyes as he nodded forcefully and rushed to stand within the formation, as
if he could not wait to see the power of the ritual without any more delay.
Brendel inspected the blade in his hand. The short sword was intricately crafted by the dwarves,with the
surface of the blade hammered with Earthern Mana into it, with the tip of the blade in a wavy form. He
ran his fingers through the sword to check something.
[A type of sharpening magic. But it’s good that this magic shouldn’t have any conflicts with the things I’m
about to do next.]
He carefully picked up a golden chisel and knocked it into the sword to create a hole.
“Ah!” Batum suddenly yelled.
“What the fuck are you yelling for Batum!” Brendel nearly chipped off the magic from the sword, but his
hands were steady enough to avoid ruining the sword that was worth fifteen hundred Tor coins.
[Shit, if I screwed that up, I won’t have enough funds to buy a second one.]
Batum knew that he had made a huge mistake and he chose wisely to not answer anything. His heart was
bleeding inwardly when he saw his lord making another hole in the sword. He felt like a hole had been
knocked into his heart.
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But Brendel ignored him and placed the Tree Crystals into the hole and nodded to Tamar. Both of them
started to carve sigils onto both sides of the sword. After working on it for thirty minutes, they finally
made a new magic weapon.
Brendel picked up the sword and flourished it, sending dancing lights throughout the room with the
sigils. He then checked it with the stats window, and confirmed there was a +3-3 poison behind the stats.
It was comparable to the ordinary damage of the Thorn of Light, and this sword could be placed in the
Bronze rank. It definitely had no problem for selling at a price of one hundred thousand Tor coins, and
might even interest some high ranking knights.
Brendel wiped his perspiration off. This was the first time he crafted a magical equipment above 15 OZ,
and he felt tired from writing fourteen stacks of sigils. The result was spectacular, however. The sword
was perfectly created and he felt like his skill was about to get a +1 behind it.
[Except that I’m a fake noble. Unless I get a real identity confirming of myself as a noble, my skills won’t
surpass Rank 5… otherwise I’m most likely at Rank 6 by now (5+1).]
As he thought to himself, he saw Tamar looking like he was still excited to do more as his eyes were
glittering.
“My lord, I feel like I have come to a revelation. If I’m not mistaken, it’s just a matter of time for me to
create higher grade sigils and formations.”
“That’s a good thing.”
Brendel patted Tamar’s shoulders and was inwardly happy.
[If Tamar reaches Rank 10, he can start to make Dragon Slaying Arrows (40oz), that’s a good thing.]
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TL: More coming. As a warning the chapters are TLed within a day, so mistakes are expected.
Chapter 38 – The Cripple
Brendel knew that Tamar had reached Rank 6 in alchemy, so he left the creation of a Cursed Crossbow to
him. He collected the poisoned daggers and the Dwarven Longsword, and called out to Batum to prepare
to go to the Black Pepper Street to meet up with that particular cripple.
He had wanted to meet with the cripple called ‘Roen’ for quite some time already, especially when he
wanted to know if there was an extra mission regarding about the Ring of The Wind Empress. Besides
that mission, he had also heard that the cripple had contacts with the black market and the likes, so it was
something that he wanted to the cripple to introduce him a place where he could auction his goods.
[I’m not seeing Romaine… Looks like she’s off to do some ‘adventuring’ in some unknown places again.]
Both of them left the house with long robes. Brendel adjusted his hood in order to hide his face better, but
Batum suddenly spoke behind him.
“My lord, I have thought about this for quite some time, but I think your plans are not good enough.”
“Why?” Brendel adjusted the Elven sword under the long robe before turning back to ask.
“The refugees that saw us were plenty, and even though you requested them to keep the secrets to
themselves, you cannot guarantee that they are going to follow your words.” Batum carefully tuck his
beard inside the hood and watched the streets, whispering.
“This was never a secret to the ones who wanted to get to the bottom of the truth, but the nobles desire a
result that doesn’t harm their status. If I don’t stand out, they are even more delighted to accept this
version,” Brendel thought for a while and answered. “And I need to stay unnoticed for a certain period of
time, Batum.”
“But I still feel that we should have kept the refugees who saw you.”
Brendel finally understood Batum’s true motive and he laughed. He shook his head.
“We would stand out too much if we recruit these refugees in the open. Furthermore, these people might
not be willing to follow us. Know this Batum, humans would seek to grasp at the wheat offered to them
during desperate times, but they would not hold on to them every single moment.”
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Batum nodded, but his mind disagreed. He had observed Brendel for quite some time from the sides, and
knew that his ambition was big, so he wanted to aid him by going for moves that aided in growing his
power.
But Brendel’s current concern was not about power, it was about the Unifying Guild. He was certain there
was no one who could point to him for the murder of the fake earl, but gaining exemplary results here
might invite suspicion to himself.
[Well the only ones who have an idea about what I did are Freya and Romaine… The greatest cover is my
own level as an Iron-rank. Once I grow strong enough, the Unifying Guild is still people who lurk in the
shadows and not an army.]
The Black Pepper street is one of the largest street in the impoverished areas within Bruglas.
This was not truly Brendel’s first time in this area, but the rats that ran openly in the streets, combined
with the summer’s heat and horrid vapors of rotten odors still made him unused to this place. Batum on
the other hand looked like he had found home. A mercenary like him was a frequent patron of this place,
where there were sleazy bounty hunters, thieves, illegal merchants as well as low level prostitutes. It was
as if this place had the stench of evil and sin.
But within this place, there were also scenes where people treated others sincerely.
Brendel was not able to criticize this place, and he did not want to anyway. He watched the children with
dirty and tattered clothes carefully avoiding him from the sides, then hid themselves with greedy looks in
his directions. There seemed to be gazes with ill intentions casting in his direction, so he raised his guard.
They continued walking and finally stopped at a old wooden house. Brendel raised his head and looked at
the triangular carving on the ceiling, and confirmed that it was Roen’s house, and then knocked on his
door—
Three loud bangs echoed within, with the door creaking as if it was going to split apart any time. Dust
could be seen scattering from the door as well.
Batum frowned when he looked at this place.
“I can hardly imagine there is anyone living in this place. I have seen many poor people’s dwelling, but I
have never seen a place like this that’s so dilapidated. This place can already be compared to living in a
cave and—”
The mercenary stopped talking and swallowed his words, when the door suddenly opened. A venomous
pair of eyes laid upon Batum for a moment before it went to Brendel, and a raspy voice could be heard
from the horse.
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“Brendel? When did you come from Bucce? Wait, you’re actually not dead, that’s definitely out of my
expectations!”
“Does it benefit if I died, cripple?”
Brendel answered coldly. He looked at the balding old man who chuckled in a low voice twice, before
looking at the two of them with his cloudy green eyes again.
“What brings you here, Brendel? Have you gotten rich? Or have you sent me a new customer?”
The previous Brendel had pawned several of his personal things at Roen’s place and therefore became
linked to this malicious person. But what he did not understand was how Roen came to know about the
painting in his old grandfather’s house.
Brendel glared at him with an intense expression, and the cripple recoiled backwards.
“You……. seem to be a little different, Brendel.” The old man hesitated.
“Anyone would change after they have been through enough ordeals.” Brendel gave a reply, but he did
not want to waste anymore time so he went for his main question: “Do you still want the painting that my
grandfather had?”
The cripple’s slanty shaped eyes immediately brightened: “Of course, of course, why, did you bring it
here?”
But Roen immediately felt a cold blade placed on his neck. The greedy and scheming bastard who charged
high interest loan rates and wrecked homes immediately fell to the floor with his weakened knees.
“I don’t have any patience for this. Tell me if my grandfather’s painting was stolen by your men.” Brendel
glared at him as if he was going to kill him right away.
Batum turned back and saw several men flinching when they noticed his face. He picked up several rocks
and hit them squarely, causing them to squeal in pain and run away, before he gestured to Brendel to
inform him he was going to go after them.
Roen lost his confidence when he saw this scene unfold before his eyes, and he immediately shouted in a
shrill voice: “Brendel, please listen to me, it was not me, I don’t have the galls to offend…….”
He suddenly felt he had made a mistake, and he quickly changed his words: “Brendel, you know me right,
I might be unscrupulous but I wouldn’t spoil my own rules.”
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Brendel watched the corner of the bastard’s eyes quiver, and knew that he had already recovered from
his fear. He could not kill him here so he pulled back his sword with disappointment.
“I’ll accept your explanation, so I’ll talk about another deal instead.”
“Another deal? Brendel, I might not be able to receive your deals if they are of the same nature.” Roen
rubbed his neck as if to check if it was still there.
“Hmph, that painting is gone. If my father wants my life for it, I’ll be using yours as a substitute.” Brendel
threatened him with half-truths.
“I got it, I got it, I’ll find out news about this for your painting.” His mind was working quickly to guess
who had the audacity to steal that particular item.
Roen looked at Brendel’s hand and saw that he did not wear anything on his fingers. He thought for a
while before he spoke again. “Speaking of your father, I’m certain that your family is looking for you, are
you not going to go back?”
“Not for the moment. Perhaps when I find the things that I need.” Brendel was actually afraid that his
troubles would follow him back to his family, so he decided to separate from them.
[This is a particular problem. My memories from the other soul is affecting me and I want to see my
family in this world… But that’s going to be impossible for a long time.]
“Very well.” Roen seemed to confirm that Brendel was not looking for any more trouble and continued
with the topic. “What manner of business do you have in mind?”
“I need money urgently, and I have quality goods that I can sell. But if you think of double-crossing me,
cripple, mark my words, I am no longer the same old Brendel.”
Brendel agreed with Leto’s advice to first threaten Roen before dealing with him, as the cripple drew
back his neck timidly.
“Don’t worry. I won’t find fault with the things that I pawned to you in the past, but if you pull any tricks
this time round, you had better wash your neck.” Brendel threw a pouch of coins beside the cripple’s feet:
“I only need your recommendation and the coins here are yours if you help me with two other things.”
“Yes, yes, go ahead and tell me.”
“The first thing. I want you to help me find a woman who is about thirty years old, with purple hair and
eyes. Find her within one week, and if you have any news, go to Bruglas’s market and find me there.”
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Roen quickly nodded and thought for a while before shaking his head, letting it show that he had not
heard of such a person before.
Brendel did not expect him to have news of her immediately, so he spoke of the second matter. “The
second thing I need you to help with me is to find a noble called ‘Berg Nesson’ who stayed in this place
before. You’re the most famous local scoundrel in Bruglas, surely you have heard of a fallen noble like him
right?
The cripple hesitated for a while when he heard the name.
“I have heard of him before, but he had disappeared a few years back.”
“That is fine, I am looking for his wife or daughter. Where are they staying now?”
“His wife had already passed away two years ago, but I know of his daughter. She stays in a place that’s
not far from here. Is she your relative?” The cripple asked in curiosity.
But this query immediately lured the Elven sword to dance in front of his eyes, before the sword went
back to his sheathe. Brendel cast a side glance at him. “Do you want to know?”
“No, no, there’s no need to, I’ll tell you how to reach her place—” The cripple immediately shook his head.
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TL: 1 more TAS coming after this.
Chapter 39 – Amandina
[I’m surprised that Berg Nesson’s wife has died. Does this mean that the reward given is by the daughter
instead? Certain nobles’ lineage go a long way back, so it’s possible that a good reward might be given out
here. In any case, it looks like my only hope is on the daughter.]
Roen had given details on the daughter. Her name was Amandina, and she stayed alone at the northern
Greyrat street, which was just next to the Black Pepper street. She stayed within her home most of the
time and hardly went out. Even though it was strange that she lived all by herself without any contacts,
she was still a noble and under the strict hierarchy in Aouine, common men would not think of intruding
her home.
[Roen’s information is most likely accurate. This isn’t a common sight for nobles, but at the same time
something like this does occur in the game.]
However, to ensure that Roen gave accurate information, Brendel simply took out his sword and placed it
over Roen’s neck and told him to lead the way. With Batum’s aid in dismissing the shady youths hired by
Roen around his home, the three of them left for the noble’s house without any further incidents.
When the three of them reached the next street, it was nearly evening. The amber sunlight shone across
the buildings at one end of the street, and long shadows were cast across the other row of buildings.
Because there was no one who to light the oil lamps at the sides, the buildings were shrouded in
darkness. Brendel walked briskly into this silent part of the street, his long robes sweeping across the
pebbles and lifting the fallen leaves due to the small breeze caused by his movements.
Batum walked closely behind him, thoroughly checking the dark corners of the street. He fiddled with his
beard for a while before frowning: “This place wasn’t like this when I came here a few years ago.”
The Greyrat street was near the old nobles’ parliament and the Cavalry avenue. It was once a busy street
and considered an area where rich people gathered, but after the city had gone under upgrades and
moved the prime hub elsewhere, the street had became even more desolate than the Black Pepper street.
[Even if if was because this street here did not have any adventurers, mercenaries or prostitutes lingering
here, this place should not be so desolate…]
Brendel sniffed at the dusty air and he suddenly recalled something.
“It’s probably due to the underground grave here.”
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“Indeed.” Roen’s smile was a little forced. The blade on his neck made him feel very uncomfortable. “My
lord, you might not know this, but there was a strange event about two years ago. A group of of two high
ranking monks and one priest from the Haviar Church went missing after they entered the grave, and this
city was shaken by this incident back then.”
“And? Did the Holy Church went to Nakkin and caused trouble? If you tell me they did not, I won’t believe
you.” Batum said.
“Of course not, under the pressure of the church, he sent a group of Silver Winged Cavalry to investigate
the incident. The group was attacked by monsters and there was only one survivor left who went crazy.”
“Madness.” Batum muttered to himself.
Roen led them to an old staircase. After they reached the end of the flight of stairs, they found an old
mansion before them and entered in. The wooden floor creaked and trembled under their weight as if it
had serious breathing problems and was about to fall apart any time.
Brendel stopped when he saw this. He tore apart the spider webs with his sword and asked in suspicion.
“What place is this, you stupid cripple? If I recall correctly Berg Nesson’s family status hasn’t fallen to this
state yet, even if he went missing for years.” He coughed in bits as he spoke.
“His daughter has moved out of her own house a year ago. It seems that she had been cheated out of her
money.”
“A gullible female noble.” Batum added his input.
Brendel was silent as he watched Roen.
In the end, Roen led them to a door in the corner within the abandoned mansion. Brendel kept his sword
away and knocked on the door. He almost certain that Roen was lying again, until he heard a serious bout
of coughing noise behind the door. A soft voice came from behind it.
“Who is it?”
Brendel paused for a moment before he turned to Roen and asked: “Is she unwell?”
“I have no knowledge of that.” He shook his head.
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Brendel was silent for a few seconds before he spoke again: “Miss Amandina? I’m a friend of your father,
Berg Nesson, I have a few things from him to give to you.” (TL: Seriously? That’s a terrible opening line,
sounds like some random evil person preparing to pounce on the noble girl…)
There was silence behind the door for a while, before the girl spoke again in her weak voice: “What is it?”
“His letter.”
There was the sound of a chair being pushed back behind the door and an even longer silence, as if to
hesitate. Finally there were footsteps and light coughing noises that appeared closer to the door. The
voice made behind the door was clearer and Brendel could hear that the owner was a young woman. Her
voice seemed to have some form of expectations within it.
“I’m sorry, but could you push the letter below the door?”
Brendel looked at the gap below the door.
[Well, at least her guard is working well. Considering that she’s living all by herself for years, it’s
understandable.]
“I understand.”
“Thank you.”
Brendel pushed the letter through the door, and it was taken away with sounds of the letter being
opened. It was another bout of long silence, and when Brendel started to think that something was very
wrong, the door suddenly opened with a long creak.
Behind the door was a young woman in a pale night dress.
Her thin hands were on the door and she appeared to be slightly out of breath, but her expression could
be considered as calm. She was not very tall, and only reached the height of Brendel’s chest. Her long
black hair flowed all the way back to her waist, and her black irides were upon the three person outside
her house, appearing a little tense.
“My father…?” Her eyes finally stopped on Brendel.
He nodded.
The girl’s long eyelashes lowered.
There was a short moment of hushed silence before she spoke again.
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“I had already thought something like this might have happened. That is just as well, my parents are at
least together now. I think I will feel at least better that way.”
[A good reaction. Unlike some of the weak noble ladies out there, she’s not half as ignorant or stupid like
them. Judging from her room…… There’s really nothing much here. It’s an old bed with just some run-
down furniture, along with a few candles here that’s half burned and some scattered papers and books.
That’s all she has. Her conditions are just as bad as the mansion looked. The only thing that’s interesting
about her is how she might be a sage.]
“My condolences, Miss Amandina.” Brendel said.
The girl raised her head and looked at him. She coughed twice before speaking.
“Did you want to ask about the promised reward from my father’s letter?”
Batum and Roen were confused over how the conversation changed into different directions.
“…… Yes.” Brendel felt reluctant to respond for a while, but he decided to treat this event like a mission
within the game.
[There shouldn’t be any need to feel ashamed about this matter. It’s good to try and get a reward out of
this, it’s all for the sake of saving Aouine. Really.]
But Amandina folded the letter and the bridge between her eyes seemed to narrow: “It is unfortunate, but
I have never heard of my mother mentioning such a place in this letter before.”
“Ahh, so it’s a debt—” The cripple finally understood what was going on, and he was much more spirited
when this particular event was related to his job: “Brendel, leave this job to me.”
He spoke in a shrill voice and checked Brendel’s expression closely. He was certain that the naive little
brat had turned into someone of importance, especially when he looked at the giant mercenary following
him. With his years of experience, he determined that the man was considerably strong when he
compared him to the nobles’ guards that he knew.
Even though he did not know why the mercenary was willing to work for Brendel, he was careful not to
displease Brendel.
“There’s no need for that, cripple.” Brendel flatly refused his good intentions with a wave of his hand.
“It’s as natural as the rain falling down from the sky to pay your debts.” The cripple still did not cease
talking, until he saw that Brendel’s fingers were on his sword, before he shrank backwards and muttered
to himself: “There are rules in society, rules in society……”
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Brendel looked at the girl’s clear eyes. She looked a little worried about her situation about she did not
appear to be intentionally lying. Brendel was a little upset to just leave like that and he frowned. But no
matter how he looked at the situation, he could not do anything about it, and finally he gave a smile: “No,
that’s fine. It was something trivial anyway.”
[It’s ridiculous to push her anymore than this. She lost her parents and she had fallen to poverty, her life
is literally in the gutters, what else do I want from her? I’m sure this damned cripple had his ways to
squeeze money out from her, but I’m not going to accept have that option. If Little Romaine or even Freya
finds out that this ever happened…]
But the girl suddenly stopped him from leaving. She coughed and shook her at the same time, struggling
to steady her body.
“Ser Brendel, I am not asking to renege the agreement in the letter.”
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Chapter 40 – Magicite
The girl’s reply stopped everyone, and they looked back at her. Amandina looked at the young man and
spoke softly.
“Ser, please be at ease. I will fulfill the agreement in the letter with my personal thanks as well.”
Brendel was a little surprised at her determined and even confident expression.
[No matter how I look at her situation, she can’t pay any significant amount of gold, but is it because of
her pride that she wants to fulfill the agreement? This situation is going further away from gaming
common sense…]
“How do you intend to do that, lass?” Batum looked at her from top to bottom, with the usual unrefined
tone with deliberate quips from his mercenary ways: “Even though you’re considered a fine looking girl,
but my lord already has a fiance.”
Anger found its way into Amandina’s eyes and cheeks when she heard that. She looked at Brendel with
flushed cheeks due to anger, and Brendel saw disappointment in her eyes. She opened the drawer next to
the table and retrieved a big scroll. She stopped for a while before she finally passed the papers to
Brendel: “I believe the value in these papers are no less than what you expect, Ser Brendel.”
“What is this?” He asked as he took the scroll.
“My research.” She looked a little uneasy when she said these words, but she appeared confident again.
The cripple snorted derisively, and Batum poked him from behind and whispered: “How much gold do
you think the girl owes my lord?”
Roen turned back and looked blankly at Batum. Even though the hood covered his face, he could clearly
see the red knotted beard.
“You don’t know?”
“Of course I don’t? How should I know about these things?”
“I thought you knew. Let’s see, even a poor noble like Berg should have an annuity of two thousand coins.
Calculating it… Well, it’s around a hundred thousand Tor coins. It’s not a huge sum of money, but it’s no
paltry sum either.”
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“That is indeed a considerable sum.” Batum nodded. “Do you mean to say that the papers in my lord’s
hands are worth a hundred thousand coins?”
“I did not say anything like that. If it’s something that comes from a famous painter, well, fetching a few
million coins isn’t surprising. But that little girl had already said it’s her research. I’ll be honest with you, I
don’t think it’s worth anything that much, otherwise this little girl wouldn’t need to stay in this place
already.”
“You’re really a nasty piece of work.”
“That’s a logical conclusion, Ser Batum.”
Amandina clenched her fists when she overheard their conversation.
Brendel did not stop their talk as he was engrossed in checking out the scroll with one hand. He was a
little puzzled over it as it felt quite heavy in his hand.
[Paintings? Old Magic? Or some lore copied from old books? The quality of the scroll is quite bad, but
there’s some considerable weight to it.]
“Can I take a look at the contents of these papers?” Brendel asked.
“They are already yours.”
Brendel nodded and carefully unfolded it. It was a complicated array of lines that formed into some form
of machine. The multiple patterns and arrays were carefully written all over the scroll, along with
detailed explanation with the girl’s elegant handwriting. His heartbeats quickly increased when he saw
the contents of the scroll, and comprehension dawned on his face while he rolled the scroll back up.
It was the earliest blueprint for creating a machine that moved mana.
[The overall concept in this design can be considered as crude or terrible… But… I see… so this is how it
is… Back then in the game, the guild ‘Origin’ got the original blueprints for producing this type of
machinery and allowed players to gain their own independence.]
Brendel did not expect to encounter the answer to be like this. He did not expect the girl to have anything
to do with the top ten questions in ‘The Amber Sword’, and he was genuinely surprised at the outcome.
“The guild leader did not infiltrate an empire or the likes, he simply completed this one-time secret
mission…”
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Brendel used all his will to keep his face from changing. The scroll in his hands meant that it was enough
to change the world greatly.
Owning a third type of power in this world.
The first type of power was ‘Elements’. Fire, wind, water, earth, space, time and many others. Physical
examples existed as well. Professions like warriors, Elementalists, wizards, and many powerful classes
have different qualities, but they share a common measuring unit called ‘Oauth’.
The power of Elements are typically hidden in one’s body, until the power in them crossed 500 OZ. Under
the Holy Church of Fire description, people who crossed 500 OZ had ‘Enlightened Elements’ in them.
From that moment onwards, these people would be crowned as ‘Holy knights’. (TL: Okay. You know
those recent modern games like to ‘simplify’ things by reducing the amount of buttons/commands right?
Everything press ‘F’ to jump/dodge/hit/execute/whatever? Apparently OZ does the same thing here. If I
TLed anything wrongly, well…)
This was a long journey and even impossible for many to go through. The majority of the population are
born with just 0.3 OZ, and would be unable to surpass that 500 OZ limit. However, there were people who
blessed and simply had the talent to surpass the limits, therefore they were called ‘The Chosen beings’.
The second type of power did not belong to humans. They were called as the ‘Power of the Gods’, and
more exactly the power of faith.
The Gods were split into two factions, Ximar and Einkar. Ximar was humble while Einkar was arrogant.
They governed the laws of the stars and magic, and there were called as gods. Their presence supported
this world, and though they did not need the worship of the beings in this world, they had answered their
prayers through their faith.
This response was called the ‘Power of the Gods’. The source of the powers from the priests were from
their will, taking care of their children from high above. And because of that, many different religious
factions argued constantly, speaking of misinterpreted instructions or expressing their reluctance to
change the world from the signs of the gods.
The third power, was the power of wisdom, and the power that mortals had to change the world.
The so called machine in Brendel’s hands was also called ‘Magicite’. Under the artificial (machine) design,
revolution to move the energy in the Element crystals, either to power a magic weapon or floating city.
This was originally the creation of the craftsmen in Buga, but the various empires soon took hold of this
secret.
This new power that mortals created changed the entire chessboard in this world. They started off with
production which led to a new industrial revolution, and the struggle to gain for resources created new
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factions and powers. The records started from one hundred years ago, and the Holy War lasted for ten
over years, of which the November War was most infamous for.
[I now hold the blueprints of a ‘Magicite’… Even though it is lacking in many ways and even considered
behind the empire’s technology by thirty years, this is the true secret that gamers thought they would
never get. In ‘The Amber Sword’, the magicite called ‘Star Constellation’ was created twenty years into the
game and is the same design that this scroll has.]
Brendel took a deep breath and asked: “You designed this?”
Amandina’s expression was originally tense but she was taken aback when she heard the question.
“Y-you understand it?”
She had gotten all her knowledge from books, and spent long hours into designing the machine. Even
though her teachers told her that her talent was there, her success might be limited if she continued to go
on this path. Even so, she put all her time and money into this road, selling her family properties and
almost got cheated by a deceptive merchant. If her status as a noble did not protect her, she would have
become a plaything of someone else.
But she did not give up and believed that she had found a way to create a ‘Magicite’. She had created this
version with a fatal flaw that it required too much materials to create a single ‘Magicite’. Despite that, she
believed her designs were valuable enough, and was prepared to face Brendel’s sarcasm.
Except she did not expect him to take her seriously.
[He understands my work?]
“It’s very rough, but at least it’s a completed version.”
“No, no, Ser Brendel, you don’t understand this,” The girl coughed because she spoke too quickly: “This
design is only half completed, the input and output cannot be seen as a good ratio—“
“What? You dare to use a half completed blueprint to pay for your debts!” The cripple immediately
jumped when he heard that.
Brendel gestured to Batum to stop Roen from making any more noise, then looked at Amandina and said
earnestly.
“This is fine. In my eyes, this is a transaction that is worth even more than I expected, and you fulfilled
your promise.”
Brendel did not lie and it certainly exceeded his expectations compared to gaining Berg’s treasures.
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The young girl’s eyes went wide with surprise.
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Chapter 41
“Then I will take my leave.” Brendel rolled up the scroll, but he was stole a glance at the girl again.
Amandina’s current situation and her future made him a little sorry for her. He hesitated for a while
before asking: “…… Do you have anything that you need help with?”
Amandina shook her head.
“No thank you. I am grateful for the news about my father, Ser Brendel.” She held against the door and
replied, coughing twice.
[She’s such a stubborn girl, but at least she’s confident that she can take care of herself. Right now I’m not
a good position to truly help as well because of my financial situation. At the very least, I need to sell
these equipment at the auction that Roen is going to introduce…..]
Right when he was about to step out of the door, he heard chaotic footsteps going up the mansion’s
staircase, and the group looked over to the direction of the staircase. Batum reached his sword with his
hand under the robe.
“Seven, no, eight.”
“There’s no need to be tense here, we’re in Bruglas.” Brendel stopped Batum and stared at the direction
of the staircase. A few moments after he finished speaking, there was a series of curses that came from
below.
“Fuck, I really don’t want to come to this godforsaken place. We’re going to waste our time again since
that bitch is so stubborn.”
“Shhh, all these noble ladies are the same. They act all arrogant and elegant, but once you threaten them a
little, they would be shivering like little lambs and will do whatever we tell them to do. She will definitely
hand over that thing.
“In any case, that respected noble had already said it is fine even if we finished her off. She’s just a fallen
noble. If we don’t rough her up a little, she probably won’t even take us seriously.”
“Are you a moron? Can you trust anything a noble’s words? Their tongues are even sweeter than the
devil’s—”
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The group of men were arguing when they appeared from the corner of the corridor. There were
precisely eight of them wearing the city’s security guards light grey uniform which were brand new. They
did not expect anyone in the corridor, and almost everyone amongst them showed surprise in their faces.
Their first glance landed on Amandina, then on Brendel and Batum, and finally on the cripple at the very
back.
“It’s you! Cripple, what are you doing here?” The leader frowned and asked.
Brendel stopped the cripple from going forward and turned his head back and asked: “Who are they?”
“The scoundrels in Hood’s avenue. I didn’t think these dogs would look like reasonable human beings
wearing leather equipment, especially when I just saw them looking like scum a few days ago.”
The cripple glared at their city guards’ uniform. It appeared he was on terrible terms with them.
“Fuck. This dog just keeps on barking.” One of them cursed out loudly.
They were slightly confused at Brendel’s action. He had proven to be the leader amongst the three people
there, but the cripple in the Black Pepper Street was well known to be independent, and yet he was here
with two strange men. They were unable to guess the relationship between them.
It became even more troublesome because they were together with the fallen noble’s daughter.
“The few of you are?” The leader of the ruffians decided to test the waters after considering for a while.
Brendel looked at him for a moment before ignoring him. He turned his back to find Amandina grabbing
the door frame tightly, her knuckles white. She was lowering her head, and while she did not speak, her
small actions made him realize she was afraid and panicking inside. After a few moments, he spoke.
“Are they here to find trouble?”
Amandina nodded.
“What is the issue?”
“They said that my father owes their master money.”
“Is your father a gambler, why does he owe everyone money…” The cripple muttered to himself, but he
saw that the girl’s incensed eyes were on him, he stopped talking due to fright.
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“Did your father owe them money?” Brendel asked.
Amandina shook her head with a deep frown: “My father would never associate himself with these
people.”
Brendel finally looked at the ruffians and asked: “Then who are you?”
His voice was calm and forceful. The leader of the ruffians gulped when he felt the authority within
Brendel’s voice. Brendel’s appearance was partially covered by his hood and his age was unclear, but his
voice was definitely young. Even so, the leader of the ruffians thought that he was a young noble with a
strong backing behind him from his attitude. He disregarded Brendel’s forceful tone which could be
perceived as rude and spoke carefully.
“We’re the city guards under Lord Harde. I’m the ‘Night Owl’ Joe, and these are my brothers-in-arms.
We’re…. under the request of Lord Tirste to collect a debt.”
“When did the city guards become in charge of debt collection?” Batum folded his arms and snorted in
laughter.
The eight men looked like they got stuck in two places. They were just ruffians a few days ago before they
got recruited, and they had never seen any complicated politics in their life. They did not know how to
react in front of this secretive young man, but they were also under orders to collect on the debt, so they
looked at each other in confusion.
The leader who spoke wanted to slap himself for that mistake he made. He did not expect for that man to
retort with a valid argument.
But there was at least one who was smart enough to grumble loudly: “It’s only fair to pay back your debts
right.”
“Then who exactly do you want to pay this debt?”
These ‘city guards’ became silent again when Brendel spoke. They looked at each other for some time
before the leader of the ruffians spoke in a troubled tone: “It’s the lady behind you called Amandina. Her
father owes Lord Tirste a huge sum of money.”
[This particular name sounds familiar, but I can’t remember who exactly it is in the game. He probably
has a certain amount of fame within the game, but he’s certainly not involved with the main storyline.
Hmm, he can be as small as that Golden Apple Lord Esebar, or someone who’s particularly unique for a
side mission.]
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“Who is Lord Tirste?” Brendel turned around to ask Roen.
“He’s someone who’s about as young as you. He’s the vice captain of the Silver-Winged cavalry and
Vicount Megeska’s right hand man. There’s a rumor that he’s the duke’s illegitimate son,” Roen’s face was
ugly when he heard the name and whispered back. “Brendel. We musn’t fight with Tirste’s men. You can’t
afford to offend him.”
The cripple’s heart was beating quickly and he already started to think how he could run away from the
troublesome place here.
[Fuck. It’s fortunate that I did not insult them, otherwise trouble will follow me all the way.]
Brendel grinned when he heard Roen’s tone which sounded like he was insinuating something.
“Cripple, it seems that you really want me to fight with this Tirste that I have not met.”
“N-no, of course not.” Roen laughed in a shrill manner, his voice breaking. He did not expect Brendel to
instantly see past his goading remarks.
Brendel glanced at Amandina, only to find that the girl’s face had turned pale when she heard that the
duke was Tirste’s father. Even Vicount Megeska was someone who she could not hoped to fight against. If
they were to pick a fight with her, she could only wait for her death.
[Vicount Megeska. This is a name I’m familiar with. He might appear to be a loyal military officer to
Aouine, but he’s actually a dog of the Unifying Guild. The ‘right hand’ of Megeska, is he someone from the
Unifying Guild as well? In any case, he’s not as well known in the game because of his status as an
illegitimate son. But what is this situation with Amandina? Even the fight for power with the Royal Crown
is done behind closed doors. It’s unlikely that this Tirste doesn’t know about Amandina’s plight, so what’s
the reason for pushing her so hard?]
Brendel peeked at Amandina’s face.
[It doesn’t look like it’s some family feud. But being interested in the person herself? … That’s a stronger
reason since the nobles sometimes do things like that. But this is a vexing situation. I’m not sure if she’s
going to give up, but I don’t want her to end up losing her. The designer of the Magicite is something that I
cannot measure with money.]
Brendel did not express his desire to ask her to join his group for two reasons. Asking her to join right
now might get her guard up instead, while the second reason was to lower his costs like a businessman
by not showing that much interest in her skills.
[It seems like my plans need to change now.]
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“Does your father know Tirste?”
Amandina quickly shook her head. She was an intelligent person and thought of the same things that
Brendel did. She had never seen Tirste before, but she felt disgust from his actions and looked at Brendel
who seemed like he was her best ally.
Her heart was beating quickly and was afraid that he might not help her, but Brendel did not disappoint
her.
The young man immediately pulled out his sword when he heard her reply. The gleaming silver Elven
sword made the eight men tremble. Pulling out a weapon means that the negotiations had broken down.
Still, the leader of the ruffians tried to remedy the situation by clearing his throat and persuade him by
asking him to consider the power behind Tirste.
Brendel’s sword had already swung.
A visible ripple blasted above their heads, and a gale suddenly appeared out of nowhere as the wind
pressure caused their hair to fly back. A second later, the ceiling above them suddenly cracked loudly and
one could see breaks in it extending over five meters.
There was nothing but silence in the dim corridor.
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Chapter 42 – New member
“S-sword arte……” Roen’s face paled immediately, and he stared at Brendel.
[Is this Brendel that young man that I know of? You might have gotten some recognition for your
potential in the path of the sword, but possessing the power of an ‘Enlightened Element’ since our
meeting half a year ago?!]
Amandina first grabbed the door frame tightly and released it. The sudden scene that happened before
her eyes was beyond her imagination and she bit her lips due to her myriad feelings that stirred within
her.
[The young man who brought my father’s news was at a rank of a ‘Swordsman of Flowers’… This young
master swordsman, is it possible that he’s a ‘Blessed’ person and had the strength of an Iron-ranked
fighter since his birth?]
(TL: The specific flower described in Chinese doesn’t really exist in the west, so I just took from Game of
Thrones. I can’t think of a better term for 启⽰者 right now other than ‘Blessed’. Exalted, sacred, revelator
all sounds weird to me because the level of these people aren’t powerful enough to use these words.
Finally, the rank described by Amandina is the upper tier of the Golden-ranked fighter which is around
level 60-70+ where they can use sword artes freely.)
Batum merely folded his arms together without changing his appearance. He took everyone’s reaction in
his eyes and laughed inwardly. He had felt the same thing when he first saw his lord display that same
skill, and even felt proud to serve someone like him, because Brendel’s abilities did not end there.
As for the ‘City Guards’, they were already weak in the knees. Their lack of imagination had limited their
view of Brendel as a noble who had some strong backing behind him in his family, but they recognized
the Sword Arte and changed their opinions about him.
Brendel’s sword went back to its sheathe. He had intentionally shown that skill in hopes of making them
retreat. He was not even close to a Gold-ranked fighter, but that impression they had of him were already
carved into their hearts.
“Did you hear that, this young lady had said her father does not know anything about this Lord Tirste.”
“But……” The leader of the ruffians finally recovered from his shock, and looked at Brendel with a face full
of conflict.
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Brendel did a hand gesture to Batum behind his back.
“But what, get lost right now!” Batum saw the hand gesture and immediately yelled at them from the
sides.
The ruffians exchanged looks at each other. This was a familiar tactic to them, doing something like they
did not want to argue about logic. In fact they were also common users of using brute force instead of
logic, but standing before them was a young master swordsman who could wiped them out within
seconds, not to mention there was another bodyguard with him.
The ruffians were angered by Batum’s approach, but the leader took a deep breath and spoke: “I
understand that you, ser noble, is going to interfere in this matter. May I please know, who exactly is
going to go against Lord Tirste?”
Brendel’s eyes narrowed.
[Hoh. This man isn’t half bad at all, trying to corner me with words. If I’m a real noble I might have to
answer him properly, but I’m not. Heck, I’m even a shameless ‘gamer’ at that. Still, this leader is quite
smart, you are attacking me in the open with a scheme for everyone to see and I have to respond.]
He was secretly on his guards because refusing to answer might actually lead the ruffians to suspect of
his identity. He grinned inwardly as he took a piece of paper out and folded it.
[Give this thing to your lord. As for my identity, none of you has the right to know who I am.]
The ruffians looked blankly at the paper. But they could not do anything else other than taking the paper
and going back where they came from. They glared at the cripple, but they did not speak to him. If they
tried to do so, they would be humiliated by Brendel.
Brendel watched the last man leave before turning around to look at Roen. The cripple’s eyes were
glittering and Brendel looked at him with inscrutable eyes.
“What are you thinking, Ser Roen?” Brendel said.
Other than Batum, the cripple was the only other person who knew of his real identity. Batum could be
trusted, but the wily old fox in front of him could hardly be trusted.
“N-nothing.” Roen immediately denied it.
The aging cripple was bitter in his heart. He did not expect to have so much trouble for being a guide. He
would have risked getting injured by Brendel instead of going along if he knew he would offend Lord
Tirste. The ‘Night Owl’ definitely remembered him for participating in this affair, and his life in Bruglas
was definitely going to be turned upside down.
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[Brendel definitely knows that Lord Tirste is going to come after me. I doubt that Brendel is going to trust
me, especially when I don’t trust myself. I know that he’s a fake noble… and I might want to divulge that
information to Lord Tirste… but…]
Roen took an involuntary glance at Brendel and was certain that the young man would not give him a
chance to do so. He did not know what Brendel was going to do. Now that Brendel was a Swordman of
Flowers and appeared to be more decisive when he last met him, the cripple felt cold sweat forming
behind his back as he started to imagine his future. (TL: Here comes that terrible naming sense again.
First it was Sophie, now it’s Swordsman of Flowers, I’m going to see it as comedic relief from now
onwards >_>.)
The more he thought about it, the more frightened he got, and he started trembling.
“B-Brendel, if you kill me, they will suspect your identity.” The cripple stuttered.
“It’s the same if you go missing.” Brendel smiled.
“That’s right, yes.” Roen agreed with a heavy heart.
“But wanting us to trust in you, Ser Roen, what’s the possibility of that?”
“Certainly….. a little right?”
Brendel eyed him with slight disgust, but he shook his head. “I won’t kill you, cripple.”
Roen was slightly surprised and looked at Brendel with a little disbelief in his eyes.
[Why are you telling me this? Are you trying to deceive me?]
Roen did not think Brendel was naive, but he was unable to come up with a reason after thinking about
for a long time.
[Wait— Is he playing with me like a hunter toying with his prey? No, this can’t be happening, surely!]
“Have you heard of this term called ‘Namelist’?”
“What?”
“You don’t know about it? That’s fine, you just need to know, once you sign it, we’re partners.”
“You’re trying to drag me into this situation?” Roen inhaled deeply.
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The young man’s smile in his eyes seemed to resemble a devil’s smile. He hesitated for a long time, but he
could only agree to it. He thought it was best to deceive him now and then find ways to gain Lord Tirste’s
trust.
[Report secretly to Lord Tirste? … But I don’t know him very well. Kill someone to get noticed? But nobles
hardly care if their underlings get killed.]
Roen’s mind was working fast, but Brendel’s words suddenly came over him like a shower of needles.
“Cripple, before you came to do what you do now, did you commit a crime in Arreck?”
A flash of lightning struck seemed to strike Roen’s heart. His face turned white instantly and looked at
Brendel as if the devil was before him: “N-no.”
“That family name of the nobles is—”
“Stop it!” The cripple screamed as loudly as he could. He seemed to gasp for breath like he was drowning
in water and waved his arms in fear. “I got it Brendel. Please, don’t say anymore. Fuck, you’re a devil, a
monster, I have never offended you!”
Brendel merely gave a smirk. Roen had killed the entire family of nobles thirty years ago in Arreck before
fleeing to Bruglas and changing his name. It was a famous sidequest in the game, and Roen was ultimately
hung for his crimes. It was not exactly Roen’s fault, as the nobles in the story were not exactly good either.
Still, Brendel chose to bring this past up to force Roen to join his side. Roen had done something that was
akin to treason in Aouine, and even Lord Tirste was not going to be able to protect Roen on this matter.
[With this secret it should be enough to control this cripple, but I should offer a carrot as well to calm him
down.]
“Very well. Do not worry, cripple, I will not use that incident to blackmail you. I know what happened
exactly and the fault does not lie with you. However, I need to protect myself. I can at least promise you
that Tirste will not trouble you. This is a transaction that both of us can come out ahead without issues,
and it’s not me or Tirste forcing you to submit to either side.”
Roen looked at Brendel with doubtful eyes.
“You don’t believe me? That paper that I gave to Tirste will determine everything.”
“What exactly is in that paper?” Batum interjected with curiosity.
“A small habit of mine. I believe Tirste will suspect a certain logical rival of his.” Brendel rubbed his
forehead.
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[Disregarding whether this Tirste have ties with the Unifying Guild, I’ll push the blame to the organization
of the ‘Tree Shepherds’.]
When Brendel threw the paper to the leader, he had done so in a particular manner that resembled
someone’s actions called ‘Turtledove’. That master swordsman, Lord ‘Turtledove’, was a core member of
the ‘Tree Shepherds’ and the key political enemy of the Grinoires nobles. He was even someone who was
rumored to be an admirer of Tirste’s fiancee. With such a wonderful scapegoat, Brendel believed that
Tirste would have a headache trying to deal this situation.
[Maybe Tirste is able to get to the truth some time later, but that wouldn’t be a problem since there are no
real disadvantages. It’s not as if I’m a paladin from the Holy Cathedral of Fire.]
The cripple seemed to have understood something from Brendel’s words, and he stared at Brendel. “I’m
starting to wonder if a devil had impersonated you, Brendel. You’re not someone like that in the past.”
“This situation forced my hand.” Brendel shrugged, and finally looked at Amandina.
“What are your intentions, Miss Amandina.” He asked.
The young lady lowered her head and felt that her decision did not belong to her anymore. She started to
wonder if her previous judgment was wrong. The young man before her did not seem to be as
gentlemanly as she had thought, and after a while she could only reluctantly reply: “Have you not thought
of a solution for me, Ser Brendel?”
Brendel smiled when he heard Amandina’s reply, and briefly wondered what kind of upbringing she had
to be as perceptive as she is now. He patted the scroll in his arms and spoke.
“Miss Amandina, I am in awe of your talent and abilities, and I hope that you could work for me. In return,
I am willing to sponsor you to continue researching on the creation of Magicite. Of course, as one who is
under my employ, I will also protect you from the ruffians who wanted to harass you.”
Amandina coughed and looked at Brendel’s eyes, as if to determine if he was lying—
“You want me to create machines that uses Magicite? But my teachers said that I am not talented in that
field.”
“The creation of Magicite and machines that use Magicite are two different things.” Brendel nodded:
“Especially what you have in this scroll, you are the only person who is skilled enough to make this a
reality.”
“This is only a half completed version.” Amandina became serious, but shrank backwards as she realized
she was being rude in her confrontational attitude.
Brendel did not mind.
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“Miss Amandina. You have enough faith in your half completed work to be used as compensation, why do
you not allow me to put value into the creator? There is a certain phrase in my hometown, ‘The journey of
a thousand miles begins with a single step’.”
The girl’s eyes lit up: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step? … Ser Brendel, are you
really willing to sponsor me to continue walking down this path?”
“I will be honest here. Currently I do not have the finances or my place, but I am certain that I will be able
to get them very soon. Isn’t that right, Ser Roen?”
“Yes, yes!” The cripple nodded furiously.
Amandina thought for a while before speaking again with a determined look in her face: “Very well. I will
accept your offer, Ser Brendel. But I do not wish to do nothing before you are able to gain the resources
that you need. I would like to be your advisor until then, and I am confident I have the ability to do so—”
She looked straight at Brendel.
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Chapter 43 – Bruglas’s underground auction (1)
The seventh month. Bruglas’s air was filled with a scorching heat that made people feel reluctant to move.
Under the peaceful exterior lies a darker current. One could predict the movements of the noble in the
first half of this month. The signs of the war ending was becoming more and more apparent, and the
people who wanted to profit from the aftermath were becoming restless. (TL: This paragraph is unclear.
Lines like this do appear from time to time, but this one was particularly bad. It’s either part of the nobles
were able to predict the aftermath of the war and were becoming restless to profit from the war, or what
you see above.)
The citizens frequently saw messengers coming in one after another on horse, and those who did not
know the situation thought the war was becoming even more intense. In truth, these letters were
negotiations done in the Winter Rose Fortress.
The commoners felt insecure, and the nobles also felt insecure.
Yet this had nothing to do with Brendel, and he spend three days to follow his schedule. He obtained a
registry pass for to search new lands as a ‘Pioneering Knight’. The pass was a document that stated the
loyalty and responsibilities of a knight towards the king, which was stamped with a seal on it.
This thin piece of parchment was even more valuable than gold in the early days. However, with Aouine’s
decline and the knights retaining their own power in their local region, as well as adventurers’ turning to
lawless endeavors and without anyone interested in expanding the kingdom’s boundaries, the term of a
‘Pioneering Knight’ gradually became a title that did not have any power to it.
Some time after the first king of Aouine, nobles slowly started to auction this title after they had solidified
their foothold, and this piece of parchment slowly lost its value.
Brendel’s action was similar to how he did it in the game. He told Batum to buy a pretty dress for some
random administrator’s wife, and he managed to get this title. He had held this title for days before Roen
finally brought a piece of good news to him.
The long awaited underground auction’s date finally arrived.
Bruglas’s underground auction date was going to be held on the tenth day. There were numerous illegal
goods including human trafficking. The people who participated this event ranged from mercenaries,
adventurers, illegal merchants and even Bruglas’s lawmakers.
Without a doubt, there were also nobles.
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The people who controlled this market were certainly from the local underground factions, but it was
known to many that there were nobles who participated in them, and none would be the wiser if they
maintained a peaceful and stable society for the citizens.
The auction site was usually held at the Maria’s market in Hood street or the eastern area at the Shepherd
market. These areas were filled with people, and were deliberately chosen as it was actually better to use
them as cover. People who paid close attention would discover that many unfamiliar faces would appear
on certain days, and talked to each other and leave on the second morning.
These markets had mini auction sites that were used as cover, while the true sites were constructed only
during the period and then dismantled.
These constructions might appear to be funded by ordinary merchants, but if one was to investigate, the
funds came from the local parliament of nobles.
When Batum assisted Brendel down from the horse carriage, Bruglas’s evening sun lit the surroundings
with a fiery hue that seemed to make things look like they were burning. In this light, Ciel wore a knight’s
uniform and held his chest up high in order to make Brendel look like a highland knight from Karsuk.
Behind Brendel was Amandina and Romaine, acting as his younger sister and fiancee respectively.
Amandina removed her hand discreetly from Brendel’s helping hand when she alighted from the
carriage. She wore a black veil and an equally black formal dress, her eyes observing the mini auction site
with a disinterested expression.
She appeared to be completely different than before. Brendel found her to be weak and soft when he first
saw her at the run-down mansion, but she was now cold and unrelenting, as if there was an aura that
forbade anyone from approaching her. Even Tirste’s scout would not be able to recognize her even if he
was nearby.
When Amandina disappeared from her home, no one noticed it until a few days later. The disappearance
of a person typically belonged to the city guards, but the city cavalry had done a large scale manhunt for
her. Three medium sized platoons searched the eastern area and nearly alerted Bruglas’s parliament.
However, Lord Tirste did not want this event to trace back to him, and tied the disappearance to a prior
case that happened half a year ago, and made it as a case about a headless corpse.
This was why Amandina was able to go outside safely.
Beside her was Romaine who was slightly taller than her. The merchant girl was staring at a row of
crystal balls nearby. Her frowning eyebrows were knitted together, as if she was a researcher trying to
analyze what exactly they were.
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[Even if you stare at it however long you want, or however serious you are, there won’t be anything that
appear in it, you know…..] Brendel was a little exasperated.
He was certain that Romaine was trying to get Amandina’s attention.
Romaine and Amandina got along well for the past few days, and she was especially delighted to have
Amandina’s knowledge about the outside world from her books. It was at least better than Romaine’s
knowledge that came from her imagination.
“What exactly is that, Ama?” Romaine finally could not resist asking.
Amandina’s concentration was also on the row of crystal balls. The owner was a man wearing a black
uniform. Not anyone had the qualifications to wear that uniform, and it clearly showed that he was a
priest.
Amandina turned her eyes to Brendel, but the young man did not seem to react. She paused for a moment
and frowned.
“That’s a ‘Fire seed’.” Amandina kept her eyes on Brendel and replied softly.
“What’s a ‘Fire seed’?”
“It’s a holy object that people use to spread civilization in the wilderness. I didn’t think I am able to
witness something like this here in an auction.”
“I don’t understand.” Romain answered in a straightforward manner.
Amandina sighed in spite of herself. Brendel did not disappoint her in the past few days. She did not think
that he was truly a knight, and one who was a legendary highland knight. Furthermore, he had acted in a
polite manner most of the time, handled situations calmly and effectively, and fulfilled the image of a
feudal lord in her mind—
[This fiancee of his is giving me a slight headache. It’s not that she’s not an easy person to get along with,
and her personality is quite charming. But at the same time, she’s treating me like an encyclopedia and
keeps asking me everything with the word ‘curiosity’ in her eyes.]
But she was unable to refuse and could only reply back.
“How much do you know about our world?”
“I know nothing about it.”
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“…………”
The young girl coughed twice: “Then I’ll try to talk about it a little. In the Kirrlutz’s poem, their god
‘Aixule” (Marsha) created the world from Chaos, and made the six elements, ‘Fire, Wind, Earth, Water,
Life and Darkness’. After Aixule established a contract with the four Elven kings, the world’s border was
formed.”
“With the border constantly drawing out magic energy from Chaos, it extended to all sides and formed
the land that we see now. This world should be a circle that extends infinitely from four sides, but at the
same time this world is constantly affected by Chaos, so Mother Marsha created laws to bind this land
and set the areas where mortals are allowed to traverse in. In this region, the sun, the stars and the moon
continue to work normally. Thus mortals are allowed to flourish and civilization can continue—”
“But the land that is outside Mother Marsha’s protection, is the Battlefield of the Elements and Chaos.
There is a large buffer area between the protected land and the Battlefield. This buffer area is what we
call the ‘Wilderness’. Since one can travel into this buffered area from the Battlefield or from our land, the
terms ‘Pioneering Knights’ and ‘Monster Waves’ came about.”
“As for a Fire Seed, it is a ‘Law’ that can be planted into the earth. Any land that is developed in the
‘Wilderness’ has a fire seed in them.” (TL: The amount of world building tires me out for sure.)
Amandina coughed as she explained. “Do you understand now?”
Romaine nodded and then shook her head. She answered like a hardworking student: “I only understand
the first sentence! O-ouch, let go of me Brendel—” Brendel pulled her cheeks, and held her in his arms as
she flailed about when he heard what she said.
“Little Romaine. Looks like that you don’t have any talent for becoming a wizard, so there’s no need to
worry about this. You should just worry about how much money we can earn in the auction.” Brendel
spoke as he cast an apologetic look at Amandina.
Amandina gave a faint smile in return and walked towards him.
“Are you not interested in these Fire Seeds, Ser Brendel?” As an advisor, she knew that Brendel had
bought the title of an Pioneering Knight.
Brendel glanced at the crystal balls. He was interested at their appearance, but there were definitely
others who were interested in them as well, so he could only try to bid for it. At the same time, he had a
place in mind that he wanted to go to which already had a Fire Seed, so he did not urgently need it.
“I understand. I can try and bid for it later on.”
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Amandina watched him nod but she was not very convinced. Brendel appeared to be a young knight who
left his home in order to get his own land, and his success depended on his ability to get his own land or
got recognition in a battlefield. Her own path was a long road, and she knew that Brendel only admired
her only for talent and not achievements.
With so many worries on her mind, she could not help but look at Brendel’s every action closely.
Brendel wanted to say something else when he felt her worries, but he suddenly saw Roen gesturing at
him in a dark corner. He walked up to him and the cripple informed him that the auction was about to
begin and they should hurry along. Brendel’s eyes darted around and indeed found that the people
gathered around him had started to enter the site.
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Chapter 44 – Bruglas’s underground auction (2)
The inside of the auction site in Maria’s market did not have a large space. It was the size of a mini theater
with dim light in it, and surrounding the central ‘stage’ was a series of chairs that piled upwards. These
chairs were for the commoners. There was a separate boxed area on the four sides of the stage, decorated
with silk and satin. These areas had three levels in them, with a bronze telescope in each seat, placed onto
a Redwood stand, in order to let the powerful nobles who participated in this auction look closely at the
merchandise on the central stage.
Roen had enough connections to actually reserve this boxed area, but Brendel refused. He did not wish to
draw attention to himself, and participating in this auction was only to see if he managed to obtain any
unexpected items.
They got their number and proceeded to their seats. Even though Brendel looked calm on the surface, he
had a repeating crossbow tied under his wrist and it was hidden under his knight uniform. The crossbow
was armed with Tamar’s cursed bolts in order to prepare for any unexpected situations.
This particular crossbow was an intricate object that resembled a jewel box when it was opened.
Amateurs would find it hard to use something like this, but Brendel’s profession compensated for this
and with his passive abilities. Due to this ability, the knowledge in his mind allowed him to act like a
veteran user of such weapons, and it was enough to the point where he could install simple mechanisms
on his fingers and used them with proper aim.
After he sat down for a short while and the auction had not started, Roen came to him in a disguise along
with a long robe covering him and sat beside him. He carefully looked to the left and right before he
spoke.
“My lord, the poisoned daggers and the potions have been sold. The daggers had caught the eyes of a
familiar guild, don’t worry, my lord, they were very generous with their gold. A single dagger for 2500
Tor Coins, and they did not ask who the seller was.”
Not every transaction was done at the auction itself in this site. In fact, the majority of the transactions
that took place was done privately. The buyers and sellers went through a third party like Roen, and
sometimes there were even more intermediaries, to ensure safety and secrecy. Each person only required
a small amount of money to seal their lips.
In this grey underground city, no one was more talkative than them, and no one had tighter lips than
them; it was a contradictory mix.
608
“What about the potions?” Brendel watched the staff with fake interest, while his attention was on the
topic. He knew the rules well, and the items like the poisoned daggers and his potions typically would not
be sold through the central stage.
“The potions are slightly more troublesome. The people from the Tower of Stars kept asking for the
maker of the potions. They stated that the recipe for mana potions has not been circulated for a long time,
and they said that the Wizards Association welcomes a professional alchemist to join them.” Roen said
while he used his beady eyes to take note of Brendel’s expressions.
He wanted to see what Brendel’s reaction was. If the youth felt that this news was useful, he would praise
him and make him feel safer. At the same time, if Brendel felt the situation was troublesome, Roen would
feel delight at getting back at the youth. Even though they were on the same boat, beyond the fear and
dread, he also felt that he could not take things lying down without fighting back a little.
The cripple looked at the youth, hoping that he would succeed and becoming rich, but at the same was
hoping a little that he would fail.
However, Brendel merely shook his head and replied without showing any expression: “My friend has no
interest in that. Just tell me the important details about the transaction, cripple.”
[It looks like I wasn’t wrong. The mana potion in this world is much rarer compared to the game.]
Brendel thought to himself.
“Each bottle of sold for a thousand Tor coins for a total of thirty thousand.” The cripple did not show his
disappoint in his face.
Brendel nodded. The price for the daggers was higher by twenty-five percent, and the mana potions sold
for over two hundred percent of his original estimation, especially when the materials for making the
mana potion were nothing more than ordinary reagents.
[An insane profit.]
Brendel immediately classified this as a golden goose that would keep laying eggs. He looked at Romaine
and thought it would not be impossible for Romaine to set up her own merchant guild if she used the
mana potions as her primary goods.
Romaine instantly noticed his gaze and raised her eyebrows. She raised her hands and brought them to
her chest, and praised him without any reservations.
“It’s half of one hundred thousand Tor coins. It’s just like you said, I knew that you would be able to do it!”
“The interesting scene is yet to come, Miss Romaine.” Ciel was behind Brendel’s seat and he smile while
speaking.
609
“Wait, you’re mistaken Ciel! Our merchant lady is reminding me that the hundred thousand Tor coins is
her capital.” Brendel said without breaking a sweat.
Romaine giggled with pride as though she was a wily fox who had managed to take advantage when her
real goal was divulged.
Amandina frowned a little when she saw the scene happening before her eyes. She had seen tens of
thousands of Tor coins as she had been born in a noble family, but seeing them treat the amount of
money that they received like it was nothing, was something that she had not seen before.
From this exchange, she felt that this young knight might have left his home to seek his own fortune, but
his family background must have been quite powerful.
Sadly, it could not have been further away from the truth. Romaine had no idea how much that amount of
money was, and Brendel had billions of coins in the game. The amount of money might have meant
nothing to him, but thinking that he was from noble family because of that fact could not have been any
more off the mark.
The lights in the auction site suddenly dimmed. They looked back and noticed the staff was extinguishing
the candles around the walls. It appeared like the auction was about to begin—
Roen whispered: “If we were in the boxed area, the list of items that is going to be sold in this auction
would have been delivered to us. My lord, do you have any particular items that you want to have?”
“I do not know yet.” Brendel watched the central stage becoming brighter from the candles that were
being lit up. “Come to think of it, did they come looking for your trouble?”
Roen shook his head: “Just as you have predicted, Foltest’s men came to look for me after that event at
Miss Amandina’s home. I just told them that I did not know you—”
“You sound like you’re unhappy with that?” Batum mocked him from the sides.
“I wouldn’t dare.” Roen now knew Batum’s position, and he did not act as servile as before. “My lord, that
sword of yours really looks like a perfect piece of art. How much do you think it will sell in the auction?”
Brendel knew that he was talking about the magic sword made by the Dwarves. He thought for a while
and said: “Approximately a hundred thousand to a hundred and fifty thousand Tor coins.” (TL: Not the
Thorn of light.)
Amandina lightly gasped from behind when he finished speaking. Everyone looked back in surprise and
found the noble lady waving her hands with a blushing face: “E-excuse me.”
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She placed her hands over her chest in an effort to prevent her heart from beating too fast. Her eyes was
translating the amount of money.
[That’s the equivalent of one hundred and fifty Aouine gold coins. When Brendel came, he was empty
handed, but in the blink of an eye he had the equivalent of the entire savings of a small noble family in
their lifetime. Two hundred Aouine gold coins. It’s not an impossible thing to purchase a land fit for a
knight in a remote place.]
To Amandina, this amount of money should be invested in production. She had once lost herself in her
designs and bankrupted herself, but she was smart enough to not make the same mistake twice. She
quickly calculated and thought of what this amount of money could do. Regardless of commercial or
production investments, both routes were fine. With this amount of money, she estimated that she could
grow it by thirty percent in a year.
Then she frowned again. She had introduce herself as his advisor and the young knight did not object to
it, but she was not sure if he would allow her to use such a large sum of money. But Brendel noticed her
myriad expressions and could not help but ask:
“Miss Amandina?”
“What?” She raised her head up by reflex.
“Are you considering about the problems in our budget?”
Amandina’s face flushed a little, but she soon recovered. She nodded seriously.
“Yes. As an advisor to Ser Brendel, I feel that I need to consider this properly—”
She spoke as she looked at Romaine without any confidence. As Brendel’s fiancee, she seemed to have
more speaking power in this regards.
But Romaine continued to smile sweetly as before.
Brendel showed a look of contemplation before glancing at them: “If you have ideas, I can split the money
into two. Romaine and you can get an equal portion and handle this amount of money according to your
ideas, but—”
Amandina showed a look of disbelief even before he finished speaking. “Ser Brendel, are you serious?”
He nodded. It was his habit as the team leader not to doubt someone, or test their abilities by letting his
team members handle things on their own.
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Amandina took a deep breath and nodded earnestly: “I will definitely use this money well, Ser Brendel, I
have already thought of a plan to increase this amount of money in a short time……”
Brendel interrupted her: “No. What I want to say is this. I’m leaving it to little Romaine to help me invest
the money, but Miss Amandina, I want you to help me use this money.”
“Use this money?” Amandina looked blankly at him.
The bells in the auction site started ringing, and Brendel turned his head back to the front.
“You will understand it shortly, Miss Amandina. Of course, you can help out by discussing things with our
grand merchant missy, she has a huge plan ahead of her!”
Brendel was thinking about a new land of his own. If Romaine was able to set up a merchant guild, it
would not be suitable to have ties with his land. If that was the case, he needed a butler of sorts.
Since Amandina wanted to help out, he would certainly be glad to leave things to her. (TL: …….)
“A big plan?” She was taken aback. She really did not think that this ‘grand merchant lady’ would have any
probable plan to speak off, and she even wanted to advise him to not leave the important task of earning
money with Romaine, but it was not easy for her to speak of this topic.
[Wait… Romaine’s actions in these past few days… She kept asking about the events and festivals in
Bruglas. If I rearrange her questions in order, then… I’m seeing a big picture here.]
She suddenly stopped herself with the idea of persuading Brendel and her eyes brightened a little. She
realized something and thought deeply for a while, then whispered to Ciel next to her. “Mister Ciel, before
you entered the city, where was the Madara’s army at?”
“They were at the Dragos’s area for approximately half a month.” Ciel replied casually, before he paused
and followed up with a question: “Did you realize it? Miss Amandina?”
He was a little surprised at Amandina. She was able to understand what Romaine’s plan was from
Brendel’s words, and remarked inwardly to himself that Brendel’s advisor was someone with
considerable skills.
“If Romaine’s plan works out, the profit is nearly eighty percent!” Amandina looked at Romaine as she
chatted happily with Brendel. She felt like she was knowing her other side for the first time.
“Miss Romaine calculated that the profits was a fold.” Ciel replied.
“But that’s probably because she did not cover the problem of connections—” Amandina gritted her teeth
as she felt a blow to her confidence. She thought about it a little longer before she said each word
solemnly: “But if we work at it carefully, it’s not impossible to have a hundred percent profit, because of
Mister Roen…..”
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Brendel did not notice his subordinates talking amongst themselves. That was because the auction had
started and unexpectedly, the first item had already caught his attention.
There was a parchment that sat under the candle light. There was an old contract written in the
Elemental language used by the Four Clans. The corners of the parchment were curled up because the
elemental magic of wind, earth, fire and water were spiralling towards the center of the parchment.
This parchment was used to open a road to become an elementalist, and was meant for those who were
not talented in this field. Many nobles use this to create a pathway for their related family members.
Without a question, it was expensive.
But to Brendel, this was something that was worth more than money.
Because in his eyes, this was the name of the scroll:
‘Scroll of Elemental Pool (unlock)’
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TL: So I spent a lot of time looking at PC stuff this week due to some mistakes I made in buying things
back then…
Long winded stuff about PC things. Skip to read the Amber Sword.
I have a skylake CPU i5 6600k, which I got during February, coupled with a DDR3 board because I want to
save some cash since I still have 12 GB DDR3 ram left from my old pc. I’m getting a rig that I want to OC so
that I can use it for multimedia purposes that include video editing.
Now here’s the interesting thing. Skylake recommended voltage for the ram is 1.2v-1.35v (ddr4 runs at
1.2v~), while DDR3 ram typically runs from 1.5-1.65v, and the official word is that intel doesn’t support
that much voltage and heck, it might even hurt the CPU health.
After reading a lot on it, some overclocker users are saying that all is not lost, because VCCIO and VCCSA
(no, I don’t know what these terms mean.) are the main things to look at when it comes to an intel CPU
memory controller. In any case, I’m below the recommended voltage for these two sections (= 2800 mhz,
then you can reconsider again).
I also plan to wait out for the GTX 1070. Right now the so called nvidia’s “Founders’s edition = reference
card actually” is sold at a higher premium. It’s really annoying to see nvidia coming up with ridiculous
rehashes and ‘cool terms’ like they mean something. This Founder’s edition practice right now is not a
new thing, however. I.E, EVGA’s SC 980 ti card is the nvidia’s reference card slapped with their EVGA
cooler, while their own designed card is cheaper with better performance and has lower temp.
That is why nvidia said they are selling their 1070 gtx FE cards at $449, while the MSRP for their partners
is at $379 (once they get their own designs done, supposedly). Right now, the partners are slapping a
cooler on these reference cards and selling them. I’m using a 1080p 27 inch VA monitor, somewhat okay
for drawing images as colors are a little brighter and desaturated, but I’m going to look at dell’s 27 inch
monitors at 1440p if they release 1070 GTX at $379.
Some notes about VR gaming. VR demands 7 times more drawing power compared to 1080p gaming, and
even a GTX 1080 will have problems running that. I’m going to be patient and wait 2 more generation
cycles before getting a VR rig =X.
At 1440p gaming for a 144hz monitor, you are probably going to just hit 100 fps at ultra settings even if
you have 1080 GTX. Things like G-Sync and Freesync comes at a premium that’s too expensive for me,
and I would rather get a work-based system rather than a gaming system.
Chapter 45 – The Boulder Mercenary’s pendant
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The name of the parchment was called Lancel’s scroll. The crowd of people in the room started to show
their surprise with low murmurs, and it spread out like a ripple. Brendel realized that many of them were
interested in the scroll as well.
However, even though they whispered amongst themselves, they did not attempt to bid for it. The ones
who were willing to vie for it were nobles with considerable background, sitting in the special box, and all
of them waited for someone to make the first move.
“Such scrolls are made from the fairies in the Crystal Tundra. There is only a limited amount made every
year to allow noble families to create more lower ranked Elementalists. Despite that, these underground
auctions allowed a considerable amount of such scrolls to be sold to others.” Roen explained
“Why don’t the fairies create more of them?” Romaine asked.
“Creating such scrolls requires a lot of Elemental mana from their Elemental Pool, and it is a burden even
for these fairies who are on par with a high ranking Elementalist. Ciel said
“Furthermore, forcibly opening one’s own Elemental Pool might work for ordinary people, their success
as an Elementalist is limited and would not be stronger than the average Elementalist. Such scrolls does
not mean it will be good even there is a lot of it.” He continued to explain.
Batum, Amandina and Romaine were engrossed in the explanation.
“I didn’t expect to see this in Bruglas.” Brendel said.
Roen’s nose was as potent as a dog’s, and he sniffed out interest from Brendel’s words, as well as the
implication that Brendel had been to bigger underground auctions and not limited to just Bruglas.
“My lord, are you interested in that?”
“A little.”
“Should I get my man to bid for it?”
Brendel thought for a while and nodded. The scroll was at five thousand Tor coins, and each incremental
bidding had to be at least five percent. The cripple signaled to his man, and a board was quickly raised
into the air.
Five thousand.
But with the initial bidder’s attempt, the price quickly increased and from the boards going up. In the
blink of an eye, it went up to eight thousand Tor coins. The announcer saw one round of bidding before
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he looked at Roen’s man again. The cripple looked at Brendel with questioning eyes, and the latter
nodded, followed by a hand gesture..
Roen’s man raised his board again—
Eight thousand and five hundred.
Amandina’s expression changed slightly.
Romaine did not say anything while Batum’s expression was one of amusement.
The nobles in the boxed area quickly responded, and the increment was five hundred as well.
The impatience amongst them showed, as each announcement sharply rose by a thousand, steadily rising
upwards……
[Ten thousand.]
[Eleven thousand.]
[Twelve thousand.]
[Fifteen thousand—]
It was like the final thunder booming in a lightning storm. Everyone in the crowd felt the air tightening,
and they thought this bid was the final one.
Roen clicked his tongue and looked back again.
Brendel frowned.
[Sixteen thousand coins for two thousand TP. It’s starting to be a question whether the price is worth it.]
But he only hesitated for a while and quickly tapped his own hand, and the board was raised once again.
[Sixteen thousand.]
The crowd’s murmurs started again as they understood that it was going to be the final bidding war.
The assistant to the announcer whispered in surprise.
[Is the cripple mad? We didn’t tell him to do this, if this continues the nobles will be unhappy—]
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The announcer turned to his young assistant slightly and then pucked his lips to show a direction: “He’s
bidding for someone else.”
At this point, Amandina and Batum were looking at Brendel with a curious look. They did not understand
why a knight needed the scroll, and wondered if he wanted to become an elementalist.
But what was missing from Ciel’s explanation, was how talented people could save time by using this
scroll. Brendel did not explain this fact to them.
Ciel was silent because he understood what the scroll meant to Brendel.
The nobles’ voices in the box were momentarily silenced. They wondered who the mysterious bidder
was, but the opposing bidder once again raised the bid—
[Eighteen thousand.]
The number came from the fourth boxed area from the left once again, and Roen whispered to Brendel.
[Lord Donnall. His family has several mansions near Bruglas, and he has a few of his own properties here
as well. He’s a parliament member in Bruglas, and his father and grandfather also took on this position
too.]
Brendel nodded.
[There are many nobles here, but someone of his rank vying for this scroll… He’s more likely to be a
mouthpiece for someone bigger—]
Just when he thought that they were the only ones fighting for the scroll, new bidders who did not bid
from the start suddenly came up from their new numbers, surprising Brendel as the final bidding point
was at forty two thousand Tor coins.
[Even thirty thousand Tor coins would have been barely within my reach, but a number past forty
thousand will definitely hurt my plan ahead. I can ultimately get the TP needed later on—]
Brendel stealthily gritted his teeth and gave up on this bid.
Amandina and Roen did not think it was strange that he stopped, and mistook it for a whim to bid for this
item.
After this initial war, the auction progressed smoothly with Brendel successfully bidding for several
merchandise, ranging from several thousand to ten thousand Tor coins.
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Since nothing happened out of the ordinary, the crowd in the auction started to feel a little bored. Roen
was able to find things to do as he explained to everyone the history of the presented items, even
detailing where it came from, giving them the region as well as which noble family sold this.
Batum, Amandina and Romaine were intrigued by the description, while Brendel and Ciel discussed
about the origins of each items.
They mentioned Tamar once, and felt it was a pity that he did not come due to his work, otherwise he
would have most likely liked several of the items available in the auction.
The second highlight in the auction finally happened. It was a pendant, but to describe it accurately, it
was a thick string that held several small rocks together. Any ordinary person might have missed it, but
Brendel nearly jumped up when he saw the pendant.
[The Boulder Mercenary’s pendant. If this is combined with ‘The Rock Nest’ made from a Rank 17
alchemist, it can reduce the materials required for making gargoyles which was created from ‘The rock
Nest’ at least fifteen percent, meaning productivity is raised.]
He explained the usage to the others, and Amandina and Batum were especially interested in it, as they
recognized the pendant’s use for a region.
In the continent Vaunte, wars typically required three types of resources.
The first were humans, the second was raw Amberite, the third was typical resources like food and water.
The fourth resource was ‘Nest’.
Amberite was a composite rock that was mined from Somir’s mine. This crystal-like quality with the color
of amber possessed mana in it, and Amandina’s Magicite was designed to draw the energy out, and the
basis for all magic intelligent machinery; the blood of ‘production’.
Other materials like food, metal, wood, and rocks are commonly found materials even in Earth.
‘Nest’ was the origin where monsters come from and was utilized by humans.
[To speak of ‘Nest’, it’s necessary to speak of Vaunte’s origin to explain it. How does ‘Chaos’ exist, and how
does ‘Laws’ work?] Brendel began to explain.
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Chapter 46 – Nest
TL: Recap. Brendel originally wanted to bid for the Elemental scroll, but it was out of his budget and he
gave up. The next item he wanted to bid was the Rock Mercenaries’ Pendant which boosted creatures’
production. If you played Heroes of the Might and Magic, this might sound familiar.
“Everyone here should know this already. The continent Vaunte’s shape was formed when Mother
Marsha entered into a contract with the Four Spirit Kings. It was under the basis of six different Elements
that formed the borders.
In outskirts of the borders, lies the territory of the Elements, while the inner area is an incredibly vast
land.
The powers of the various Gods that shaped the laws within this world is reflected onto the sky, forming
the sun, the moon and the stars. Life was created from water with the nourishment from the Earth. The
wind protected the life that was created, and the flames granted them wisdom and formed civilization.
The bible noted the thirteen million laws, a’thro (the laws of the Elements), did not apply to the Sea of
Chaos. This chaotic energy was similarly reflected in the sky, and the evil disciples called it the Third
Round Moon. The members of the Tree Shepard and the Unifying Guild called the Magic Moon.
It is said that this strange magical moon would appear once every decade during the summer, would
overlook the earth for a few months. The powers of witches would be the strongest during this period,
while users of the Elements would be the weakest during this period. It is also during this period when
the Sea of Chaos brings about a tidal wave, birthing out monsters in this darkness because they are
affected by the magic.
These monsters that came from the tidal wave attack the lands of civilization — Which also causes
Aouine’s borders to crumble inwards, and similarly other kingdoms would shrink as well. This early era
of this chaotic period, this tidal wave of cataclysmic mana was a nemesis that threatened every living
being.
Which also brought about the existence of Pioneering Knights. (TL: Previously I think used Exploring
Knights.)
Even till now, a kingdom has to prepare part of their forces to guard against such events.
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While it is true that this tidal wave comes about every ten years, there would only be an overwhelming
wave of monsters that come about every hundred years, therefore the people in this generation are not
too worried.
However, once the mana wave ends, that does not mean that the Monsters’ Nests disappear. They would
continue to affect wild creatures and turn them into monsters with their weak pulses of mana, and you
would hear news of pathways to the big cities being attacked by monsters.
In Aouine, it is the duty of the kingdom’s soldiers and the Holy Cathedral of Fire to remove the monsters
and Nests. But not all Nests would be destroyed. After such a long time fighting with ‘Chaos’, our
ancestors started to study them and they discovered they could develop them like they domesticated
animals.
The dwarves, elves and humans came together and developed something that was like a ‘Nest’ after a
long time of research.
Buga’s gargoyles are a classic example. A single nest produces two gargoyles every year, and it takes a
large amount of resources to produce them. Even though the gargoyles are powerful, these Nests does
not mean that they are able to gather an infinite amount. (TL: HOMM vibe, hah.)
Other Nests developed other creatures. Examples would be Aouine’s Flying Dragon Knights’ mounts, or
Kirrlutz gryphons, and commonly seen creatures that are used in battle, ground dragons, salamanders
and black wolves.
Special nests are infused with Mother Marsha’s powers and produce minerals affected by different
elements, Saint Orsola’s Abyss of Wind, the Templars’ Gate of Heaven, and Madara’s Valley of Shadows.
There are even hunting hounds that came from Nests, but their abilities are just slightly better than a
regular hound.
A magical creature’s lifespan is affected by their gradual loss of mana, and more often than not they are
short-lived. Even dragon-based creatures created from nests have only about a hundred years — And it is
a large difference compared to the real dragons.
This Rock Nest that I want to build produces Rock Marionettes, and their strength is the rough equivalent
of seven to eight normal adults. It is considered as a relatively low ranked Nest, but the advantage is the
numbers that come along with it. Many nobles have them them in their lands, and even though these
Marionettes have low intelligence, they are able to be used like soldiers in the front lines.”
Brendel drank some water. Amandina and Batum started to consider the advantages of the Rock
Mercenaries’ Pendant. Amandina started to calculate the amount of money that they would saved, while
Batum thought of the numbers. The three of them decided to get the pendant at all costs—
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The base price was soon shown. It was not as expensive as the scroll and the price was only two thousand
Tor coins, with each increment as one hundred.
Brendel wanted to get it at all costs, so he quietly waited to check the other bidders and avoid showing
the others that he had interest in it.
The first wave of bidders ended with Amandina and Batum looking over at the bidders, but their
expressions did not change.
Once the price got over three thousand, the number of people started to dwindle down. Most of the
bidders wanted to try and participate and see if they got lucky, but the majority of them are not
interested in the pendant.
Although the competition appeared to be steady, the bidders started to bid aggressively.
The third box of nobles who had their own lands drove the price up to over four thousand Tor coins. The
price was starting to become higher than the average, but the real bidders started to corner in.
Someone drove the price up to five thousand coins from four thousand and four hundred, and for a
moment the place went quiet.
Many of them thought the nobles were crazy to bid so much for a pendant that had rocks hanging on it,
but a few of them believed there had to be a good reason for the price and thought there might be some
worth to this pendant.
[The crowd is getting riled up. This doesn’t feel right… There are opportunists asking for information
about the pendant and the situation might get out of control.]
Brendel told Roen to go for it.
Six thousand Tor coins.
Another wave of silence.
The people who wanted to try realized a bidding war was going to happen and they backed out carefully.
Seven thousand. This time it was a captain from Aouine, and another noble bid for seven thousand and
five hundred.
Brendel signaled for eight thousand without any hesitation.
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Eight thousand and one hundred, from the third box.
Eight thousand and five hundred. Brendel looked over to the direction of his rival. He had no thoughts
about giving up about this auction. Amandina grabbed her chair’s armrest, with her fingers going white
from her grip.
The dimly lit auction area was completely quiet. Even the nobles were silenced. Everyone thought that
bidding for this pendant at this price was not worth it at all.
Brendel’s thoughts were different.
[I know that the price is over what the pendant is worth for, damn it! But right now I need military might
compared to the people here!]
The auctioneer swung his hammer down once.
The Aouine captain looked like he was struggling to try for one more bid, but after a long deliberation, he
did not do so.
After the three hammer strikes, Brendel finally got the pendant. Roen’s men moved ahead and paid for
the item, and it was sent over to Brendel in secret.
Brendel looked to his left and right and noted that no one noticed the item was brought over to him,
before he carefully kept the pendant away. It was useless right now as he had no land and Nest to speak
of.
After the rock pendant, the auction seemed to increase in intensity. There were a few art products that
had the nobles went back and forth in their bidding. Two bronze ranked Magical armor were up for
bidding, and almost all the adventurers, mercenaries and traveling knights got excited over it, and the
two armors were sold for over forty thousand tor coins. (TL: Freya’s flame ring is Brass-ranked, Bronze
rank is one level below that.)
Brendel’s next bid was for a set of poker cards that was rumored to have magic in it. He did not exactly
want the poker cards, but the Card of Fate that was in it. The truth was, when the auctioneer brought the
poker cards up, the cards in his bag immediately caused a reaction, and he bid for it without hesitation.
This time he did not have any true competitors. There was a handful of nobles who liked this sort of
things that tried to vie for it, but Brendel managed to bid for it with two thousand and five hundred coins.
When Brendel pulled out the card, he discovered it was green in color. There were a group of spiders that
were inside a tornado, with ‘III’ written on the corners, as well as the amount of Wind Element to pay for
it —
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Group of Wind Spirit Spiders
(Alicia’s prophecy III)
Wind 1/X
[Creature – Element/Insect, Level 5 creature]
Pay X, and put X Green creatures (WInd Spirit Spiders, Level 5) into the field.
With the death of the Wind Spirit Spiders, choose a target and burn X mana points.
‘They were born from the maelstrom, and they shall return mana back into the maelstrom’
Brendel looked at it through the system. He was a little stunned over the low level 5 creature, and
thought he made a loss. He did not know how to use the card from the description and strange mechanics
involved. He thought about it for a while before he turned to Ciel and asked.
“What does this mean?”
Ciel looked at the card and smiled.
623
TL: I had food poisoning and I couldn’t concentrate on my work for days, plus there’s one RL issue that is
really serious so the schedule is changed. In any case, enjoy this late chapter, and expect another one
coming soon (check back a few hours later).
Chapter 47 – The high note at the end of the auction
Ciel looked at that card and smiled faintly.
“My lord, this is a rare Wind Card, and a particularly rare one amongst the Wind Cards. The Wind Card
series are versatile and can be used for defense and offense. Even though it is difficult to control, it is
quite powerful.”
“Why don’t you just tell me how to use this.” Brendel rolled his eyes.
Ciel snorted with mirth.
“When my lord pays 1 Wind EP from your Element Pool, you will also pay 1 MP from your Mana Pool to
summon one Wind Spider Spirit.”
[I have 2.9 Willpower and 15 Mana Points. So I can summon 15 level 5 Wind Spider Spirits?]
Brendel started to work the details in his mind, while Ciel continued to explain.
“With the death of a Wind Spider Spirit, a Mana Vortex will appear and devour the enemy’s Mana.”
Brendel felt a chill.
[What do you mean this is a spider summon, this is a living Mana Bomb… If I have hundreds of MP in the
future, I can summon an army of spiders? If I’m lucky enough to get the legendary gem of mana regen,
Tear of the Goddess, doesn’t that mean I can always have an overwhelming number of Mana Bombs?]
Brendel licked his lips in excitement as he realized that this was not a terrible card but a trump card.
Before his excitement ended, Batum who was behind him suddenly slammed his hand onto his chair and
spoke.
“Finally! The highlight of the show is here.”
Brendel raised his head and looked at the cener of the stage. The glittering Dwarven sword had already
been placed onto the display stand. The ghastly green light on the surface of the sword seemed to indicate
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the nature of the sword, but the organizers of the auction apparently made this the highlight of the
auction—
The auctioneer brought the sword up: “This is a Dwarven’s masterpiece. The blade design and the
patterns on it are like art. I don’t really need to say how priceless it is. Yet the beauty of this sword
doesn’t end here, an excellent alchemist had turned it into a Magic Sword—”
The auctioneer paused for a while and turned his head around, then slowly spoke once more. “A Magic
Sword.”
The auction site was silent for a moment.
Items that could do low level magic items or had artificial magic properties in them were typically called
with a {Alchemists’s} prefix. Items that were more powerful like the sword in the auctioneer’s hand, had
the word {Magic} as a prefix.
There was not one adventurer, mercenary or knight who did not want to have a powerful sword, so they
held their breaths upon hearing the words.
As if to prove himself, the auctioneer suddenly turned back and sliced on a metal anvil that was placed
there. Sparks flew throughout the air, and everyone heard a thin metallic sound. A long gash appeared on
the anvil’s surface, but it was the corrosion on it that made the deepest impression.
There were audible gasps of breaths being drawn in, and even the nobles in the Boxes failed to find words
for a while.
The auctioneer placed the sword down and clapped once.
“This sword is called The Tree’s heart. The base price is twenty-five thousand Tor, and each increment
must be at least five percent of the base price.”
He paused again.
“Let the bidding begin—”
Amandina frowned a little when she heard the price. She was a noble lady who did not understand what
the weapon really meant to those who faced death all the time.
“Isn’t this a little too high?”
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“Of course not,” Batum shook his head resolutely: “If I didn’t know that this sword is our lord’s
handiwork, I might actually bid for it. The majority of the adventurers and mercenaries here have some
savings that they can use. A magic sword like this, I doubt they would pass on it, unless they don’t use it
as a main weapon.”
As if to verify his words, the first bidder had raised his card. People started to follow his action and raised
their cards to bid the sword. There was not even a need for the auctioneer to spice up the scene, and it
was a fight for the Magic Sword.
The price quickly climbed to sixty thousand Tor, and there were only four or five voices that continued to
raise the price up.
Roen recognized one of them, and told Brendel that the man represented the vice-captain of the Silver-
Winged Cavalry.
[I wish the captain of that cavalry unit joins in for this bid. Since he’s a working dog for that {The Unifying
One} guild, that sword can actually come back to my hands again once I kill him in the future.]
The price climbed up to seventy thousand Tor, and two more dropped out from the bidding. It was only
the vice captain and two other nobles in the Boxed areas.
The vice captain raised his bid to seventy-five thousand Tor, and one of the nobles backed out. However
his remaining opponent did not seem to want to give up, and after a short silence, the assistant to the
auctioneer read out his bid.
[Ninety thousand Tor.]
The audience stopped moving as though they had been frozen, before turning their heads to the Boxed
area to see who exactly it was. Even Roen wondered if the person was a representative of Earl Nakkin.
“If it’s that bastard Earl Nakkin, this will be a political fight between the White-Mane army and the
regional nobles. This is good news, my lord.” Roen said a cunning smile.
But right at this moment, a voice suddenly cut across the murmurs.
[One hundred thousand Tor.]
Brendel and the people surrounding him turned their heads over to the source of the voice. Batum’s
expression changed when he saw the person’s face, and spoke before Roen.
“My lord, that is Lord Foltest’s man.”
“Why is he down there and not at the Boxed area?” Brendel asked
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“Only the Gods know.” Batum shook his head.
[It’s fine if the sword lands up in that Foltest’s hands. It might appear to be a wonderful sword to Batum
and the others, but it’s really nothing that special. In the Port of Freedom, Ampere Seale, items of such
quality appears every day in the auctions, while Bruglas is basically too remote of an area.]
The vice captain thought for a while and raised the price again, but the representative for Lord Foltest
finally deterred him from bidding again.
[One hundred and ten thousand Tor.]
[One hundred and twenty thousand Tor.]
[One hundred and thirty thousand Tor.]
The noble in the first Box continued to bid against Foltest.
“This person doesn’t seem to be the representative for Earl Nakkin.” Amandina said.
Brendel nodded. The price in his heart was one hundred thousand to one hundred fifty thousand Tor. The
results right now was satisfactory, and even with the procedure’s fee, he was able to obtain one hundred
and sixty thousand Tor from this auction. It was enough money to realize his next plan.
But it seemed that Mother Marsha wanted to give him a surprise. Right when Foltest was about to quit, a
new bidder entered into the fray.
[One hundred and fifty-five thousand Tor.]
This time even the auctioneer put down his hammer to look at the third Box in astonishment, wondering
who was the noble who bid for it. Brendel had already turned around to ask Roen, but he was not able to
come up with an answer.
The noble in the first Box finally hesitated, taking a long time to consider. He gave a bid of one hundred
and sixty thousand Tor, but the mysterious person in the third box immediately gave a counter of one
hundred and seventy thousand Tor—
Brendel and the people around him looked at each other. The bid had already surpassed what was the
price for a Magic Sword.
Nobody answered the bid and silence hung in the air.
The auctioneer took a deep breath, recovered from his stupor and raised his hammer shakily. Three
hammer strikes and the show finally ended.
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“One hundred and seventy thousand Tor?” Batum patted Roen’s face: “Cripple, have you seen so much
money before?”
Roen felt a little unsteady. Even though it was not the first time seeing a high bid like this, the money had
nothing to do with him. This time however, it was related to him. He had only saved tens of thousands of
Tor after working for nearly thirty years, but the bid that happened just now made him a little delirious.
Amandina’s hands grabbed the front of her dress tightly, trying hard to suppress her shock. Ciel tried to
hold back his laughter when he saw her twisted expression.
When Brendel looked at Romaine, she was holding a small notebook and writing something in it. She
looked delighted: “Brendel, we have the budget now.”
Brendel smiled.
The organizers seemed to want to make sure the night ended with a bidding war. When Brendel’s sword
was taken away, another new item stole the people’s breaths.
“Fire seed!”
“Mother Marsha, a Fire Seed!”
“Someone’s selling a Fire Seed!”
Voices kept ringing throughout the place.
Brendel turned back to Ciel: “This is the best item, saved for last. It’s a pity, otherwise our sword could be
the highlight of this auction.”
Ciel nodded.
But Brendel’s intention was not to pick at this small issue. “Every single Fire Seed in Aouine is produced
by the Holy Cathedral of Fire. For Church Havel to sell it so openly, it looks like they are trying to raise
money. It’s known that the Church Havel supports the royal family, but the royal family is planning
something since they have to use a method like this to raise money—”
Ciel thought for a while and said: “Perhaps it has something to do with the war?”
Brendel closed his eyes and contemplated as well, but there was nothing in his memories related to this.
He nodded and raised his head up. The atmosphere in the area had changed considerably. There was an
urgent feeling spreading everywhere, and he felt that some people here had already received the news
and was ready for the item.
“Should we participate?” Amandina asked.
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Brendel shook his head. He had already decided not to participate in this particular bid when there were
so many people ready for this. At least for the current situation, that two hundred something thousand
Tor would not be able to gain an advantage at all.
He shook his head and wanted to say something else, but the lights around him suddenly dimmed. When
he turned to the center stage, he saw that the auctioneer’s face had changed.
[Something is wrong!]
The young man reached for his weapon when all the candles on the wall were extinguished at the same
time, and the place plunged into darkness.
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TL: Okay, after this chapter, I plan to do 21 TAS chapters + 9 TGTBGAM chapters (Yes, technically I’m on
my break now. Technically). This should clear the sponsored chapters and any backlog. Then I’ll be
concentrating on my art assignments for the next four months. Updates will proceed at the usual slow
pace. Donations are closed until then.
Chapter 48 – Chaos
The entire place was dark. Some of the female nobles’ shrieks could be heard all over the place. Brendel
and Roen were the first to pull out their swords from their robes, while Ciel and Batum’s reactions were
slower to pull their weapons out. Batum removed the strap that was holding the two-handed sword
sword, while directing the girls to move in between him and Ciel.
He then held Roen’s shoulder with one hand, afraid that he was going to try and do something funny. The
cripple snorted lightly, but his expression did not seem to mind it.
After the panicked screams, the men angry yells and questioning voices could be heard from all
directions, even from the Boxes.
It was the hall on the first floor that appeared to be more calm. These were seasoned adventurers and
mercenaries, and they had enough experience in battles to remain composed, preventing the chaos from
becoming bigger.
“Brendel, what’s happening?” Romaine’s voice was one of curiosity and not fear.
Amandina who was behind Romaine, grabbed the hems of her dress anxiously till the point where her
fingers were white. But she narrowed her bright eyes and tried not to show her fear.
“Quiet—” Brendel said. He saw that there were some nobles and impatient youths who lit the area up
with torches or gems from their scepters.
But the light were quickly extinguished again.
It was not uncommon to see people in Vaunte using Elementary Light magic, and some of the bigger cities
had Light crystals installed into the street lamps. Even Roen had a ring like that, but he did not rush to
bring it up. Anyone who raised up a light source in this darkness would only become a target.
But sometimes reality went against wishes.
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Right when Brendel thought there was no immediate danger, the Thorn of Light glimmered once. He
paused slightly and looked at it, and realized the sword was glowing brighter with every second. The next
moment, a dazzling flash from the sword lit up the entire area clearly.
Before he had the chance to be surprised at the scene, four robed figures were rushing swiftly through
the narrow corridors and passages, rushing straight at their direction.
Their hands were within their robes, indicating that there were weapons hidden there.
[Enemies and not allies.]
Brendel did not say anything but held up his left hand decisively and aimed below him. A series of bolts
flew from the hidden crossbow from his sleeve, and they struck on the nearest robed figure.
The steel bolts had a powerful impact since they were so close, and that robed figure made a muffled
noise and fell backwards. His allies moved to the sides and raised their heads to look at Brendel’s
direction.
And Brendel saw a pair of orange flames burning below the hood in every robed figure.
“They are undeads…..” He was puzzled.
[Why are these damn things appearing in this area and at this time?]
But the situation did not allow him to think much. The three robed figures withdraw a strange looking
scythe with desiccated arms from their robes.
Brendel was not sure whether he should call the weapon a scythe. The weapon was like half of a starfish,
the end of the curved blade was gleaming in three directions. (TL: The description of the blade is just bad.
The author isn’t making any sense here so take it with salt.)
Curses had very little effect on undead, so Brendel gave up on using any more of the cursed bolts. He
stood behind Romaine and retreated back in between Batum and Roen.
The remaining three robed figure pushed aside the people in front of them, and rushed straight at
Brendel, and swung at him without any hesitation.
Brendel raised his sword and parried one of the strange scythe. The feedback from the sword was strong
enough to make him to take a few step backwards, and he nearly stumbled onto the seat behind him.
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Romaine screamed, but Amandina grabbed her arm and dragged her away. She forced Romaine to lower
her body and they crawled to the opposite direction. She was really tense, but her mind was working
clearly, and she acted like she had planned her actions from the beginning.
Batum used his sword to block one of the robed figure, but he immediately grunted in effort, showing that
he did not fare well either against the strength.
“Iron rank, upper tier strength.” He roared.
“Zombie Outlanders!” Brendel recognized the identity of his opponents.
These were something like an animated armor, but the undead wizards had placed the soul of a warrior
into an empty armor, and thus these abominations were created. They were approximately level 31-33,
and considered as a second tier strength within Madara. They were agile and adapt at masking their
movements, but they also had another identity—
Madara’s assassins.
Brendel felt that he was facing an elite Zombie Outlander, as its strength was near a Silver-ranked fighter.
It was still not the strongest unit in Madara’s second tier forces, but as a unit within Incirsta’s undead
army, it was one of his best units.
[Am I the target?]
Brendel did not really understand the situation, but the Zombie Outlanders in the place started attacking
everyone. The adventurers and mercenaries were yelling in angry confusion as they were attacked.
Brendel felt that his strength was not as strong as his opponent, so he retreated backwards, grabbed a
chair and threw at it. The Zombie Outlander swung his strange scythe and smashed it into pieces, but the
youth was already in position to launch a thrust to the core of the soul fire.
The Zombie Outlander gave a hoarse yell and it grabbed Brendel’s sword with its hand. White flames
immediately burst up from its fingers and the cleansing fire reached into the soul’s inner depths, and the
intense pain caused the undead to immediately scream.
But it did not release its grip and swung at Brendel’s elbow.
“Bastard—” Brendel gritted his teeth. This was not the first time he faced a Zombie Outlander. but the
tenacity of these undead had left a deep impression on him. When this undead fighter grabbed the Thorn
of Light, he felt his position was in a bad one.
He immediately released his hand and retreated, avoiding that counter attack that was almost certain to
strike him.
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Under such a close distance, Brendel had lost nearly all means of attack when he lost the Thorn of Light.
He was able to use the Ring of The Wind Empress, but he was unable to ensure that the impact did not
hurt Amandina and Romaine.
The Holy Sword Card did not have any Earth EP that he could use, and the Magic Control card had no
effect here. He was certainly able to use the Wind Spider Spirits, but summoning at the creatures at this
distance would prove to be useless because the opponent would already have cut him into pieces.
His hesitation was only for one moment.
Brendel next action was to lunge at the enemy. His arms grabbed the enemy’s abdomen. The collision
knocked the Zombie Outlander off its feet and fell backwards together with Brendel, knocking three rows
of chairs over. Brendel felt dull aches all over his body, but at least his mind was clear and got up as
quickly as the Zombie Outlander did.
The creature went for the scythe, while Brendel picked up the sword that was on the ground. Due to the
reach of the scythe, Brendel had no choice but to use the Charge technique to regain control of the battle.
The impact left the armor flying across the opposite direction, but the swing of the scythe had already
begun and it aimed at Brendel’s shoulder.
“Barkskin!” Brendel roared in his mind. The appearance of his skin swiftly changed to the color of wood,
but the scythe still cut through his natural armor. Blue light flashed briefly as the scythe went through his
various defenses.
For a moment, blood droplets flew in the air.
Brendel did not utter any sound as he bit down. However, it was enough to cause him to break out in cold
sweat. He pulled out the scythe that was buried in his shoulder and threw it to the ground. His eyes
followed the Zombie Outlander, while he quickly pulled out the Wind Spider Spirit card.
“Display. Cards of Fate, The Wind Spider Spirits.”
A series of stats information appeared in his retina.
Wind Spider Spirits.
8 HP
4 MP
Str: 1.9 OZ
Agility: 2.7 OZ
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Physique: 1.0 OZ
Attributes ‘Blank’
Attack (damage 1-1)
Special ability: Ethereal form
[Ethereal creatures take 1/3 of the damage, so a weaponless Zombie Outlander will find it hard to kill a
spider with a single attack. Furthermore, there are fifteen of them.]
He pointed on the ground, and fifteen green vortex appeared. The spiders that appeared from the vortex
were baring their fangs and raising their legs, and they went straight at the Zombie Outlander. One Wind
Spider Spirit had nearly 2 OZ strength, and while fifteen of them did not exactly in simple addition, it was
enough to stop the Zombie Outlander’s movements.
The spiders bit at the creature continously, and it roared in anger. It pulled them off from its body and
threw them away onto the ground, but its actions were pointless as Brendel had already made use of this
opportunity.
The sword had already pierced through its chest. Even though the Zombie Outlander wanted to retaliate
at the last moment, the spiders had caused his stance to break apart.
The sword reached the core of the soul fire.
The Zombie Outlander released a groan of dissatisfaction. The damage from the Thorn of Light in that
critical area had dealt four times the normal damage. Brendel watched the creature turn into a pile of
ashes, while the blackened armor fell onto the ground.
700 XP went into Brendel.
He turned his head around and saw that Batum, Roen and Ciel forced back by the two undead Zombie
Outlanders, while Amandina and Romaine was moving into the opposite direction from the fights.
A loud noise came from above.
Brendel looked up and saw a black figure falling from above and to the ground. It was quite for a moment,
then a series of yells came.
“Sir Russell!”
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“Marsha above, it’s the vice captain from the city guards!”
“They killed him!”
Brendel’s heart tightened when he heard that.
[It looks like I’m not the true target of these damned armored undead. Is this a plot where Incirsta is
trying to kill Bruglas top brass? What is he trying to do here? There’s no event like this recorded in
history.]
He was still mulling over it, when he suddenly saw the doors from the stage suddenly opening. Five
different rows of skeleton archers walked out from it with their bows raised.
The youth’s eyes shrank immediately.
[This many undead? What the hell is the organizers doing? The city guards? The Silver-winged Cavalry
and the army? How the fuck did these undead get in?]
Brendel cursed inwardly.
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Chapter 49 – Fishing in troubled waters (1)
The gleaming white skeletons stopped at the same time and raised their bows, the steely bows uttering a
groaning sound, before the strings were released.
The adventurers and mercenaries below finally realized the situation was a grave one, but the attacking
Zombie Outlanders were forcing them back.
Brendel checked Romaine and Amandina’s position again, only to find they were missing. His heart raced
quickly, and he smashed the chairs around him. The splinters flew over to the nearby Zombie Outlander
who was fighting with Batum.
It was momentarily distract and Batum took the chance to cleave it into two. There was a thunderous
clang as the Zombie Outlander’s armor was destroyed together with the body, and numerous silver light
flew into Brendel’s body.
At the same time, Roen and Ciel managed to make the other Zombie Outlander retreat. Brendel shouted
to them and they turned back.
“DId you see Romaine?”
“We’re here!” Romaine stood up with one hand waving at Brendel fearlessly, while the other hand was
still being grabbed by Amandina.
“Stay down!” Brendel shouted, then he ordered Ciel next: “Ciel, Wall!”
Ciel understood the simple instruction and immediately raised a ruby up. Countless lines spread out from
the ruby and extended everywhere. Ciel put his willpower into it and created a wall that extended fifty
meters, covering both Amandina and Romaine.
Thousands of lines that formed glowed brightly and disappeared, and an Aerial Wall was formed.
The skeleton archers’ bows continuous firing sounded like there was a chaotic song of string instruments.
The first barrage of arrows struck onto the nearest people, and they fell to the ground lifelessly, while the
next barrage continued to fire onto the second and third row of people, causing them to slump over.
But Ciel saved even more people. Every time the arrows struck the wall, white light would glow from the
area. The frequency of the glowing light increased as the arrows continued to pour onto it.
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This wall finally seemed to wake the confused crowd. There were many wizard acolytes and low level
Elementalists, and there were even mid-level wizards amongst them. They did not understand what
happened earlier, but they finally understood they were under attack from the undead. They stood up
and activated their rings and even chanted openly.
With the combined forces, light beams poured out from the windows and doors from the auction site.
Then a series of explosions could be heard. Shockwaves carried bone fragments, dust and wooden
splinters everywhere, and a few skull heads even reached Brendel’s feet, rolling near him.
Dust spread everywhere in the auction site, and he coughed twice. His sounds were drowned out by the
constant yells around him. He pushed away a few stumbling mercenearies and shouted to the area above
him.
“Ciel, Romaine, come down to my side!”
Brendel was worried that his voice did not reach the people above him, but Batum was holding onto to
Roen who had lost consciousness, and he walked towards him from the smoke. Ciel, Amandina and
Romaine was behind Batum. They were covered in dust, and Romaine looked like a painted fox with a
thick layer of dust on her nose.
She stuck her tongue out.
“I thought I wouldn’t get affected if I was behind Ciel’s wall. I shouldn’t have stood up. Sorry about that,
Brendel.” She acted like she learned from her lesson, but her face said otherwise.
Brendel smacked her head in exasperation. He looked at Amandina and replied.
“You should thank Miss Amandina later, but now is not the time. Here, take my hand, we’re leaving this
place.”
The noble lady coughed and replied. “There’s no need for that.”
The girl raised her chin slightly up with a little pride. As nobility, she had more or less inherited the pride
of Aouine’s old nobles. She had not told anyone yet, but her family’s crest was a vivid lily on top of a
shield. This lily was the same as the Royal Family’s lily, and this meant that her family was a side branch
of the royal family. Even though she was a fallen noble, but her blood still carried the royal blood.
It was also from the belongings of that ancient heritage, that she was able to design Magicite. Otherwise,
she would not be able to think of the design based on her talent that was not prominent enough.
Amandina had never thought of admitting defeat, the worse her situation was, the more she wanted to
bring back her family name. She was different from her father, and she was a determined girl ever since
she was young.
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Batum’s loud voice stopped her thoughts.
“Where should we leave, my lord? We don’t know how many of these undead are out there and where
they came from. This idiot cripple even said that this place would be well protected, what a bunch of
fucking horse shit—”
“We should leave from the back door.” Brendel surveyed the surroundings.
[Madara’s goals are probably Bruglas’s top nobles, so their targets should probably be the Boxes above
us. At the same time… That three Zombie Outlanders clearly came for me. I don’t understand what I did to
draw their attention. Perhaps the news that I led the refugees were leaked out? Ebdon was a mid level
commander back then when I killed him, was it necessary to come after me?]
Brendel felt that his presence had started to affect the original history of The Amber Sword.
[ The numbers of the undead here are impressive enough to think that this had been planned for quite
some time. If Incirsta actually predicted that I would come to the auction, that is impressive as hell. I can
only hope that I’m just a bonus target that came here by accident. If I don’t move faster, then my
advantages will gradually be lost.]
“I want to grab some of the items in the auction’s center stage.” Brendel said.
Ciel agreed with Brendel, and he actually analyzed some of the equipment and talked about some of the
more important stuff to take. The stacked items that were left behind were like a treasure trove.
If Freya was here, she would have thrown a temper because of her righteousness. Unfortunately, she was
still waiting at the Silver-Winged Cavalry headquarters to receive her rewards.
Even though Amandina was from a noble family, their qualities in this era were similar to a bandit, and
she was also a very pragmatic person. When she heard of Ciel’s suggestions in picking up the items, she
did not stop him at all, and immediately added in her own input to make sure that the plan was
successful.
Batum did not care, and the underground auction was an illegal place anyway.
Romaine had only adventure in her mind, and as a ‘family advisor’ she would not object to Brendel’s
actions.
Roen was only all too glad to participate in this plan. The more infamy he had, the better business would
be in the Black Pepper Street.
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Brendel looked at his ‘subordinates’ who was interested in earning a profit first before anything else.
Under such a dangerous situation, he did not know whether this was a good or bad thing.
[Their actions remind me of my old nickname… ‘Sophie (Su Fei) the greedy’. Because I’m constantly out of
money, I started to…… Well, after Aouine disappeared and I joined the Church as a knight, that nickname
finally left me.]
(TL: Brendel’s original Chinese transliterated name is Su Fei. There’s a reason why I had to use Sophie
right from the early chapters, still a pretty long way ahead for that reason to appear in the story, but in
case readers get the shudders when remembering this old name, I added it in to make you feel better.)
But the fondness for danger lied deeply within his blood. Regardless of him being Sophie or Brendel in
this life here, they were natural gamblers.
And because of his personality, he more or less had affected his party members. The only exception was
Amandina, because she was actually similar to him.
The plan was quickly decided and they rushed straight to the center stage. They quickly found out that
many people had the same idea like him, but the Zombie Outlanders were preventing them from
approaching the stage.
Because Brendel had another fifteen Wind Spider Spirits, they were the first to break through the
assassins and come onto the stage.
He first saw the dead auctioneer and his assistant lying in a pool of blood. The Fire Seed was already
gone. This made him frown.
[Two possibilities. First, it’s the undead that took it. Second……]
He exchanged a glance with Ciel, and they both saw they had their own suspicions on this matter.
The Fire Seed was an unimaginable priceless item to most living sentient creatures, but it was not to the
undead. Madara used the Soul Fire and the Soul Tower to expand their territory, and the Fire Seed had
almost no value to them. This particular information was not known to the commoners, but Brendel and
Ciel knew otherwise.
“Something is wrong.” Brendel immediately brought his sword up in a stance, and warned his allies
behind him.
Ciel was also read to cast spells.
“What’s wrong?” Batum asked.
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Just as he was asking, a huge object that was red in color descended from above and landed onto the
ground. There was a loud crash as that object actually broke the wooden floor of the stage, and there was
dust that flew up and cover the entire area.
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When the red object landed on the stage, the wood splinters flew everywhere. Brendel blocked his face
with one hand and looked in front of him. There was a giant skeleton covered in red armor. It was about
three humans tall, and it wore an immense helmet with a cross opening in it. On it was a hydra emblem,
and he drew in a sharp breath.
[The Madara general’s soldiers. A Crusader Executioner.]
Brendel felt his skin go numb, like he had been drenched in cold water. It felt like his heart and blood
vessels had ice in them, and the idea of fishing in troubled waters was already gone.
He immediately put up his arm without hesitation and roared.
“Back, get back, leave here right now and follow me!” His voice was unusually stern, and even when he
face the undead army, he had not acted so nervous before.
[Fuck! What the fuck is Bruglas’s army doing. If this thing is even here, why the fuck don’t they just open
the damned city doors and surrender?!]
The Crusader Executioner was a Nest creature. It was not a normal undead that could be controlled by a
necromancer, and it was a creature that had a physical soul, like a Blood Marionette or a Black Knight.
A high tier undead with the prowess of a Silver-ranked tier fighter.
Brendel saw that the Crusader Executioner had not regained its senses from descending onto the ground,
and he immediately got the rest of them to run in the left direction. There was a small door leading to the
back passageway.
Batum’s reaction was very fast. He had been in enough battles to feel that despairing aura from the giant
skeleton. It was full of bloodlust and he knew that this undead creature that was covered in fiery red
armor and carried an enormous axe was something that he should not go against with.
They quickly made their way below, but as the undead finally got up, it found they were the nearest.
Brendel pushed Amandina and Romaine through the door. Ciel and Batum went next. When he looked
back, he saw that the monstrous creature had locked them as targets with a pair of crimson fire in its eye
sockets. It raised its axe and walked unsteadily towards them on the stage.
“Brendel?” Romaine did not understand.
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“Stop talking and listen to me.” Brendel entered the passageway and locked the door. He did not know if
the organizers had planned for attacks, but the door was completely made up of metal and was
considerably thick. It was probably able to buy them time.
“How powerful is that monster? What should we do?” Batum asked.
Brendel raised his palm up.
“Let me think for a moment. I might have a solution.” He said.
He calmly ordered the Wind Spider Spirits to crawl out of the crevices from the passageway, and he
roughly made a script in his mind, but he hesitated as he felt the plan might be too dangerous. He hoped
that the creature went for someone else, since the hall had so many other people.
But before he finished hoping, the steel door suddenly shook like a battering ram had collided into it. The
feedback from the door actually made the ground unstable and they lurched forward. Batum and Ciel
went to reinforce the door. Brendel, who had stumbled onto the ground, stood up and gave up on all the
optimistic notions.
He steeled his heart.
“There’s only one plan. All of you run and leave in separate directions. I’ll stay behind and hold him back.”
“Brendel!” This was the second time Romaine saw the youth with an uncertain expression. The
adventurous streak in her heart was suddenly smothered, and she recalled that time when Brendel
rescued her in Bucce.
She wanted to stay behind, but the youth refused to hear it.
[A Crusader Executioner has 47 OZ worth of strength. It’s not something that Batum and Ciel can handle
right now. Letting them fight with this monster would only get them killed instantly. Ciel is somewhat of
an exception since it’s only for a while that I can’t summon him if he gets killed, but the rest of my
members cannot come back if they die.]
He had already thought about it clearly. He was the only one who knew the monster’s actions well
enough to be able to draw it away and find an opportunity to escape. Even so, he had no confidence in
handling this monster at all, as it was stronger than Ebdon and he did not have a second Gargoyle to use.
In fact, if he faced against Ebdon one more time alone, he was unlikely to defeat him.
Brendel had actually considered having Batum or Roen, and even Amandina to buy some time for the
others to escape, but he immediately shut the idea down with shivers. This thought made him frightened.
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[If I allow this fucking thought to become reality, and give up on anyone, then some day I will give up on
Freya, Romaine, and Aouine. I will become nothing more than a cold blooded creature in this world.]
Brendel shook his head to throw the idea out of his head. This stray thought had darkened his mood, and
he felt like he had fought for days. He growled in a low voice.
“All of you, leave. Separate in two different groups and we will regroup later. I will stay back and secure
your retreat.”
“My lord, we cannot leave you behind!” Batum transited from a mercenary to a retainer without him
knowing.
“My lord, this is the vanguard of the Madara’s undead forces. You’re not its match, please allow me to buy
you sometime.” Ciel placed his hand on his chest and answered solemnly.
“You know of it?” Brendel looked at him in surprise.
“Brendel,” Amandina said sternly. “We don’t need you to act as a hero right now. I placed my dreams on
you and I hope that you remember your promises to me!”
“What the hell are you talking about, Amandina.” Batum grabbed the girl’s shoulders angrily.
The second impact came again, and the three men felt the terrible strength behind the door.
Brendel knew that there was not much time left, and he spoke in an angry voice.
“When did a woman have the authority to interfere with a man’s battle, Batum, take her away.”
“Ser Brendel, you—” Amandina looked confused, but she took a deep breath as she realized what Brendel
intended to do here. She stopped her actions and looked at him with a conflicted expression. (TL: Yeah,
you see, maybe I’m a little slow, but I don’t know what the heck is going on. What did Amandina
understand again?)
“Brendel, what about me?” Romaine asked.
“You’re not a woman?” Brendel asked in exasperation.
“Oh.” Romaine replied in a disappointed voice.
Since it was an order, Batum did not have any grounds to object. He could only nod and bring Amandina
and Romaine away.
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Most of the auction sites had a passageway that allowed goods to be transferred away if there was an
inspection, and Brendel entered into one of them.
[If I dared to say something like ‘Women should not participate in battles!’ in the game, my female senior
leader would have beaten me up… She really taught me well. In the end I became a pretty good leader,
but most of the gamers that I know eventually left when Aouine was on its final breath. In the end, I was
the only one behind in Aouine’s last battle.]
This moment now was the same scenario.
Brendel might have Freya, Romaine as his close friends, Batum and Leto and the other mercenaries as his
retainers, and a brilliant Amandina as an advisor, but his heart still felt like he was alone in this world. He
did not speak to anyone about the future of Aouine, or that he was not from this world —
He looked back at Ciel.
“My lord, you know of my true identity. In a certain way, your safety is more important than my life. Even
if I disappear, as long as you are still alive, I would have the chance to appear once again. But if you die,
then everything ceases.”
“You have persuaded me,” Brendel nodded: “If that’s the case, let’s fight together.”
The metal door finally split apart and the crimson axe could be seen. Brendel beckoned to Ciel.
“Quickly, let’s get to the other side.”
Brendel glanced behind him as he ran to the other door. The Crimson Executioner swung once more and
finally broke through the door. It lowered its body to enter the room and surveyed the passageway. A
white beam of light hit the helmet, and the frightening monster turned its head around. It immediately
spotted Brendel and Ciel. The squire was still maintaining a gesture.
“Over here, you mindless undead!” Brendel taunted.
The skeleton gave a ghastly roar and ran over, with its body standing straight up. The wooden ceiling
broke apart like it was made of paper. The monster had 22 OZ worth of agility, and though it might look
clumsy, it was actually very quick. Its movements were accompanied with skeleton clacks, and the huge
body was already in front of Brendel.
Brendel pulled Ciel out into an open room, but the Crusader Executioner was already in motion for an
attack. The door to the room was easily destroyed, and it entered the room with rocks and granite
accompanying its feet. It quickly discovered Brendel and Ciel moving to a passageway that led to the
auction site.
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Brendel was not as tense as the time when he escaped from Bucce. Even though he knew that Ciel and
himself were not able to do any damage to this high level undead, he was not without a chance. There
were two routes that he could take. He could wait until the Silver-winged cavalry to come, and even if the
commander was a traitor that worked for the Unifying Guild, he was not allies with Madara. The
commander was also strong enough to handle this monster as he was a Gold-ranked fighter.
[Even the captains of the various divisions are of the same strength as the undead here, so there should
be no problems of defeating this monster. But lasting that long is a question. The next thing I know I
might have my head chopped off… The second option is the best.]
He needed to find the ‘Scroll of Elemental Pool (unlock)’
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TL: The mechanics for this Card usage in TAS are going to be more complicated. I’ll try my best to make it
clearer, but you might need to reread the following chapters. I don’t play much Magic the Gathering, but I
think the mechanics are similar.
[It doesn’t take long to unlock my Elemental Pool. As long as I have that, I will be able to pay for the cost
of the ‘Holy Sword’ and self-preservation should be no problem.]
When one unlocked his Elemental Pool with a scroll, he would absorb the abundant energy within the
scroll and fill up the Pool with Elemental energy. Brendel ordered the spiders to search for the scroll, as
they were made from Elemental energy and were better candidates to search for the item compared to
himself.
He turned his back and yelled: “Ciel!”
“I understand, my lord.” The young wizard looked at him and smiled: “Good luck, I’ll pray that I’ll meet
again soon—”
Brendel nodded earnestly. Ciel raised a ruby into the air and countless lines formed between his thumb
and index finger. The lines that were created took from Mother Marsha’s protective laws of magic and
intertwined with each other. A wall formed with gold light and disappeared into thin air.
The gigantic skeleton with crimson armor swung the axe onto the invisible wall.
A ripple of wind current surged outwards, and the gemstone in Ciel’s hand cracked, but he continued to
use his life to maintain the spell.
“Hurry, my lord!” He yelled in a low voice.
Brendel rushed out to the center stage. He did not know who managed to bid for the item. Even though
items in the auction could be passed over directly, the nobles tend to protect their dignity and let the
organizers send the items straight to their home.
[There’s still a chance it’s still here.]
He quickly ran to the path to the corridors, and he tried to find the doors to the Boxes. But with each door
he opened, he found that it did not lead to the passageway. He became increasingly disappointed and
anxious.
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After a short while, he heard a thunderous boom made from the Crusader Executioner. Brendel’s
expressions changed a little and he called out the system. The Highland Squire card was in the middle of
the pack and it was colored in gray when he selected it. The Wind Spider Spirits were also the same. Half
of the Wind Spider Spirits were dead and the card was also half covered in gray. It looked like the card
was also going to go into the graveyard.
He hesitated for a while but he did not call the spiders back. It was very hard for him to search for the
item in this place alone. The footsteps behind him were becoming closer, and he realized that the monster
was not going to give him any time —
Suddenly, a spider popped out from one of the rooms and stopped next to his feet, before running off to
another area.
[It found the scroll?] Brendel’s heart skipped a beat and chased after it. His agility was higher than the
spider and it was easy for him to follow it, but the heavy and dull footsteps felt like they were coming
closer and closer, and his heart beat just as quickly.
[How much further?]
[Am I going to be caught up?]
[Is it the scroll?]
Brendel felt there was no certainty that the spider found the scroll, but he could only bet on it. The spider
and him turned at a corner and he saw that corpses lying on the corridor. They looked like the workers in
this auction site.
[There are enemies here.] Brendel became alert, and he immediately saw that they were skeletons that
walked out. He exhaled in relief, and he used the Charge technique to sweep across the undead. They
might have been deadly enemies a month ago, but now they were just cannon fodder.
The first skeleton seemed to swung at him with a slow speed, and Brendel’s thrust was ten times faster.
The sword cut across the hand and into its chest, and from the cut sections, white flames started to erupt
and consume the entire body.
Brendel continued to run past seven skeletons, and when he put his sword back to the sheath, the
skeletons fell to the ground and burst into flames. The youth did not have any time to relish on his kills as
the crimson figure was already at the corner.
The Crusader Executioner had 22 OZ worth of agility and it far surpassed Brendel who had less than 10.
The swinging axe destroyed the ceiling as it reached for Brendel, and he had nowhere to escape.
The only option was to activate Power Break.
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When the Thorn of Light met the axe, there was a metallic wail as the blade bent backwards in a bizarre
angle. Brendel felt like the bones in his right hand shattered into pieces, and he was flung onto the wall.
It was fortunate that he had landed next to the spider, and he stood up in pain and continued to follow it.
He had lost his sword as his hand was unable to hold on to it.
[I can’t feel my right hand….. If I don’t get the scroll, that’s the end of me.]
When he entered the room, he surveyed the room with a hopeful expression, but he saw a scene that he
did not wish to see.
A Zombie Outlander which was next to a mercenary’s corpse, turned its head back. It did not expect that
someone was outside. It held a scythe that was still dripping blood, and it looked at Brendel with a pair of
green flames inside its sockets. The youth found that it was holding on to something tightly.
It was a clear crystal that held burning flames within it.
A Fire Seed.
The Zombie Outlander raised its scythe, but Brendel was one step ahead of it, and he supported his right
hand up with his left hand. The pain almost made him tremble, but he said through gritted teeth: “Oss!”
The immense wind pressure that condensed in an instant seem to leave the room in a vacuum, before it
exploded with a thunderous boom. The maelstrom of air went straight to the Zombie Outlander and
caused deformations to the armor. It was thrown backwards to the wall and blasted it through, leaving
behind a gaping hole.
The undead creature was not a defensive creature like the Gargoyle, and it was instantly destroyed like
the swordsman in the Pine Fortress.
Half of the body remained behind, and Brendel went forward to grab the Fire Seed from its hand. He did
not know how useful it would be, but he did not care anymore. When he turned back, the Crusader
Executioner was holding on to a crushed Wind Spider Spirit that dripped green fluids onto the ground.
The monster laughed from within its hollow chest. It was not sentient, but this undead monster had an
innate bloodlust towards living creature.
“Fuck off.” Brendel raised the Fire Seed with his left hand and squeezed it—
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The crystal ball shattered, and red light poured out from it. It swiveled around Brendel and expanded ten
times in size, and moved towards the Crusader Executioner. The monster raised the axe, but it paused
and stood still in an instant, as it was paralyzed.
At that moment, all the Elementalists and wizards within ten miles of Bruglas, stopped what they were
doing with a change in their expressions and looked towards the direction of Bruglas.
The red light continued to swivel and expand, pouring out from the auction side and went into Hood
street, circled around the area and finally spun around the entire Bruglas city. It continued to broaden
several miles before it slowly stopped and disappeared.
It was a short moment, but the solders in the Silver-winged Cavalry watched their shadow hounds
evaporate in an instant.
The power of Order.
The living undead revered Mother Marsha like humans did. They were also creatures that were based on
Order, and the Fire Seed would not affect them. But the Crusader Executioner was different. It was a Nest
creature.
The only exception to this was a Guardian Nest, otherwise all Nests are made from the Chaos. The
Shadow hounds were low ranking creatures that were unable to fend against it and quickly evaporated
into thin air.
The Crusader Executioner was dealt an immense impact and was unable to move. The youth saw that it
took 110 damage, and he sighed with relief.
[I gambled correctly…]
No one in their right mind would use a priceless Fire Seed to do something like this, but it proved that
Chaos and Order were in opposition of each other.
Brendel took in another deep breath and quickly searched the room for signs of the scroll. The spider
must had found the Fire Seed instead of the scroll. He did not find it and he quickly left the area, as the
Crusader Executioner would not stay down forever.
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Chapter 52 – Pursuit, escape
After Brendel ran out of the room, the Crusader Executioner stood up slowly. Its bones creaked and it
twisted its body with effort, and its movements started to become smoother.
Brendel found four different Wind Spirit Spiders climbing out from the ruined auction site. Two of the
spiders clearly transmitted they found the target, and pointed to their respective targets.
Brendel was slightly relieved they came back with some success. Judging from their intelligence, they
were not able to be certain of what they found was the scroll he needed, and he needed to check it for
himself.
One of them was to the south, approximately thirty meters away, while the other was in the west leading
to the showroom, approximately fifty meters away.
[The possibility that the item is in the showroom is higher, but the danger is beyond words.]
He thought to himself as he unsummoned two Wind Spider Spirits in order to prevent the card from
entering the graveyard. As he mulled over the possibility of the scroll’s location, the Soul Fire in the
Crusader Executioner was becoming stronger.
[Ciel is gone. The Thorn of Light is lost somewhere in the wreckage, and the bones in my right arm might
be fractured. Even now I don’t feel any sensation in it. The spiders are useless against the enemies here,
and the Ring of the Wind Empress is recharging. Even though the fatigue from the Mana Exhaustion is
settling in, it’s fortunate that I still have half of my stamina and my HP is considerably full.]
He lumbered across the corridor unsteadily, thoughts blazing through him quickly.
[The cursed crossbow isn’t going to work. Another option is to jump from the second floor’s window and
escape to a bustling street… But it’s also possible that the undead monster is able to track me from my
Life Ripple. And if that’s the case, I will not be able to outrun it under an open area… The Crusader
Executioner has weaknesses, but the absolute difference in strength makes it impossible.]
He could almost hear the undead monster moving again. Brendel shook his head and discarded that idea.
It was only for a short moment, but it felt like the auction site a tornado had ran into it. The entire
landscape of this area had changed, and once the undead monster came after him, he would not be able to
escape more than ten meters.
“I need to find a solution.”
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He suddenly spotted a skeleton remains on the ground near him. It was most likely his handiwork, and
his heartbeat suddenly spiked.
That was a loud crashing sound. The giant skeleton walked out with its axe dragging behind him on the
ground, making a loud din. The ribcage of a Crusader Executioner held a blazing flame within it, and the
bones were tempered with the powers of Chaos, making them harder than normal metal. It wore
pauldrons, helmet and a armored dress.
It turned its head from left to right, but there was no sound in the corridor. It paused. The Life Ripple that
it felt earlier, made it certain the human came through this area, but that feeling had become impossibly
faint.
Brendel was lying next to the skeleton.
He lightly exhaled and held his breath. He tried his best to steady his heartbeat, and made his blood to
slow down as much as possible to escape detection from the undead monster. The Crusader Executioner
indeed slowed down. Brendel’s Life Reaper was becoming weaker in its weak vision. It was a little
doubtful, and it slowed its footsteps.
To avoid being deceived.
The youth understood that it was possible for it to see him, and he carefully took the black steel sword
from the skeleton soldier’s grasp, lightly and slowly. Even though he felt his heart was slow, it was
beating forcefully like a huge drum, and it knocked against his senses. He did not know whether he was
feeling things wrongly, but the skeleton was approaching him.
It was no more than ten meters.
At this distance, a single assault from the undead monster would have his body split into two. He turned
his head a few times, as if to check whether his head was still on his body.
The undead monster took another step.
Brendel was unable to maintain his composure. Even though he had learned to be calm from the game, he
was using his life as a gambling token. He had seen the vanguard in the game before, and it was well
known that it was able to penetrate army lines with speed and viciousness. The permanent bloodlust it
had made it well known to everyone. The axe it had was four meters long and when it put everything
behind the axe, it was over twenty tons of force behind it. Humans had to spend one hundred times the
price to face an undead army. In Karsuk’s records, the necromancers led ten of these creatures against an
entire legion of Aouine’s infantry and was victorious against them. In that battle, these creatures were
like moving fortresses, and the infamous legends they had were well known.
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The only humans that could face these creatures were well known elites.
Brendel did not reach that level yet.
When the Crusader Executioner’s gaze went over him, his heart accelerated and the blood in his body
started to move. The Life Ripple became clear again, and there was a slight pause in the skeleton’s
movements.
It had seen through Brendel’s trick.
Time had only passed for a few seconds.
Brendel felt cold perspiration on his forehead. Any actions that he made would invite an attack, but
maintaining this situation would only last a few seconds. He looked at his stats and thought that even a
few seconds was better than nothing.
[Even a few seconds more is better than nothing!] He prepared himself and rolled over to the side with
force.
The skeleton immediately reacted and raised its axe. For a single moment, Brendel felt the cold reflection
on the light coming from the blade onto his face, which turned his face white from the light exposure. The
monster covered a dozen meters in an instant, with the axe running against the wall, dragging granite and
wood splinters along its path, creating a gaping gash in it.
The walls of the showroom have been fortified, but under the immense strength of the undead monster, it
was torn apart like a piece of paper. The swing brought along a burst of wind pressure and torrent of
debris towards Brendel, but the youth immediately continued his action from a roll to a leap to the wall.
He kicked against the wall and flew in the opposite direction of the swinging axe.
The axe was destined to hit the empty ground, and it landed with a thunderous boom. The floor cracked
into countless pieces and sent broken rubble flying everywhere. Brendel landed in between the
skeleton’s legs and ran through to get behind it..
The undead monster roared from the depths of its soul and tried to stab him with the axe, but Brendel
had already moved away from the area and jumped onto the skeleton’s femur bone. It wanted to move
the axe around but the ceiling interfered with its movements time after time. In the blink of an eye,
Brendel had already escaped its attack three times.
It finally realized something and it used its hand to grab the cunning human
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[Fifteen seconds!]
Brendel had lasted long enough.
When the skeleton reached for Brendel with blinding speed using its hand, Brendel jumped to the side
and activated the Charge technique just as the cooldown finished. Brendel’s speed made him almost twice
as fast as the monster, and he sped to the opposite wall, striking it with his left hand with the activation of
Power Break—
Twenty OZ worth of strength struck against the wall.
The black steel sword groaned and broke into pieces. The wall was similarly in cracks as the inner
structure was destroyed. Brendel threw away the sword and punched the wall with his left hand, and the
wall collapsed to the outside. He jumped into the area and found himself in a room. The Wind Spider
Spirit was already waiting for him as it had made through the area from the underground sewers.
[I’m near the target.]
But the undead monster was even closer to him. Brendel did not dare to waste any time, and continued to
move forward like a comet with the remaining Charge activation time. The skeleton smashed against the
wall, missing Brendel by inches. It roared angrily as it failed to reach him, and he struck the wall with axe
until the opening was large enough. Rocks fell all over it as it squeezed through the room.
Brendel ran through the doors, while the skeleton charged behind him like a humanoid bulldozer,
destroying the walls. It was a short moment, but it had already destroyed three walls, and it looked like a
portion of the building had collapsed from the outside.
Brendel was calculating the distance with burning urgency.
[Two more rooms!]
He took out his dagger and turned around to aim for the skeleton. He threw the dagger against it but it
simply knocked it aside. The sharp blade merely left a white scar on its bone, but it suddenly raised its
head up. There was a Wind Spider Spirit that launched towards its face, but the monster swatted it away
and splattered green fluids onto the ground.
Brendel passed through another room.
The monster raised the axe again as it got closer to him, making him shudder. It looked like he was unable
to make it in time.
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Chapter 53 – Planeswalker
The undead monster took a giant stride and raised its axe. Even though there was a wall behind Brendel
and the monster, he was experienced enough to know that he was within attacking distance, and his
heart raced quickly. He was unable to think of any solution and the only way he could think of was to
sacrifice an arm to save his life.
He was already prepared to make a decision like that.
But at this moment, he clashed into an impossibly attractive young man who was about the age of twenty
five who came from the corner. He had silver hair and purple eyes, and his lips were pursed tightly
together in an gloomy expression. Behind him were two men wearing a uniform that was deep blue in
color, complete with silver colored armor, a long sword attached to the belt, and the pauldrons had silver
scales on them.
They wore the formal uniform of the Silver-winged Cavalry.
The young man was the illegitimate son of the Grinores duke, Lord Tirste, who worked directly for the
commander of the Silver-winged Cavalry, with the rank of Master Sergeant. He was slightly surprised
when he saw Brendel, as if he remembered something, but his expression quickly darkened. He did not
say anything and immediately thrust the rapier into Brendel’s heart.
His movements was blindingly fast; his hand did not shake and was accurate. It was something akin to
drawing a very fine line with a silver thread, and anyone would have found it difficult to perceive it.
Brendel was particularly alert from the battle with the undead monster. He immediately realized that the
person in front of him was hostile and not friendly. As he did not know how strong the person was, he
could only try to cover his vitals and turn to one side.
Tirste was slightly taken aback. He did not expect for a normal Iron-ranked mercenary to be so alert. As
the adjustment to the blade’s trajectory was late, it only streaked across Brendel’s shoulder like a
venomous snake, bringing a spurt of blood into the air.
Brendel uttered a guttural noise and fell backwards together with the sword’s thrust. He saw Tirste’s
attack clearly.
[Mid-rank Knight’s swordsmanship. This person is at least a Gold-ranked fighter. If he wasn’t a little
distracted in his attack, I would have been a corpse. When did I offend a high ranking Third-tier fighter?
And for someone like his age, he must be a ‘Blessed’ person.]
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Brendel was not wrong. His opponent was not only a ‘Blessed’ person, he was also one of the bishop
within The Unifying Guild (A candidate for the Unifying Guild’s elder.). He was prouder than most people
his age because of his achievements.
But this pride had been wounded for the second time when it came to Brendel. Tirste had never failed
before, but it was a fact that his plan went awry when Amandina went missing, and he had been in a foul
mood ever since.
The Unifying Guild had received news that Amandina’s lineage could have been related to the Seifer’s
dynasty one hundred years ago. There was the concern of a great secret, but he thought that the young
noble lady was not going to escape and it would not matter, until she disappeared before his eyes. He
might have a frivolous expression when he did things, but he was very thorough internally.
It was the first time he tasted failure.
This young man in front of him. The recent information they gathered pointed that the information they
had a while ago was wrong. Based on the information from various locations, the Unifying Guild in
Bruglas was certain that there was a leader above Leto. Tirste had suspected Brendel ever since he
appeared with Batum for the first time.
Though it was merely a suspicion, he did not keep it to heart, and he certainly did not expect to meet
Brendel in this place. The instant he saw him he decided to test him out.
His method of testing was killing the person.
Even he killed wrongly, it was fine. After all, Brendel was just a nameless mercenary.
But Tirste did not expect Brendel to give him a surprise. A monstrous surprise.
Brendel’s fall was in between the two soldiers and Tirste. With a roll, he was behind the three men. Tirste
was still puzzled over Brendel’s actions and wanted to stab Brendel again, but the wall in front of him
suddenly broke apart, with the Crusader Executioner red helmet peeking out from the crevice. The axe
came next as it smashed through the crumbling wall and onto Tirste.
Tirste was astonished and he immediately parried the axe with his sword. The blast of wind from the
sword made the crumbling rocks fly backwards, but his voice was hoarse.
“Executioner!”
The undead monster realized that Tirste had managed to block its axe with the slender sword, and the
Soul Fire within his eyes flickered. It formed its right fingers into claws and went straight for his chest.
655
Any normal human behind would have his body ruptured by the attack, but Tirste calmly used his left
hand and stopped the undead monster’s attack. He did not move much, but under the grasp of his left
hand, the skeleton’s fingers could not move.
“Catch that young man!” Tirste did not dare to underestimate his opponent even if he was a Gold-ranked
fighter, and he could only order his subordinates capture Brendel at this moment.
But Brendel was far more capable than he thought. He had already considered the possibility of having
the Crusader Executioner fight with the bastard. Even before the undead monster’s attack, he had already
slipped away to find the scroll.
[It’s just outside this room! … If the Wind Spider Spirit did not get it wrong this time.]
Brendel smashed the door open. The first thing that he saw were the medicine on the table. He
recognized it easily because this medicine was the same one that Tamar and he had made.
[It found the wrong item…]
Then he stopped. He went to the table and picked up the box, and he stopped breathing for a moment. In
it was the familiar yellow goatskin parchment lying quietly int he box.
[This is it. This scroll can save my life. With the Holy Sword Card, I can use a Tier two attack, even if it’s
just for a while, I can face even a Gold-ranked fighter and escape from him!]
He bit his thumb to open a wound on it, and rubbed the blood in the center of the parchment.
It was that simple to form a contract with the Elements—
The parchment glowed and started burning from the corners. It was a fire from another world, from the
Element Flames within the abyss Barborda, and it was also know as the Contract Flame. The Element
Flame was first used when Mother Marsha established the first contract with the Fire Spirit King.
Once the contract was established, the patterns on the scroll would randomly appear on the back of
Brendel’s hand, and it was known as the Element Emblem, and also known as the symbol of
Elementalists.
Brendel checked his emblem, and found that it was the most common Fire Emblem. He sighed as he had
hoped to have gotten something special. He did not hope for Tulman’s saintly emblems that had all six
elements, but he at least hoped to get three or four on his hand. A single emblem meant that he did not
really have a future as an Elementalist.
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[It’s fortunate that I’m not going to become an Elementalist…]
The contract establishment was reflected in his retina. The green color words indicated that his
Elemental Pool was formed. There were six cells for all his Elements, with the exception of the Fire
Element, which had seven. With that, Brendel knew that he did not have the potential to become an
Elementalist.
A player in the game had seventeen cells for every element, as well as a usable Light and Dark pool. It was
the same as a ‘Blessed’ person.
To describe Brendel’s status, he was like the most unsuitable common man to become a wizard or
Elementlist, and had the unbelievable luck to use a scroll.
[Let’s see… If I remember correctly, casting one Flame arrow requires three cells of that Flame EP, which
kind of means I can cast two basic magic spells every week. Something like Ciel’s basic magic arrow.]
Even though he did not intend to become an Elementalist, Brendel felt like he was going to cry over his
horrible Elemental Pool.
He called out the system as he heard footsteps outside the door. He did not know if it’s the young man
who was a Gold-ranked fighter, and he wanted to grab the medicine on the table. But he failed to grab on
to anything, and he suddenly realized that he was somehow not inside the auction site anymore.
He was in a place with the surroundings in infinite darkness—
[What? All the things in the room are gone… What’s with this darkness, I have never seen this before….
Wait, the only time this darkness happened was when I died. Shit! Did I die already? But this isn’t a game!
What the hell is going on?!]
He surveyed his surroundings and wondered if was under an illusion spell.
[But that’s pointless to cast a spell like this. In fact there’s no illusion spell that functions like this. If it
affects my soul, then my Unyielding talent will activate. There’s no way I don’t feel anything.]
Brendel found himself at a loss for words in the next moment.
He saw a young man walking out from the darkness. He had blood-red eyes and long black hair that
reached his shoulders. He smiled at Brendel, with his long slender hand that looked like it belonged to a
woman brushing across his robes.
“It looks like you’re very confused?”The young man said.
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Brendel recognized the robe on the young man. But the crimson emblems that intersected each other in
four directions on the sleeves made him pause.
A high level Elementalist who held a Twelve-circle spell was able to become a Spirit user, and an envoy
for the Spirit King, and would have one flower emblem on his sleeve.
Two flower emblems meant he was a Grandmaster.
Three flower emblems are considered Sages.
[Four flower emblems? Elemental Emperor, Tulman? This young man looks like he fits the legendary
description from Mirrna’s records. Black hair with blood red irides, a follower of the Dark Dragon.]
He hesitated for a long, and did not dare to confirm if he was the legendary figure.
[Didn’t he die a few thousand years ago?]
But the young man seemed to see past his questions and nodded.
“Indeed, I am Tulman.”
“You’re Tulman?” Brendel was so shocked that he forgot his surroundings. “How is that possible?”
“That is not important, Brendel,” He replied. “My last contractor had perished three hundred years ago,
and the previous person who brought the cards here did not wish to give up on his path as a knight. What
I did not expect was to find a new successor just after a few decades.”
He stopped and gave a smile. “What I mean is, would you like to stop here for a while and listen about the
tale of the Planeswalker?”
“Planeswalker?”
Brendel was stunned.
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Chapter 54 – The road to surpass limits (1)
“Planeswalkers?”
Brendel nearly groaned out. He felt his forehead, wondering if he was dreaming. The person before him
who called himself Tulman, along with the strange surroundings and information, made his mind a
complete mess.
[I have never heard of a profession called Planeswalker in the game. That VRMMORPG is spectacularly
complicated and huge, and I can’t possibly know every single aspect of it.]
But Brendel felt that things were too forced, and instinct told him that his guess was incorrect. Brendel
had a poker face, but his mind was spinning quickly.
[What place is this? How did I get here? Planeswalkers…… Does this mean that the game world different
from this reality?]
Tulman’s hands were placed in his robes, and he was floating in the darkness. He saw that Brendel was
showing signs of doubts. He smiled and spoke:
“Looks like you’re still doubtful of this place. This is just a projection magic, and it allows me to transmit
the information that I have left behind directly to your mind. There’s no need to worry. This place is
inside your mind, and everything is created within you—”
Brendel knew that Tulman meant to say subconsciousness.
“Are you saying that this is a magic that affects the soul? Then why isn’t my Unyielding talent working?”
He was slightly calmer than before, but he asked again: “How should I leave this place?”
Brendel suddenly remembered that he was still in danger, and he could not afford to waste any time here.
“There is no need for you to be in a rush to leave. This is the world that you have imagined, and
everything that happens here is as fast as your thoughts. The Basett people has a saying: ‘A person could
have dreamt a long dream in a single moment’. Even after your thoughts have come to pass, a second has
not transpired.”
Tulman smile became even broader: “Even if you are going to die the next second, you can live for an
hour longer in here.”
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Brendel carefully dissected the meaning of his words. His rational thoughts were willing to believe him,
but his instinct still warned him of the danger outside. He took a deep breath.
“I got it, but let us get to the point. Emperor Tulman, what exactly you want to tell me? What’s a
Planeswalker?”
Brendel forced himself to calm down and ponder on the meaning of this ‘dream’.
[Tulman said that this is a projection, then it means there’s information he wants to pass to me. But I
don’t see myself related to Tulman. Looking at my other half’s body, he’s a pure southern Aouine citizen.
He doesn’t have Mirrna or Basett blood in him. There’s no link for me to inherit anything from Tulman.]
Brendel’s thoughts went to the items on his body.
[Projection… Then it must be some sort of medium. There’s a bunch of matchsticks, a deer statue and
medicine, the fruit of the Golden Demonic Tree and some reagents. All of these should be excluded. The
Ring of the Wind Empress is a replica, so it shouldn’t be that. Furthermore, that ring leads to another
different quest.]
Roen had tracked down the information on the painting that contained it, so Brendel got to know the lore.
Roen claimed there were thirteen replicated rings centuries ago, and each of them was priceless now. It
was a merchant who handed it to a ancient knight, and from then on it exchanged hands until it reached
Brendel’s grandfather. As to what happened to the merchant, Roen did not know.
Brendel suspected that Roen was still hiding something, but he was certain that this replicated ring had
something to do with the Wind Sage, Osor. Still, that had nothing to do with Tulman.
[The myserious rock that I got from Berg Nesson? I have always felt that his background was more than it
seems, as it is strange that Amandina was able to make Magicite for no apparent reason. In the game lore,
this was something that puzzled the players. That young man might have discovered that something,
maybe not about the Magicite, but the background of Amandina’s family.]
Brendel shook his head. Even though he felt that the mysterious rock was the most suspicious, he
suddenly remembered that it was after he used the scroll, that he entered this dark world.
[The scroll itself has the legitimate watermark created by the fairies, so it is not the scroll itself. But the
activation of this spell, it is the unlocking of my Elemental Pool. Then… this link. The Cards of Fate.
Because I saw them as techniques and not items that I didn’t connect the dots. Now that I think about it,
these cards are more and more suspicious.]
The cards had never appeared in the game. Brendel thought that it was incredibly strange that a whole
series of cards had not been heard by anyone.
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[It’s possible that one might not have heard of one of the card names, like the Wind Spider Spirit card, but
not hearing of the deck itself? That’s like saying you have never heard of what a magician wears for
equipment. And the exceptional freedom of these cards actually allows a warrior like myself to use magic
freely. You can even say that these cards is an entirely new profession. It’s not like these cards appear
only in Madara, it appeared in the city that I am most familiar with.]
[The tomb of Gerald, The valley of the Golden Demonic Tree, Fortress Riedon, Bruglas. I have been in
these area for a long time, and I can even remember all the rumors for the first three years inside the
game. Nothing comes to mind. In the first place, why did I allow myself not to think about these cards?]
Brendel did not realize that he was in grave peril when he found the cards, and like so many people,
concentrated at surviving first. Brendel’s fingers felt to his pocket.
[If… this is a whole new profession.]
“You mean a Planeswalker is……?”
“You have guessed correctly, the Cards of Fate are related to a Planeswalker.”
Brendel immediately stopped talking, because he knew that the young Tulman before him was going to
explain everything.
“I need to clear one misunderstanding. These Cards of Fate are not created by me. You should have
guessed by now, but they are even older than what we know in history.” Tulman brought his hand out
and flipped it over. A card was on his palm, but it was facing down. Complicated sigils were drawn on top
of it.
“If you take a look at the patterns here, you would find that they are the original sigils. I had merely
simplied them with my little understanding, and passed down what I knew to the humans, elves and the
Mirrna people.”
“Hold on,” Tulman raised his hand up and stopped Brendel from interrupting him: “I know what you want
to ask. Why is it that I’m obviously the descendant from the Mirrna and Basett blood, and an eternal
enemy of the light, help the humans and elves?”
He laughed: “It’s very simple. As a Planeswalker, the problems and solutions that I see were different
from others. I was all to young when I got these cards, and I tried to pursue the truth in this world. The
cards combination that I created was called ‘Unification’, and with that intention, I believed that there
was not much difference between the races, or even many other things. The only things that I saw
differently was the very basic elements in the world.”
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Brendel listened carefully and sat down. He thought for a long time.
“To tell the truth,” Brendel said: “I don’t really get what you mean, can you make it simpler?”
Brendel did not have the mood to think anymore. He only felt that the Planeswalker from Tulman was a
new profession to could bring a great change in his future. He did not understand why, or perhaps he was
under a wrong impression, but his intuition was telling him that the cards were much more than he
thought they would be.
Tulman nodded: “Certainly. To speak about Planeswalkers, you have to start with the cards. Every single
card represents a different viewpoint in this world. It is not just a simple projection, or replica of reality.
With the cards coming together, they would form a small world that is not unlike this world.
Planeswalkers are the only ones who are able to bring true meaning from from these cards and turn it to
power in the world.”
He paused for a while before continuing. “Like the cards combination that I use. ‘Unification’, is made up
of cards that combines six different elements to describe the qualities in this world, and it represents the
meaning of my deck: The power of Laws.”
“And I know of one other Planeswalker,” He continued. “His cards combination is called ‘Infinite power’,
comprised mostly of Red and Black Cards of Fate as a combination. He pursued the strongest power. The
Red cards can be seen as Fire, but it can also be seen as strength. The Black cards can be seen as
Darkness, but it can also be seen as death and destruction.”
“Of course, we both failed to reach the truth of cards.” He shook his head, then smiled again. “The
meaning of the cards is made of up of the combination. The Cards of Fate’s unique point is allowing many
viewpoints to describe the Laws the world and yourself. One can even see it as the cards representing the
inner you.”
“As to where the cards come from, or who created them, we do not know. The earliest Planeswalker
should have been born during the Era of Darkness, and I suspect that these are created by the people of
Matteya.
It is said that the Matteya is a group of dimension nomads, who move to one place to another. Their
understanding of the world is different from ours. We think that the world is a infinitely vast place, with
infinite things and knowledge, but the Matteya perceives the world as very small with a very narrow
view. They have a concept called ‘uhs’, which is also the origin the Elven and Kirrlutz ‘infinite’. In their
eyes, ‘uhs’ contain countless worlds, and they are constantly shifting between them.
I suspect that they understood they have twisted the meaning of the Guardian Land and the world world,
and develop a concept like this. However, it is also true that the humans have a limited knowledge of this
world.” Tulman suddenly laughed. “I unintentionally talked too much about pointless things, it looks like I
have difficulty in getting rid of my habit.”
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Brendel asked a question: “I have also heard of the Matteya, and perhaps they are the earliest
Planeswalker, what does this have anything to do with me?”
“The Matteya splits a single day into six phases, and strictly speaking a Planeswalker also splits the day
into six phases.
The first phase – Six AM to Ten AM, break of dawn to morning.
The Matteya calls this stage as the ‘Growing Sun’, while the Planeswalkers call it the ‘Growth period’. In
this stage, a Planeswalker can tap their land cards, and get their mana for the day—”
“Wait!” Brendel said: “Tapping of land cards?”
“Indeed, tapping of land cards. This is the basic ability of a Planeswalker, and their source of power.”
“Can you explain a little more?” Brendel said.
“It’s very simple. If you have a land card, Elemental Pool and Mana Pool, you can tap the card during this
time every day, and the land card will draw the energy from the ‘territory’ that they belong to and link it
to your Elemental Pool. This way the energy that is created from your ‘territory’ will be converted into
Elemental Power and placed in your Elemental Pool.”
“Wait, doesn’t say clearly on the Land card, one Elemental Point each week?” Brendel interrupted.
“That single Elemental Point is outside the Elemental and Mana pool. Its purpose is used for the new
users who wished to pursue the path of a Planeswalker, to allow you to use and understand the world’s
power. When you become an official Planeswalker, you wouldn’t need it anymore.”
Brendel nodded. “Understood. Please continue.
“At the Growth Phase, a Planeswalker can also gain the ‘bonus’ of the additional effects. An example
would be the Highland Squire card. As long as your Highland Squire in on the field, the owner will receive
one reputation point. And this reputation point is given during your Growth Phase.
At the same time, a Planeswalker can use several effects from.
Green – Life, nature
White – Light, Protection, Nurture
Red – Fire, Vigor, Vitality
Blue – Water, Nourish, Irrigation
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As well as other cards that are mixed in elements.”
Brendel frowned. He had never thought about this before. Ciel had talked about this before, and he
recalled about the cards that did not require anything.
“The Second Phase – Ten AM to two PM.
Matteya calls this: Exuberant Growth.
The wizards and witches call this period, the Falling Tide. It is the day where the Sun is at its peak, and
the moon at its weakest. As Mana is weakened, the Elements are stronger. It is the period where the
Elements are active, and has the Phase where it has the most offensive power.
Planeswalkers call this the ‘Prime Phase’. This is the only time when a Planeswalker can use any card
without limits. At the same time he can even draw three additional cards from his deck to place into his
hand.” (TL: Hand refers to the set of cards, not the limbs)
Brendel was confused: “What do you mean by drawing cards?”
“This is the law of the Planeswalker. At the start of every day, you can only have a set amount of cards.
You might be able to draw more than the cards in a day, but when you reach the ‘Reset Phase’, you have
to discard the additional cards in your hand.
At the same time, the stronger a Planeswalker is, the more cards he can control in his hand. For someone
who has just started like yourself, you can only control five cards.”
“Are the cards in my hand controlled?” Brendel asked.
“No, the cards in your hand can only be taken in the card combination that you have. My card
combination is ‘Unification’ from six different elements, thus the Laws separate my card combination into
six equal decks.”
Brendel frowned: “Doesn’t that mean that the uncertainty of the cards are increased? Isn’t it better that I
hold on to a limited number of powerful cards and discard the useless ones so that I can maintain my
deck strength?”
“In theory that is true, but that is not the final goal of a Planeswalker.”
“Final goal?”
“After the the Third-tier of power, people can unlock their Elements and become stronger than before.
You might not know this, but after the unlocking of the Elements is the pursuit of Perfect Physique, from
Iron-ranked to Gold-ranked. But that final step, is to pursue the transcendent limits of power described
only in legends.”
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“As you know, fire is a component of many things, and the purest form is a Fire Element, as it is the basis
of all flames. But there has always been a rumor of something even higher than a Fire Element called,
‘Matter’.
‘Matter’, ‘Time’, ‘Space’, even ‘Logic’. It forms of the world’s most basic principles, and we call it ‘Existent
Force”
Brendel stared at Tulman speechlessly. He knew of the Perfect Physique as he as Level 130 in the game, a
Silver Perfect Physique. He had also heard of the Existent Force.
[Players in the game reported that they did not gain any further experience after level 160 in the game.
There was rumors of that Existent Force path, but nobody knew how to get there.]
“You mean to say,” He stuttered: “A Planeswalker can get to that Existent Force?”
Tulman nodded and pointed to the card floating in the air: “When you have created your ‘world’, and the
Laws reach an equilibrium with the cards, the path to the Existent Force will open to you. But before that,
you have a long way to go, and it starts from your most basic card combination.”
“What do I need to do?”
“The truth is, the moment you got your first card, you have revealed your combination. But I’m a little
puzzled… I have never seen your combination before. It seems to show something about a Profession
System. I don’t understand why you’re interested in that. And what does this ‘All Supreme Profession
Dominance’ mean?” Tulman said with a perplexed expression.
Brendel broke into a cold sweat when he heard that. He was in the mindset of Sophie when he found the
cards for the first time. At that time as a gamer he naturally wanted to have a strong profession, and it
seemed that his Middle School Second-year Syndrome had been caught by the Cards of Fate.
[Holy shit! Opening the Path of Knights or something crazy like that….. If the Cards of Fate brings one’s
viewpoint in the world… Then I’m going to do that All Supreme Profession Dominance as a reality?]
TL: Here’s the phases for Planeswalkers so far…
1) Growth Phase – Tap lands, add bonus effects from cards.
2) Prime Phase – Draw three cards to put into hand. Use any cards in hand without limits.
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TL: It’s interesting to see the mixed reaction… The MTG flavor has been there for a pretty damn long time
actually. Everyone was like, ‘what does the cards mean!’ in the beginning when Brendel found them like
card captor sakura, but now it’s like wtf is going on lol…
I kind of want to set a new poll about this.
What you feel about the introduction of the MTG elements
Dislike it
Like it
Needs to see more chapters to see if it sucks
Don’t care
Don’t know
I’m sitting on the fence on this one
I like it anyway because it’s Brendel and his monologues will somehow make the cards talk the enemies
to death.
Vote
View ResultsPolldaddy.com
Chapter 55 – The road to surpass limits (2)
Reaching the highest peak of all professions, that was indeed a road that surpassed limits.
“But how can I become a Planeswalker?” Brendel asked the important question.
Tulman stopped. His script inside him vanished quickly. The last person he met was a Paladin called
Gerald. He had tried hard to persuade the excellent youth to forgo his faith, and join the ranks of a
Planeswalker but failed. Now that he was prepared for this time and about to persuade the youth in front
of him, Brendel seemed to have agreed to become one.
Tulman obviously did not understand the mindset of a gamer.
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Naturally, Tulman was very happy to have found a successor. The Tulman here was nothing more than a
transmission of information, and since he managed to succeed in this mission, it meant that his
millennium long mission was finally over.
So he immediately replied: “To become a Planeswalker, you must first have your own land within ‘uhs. As
I had explained before, the infinite worlds described within the Matteya word, means that you need to
build your first foothold and set the Land card and tap it.”
Tulman’s voice became serious: “This is the first land of your kingdom. On it, you need to build a strong
fortress and summon your faithful knight from your card combination, and from that point forth, you will
become a Planeswalker.”
Brendel listened till he was giddy with excitement: “Can I try it?”
Tulman nodded: “Of course. I believe you have a Land card, and that is enough to qualify you for the most
basic summons. The crux of the question is how you’re going to build your first card combination.”
“So how should I make the card combination?” Brendel asked, calming himself down to become a good
student.
[Planeswalker… A unique existence in this world? Or something that is undiscovered by the Amber
Sword. I easily found the card within the tomb, so why did the other players in the game not find it? Or is
it because these cards can only be discovered by NPCs?]
Since Brendel had no means to find out the truth, he quietly listened to Tulman.
“To make your own card combination, you must first understand the Cards of Fate. Beyond the Card
Type, there are several classifications to the cards.
Characters, Heroes, Beasts, Monsters and even Dragons. When you display the card and summon them,
they have different properties and strength, and some even possesses unique abilities.”
“I know of this,” Brendel said: “They are like the Wind Spider Spirits, and the Highland Squire, Ciel?”
“Yes.”
“The second classification?”
“They are spells and abilities. These spells are decided by the Color Type.
– Red, offense
– Blue, versatility
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– Gray, defense
– Black, Mystique
There are many other colors that decide the characteristics as well as timing. The White and Green cards
can be used at any given time and conditions, but the others require their own conditions.”
“Something like Mana Control?”
Tulman nodded: “The third classification, Treasure. The Treasure card is always white. This card requires
a particular medium, it can be the Planeswalker, the summoned creature, and even a barrier.”
“Barrier?”
“This is the fourth classification, Barrier. It has the qualities of a Spell and Land card. It is not movable,
but the effect is powerful.
The fifth classification is Resource. The Resource card is similar to the Land card. It can be added to a
Barrier, or placed into a Land card. The Resource card is another source of power, and high combination
cards require the use of a Resource card.
The sixth classification is the Ritual card. This is a unique card type. As you become stronger as a
Planeswalker, you will gradually come into contact.
The seventh classification is the Event card. This is another unique card. If you access and complete the
event, you will be able to utilize the effects on the card. Be careful as the Event card is a limited usage
card. It will not enter the graveyard but disappear entirely.”
Tulman told Brendel that the remaining special cards are only understood when he became more
powerful, and there was no need to understand it now.
“Thus, a Planeswalker card combination is combined with all these classfied cards. One can summon and
cast spells and barriers to perform a combination of attack and defense. But you won’t be able to order
the sequencing of the cards because of the Laws surrounding it. So, what do you think of it?”
[I see…]
Brendel’s heart was beating excitedly. He could almost imagine a card combination. The best part about
this was not requiring him to spend any experience points of him. It was a true side profession apart from
his original professions.
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[This isn’t just a simple, ‘Wow, it’s a strong profession’, this is blatantly cheating!]
Brendel started muttering to himself.
“Since the card combination is describing a profession, then my cards should automatically reflect that.
My first combination is a ‘Knight’, and a ‘Knight’ requires a squire, battle horse, equipment, and related
techniques to the the ‘Knight’. Then the barrier card protects his fortress and land…”
Tulman did not look surprised. Each time Brendel said something, cards would appear and float in the air.
The first card had already entered the graveyard. It was the Earth/Water Highland Squire card. The
second card was a Green color Wind Element card called, ‘Mercenaries of Lopes’. The card itself was
drawn with watercolors, depicting a group of military men carrying swallowtail flags with a horned
emblem in it, while their uniforms differed from each other, with their equipment ranging from bows,
axes and shields.
The description of the card:
Mercenaries of Lopes
(The Alliance of City-states XI)
Wind 8/Mana 14
[Creature – Human/Mercenaries, Level 15 Creature]
Place a group of 12 Lopes Mercenaries into the field.
Maintainence: Pay 2 Wealth every day when the mercenaries are in the field.
‘Ever since the First Age, 172 years, the Mercenaries of Lopes are renowned for their bravery, skill in and
loyalty in battles.’
When Brendel talked about a battle horse and equipment, three cards appeared. ‘Holy Sword’, ‘Golden
Battle Flag’ and ‘Silver Colt’. When he spoke about techniques, the cards ‘Sun Blade’, ‘Sprint Drive’
appeared.
Finally when he was describing his lands, the final card ‘Rich Gold Mine’ appeared.
Brendel saw the cards appear before him as he spoke, and he was surprised but he did not stop talking.
He asked: “What’s happening?”
“Other than the Holy Sword and your Highland Squire cards, these are the cards I’m giving you.” Tulman
explained. “When you described your cards, I removed them from my deck and transferred them to you.
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This is your first basic combination, and perhaps you will perfect your ‘Knight’ combination in the future.
In any case, this means that you have started your path as a Planeswalker.”
[Oh my god, this is such a good harvest. I had to spend so much for a card like the Wind Spider Spirits, but
I got six of them in an instant!]
He gulped as he looked at them. “So what happens next after this is mine?”
“Now is the time to create your Territory, so that you can use your cards. However, I have to remind you
about the relationship between your cards and territory. A card combination can be supported with
many different territories, but a single territory can only support one card combination. This means that
different card combinations have their own specific Land cards to support them, and you should not rely
on just one territory to support a card combination. A full deck requires a large Territory system.”
Tulman’s voice became stern again. “Therefore, you need to collect more Land and Resource cards as
these are your foundation.”
Brendel nodded.
“Then let us establish your Territory.” Tulman continued. “Bring out your ‘Garden of the Holy Tree’ and
display it.”
The moment Brendel displayed it, there was a flash of green color in his eyes. He saw the color fill
everywhere, trees growing to form a lush forest with vigor. A mysteriously huge tree stood in the center
of the forest admist a pool.
Brendel finally understood the description of the card. This was the creation of a territory. He could
clearly feel the connection of the forest in his spirit as long as he desired to see it. But this forest was not
in the same world he was in right now, and he could feel the distance between him and the forest.
It was a special feeling, intimate and yet distant.
Brendel looked back at Tulman with shock. After so long in the game, there was nothing that shocked him
anymore, but the feeling right now was one of utter glee and expectation.
“The Land Card in your territory has matured. The area is very big and borders have been formed. It is a
considerably good Territory, and it will provide you two Nature points and One Element Point every day
when you tap it. In the future you might encounter a ‘Unique’ and even ‘Legendary’ land, which are much
better than a ‘Basic’ land. Just note that if you use them as a Land card, you will lose the benefits of the
Resource and Barrier Card.”
“What do you mean?” Brendel did not understand.
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“First, take a look at your card combination. When you created your territory, you have become a
qualified Planeswalker. Your card combination has become a deck and your cards will change everyday
and enter into your hand.”
Brendel opened his hand and found four cards. They were the Holy Sword, Mercenaries of Lopes, Rich
Gold Mind and the Sprint Drive.
“Look at the description of the Rich Gold Mind.” Tulman explained like an old teacher.
When the youth looked at the card, he understood his meaning:
Rich Gold Mine
(Alliance of the city-states VII)
Earth 2
[Resource mine/Wealth]
Place Rich Gold Mine on an (untapped) Land Card and receive 4 Wealth.
‘Gold within rocks.’
“Understand? Regardless of a Resource or Creature Card, a Planeswalker can only use them once every
day, until the Reset Phase from ten PM to two AM, where the cards will go back in your deck and shuffle.
This is when your Resource card that was attached to your Land card, return to the deck and await for
the next draw.”
Brendel nodded. He felt like he had nodded more times than the previous month combined.
“Finally, I need to remind you that the cards that you have used or overdrawn, with the exception of the
Creature card, will return to your deck. When you enter the Maintenance Phase, you will draw cards until
you replenished your hand.”
Tulman suddenly stopped and his expression changed. He tapped Brendel’s arm and said: “Looks like our
time is up since your enemies are here now. I don’t wish for my successor to die the moment you became
a Planeswalker. You’re a qualified user now, so use your resources wisely to deal with them.”
Brendel was startled.
[That’s right. I still have enemies out there. The two soldiers from the Silver-winged cavalry are still okay
to deal with, but that young man is an enemy with Gold-ranked stats. Even though Tulman said I should
easily handle my enemies now, but I really doubt it.]
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Brendel suddenly opened his eyes, and found he was still maintaining that posture to grab the medicine.
The surroundings in the room had not changed, and it felt like the things about the Cards of Fate, Tulman,
Planeswalker, were a dream.
But Brendel knew that it was not a dream, because he was holding on to the cards in his hand—
The situation did not allow him to think too much, because he could hear footsteps coming closer.
Brendel immediately brought out the Mercenaries of Lopes and displayed it. He grabbed the Mana Potion
on the table and drank it. With 6 Wind EP and 11 Wind Element Crystals, and 15 Mana points, he was able
to use the card.
Twelve summoning circles immediately appeared in the room.
The two soldiers probably could not expected it even if they exhausted all their imagination. When they
brought the door down, they found seven crossbows, two longswords and three axes focused on their
bodies. These bandits with weapons in their hands looked like they came out from a theater. Most of
them had curly beards with bright colored clothes and intricate patterns over their leather armor,
complete with a long robe and a shield on one hand.
The two soldiers widened their eyes. They were not clear about Brendel’s identities and acted out of the
orders given. Tirste had told them he was a criminal, but they were stunned when they saw them.
[These damn bandits are wearing such ridiculous attires, do you think you’re the legendary Lopes
Mercenaries?!]
That hateful young man was looking in the center of the room amongst them, looking like he was
completely prepared for this outcome —
TL: I think that the system doesn’t really distract the users about the plot, at least until the part where I
skimmed through relatively far away. Action is still great and Brendel doesn’t get OP, yet, so if readers are
worried, well you can generally hope for it to be good.
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Chapter 56 – The invitation from the Unifying Guild
The battle was over before it had started—
Brendel ordered the Lopes Mercenaries to bring the two soldiers who were knocked unconscious to the
room’s corner.
[That swordsman is probably going to reach here soon. The difference him and my stats is nearly twenty
times, and he’s even worse than Ebdon or the Crusader Executioner. Even the slightest mistake in fighting
him is fatal.]
Brendel held his left shoulder where the sword struck him. It was burning and the pain came in pulses. If
Tirste came with full strength at him, it was literally impossible for him to even see his movements.
Brendel wiped away the perspiration on his forehead and rubbed his forehead.
[We just met for the first time and the reaction he did was to attack me. The only organization that I
offended was the Unifying Guild, so is he one of the assassins for them? But it doesn’t really fit their
actions. Their typical actions are subtle and intentionally so. Even if they want to take revenge, they
wouldn’t pick this place as a venue. Collaboration with Madara? That’s even more ridiculous. The
Unifying Guild believes in Chaos and follows the Twilight Dragon, how can they work together with
Madara believes in the Laws of Darkness?]
He shook his held to clear his messy thoughts. He pointed at different directions and instructed: “The six
of you, move separately.”
The most important thing right now was to save his own life.
[Ah. But maybe what I told them to do was unnecessary. Should I call them back? … No, it’s better to be
prepared, especially since it doesn’t make a difference if they are here or not.]
Brendel would have normally been delighted to order these Iron-ranked mercenaries to and fro, but right
now in this cold and harsh reality, there was a Gold-Ranked swordsman who was trying to pick a bone
with him, and it made him unsettled.
For a person to unlock the Third-tier strength, his Overall Power Rating had to be over one hundred OZ.
[That swordsman is using a thin blade, so he is probably training in the Elven swordsmanship which
focuses on agility. If that’s the case he might have over 120 OZ in agility and his reactions must be faster
than a normal person by twenty over times. That kind of speed burst is two times faster than a racing car.
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To handle that, his physique is also strong enough to handle the pressure from the air resistance. 60 OZ in
physique. That defense is the rough equivalent of a tank. If I use the wind bullet against it… A dent?]
A swordsman who had unlocked the Third-tier, could be described as a monster in human form. Brendel
thought of what was going to happen if he received a blow from him.
[Booooom, fly into the walls, passing through several of them before finally stopping? That person could
run around the entire place under one minute and search for me. Even if I send the twelve men out to
delay him, that’s only a few seconds worth. A few seconds means nothing to me, but in that time he could
have killed me many times over.]
Brendel sighed. He thought he had basically controlled the situations under his plans. He was always very
careful to avoid the existences of these people. In his adventures, the only mistake that he had was
offending the Unifying Guild, but he was certain to avoid their eyes.
The only thing that he did not realize, was that this current situation was nothing more than a
coincidence. Brendel got up and pulled out the soldier’s sword, then looked back at the door. The
remaining Lopes Mercenaries had secured the passageway, while the corridor was silent and empty. But
this silence made one uneasy.
Brendel displayed the Holy Sword card. White wings extended behind him, and a gigantic sword
appeared behind him with the sigils of golf flowers. This was the third time he brought out this card. The
power of the sword entered his body, and he like he could destroy the walls with a single finger. But he
knew that it was just an illusion, and he only became as strong as mid-tier Silver-ranked fighter.
[Sure, it allows me to hurt the opponent, but the agility difference between us will result in me getting
pierced through my thraot. But this still gives me a chance.]
There were several screams that came from the corridor, and the Merceranies of Lopes card immediately
darkened by half.
Brendel’s heart gripped tightly. He raised his head and happened to see the young silver-haired noble
slowly walking out from the corner. He wore a short black colored cloak and held a rapier in his hand,
and there were droplets of blood on his blade.
[Crystal Scorpion Sting. It’s not even close to the most damaging weapon for its level at 60, but the
toughness of the sword is amazing. When I was still a noob, I heard a veteran saying users of this weapon
had extreme confidence in his skills.]
Brendel did not know if that statement was true, but at least from the appearance of this man, he looked
like he trusted in himself.
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At the same time he looked at Tirste, the noble was looking back at him with amethyst colored eyes.
When he saw the remnants of the Holy Sword on his back, it narrowed slightly, before looking at the rest
of the men behind him.
[It looks like he has some skills, but that’s nothing really much for me to take note of. Even if I don’t show
my fangs at him, I’m still able to pressure him. If that’s the case…]
Tirste flicked his sword and returned it to his sheath, and the corners of his lips lifted. His smile was as
sweet as a girl’s serene smile.
The attractive youth’s eyebrow lifted slightly: “Have I seen you before somewhere?”
Brendel did not know what he was planning, and could only force himself to be calm. He gave a derisive
smile, showing part of his teeth, before saying: “Indeed. I believe that you stabbed me with a sword about
a minute ago. But before that moment, I have not seen you at all, Ser.”
He spat the words out. As he did so, he was quietly opening his Window Stats, and the lines appeared
before him like a waterfall.
[4730 XP. The Elemental Scroll saved me nearly 2000 XP, and most importantly it saved me the time from
completing the mission. Even a few days are too wasteful.]
Tirste shook his head, not angry at all: “No. We met much earlier. I am certain that I have seen you inside
the Cavalry Headquarters.”
“Cavalry Headquarters?”
“Correct.”
“Who are you?” Brendel suddenly realized something, but he was much more relaxed after he thought
about it, and he spoke calmly.
“My name is Tirste. I chose this name for myself, taken from the Kirrlutz ancient word ‘Tiryhd’ which
means ‘struggle’. If you are asking about my identity, then I am the Master Sergeant of the White-Mane
army, and the right hand of the Silver-winged Cavalry’s commander, as known as viscount Marnowell.
But compared to these boring titles, I still like my name. It is simple, meaningful and full sacrifice.”
[…… This is the first time I have seen someone bragging his own name with a smile like that.] Brendel
thought to himself.
[So it’s him. Does that mean that he had already found the truth to Amandina’s situation? It’s unlikely,
unless that cripple betrayed me… Does the cripple have that kind of courage?]
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Brendel forced himself to remain calm in case Tirste discovered something.
[Viscount Tirste. He did not make too much of a splash in the Aouine’s history. The only impression I have
of him is how he fell in love with a bard which ended sadly. But I do know of his personality. He might
appear frivolous, but this person is careful to the point of being inflexible.]
Brendel suspected that he had something to do with the Unifying Guild since he was the right hand of the
Silver-winged commander, Megeska. Looking at how mysterious his actions were, he was most likely
related to the Unifying Guild. But Brendel was quite surprised. Tirste did not match the lore within the
game, where he was described as bullied since he was young and had a twisted personality because of
that. The Tirste in front of him was completely unperturbed without appearing to be a hypocrite.
Tirste’s smile was like a beautiful snake. Even though Brendel knows there was danger coming from him,
but he could not help but appreciate that elegance.
Tirste’s hand was still on his sword, as though he was trying to say ‘there is still unfinished business, and
I don’t deny the fact that I might run you through, but other than that, we can chat freely.’ It was as
thought he had put aside life and death, and held on to his own principles.
Brendel was unable to find any weakness from his appearance. But the other soul in him had a fiery
resistance to the powerful, otherwise he would not have fought against Madara for ten years. A cold smile
illuminated his face, showing that he was calm.
“I don’t recall offending you. Vicount Tirste.”
Tirste’s eyes contracted slightly.
[This man isn’t simple. I made a sneak attack on him and he actually managed to escape my attack as a
low tier Iron-ranked fighter. This means that he has some measure of skill. And now…]
It was a simple rebuttal, but it was a riposte and it was a trap to get more information out of him. The
noble with silver hair felt a little awkward, and he rubbed his nose a little. He did not want to be led by his
nose, but his pride did not allow him to pretend that he did not hear Brendel’s words.
“Well spoken. But not everyone in this world has a choice.” Tirste said.
Brendel’s eyes narrowed a little. Tirste was offered a carrot before using a stick, and it appeared the
situation was not as good as he imagined. But handing over Amandina was not a possible choice. He
worked his mind furiously as he quietly put all his points into the Mercenary class, finally reach level 20.
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For the first time, his strength broke past the limits of 10 OZ. Even though it was still beneath Tirste eyes,
he had risen to a mid-tier Iron rank fighter.
“What are you trying to say?” Brendel’s hand suppressed the Holy Sword’s strnegth, and his hands were
sweaty.
Tirste seemed to have seen through Brendel’s actions, but he did not act upon it. However, this behavior
actually made Brendel feel like he was facing a great enemy, and as a veteran warrior, Brendel was trying
to find every possibility where Tirste was going to attack, and a bead of cold perspiration streaked past
his forehead.
[This damned Tirste… Even though he looks like he doesn’t care, but he’s watching me closely.]
“Let’s be straightforward. What is your relationship to Leto?”
Brendel’s face color nearly turned when he heard Tirste’s question, but the qualities that he had gotten so
far from his experience were not false. Within an instant, he had calmed down and answered coolly:
“What Leto.”
Brendel looked like he did not know anything, but his mind was crashing around like a ship at the mercy
of a thunderstorm.
[From what position is Tirste asking me from? Regional noble? White-mane army? Unifying Guild? Shit, it
feels like all these possibilities are possible, but there’s no hard evidence. But the most important thing is
how much they know.]
Brendel stared at Tirste’s eyes as it was his forte, and he had tricked many top players from Madara, but
appeared like it was ineffective here.
Tirste did not find any mistakes from Brendel, but that was precisely why he became suspicious. He
smiled: “Your answer doesn’t mean anything, and killing you is the simplest solution to me. But your
performance has me appreciate your talents. I don’t really care what you say, because there’s no
meaning— Brendel, right? I only want to ask you this, are you willing to join us?”
Brendel really wanted to act ignorant and say ‘Us?’, but when he saw the hand on the sword wearing a
black ring with the shape of a snake biting its tail, he gulped down his answer. He knew that Tirste was
giving him a final warning, either join him or report to Mother Marsha.
But joining the Unifying Guild was a torture to Brendel. They were just second to Madara as his greatest
enemy. That was not the only thing, because joining the infamous Unifying Guild meant that he had to
accept their branding for his whole life. This was not a road that he was willing to walk, unless there was
no road left.
Brendel stopped fiddling with his Windows Stats.
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He had to choose between Tirste’s sword or the Unifying Guild.
The room was full of dead silence.
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TL: Again, all the recent chapters are unedited and unpolished, so Engrish beware.
12 more ch.
Chapter 57 – Weight
Brendel sat down on a chair with a hesitant face and looked at viscount Tirste, but his mind was
conscious of the new facts that came to him, and was moving quickly.
[The Unifying Guild most likely suspects the relationship between Leto and me. I don’t know how Tirste
recognized me, but this means that the news leaked very much earlier than I suspected. The Unifying
Guild bastards’ goals are authority. The entire kingdom, royal family or the government are their
enemies. If the Unifying Guild is interested in us, then it’s because of the effects we had on the refugees.]
Brendel’s lips curled up slightly.
[If I consider that, then I still have a certain gambling chip… No, I shouldn’t see it as a chip. A balance scale
is more appropriate for this situation. Tirste has a Weight called “Brendel’s life”, and my Weight is “The
ability to control the masses”. Which is heavier, that’s difficult to say.]
Brendel would not act like a rookie at this juncture, and he was certain that he had an advantage for
knowing what the opponent had in his hand.
[I won’t give on the stakes yet!]
Brendel tilted his head and gave a small smile, lowering his attitude: “Very well. You won, or perhaps I
should say your sword has won. Viscount Marnowell, Ser Tirste. I have not dealt with you before, but
since you believe that I have something to do with the Red Bronze Dragon, Leto, then I will be open with
you. I’m sure you want me to join you, but your goals should not end just there right—”
He spoke and send a small gesture to his summons to watch for any other intruders around the area, as
he did not want anyone else to interfere with his plans. The gesture was mostly hidden, and it did not fool
Tirste’s eyes. Brendel had intended to show that on purpose.
A gesture could sent the correct signals, and it could also transmit the wrong hint.
After receiving the order, the two mercenaries expressed themselves through their eyes. They took their
axes and stood silently on each side of the door. The mercenaries had all the qualities of the legends,
unified, brave, loyal, as well as having a great insight to strategies.
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Tirste placed most of his attention on Brendel with a hand on his sword, but when the mercenaries
moved, he lifted an eyebrow.
[These mercenaries are as good as the rumors. No wonder they are able to clear a path through Madara’s
armies.]
Brendel had successfully led Tirste to reconsider the situation.
Tirste believed that the youth in front of him was quite likely to be the mastermind of the mercenaries,
and in truth his guess was not wrong. But the problem it was only a guess. When he tried to find some
evidence through Brendel’s words, he did not say anything useful at all.
The first basis of the negotiation was, ‘Brendel is the leader of Leto and the mercenaries’.
Brendel looked slightly nervously at Tirste, afraid that Tirste would somehow object or just stab him with
his sword. But he exhaled quietly with great relief.
[It looks like the viscount is at least a capable and self-conceited person. The first step is working well,
but here comes the next step of maintaining the power struggle and manipulating him—]
Tirste did not have Brendel’s skills in manipulation. He merely smiled with agreement in his heart.
Brendel was willing to disclose his identity, so Tirste felt that Brendel was being sincere. The Unifying
Guild did not mind giving out generous promises, as long as they were given absolute loyalty.
“You’re not wrong. So tell me, what exactly are we planning?” The young noble put down his sword and
asked patiently.
Brendel took a silent breath and cursed him. Tirste was really troublesome to handle.
“A normal person in your position would be wondering what the mercenaries are planning to do,
especially when the mastermind is hiding behind someone’s back. With the tens of thousands of refugees
gathering in Bruglas, and the slow reaction from the nobles, these refugees might as well be a barrel of
gunpowder waiting to erupt.” Brendel held onto the armrest and said without any change to his
expression.
“Very good,” Tirste: “So what are your goals?”
[Goals? What are my goals, you ask? Isn’t it to find some base so I can level up, set up some political party
and become the president?]
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Brendel rolled his eyes in his mind, but he was unable to find a good answer to this question so he
countered with the same question: “And what are your goals?”
“I will do what the Unifying Guild orders to me.” Tirste smiled and said politely.
Very few people knew what the Unifying Guild’s true goals are, but there were many who had heard of its
infamy, and it reached even distant shores. They had caused great tragedies in different places, and the
people who discussed the events would have their expressions changed. People saw them as devils
incarnate.
Brendel knew them well, but he acted like he was understanding them for the first time. He laughed
twice: “It seems that we don’t have the same idea, but our plans line up together on this matter.”
Brendel lied through his teeth.
Tirste turned his head back to look at the other mercenaries. They looked like they were indifferent. He
believed in his eyes, and he could find even the smallest change in one’s expression. His conclusion was
that the youth’s followers were not against Brendel’s words, or at least he did not lie.
Tirste thought for a while but he did not understand Brendel’s words: “Explain.”
Brendel recalled some words from his female leader. ‘The best way to lie to someone, is to let them hear
what they want to hear.’ It was not something that was too complicated, but he thought that beautiful
women knew how to lie well. Since his female leader was one of the top beauties in the game, she was
most likely correct.
Stray thoughts entered Brendel’s mind, but he had already decided on his words.
“To put it simply. You’re against the country. I’m against the country. But you’re idealists, I’m someone
ambitious, that is as simple as it is.” He answered with half truths.
The word ‘idealists’ won Tirste’s good will. “It seems like our paths are indeed different. But I think I
understand what you’re trying to say. You don’t want to join us, you want us to become allies.” His thumb
stroked the sword’s hilt. “Are you not afraid to die?”
“Even if you kill me, Aouine is a dying country that has many predators waiting for it, and you won’t hurt
the overall situation. But if I’m alive, we would have mutual benefits, and you might even get assistance
from my side. Of course, this isn’t entirely free—”
“But you must know, the Unifying Guild’s job isn’t to create a new kingdom on top of ruins.” Tirste was all
smiles.
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“Allow me introduce myself. When the old system fails, a new system would grown on its corpse. That is
my job.”
Brendel had exceptional talent in lying as he had no change to his heart or expression.
“That is certainly brave,” The noble started clapping in spite of himself: “Because of Aouine’s different
factions gathering their own power, the local nobles are scheming hard to gain independence. I am quite
certain they would not expect a youth to rave like this. Tell me, what exactly do you have to steal power
from the Corvado Family that had ruled this land for centuries.”
Brendel laughed with confidence, but it hardly hid his guilt. However, Tirste had already started to
believe in Brendel’s words with a preconceived mindset and completely did not expect he was full of shit.
“Gamblers don’t have the confidence of a certain win. As long as the returns are big enough, the only thing
that matters is the bravery to see it through. You must understand that ‘risks’ had never been used to test
the desperate.”
“But if that’s the case, that means we’re doing pointless stuff right?” Tirste put his weight into one side as
he raised his arms.
The Unifying Guild’s directive was to return to Chaos, but Brendel was telling him that the Laws were
continuously destroyed and repaired like a natural cycle.
“If there are no advantages for us, what do you think I should do?” Tirste asked.
“When a kingdom falls into internal strife, civilization would decline, isn’t that your goal?” Brendel went
straight for the jugular.
Tirste’s expression changed slightly, as if to reflect his heart: “Looks like you really do understand us.”
“I understand ALL my friends and enemies.” Brendel said with double meaning in his words.
Brendel’s forehead was starting to perspire. This was the final moment.
Tirste fell into deep thought. At this moment his condescending attitude was gone. It was the first time
that he found the youth in front of him to be much more complicated than what he had imagined.
He did not entirely believe Brendel’s words, but Brendel’s steadfast resolution had intrigued him. His
hand was on his sword, his heart was clear on the numerous events that letting a person to have
disastrous consequences.
But was the youth going to threaten him?
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“I still have another question, have you been to the Pine Fortress?” Tirste finally raised his head and
asked a question without really thinking about it.
Brendel’s expression changed. He was incredibly worried that the Unifying Guild would discover that he
killed a high ranking member. He had an advantage that the bodyguard in the fortress was at least two
sub-tiers above his Iron-rank, and he would hardly be suspected.
But if the Unifying Guild was able to discover his presence, what was to say they could not discover the
truth now?
But before Brendel had the chance to think about his reply, Tirste’s hand suddenly flashed, and the sword
was already coming towards him.
[He discovered the truth?] Brendel’s heart turned cold and he subconsciously turned on the charge
technique, but he immediately suppressed the thought to counter attack, as he had seen the path of
Tirste’s sword when he raised his speed by ten fold—
Brendel knew that Tirste was testing him.
And just like he thought, the sword struck behind him and into the chair.
Brendel felt his forehead turning cold with perspiration.
“A mid-tier Iron-rank,” Tirste muttered to himself, frowning: “Looks like you’re not that garbage’s match.
But this is really strange, how can the timing be such a coincidence?”
Brendel did not say anything, but he was cursing at Tirste for suspecting his abilities even at this moment.
Tirste put his sword back into his sheath and looked deeply at the youth. “How much trouble can you
create for the nobles in the near future?”
He asked.
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TL: I hope you guys enjoy the end of that auction mini-arc, kind of want to close the file on that auction
site. What’s going to happen next is me finishing my assignments first before going back to TL. That
means I’m not going to TL TAS for a few days until maybe Thursday or Friday.
11 more ch to go
TL: Scroll down a lot if you want to skip to the story, otherwise read on for some analysis on the in-text
power rankings.
I recall a comment on Mahouka Rettousei’s protagonist Tatsuya, describing him as a shark swimming in a
very small pool, because he owned everyone in school. I find that it kind of applies to Brendel too. Most of
the commoners/mercs react in a very WTF manner whenever Brendel does his stuff, but when it comes
to the really strong people like Tirste, Brendel gets his ass handed to him.
Just for some level info rehash
Iron-ranked Tier is 16-30 (Brendel recently increased his level to 20.)
Silver-ranked is 31-40
Gold-ranked is 41-60 (Tirste is assumed to be level 40+ since his description is one who has just entered
Gold Rank)
– Gold-rank + nearly unlocks Elemental power, 50-51
– Gold-rank + unlocked Elemental power, 51-60
Above that is some other term that I’ll revisit later since these characters have not appeared yet.
Here’s a power hierarchy that’s based on innate talent (ranked by me).
Commoners
Soldiers/most mercs
Freya/Felix/Brendel (without the cheat system)
Ebdon/some of the Madara undeads
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Tirste/People with ‘Blessed’ status/Brendel’s grandfather probably/Players in the game
Tulman (Planeswalker candidate to surpass level 160, but he failed)
Planeswalker who surpassed level 160
So just based purely on the history and lore, Freya managed to climb to the Goddess of War level some
time later at the end of Aouine’s demise. I’ll assume that she’s at level 60+, maybe just slightly higher than
gold rank and reached the next level.
Brendel/Felix has been described to be really good in the path of the sword, so if they are still alive, they
will reach around Freya’s level, but probably slightly lower.
And they have basic NPC commoner stats.
I think I read somewhere from Brendel’s description in the story, Ebdon becomes really powerful if he’s
not killed, and he’s alive even after Freya died in the original lore, and gave players a really hard time, so
he’s next in hierarchy.
‘Blessed’ Status. As you can see, Tirste’s stats are off the charts. He has been described as having two
times the speed of a F1 racing car (120 agility), and he has the toughness of a tank (60 phys), and stopped
the Crusader Executioner with one hand. And he’s just level 40+.
Brendel’s grandfather is very likely to be powerful as heck, because Brendel had repeatedly said that he’s
too good to be just a veteran from the November war.
When I look at it from a DnD POV, the stats growth of Brendel’s profession is also garbage. His mercenary
growth stats are better than his militia growth, certainly, but he’s actually trying hard to save his XP,
probably for his Knight or Paladin class which has much higher stats growth. Since there’s a limit at level
160, I can assume that his stats growth from his profession is limited, and he also has to compete with
‘Blessed’ enemies whose stats are maybe two times higher than him.
This is where I’m still immensely impressed because the author is really quite intricate with his overall
stats progression and still makes sense from many angles. I think that it’s a little strange that Brendel is
the only one with MTG/Planeswalker status, but I don’t really think it makes him that OP yet, considering
that he’s simply lacking that base growth compared to a ‘Blessed’ character.
Anyways, I still find TAS to be awesome. There’s quite a bit of fine details that I think people might miss
so I’m putting my input here.
/End info
Chapter 58 – Disaster’s aftermath
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“A riot?”
Batum was sitting on top of a thick tree branch, which appeared to be a elm or beech tree. His legs
stomped onto the base of it as he suddenly sneezed. He rubbed his nose and looked up with an expression
of disbelief.
This abandoned sawmill was outside Bruglas, right along the edge of the forest. Sparse tree stumps could
still be seen. Most of the wooden logs came from the north of the Pine River, and the people here
intercepted the logs and process them here. The factory could be seen from the nearby pine trees, while
one could see the corner of the building here.
It was time for the moon to be nearly up in the sky, indicating that the rise of Mana. Matteya described
this period ‘The slumber of myriad creatures’. Planeswalkers could only use the Blue, Black, Gray, Green
and White cards during this phase, allowing them access to defense and counterattack manuevers.
Brendel watched the last few birds fly into the shadowy forest as the white moon appeared above the
pine forest, before everything went quite with the exception of the occasional sounds from the birds.
The city of Bruglas was to the north, and if one was to gaze from the edge of the forest, they would find an
aurora on top of the darkened mountains. Stars lit the sky and it looked like there were precious gems
decorating it.
Brendel was familiar with this place. One half of him recalled that he used to train with a sword here with
his grandfather. The other half recalled that this place would become a bandits’ den seven years later, and
after the Regent Princess went after the illegal merchants, the underground auctions were moved and
held here.
Brendel felt slightly dazed as he went back and forth to the two memories, and the images felt like they
were faded yellow photos.
Amandina stood uneasily beneath the open sky. She wore a pretty white dress. She had never been out to
the outskirts of Bruglas so late, and even she was still a young noble girl, she had rarely attended slumber
parties with the other girls. She had always felt she was somewhat of a loner, but she had proudly
thought that it was because she was nothing like the other ignorant ladies.
She gazed at the silver moon. She was slightly apprehensive in the dark forest, but she was also feeling
curious, and she wanted to keep on going with the people around her as the adventurous streak and thrill
seeking feelings grew in her heart.
It was completely new and exciting for her.
But she quickly stopped that and calmed down. She took over Batum’s words and gave her own opinion.
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“If Tirste isn’t testing us, then the Unifying Guild is planning something and needs us to draw the
attention of the nobles. And I think there’s the possibility of both that.”
“It’s just as well, my lord. We shouldn’t have any dealings with these devils in human skin.” Batum raised
his voice: “Now that the bastard in a noble’s attire isn’t here, he can’t threaten any of us. My lord, didn’t
you say ou’re going Randner? All of us will follow you there! I want to see if he can do anything to us once
we’re gone!”
Amandina listened to Batum and looked at Brendel. She finally realized that Brendel was not just a high
ranking member of the mercenaries, he was the leader amongst them. This made him appear more
mysterious in her eyes..
But what made her steel her heart was Tirste’s identity as the Unifying Guild’s member. That organization
name in Aouine was not just infamy, and the girl paled when she heard of that name. Even though she
wondered if Brendel was lying to her, but it looked there was no need for the young knight to do so.
She quickly saw that Brendel was shaking his head.
Brendel took his mind off the Windows Stats. He was certain that Planeswalker was not a profession. He
had seen no indication of the word anywhere in it, and it was not even a title or sub-profession.
[A Planeswalker’s core is still the Cards of Fate. If I’m able to read the cards through the system, then
maybe I can see this as a unique item that has its own system, and based on that a player can simulate
and implement the abilities of any profession. Even though this is outside the rules of the game and it
looks like it’s very powerful, but if any player can make use of it, it’s not something that’s uniquely
powerful.]
Brendel could only guess why it did not appear in the game but appeared in this world.
But what Brendel was surprise was how this ‘item’ system could grow. It was not limited to just gathering
more cards, but was also based on the individual level. When he was level ten as a mercenary, he had four
cards, when he rose to level thirteen, he had five cards, and the Elements related to the Knight card
combination, Red, Gold and Gray, had risen by one cell in his Elemental Pool.
That was when he heard Batum’s words.
Batum’s words somehow reflect his own heart, but he knew that it was not possible for him to think this
way right now. He was no longer a pure gamer.
[Aligning with the Unifying Guild might be an advantage. It’s quite obvious that I’m not going to work
with them, but I need to consider how to stab them in the back from this position…]
So he shook his head.
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“What?” Batum was stunned and asked hesitatingly: “My lord, are you going to work with them? These
people are terrible, they have never had any goodwill to their name.”
Amandina wanted to say something but she stopped herself. Brendel’s decision had made her sigh with
relief. She had originally wanted to warn Brendel that the Unifying Guild’s influence was not small, and if
Tirste allowed him to leave, he must have a backup plan.
She did not wish for ‘The Amber Sword’ mercenaries to have a strong enemy behind their backs even
before they left Grinoires. As her advisor, she was already placing them as his private property.
“I understand what they are, Batum. But you have to consider the aftermath for everything. If I suggested
this idea to that bastard, I wouldn’t say a lie that can be broken anytime.” Brendel said.
“Doesn’t it mean we have to encourage the refugees to cause a riot?” Batum scratched his head, and
appeared unwilling to do it.
“Of course not, Brendel will definitely have a solution. Back in Bucce, we all called him almighty Brendel!”
Little Romaine was picking rocks up and throwing them into the river, but she turned her head around
and argued with indignance.
[When did you give me a new nickname in Bucce again?] Brendel eyed the lass with chargin.
The original dresses that Romaine and Amandina wore were damaged during the chaos in the auction
site, and they had gone back to change before regrouping.
Brendel had bought a few dresses for during the escape from Bucce and she had kept them like they were
treasure, but now she wore one of Amandina’s formal black dress, which was exceptionally compatible
for her. It was a splendid dress that flowed behind her, and underneath her skirt a white lace petticoat.
She walked with assured confidence and a unique air, and her full chest was matched by the tight fitting
dress, and her slim waist ended with a beautiful curve, even making Amandina jealous of her.
But Amandina still specially tied her light brown hair with a flower ornament into a stylish hairstyle, and
when Brendel saw Romaine, she proudly spun one round with a sweet smile, even throwing him a foxy
wink. Even till now, Brendel would still lose himself when he looked at her.
[She looks like a great merchant from Ampere Seale who deals with huge transactions….. Except no one
would roll up her sleeves and pick up rocks to throw in the river with a serious expression to see if the
rocks went further than the last.]
Brendel did not really understand why she had to wear such a troublesome outfit into this wilderness,
but he guessed that it would be something like ‘Because I’m a merchant!’, which was an answer that
really did not go through thinking.
Batum looked doubtfully at Brendel after listening to Romaine’s answer.
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Brendel nodded: “Even before half a month, these refugees that gathered to the south of Bruglas will
cause problems. The festival right now might soothe them for a while, but it ultimately does not solve the
root of the problems. This is not something that the nobles living a lavish life will understand.”
“Really?” This time Amandina was curious.
Brendel nodded. “The August’s Riot”, was not a big deal in history, but it was enough to give an answer to
Tirste and they did not have to lift a finger.
Brendel did not have any thoughts about stopping the riot, especially when he did not have the means to
do so. Finding a suitable place for the refugees to live in was a difficult problem, and none of the nobles
wanted to receive this burden, and no one could handle it either.
[How is one going to find food for these tens of thousands of people? That’s finding three hundred tons of
food per month.]
Batum opened and closed his mouth. He did not expect for this complicated problem to be solved easily
by Brendel’s lips. He looked back at Amandina who did not seemed to worry as much as him. She was
unlike Batum who thought of only the simplest profit and loss, but even she found that Brendel seemed to
know something more than any of them.
Brendel spotted Roen walking out from the dark forest, and he became alert. He had let the cripple check
something out in the city, and it seemed that he had answers ready.
Indeed, Roen came along with two short thieves from the bushes and came to Brendel.
“We discovered the cause. It’s really because of the fuckwits who were negligent and allowed the undead
to come in as disguised merchants.” Roen said.
“Who exactly was the culprit?” Brendel asked.
“It’s one of the cavalry leaders, called Calancadr.” Roen wanted to say something more, but he saw
Brendel shaking his head.
[That person is the future commander of the Silver-winged commander—]
“That person swears allegiance to the Royal Crown…” Brendel muttered to himself.
[Negligence… I see. This matter isn’t as simple as it looks. Just thinking about the Fire Seed, it seems like
this event has something to do with the political strife with the Royal Crown and the other factions.
Because of the riot in Bruglas, some of these historic events are not noted down, otherwise I would have
known about it.]
Brendel thought about it carefully and he suddenly broke into cold perspiration.
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[What does this mean? Did the Royal family lure the top nobles by selling the Fire Seed, and allow the
undead to come into the auction so they would kill them? What the fuck? Isn’t this playing with fire? I
can’t believe Oberg the seventh can think of this fucking plot. It’s fortunate that Incirsta isn’t here in
Grinoires, otherwise the entire southern region would be overrun if he attacked. Damn it, perhaps this
bastard is even the cause of the erosion in Southern Aouine.]
TL: So that king meeting up with that undead ambassador is… because of this? I mean the story is
insinuating a lot of things, so I can’t be sure of whatever, but it’s really quite crazy if that’s true lol.
690
TL: Schedule again is pretty tight for me, so it’s still 1 chapter per week, and if there’s a need to I might
even have to put it at a ‘TBD’ schedule.
This is my final 3+ months before I graduate, so I’m going to put in a great deal of thought as to what kind
of approach I want to have for my portfolio.
I believe TAS has a lot of potential for a portfolio. It has game elements, which is useful for UI design, the
cards based system also allows for some MTG/hearthstone drawings, and finally the characters allow for
both illustrations and character designs. If I want to, I can even draw the battle landscape as
environmental concept art, ie, Brendel vs Ebdon.
This allows for two (major) paths for me in the future.
a) I become a freelancer > draws illustrations/TAS web manga/manhua (style not decided), or some
other free JP webnovel into webmanga (hopefully with blessings from author if I do) as a living.
b) Work for a company > draws whatever is handed on my plate + doing TAS/webnovel stuff in my
free time.
I know there are a lot of people who want to see more chapters for this series, but it has to be on hold
because this is my final chance to ask my lecturers for reviews on the stuff I do.
Chapter 59 – The last night in Bruglas (1)
The start of Aouine’s final demise came about from civil wars. Oberg the seventh had gradually felt that
he was becoming frail from his old age, and he was desperate to clear the path for the new king’s
ascension to the throne. In the end, he was unable to wait any longer and acted against the two southern
duchies in the southern kingdom, which were his greatest threats.
Oberg the seventh had ascended to the throne only when he was thirty nine years old. This king who was
fated to have a terrible demise had great ambition when he was young, and he was determined to his
grandfather, King Ansen. That was the period where he created the militia draft and city guards in the
cities, allowing central Aouine to become the strongest in its era.
Unfortunately, Oberg the seventh witnessed how the arrogant duke Arreck practically forced Oberg the
sixth to change the militia laws, and that event had forever left a dark impression in his heart. Unlike King
Ansen who ruled with both firmness and flexibility, as well as ruthlessness and clemency at the right
moments, Oberg the seventh did not possess the skill to do so. In addition, the era during King Ansen’s
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rule was peaceful and without wars. The royal crown was able to control the military forces without any
trouble, while the current era was fraught with constant wars.
The wind became stronger in Bruglas’s outskirts. It came from the direction of the sea, and the wind
followed the northern mountainous region Karanjar to Randner’s mountainous region, bringing along the
scent of the forest and rivers across its long journey, and finally entered everyone’s lungs.
Romaine was standing barefooted in the water as she held the hems of her dress up. She looked up and
closed her eyes to feel the wind on her face and neck.
“Brendel, the wind in this place feels like the exact same in Bucce!” She took a deep breath and exclaimed
excitedly.
Amandina also took a deep breath, but she immediately coughed.
Brendel glanced at her before looking up. The night wind was bringing a dense cloud from the west and it
covered a huge area. It blocked the stars, as if to signify that the kingdom was facing a bleak future.
Brendel did not feel any burden on him, and instead felt excitement coursing through his nerves. The
future civil chaos that was coming soon, was a chance for him with his meager strength to change a heavy
and cold history that was seemingly carved onto a rock.
This dark cloud was not a manifestation of a delusion, but a signal for him to start moving. Brendel
suddenly turned his head back, as if he had sniffed out a sign from the air, and his cheeks even had a faint
blush of excitement.
“Did you get the money?”
Roen did not understand why a simple news of the guard’s mistake sent Brendel into a short daze, and he
felt that Brendel was becoming harder to read. He had witnessed Brendel’s strength when he fought
against the Zombie Outlander.
[That ability isn’t normal at all. Now that I think about it, this man really is that old bastard’s descendant.]
He looked at Brendel for a moment longer before answering in a convinced attitude.
“The money has been received, and I transferred the money to a safe place according to your
instructions.”
“Did the people from the auction site pay any compensation?”
Roen was startled, but he immediately nodded.
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Brendel knew that the auction was ran by a famous noble. It was an open secret, and to these people
having a good reputation was more important than money, thus he was not afraid that that there was
going to be a loss.
“How much did you receive?” Brendel asked.
Roen counted with his fingers.
“Around two hundred and fifty thousand Tor.”
Brendel nodded and looked back at the river’s direction and found Romaine walking back to him with a
pair of shoes in her hands.
He looked at Batum and Amandina next.
“Very well. With this our business with Bruglas should be concluded. ”
[Although there are a few other things that should be done… There’s a mission within the nobles’ library
that teaches some low level techniques, and the Star-crossed inn’s quest on the golden wine, increasing 1
OZ strength permanently… If I attempt these quests, I’ll be using at least a month to get them, and that
will delay things.]
He wanted to pursue perfection and get every advantage here, but the change in Bruglas as well as the
Unifying Guild’s appearance made him realize that this place was not suitable to stay any longer.
Once these signs appeared, Brendel had made the decision with his fastest reaction and decided to leave
as soon as possible.
[Either the east or south area. We should go deep into Randner’s mountains or forest to seek the
treasures there.]
“Where should we go?” Even though Batum kept grumbling about leaving this damned place, but he was a
little uneasy when it was time to move. Even though he understood from Brendel’s suggestion that they
could escape to Randner’s forest and mountains, they were still entering an untamed wilderness.
It was said that following the river or crossing over the forest after Randner’s mountains, was a desert
that did not seem to end. The people living there described a story about a kingdom in the eastern desert:
The famous Village of Pearls, the Kingdom of Nine Phoenix.
“We’re going to split our forces into two. Batum, take Roen with you and return to the squadron, and let
Leto bring everyone to a place called Gris. You need to hire a guide in order to reach there. At least for
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now, the safer road in Randner’s main road. Based on the local etiquette, if you bring out your
mercenaries flag, there shouldn’t be any danger.”
“Where is this place, Gris?” Batum asked.
“The most eastern port of the kingdom.” Brendel laughed. “The scenery there isn’t bad at all, and the girls
there are warm. You might even find a girl of your taste.”
Batum’s face actually turned red as he grumbled: “My lord, I’m a mercenary who doesn’t have a fixed
place.”
“That’s something of the past, you’re my subordinate now.” Brendel answered earnestly.
Batum turned quiet. Although he looked like he was still holding on to the past, he was ready to try and
move to a new direction.
“My lord, what about you?” Batum asked after a moment.
“I have a few private things to settle—” Brendel felt that it was a pity to lose the Thorn of Light in the
auction site, but it was about time to switch to a better weapon after he was level twenty, and it was
necessary to switch to a new weapon.
In truth his stats and equipment had not really changed since the start of the month. Although reality was
still within the acceptable levels of his plans, and the stay in Bruglas was a necessary must, he was just
simply not satisfied even if he was moving at a reckless speed.
This was especially true after he encountered Tirste, and he felt the need to raise his strength once again.
[There’s a need to move faster. The next target is still that sealed kingdom, but before that I need to
confirm Ebdon’s words about the Lionheart.]
Brendel did not dare to turn his back on this particular secret.
[I need the Sage Slate to make the statue speak, but that’s a no go for the one coming into Bruglas in a few
days. First of all I can’t wait for it, and the second is I can’t find five hundred thousand Tor to buy that. The
best option is to get one by doing ‘Instances’. The nearest one is the Lost Forest near Rander, the Undead
Temple Ruins and the Dragon Valley. It’s possible for me to go there with my level, and I just need a little
preparation. Indeed, this is killing two birds with one stone since I can level up as well.]
Batum did not say anything else after Brendel said he had other things to do, especially when his heart
was taken to Gris. Brendel’s description of the place tickled his heart, as he had never seen the ocean
before.
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“Romaine, what’s your plan? Do you want to go with me or stay here to overlook the festival’s work?”
Brendel asked.
Romaine turned her head slightly to look at him and replied naturally: “Of course I’m following you.”
But the lights in her eyes were obviously screaming ‘Adventure! Romaine is going on an adventure!’
“You’re not thinking about money?” Brendel was stunned and he wanted to check her forehead to see if
she was having a fever.
“Of course not,” Romaine swatted his hand away and said smugly: “Lady Romaine has distributed the task
properly to Sue, and the only thing left is to invest the money.”
“Sue?” Brendel was surprised as he recalled the girl who glared at him with an icy expression, as he owed
her a million Tor coins: “Isn’t she Leto’s daugher?”
“Yes.” She nodded: “She was looking for Freya. Since I’m Freya’s best friend, I can ask Sue for a little help,
heh.”
“You really trust people too much—” Brendel smacked her head lightly. This action was becoming a habit
recently.
Romaine’s smile was like a little cunning fox.
“If that’s the case, I should stay back.” Amandina suddenly said. “This is supposed to be my job.”
Brendely immediately stopped to look at her.
“You can’t stay behind.”
[Mother Marsha above, you’re not staying here. Right now you and the future grandmaster Tamar are my
greatest assets. Leaving both of you behind in this chaotic Bruglas is not an option. In order to guard
against accidents, both of you are leaving this place.]
Tamar had to bring his heavy alchemist tools along, so he was setting with Leto, and it was a risk to have
all his eggs in one basket, so he decided to take Amandina separately with him.
[It’s good that Romaine is coming too. It’s easier for a girl to take care of another girl.]
“Tirste is still here and you know his identity. The Unifying Guild is a formidable organization and there is
too much risk to allow you to stay here. Romaine can take care of you if you come with me.” Brendel
answered carefully after a moment.
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“How can I do that?” Amandina looked blankly at him. Even though she was slightly inclined towards
adventuring, but she knew clearly that she could never adjust to that kind of life. For someone like her,
adventuring was only something good in her dreams.
Some people obey their rash thoughts but Amandina had a good head about her. Even though she still
wanted to refuse Brendel, Romaine broke through her defences.
“Of course you can, Amandina. Adventuring is really interesting.”
Amandina looked at Brendel. He nodded.
“There’s nothing else to be said. Everyone should go ahead and prepare. We will enter the city separately.
I’m going in alone in case that bastard Tirste comes after me again. Before the last star disappears in the
morning, we will gather at the eastern gate.”
Everyone nodded.
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TL: I’ll be returning on 27 August in order to finish up 2 critical assignments (Finally the nightmare of
drawing animals are going to end, probably). In the mean time I might have the chance to do an
illustration of Brendel’s squire card (Ciel).
TL: Scroll down till you see the Poll for the tl;dr version. This TL clarification section is going to go into
TAS TOC as well.
Edit: After reading the comments, I want to clarify further that I think I can’t use a simple word as
translator for myself anymore. If you expected me to TL the original raws word for word, it’s not in my
TL.
Here comes sort of a story. The kind of quality I want to achieve in my TL started off from Ace Attorney.
At that time, I was incredibly impressed with how the localization team came up with a relevant TL that’s
suited for English readers (they changed the entire JP cast name to English as well as some punchline
plot), instead of just transliterating the JP version, and I felt that my translations should emulate what
they do. Even back then, I was somewhat influenced in my own Mushoku Tensei’s TL, which ended with
me changing the cast’s names quite liberally.
This ultimately ended up as ‘no word padding, more clarity, more quality’ for The Amber Sword as my
translation direction, even till now. The definition of quality means I will go spend a bit of time
researching a few elements here and there, such as MTG, military sword stances, names and etc. I also
change a few things that would not entirely make sense (sometimes the characters turn their heads over
and over again, even though they already turned their heads and a few more).
So there you have it, everything that I can think of (for now) about how I translate things, explained.
If you can’t accept this, then I can only say that I’m really sorry you hated how I did it and wasted your
time. This is not my intention.
This will be the last time I’ll write about my TLing process and TLing in general. Grrr.
End Edit.
So there’s a review there from reader ‘null’ in novelupdates.com.
“Good story but translator mess it with his/her “creative editing”. Re-writing original story are crossing
the line of what translator should do. Might read the English translation if another translator translate the
original story. “
And an additional post in the forums.
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“1. He rewrites the story which he admit in the book 1 chapter 28 (way before I post that review).
Translator job is to interpret things not rewriting story of his version , am I rite ?
2. Let start from prologue and we can see our going to be MC name in the new world , 布兰多 (Bù lán
duō). Would you choose Brendel over Brando ? Then his mother nationality , 卡地雷哥 (kǎ dì léi gē).
Would you choose Kadireig over Cartilage ? See the 4th paragraph from below, ⼽兰埃尔森 (gē lán āi ěr
sēn). Would you choose Grinoires over Grenelson / Glenelson ?
Doesnt take genius to see the name on that world already in western form. If we taking comparison like
what he say in his response. Its like translating Full Metal Alchemist MC エドワード?エルリック (Edowādo
Erurikku) into Squidward Patrick instead of Edward Elric. You dont need creative editing in the name of
localization for that , rite ? :whistle:”
Here’s my take on TLing names.
If the author’s naming sense has a purpose and reason with either direct or indirect impact on the story, I
don’t mess with it. However, sometimes purpose and reason doesn’t come clear until somewhere later in
the chapters, which happened in my previous translated novel, Mushoku Tensei.
The two biggest mistakes that I made were the translation of Norn (I TLed it as Nora) and Laplace (I TLed
it as Lapius), which directly referenced a Norse goddess and a scholar/scientific determinism, and so
there is intention behind the author’s motives. I only found these way later when the plot was clearer and
there were names that referenced gods and stuff.
These names were corrected by translators after me, and I’m glad it turned out that way.
Then there’s Paul (English) Greyrat, which could be Paolo or Paulo (Italian or Portuguese) depending on
パウロ (pauro). I chose Paul, for the reason of general acceptability.
I also chose Janice Greyrat instead of Zenith. Here’s the original ゼニス (zenisu), and well, directly goes to
Zenith (later used by translators after me). So in my Engrish mind, if I was to have a female daughter,
would I name her Zenith or Janice? That’s how I view names. It’s either Rule of cool or common sense.
Therefore, my rules for TLing names are typically
1) Author’s intention and purpose for names overwrites my ‘arbitrary’ choice to make it localized as
much as possible.
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2) Otherwise it’s my choice to localize it so that readers can enjoy a version that is at least as good as the
original or better. It is possible that my naming sense + intention isn’t good enough. Maybe Brando (yes, I
thought of that name and felt it sounded like a washing detergent) is better than Brendel. I don’t know.
But in response to Null’s name TL, ‘Kadireig over Cartilage (卡地雷哥 Ka Di Lei Ge)’, I’ll say yes, I think
Kadireig is better Cartilage (connective tissue, are you serious? That’s like saying, ‘My mother is a
Connective Tissue’).
Saying something like translators shouldn’t change and we should follow the author wrote word for
word, really makes me incredibly displeased from a reader’s POV. For those who have not experienced
the CN webnovels, they tend to pad their story with words to meet a certain word count to get paid, and
in chinese wording, they ‘water’ down their content with useless padding.
It’s like saying that authors don’t need any editors and they can just submit their books for printing, with
their mistakes and what not.
So why did I bring this issue up now?
That’s because a probable major character’s name has come up. I don’t want to be go with ‘meh here goes
wolfie’s horrible naming sense again, blah blah.’ and get insulted by people who thinks I don’t TL the
story with heart or effort.
I have been putting off the princess’s name, but here it is now. 格⾥菲因 – Ge Li Fei Yin
Here’s your chance to cast your poll choice on her name which sounds suspiciously like Griffin (格⾥芬 –
Ge Li Fen). I’ll be using the phonetically close choice of Gryphine as a temporary measure. I now put the
power in your hands now.
What should be the name for the princess?
Princess Griffin
Princess Griffhine
Princess Gryphine
Princess Gliphine
Princess Ghyslain
699
Princess Ghyslain
Princess Ghyslaine
Princess Gryslaine
Other names (if this gets a high %, I’ll do another poll with additional choices.)
Vote
Chapter 60 – The last night in Bruglas (2)
———————— Princess POV ———————
The heavy gilded door was slowly pushed open. The air currents gathered and rushed out as a low
rumble pierced through eardrums, as if a dignified kingdom was welcoming the visitors with open arms
behind the doors.
The light from the corridors were becoming visible, and there was a young girl with an angry expression
standing behind the door.
The half Elven princess wore a long full silvery-white dress, and the hems of her dress reached to the
bright marble floor. Her head was raised while she stood with her back straight. Her long silver hair
extended past her shoulders, while her hands were placed on the crinoline of her dress. In this dark hall
with deeply marbled flooring was a blooming lily.
She glared coldly at the few people who walked out from the dim corridors—
“My lady.” marquis Kluge who was at the front displayed a faint surprised smile. The senior minister who
had worked for the Corvado royal family for decades, placed his right on his chest and bowed deeply.
He then regained his posture and curled his lips upwards. His smile on his gaunt face seemed to always
carry a subtle condescension in it.
“Enough with the pleasantries, marquis Kluge,” The young girl stared in front of her without looking back
at Kluge. “Is my Father King in there?”
“My sincere apologies, my lady, His majesty is currently receiving the Madara’s ambassador, and I’m
afraid he would not be able to see you for the time being.” Kluge replied with a slight smile.
The princess’s brows frowned slightly, but they quickly disappeared.
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“Then I’ll wait here,” She held her head up as she answered: “It’s already midnight, I believe that Madara’s
ambassador wouldn’t take too long.”
“My lady, please take care of yourself—” marquis Kluge looked at her back with admiration in his eyes,
but his tone did not change.
“I thank you for your concern.”
“Then I shall take my leave.”
“Please do.”
The young girl’s faint silver-colored eyes did not move, and simply waited for the group of people to walk
past her. But after marquis Kluge took a few steps in front of her, she suddenly said quietly:
“Minister Kluge, you should be careful from playing with fire—“
marquis Kluge was slightly surprised from the the princess’s warning. He stopped as he thought of
something, and gave a gloomy smile.
“My lady, what are you talking about?” He asked.
“You know clearly what I’m talking about. I cannot stop the things that are happening in Bruglas and
Fortress Cruke. But do not forget whose side the Holy Cathedral of Fire is standing on in Aouine.” The
princess replied dispassionately.
Kluge’s expression changed slightly but he quickly recovered himself. The old cunning minister took a
deep breath and answered indifferently: “Thank you for the reminder, my lady.”
The two of them did not wish to talk any longer, and marquis Kluge quickly left with his men behind him.
A young man who was in the marquis’s group asked: “My lord, what did the princess mean?”
“This royal flower cannot be underestimated, Welmar.” Kluge answered with a dark expression: “Even
though our positions are in a good position, she is not idling either. The news from the outside points to
the princess gathering funds by using Church Havel’s name. Even though I don’t know what she’s
thinking, but she’s definitely going to take action.”
Kluge glanced at the sky through the arched windows in the corridor: “She gave us a warning today, but
in doing so tells us that the princess still has her reservations in taking action—“
“She’s afraid to strike because she fears that her actions will damage the surroundings.”
He sighed and rubbed the ring on his finger. The ouroboros looked as if it was alive on the ring, and
reflected a green light to its surroundings.
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Everyone around him turned silent.
The Elven princess did not utter any noise after Kluge left. When she turned her head back, she saw
Benninger walking out from one of the pillar’s shadow.
“How is it?” The young girl asked immediately when he was close enough.
The young man shook his head bitterly: “It’s no good, my lady. I did not see his majesty either—“
The princess composed herself.
“My lady?”
“I’m going back to my territory tonight. Ser Benninger, please bring Hasel along.” She looked calmly in
front of her: “Be careful not to alert them.”
“My lady, do we really have no other solutions?” Benninger asked in a wry expression.
He was Seifer’s son and his status was very prominent, but ever since he met princess Gryphine, he was
impressed and submitted to her charm, and was willing to even lead her horse on foot to serve her.
To the world he had overstayed his duration for a traveling noble youth, and his father had sent letter
after letter to urge him to go back and inherit his position, but the youth was still lingering beside her.
It was clear to people around them that it was the princess that held onto the youth’s heart.
Gryphine had turned sixteen on the seventh month, and was at an age for marriage discussion. However,
Oberg the seventh was very fond of her and wanted her to stay by his side, and he was knew that his son
Hasel had a weak personality and required her sister’s help.
It was good news for Benninger. Even though he understood there was no possibility for him and the
princess, he would stay by her side as long as she stayed by the king’s side. Still, it was not as if he
lamented over his position. If he was the eldest son and not the youngest, then there would be another
situation altogether.
The princess’s words made his heart beat faster.
[This is a huge turnaround if the princess says she’s returning to her territory. It is rare for the royal
family’s direct descendants in history to go back to their own territory, but something really big happens
whenever it does.]
Benninger looked at the princess intently and showed uncertainty. His heart was a little expectant and
fearful of the future, and felt that once they left, it would not be a simple political fight in Aouine.
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The princess’s determined eyes fell onto the youth’s hesitant expression under the dim light of the hall’s
candles. There was nothing but silence for a while.
“What are you afraid of, Ser Benninger?”
“I’m a little worried about his majesty’s……” The youth did not know how to describe his current feelings.
[Ever since the sixth month, or more accurately, the time when the Madara’s ambassador came here, only
minister Kluge saw him. The king’s trusted ministers did not even meet up with him even once. Even the
princess and prince were forced to stay within the capital.
People are gossiping about how the king is under house arrest, but yet the nobles do not have any
reaction to it. Ever since Kluge became the prime minister, the king’s trust in him keeps growing and it’s a
know fact that Kluge’s party is controlling most of the government.
But the party don’t have any interactions with the locals and received the king’s trust. The royal family’s
faction also trusts them. Kluge’s administrations and plans don’t have any problems with them too.
People are even describing him as the greatest politician since King Ansen’s rule…]
The situation changed during May, and Kluge appeared like he intended to vie for more power. Along
with the Black Rose War, it seemed like a storm was brewing in Aouine’s internal political situation.
Admidst the suspicions and guesses that kept growing in the nobles’ higher echelons, the core people
from the royal faction, Oberbeck and Everton went out to settle issus with Madara. The only remaining
giant faction was the leader of the Church Havel who kept out of the political situation.
[This situation within the capital is appearing even more bleak. But at this point of time, princess
Gryphine actually wants to go back to her territory. Ignoring the part where we’re literally under house
arrest, is the princess really going to leave her father behind?]
It was public knowledge that the king and the princess relationship was good, and Benninger understood
that fact even more.
The princess answered after a moment, without any change to her expression.
“Based on my father’s personality, I’m certain that he wouldn’t agree to Madara’s ridiculous proposal.
Even though I don’t know what that bastard Kluge has in mind for his goals, but I know that we’re useless
here.”
“The first thing I want to do is to send my younger brother out of here. I have to take this step for the sake
of the royal family in case something untoward happens to my father. I believe that he will understand
my actions as this is my responsibility.”
“My lady……” The youth looked blankly at the girl in front of him. He felt that she was a young girl of
sixteen summers, but a brilliant and mature politician.
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“Don’t worry, Ser Benninger. It’s not as if I’m not prepared. With the aid from my teacher’s social links, we
can set down our own pieces on the chessboard. I have never trusted that despicable bastard Kluge, and
they won’t harm my father with Aouine’s eyes on them.”
The princess suddenly stopped talking, as the Madara ambassador came out from a door with a somber
expression.
At that moment, the living and the dead, exchanged glances, and their bodies passed by each other.
—————- Brendel’s POV —————
As the storm brewed in Aouine’s capital, Brendel was sitting leisurely in the ‘Crossed Star bar’ in Bruglas
mulling over the capital’s situation. He then asked the barkeeper for the news about the ‘Golden Wine’,
and glanced at the clock on the inn’s wall from time to time.
[It’s nearly twelve.]
Brendel did not expect to receive the mission’s hints and complete it within a night. He was merely
waiting for someone and wanted to find something to pass the time with.
When the clock finally rang twelve times, the door to the bar was pushed open.
A girl with a long ponytail wearing a deep blue military uniform entered the bar, and she looked at him
with light brown eyes with a slightly flushed face.
[It looks like Freya is a knight now.]
She wore a formal knight’s uniform with ribbons, and there was a longsword distributed by the church
worn on her waist belt, and she wore boots that was highly polished.
She gave the impression of a heroic knight.
But her concerned eyes betrayed her. She glanced at the people in the bar and found Brendel. She took a
deep breath, walked over and immediately asked:
“Are all of you leaving? Brendel?”
“Yes.”
Freya became silent.
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TL: I found out that I got a grade ‘B’ from one of the subjects that I really didn’t want to get a B on. It’s like,
well, I spent weeks and weeks on just that subject alone and I kind of go meh on the other stuff, and the
others got a B+. That really just drives me nuts -_-. I might have to go again with the 2 weeks 1 update in
order to polish things until I think the new assignments shines, depending on the workload. Don’t worry,
I’ll fill in the backlog once I graduate.
As for the artwork for TAS, there’s the freedom to do whatever I want for the next assignment, so I’m
thinking of doing Brendel as a warrior. Right now I don’t have a particular inspiration because I’ve just
started, but if you guys have any amazing artwork warrior images that you have seen, just comment away
and send me the links.
Also at the end of my course, I’ll be doing a check on all the chapter’s text for content errors and grammar
mistakes. For the mean time, I will be doing recaps for my series because of the 2 weeks update thingy.
Next schedule would be tentatively 2 weeks later. I kind of need to get a proper pose for Brendel and do
up two good character designs, if I can get the design done earlier I can get a chapter out next week.
Recap: Princess Gryphine crosses blows with the Unifying Guild’s member who’s also a top ranking
minister. Brendel meets up with Freya to talk with her before leaving.
Chapter 61 – Bruglas last night (3)
Freya became silent.
She looked like she was thinking of stray thoughts for a while, before she raised her head up to look at
him. Her light brown eyes resembled like a pair of orange gems under the candlelight.
She hesitated for a while and then raised her left hand, and took off the ring on her thumb: “Take this ring
with you. You will need it more than I do outside here.”
Brendel was slightly taken aback. He looked at the Ring of Fireball, and the red ruby glinted brightly in his
eyes under the candles’ flames.
He looked at Freya again, while the latter turned her head away slightly.
“This ring was originally yours. I-I…… was only, borrowing it temporarily. Have you forgotten about it?”
The barkeep who was chatting with Brendel before Freya arrived, stood up and patted the young man’s
shoulder. He smiled: “My friend, it seems like you’re in a bit of trouble. I’ll be off doing my things, and I’ll
tell you about the wine cup’s legend later.”
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The moment he finished speaking, he took his cup away and intentionally moved to the other corner of
the bar, and started to gossip with a few drunk mercenaries.
Freya immediately snapped her lips shut without saying anything else after she heard him.
Brendel shook his head upon seeing this. His smile could not suppress the warmth in his heart. He gazed
at her carefully and felt the weight of her concern in his heart. He originally wanted to simply leave her a
message, but the stubborn girl insisted on seeing him after she talked to Romaine.
[Certainly, you’re not here just to hand me the ring back. You’re here because you’re concerned about
me.]
Freya’s heart was beating quickly. She clenched and unclenched her fists. When she heard that Brendel
and the others were leaving, she had only one thought in her mind and ran out without thinking. She
wanted to see them one more time, as if she was a little child who could not bear to leave the adults
around her.
When she calmed down, she could only feel her face burning.
She thought of her current situation in front of her. She was going to set off to Aouine’s Royal Cavalry
Academy, and was leaving everyone behind, especially Brendel.
[Am I really able to do what Brendel said I can do? To gain the power of protecting little Felix, and
everyone else?]
She felt no confidence in the undetermined future that was in front of her feet, and there was much
uneasiness in her mind. Brendel was a lifeline in front of her, but when things came to the point where it
counted, she found that she was unable to raise her hand up to grab hold of it tightly.
She stared at the corner of Brendel’s clothes and looked blankly at it for a while.
Brendel naturally saw through her thoughts because it was written all over her face. He smiled and
received the ring from her. She looked slightly surprised and looked up: “Y-you accepted it?”
“Certainly. How can I find the courage to refuse the ring that the Goddess of War is giving me?” Brendel
smiled. He knew that she would not come to any danger within the academy, while he certainly needed
every single bit of power. If that was not the case, he would have not accepted the ring just so that Freya
can be relieved.
“Goddess of War?”
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“I have heard of a legend called ‘The Goddess of War’. In it she was the heroine who was beautiful and
gallant, riding on her horse into battle, with one hand holding on to a swallowtail flag trailing behind her
figure, while the other held onto a majestic longsword, leading her citizens towards victory and
protecting her kingdom.”
Brendel smiled fondly as he recalled another story about the Goddess of War in his heart.
At the end of Vaunte’s turbulent era, a female knight wore a full plate of silver plate armor, and watched
every soldier under her with light brown eyes. The sky in Fort Malgar was dark gray and the Silver Cross
army flags were fluttering weakly on long flagpoles. She was shorter than many warriors before her, but
their dejected figures did not appear to be much bigger than her right now.
Her long ponytail that was kept ever since from Bucce’s demise fluttered behind her, and it was a symbol
of hope that made people feel there was a reliable figure on the battlefield.
Freya was Aouine’s Goddess of War.
She rode out slowly on her horse and came to the front of everyone. The horse’s saddle was ornately
decorated and silver robes shimmered and flowed on it.
A drizzle was falling from the sky.
Her followers were only from the Royal Cavalry Academy, only one hundred odd students, comprising of
many rich nobles’ sons and daughters. There were a few of them who ultimately became her enemies in
the future, but right at that moment, the cavalry who wore white uniform rode on their horses and
followed behind her.
They were soldiers who were defeated again and again but they continued to stay by her side.
The gamers in the game had lost their confidence, fell into deep despair and became spiritless. They
lamented and blamed themselves for choosing this kingdom. There was no hope, no tomorrow, and the
only thing that awaited them was defeat, along with the humiliation that came along with it.
“Aouine is done for! This broken kingdom cannot match Madara at all!” They cried out.
But Freya rode out and brought about her soldiers, marching towards the battlefield. It was like a pure
ray of light, that tore the dark sky asunder with a sharp blade.
Brendel could not forget that moment—
Her first sentence:
“My fellow soldiers, please, come with me and we will set out to defeat Madara—“
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“Please forgive me. I am unable to sympathize with your pain, fears, cold and hunger. But I could see the
deep despondent feelings on you. These despondent feelings, I feel the same way too! That is because
right here and right now, my country has been defeated and we are about to retreat. The undead will
soon ravage our lands. We are the losers, no matter how you twist the situation.
We cannot choose. We cannot win. We cannot fight back. This feeling suffocates me! Have we reached our
limits? My fellow soldiers, please, set out for the battlefield once more! We still have a chance, please let
me lead you to fight them once more.”
“I ask you to trust in me.”
She placed her hand on her chest.
“I will fight along with you.”
“I will shoulder all your burdens.”
“Follow me, and allow me to fight till I fall gloriously in battle. Allow me to use this promise, to bring
about the courage for everyone to continue onwards!”
That was the first time the Silver Lily appeared magnificently on the battlefield. The legend of the
Goddess of War, an epic story that was written into the annals of history and moved countless players.
When compared to the many other NPCs who defended Aouine, gamers had a deeper impression of her.
She was the one who brought them out of the unending fate of defeat and gave them glory. Her name
became Aouine’s pride, and she was their flag of pride. Everyone was willing to battle for her because
they were willing to fight for honor and dignity.
Aouine’s battle song was written by a relatively unknown gamer on the forums, but there were numerous
people who sang—
“We the proud citizens of Aouine—
Shall never bow our noble heads and hold it high up even if we are defeated
Our courage shall be carved unto our weapons
Our faith shall guard our flags
Our blood will flow towards the same path
We pledge solemnly
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To raise the flags of the Silver Lily once more.
We pledge solemnly
To believe in Aouine and never falter.
Upon our deaths, our voices will echo
and reverb throughout this land.
Our voices shall chronicle
The love for our hometown.”
Brendel lowered his head and rubbed his eyes. When he looked back up, he saw Freya looking down onto
the ground, mumbling: “How can I do the same thing like a legendary figure? I’m just a foolish girl who
tries her best, even the point of screwing everything up.”
[That’s right! Your efforts are the source of this legend—]
Brendel stared at her. He admired the past and current Freya for her earnest attitude. No matter what it
was, she had always tried her best to do it.
[Perhaps you don’t know your own potential, but one day you will shine brightly like a diamond.]
He laughed softly: “Then just treat it like a dream that you can aim for.”
Freya looked at him and nodded. “Is that a legend from the Highland knight?”
Brendel paused momentarily, and nodded.
Freya stopped speaking. After a while, she asked quietly: “Is there anything else you want to instruct
me?”
“Not really…… Wait.” Brendel paused for a moment, before calling her. He thought for a while before
asking. “Freya, what do you think of Aouine?” Brendel lowered his voice when he spoke.
The truth was he had already checked his surroundings once to see if anyone were paying attention to
them.
“Aouine? What about it?” She was confused.
“If I was to put it into an analogy, Aouine is currently akin to an old dying man who’s sick all the way to
his core.” Brendel said.
Freya was completely stunned.
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After all this time, she was no longer that naive militia leader. She had observed the filthy nobles with her
own eyes, and she was worried about the upper echelons who ruled the kingdom, but she did not know
where the problems exactly laid.
[Was it really like this? Maybe I misunderstood something—]
The uneasy girl could only comfort herself. In this world, there were both light and darkness. Perhaps
everything would get better, but it was nothing more than a vicious cycle. Despite that, she kept hoping to
get to the truth, to see if the world was in line with her naive thinking in the past.
But she did not expect for Brendel to strip away all her thoughts, and left the worst one behind with his
words.
Freya was unable to say anything.
“Listen closely.” Brendel had hesitated many times before he was finally determined to speak to her what
he thought.
He was constantly afraid that he would affect her future route, but she was not only the Goddess of War
in his heart, she was also a reliable partner that he could trust in, and the latter occupied more of his
heart.
He had no true relative in this world, and Freya lost both of her parents who took care of her, and he felt
that he needed her support, and it was the same for her. Ever since that night in the village, he
understood that his link with her could not be broken anymore.
The two of them were isolated and weak, blindly moving ahead and relying each other as they moved
forward in the murky future.
[If I didn’t meet the people in Bucce, I would have found it to gain a relationship with this world, and
would have constantly felt isolated here. Right now for Freya, she is heading to the path of that lonely
Goddess of War.]
“Aouine can no longer go back to the past where it is peaceful. The only thing that can save this kingdom
is having a drastic change. Certainly, an upheaval in the kingdom would fracture it into pieces, but
everyone of us who were born in this era will try and restore it. I don’t know how many people can see
this outcome, and I don’t know whether anyone understands what I’m saying, but do you understand?”
She looked at him in a bewitched manner, but she nodded subconsciously.
“Do you know now why I wanted you to go the Royal Cavalry Academy?”
“But I…….”
“Freya, do your best.”
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Freya took a deep breath and said with uneasiness: “I don’t know if what you say is true, but I think I
need to believe in you. But I’m a little confused and I’m really scared. How about everyone in our militia,
can we try and change everything?”
“I am also going to try my best to change that future. I need your help.”
“…… What must I do?”
“If there is anything that happens, then throw all your support towards the princess. I heard that princess
Gryphine in Aouine is famed for her intelligence, if there’s anyone in the Corvado family who could lead
this kingdom out of her predicament, we can only trust her.” Brendel paused and thought for a moment:
“I believe you might have the chance to meet her in the Royal Cavalry Academy.”
“Why do you know she would be there?” Freya blurted out: “Are you trying to mess around with me?”
“I wish I was joking, but when you are a chess player in Aouine’s politics, no matter if you are willing or
not, you would be able to see all the situations clearly. You will understand in time.” Brendel laughed:
“Don’t worry about it too much. We will still be able to meet with each other. Don’t forget my words, I’ll
definitely stand behind you—“
She lowered her head and pondered for a while to take in his words. She then spoke in a tiny voice : “I got
it. I’ll take my leave now.”
Freya’s lonely figure was like a isolated bird on its migrant journey. When she turned around, he had the
urge to call her back and ask her if she wanted to come along with him, but at the end, he stopped himself.
She had her own path, and he could not be so selfish.
But at that moment, she stopped and looked back over her shoulder.
“Brendel.”
“Yes?”
“I—- Please help me take care of Romaine. She’s my best friend.”
After throwing out her words, she walked out of the bar with large strides without turning back again,
leaving behind Brendel who was trying to carefully figure out that sentence meant. In the end, the youth
shook his head and drank from his wine cup.
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TL: Got a pretty irritating cough that was serious enough (to choke me). I visited the doctor twice and
thanks to the medicine I practically slept a lot the past week and didn’t do much homework. I don’t
foresee the schedule coming back to normalcy at least for a month, so it’s still one update per two weeks
for September.
Chapter 62 – Chablis
Recap: Freya met up with Brendel. The latter advised her to put her support behind Princess Gryphine.
She faltered because she felt that she was just a small militia captain, but he told her that she could follow
the example of the ‘Goddess of War’ in his memory. Soon after, Freya got up to leave, but told him to take
care of Romaine in an ambiguous manner. Brendel pondered on her words and drank his wine.
The end of summer’s breeze brought a hint of sweetness in the air. Under the warm sun, it made people
slightly drunk. August had gone by, and October was approaching soon.
The youth stretched his hand towards the blue sky, his fingers blocking part of his vision, while the
pleasant sunlight poured through the fingers’ gaps. He felt like he was seeing a colorful flare as the
dazzling light entered his eyes.
He then sighed as he lowered his head and hand to survey Chablis’s surroundings. The viridian
mountains once again invited themselves into his eyes. The dry air and clear weather made him feel
comfortable and peaceful, which put him into a good mood.
The emerald trees that used to decorate the mountains during summer’s peak had started to fade at one
corner. The fir and sycamore trees were starting to have a layer of faint yellow, while the maple trees had
a faint red applied to them. The intermixing colors were like a canvas speckled with different oil paints
blended together to form a naturally pleasing painting.
He rode on his horse with one hand on the reins. He peered a short distance ahead, observing the white
walls of the nearby mountains that intersected with a river. Houses with red roofs were near that area.
The town Chablis.
Brendel did not know much about it as the town was not renowned in the game. He only knew that it was
situated in the center of Randner, and there were not many Aouine citizens living there.
To the north of this little town was a dense forest, and there was an Elven ruins that was hidden under
layers of trees. It was called Baern Shyrltaesi, a temple build by the Silver Elves a long time ago. The silver
courtyard was constructed in the center of the forest. The corridors were made with ornately carved
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white marble, and there was a divine feeling to it. It was aesthetically beautiful and mysterious at the
same time.
However, during the Year of the Giant Shadow Dragon, the elves left this area for unknown reasons, and
the temple was abandoned.
[Now the only creatures that live near it are a bunch of Lizardmen bandits, if I remember correctly.]
Brendel started to recall the details surrounding this place.
[There really isn’t any backstory to this region, and players only gathered here to steal the loot from the
Lizardmen. The game designers probably wanted to give a reason like getting rid of evil or something.
Which is quite hilarious actually, since we really didn’t need any real reason to ‘farm’ them.]
But he shook his head after a moment.
[Certainly, it looks like it’s just an excuse to feed the ‘content locusts’… But the backstory I didn’t
understand back then, looks like there’s some sort of mystery behind it in this world.]
Brendel had never been to Chablis. There were no less than a hundred ‘instances’ in the Grinoires region
and low leveled players did not need to take risks. Players spread out to every region and made the
kingdoms look active, while the location here was made for higher level players.
Even so, as a veteran player, he had more or less heard about the rumors in this area. The Lizardmen
holding on to the Baern Shyrltaesi territory, a tomb guarded by undead, and a floating city nearby. They
were adventures that promised treasures accompanied with fights.
He had collected all these information without even thinking that he would had the chance to visit here.
When he stood at right at the top of the mountains overlooking the town, he saw the smoke rising from
the chimneys of the houses slowly dissipating into the air, and felt a strange sense of tranquility.
[It’s fortunate that I took time to research back then, otherwise I’ll be completely in the dark for this
particular plan. But Chablis is just as beautiful as the forums described.]
Chablis looked so peaceful that it felt like it could be a place that someone could stay there forever.
Romaine led her beloved horse out from the forest. She had bought it from Bruglas and she loved it so
much, that she could not bear to ride on it all the time. Her black eyes darted curiously at Chablis’s
surroundings, shining with excitement.
“Brendel, this is the place?” She asked.
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“Yes,” Brendel answered and nodded: “The Silver elves left the name Chablis behind, and the meaning of
the word is ‘The sweet mountains’. Our luck is quite good. The Madara’s undead did not pass through
here and it is still undisturbed.”
[Although from a tactical standpoint, Incirsta would definitely choose the regions that are wealthier. He
left Bruglas alone because of its solid defense and went around it to get to Randner to find a more
suitable place. He wouldn’t bother to come to this secluded place.]
Brendel was even more confident of his reasoning since these were ‘stories’ that already happened in
history.
“Is there anything to eat in Chablis?” She quickly asked.
“You can try their stew.” Brendel looked back and grinned fondly at her. “But our little Romaine is
becoming more and more picky with food, be careful of becoming fat.”
Romaine’s pair of eyebrows immediately stood up as she frowned. She desperately tried to refute him.
“I-I won’t become fat. I’ll just eat a little!”
But it sounded like she was comforting herself. She stealthily went around her waist and furrowed her
eyebrows further.
It looked like she was agonizing over becoming fat or to eat delicious food.
“My lord, is there a ‘Sage Slate’ that you had talked about before?” Amandina rode on a black horse which
had a radiant sheen on it. The young girl’s face was much better compared to the sickly white that she
had when she first met Brendel. Even though the journey was tough, she did not have to worry about the
next meal.
There was a scroll box tied on her horse, which contained her prized possessions of knowledge. Brendel
also saw them as priceless, and insisted on bringing her along the journey because of them.
The girl coughed twice, and looked at the clear sky ahead of her. She muttered: “It’s nearly October.”
“Don’t worry, nobody’s going to get ahead of us.” He knew what she was asking.
They had left Bruglas for over a month, and the news of Aouine and Madara’s truce had reached every
part of the southern noble parliaments. Back at that time, they had just reached the Randner region, and
rested their feet in Magitan, the ‘City of Forests’.
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Brendel had hoped to get the Sage Slate within the Forest of Fogs in the west, but it was taken by the
Northern Wind Church, just like how it was in the game. Brendel did not deal with the northern wind
knights in Randner, so he could only leave the place after a short stay.
But during that stay, he had introduced the most popular snack to Romaine. It was a dessert drenched in
honey, and it caused her to be interested in the snacks in other places.
Brendel smiled a little before his mind suddenly thought about the political coup in December. He was
certain that he could not do anything to affect it, and he could only leave it to the future Regent princess
and the girl who came from Bucce—
Freya.
[She must have reached the Royal Cavalry Academy by now. I wonder how tense is the situation over
there…]
The academy was situated within the princess’s private lands, but he had no reach over there to play any
games with the ministers. Right now, his biggest task was to gain power as much as possible.
[Leto and the others should have reached the Arreck region by now.]
“Are we going to search for the Sage Slate here?” Amandina asked.
“Yes. There’s an Elven ruins to the north in this area here. Legends state that the slate is within the ruins.”
Brendel replied.
He wanted to find a native guide. While he knew about the region’s background well enough, he did not
know where the the ruins were exactly.
[There are Lizardmen Bandits here so the situation will not be as easy. In the game the area is a level 23
instance, and while it’s much lower compared to the Golden Demonic Tree’s Forbidden Garden, there are
no shortcuts.]
After thinking it through, he decided to enter the town before deciding on the next course of action.
The three of them descended from the mountains and reached Chablis in less than thirty minutes.
The buildings were very different when compared to the southern Aouine towns. It was not an easy task
to construct something in the mountains, but they used their forefathers’ wisdom to level the valleys with
rocks. The slope was layered one at a time, following the river’s contours, and they appeared to be like a
chiseled rock fortress.
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[If I describe how this town looks like… It’s like a ladder. Or a series of ladders that connect to each
other.]
The houses were placed orderly with each flat layer, while they were narrow paths cut in the form of a
ladder that connected the layers together. The mountain folks preserved the underlying landscape of the
mountains, and they rarely used magic. They sculpted rock statues as lamp posts and they placed
braziers at the empty top, replacing oil lamps or magically lit lamp posts.
Brendel recalled there was a famous inn called ‘Chablis Winter Cherry’. It was a place where almost all
the adventurers, mercenaries and players gathered together. Its appearance was like a vast living room,
and the rooms were below the living room. Travelers gathered up there and exchanged information and
rumors, and it was the only inn that was designed in that manner in southern Aouine.
However, once they entered the town, he immediately felt something was out of place with his keen
senses. Amandina and Romaine did not appear to notice anything.
He carefully observed his surroundings. The people who appeared in front of them were mostly young
adults that wore different attires from the mountain citizens, and some of them cast suspicious gazes at
Brendel and the girls.
[Mercenaries. Adventurers. Travelers. Monster hunters. These people can appear anywhere in Vaunte,
but…… isn’t the number a little too high for a small place like Chablis? This isn’t like the game where
players gathered here.]
TL: I might be lacking in describing how the land looks, so you might have to google ‘medieval mountain
river villages’ and scroll through. Also, I appreciate any Engrish help check.
Translated the town 夏布利 = Chablis.
巴洛冈圣格尔莱斯 – Baern Shyrltaesi – I went to an Elven city name generator and picked the common
style and implemented in here.
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Chapter 63 – Eke
“I’ve got to the bottom of things, these adventurers were already here even before one week ago. No, to
be more precise, they are actually mercenaries.” Amandina spoke without rushing her answer.
Brendel looked at her with surprise.
The young woman found a sliver of satisfaction as she noted his surprise.
“My lord, is it unexpected that an aristocrat’s daughter who doesn’t venture out of her home would be
able to handle a situation like this?”
“I’m just curious where you learned all these negotiation skills. As you well know, it is necessary for a
Highland Knight to learn how to negotiate like you did, but it is impressive that a noble lady like yourself
can conduct yourself so confidently.”
Brendel patted Romaine’s shoulders to prevent her from losing herself in the scenery, but she
unexpectedly turned her head back to assure him.
“Don’t worry Brendel, I won’t lose my way.”
Brendel was speechless for a while. He could only look at her with a distressed gaze as he wondered.
[Just what exactly is stored in your head…]
It was fortunate that Amandina solved his crisis.
“Negotiating has always been our forte, my lord.” Amandina spoke humbly, but it was not difficult to
discern that she was secretly delighted.
Brendel raised his eyebrow and laughed in spite of himself: “Not every noble lady is willing to put down
their social status and talk to country bumpkins.”
It was indeed true. In Aouine, the mountain folks were considered as uncivilized boors. Even if their
status were raised to lords, they might not get along with the imperial lords in the north.
[It was said that two important ministers during King Ansen’s rule frequently squabbled in the court,
giving many headaches to the king…] Brendel remarked to himself.
“That’s because I’m different from them. I’m merely a poor noble lady, my lord.”
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Brendel shook his head with mirth.
“If these mercenaries come at this point of time, I think they are here for the bandits in the forest. The
various regions in Aouine frequently hire mercenaries to destroy the bandits’ territories nearby the
village, and it has become the norm.”
He walked past a masonry workshop, and brought the topic right back to their current problem: “In a
place with a dense population, the people who hire these mercenaries would either be the local security
forces or the militia. But in a remote location like this, it is the entire village’s citizens who pool all their
money together to pay them.”
Amandina paused for a moment. She had never read what Brendel described in her books.
“Something like this happens—?” She asked.
“Bucce in the past also did the same thing, I also paid for it~” Romaine excitedly poked her head out from
the narrow alley and stared at the inter-crossing street roads, and answered Amandina without turning
her head back.
“Only places with a garrison will eliminate the bandits on their own. The Royal Faction places much hope
on this ‘new forces’ for a good reason. While it is true that the garrison forces represent a new type of
strength for Aouine, but no one knows if this strength has the opportunity to become bigger.”
“Even if they do become a force to be reckoned with, their strength is merely a generation long.” Brendel
said with many thoughts in his mind.
Amandina lowered her head and started to reconsider a number of things.
Suddenly Brendel and the others heard a violent yell behind them: “Stop right there!”
The three of them were shocked and turned their heads back, only to discover that the voice was not
directed at them. They first saw a panicking young man parting the crowd with his arms to run past them,
but he did not take many steps before he was stopped by the two mercenaries in front of him.
The two mercenaries pulled out their swords and blocked the youth’s path. They roared loudly:
“Eke, where the fuck are you running to?”
“You fucking bastard, have you forgotten our rules?”
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The youth’s eyes widened slightly and he glanced in every direction, and he discovered there were even
more mercenaries with leather armor and shining swords pulled out to surround him. Brendel and the
others were at the edge of the surrounding encirclement, and he was glad that no one else noticed them.
He pulled Romaine back and took a few steps back in order to avoid this strange situation.
“Capo, what do you want?” Eke said tensely. He found all his escape routes sealed and he stopped moving
to take a deep breath. He pulled his short sword out from its sheath with one hand, while he wiped away
his perspiration with the other.
“You know clearly what you did.” A mercenary with grey robes walked out from the crowd and eyed him
coldly: “Otherwise you wouldn’t get a guilty conscience and chose today to run away. Have you forgotten
the oath that you took when you joined the mercenaries? Our leader and the rest of us treated you like a
real brother, and you repaid it by betraying us?”
The youth shook his head and revealed a conflicted expression: “Capo, I didn’t betray any of you.”
Capo carefully studied his eyes and sighed. He shook his head and replied: “Come back with us and we
will believe you.”
The youth shook his head firmly: “Capo, no. I beg of you to stop asking. I already said we can’t go to Forest
Baern……” He faltered his words, but he shook his head again: “Please believe me this time… Trust me, I
won’t hurt any of you. Just think of the past, how can I betray any of you—“
“Enough, Eke!” Capo interrupted the youth with a pained expression: “No matter what you say here, you
must come back with us to see the leader. If you have anything to say, you can explain to him once we’re
back to our camp. He practically raised you since you were young, but you’re leaving us at this point of
time? This is the same as abandoning your comrades.”
Capo pointed to himself and the other mercenaries, then he spoke again.
“Do you see them? These are your allies who stuck with you through thick and thin. What are you trying
to do now?”
Eke gritted his teeth and hesitated, but he finally took a step back: “Stop it, Capo. I know I am definitely in
the right this time, and I won’t go back with you. I also want to stop all of you from going to that place, but
I don’t know how to persuade you…….”
He took another look around him and discovered the mercenaries were coming closer and closer to him:
“Capo, please let me go on account of our relationship. Trust me, I swear I won’t let you regret it.”
“Brendel?” Romaine asked as she watched the scene unfold.
“My lord?” Amandina also turned her head.
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The two ladies asked him questioningly at the same time, ‘should we leave?’ in their words.
But Brendel shook his head as he observed the youth with an expression of deep contemplation.
Capo saw Eke was adamant in his decision and he knew that nothing was going to be resolved from
talking. He took a step back and sent his men a signal. The mercenaries immediately swarmed towards
Eke and sealed off every path.
Brendel was immediately surprised when the mercenaries moved. The mercenaries who looked like they
were nothing special, actually were considerably skilled, and a few of them matched Leto’s abilities.
[Mid-ranked Iron tier fighters…… Although it’s true most of the mercenaries with a little fame stuck to
their names have this level of capability, but to think there are so many here in this small town.]
Brendel was slightly bewildered. Amandina also discovered this point. She had wanted to ask Brendel
again to reconsider leaving, but she stopped herself and observed the situation.
Eke maintained his composure under the mercenaries’ combined enclosing movements.
[What…!?] Brendel was shocked.
Eke suddenly rushed forward to his front in a blur, his hand grabbing onto the nearest mercenary’s
sword hand and disarmed him. His actions were so fast that Brendel almost did not see what he did, and
with a shake of his arm, the mercenary was hoisted off the ground and over his shoulder, then thrown
onto the ground.
He shifted his body to the left and launched his whole body as a strike, and another mercenary was
immediately knocked away. The direction of the flying man accurately flew towards Brendel and the
other girls’ direction.
[This youth is at least a Silver tier fighter— Judging from his appearance, he’s younger than I am by two
or three years. This is certainly fitting for the chaotic world ahead. Monstrous talents just keep appearing
one after another. That little Felix, Freya and even Bretton could be considered as prodigies but Tirste
and this youth here are even more exceptional than them.]
Brendel was astonished by the youth’s movements.
[The number of people with such talents are no more than a handful in a normal generation if you look at
history, but I already saw at least five ever since Bucce. It’s no wonder that Vaunte fell into such a chaotic
state of constant wars soon after Aouine’s demise. It looks like it was actually fated to happen because
there are so many skilled people.]
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Brendel did not stop moving even though his thoughts raced through his mind. He had activated Power
Break to catch the flying mercenary, and he placed him back onto the ground.
[Amazing… The force nearly pushed me back. If the mercenary knocked onto a normal citizen, he might
have caused serious injuries. If I still have the Thorn of Light, my stats would make it easier to catch this
man— This youth is really reckless.]
The manhandled mercenary took a short moment before he finally recovered. He turned his head back
and looked at Brendel with a pair of surprised eyes. He had not expected a passerby to have such
strength, but he suddenly remembered that he ought to thank him.
“…… Thank you, kind sir.”
Brendel shook his head to interrupt him and his eyes went back to the small ‘battlefield’.
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Chapter 64 – The mercenaries
There was another man who flew out from the battlefield. Eke then struck down three mercenaries in the
blink of an eye, and caused the crowd to have an opening. He moved towards the opening before anyone
was able to react, but Brendel was slightly intrigued by his choice.
Capo was directly in the youth’s path.
The elderly mercenary brought his sword horizontally with his body inclined forwardly, and charged
forward like a fearsome beast with tightly pursed lips.
[Randonian fencing. This swordsmanship was created by Swordmaster Imaria and was widely used in
the continent in its early days. But there are not many practitioners in this era due to its technical
difficulty. The number of users in this world who are truly able to use this style are exceedingly low.]
Brendel’s eyes narrowed a little. Almost all the people who knew this swordsmanship are highly skilled.
[Just raising this swordsmanship alone requires 133 TP from level 1 to level 2, and virtually exceeds the
requirements of any typical sword styles by sixty percent. The accuracy rating is 2 times better than a
military swordsmanship, while the damage increase is 1.3 times more, but there are not many players
who actually spent time on it. That’s because the market price for the skill over one million Tor coins. As
for book copies, there are only a few kingdoms who possessed them in their museums.]
Eke apparently realized his mistake as well, but trying to retreat backwards had became impossible, and
he could only charge forward recklessly. Even though he did not use a sword from the beginning, it was
clear from his fighting techniques that he was trained in the ways of the sword. Brendel recognized it as
one of the knight’s varied swordsmanship.
[These two mercenaries look like they are close with each other, but the techniques they used are
completely different. That’s quite interesting.]
But it was not exactly a rare thing to see in a group of mercenaries, so Brendel was just slightly interested
in seeing how things turned out.
Eke directly charged into Capo while using his body to avoid the sword’s path, but Capo did not
disappoint Brendel. He cleanly swung his sword twice and sealed off the youth’s options, and forced him
to leap sideways.
If Capo took one more step, he would certainly force the youth into a dire state.
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Brendel’s current stats were unlikely to match either of them, but he was certain of this fact more than
anyone in the battlefield. As expected, Capo had seized the best position to attack where Eke was going to
retreat next, and his sword was pulled back to prepare for a decisive strike.
But Brendel’s irides widened slightly.
Capo’s movements was slower by half a beat, and the youth grabbed his shoulder from the smallest
opening to stop his arm from moving. He then lurched forward and smashed onto Capo’s body, knocking
the veteran mercenary backwards by five steps. This change nearly surprised everyone, and even the
youth’s stupefied expression was clearly reflected in Brendel’s eyes.
But Eke immediately shook his head. He saw that Capo’s stagger was a momentary thing, so he
immediately turned around and escaped into the crowd.
[Well done.]
Brendel secretly praised Capo. He had deliberately received the blow from Eke but the way how he did it
was really covert, and the average person would not be able to see through his actions. Brendel was the
only exception with his unimaginable experience behind him, and everyone his age would have been
deceived.
Brendel did not exclusively use a sword in the game and used other weapons for at least a decade. He had
spend over a hundred and forty summers as a warrior. With one hundred and ten years in the way of the
sword, and his foundation was beyond many people.
(TL: The game is 8 times faster in VR, so if the protagonist started off as 16 years old, then he would be
around 33 years old IRL when he teleported to this world.
When I translate/localize, I also think about various aspects visually. So how I imagine it is from way
early on when I TLed this series, this young naive fresh green kid Brendel met Freya for the first time and
fought with her for years, then witnessing her death on the battlefield and Aouine’s demise, etc, which is
the starting point of what Brendel is doing now and why he acts that way.)
Brendel’s true stats were merely that of a mid tier Iron-ranked fighter, and it looked like he was not even
close to Eke’s match. But if they were to truly have a fight, Brendel would not lose even if there were two
Ekes fighting him, especially when his military swordsmanship was at level 10 (9+1).
With the memories of the original Brendel about his grandfather’s swordsmanship, he was literally
unmatched by anyone his age, and the military instructors in the army would just barely be proficient
enough to become his students.
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Still, even with his own vast experience, he did not reach his grandfather’s unapproachable aura that
made people feel like they were on a tight rope hanging over cliffs. He was somewhat close to that state
and becoming a grandmaster, but the more he raised his levels, the more mysterious he felt his
grandfather was.
[A mere veteran soldier in that November War…? Even a level 100+ warrior like myself can’t gather up an
aura to fight against him, it would really be ridiculous to write my grandfather off as a simple soldier.
Especially when I don’t even see a hint of his strength on Leto.]
Leto was another soldier who experienced the November war. The only difference was the fact that he
joined in the later part of the war, while Brendel’s grandfather experienced the entirety of the whole war.
[Who exactly received the Fire Emblem from the Holy Cathedral of Fire?]
Brendel had actively worked with Aouine’s government in the game, and joined the Church of light. This
thought streaked across his mind and vanished.
Everyone looked at each other in silence as the situation suddenly changed, but the first noise that surged
was from the surrounding citizens. Everyone started talking about why and how the mercenaries failed
to capture the youth. Even though the majority of them did not really see how the fight started and ended,
it did not interfere with their gossiping nature.
The mercenaries who were knocked onto the ground by Eke climbed up slowly. Even though they did not
speak, their eyes did not show any signs of anger or depression, and instead showed like they were
relieved.
Brendel naturally did not miss any of that. When he turned back to the girls, he saw Amandina also
turning towards him, and their glances exchanged certain information.
“Brendel, they don’t seem like they want to go after him.” Romaine muttered next to him.
Brendel chuckled and nodded.
“Captain Capo, are you alright?”
Brendel saw a few mercenary soldiers going up to Capo carefully and asked. Capo looked blankly at his
wrist for a while and then regained a strict face and look at his men.
“I’m fine. Alright, everyone form into groups and seal off Chablis. Don’t let Eke escape. If there are any
problems with this afternoon’s situation, I’ll take full responsibility—”
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“Oh.”
“Okay.”
“Understood, Captain Capo.”
The mercenaries answered stiffly, but their reactions were slow enough to raise a few heads.
But Capo seemed to ignore their actions. He surveyed his surroundings and his eyes fell upon Brendel. He
had observed the entire battlefield and noticed Brendel helping his man out, but it was only now that he
had the time to scrutinize him.
Capo was actually surprised when he studied Brendel.
He had noted Brendel’s abilities with at least a mid-tier Iron-ranked fighter, but he did not expect him to
be so young. Any twenty years old youth with his skills would raise surprise anywhere, and his
immediate thoughts went to Eke. That youth was the most talent person he saw in his life, and he was the
commander ‘Maned Wolf’ Maccarlo’s adopted son. He had attained the Tier 2 Prowess at the mere age of
seventeen, and in his memories, only the Blessed prodigies would attain such results at his age. (TL: Tier
1 prowess is iron rank, Tier 2 prowess is silver rank)
Eke has been the mercenaries’ hope and pride since he was young, and when he deserted from the
mercenaries, commander Maccarlo merely wanted them to bring him back, and the rest of the
mercenaries did not wish to see the youth get punished because of this reason. It was clear that the youth
was dearly beloved by them.
When he thought about Eke, Capo’s heart steadied itself, and someone like Brendel appeared to be a
natural thing. He exhaled and walked over to him, with his expression slightly more relaxed.
“I am grateful for your assistance, please call me Capo. May I ask for your name, Ser-?” He said.
“Brendel, there’s no need to be so courteous.” Brendel was also studying him.
The veteran mercenary had a pair of a ashen irides, and his brows looked as if they were constantly
bunching up together like he had uncountable problems. Coupled with his looks was shoulder-length
grey hair, and a pair of hands with long fingers. If he did not have calluses on the hands, he would look
like a piano player.
Because of his looks, he did appear to be an attractive older man and he might even attract fangirls’
screams.
Brendel was somewhat jealous. Even though he was quite good-looking as well, he lacked a certain
maturity that Capo had, who looked like he had been through ups and downs.
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[Looks like these mercenaries are not your average ones either. I wonder which famous group they
belong to in the southern regions. There doesn’t seem to be any indication on their clothes, or any easily
identifiable emblems on them right now. If they went out for a mission, there might be some clues…]
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TL: I kind of got rekt for trying something too hard of a subject. The lecturers didn’t like it and I want to
fix things before I post it up. Don’t worry, I didn’t drop any series and I’ll be back on November 26/27 for
updates on all the series.
I’m still speed TLing the chapter and there might be Engrish or TL mistakes.
Chapter 65 – Mercenaries’ code
Brendel was throughly familiar with the background knowledge in the game. While Amandina’s
understanding was restricted to the books, Brendel was was a complete veteran. Even though the captain
apparently did not use his full strength, Brendel accurately discerned his true strength.
[About a Mid-tier Silver Rank fighter. At this level, he can match the White-Mane army captain of a full
corp, and nearly reaches the strength of a commander. This fact makes it clear that this group of
mercenaries cannot be underestimated.]
Leto and the other mercenaries were retired, but they possessed the strength of a Mid-tier Iron Rank
fighters, and Brendel thought they were no weaker than the group here when they were at their peak.
He had tried asking Leto a few times about their background, but Leto did not wish to talk too much
about it.
On the other side, Capo observed Brendel and felt a strange feeling crawl over his heart. His instinct was
almost innate. When he looked at his black irides, they were as calm as though the event earlier did not
happen. He had visited many places and seen many important men, consisting of Aouine’s nobles, great
merchants, people from the desert and even a couple of mysterious wizards. None of them matched the
youth’s demeanor, who gave a faint smile like everything was under his control.
It was a look full of confidence as though he knew everything.
For one moment, the veteran mercenary felt as though the youth had seen through all his secrets. He
frowned and shook his head, trying to get rid of the ridiculous notion out of his mind. He did not know
that was the truth, and Brendel had seen through everything just by observing him a little longer.
In this age, not many people knew Randonian Fencing, including Capo himself. He had learned the
swordsmanship when he was young, and he thought it was ridiculous that it was impossible for the youth
to know about it unless he was a grandmaster swordsman.
He noted the girls beside Brendel.
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[Their clothes seem to indicate they are from Bruglas… While the citizens of the Grinoires region have
similar clothes throughout the region, they are relatively different from the mountain folks.]
Capo wanted to speak about this point, but Brendel had stolen his initiative.
“I take it that you mercenaries are not from this village?” Brendel’s eyes looked past Capo on purpose to
look at the mercenaries behind him.
Amandina and Romaine stood quietly on Brendel’s left and right when he spoke. Amandina had learned
enough political etiquette to know that it was not the time for her to speak, while Romaine obediently
blinked her eyes without saying anything through a merchant’s instinct.
Capo looked blankly at him for a short moment.
“Yes, and you?”
“We would pass through Chablis a few times every year. Even though we’re not locals, we’re at least
familiar with this place. The truth is I was wondering why Chablis had so many tourists of a sudden.”
Brendel lied through his teeth. “Until I saw what happened earlier did I realize you were mercenaries—”
Amandina’s eyes glinted behind his back, but she did not change her expression. Romaine listened with
smiles, as though what Brendel said was the truth, befitting of her profession.
“We’re here to accept the invitation to subjugate the lizardmen bandits.” Brendel answered smoothly and
calmly without breaking a sweat, making it impossible to see through any mistakes. The veteran
mercenary did not think there was any issues with Brendel’s reply, and it was not a secret as to why they
came here.
But Capo still held on to his wary characteristics and did not continue talking about the lizardmen
bandits.
“You pass by Chablis a few times every year? You must be a merchant. If there’s anything our mercenary
group can do for you, please feel free to hire us and we will provide the best service for you.”
He turned his head around to look back as he spoke: “But I have to apologize now. We have a small
problem on our side, and I’m afraid I need to leave immediately. If you have the time, I can represent as
my commander and welcome you to come to our camp any time.”
Brendel smiled. Capo was obviously irritated that he was wasting his time, and wanted to seek the youth
who escaped earlier. He pretended that he did not notice the hidden meaning behind Capo’s words, and
expressed himself like he understood something: “I see.”
“This must be a coincidence.” Brendel immediately added.
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Capo was ready to leave, but he stopped upon hearing these words: “What?”
“It’s like this.” Brendel smiled and continued his reply: “TO be honest I’m not here for business this time.
I’m here to search for a particular item.”
Capo frowned and stopped moving.
“What are looking for?”
“i’m just looking for a rock slate that has ancient text written on it. This particular item is within the
Baern ruins, and describes a historical incident about the Silver Elves. As you know, the ruins have been
occupied by the lizardmen about one year ago.” Brendel spoke evenly, as though this event actually
happened.
“I came to Chablis three months ago to investigate the lizardmen situation. I brought a number of
mercenaries along with me with the intention of stealing the rock slate, but I did not expect to meet Ser
Capo and the mercenaries with you.”
Capo was completely surprised. “You mean to say……”
Brendel immediately nodded: “Yes, in order to have any outbreaks amongst us, I suggest using the 314th
rule in the Mercenaries’ code. We will temporarily join your men and assist you under the condition that
we won’t risk our lives. After we are done with the mission, we will part our ways and take what we need.
How does that sound?”
There is no formal agreement amongst the Mercenaries’ code, but the rules could solve common disputes.
Long ago, the mercenaries had iron-clad agreements with the people who hired them and typically
executed them faithfully, but the mercenaries tend to fight amongst themselves from verbal agreements.
It was only about a century ago before the Holy Cathedral of Fire became the adminstrators for
adventurers, that they establish the agreements amongst into a bible, known as the Mercenaries’ code,
and ended disputes temprorarily.
This code had been edited constantly and finally became a complete book. This time, Brendel had used a
rare code that was established one hundred and fifty years ago in the Northern Aouine region, but there
were very few people who brought this rule up in this era.
Capo paused for a while when he heard this suggestion.
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“I doesn’t have a problem…… with this oath.” Capo eyed Brendel cautiously: “But I don’t have the
authority to rule on this. If you’re interested, you have to meet our commander. His name is Makarov, and
more commonly known as the ‘Maned Wolf’. He’s now in the inn, and you should be able to find him
there.”
“Understood.” Brendel nodded. “Then I shall take my leave and not waste your time.”
Capo seemed to come out from his trance and nodded.
Brendel did not mind his reaction. He had planned to make use of these mercenaries when he saw them.
Even though the lizardmen in the Baern forest were not malicious foes, it was still considerably difficult
for him to lead his current forces to deal with them. If he had the additional help of the mercenaries in
front of him, things would be much easier.
[Right now the Sage Slate is nothing more than a piece of rock in the eyes of most people. The value of it
rose in the game only after players started to cross other regions. I’m sure I can persuade that
commander… but what was his name again? Maned Wolf Makarov?]
Brendel paused for a moment.
[The Blue Woods mercenaries. So it’s them. One of the most famous mercenaries in the southern region…
But didn’t become famous only after the Year of the Spring’s dawn? That’s five years later.]
He rubbed his forehead and started to doubt himself.
[A lapse in my memories? Or has something changed in history?]
Brendel did not know that Capo was facing doubts about the youth as well.
============================Capo’s POV===========================
“Captain, who’s that?”
Capo looked at one of the followers who came towards him. He shook his head: “I’m not sure, he appears
to be a merchant in this local region.”
“I heard him talking about our Mercenaries’ Oath. I have never heard of 314th rule, is that a fake rule?”
Another mercenary asked.
Capo shook his head. He knew that it was true, but it was only after Brendel described the rule that he
recalled about it. It was not a particular thing to note of, as there were over seven hundred rules, and
people only took care to remember the thirteen core rules. The other rules were just additional
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interpretation of how things should be done, and there was no strict regulation amongst mercenaries to
use these rules.
But Capo felt that Brendel was the most mysterious and not a simple merchant.
“Having more people is a good thing.” One of the men immediately said.
“Not really, who knows if these people are spies from the other side.”
“That is quite true—”
“Don’t worry. If he wants to join our group even for the shortest time, he needs to pass the commander’s
test according to the core rules.” One of the mercenaries replied: “The commander is definitely going to
let Buga fight personally…”
The mercenary sighed and finished his words. “It’s a pity that Eke brat suddenly created trouble,
otherwise he’s going to become the center of attention again.”
The young mercenaries suddenly fell into a silence when the topic suddenly changed to Eke.
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TL: First of all, welcome back. Second, I’m a little sick at the moment (coughing out blood — bad case of
sore throat), I expect to recover in a day or so.
TL: Things have changed a little due to certain circumstances and I assure you that it’s unrelated to the
readers’ comments, but I kind of want to bring things forward.
The secret behind the name Sophie for the protagonist.
As you well know, many people disagreed with the name Sophie (ranging from mildly indignant to I-
can’t-stand-the-sissy-name-anymore); I too didn’t like the name too. But, what comes later on in the raws
was a particular moment was Brendel stating his real name “Su Fei” at some point. Here’s the
conundrum.
1 – The inflection of the Chinese pronunciation Su Fei cannot be mistaken as Sophie (when you
pronounce it correctly in English). Despite the notion that Su Fei is a transliteration of Sophie, this fact is
only known to Chinese. To get an idea on how it actually sounds, go youtube the word “Souffle”, or google
translate Sophie into Chinese and hit that audio button. You can’t mishear it into Sophie.
2 – Chapter 2’s title, Sophie’s world, seems to reference a particular book. Sophie’s world is quite
successful, with 40 million in sales and translated to 50 over languages. Intentional or not, this title will
probably make more sense in the distant chapters ahead. And yet that title has absolutely nothing to do
with the plot, unless one can consider his stats window to be the “world”. I did not read that far ahead, so
I can’t give a conclusive answer.
3 – It doesn’t help that the Chinese characters for the name Sophie and the protagonist is the exact same
as the one in Chapter 2 title.
4 – Later on, the protagonist used his original name in front of a couple of girls, who commented on his
name where his name sounded like a girl’s name.
5 – Finally we get to the crux of the problem. I would like to think that Brendel would somehow mangle
his Chinese accent into a “westernized” accent when he told the girls of his original name, and might even
rearrange the letters to something like ‘Sufie’ in order to “westernize” it. Why does he go through such a
loop? Well, he has always been cautious of him revealing that he’s another person from another world,
and by revealing that he’s not really Brendel would have roughly the same effect of a witch getting caught
in the medieval era.
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This in turn leads to the reaction of the girls who state that his name sounds like a girl. Basically, Sufie =
Suphie = Sophie (in the girls’ minds). Brendel does have a reaction in response to that, but I don’t exactly
remember what it was.
6 – With everything considered, I personally thought that it was the author trolling his readers, mostly
because the CN readers gave him the nickname of Big Sister (afaik it’s to make fun of him finding sick
leave excuses every month?). But yeah, that’s how it is. Either it’s the author having the absolute worse
naming sense ever, or he’s trolling us. Given that his plot and character development is one of the best in
the webnovel field, I would think that the possibility of trolling is on the table. As such, I did my best to
convey that sense, by giving the name ‘Sophie’ from the very start. I personally thought that would be the
ultimate reveal as to why I did it…
7 – Here’s a poll on whether you want me to fix the Sophie name into Su Fei.
Do you want me to change the name Sophie to Su Fei in earlier chapters?
Yes.
No.
I don’t know.
Vote
Since that is out of the way, here’s the chapter. I’ll QC the chapter tomorrow.
Volume 2 Chapter 66 – Brendel’s swordsmanship (1)
=================== Makarov’s POV =======================
The Chablis’s Lantern Grass inn sits on top of the town’s highest point of an ashen cliff facing east. The
hall resembled like a painting, depicting a scene where heroes and mysterious godly entities congregated.
The huge wooden logs that made up the walls had been beaten by countless storms and the sturdy
structure was slowly turning black.
Lines of packed windows decorated the building’s exterior, and this unique sight appeared like a giant
beehive or a dragon’s nest on a mountain when looked from a distant place.
But the truth was, these windows belonged to the inn’s rooms.
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The ‘Maned Wolf’ Makarov, was temporarily staying in one of the rooms, and the door was opened
approximately fifteen minutes ago. The veteran commander looked at the map of Chablis local region,
then raised his head to look at the old man in front of him. His subordinates continued to explain several
things to him, and one of his bushy eyebrows lifted high up. His deer-skin gloves still held a magnifying
glass with a bronze handle as he spoke.
“314th rule in the Mercenaries’ code?”
“‘If there is a dispute amongst mercenaries in a formal mission, both parties shall join together and
achieve the goal together. The details in the collaboration should be decided by both parties.”
The old man’s hair had turned completely white. He answered the commander without looking away
from a thick red-leather book that was nearly four inches thick. He appeared to completely uninterested
in the topic.
“Master Lockwood, can such a rule really be interpreted in this manner?”
“It can.” The old man answered.
“Fine. Then let me see who exactly is that lad first,” Makarov beckoned to a youth standing in front of his
table: “Go, let Redi test him—”
Makarov paused for a moment before calling out to the youth: “Hold on, did you find that rascal Eke?”
“There’s still no news yet, commander.”
“Very well, I got it. Dismissed.” Makarov shook his head and snorted, mumbling to himself. “I’ll make sure
that brat gets it from me this time. Seems like I had indulged him one too many times. If this continues I
won’t be able to give an an answer to my lord.”
The old man continued to look at his book, but a faint smile streaked across his face and he shook his
head slightly.
===================== Brendel POV =====================
“You’re Brendel.”
“I’m Brendel.” Brendel looked up to the young man who was taller than him by a full head. His hair color
was a rarely seen pure-white, and his eyes were like an unblemished gold that was as clear as an amber
stone. His features were delicate, and he looked a little feminine.
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[A citizen of Ablis?] Brendel secretly thought in his heart. The impression of the minority group was a
young grandmaster swordsman named Gory Keyes with silver hair who was active in Vaunte
approximately thirty years ago.
[Even though I suspected the mercenaries wouldn’t accept my request so easily, their commander
actually sent a youth to test me. Honestly, other than a person with ‘Blessed’ or ‘Chosen’ status, there
really isn’t anyone who could defeat me.]
Brendel was level 23 and a upper-tiered Iron rank fighter. Once a profession has crossed the barrier of
level 15, then additional profession stats would be added to the progress from Tier 1 power level to Tier
2 power level.
Even though he had lost the Thorn of Light, his strength had increased to 15 OZ, and a dozen times
stronger than a trained soldier. He might appear to be a youth who had a lithe figure, but he could easily
kill a boar with a single punch easily if he wanted to.
His current overall power rating had exceeded 220 OZ, and he could face any mid-sized company of any
kingdom’s second line of defense unit with much ease. With this level of ability, Aouine’s adventurers
perceived them to have the equivalent strength of a Mid-tier commander.
Brendel’s hidden strength did not stop at his stats. His military swordsmanship at rank 10 was enough to
make the majority of Aouine’s military personnel’s blood turn cold. Still, Brendel only thought he was still
lacking as he was still a certain distance away from his grandfather’s swordsmanship.
Before he finished his thoughts, the youth in front of him had pulled out his sword and pointed to him.
The tip of his blade shook slightly, causing the reflected light to dazzle him.
“Listen carefully, merchant. I have never accepted a weak challenge and I don’t show any mercy. It is in
fact the exact opposite, because the fights between warriors are sacred. Bladed weapons cross each
other’s path to end the opponent’s life—” The youth with white colored hair said: “The commander might
have asked me to duel with you, but I will never betray my will to go easy on you. Do you understand?”
Brendel turned his head back to Romaine.
“Brendel, does he mean to say he’s stronger than you are?” She opened her eyes in an exaggerated
manner in order to blink after.
“No, I don’t think he meant to say that.” Brendel sighed and replied, secretly relishing the fact that he did
not become angry from Romaine’s comment.
“My lord?” Amandina asked.
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[Does anyone here have any confidence in me?]
But his sword was already out from its sheath. He used an ordinary steel longsword after the loss of the
Elven sword. Once the white-haired youth saw his sword, he showed off a look of disdain. The blade was
completely new, as if it was just bought recently from a blacksmith.
He was not wrong. The truth was indeed so, as the previous sword had been destroyed as it could not
withstand Brendel’s strength.
Brendel raised his sword and swung it randomly, as it to get used to his new sword. However, his actions
immediately drew the boos from the nearby mercenaries and adventurers who were gathering around
them. Brendel’s actions were like someone who had never fought before.
“Redi, isn’t your idol the grandmaster swordsman, Gory Keyes? Show us your skills by defeating this
tenderfoot!”
“Well said, since you came from the same homeland, you can’t disgrace the name of Ablis.”
“You have my support Redi, trounce him till his mother can’t recognize him!” The mercenaries
immediately made a din. The lawless lot would forever be a chaotic group regardless of where they are.
“Gory Keyes?” Brendel paused for a moment as he heard the familiar name.
He was prepared into entering Aouine’s military stance, but his actions were half completed and he was
off form.
The mercenaries booed again.
“You’re not fit to mention that name!” The white-haired youth’s face turned dark and thrust towards
Brendel with his sword.
The sword might have been swift and deadly in the eyes of a normal person, but before Brendel’s
perception at 3.7 OZ, it was much too slow. Unfortunately, because his opponent had made the first strike
without waiting for him to finish speaking, he subconsciously entered into a defensive parry that
deflected the sword upwards with a long ringing.
The white-haired youth could not hold on to his sword at all, and it embedded deeply into the slightly
black wooden ceiling with a slight vibration.
The entire hall turned silent.
The mercenaries who cheered loudly earlier had their mouths dangling openly, as if they saw a dragon or
some monster. They watched Brendel blankly, completely forgetting to either praise or boo him.
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Brendel’s action with the earlier defense could not be seen as elegant. To put it mildly, it was like a
barbarian swinging a stick, void of any technique. But the key point of his defense was not a matter of
elegance, but his strength.
[A natural born with freakish strength?] Everyone thought of the same thing.
This was not anything that was out of the ordinary. There were rumors of a portion of people who
inherited the Golden Lineage that was in the past, and a few of them would transcend themselves to
become a ‘Chosen’ being. Even if they did not transcend themselves, they would still retain a particular
feature of their ancestors. For example, boundless strength, or an incredibly strong regeneration factor,
and even someone who could see elements compounded into a magic spell.
Right now, the bodies that were known to still hold onto the Golden Lineage were dragons, unicorns and
a few other mystical creatures.
But someone immediately yelled out:
“Tier 1 Power Rating!”
“Iron-Ranked fighter!”
The white-haired youth clutched his wrist and retreated five steps. He gazed at his swollen arm after he
took on his opponent’s blow, and was unable to accept what had transpired for a moment. Even though
he was not as talented as Eke, he was still able to achieve the strength of a low-tier Iron-ranked fighter,
and was considerably impressive compared to the majority of the people out there.
He definitely did not expect that there was someone even younger than him who was stronger than him,
and that he could not even hold his own against him even once.
[How can there be so many monsters like Eke?] Redi was confused.
His confusion only lasted for a few seconds, as Makarov and another tall middle-aged man walked down
from the rooms to the hall. They did not witness the earlier scene, but looking up at the sword in the
ceiling and the expressions of everyone around, the commander had a grasp as to what had happened.
He looked at Brendel and frowned. Even though he had heard that the merchant who wanted to join his
mercenaries was a young man, he did not expect him to be a youth who did not look like he was past
twenty summers.
“Buga,” Makarov lowered his voice immediately to the middle-aged man next to him. “Test him.”
“Me?” The middle-aged man had a strong Arreck’s accent.
“Yes. I suspect this man might be a person from ‘Paper Cards’.” Makarov stared at Brendel as he explained
himself.
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“How many talented youths do they have? Makarov, are you not overthinking things?” Buga said as he
released the gigantic sword behind him: “But it’s fine to test him anyway since you already pointed this
out. In any case, this youth definitely has some backing to him.”
Makarov turned to his old friend and looked puzzledly at him.
“Nothing much, it’s just that there’s a familiar scent that I’m smelling here.” The middle-aged man looked
at Brendel with a hint of doubt.
PS: Just in case you wonder if the original raws 苏菲 is a manly Chinese name, HAH. Nope. That ‘菲 = Fei’
character is used to describe fragrant flowers.
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Volume 2 Chapter 67 – Brendel’s swordsmanship (2)
The silence in the hall continued. Brendel looked at Redi who still wore an incredulous face, then peered
up at the still vibrating longsword in the ceiling and sighed.
He was not surprised at the outcome. When they exchanged the blow, he had felt that he was
approximately five times stronger than the average man, which meant that he had just qualified as an
Iron rank fighter, and was roughly the same standard during the time when he first entered the valley of
the Golden Demonic Tree.
[Considerably impressive at this age, but you’re certainly not my match.] Brendel reflected on his current
abilities. He was almost cheating in his growth. Entering to a Tier 1 power rating within one week,
climbing to a mid-tier Iron Rank fighter, then becoming a entry level Silver Rank fighter. While he still did
not match the growth of a ‘Chosen’, he definitely had the most impressive result in history for an ordinary
man.
[I wonder if there’s anyone who can surpass this result.] Brendel mused to himself.
[According to the game’s calculation, a mid-tier Silver Rank fighter starts off at level 35. I need to get to
level 40. That’s nearly 600,000 XP needed. I have to do this in seven months. Aouine’s Civil War starts off
on December, and there’s a time limit after that for me to take part in it. If I miss it……]
His mind was working quickly, but he suddenly saw that the crowd was parting away.
Amandina uttered a surprised murmur.
Brendel also paused for a moment, then focused his gaze on two men behind the crowd. One of them
wore a chainmail along with a blood-red robe. He wore a tall hat with colorful feathers on them, like an
adventurer from Randner’s royal geographical society in Aouine. However, the emblem on his chest was
not the Flaming Amber but a simple wooden medal.
There was an Emerald Bird carved onto it.
The man next to him was even bigger in physical size, and he wore a simple leather armor which covered
only the most vital areas. His incredibly muscular arms were exposed outside his clothes, and carried a
huge sword over his shoulders with a single hand.
His forehead was broad, but his cheeks were deeply gaunted as if they had been sliced away a knife. He
lips were tightly pursed together, and coupled with his presence, gave the people who saw him for the
first time a sense of great awe.
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Brendel looked blanked at him.
[Isn’t he that man?]
A single strand of suspicion grew in his mind. The latter looked like a barbarian who came from the
northern highlands that snowed throughout the year. The instant Brendel saw him, he immediately
thought of this person: Arreck’s ‘Crosshand’ Buga, the right hand of Duke Rhun, commander of Fortress
Lantonrand.
[One of the three most famous swordsman in Arreck, a grandmaster swordsman who is placed equally
with ‘Grand Eagle’ DeJarre, and the ‘Silver Knight’ Sivia.]
Brendel knew of Buga because he was a famous character within the game.
Buga was the quest giver of ‘Bravery’, the primary quest for Duke Rhun. Brendel personally participated
in that battle along with a number of gamers, and even till to this day, recalled that frightening battle with
exceptional clarity.
[That final mission of the quest was to eliminate one of the twelve leaders of the Tree Shepherds, the
Envoy of Sorrows, ‘Funica’. Right at time, the Envoy of Sorrows was level 97, and held the highest tier of
the Darkness Element, almost completing the first step of shaping the perfect self, ‘Bronze Physique’.
During that era, the players’ peak levels were at 83, and it was an impossible task to defeat the Tree
Shepherds…]
The story during that time progressed in this manner.
Buga carried along the greatsword ‘The legend of Irving’, and led to the gamers straight into the heart of
the Tree Shepherd’s base in the Forbidden Forest. He was the only one who held the Seaghan Cavalry
Swordsmanship at Rank 17 which was a legendary existence. With merely four swipes of his sword, he
struck Funica to his death.
The gamers were almost like an audience watching a movie throughout the entire mission, and their task
was merely to delay the mobs.
[This battle truly cemented my decision to continue the path of a warrior, and in turn became the rare
few gamers who played as one.]
Brendel observed a younger and healthier Buga moving towards him, and he felt his hands were a little
wet from sweat. He did not expect to meet Buga here.
[This is the future Greatsword Champion, Buga— should I consider the fact that he has already attained
the skills he had in the future? … But why is this man here? In my memories, he trained the Seaghan’s
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sword style when he was seventeen years old, and only got to know Duke Rhun a little later on. Why did
he appear in this rural place?]
“Did you use Aouine’s military swordsmanship?” Buga’s eyes were focused on Brendel.
Buga’s faint blue-greyish eyes glimmered with slight delight. His eyebrows were very bare and his eyes
appeared almost vacant, but other than that his appearance did not appear to be that of a foreigner.
However the air around him was not of a regular person, but of a terrifying beast.
The higher one’s perception was, the more he would experience that fact.
Brendel’s current perception allowed him to listen to hear whispers even from a separated wall and even
perceive the air currents, but as he stood there, he felt that Buga was an immovable mountain that stilled
even the winds—
[I definitely see a man in front of me, but I feel like I’m facing a wall where nothing can go past it…]
Brendel swallowed. Only people who had crossed level 50 would have an aura like that.
[Does this mean he has already unlocked his Elemental powers? At such a young age?]
Brendel knew that Buga was not a ‘Blessed’ person, but this achievement might even cause a number of
them to break out in cold sweat.
[As expected of this monster.] Brendel remarked to himself.
“Are you from the army, or a youth from the guards in some random city? The militia should not have
someone of your skill in them.” Buga’s eyebrow raised a little as he asked. Brendel’s reaction did not
surprise him. He did not react to his aura, and the only person who could do so in the mercenaries was
only Eke.
[Eke is really an incredible talent.] Buga smiled faintly when he thought of Eke, but that smile
immediately disappeared as soon as it appeared.
[Military swordsmanship. Only three types. Army, city guards or militia. Most of the cavalry nobles have
their own household swordsmanship, and even the adventurers or mercenaries would have added their
own style into what they have after they experienced battles. But this youth here, does everything prim
and proper in regards to his stances. He’s obviously a student trained in some camp.]
Buga’s real identity allowed him to see things quite clearly.
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But Brendel shook his head: “No, my ancestor is a Highland Knight. Currently I am attending to matters
on my own and did not bring along my squire. I believe you have heard of my proposal. I wish to join
forces with you because it is advantageous for the both of us. I have no other goals, and if you have any
thoughts otherwise, please stay them.”
He thought for a while, but did not reveal Buga’s identity in order to avoid his suspicions.
The man who wore an adventurer’s hat and stood beside Buga, gave a small cordial smile when he heard
of the reply: “We are very willing to accept your suggestion, but as you well know, mercenaries do not
like to bring along baggage.”
Brendel glanced back and forth between the two men in front of him and understood.
“I hear you loud and clear. Please select the men that you wish to cross blades with me. I believe I have
already defeated the first one. According to the rules, this test should not happen more than three times.”
Makarov and Buga exchanged glances.
The huge man brought his sword down onto the ground with a loud crash, and simply said: “Then let me
be your opponent, young man.”
[Just like I thought!] Brendel took a deep breath. He stared into Buga’s eyes with a confident smile. He did
not feel anxious but was enthralled with excitement.
[This is just as well. I don’t know how strong he is now, but having the opportunity to test out my abilities
now is not a bad idea!]
Brendel’s heartbeat started to quicken. He raised his own sword as he felt every cell in his body burn.
When he finally became level 130, Buga had passed away. One of his regrets was not having the chance to
face the grandmaster who was his goal. Even though he had unlocked the ‘Silver Physique’ like Buga did,
there was no longer a chance to duel with him.
He definitely did not think he had the chance to fight with him.
[Even though you’re not a grandmaster now, your battle senses are not beneath anyone else!] Brendel
raised his head up like he had returned to when he was a level 130 warrior, and his eyes seem to burn
with vigor.
The youth lowered his sword to his hip and pointed the blade up to Buga.
Aouine’s military swordsmanship at Rank 10 was not something to be seen as a basic sword style. A
striking aura came naturally to Brendel and wrapped everyone with it. His grandfather was even more
impressive when he took his stance, giving off an impression that one was on top of a cliff.
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But this was enough to shock the mercenaries around him.
“A grandmaster’s understanding of the sword. Good. Aouine’s Military swordsmanship.” Buga’s eyes
glinted: “You have the right to duel with me.”
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TL: Sorry for the late chapter. I finally broke through my overwatch rank points at 2000. It’s really a hard
game, haha.
I’ll probably do 1 more chapter of TGTBGAM and TAS within the day.
Chapter 68 – Brendel’s swordsmanship (3)
After the words left through Buga’s lips, the greatsword in his hand swung vertically down towards
Brendel’s head. He was ten meters apart from Brendel, but he combined it with a powerful jump that
closed the distance, and in just a split second the heavy sword had already reached Brendel’s head.
Brendel did not need to look at the oncoming sword to know how dangerous it was. It was almost like an
avalanche happening on top of a snow mountain. Before the sword reached its mark, the sound that
emitted from was like thunder.
[Definitely a Gold-tier’s strength!] Brendel gritted his teeth and prepared his stance.
He tilted his neck and lined his left arm to form a triangle on the upper half of his body. It was the best
defense he could use at his disposal. The system he had combined the levels of his skills and shaped into a
reality where his physical feats were raised; if he was still in the game, the description would be ‘Aouine
rank 9 Swordsmanship defensive stance – 27% chance to parry’.
The swords met in a blaze of sparks, and Brendel’s sword screamed as if it was in pain. The sword
twisted back as it failed to stop the greatsword. He constantly adjusted the strength in his hand, but the
immense power behind the greatsword seemed to press forward every inch like an unstoppable tidal
wave, and he realized that he was unable to avoid it.
[There’s no road to escape-] Brendel’s mind calculated coldly and furiously.
But the years as a warrior in the game seemed to let him reach an epiphany, and he shifted his body
weight to match the greatsword’s path which caused it to deviate slightly to the side. The greatsword
smashed onto the ground, the force fanning out and destroyed the wooden planks at the same time, and
at that moment the wooden splinters danced around like butterflies flying together.
The sword was different from Tirste’s lightning thrust. Brendel felt like he was an insignificant object
when his strike came and there was no possible way to avoid it. He had seen this attack before in the
game when Buga killed one of the Tree Shepherd’s high ranking members, but experiencing the attack
personally was an utterly different experience.
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[But he didn’t use full strength.] Brendel suddenly realized this fact. [It showed off his trump card that he
have unlocked his Element, and it’s a considerably high level ‘Earth’ Element at that, otherwise it
wouldn’t show off how skilled he is in the sword.]
Brendel exhaled coldly. The hall was quiet.
Even though the exchange between them was nothing short of remarkable, almost no one saw what
happened clearly. The only thing that they felt was how Brendel did not seem like he was at a
disadvantage. The mercenaries held their tongues and suppressed their gasps, not knowing how they
should react.
[[[Buga’s sword was avoided by a Iron rank swordsman?]]] The mercenaries who had the same rank as
Brendel started to put themselves into Brendel’s situation, imagining what they could have done under
Buga’s attack.
The only option that seemed available was to wait for death.
“That attack seemed to look like the vice-commander used seventy percent of his strength, right?”
“T-that was…… luck right?”
“Just look at how he deflected it, at that level of skill, it’s not just luck.”
Whispers started to spread amongst the crowd, with varying degrees of expressions, ranging from
excitement and shock.
Brendel and Buga did not pay attention to them.
“Hmmm.” Buga uttered a surprised voice and lifted his head. He was not in a hurry to lift up the
greatsword from the floor, but he took a longer look at Brendel in surprise.
He thought that Brendel was a youth who had slightly more talent in the sword. He had gotten used to
Eke’s talent, and certainly did not think much of others because of that.
[This young man isn’t simple at all.] Buga pondered deeply. [That slide earlier definitely belonged to a
high level technique.]
Buga was not wrong. Brendel had copied the Elves’ techniques who fell a long time ago; the
swordsmanship which had been lost to the ages in history. This particular technique focused on agility
and dexerity.
Brendel’s gamble had paid off, and his mind shifted slightly to the thoughts of acquiring it before
dismissing them entirely.
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[Right now, Vaunte’s current era is definitely chapter 1 in the game. ‘The empire’s birth’, the title of
chapter 1, describes Madara’s rise as a kingdom. Dredging up old manuscripts from the past requires me
to wait at least to the time where chapter 3, ‘Ancient Heritage’, happens. These techniques can only wait
till then.]
Brendel relaxed slightly when Buga stopped his attack. He shook his sword arm and realized that it was
not numb, indicating that Buga had deliberately lowered his strength to match his standards. A thought
sprang up in Brendel’s mind. If Buga only saw this as a test, then he might have the chance to win.
As long as Buga lowered his standards and sought to defeat him with the mere understanding of his
swordsmanship and techniques, he was definitely sealing his fate.
Even though Brendel was not the amongst the top players in the game, it was not possible for Buga to
compare with him. Brendel’s character in the game had trained in seventeen different sword styles, and
there were more than half of them that reached over ten levels and above. He even saw and fought
against countless opponents who had different techniques.
[Buga’s techniques came from a renown knight that focuses on strong openings and closings, one vertical
and horizontal strike, which is where the name of ‘Crosshand’ comes in. With the combination of his
Earth Element, that majestic aura around him would intimidate his enemies. Unfortunately, this doesn’t
work on me.]
Brendel understood that he should not fall into his opponent’s rhythm, and he sought to have the first
strike before Buga had the chance to pull up his sword.
The distance between them was over five meters as Brendel had backed up a few steps earlier. His attack
was very simple, it was Aouine’s one handed thrust.
But it startled everyone—
The mercenaries who learned Aouine’s swordsmanship understood that it was an rudimentary
technique, and in the game’s term – level 0 Aouine Swordsplay. Many of them had learned the technique
and trained in it repeatedly, but they did not understand how his thrust covered over five meters in
distance.
Brendel snickered inwardly when he saw Buga’s slight astonishment.
[It seems like the future grandmaster had learned of Aouine’s swordsmanship to a certain level, but he’s
not at an advanced level yet. If you do, you would come to understand a master’s understanding in the
sword increases the effectiveness of the technique greatly.]
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Aouine’s military swordsmanship basic effectiveness covered a meter and half, and a master’s
understanding increased it to three meters. Brendel had the advantage of knowing to increase it further
through varying means from the game, and had the option of increasing it up to seven meters in distance.
Brendel’s swordsmanship in the game reached level twenty and above as a grandmaster, and he had
heard rumors about a huge barrier at level thirty and a new title that superseded the Grandmaster rank,
but he had never seen anyone or a player that reached that level.
The sword approached Buga with a flash. His speed was enough to cease the whispers amongst the
crowd, while Buga smiled at Brendel when he discovered his intention to seize the initiative. He thought
that it was nothing more than a clever trick to catch the enemy off-guard, and he was prepared to teach
the youth a lesson.
It was an unfortunate oversight.
Buga suddenly realized that it was not a mere trick. Brendel’s sword seemed to dance even though it
started off as a simple thrust. He should have followed up with another step and use the sword’s hilt to
strike the opponent in a daze, then attack with a flourish. Brendel’s actions seemed to do that, but he
pointed his swords in three different feints at three different targets before lunging the sword into his
chest.
Buga was momentarily dazzled by the feints and he had to retreat a step to avoid the lunging attack, but
Brendel seemed to have predicted his action and took an even larger stride. Before Buga knew it, the
sword was already inches away from him.
This action jolted Buga and he drew back in haste, but Brendel followed closely with the same attacks
that he did earlier; three feints at different vital areas after the first thrust, followed by a lunge at the area
that was the most exposed.
Buga had never seen Aouine’s swordsmanship used in this manner, but Brendel’s techniques were
beautiful in design and effective in reality. Buga swore that he had never even heard of Aouine’s military
swordsmanship being used in this manner, but the youth in front of him showed that it was possible to
bring this commonplace military swordsmanship to heights that one had never seen before.
This was the crystallization of countless warriors who spent decades in the game.
The gamers started to discuss the core of the various techniques in earnest around the time when it was
about thirty years into the game. They came to the realization that the game had enough freedom to
implement new techniques into the game without the need to rely on what was available in the game.
It was the era where a revolution in abilities and techniques.
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Buga was facing what gamers defined as the basics, or more accurately, the modern Aouine’s system of
military swordsmanship. He was also facing Brendel who had became a grandmaster warrior in the game
as well, and he had also fallen into Brendel’s pace of attacking.
He felt tremendous pressure as the youth seemed to predict his every move, leaving him confused and
lost, and that feeling made him feel like he was a novice swordsman who had encountered a grandmaster
swordsman. He even recalled the moments where he had started to train in the sword for the first time in
his life, and how his teacher corrected his every move.
This was the absolute level of disparity in skill when it came to techniques.
Buga was forced back by Brendel again and again, until he finally came to the conclusion that there would
not be a result where he could win by skill alone. He had no choice but to use his full abilities, and channel
his ‘Earth’ Element into his fist to defend against Brendel’s sword.
A huge clanging sound resounded through the hall.
This time it was Brendel who flew back ten over meters and smashed into the crowd.
Nobody cheered for Buga’s punch.
[Aouine’s swordsmanship? Is that really it?]
[How could it be used in that manner?]
[Just exactly how talented is that young man in the sword? Buga actually failed to defend against his
attacks even once?]
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TL: There are a number of reasons why I haven’t been updating my series as much. TAS is actually getting
harder to write because it’s more descriptive and more confusing recently, that’s one. I’m now spending
five hours and upwards for one chapter just for the first draft (which you’re getting right now).
Another reason is because of that undisclosed thing I mentioned earlier, and it kind of affects my IRL
plans for the future. It’s serious enough for me to actually disclose Brendel’s name in advance, and I’ll say
that 2017 might be a really strange year and I hope it won’t affect TAS.
The third reason is because I have been playing games, duh. School’s over, I received my cert, it’s like how
long should I play my backlog of video games before I seek a job (lol). Here’s the review of Tale Of Wuxia,
or if you don’t want to read it, you can go ahead and read TAS instead.
Chapter 69 – Mountain winds
“I did not expect my lord to have such impressive skills.”
Amandina praised as she walked across the hall. The only time she had the chance to see Brendel in
action was during the time in the auction site in Bruglas. However, she was busy pulling Romaine to
safety and did not witness Brendel’s skill in action.
Three different sets of footsteps resounded throughout the stony walls of the inn’s corridor, echoing
towards the dim exit. The owner had carved out windows from the wall’s section, allowing the ambient
lighting to cast a soft glow on the dark floors.
“Yes, but Brendel has always been impressive.” Romaine added with flushed pride. Her beaming smile
allowed her eyes to narrow in a bewitching manner, and she turned back to look at Brendel. He flinched
as he became wary of her brewing strange thoughts in her head again.
This worry was not misplaced. Romaine first impersonated a regional noble to investigate the market,
then enlisted a pair of thieving brothers to scribe a map to enter Chablis. It was a dangerous move
because scribing a map without permission was a risk to be sent to the gallows.
Her actions were initially kept from Brendel but her words gave her away, otherwise he would still be
kept in the dark.
[Not only that, she faked identification papers… I thought I looked down on Aouine’s laws, but here is
someone who seems to flout the rules at every turn… Wait, does she even know what laws there are?]
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Romaine was remarkably cautious in her actions, and was quite alike to a cunning politician who did not
reveal their misdeeds in any way. Brendel accidentally found her counting her coins in the carriage,
before he realized that she had earned a considerable amount of pocket money illegally.
In the end he severely lectured her for hours, with her nodding and agreeing in assent with sincerity, but
only Mother Marsha would know how much she actually heeded his words.
“What are you thinking about now?” Brendel blurted out.
“Nothing.” Romaine shook her head rapidly and hurriedly.
“… Then why are you so tense when I asked you?” Brendel sighed in exasperation, his doubts doubling.
“Did I look so tense?” Romaine rubbed her cheeks with her hands, and asked curiously with wide eyes.
“Oh little Romaine, your innocent acts aren’t fooling me any longer.”
“D-don’t call me that n…..” The merchant girl’s eyebrows raised upwards, but she immediately blinked
and asked: “Can I go out alone for a stroll?”
“No.” Brendel said curtly.
He refused not because he was afraid of her driving the scenic town into a frenzy of chaos, but of another
consideration.
The battle earlier had impressed everyone in the hall, and even Makarov admitted that he was competent
enough. Once Brendel’s fiery warrior’s blood waned, he felt his mind regain its clarity.
It was a common thing for a group of adventurers to join up with mercenaries in the game. It was easy for
them to get into trouble during their travels, and it was more than necessary to rely on others for help.
While it was rare for the Mercenaries’ Oath to come into formal actuality, it was not uncommon for them
to be invoked. Most of the time, the different mercenary groups are quite wary of each other and only
aided each other when it was necessary to do so.
[The test that was done today was really nothing more than empty words to try and hinder me from
invoking the Oath. That Makarov and Buga’s actions are too strange, and they definitely have a hidden
agenda.]
Brendel reflected on Buga’s facial expressions.
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[He looked like he was suspicious of me. Is that really necessary to be so suspicious of a stranger?]
He was quite puzzled. He thought back on the situation that happened in the afternoon. The mercenaries
tried to surround Eke and bring him back to their commander, but it looked overly complicated.
[A different goal? Or have they encountered some form of trouble? The worst outcome is if they are after
the same thing that I’m going for…]
Brendel rubbed his furrowed brows.
“What’s wrong?” Romaine asked. “Are you angry at me?”
“No.” Brendel glared at her in annoyance. He knew that she was not afraid of his anger, but because she
was hoping to get a response out of him. “Amandina, what did the mercenaries said they called
themselves again?”
His thoughts shifted as recalled of another issue which might turned out to be a new problem for him.
“The Grey Wolves.”
“The Grey Wolves?”
“Nothing—” Brendel replied in a casual manner, before mumbling to himself: “… The Grey Wolves… Isn’t
it supposed to be the Greenwoods Mountain Mercenaries? Makarov looks exactly like how he’s described,
but why is the name different?”
[Did history change? While it’s a possibility that they changed their names, but registering a change in the
kingdom’s records would have been a huge task, it would usually be rejected unless there’s a huge
incident—]
Brendel suddenly looked up to the stony window to look at the faint skylight.
======================== Makarov’s POV =================
“What do you think of him?”
The middle-aged man with red hair felt the scar on his face as he turned back to ask Buga.
The cool breeze that stroked his face made him feel heavy-eyed. He narrowed his eyes to look at the town
below the hill’s inn. Man-made steps were carved in winding paths to lead up to the inn.
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The ‘Maned Wolf’ Makarov was renowned in the mercenaries’ circle for nearly seven years. He was famed
for his bravery and unforgiving duels he had, almost as if he had no regard for his own life like a starving
wolf. The wolves in the southern Aouine’s mountainous regions are also called the silver maned wolves,
which was also the reason why he was named so.
“Hah.” Buga smacked his head with his hand and gave a gruff laugh: “That young man’s ability in the
sword is nearly faultless. He almost has the standards of a grandmaster, and amongst the military—”
He suddenly coughed: “You know what I mean. I cannot compare to his talent when it comes to the
sword. That young man, Brendel, is someone who’s born to carry a sword. I can hardly believe someone
of his age can reach to such skill. Do you know that I couldn’t even fight back—”
He continued laughing: “Before young master Eke, I truly did not think there’s talent in this world. To
reach the name of ‘talented’, would require determination and hard work. Young master Eke proved me
wrong. Today, I was proven wrong again. I feel like I have been wrong all my life.”
He grinned when he was finished, revealing his white teeth.
“You’re comparing him with young master?” Makarov’s eyes went wide, forcing the scar to become even
more prominent. It was left from a Night’s Son, and the people who knew him well know that the scar
was already there even before he became a mercenary. “I did not see such skill in him.”
“This is why you’re the commander and I’m the fighter.”
“Your opinion of him seems very high, it seems.”
“Yes. But that young man reminds me of someone.”
“Who?”
“Hah, a really stubborn bastard. But putting that aside, I don’t think he’s a spy for ‘Paper Cards’. If they
had someone as talented as him, they would have been signs.”
Makarov shook his head to disagree: “This is hard to determine. The timing of this is too sensitive to be
certain of anything. I do not think that ‘Paper Cards’ would fight for just a simple mission. Chablis is a
small town with no prominent resources, so why would it attract them?”
“You mention before that they had other motives?”
“Indeed.”
“But for what exactly? The lizardmen bandits have some other goals, or for another reason entirely?”
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“I do not know. Eke has been very strange lately,” Makarov closed his eyes and sighed. “This makes me a
little worried. I do not wish for a group of unknown men to follow us with ill intentions. The last mission
was meddled with by ‘Paper Cards’, this time I want no incidents.”
Buga eyed him for a fleeting moment.
“Has the maester agreed to this as well?”
Makarov nodded, then shook his head. “He did not say anything.”
“Then why not wait?”
“We can’t put if off any longer. Do you not feel the signs that the Tree Shepherds are catching up to us?”
Makarov said with a chilly breath: “Three days. That’s the limit. We’re moving out.”
“And the young man?”
“Let him come with us.”
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TL: Should be one more chapter coming soon.
Chapter 70 – Setting out
The July morning in Chablis was a song of birds’ warbling that filled the forest. When the morning sun
covered the town, it also seemed to fill it with vigor and life.
Brendel’s habits had completely changed ever since he entered this world. He used to sleep in late
whenever he could back in his original world, but now he woke up early as a swordsman. He took in a
deep breath, filling his nose with the air inside his room that smelled of peppermint leaves.
Having the luxury to sleep felt like it was ages ago.
He walked towards the nearest window to look outside the inn’s window. The scenery was Chablis’s
undulating mountains, with the town’s stony architecture giving an indescribable charm. As he admired
the landscape, he held down a paper card with two fingers and opening it with his thumb. The Wind
Crystal that was placed beside it immediately turned into a path of green smoke that went straight into
the paper card. A small gust of wind blew within the room, and numerous dimension cracks appeared to
reveal twenty Wind Spirit Spiders which jumped out.
He immediately gave them an order, and the chattering spiders scattered away, becoming blurry and
transient, before they finally disappeared as wafts of smoke and went outside the room. The cracks
closed and the wind stopped, and upon witnessing this event, the youth smiled.
“The current situation appears like it’s a quest mission.” He furrowed his brows as he opened a bottle of
mana potion. This thought has been lingering for two days and he did not sleep well over it.
The game had events that appeared randomly without warning, which either led to a chain quest or a
dungeon. There were hints of how the quests were going to be spawned from logical events, and it was an
attractive selling point.
[Should I treat this current situation like the game or should I worry how far it is going to deviate from
the game? Wait. Think about it, thus far, all the major events have followed the game’s history. Surely
there’s a possibility that this mercenary group that appeared here was in the game’s history as well.]
Brendel went back and forth in his mind, trying to recall the insignificant events during the early years in
the game. After a short while, he finally recalled about an event about within the Baern’s ruins. The
people involved claimed to be the first team that got a chain quest.
[It’s really familiar—]
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As he tried to recall details about the event, a series of impatient knocks could be heard from the door.
[Not Romaine, she wouldn’t bother knocking, not Amandina either, it’s unlike her to knock in such a rude
manner— Makarov’s men.]
Brendel immediately guessed.
“Please enter.”
The door opened to reveal two young men. One of them was the youth with white hair and a feminine
face, who looked at Brendel with considerable scorn. The other man was one whom Brendel had not seen
before.
Brendel observed the second man closely; he had short near hair, a skinny and short figure, and he
looked inside the room with an expression full of curiosity.
“S-ser Brendel, we’re ready to move, may we know if you’re ready?” The short youth glanced at him with
an inquisitive expression that’s mixed with doubt and admiration. It was evident that the battle Brendel
had against Buga had given him a deep impression.
It was well known that Buga’s abilities was far beyond Makarov, and a young man whose age looked
about twenty had bested him in terms of technique, was something that beyond imagination.
[I have heard of the people who are ‘Chosen’, but I don’t know how strong they are… I wonder if he’s
one?]
Brendel would have laughed if he knew what the small youth was thinking. At his current strength he was
not even close to be a ‘Chosen’, he could not even compare to a ‘Blessed’ person either.
“Understood. We will be there shortly. I thank you for informing me.” He nodded.
The youth with white hair immediately scoffed.
Brendel’s eyes darted over to him. He had socialized with some of the mercenaries and found out that the
white-haired youth was a noble’s scion. It was not surprising that he had a temper and a condescending
personality. Brendel guessed that his reason for joining the mercenary was an entire whole story
altogether.
He had no interest to learn of it in any case.
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But while Brendel ignored him, the white-haired youth did not do so. In fact, he became even angrier for
being ignored at, and he scoffed again: “You listen to me. Even though I’m not your match, I’ll constantly
have my eyes on you, and if I find out you’re trying to do something out of order—”
The youth beside him turned around in shock as he did not expect his partner to say something like that.
His eyes went back to Brendel. He mouthed wordlessly, but no sound came out of his throat.
“Oh, you—?” Brendel secretly added ‘moron’ in his mind, then held his gaze on him: “Are called Redi, are
you not?”
“My name has nothing to do with you.” He spat the words out.
“Are the nobles in your homeland without manners?” Brendel asked.
“You….” Redi said through gritted teeth, his hand reaching for his sword, before he recalled the difference
of strength between them, before he dejectedly lowered his hand.
“Eke escaped?”
“How did you know of this, you…..!”
Redi’s brows creased together and he wanted to question Brendel, but he saw him in a contemplating
manner, and immediately realized he made a mistake. He grunted heavily: “Hmph. You concern yourself
too much with this matter. I will inform your transgression to the commander.”
[Blah, blah, whatever. I wonder how many idiots like you are out there.]
But a smile appeared on Brendel’s face: “I merely ask because I had the chance to meet Ser Eke, if you
must know.”
[I don’t gave a shit.] Redi was furiously grinding his teeth, but there was no other expressions about
putting on a taciturn face.
“I heard that you are from the same homeland as the Saint of the Silver Sword, Gory Keyes.” Brendel
suddenly said.
“That’s none of your……”
The white-haired youth finally realized that Brendel was mocking him. He ceased talking and added a
dismissive snort. Since he realized he could not have the upper hand against Brendel, he turned around
and pulled his partner away, with the intention of leaving Brendel behind to find the way on his own, and
it would be even better if he was unable to find his way.
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Brendel kept laughing in his mind.
[It seems that bastard Gory has an ardent admirer.]
He had tried to learn his sword skills from Gory, but he failed to get any quest related to his techniques,
and even suffered considerably under the old man’s temper.
[I wonder if he knows that old man’s real nature. He really loves to gamble, but he’s always unlucky and
he completely denies making a bet when he loses… But there might be an opportunity to get one of his
skill someday. It’s a pity he is traveling in Kirrlutz currently, otherwise I might try to find him.]
…….
Makarov and Buga exchanged long looks with each other. In the end it was Makarov who asked: “Ser
Brendel, they are?”
He pointed at the twelve mercenaries who wore different uniforms.
[Mother Marsha above, we locked down the inn’s entrance and exit. We had scouts at the town’s gates,
but how did these conspicuous men escape our notice? Did they arrive long ago before us? But we have
been here for three days and these men did not appear!]
He stared at the men who carried axes, spears, shields, longswords along with full headgear.
Brendel did not understand the conflict in Makarov’s mind, so he merely shrugged as he explained with a
smile: “These are my men. I believe I had mentioned before that I have mercenaries under me. Hmm…..
They hail from distant lands, and as you know as a merchant, I had the chance to travel to different
kingdoms. These mercenaries are from a minority tribe from the eastern Kindoms. Please do not mind
what they wear.”
The smile never left his face, as though something like that really happened.
Amandina and Romaine threw furtive glances at him.
[Brendel actually has contact with minorities from the faraway lands! Incredible!] Romaine’s innocent
mind praised him wholeheartedly.
But Amandina had different thoughts. Even though she knew he had another group of mercenaries under
him, they were most likely from Arreck and not minorities.
[There’s something amiss. Even though Brendel said Ciel had to go back to Karsuk for a certain matter,
there’s something wrong somewhere.] Amandina buried these thoughts in her heart as she did not want
to question her lord.
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Makarov and Buga who had more experience than Amandina obviously came to the same conclusion, but
they did not understand how these mercenaries came about. Their Silver-ranked scouts even found Eke,
but these new mercenaries who looked like they only had Iron-ranks fighters amongst them actually
bypassed every scout.
Makarov subconsciously knitted his brows together. His opinions rated Brendel three grades higher, and
he appeared to be on the realms of mystery.
“Then, Commander Makarov, should we set off?” Brendel asked.
“Certainly.” Makarov nodded with some difficulty. He was determined to place Brendel in the center of
his own mercenaries to keep close watch over him. He was originally confident that he could keep trouble
to a minimum, but there were twelve ‘Silver-ranked’ mercenaries who escaped detection, led by a youth
who he himself was physically capable as a Silver-ranked fighter who was armed with incredible talent in
the sword.
He felt a headache coming up. He looked back at Buga with a little blame in his eyes: “My old friend, this
was the result of your investigation?”
Buga shrugged.
Makarov had asked Buga to search the mercenaries that Brendel had mentioned, but there was not even a
hint about them, but there were twelve of them that suddenly sprung up. Even though they looked like
they only were ‘Iron-ranked’ fighters, but Makarov did not believe his own eyes. These men were
strangely dressed and he thought they had the means to hide their own strength.
Buga also shook his head inwardly when he saw the mercenaries.
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TL: So I recently found a webnovel about chinese history.
Gravity tales is translating The Grandmaster Strategist, and I find that it’s translated really well. The story
is about an alternate universe that talks about chinese history as a genre (no cheat skills or systems. It’s
not a xianxia.). This novel isn’t a real historical novel, but it picks from famous chinese poets and combine
their poems which the protagonist writes, which then invites drama that comes into play. This is like a
webnovel that introduces you to chinese history written in an entertaining way. I kind of have to tip my
hat off for the guts to even try and translate this novel.
Honestly, the original text picked off hardcore poems that needs a whole chapter devoted to explain the
origin’s text and meaning, but the translator did a really fine job in making it sound great in english and
retain its general essence.
Chapter 71 – The oncoming premonition
Brendel rubbed his forehead as he recalled a particular battle during the game, as he traveled into the
Baern’s forest.
Before entering a war filled with bloodshed, the gamers who led a peaceful lifestyle could hardly imagine
the fanatical eyes of every person that seemed to be swallowed in bloodlust. The battles were as chilling
as it appeared, the cold and merciless blades that went into each throat, causing crimson blood to spray
everywhere, filling the air with iron rust, while each victim struggled on the ground as the night melted
into the background. Their weary eyes saw their final moments before their vision became dim.
That did not mark the end of them, because their own blood would pool within their lungs and they
would cough incessantly, in a painful bid to cling for life before they finally expire in sorrow.
Once upon a time, ‘Sophie’ thought ‘The Amber Sword’ was going to progress like a scene in a novel. He
recalled the moments of how the battles unfolded in a bizarre manner.
There were no two armies deployed in an orderly fashion facing each other. His first true battle with
large numbers occurred in the Delttal Forest. Tall trees with dense leaves lined across a precipice which
led into a meandering shoreline. The enemies that consisted of slavery merchants and their private
armies hid within the cliffs’ large fissures.
The number of gamers and NPCs were more than three times the slavers’ private armies, but the true
battle was decided by how proficient their scouts were in a place like this.
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The initial battle started off with the gamers completely falling into chaos as they were flanked from an
ambush in an unfavorable spot. Team members were separated from each other and the appointed
leaders lost sight of their position, and the majority of the people had to form into small groups to fight
for themselves.
The enemy employed multiple highly mobile ambushes that came for the flanks and back, and the
thousand odd gamers were held back by a single unit of cavalry.
No one knew where the scouts were spying them from, and the chaos had made it impossible for the
leaders to keep track of where their flanks were. In retrospect, Brendel felt that having the option to
command a battleground from an isometric view like how other games were, was something of a blissful
thought.
During the thick of the battle, countless swallow-tail flags were carried by a myriad number of guilds that
served to obscure sight and contributed nothing but disorder. They were ushered to move in a direction
that no one knew where they were going, occasionally encountering small groups of the slavery’s private
army and defeating them easily. Everyone thought they had the greater numbers and thought they were
going to win, but the longer the battle went on, the more splintered the groups became.
The slavers’ main private army moved in an organized manner with numbers that dwarfed the splintered
groups, picking them off one by one, like how Brendel had done so earlier when he fought the undead
army with the refugees.
By the time dusk came, the remaining gamers found themselves surrounded by the enemies’ flags—
[‘The Delttal’s massacre’, aptly named in the forums. Seventeen hundred gamers gathered together by
three large guilds to fight along the NPCs. There was no question to the gamers’ skill and courage. Even
until the end they formed small parties to fight to their deaths, but the result was the gamers being
utterly obliterated.]
The irony in the situation was how the smaller groups of gamers caused more damage to the slavers in
the night, compared to the situation in the daytime where they had the advantage in numbers. Brendel
gave a wry smile.
[This memory still chills me to my soul even though that battle happened just after Bucce’s battle with
Madara. The gamers only learned how to employ tactics and memorized the guild flags and whether they
belonged to the cavalries or foot soldiers. The commanders situated themselves onto higher grounds so
they could observe the batleground and adjust their positions accordingly within a ten-mile radius.]
Brendel watched Makarov issued commands that the gamers had to learn themselves.
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There were certainly differences to the battle Brendel had because of the scale, but the principles behind
them were similar. Brendel held the horse’s reins closely and directed it to avoid shrubs so that they
would not prick it. He glanced around from time to time, and discovered figures wearing green robes and
painted bows darting across. Normal people would not have noticed them.
[‘The Forest Spirits’? They are definitely the best hunters that appeared in this world as far I can see.
Kirrlutz’s soldiers called them the ‘Forest Spirits’ when they invaded this land two hundred years ago, but
it’s a name that the local citizens saw as praise. This meant they were the swiftest hunters, the most
accurate archers and the best rangers.]
“I wonder where Makarov found them.” Brendel subconsciously mumbled as he tapped the gold plated
bits on the reins. He had actually teamed up with them before, even though the time he had with them
was not long, they left a deep impression on him.
“I wonder if they scouted this place for a long time.”
The mercenaries would have an easy time if they had excellent scouts. Makarov certainly handled things
well. Brendel understood that mercenaries could only perform well if they were far more familiar with
the lands compared to their enemies.
The members of Makarov’s mercenaries were definitely veterans. It was a common thing for mercenaries
to be hired to clear bandits, and the more famous their name was, the more experienced they tend to be.
Makarov himself was clearly someone who’s renowned.
[There wouldn’t be many differences to how I would employ our positions if I was to lead the
mercenaries. He even has an advantage over me since he already knows where the lizardmen are. The
Elven ruins in Baern should prove to be a difficult place to access if they are not locals, but it seems his
men knows this place well. I wondered how I’m going to work with him and I considered the possibility
of hiring other mercenaries to follow his tail, but that itself can be considered as a great affront.]
Brendel ultimately chose to use the Mercenaries’ Oath, and was secretly delighted that Makarov had a
great number of scouts. It also highlighted the disadvantage if he chose to chose his former plan. If he
followed them from the back, he would not have seen the scouts.
He looked over to Makarov and Buga.
Their faces were taut. They had shown Brendel’s their scouts because they had no choice. If they hid
them, sooner or later Brendel would have noticed them, so revealing them now was a choice they made
to give him a warning. Brendel’s men seemed to be like a bomb waiting to explode. Placing them in front
or at the back was even more dangerous, compared to placing them at the center where they could
surround them quickly.
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If he had a choice, Makarov would have Brendel thrown out a long time ago. Even through the journey he
wanted to do so several times, but he shook his head in the end.
[Even if other groups of mercenaries would do something otherwise, the Grey Wolves must not do
something dishonorable. The agreement stands.]
“Is Eke still in the town?” Makarov turns to Buga and asks.
Buga nodded.
“Forget it. Let him do whatever he wants. This isn’t his fault,” Makarov shook his head and let a sardonic
smile spread across his face. “It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t tell him too much.”
“He’s doing this because of you.”
“I know he’s concerned about the ‘Paper Cards’, but he doesn’t know that we know about their presence
already. That idiot bastard Drake thinks he’s fooling us, but what he doesn’t know is we’re playing along
with his trick.” Makarov tilted his head with contempt: “But the most troublesome person is not him, but
the youth in front of us. I’m certain that he’s not with the ‘Paper Cards’ yet that doesn’t give me relief.”
Makarov gave a rarely seen expression that was full of disdain.
“That’s a terrible irony, you do know that right.” He said.
Buga agreed as well.
Brendel did not know that he caused such grief to them, but started to calculate the number of men
marching. There were seventy odd men altogether heading straight to the Elven ruins.
[It would be best if we could ambush the lizardmen, otherwise this excursion would take a few days.]
Brendel’s thoughts drifted to this morning.
[The insignia of the Grey Wolves are lilac flowers that specifically blooms in the southern region. The
insignia are the exact same as the Greenwoods Mountain Mercenaries… Wait… what’s the composition of
the Grey Wolves Mercenaries again? ]
Brendel looked at the Makarov’s men around him.
[Half of them are Iron-ranked fighters, a fifth are Silver-ranked, along with ‘The Forest Spirits’? With such
a group of mercenaries to clear a hundred odd level 20 Lizardmen Bandits, there’s no need to even
arrange tactics here. Something is off about this.]
762

Brendel finally realized the origins of the Grey Wolves as he observed them, but his train of thoughts
were interrupted when he heard Amandina snapping in a loud voice.
“Why are you placing your men over here? This isn’t normal!”
Brendel could imagine Amandina’s frown on her face without turning around.
“What the hell do you know, you wench.” Redi’s voice rang out loudly.
Brendel’s face immediately darkened.
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TL: This is the initial draft. The next chapter should come two or three days later.
Chapter 72 – Brendel’s strategy
Brendel turned back and indeed saw the white-haired man wearing a frosty expression.
What came next into his sight were ten odd Juddelan heavy infantry men. The Juddelan was one of
Aouine’s most commonly hired mercenaries. These men lived in regions near the sea, and all their eleven
ports were frequently hassled by pirates. With these constant battles, the citizens of Juddelan naturally
became mercenaries.
A typical Juddelan mercenary wore a well crafted and heavy scale armor, a long flame-forged steel spear,
and on top of the spear held a shield half the size of a man. Finally their waist was adorned with higher
grade swords and axes that were handed down from their ancestors.
Brendel knew them well from the game.
“What is going on?” He jerked his horse to stop it from moving as he asked.
“These are clearly heavy infantry……. Messere,” Amandina’s obsidian eyes beheld a clear alertness as she
turned around to answer Brendel: “They clearly do not trust me if they place this group of heavy infantry
behind us.”
Brendel took another glance behind her and realized something suddenly. He merely smiled: “Not
trusting is a normal reaction.”
“But—”
Redi snorted in displeasure at Amandina’s continued disapproval.
Brendel eyed at him once and asked: “Then what is the reason for putting these Juddelan men behind
us?”
“It does not concern you.” Redi snapped.
“Ser, these men usually move slower in the forest,” It was the shorter youth who came along with Redi in
the morning who walked over. He jerked Redi’s sleeve, while he continued to answer: “Commander
Makarov also placed them here to handle ambushes, and it’s not because of the distrust towards
everyone here.”
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“Wonderful, killing two birds with one stone.” Brendel expressed an understanding face, but he did not
forget to ridicule Redi: “But your partner is just awful at communication compared to you.”
Redi’s face flashed in anger and flung his arm to get rid of his partner’s pull, leaving the other youth
behind. Brendel took a longer look at the youth in front of him: “What’s your name?”
“I’m Sanford.”
“Sanford, that name doesn’t sound like the locals.”
“I’m originally an apprentice baker in Bruglas…… which was before I became a mercenary. Ser, your
accent seems like one from there too.”
“I’m not, but the girls are.” Brendel pointed his chin at them.
Sanford gave a shy smile and looked at the girl riding behind Brendel. But she turned her face away to the
side and did not look at him. Even though she was a poor noble, she had the temperament of a typical
Aouine noble who refused to be friendly to typical commoners. Romaine did not have the same concern,
so she winked at him as she was from Bucce and considered as a neighbor.
“It sounds like this reasoning is fine, but to bring heavy infantry in the forest is a sign of ill consideration.”
Amandina looked at the Juddelan men as she spoke.
But there was a loud retort that came swiftly when she finished her words.
“Serah, messere, pray hold your words. We have to work for our meals, and commander Makarov was
kind enough to accept us, so we have to pledge our loyalty. It behooves us to follow our group, have you
ever heard of mercenaries leaving their comrades to go forth in danger while we stay back?”
A Juddelan mercenary came into sight as he walked out from the shrubs. He was carrying a large black
weapon, his face full of stubble along with a lop-sided grin. He shook his head as he spoke with a heavy
accent.
Brendel’s group looked at him.
[Here’s someone who can walk freely out of rank. His position within the mercenaries is definitely not
low.]
“Frank, assault captain.” He introduced himself as he rubbed his nose.
“What is that?” Brendel’s gaze fell upon Frank’s weapon in his hand.
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“A flintlock gun, this is my precious baby.” Frank patted his black weapon and gave a harsh laugh.
Brendel recognized that weapon. Abandoned mana crystal fragments were used as gunpowder, while an
Element Needle was uasd as the ignition mechanism. They are the unigue firearms of this world. The
Ovlans had started making guns approximately thirty years ago, and even had two squads of soldiers
armed with flintlock guns; and dating even further back the Silver Years was the Dwarves creating
matchlock guns.
A gun was extremely powerful in close range. The best flintlock gun one could find did the same damage
within forty meters as a Brass-ranked artifact. Furthermore, the gunners in this era were very familiar
with the usage. The only ranged unit that might possibly outperformed it was a trained squadron of
mages who specialized in projectile magic. (TL: Examples of the Brass-ranked artifacts are Brendel’s wind
ring and flame ring.)
[Many mercenaries love using firearms, especially pistols. Using a long barreled gun like this person here
is rare. Even throughout the game, guns didn’t change how wars are fought, unlike my original world.
Since mana crystals are limited, so is the quantity of guns.]
Amandina felt her face burning up slightly but she maintained her vigilant attitude. “What did you mean
by that?”
“It’s very simple. It seems that you’re following what the kingdom’s army was taught to do in books.
We’re simple mercenaries. Regardless of whether we’re light or heavy infantry, the only thing we do is to
fight together under any type of situation. You are not wrong in saying we shouldn’t be here in this forest,
but we need to consider reality……” Frank answered in a polite tone, but it was not hard to listen to hear
the indifference in his voice.
Amandina hiccuped once. She knew that her knowledge that she had gotten from the books was shallow,
but pointing it out directly made her feel slight anger. She cast a quick glance at Brendel, and whispered
quietly.
“Do you believe them, my lord?”
Brendel looked at Frank and nodded.
“But-”
“But what?” He asked her instead.
Amandina’s eyes said ‘Are you really going to believe him?’.
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Brendel merely gave a smile and exchanged greetings with Frank and Sanford, before urging his horse to
move forward. He did not give a reply to her, but her obstinate personality did not allow her to stop at
that, and gave chase to him.
“My lord, I don’t think these men are normal.”
“Why?”
“Instinct.”
“What do you say to that, little Romaine?” Brendel said without turning his head around.
“I don’t know,” Romaine shook her head: “But my aunt has said that being overly formal and detailed are
the signs of being guilty!”
Brendel grinned when he heard her answer, and he urged his horse near Romaine and flicked her
forehead.
“You cunning little fox. You obviously know what they are up to and yet you have to do it in such a
roundabout way.”
“I, I really don’t know!” Romaine’s brows raised up as she quickly tried to justify herself.
Amandina did not know what to do in front of their flirting, but she finally understood that Brendel
feigned ignorance and already suspected their motives from the start. It was finally then she relaxed.
“If that is the case,” Amandina’s face was slightly red as she eyed both of them: “What should we do?”
“Be ready to handle things as they come.” Brendel merely said.
He had finally recalled all the clues mentioned from the forum’s guide to this related quest. As long as the
mercenaries were not going to create trouble for him, anything they did was negotiable. Still, this was a
headache that he did not need, the enemies that the Grey Wolves Mercenaries was about to face was
going to embroil them into another new kind of trouble, but he could only blame Makarov for getting
involved with such a tricky opponent.
[Rather than calling it a fight between two groups of mercenaries, it’s the organization behind ‘Paper
Cards’ targeting the Grey Wolves Mercenaries.]
He monitored his surroundings, taking into view of the men around him. He was not really concerned
about their fates, but he was trying hard to think how he could escape from this problem.
[What I don’t get is how a mere mercenary group got the attention of the damnned Tree Shepherds—]
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The Unifying Guild’s members were like law-abiding citizens compared to them.
Brendel started to ponder the entire situation as a gamer.
[Even though there’s no need to stick my hand into this beehive, it’s best for me to consider the outcomes.
While the guide gave a walkthrough to how they handled the events, the details are entirely lacking. The
background information isn’t mentioned at all.]
He rubbed his forehead.
[We should leave before they fight. The boss in this quest is the God Acolyte ‘Ekman’. According to lore,
the name is derived from ‘eaam’, and represents verdant mountains and limitless seas as a spellword. In
ancient times, there had been a gigantic creature called ‘Ekman’ as well, both existing in Kirrlutz’s
legendary fables and mountain folklore, and represented immortality—]
[The gigantic beast Ekman, is a descendant from the Titans, but the God Acolyte is nothing more a
monster’s name. These so called ‘God Acolytes’ are nothing more than twisted abominations like the
Golden Demonic Tree, and really nothing more than the product of being nurtured with the corrupted
blood of a god.]
Brendel recalled the time where he fought with the God Acolyte of Skies ‘Amar’ and God Acolyte of
Darkness ‘Black lotus’. The former was an incomplete form at level fifty. He had fought with it in a
random encounter with his allies in the Freedom Port, Ampere Seale, and emerged victorious with much
difficulty. The latter was a level sixty-seven elite boss within the primary heroic quest which two guilds
participated in to vanquish it.
[The God Acolytes are terrifying because they are so much more powerful than what their level indicates.
Even with an incomplete form at level fifty, they are able to match several Gold-ranked fighters at one go.
I don’t even have the slightest intention to go against this opponent… Still, there’s the chance to get some
advantages here. The Grey Wolves Mercenaries must have been decimated here but at the very least
Makarov and Buga didn’t die.]
Brendel’s mind ran through the series of possibilities as to why they survived, before it wandered to the
loot that the Tree Sheperds dropped.
[The God Acolyte of Skies drops the Spear of Blue Skies, ‘Phana’. That’s the highest tier of the Gold-ranked
(Fantasy) weapons, allowing to ignore all physical defence. The God Acolyte of Darkness even drops a
Dark Gold-ranked (Godly) weapon, the Death Scythe, ‘Lunar Velit’. Its ability was Coup De Grace, a one
percent chance to deal damage equivalent to the target’s current life (non-boss) and ignores all defense.
The secondary trait is Annhilation, and prevents the target from receiving any heals with a ten percent
chance.]
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Even though they were immensely powerful, they were a walking treasure vault, and one could only
wonder where they were able to get so many rare items.
“The rarest thing these God Acolytes has is actually the blood running in them…… All of them has the
corrupted blood of gods in them. Mother Marsha above, how did they get the hands on the blood of these
gods who have disappeared?”
He muttered to himself.
After the Era of Darkness, these Gods had passed away and became constellations. The only God that was
still in this world was Mother Marsha, and the world was no longer controlled by these powers. Anyone
who tried to call themselves God would be a false one.
“What are you thinking about, my lord?” Amandina saw Brendel was lost in his thoughts.
Brendel shook his head and said: “The powers of the mountains.”
“Powers of the mountains?”
TL: So about these three titles… They are loan words from game of thrones and dragon age 2, but the
meaning might differ for this novel.
Ser – Given to fighters and knights, gender neutral.
Messere – Elevated respect of Mister, but not necessarily Ser.
Serah – Elevated respect of Miss, but not necessarily Ser.
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TL: So I kind of peeked at chapter 73 and 74, and I decided to kind of TL ch 73 (first draft). Looks like the
plot is thickening up quite hard with a possible 4 way fight.
Chapter 73 – Deceptive currents
‘The Power of the Mountains’ was a pair of vambraces. (TL: You don’t say. )
A pair of vambraces was considered as a unique weapon that was usually used by monks. It was
uncommon to see warriors and hired mercenaries wearing them, but Brendel was interested in getting
them.
If Ekman was allowed to grow into his complete form, he would drop the sword ‘Lightning Sunder’ as
well, but Brendel did not waste time trying to figure out a plan to stop a level sixty-seven elite boss, who
would easily destroy them with just a flick of his finger to unleash the corresponding Element that he had.
The current Buga might have unlocked his Element, but there was a huge difference between humans and
corrupted creatures with a god’s blood in them. Unless he was able to attain a perfect self and reach the
Golden Blood, he would have a great disadvantage against mythical enemies.
[Putting aside that level 62 Dark Gold-ranked weapon, even a level 45 Gold-ranked weapon is enough
drive gamers crazy. The damage output would be several times of what the Thorn of Light can do. Some
players who got these weapons even deleted their characters to start over again, just for the sake of
showing off their weapons.]
Brendel was willing to redo his plan to level up just to get the vambraces. There was a definite chance to
get the item in contrast to the sword, Lionheart. Many kings had sought after it in the history of Aouine,
only to fail. Furthermore, it was only a level seventy Gold-ranked weapon.
[I might have a few clues to get that weapon, but given my history within the game, the chance of
finishing a quest like that might as well be finding a needle in a haystack. But if I’m able to get the
vambraces, then I should consider planning my character’s path around it—]
He rubbed his forehead, as he suddenly realized that he was chasing after a delusion. Currently there was
no sign of the Tree Shepherd, let alone the ‘Paper Cards’, and to finish it off, it was still a question if
Makarov and Buga was able to kill the God Acolyte.
[Safety should be my first concern. Getting greedy after that should be the way to go.]
Brendel started to plot out scenarios to exact details. If he had the knowledge of what was to come, his
plans made him an impossible foe to beat.
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[Even though the Tree Shepherds are frightening opponents, but they are nothing more than that.]
Brendel had faced three of the twelve Tree Shepherds and defeated two of them. Even though he did not
have his original strength, his foresight and experience were kept at his peak.
The God Acolytes were not without their weaknesses.
“Power of the mountains?” Amandina’s eyes were slightly perplexed as she asked in confusion: “What is
that?”
“Uh….. I’m just thinking of a famous treasure in this area. There are rumors that it’s within the Silver
Elves’ ruins, but it’s just that no one has seen it.” Brendel had to find a suitable excuse for his mistake. He
could not say that Ekman, who was a God Acolyte, was going to bring it over to him.
He still had no intention of letting his image become a mentally troubled person in Amandina’s eyes.
Even so, his words still drew Amandina’s ire with her eyes complaining. She sighed: “My lord, now is not
the time to consider this, right?”
“Most certainly.” Brendel could only offer a dry smile: “I was just a little distracted.”
But his words could only fool himself. Amandina was incredibly perceptive. She looked at him with doubt.
In her mind, he was a careful and brilliant knight who would not be merely distracted by something
unimportant. He seemed to be constantly thinking about something, and even though it looks like the
things he did were not connected together, it was clear that he had planned them from the very beginning
after the dust had settled.
Amandina was very suspicious of the fact that he was able to do something like that. A great plan might
be great indeed, but the level of which Brendel exhibited was something akin to precognition, and that he
was merely waiting for events to come to pass.
She had thought of several reasons as to why he had that air around him, whether it was because of
having huge confidence or exceptional insight. The only possibility that she did not consider was knowing
the future. Even the seers in the royal court could only predict the direction of great events, and that only
gods would be capable of such feats.
She certainly did not imagine at all that Brendel was not from this world.
“Momentarily distracted?” Amandina frowned slightly and showed her small displeasure. “My lord, if
there are things that you don’t wish to tell me, I won’t ask for it either—”
Brendel felt like he was suddenly a victim who had been blamed of great crimes. He had secrets that he
could not say because it was really impossible to do so.
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[Mother Marsha, how do you expect me to talk to them about these things. Even if I tell them, nobody
would believe me, and just give me a label of a madman. This is a deal that will never be in my favor.]
He could only explain patiently: “Miss Amandina, I assure you that I have no intentions like that……”
But before he finished, Romaine came to the conversation after she roamed around without anyone know
where she went, and promised in an excited manner: “I won’t ask for your secrets too Brendel! I
promise!”
Brendel glared at her. If there was anyone who was capable of creating great chaos, she would definitely
be at the top.
In the end he sighed and raised his hands: “Never mind. Let’s get down to business. The two of you must
pitch your tents closer to my own tonight. Don’t take off your armor and don’t sleep like a log,
understand?”
Amandina immediately checked her surroundings with a pair of watchful eyes. “Why?”
“I’ll explain it during then.” He turned around and saw Romaine nodding in an exaggerated manner, but
her face clearly showed that she was not paying attention. Brendel’s eyes narrowed dangerously. He
knew her character all too well.
“Dearest Romaine, I know you too well. You had better stay awake all throughout the night. Don’t think
that I don’t know you will sleep like a little pig, where no one can wake you up other than Mother
Marsha.”
“But my aunt says that a woman will grow old quickly if she doesn’t sleep.”
“I didn’t see you turning old when we didn’t sleep in Bucce for several days.”
“But the Madara undead will catch up with us if we sleep!”
“The situation right now is the same……” Brendel said exasperatedly.
================= Eke’s Pov =====================
Eke was able to differentiate the fennel and cinnamon spices that were transported from the Silver Sand
seas. He had trained his abilities to discern poisons in his trainings, and differentiating spices was a part
of his training.
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Still, the spices in the air nearly caused him to sneeze. Right now, Eke wished his heart would stop
beating, but it was still pounding loudly in his chest.
He shut his lips tightly so that he would not leak any sounds out. Even if he wanted to breath in deep
gasps of air, he could only resist in doing so. His lungs were screaming for oxygen and his mind was
assailed with dizziness, and perspiration poured down from his forehead. The white bags that were made
from wool were blotched with dark areas.
“Who are you people? What are you doing here?”
Eke was not able to see that man, but he could guess who it was. It was the second squadron’s leader,
Captain Capo, and the familiar comrades he had in the mercenary group.
[Don’t come over here— Turn around, everyone. Don’t let these fucking bastards get suspicious!]
He stared at the shadows that covered the opposite wall, afraid that he would miss even the slightest
details.
He prayed in his heart to plead with Mother Marsha to let Capo and his men leave immediately. It was
impossible to imagine that they would leave unless a miracle happened. Even though he knew Makarov
left some of his men behind to keep watch over him, it was more alike to having them to take care over
him. Capo cared the most for him, and he was the first teacher that taught him how to use a sword.
Everyone, even his stepfather Makarov, knew that he was hiding in the town.
[They probably even know the fact that I slipped back into the inn. I know you care a great deal about me,
and you always treat me like a child, but these damned bastards are not from the ‘Paper Cards’! Do you
really think I’m afraid of them? Why don’t you understand this father?]
He clenched and unclenched his fists.
[I can’t let the enemy notice me. But Capo and the others aren’t their match… And these bastards are like
devils who wouldn’t bat an eyelid even if the whole street is flooded with blood!]
Eke struggled with himself. He wanted to jump up and warn Capo, to yell at them and flee. In the youth’s
heart, Capo was his friend and teacher, and he wanted to fulfill his moral obligations to him. His eyes felt
wet.
[…… There’s a mission that’s more important than both of us. I can’t let these bastards get away with their
plans.]
“Where is that young man you were chasing?” Capo said.
Eke’s heart skipped a beat.
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“Hand over Eke, we saw you chasing him!” There was a another voice that was younger, and sounded
even more impatient.
[Chris, you bloody moron!]
Eke’s hand subconsciously went to his sword. His whole body was trembling. Then he heard a familiar
laughter so cold, that he thought needles were entering his spine.
“Ahahaha, all of you are indeed together with him—”
================= POV ends ===============
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TL: Well this is the first draft, not vetted for mistakes. I was kind of distracted by stuff recently, but you
should see 4 draft amber sword chapters (including this one) + 3 draft TSTBGAM chapters over the next
few few hours.
Edit: Okay, hopefully I copied the right chapter this time. The reason why there’s a mistake is because the
original site had a numbering error. It literally skipped “chapter 66” and I have manually corrected each
chapter, which kind of confuses me until I finally made a mistake with this chapter.
Chapter 74 – Night assault (1)
===================== Unknown POV ====================
“Here’s someone we know, Carles.”
A man wearing a black cavalier’s uniform watched the valleys from afar. The fire torches lit up the dark
forest like stars in the sky. The Grey Wolves Mercenaries seemed to slumber as there were no sounds
within the camps. The only noise within the forest were the rustling of leaves caused by the western wind
that came from the sea.
[It sounds like a roaring tide.]
There seemed to be a creature bellowing deep within the mountain forests as the echoes spreaded out.
Moments later, a giant monster emerged out from the trees with its immense claws dragging a female
guard’s corpse.
She was also a scout that Brendel had seen in the afternoon, but she had turned into a lifeless corpse. The
monster gurgled as the the orange flames shimmered; it was clearly displeased with the cavalier’s
flippant attitude.
“It’s not your place to lecture me, small one.”
The monster’s voice was raspy and broken, like a clockwork mechanism that had not been maintained.
It straightened its body and threw the corpse down from a cliff. The dead mercenary fell into a number of
dense shrubs, causing many branches to snap loudly as she fell some thirty or forty feet. Despite the
noise, the distance to the camp was too far away for anyone to hear the commotion, especially when
there was a strong wind.
The cavalier frowned as he looked at his partner—
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Then he saw a group of ghastly translucent spiders with poisonous green eyes screeching noisily as they
pounced from the nearby trees…..
================= Brendel POV ===============
There was a cracking sound.
Brendel stopped what he was doing and located the source of the sound. He found one of his cards on the
floor. WHen he turned it over, he saw the Wind Spider Spirits had turned grey, an indication that it had
entered into the Graveyard.
His first reaction was not to mourn for the loss of it but quickly kept it into his pocket and extinguished
his lamp, causing his surroundings turned dark immediately.
[That’s too fast.]
Brendel felt like he was slightly caught off guard.
The Grey Wolves Mercenaries had selected an ideal vale to avoid the winds and constructed tents there.
Brendel suggested their forces to be situated further from each other to avoid suspicion, Even though
Makarov and Buga felt surprised, they happily agreed. Brendel did not trust them, and they did not trust
him either, thus the two scheming parties found this arrangement to be agreeable.
What Makarov did not expect was why Brendel wanted this arrangement; it was just so that he could run
away in the middle of the night with an excuse.
The youth crawled out of his tent and immediately felt the hair on his bare skin stand up. Chablis was
mired in deep fog in its area, and had high temperature during the day time with the temperature falling
quickly in the night. Unprepared travelers would certainly find themselves to be chilled if they did not
prepare adequate bedding.
Brendel shook off any intention to sleep and observed his surroundings. Human figures came in the form
of shadows, and despite Brendel’s lack of vision training in the night, his high stats in perception allowed
him to perceive things in clarity during the night.
[It seems like Makarov is only suspicious of us, but they don’t intend to harm us.]
After confirming that there was no one nearby, he slowly stood up. He was already dressed and ready for
full combat. He wore a set of studded leather armor, with pouches attached to his belt as well as a
longsword. In his hand was a backpack with necessary water and food. He quietly went over to a nearby
tent and patted on the tent’s cloth. After a few seconds, a curious voice came from within:
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“Brendel?”
“Romaine, why are you in here!” Brendel felt confounded as he had checked repeatedly that it was
supposed to be Amandina’s tent.
“It’s a surprise!” She giggled with a little pride.
“Cut your bloody surprises.” Brendel growled.
Someone emerged from the tent, and he saw Amandina tying her hair while she stood up. She had an
apologetic face, but Brendel knew that Romaine would have ignored her protests. He gave an audible sigh
and apologized to her.
“I’m sorry for the trouble……”
Amandina took a few moments for Brendel’s apology to register in her mind, then smiled faintly as she
glanced at her tent.
“My lord, it seems that you are really fond of Romaine.” She whispered.
Brendel nodded. He allowed Romaine to do whatever she wanted, was not only because lesser half of him
had spent his life with her as a friend, but also because the greater half of him acknowledged her as the
first friend that he had when came to this world.
[Unfortunately, that naive and shy youth is no longer here. This body might be nineteen in this world but
I’m certainly not of that age. what I want to attain here will demand an equivalent amount of
responsibilities.]
He pulled back the corner of the tent’s opening, and found Romaine beaming at him.
“Are you both ready?” He asked.
They both nodded.
Brendel looked back at the other tents, and as if to respond to his action, a dozen men came out from
their tents at the same time. There was no need for them to exchange words, and they began to pack their
tents quietly. Even though they were fully equipped with armor and weapons, they did not make any
sound from their actions.
Amandina had seen these men in the day, but her eyes quickly betrayed her surprise.
[These men are exceptionally well trained, where did he find them?]
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The Mercenaries of Lopes were certainly renowned in history. This specific ‘Card’ summoned beings
seemed to represent a certain collective nature, and these twelve mercenaries were the best
representation of ‘Heroic’, ‘Loyalty’, ‘Honor’, ‘Morale’, and ‘Discipline’. They also did not fear death and
pain, and were most likely to be the best soldiers that graced this world.
Brendel wanted more men like them.
The more Amandina watched them, the more impressed she was. She quickly felt her face, then looked at
Brendel, wondering whether she was seeing things wrongly—-
It was not as if she had not seen mercenaries before. The nobles had more or less done dealings with
them to protect their properties. Most of the mercenaries were related to the kingdom’s formal army, if
they exclude the local bullies and criminals.
She thought she had seen the best of them when she traveled with the Grey WOlves Mercenaries, but
Brendel’s men clearly distinguished themselves beyond reproach. They seemed to elude something that a
normal mercenary would never have—
She showed a slight frown as she tried to find the words to describe them.
[… Pride and dignity. How many mercenaries would maintain what they do like it was some form of
sacred duty, like a knight’s oath? These men doesn’t look like they could be paid with coins, but more like
they are retainers from a noble’s family.]
The more she thought about it, the more she believed in her supposition.
A noble’s scion leaving his own family to create his own fiefdom. It sounded like it was came out from
some legendary stories. When Brendel invited her to join him to create a land of his own, she was unable
to resist her adventuring self, even if she had received the strictest education from young.
It was an immense enticement that compelled her to want to assist a young knight without using any help
from his family to create his own territory.
[It seems like this lord of mine isn’t starting from scratch… But this is more a delightful find rather than a
depressing one. It is better for him to be prepared, rather than someone who’s a hot-blooded knight who
wants to imitate the legendary figures of old.]
Brendel did not know what Amandina was thinking about from his single ‘Cards of Fate’. If he knew, he
would have tried ways to show off his mercenaries and recruit loyal retainers.
When the twelve men were done with their packing and had gathered before him for his next order,
Brendel found he had encountered a small problem.
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Two people, a man and a woman, from the Grey Wolves Mercenaries’ camps were heading over to his
camp area.
He squinted and identified one of them—
[It’s that white-haired brat, Redi. Did they notice some form of commotion here— No, these two are
clearly not heading for our tents. Judging by their direction, they are cutting across our camps to go out…
Why are they going out there?]
He suddenly formed a new possibility.
[Spies?]
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TL: As explained in my correction in the previous chapter, there’s a numbering mistake in the original
raws. However, for my sanity points, I think I’m going to follow the raws numbering chapter from this
chapter onwards.
The previous chapter’s contents have been fixed.
Redi and the person beside him walked closer and closer, the two lithe figures looking like they were
floating specters in the thick fog.
Everyone at Brendel’s side had stopped their actions and looked over to their direction. Amandina
lowered her head, estimated their direction and immediately paled. She raised her head and looked at
Brendel, her eyes full of worry—
They had camped in an area where there was a clear landing, and the Mercenaries of Lopes had cleared
all their tents. Even if they simply passed by the forest, they would surely discover this abnormal scene.
“Keep your hair on.” Brendel merely stared ahead and said. (TL: In here it’s a chinese idiom, so I replaced
it with the english equivalent, sort of. It means “to stay calm.”)
Even though the people around him did not understand what the phrase meant, they regained their
composure when they saw Brendel’s raised hand and unperturbed face. His action meant that they
should not act rashly.
Amandina’s lips opened slightly.
The mercenaries were Brendel’s summoned creatures and completely obeyed the Planeswalkers’
commands. Even if there was a precipice in front of them and Brendel ordered them to advance, they
would do so without hesitation.
However, in Amandina’s eyes, these proud veteran soldiers ceased their murmurs and actions just
because of Brendel’s small action. Everyone became silent, and she subconsciously held her breath, not
daring to exhale loudly.
The strength of the valley’s gale was at its peak, howling across the southern mountain’s entrance
towards them. The branches beat upon each other and caused the leaves to drown out any other noises.
Faint starlight danced across Redi’s face as the leaves swayed to and fro, making him feel like he was
brooding.
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The two people made their way across the thick foliage, but they did not act cautiously like how Brendel
predicted they would be, to the point where they freely broke the dry branches beneath their feet.
Brendel changed his opinions and believed that Makarov did not tell his subordinates where Brendel’s
camp was, and the two people had no idea they were near them.
[The ‘Maned Wolf’ probably wishes to avoid trouble as well.] Brendel thought.
They were less than a hundred feet away and Brendel was certain they would discover the abnormal
sight here.
[If that stupid brat claims that they are suspicious of us, it will become impossible to explain our actions.
Even though these two people are equally suspicious, Makarov will most likely believe in his men than
any explanations of our own.]
He was actually tense like the others but he did not show any signs of it. When he looked to his side, the
leader of the mercenaries, ‘Nightsong Tiger’ was also looking at him with queries in his eyes. He was
shrewd as well as experienced, and his intentions were quite clear, “Do you want to take the initiative and
‘off’ them?”
[Off them? A decision not to be made lightly. This is a normal decision for any mercenaries, but this is
different from the time in Pine Fortress. That time was simply because there was literally no choice as
our lives are on stake. I have not fallen so far as to disregard lives… but…]
Brendel was conflicted. He had came from a civilized land in a more peaceful time, and murdering people
out of a mere thought went against all his senses. In spite of that, his position at this juncture required
him to act decisively, otherwise the consequences would be of dire proportions.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
[Should I follow the rules of this world and sever the connections of my past? Or hold on to a single
thread. Denying Sophie would mean denying my entire past… Maybe I’m actually dreaming in my sleep, a
nightmare of sorts… No, even if everything is a delusion in this world, all the memories that I had in the
previous world are clearly there, carved into my very eyes.
How can I deny them?
If I cut off my past, then what meaning is there for me to work so hard in this world. Losing my ‘self’, can I
still call myself ‘Brendel’? The answer is clearly right in front of me.]
Chaotic thoughts filled his mind, but he cleaved them apart like a sharp sword through ropes. He opened
his eyes as if he was the king of gamers, his eyes crystal clear as he found his answer.
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“My lord?”
Amandina’s sharp senses had noticed Brendel’s hesitation. She was surprised that a decision would have
been easily made as he had constantly presented himself as an unwavering noble who had never needed
to even question himself to make ruthless choices.
These were certainly the rules of the nobles’ game—
Brendel looked back at Amandina with a look that was full of self-mockery, yet he was relaxed with a
tinge of regret. She was surprised to the point where lost her words. Had she ever seen an expression like
this amongst the cold-blooded nobles in Aouine?
[Is he faking it? But there’s no reason to do so…?]
Brendel raised his hand to gather the attention of the mercenaries. His mind was still somewhat
conflicted when he did so, but when he lowered it, there was nothing but relief in him.
“Prepare to act. If it is possible, knocking them out will do. I do not wish to have a war with Makarov.”
Brendel’s voice was a nearly a whisper. He did not know whether his actions would cause him to look
foolish to others, but if he did not give this order, then he would certainly look foolish to his own self.
The Mercenaries of Lopes nodded at the same time. The Nightsong Tiger felt a slight pity at Brendel’s
answer. The situation should be handle once and for all without any hesitations.
Amandina’s reaction was different. She looked at Brendel with new eyes as she discovered there was
something in him that she did not know at all. She could not tell if this unique quality of his was good or
bad, but there was something about him that did not fit in this world. Yet she did not find that it was
unnatural, and it conversly made her feel at peace after a very long time in the nobles’ circle.
The two people were seventy feet away.
“Brendel.” Romaine suddenly called out with a little anxiety in his voice.
He puzzledly looked at her but still whispered: “Now is not the time.”
She thought for a while and nodded. The mercenaries scattered and fell into position to await the two
people to approach closer. Once they were within reach, they would move together. They outnumbered
the two people and their experience vastly exceeded them, so they were confident they could subdue
them with ease.
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Brendel felt restless. There was most likely a strong enemy, or enemies that sent his card to the
graveyard, and he could not afford to waste time here.
The two people were about to made their way out of the foilage, but they slowly stopped before they
exited it.
“Did they discover something?”
Brendel’s eyelids flinched, and almost commanded the mercenaries to suppress them immediately, only
to forcefully stop himself. The distance for the mercenaries to attack was still too far away. It was more
likely to alert them than to catch them unaware. He slowly steadied his nerves as he was certain that they
had not discovered anything.
He looked around to observe the mercenaries, and they were still as composed as before. Romaine gazed
the area curiously, while Amandina’s face grew paler as time passed by.
Redi had stopped completely and he faced his companion to speak with him. Despite nearly a hundred
feet away, Brendel still managed to catch a few words with his high perception.
Redi did not speak loudly, but looked at Brendel’s camp from time to time, as if he had noticed something.
The conversation between soon became heated, and even ended up as a quarrel. Even though everyone
with the exception of Brendel could not hear what they were talking about, they understood that neither
of them managed to convince each other. Brendel felt a little annoyed and even wondered if they simply
came here to quarrel.
Their voices were raised even higher, and Brendel managed to catch a few key words, ‘Eke……’,
‘Chablis……’, ‘Necklace……’.
Brendel raised his eyebrow.
[It sems like Redi knows that Eke is still in Chablis, and if he knows, then Makarov should also know that
fact. This mercenary group seems to have a number of troubles. But I still don’t understand why this
discussion has anything to do with the ‘events’ that are to follow.]
He looked up at the sky to find the Blood Star. The moment when the Blood Star appeared was the
moment when it was nearly midnight.
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TL: Again, there’s no chapter 75, there’s one raws chapter that’s mislabeled and never corrected.
Brendel’s thought went to the quest’s walkthrough—
“…… During a certain midnight on the ‘Vanquish the lizardmen bandits’, the enemies took action for the
first time.”
[This either points to the Tree Shepherds or the ‘Paper Cards’ as the vanguard, or perhaps they both
acted together—]
“…… The sudden ambush assailed us to the point where everyone was thrown off their game. The attack
had started from the northern hill, but everyone who escaped to the south was probably killed at least
once. This was because that monsters’ (The Tree Shepherds) main forces were at the south. Fine, I’ll
admit that TorrentialRain’s AI isn’t something to laugh at…..”
“…… Our strategy was to save the Grey Wolves Mercenaries from annhilation. The most important thing
to note is how strong Makarov and Buga are. They are the rough equivalent of a player’s level 45 and 55
respectively. Ensuring that they live is the most important aspect of completing the quest.”
“…… But we did discuss our options and think that there’s another way we could about this. This was
something that we had discovered in the east. Perhaps TorrentialRain considered the strength of the
gamers and designed a Temple of Light in that region.”
“…… Our team discussed over solutions, but regardless of what it is, we believe that to achieve one
hundred percent completion in the quest, you must rescue from the Grey Wolves Mercenaries’ complete
demise—”
[As I had gone through so many times, this really isn’t a walkthrough but more of a lesson they learned
from. This was a unique quest that was only open to the first team who discovered it, and they ultimately
did not manage to complete the quest in its entirety, which was why the Grey Wolves Mercenaries were
routed. The group’s adventure is actually quite exciting if one looks at it like a movie.]
Brendel loved quests that immersed him in the game’s world.
[But damn it, if you bothered to write a report about it, why didn’t you write down the timing, location
and the characters properly? ‘During a certain midnight’ — exactly which day was it?! Honestly, pursuing
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a hundred percent completion rate in this world is silly. The rewards might be double in the game, but
where would I get something like this here?]
The only option that was open to him was to rely on his own experience, and leave everything else to the
gods. Brendel’s plan was straightforward. He was to leave the Grey Wolves Mercenaries before the Tree
Shepherds attacked them and travel to the Temple of Light to activate the quest’s side branch.
Then he would finish off by killing the lizardmen bandits and get the Sage Slate and leave. The Grey
Wolves Mercenaries’ fate was not of a big concern to him. Vaunte’s constant wars had seen many of these
groups rise and fall regardless of their size. There was also the fact that he did not believe he had
sufficient strength to help Makarov and Buga resolve their crisis, or recruit them as retainers and give
them commands when the battle commenced.
What he wanted to do was to put effort into people like Amandina and Tamar, where they had great
potential in the future. Since he had the knowledge of the future, then this investment was low risk with
high rewards.
His plans looked perfect, but reality had suddenly turned against him quickly. The enemies had probably
discovered his Wind Spirit Spiders, then the two people in front of him might discover their actions any
time.
[Will that Redi brat finish quarreling already?!] Brendel was becoming increasingly annoyed.
Romaine finally could not bear it any longer too.
“Brendel.”
She raised her pretty brows as she poked his back, and used a voice that she thought was very small,
which of course was purely her wishful thoughts.
Everyone near her jumped.
Romaine’s voice was actually not very loud and at most a little urgent, it stood out because the forest she
was a female.
“Br— Mmfff.”
Brendel covered her mouth quickly and looked back at the two people. Redi had stopped talking and was
looking alert.
Brendel imagined himself strangling Romaine while shaking her to and fro, but he certainly would not do
that because he could not bear to do so.
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Fortunately, Redi’s alert behavior only lasted temporarily, before he turned back to continue to talk with
his companion. Brendel sighed with relief, before he recalled Romaine’s action, and glared at Romaine.
Romaine was still trying to shake his hand away with muffled noises, apparently quite unhappy with
Brendel’s action. Brendel nearly got angry with her, but he suddenly felt something was wrong.
[Even though her head is sometimes lost in the clouds and acts like she doesn’t care, she’s much more
cunning than she lets it show, otherwise she would have been taken advantage of many times already.]
Before he could ask her exactly what it was, the Nightsong Tiger came over and tapped his shoulder. It
was an unusual sight since the mercenaries rarely acted on their own. He looked at him and saw that the
Nightsong Tiger had a wary look on his face.
Brendel released his hand and Romaine stopped struggling.
It was not only them, Redi had stopped talking once again and was looking over at them.
The forest had suddenly turned quiet. It was not only the humans in the forest who had stopped moving,
even the wind had stopped.
“Did you hear something?” Brendel whispered and asked. He knew that Romaine’s perception was even
higher than his own. She glared at him with narrowed eyes before nodding.
Brendel’s nose suddenly caught something in the air. It was an odd smell that pierced through it; an acrid
smell that seemed to occur when a sea volcano erupted.
[Sulfur?]
Brendel pulled out his sword immediately without thinking.
[The Disciples of the Fucking Black Flames! That gamer who wrote the walkthrough didn’t mention this
shit at all. If they are involved in this bloody mess, I wouldn’t even bother messing with this crap!]
Brendel finally knew what enemies he was facing. The Disciples of Black Flames were the direct forces of
the ‘Wurm Leader’ Mayad. There was really nothing about wurms at all, but they worked with the forces
in ‘The Sulfur River’—
In other words, they worked with demons from the underworld.
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Brendel clenched his sword tightly. He scolded himself for not linking the southern region to the Disciples
of Black Flames as their territory was located there. His focus had been on the Sage Slate and the Grey
Wolves Mercenaries, and had forgotten this common knowledge for the past few days.
Brendel avoided them with a passion, not because of their prowess, but because of their crazed actions in
battle that even surpassed a berserker. Each disciple had different demons that they chained up. Even
though they fought together, the duo schemed against each other. While this should have affected their
abilities to fight, but the demons had bizarre abilities that were hard to defend against.
At higher levels, the disciples were even able to absorb the demon’s power and become one with the
demon. Recalling the gory scenes made Brendel feel nauseous.
[One or two demons are still fine, if there are more than my mental health is going to take a beating.]
Brendel wanted to flee immediately but there was an odd wind within the forest that seemed to buzz in
and out. He shrank back as he was too familiar with the sounds. Black chains with two spiked balls flew
out from within the dark forest.
“A Lord of Thorns.” Brendel saw the spiked balls smashed through the trees and landed near the two
young men. Even though they did not receive damage from the attack, they were completely shocked.
Brendel felt a shiver within his body. A Lord of Thorns was a level 29 demon, and was one rank higher
than the underworld helldog, Cerberus. Brendel had encountered them in the past with his level higher
than the Lord of Thorns, but they had given him much pain and agony when he fought against them.
But there was no time to reminisce about it, Redi and the other youth started to run from it—
“Morons!” Brendel nearly jumped up from the frustration. The Lord of Thorns did not miss easily; this
was apparently to sound out the enemies. But because of that, he was almost certain that the enemies
consisted of a small scouting party.
The problem was because Redi’s retreat was most likely going to attract the main forces of the enemies.
Brendel was not keen on helping him, but his men were also on the crossfire. He quickly growled a
command to Nightsong Tiger:
“Catch that two bastards right now! Drag them back here if you must!”
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TL: I have no ETA for the next chapter, so expect to wait for days before the next chapter (kind of need to
do stuff).
Chapter 78 – Outside one’s control
The two people started to sprint to their own camps, shouting at the top of their lungs. The Nightsong
Tiger immediately pursued them. His body seemed to meld together with the trees’ shadows; he was not
fast, but his movements were silent and practiced to the point of awe, as if he was a creature of the night.
The chains dragged across the floor and created a ringing sound.
[The disciples have discovered the commotion over in this area, my plans must change.]
He frowned as the girls behind him withdrew their crossbows. The other mercenaries took out their
weapons in silence and stared anxiously into the forest, readying themselves for combat.
“My lord?” Amandina asked.
Brendel shook his head. The plans he had decided earlier had developments that were outside his
prediction, and he needed to solve the situation quickly. He reached inside his pouches and took out a
gleaming crystal.
The crystal lid up in an instant, casting soft light in the area.
“M-my lord?” Amandina opened her eyes in shock.
“Brendel!” Romaine was also stunned.
Everyone’s attention was taken by the sudden appearance of light, which grew increasingly bigger before
it expanded in all directions, but Brendel threw it out as soon as it did so.
The lit crystal flew in an arc that passed through trees before it ended in thick foilage. Despite the layers
of leaves, the amount of light emitted from the crystal still managed to light up the surrounding area.
Three human figures who wore black hooded robes stood there. Even though their faces could not be
seen, they appeared to be startled as they stood motionlessly for a few moments. However what took
Amandina’s breath away were three demons half the size of an average human standing beside each man.
The creatures had hoofs for their feet, grey-greenish skin with black spiraling patterns, long goat horns
and sharp teeth.
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Chains were wrapped around their feet and ended with the disciples’ wrists. These were indeed the
lowest ranking familiar from the Jurgen Underworld.
“The higher ranking familiars are on the opposite area!” The mercenaries immediately yelled out. These
legendary mercenaries had fought against great malevolent forces, and certainly knew what these
creatures were.
But Brendel already knew where they were.
Once he saw the three figures, he had turned to the other direction and raised his hand. The silver ring on
his thumb shone brightly as he recited the word to activate it.
“Oss!”
The air currents seemed to be like visible lines that surged forth towards the area, before an immense
blast resounded throughout the forest. The nearby pine trees were dragged along the shockwave, cause
them to break and splinter, while the trees that were directly in the shockwave’s path were turned into
powder.
Once the maelstrom of wind ended, the trees were gone and became a clear path in front of Brendel.
The mercenaries showed signs of awe in their eyes, but Amandina screamed and covered her ears.
[He’s a wizard! A wizard! This knight is actually a wizard!] Her mind kept echoing this thought.
Romaine had seen Brendel’s action more than once and merely tilted her head, and just as she expected,
Brendel had disappeared from his original location as his body blurred—
Only the mercenaries saw his action clearly. Brendel had charged forward ten times his speed, casting
afterimages in the opening area before he disappeared.
“The Sun Knight’s ‘Charge’ ability!” One of the mercenaries immediately commented.
Even though both their leaders were gone, someone from the mercenaries stood out and pointed his
sword at the location where the crystal fell: “I, vice-captain Rocco, am taking temporary command. My
first order is to launch an attack on these disciples!”
“””I hear and obey.”””
Eleven figures immediately pounced on the three surprised disciples.
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On the other end, Brendel had caught up with the Lord of Thorns. The red demon was standing beside his
owner, a man who wore crimson robes.
The Lord of Thorns appeared like a red version of the smaller demon familiars, but it had a gigantic pair
of muscular wings, which resembled the descriptions of a demon within medieval folklore. On it were
chains with a steel spiked ball at the end.
It had considerable injuries on its body. Not only was it missing an arm, one of its wings were gone.
Brendel did not feel surprised as his ring were incredibly effective against monsters that were level thirty
and below. It was considered the best artifact of its tier, with the only criticism that it had a long
cooldown.
Typical demons also did not have any defensive armor, with the exception of bladed monsters.
Brendel observed the man in front of him with narrowed eyes while he was still in the air.
[A high ranking member of the Disciples of Black Flames.]
He turned once in the air with his sword pointed at them and ready to strike. This battle was different
from Buga’s duel, and he did not hold back his strength. A high ranking disciple was only level 21, but
there was a real demon beside him.
“White Raven, Sword Rave!”
Brendel’s sword slashed vertically with the addition of Power Strike, and a wind blade was released from
his sword. The disciple was still checking the injuries of its familiar, and completely did not expect the
enemy to come so quickly. He raised his head, only to find the invisible shockwave ravaging through his
whole body.
Brendel would have likened the disciple as a boss a month ago, but now the disciple was unable to resist
Brendel’s full power.
The man screamed as blood splattered all over the place.
When Brendel killed a disciple in the game, the demon would regain its freedom once the summoner was
dead, but the contract’s dark energy between them would cause it to go insane, and Brendel wanted this
situation to happen.
When he landed on the ground, the chains had already swept past his back.
“Gah……” Brendel felt fiery pain on his back.
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[The demon is moving twenty percent faster from a ‘Berserked’status, it seems like the disciple is dead.
Damn that hurts… The skin on my back is definitely torn off.]
Brendel grabbed the spiked chains and ignored the sharp apin in his hand, allowed himself to be dragged
by the demon’s pull and went straight to the opponent.
Even though the Lord of Thorns was considered to be a high ranking familiar, it was a low level demonic
existence in the Jurgen Underworld without a complete soul. Furthermore, it was driven insane by the
dark energy and did not possess the intelligence to handle the unexpected attack.
Brendel borrowed its strength and pointed his sword at the demon, directly sending it into the enemy’s
eye. His action was as trained as ever in the game.
The Thorn of Lord bellowed in agony as it felt the sword went through its eye, and the guttural noise
echoed throughout the forest. The youth creased his brows, landed easily on the demon’s shoulders and
swung his sword across the gigantic creature’s neck.
Blue colored blood spurted out like a sharp arrow, cutting the bellows to a stop and turned it into gasping
noises. It struggled for a while before it finally fell over to the ground with a heavy thud.
Brendel finally relaxed. The disciples were known to be dirt poor, so he ignored the bodies to look at the
situation with the remaining three disciples, but the mercenaries had already dispatched them like he
expected.
This did not mean that the matter had came to a close. There were movements within the forest that he
noticed, regardless of whether it came from the Grey Wolves Mercenaries’ camps, or the opposite
direction.
“Damn it.” He ordered his summoned men in his heart: “Prepare to retreat, and bring along that two
bastards.”
He turned his head to look at the red demon. It was still holding on to life and did not die yet. The demons
were known for their resilience, and were ranked amongst the top three hated monsters in the game,
along with the undead and plant-type monsters.
Suddenly Brendel realized that the creatures he had encountered were undead creatures, the Golden
Demonic Tree and its creatures, and now demons. Before he had the chance to mock himself for his bad
luck, green words filled his vision.
“The creature’s contract has ended.”
“The creature is a weakened state—”
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“Conditions have been met.”
“Would you like to establish a contract?”
“Yes/No.”
Brendel looked at the sentences for a moment before he shivered in fright and shook his head quickly.
[Never!]
Brendel refused the contract and quickly escaped the area along with his mercenaries.
After a short time, the Nightsong Tiger threw Redi and his companion onto the ground. The white-haired
youth raised his head in defiance and glared at the people around him. But when he saw it was Brendel
and his mercenaries, his irides shrank a little and tried to stand up.
However, the Nightsong Tiger suppressed him by pressing down on his shoulder and neck, causing him
to kneel down. His silver eyes glared at Brendel like an untameable wolf.
He roared: “You fuckers, I knew that you’re colluding with the enem— Khhk, cough!”
Brendel did not waste time talking to him, and simply punched him in the face. He used enough strength
to force Redi to cough out blood and saliva.
Amandina took a silent breath, while Romaine thought Brendel’s anger was somewhat similar to Freya at
the Golden Tree Valley. The latter was also concerned with Brendel’s hand. He was bleeding from the
injury when he fought the demon but he refused her aid.
The weapon from the Lord of Thorns was poisoned, but Brendel had no trouble resisting it with his high
phsyique and he did not want her to have any accidents.
Redi turned his head back at Brendel as if to challenge him to strike again. He glared at him with hatred
as he licked the blood from his lips. Brendel took a quick glance into the distance. The battle earlier had
caused both parties to be alert, and there was chaos from the nearby forest. If he did not act swiftly, he
would have been stuck between them.
Brendel’s eyes went back to Redi. Even now, they were not out of danger. It was why he felt incredibly
annoyed.
“Unless you’re a fool, you should already know that we are not your enemies. If you don’t want to die,
please stop struggling.” Brendel’s voice was cold.
Redi gritted his teeth. He came to the conclusion that Brendel and his men were not on the same side
with the Demon he just saw. But he was furious over the fact that Brendel punched him, and thought he
was taking personal revenge on him and to teach him a lesson.
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Even so, he subconsciously thought that Brendel was trying to scare him.
[The ‘Grey Wolves Mercenaries’ is not a simple mercenary group and I’m not worried if we’re going to
fight the ‘Paper Cards’. But this bastard actually dared to hold me here.]
Redi cursed in his heart and thought Brendel was nothing more than a naive idiot who knew nothing. He
looked at Brendel with scorn, only to find him looking elsewhere.
Brendel was looking at a girl who approached them. Her eyes were closed and the long black hair seemed
to accentuate her pale face in the moonlight. Brendel found it surprising that the girl did not appear to be
in any panic despite the chaos in the forest.
[Who is this?] Brendel wondered how he should act, but the Nightsong Tiger came beside him and asked.
“My lord, it’s the Disciples of the Black Flames again. What should we do next?”
“Disciples of the Black Flames?” Redi’s heart jumped slightly.
Brendel looked to the northern hills before he answered: “We head to the east.”
The white-haired youth snickered. He came from a noble’s family that was involved in the military and
had a certain level of insight. The ‘Paper Cards’ had already established a foothold in the northern area,
while the southern valley allowed forces to regroup much more safely.
[An amateur pretending to know what he was doing. This is so laughable that I feel sorry for these
veterans working under him.]
Redi started to think that Brendel was a useless leader, but he was deeply impressed when the Nightsong
Tiger captured him without giving him time to react. Even though he secretly mocked Brendel, he was
genuinely concerned with the phrase ‘Disciples of the Black Flames. He secretly spied on the mercenary
beside him and thought he had no reason to lie.
He thought it was impossible to gather any information from the mercenary himself, so he decided to try
and fish information from the idiot instead.
But the Nightsong Tiger was quite interested with Brendel’s opinion, contrary to Redi’s views.
“My lord, have you fought against the Disciples of the Black Flames before?”
“You can think of it that way.” Brendel answered without much thought. “I fought against their high
ranking priests.”
[In the game.] Brendel added that detail in his mind.
“Oh?” The Nightsong Tiger’s eyes brightened up: “The high ranking priests?”
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“Ha…… Cough…… Haha, why don’t you say you met with the Tree Sheperd leaders,” Redi laughed in
derision: “The priests in the Disciples of the Black Flames are all silver-ranked and above. Even the army
in Aouine’s capital would not claim they could score a victory against them. May I know Messere Brendel,
which army were you in when you encountered them?”
He laughed again and looked at him in condescension: “You might want to get a better script if you wish
to brag. Also, if you’re heading to the east, release me. I don’t want to die along with you.”
Brendel was highly amused and annoyed at the same time.
[Not only did I see more than one of them, I even killed one. At the peak of my level, I became a Crusader
Knight where only one or two people within their organization that could fight against me.]
But Brendel did not want to waste time explaining with him. He merely showed a beaming smile with
exposed teeth, although his dark expression made him appear intimidating.
“It seems like you don’t understand the situation you are in.”
Redi’s voice got stuck in his throat. He finally recalled that he was in no position to even speak, so he
simply ignored the annoying youth in front of him and scoffed loudly.
Brendel did not mind that he acted as a mute, and he gave the order to his mercenaries to bring the girl to
him.
“Who are you?” He asked when she was near him.
Redi took a quick glance at her before he turned away.
“My name is Yula, Ser knight.”
“You know that I’m not a merchant?” Brendel was surprised.
“I know even more than that. Our mercenary group is in grave danger, and I know that Ser knight is
capable of helping us, right?” The girl nodded to admit that and continued to ask.
“Hey, Yula?” This time Redi looked completely stunned: “…… But these people are—”
“May I know who exactly are the enemies?” Yula asked a strange question.
Brendel looked at her curiously, but he decided to focus on the first question she asked.
“How do you know I can help you?”
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TL: Some stuff about doing the recent TAS chapters, more information inside.
Skip the long text to get to the chapter.
TL: So I actually planned not to TL the chapters but since a lot of people probably want to see what
happens next, I guess I’ll TL a little bit more (since 2 days ago) and finally finish the backlog that I hope to
clear. I actually planned to fill the backlog of 20 chapters, but like I said before, the time to translate TAS
has actually increased by an hour+, and that’s the first draft without any edits.
Some of the issues include small illogical writing + political stuff for the recent chapters.
Yula is blind, but her interaction in the raws includes “Redi and Yula looked at each other”, really, author?
Brendel nods to Yula’s question without saying anything, dude… She can’t see your nods…
Increase of name terminology + economy and political stuff. This particular section takes the longest
because I have to think of ways to simplify the text and make it understandable.
Various other minor issues.
There are some minor edits to how Brendel/Redi responds to Yula that I made. I feel that it’s necessary to
remind the readers that while I don’t generally change the plot, there are some areas that I have to
change in order to have the story make logical sense.
A lot of time is spent on names because as we well know how many people hated the name ‘Sophie’ (35%
wanted me to change the name back to Su Fei vs 48% who said there’s no need to do so) for the
protagonist. If I had my way, I’ll just change the name entirely from the start because I do recognize that
it’s awkward. However, since there’s some evidence that the author took the name from the novel
Sophie’s world, I personally thought it wasn’t that bad because the meaning of Sophie is ‘wisdom’ or
‘wise’, which I feel was appropriate in a certain sense.
I’ll post at least 3 more chapters today. Just remember the recent chapters have not been proofread for
errors.
Chapter 79 – The story of fishes swimming in chaos (1)
Brendel observed Yula who sat down on the ground filled with pine needles. He quickly realized that the
girl’s hair was a lovely pure black that was unlike Amandina’s, which was tinged with a purple sheen.
Surprise streaked across his eyes.
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[Amandina’s bloodline probably came from the Miirna’s bloodline, which causes her to have that black-
purplish color in her hair and eyes. Over countless eras, that bloodline had eroded and they no longer had
special traits related to that race. The only thing left was their appearances. But this Yula girl is probably
not from that bloodline.]
“I am unable to say why that is so as well, Ser knight. You could think it as a premonition instead. The
‘Paper Cards’ mercenaries should have nothing to do with the disciples, but they appeared together
tonight. Perhaps it is a coincidence, but I would believe in the possibility that this a planned scheme.
If I may, Ser Brendel, I believe that the common man would have seeked for their allies’ help. Even though
we do not deserve your full trust, but it would surely be better to have our aid. But you and your men
chose to to leave here without any hesitation to preserve only for yourselves—“
Yula closed her eyes and listened to the battle that the Grey Wolves Mercenaries were having with the
Disciples of the Black Flames. Her tone did not change as she stated her opinion: “But if I was to change
my way of seeing things, this would mean that Ser Brendel has already analyzed the current state of
events— That you have known that the ‘Paper Cards’ was following us from the very beginning.
The oddity in your plan was the choice to escape to the east. I would think that a decisive decision like
this would mean that you are not a rash person. If the enemies lies ahead of you and yet still you choose
to charge forward, then that would be bravery. However, I believe that Ser Brendel thinks otherwise and
has a different opinion as to what exactly lies ahead. Perhaps, it’s not guarded by the enemies?”
Brendel did not change his expressions, although Redi had been showing rich expressions of mockery
whenever Yula called Brendel a knight.
“As for the reason why Brendel is a knight.” She gave a small humble smile: “That is simply because I
heard the lady over there calling you ‘my lord’. Although I was not given sight, Mother Marsha has given
me sharp hearing, which really isn’t something that I should brag.”
Amandina reacted by gasping and watching Yula in vigilance.
The blind girl raised her head up to Brendel, her eyes opening slightly. Even though she could not see
him, she pleaded with him earnestly. “Ser Brendel, I humbly beg you to help the Grey Wolves
Mercenaries.”
Brendel took in a deep breath.
[If Amandina is someone who can aid me as an advisor, then this girl in front of me is a kingmaker. Her
senses are sharp enough to send me jitters.]
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He studied Yula’s black eyes which had a tinge of brown in them. When he went over her pale yellow skin
and delicate eyebrows, he suddenly recalled there was a certain region that he was familiar with.
“I also have a question. Is your surname Phenix?” He asked.
Her eyes have already closed again, otherwise she would have shown great surprise. She felt the area
around her chest subconsciously before she relaxed, as Brendel took in all her actions.
He frowned slightly, as if he had thought of more things.
“Yes, my surname is indeed Phenix, and my original name is Phenix Yul. It appears that Ser Brendel is
very knowledgeable, and my appearance would certainly reveal itself to them. However, I do not wish to
bring this up again. Please call me Yula and let me off with that.”
Brendel agreed to do so. He had guessed of a certain NPC which had the same skin tone and hair color,
and she was certainly from the far eastern desert, the Nine Phenix kingdom.
The Nine Phenix kingdom was ruled by nine different clans, and the kingdom possessed an advanced
swordsmanship called ‘Sword of the Flaming Lotus’. Many gamers had tried their luck by going to that
country, but no one had ever obtained it.
Many of the country’s citizens traveled to Aouine and Kirrlutz, just like the elves who had traveled from
the north. It was not rare for different explorers to leave their homeland and travel around.
In regards to Yula’s request, he shook his head. “I am sincerely sorry to say that we can’t help you. I can
tell you that the Black Disciples will not be strong enough to cause your commander any real problems,
but if I am Makarov I will leave this forest immediately.”
“You……” Redi was so angry he seemed to lose his words for a moment: “Our agreement, you can’t throw
it away. The Mercenaries’ Oath…..”
The Nightsong Tiger punched him in the abdomen, causing the white-haired youth to bend over in pain.
The Nightsong Tiger shook his head with a look of disdain.
“Stop lying to yourself, your commander doesn’t care about the agreement, even if they are fighting
against the Black Disciples.”
“Do you understand our position?”
She nodded.
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“Then what would Ser Brendel want? Money? Power?”
Brendel perked up his ears before he immediately shook his head again: “I am interested in all those
things, but compared to money and power, I would rather not get embroiled into this troublesome
situation. I will give you another hint. The mastermind behind the Black Disciples are the Tree Shepherds.
Surely both of you have heard of that name before?”
Their countenances changed at the same time.
“How did we get targeted by them?” Redi asked with skepticism.
But Yula lowered her head in anxiety.
Amandina poked him from behind and whispered: “My lord, are you not letting them plead for help if you
keep scaring them? Isn’t the conclusion of this ending going to end with something you don’t wish to
see?”
Brendel raised his hands in defense: “I don’t wish to lie to them.”
But under Amandina’s suspicious gaze, he could only offer a more detailed explanation: “Helping them is
not impossible, but I won’t let us get dragged into this situation.”
“Then what is to be done?” Romaine asked with blinking eyes.
“They have to rely on themselves.”
“That’s the solution?” Romaine did not believe Brendel.
“Of course it will work.”
“Ser Brendel, what are we supposed to do?” Yula overheard them and understood that Brendel was
reminding them on purpose. She hesitated for a while, as if she was considering whether she could trust
them.
[‘The Tree Shepherds’ is like a bomb. The Unifying Guild can drive a kingdom into chaos, but the Tree
Shepherds have enough clout to create a Holy War. Many of the people in this era probably had
harrowing experiences because of them. Since Yula is from another country, she would probably know
less than Redi.]
When Brendel looked back at Redi, he discovered that the white-haired youth looked deeply perplexed.
“I have already given you the answer,” Brendel said: “Tell your commander to retreat and leave this area.
Judging from the circumstances the Tree Shepherds have targeted you, but they have a certain habit.
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Once they realized that their plans have been found out, they will most likely back off to plan again. With
this, you have gained precious time and I think your commander will take measures to defend the Grey
Wolves Mercenaries.”
Brendel might have appeared to analyze things thoroughly, but he was actually following what was on
the walkthrough. The things that he did not know were the exact details and why the Tree Shepherds
targeted the mercenaries.
However, that did not mean that he was unable to handle them. He had fought against them as long as he
had fought against Madara, and there were still cards that he could use to fight back.
Redi looked at Yula once.
“How do we know that what you said is true?”Redi grimaced.
“I am not forcing you to believe me.”
“You…… irresponsible bastard.” He barked.
“We have no need to be responsible to you. Do you understand the situation? It is your mercenary group
which is under attack, and my lord is helping you out of his kindness. It is your choice to choose not to
accept the advice, if you are so proud.” Amandina’s feathers have long been ruffled by Redi, and openly
criticized him.
But once she was done with her outburst, she suddenly stopped and looked apologetically at Yula who
was still kneeling down: “I’m sorry, I mean……”
“There is no need to concerned with my feelings.” Yula shook her head. She had been pondering in silence
for quite some time, and she merely asked: “I believe that Ser Brendel is going to leave this place, right?”
“Yes.” Brendel nodded.
“You can’t stay for one more night?”
“No, we can’t.”
[The Unifying Guild is one troublesome affair to deal with, having another Tree Shepherds would mean
that the future is fraught with dire consequences. Since Makarov and Buga have a strong chance to come
out of this without harm, there’s no need for me to meddle with things too much. Well, as long as they
follow my advice, that is.]
Even if he chose to leave, it was not as if he had let the Grey Wolves Mercenaries down. The agreement
between them was as weak as it sounded, and the only real trouble was if he wanted to work with them
in the future.
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“Ser Brendel, are you willing to let us go?” She asked again.
“We did not intend to do so, and the truth is we actually saved you. I believe you know this already, Miss
Yula.” Brendel replied.
“But are you not afraid we will leak your location to the enemies?”
Brendel laughed and said confidently: “There is no way that your group or the enemies can catch up to
us.”
Brendel trusted in his experience, but Redi merely eyed him in silence.
It was clear from his expression that he thought Brendel was bragging. Even though there were many
things that shocked him, he thought that Brendel had given himself away as an amateur by heading east,
and he planned to persuade Yula not to be deceived by Brendel.
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TL: One more chapter coming in about two to three hours later. This chapter is kind of complicated and
I’m not sure if it’s easy enough to understand. Just ask which part you don’t understand and I’ll see what
can be done.
Amandina watched Redi’s back as he limped away, while Yula was beside helping him walk.
“Are you letting them just leave, my lord?” She asked.
“What do you expect me to do here? Instead of letting them pile onto our problems, it’s better to dismiss
them.” Brendel answered simply.
“But I still feel like you’re scheming something.” She glanced at him with slight suspicion.
Brendel rubbed his nose with a dry smile: “Is my character that awful in your eyes? I thought that I did
things openly in the past.”
“Yes, it would appear so. But I have never thought that my lord has ever done things that appear to be as
simple as they look. I recall that you arranged miss Freya to enter the Royal Cavalry Academy, which
could be seen like a friend’s encouragement, but I would think that it is because you noticed the fights
between the Royal Faction and the Regional Nobles.
If I recall correctly, the Royal Cavalry Academy is within princess Gryphine’s private lands, and she’s the
most outstanding individual out of the current royal family members. Not only that, the younger and
weaker brother of hers is strictly cared for by her, almost like a guardian and not as an older sister.
Based on the king’s health, it is likely that the princess will become a Princess-Regent in the future. Once
that happens, my lord’s action will also become a long-term investment.”
Romaine nodded quickly when she heard the words ‘investment’.
“These other invisible investments that you made from the time that I met you might not look like they
are of any use in the beginning, but once my lord has your lands and reap the benefits that you have sown
earlier, then you will become a direct supporter of princess Gryphine.
If it is someone else, I would think nothing much of these actions that have been done, but the people
close to my lord will surely understand that your ambition is nothing as straightforward as it seems.”
Amandina looked up to Brendel: “Am I wrong, my lord?”
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The young girl took a long breath after she finished her speech. She had spent a lot of time speculating in
the past few days because Brendel’s actions were becoming stranger and stranger, to the point where she
did not understand them at all, and she did not wished to fall behind too much.
Especially if she was the chief advisor.
Brendel blinked a few times before he answered: “You’re close enough.”
[Although you missed a few points.]
He thought to himself.
[Rather than call it an investment, I would rather call it a relationship. There’s no need for me to gain
‘honor’ here, what I need is something I can grow and use in the future. A gamer is different from a lord,
especially when I have ‘that’ land in mind.]
He could have waited until the civil strife within Aouine reach its highest point, with Madara invading the
kingdom with its full might, until the Princess-Regent would finally not be able to control the situation,
then garner the biggest profits by stepping in at that point.
But he did not do so.
His attachment to the people in the game made him send the future Goddess of War to the princess, and
believed that these two brilliant women would not disappoint him. Even if he predicted wrongly, at least
he would not leave behind any regrets.
Still, he did not expect Amandina to know his thoughts that well, so he merely smiled and gave a neutral
reaction. She certainly showed off her intelligence if she was able to predict that much.
He turned back to look at Romaine who looked like she was having fun. She did not seek to understand
why Brendel needed to do what he did, and only wanted to help him do the best he could in his plans.
[The future ahead might call for even more drastic measures. Sometimes knowing too much hurts, and
one might not attain happiness, Amandina…… But looking at Romaine makes me feel it’s a pleasure on its
own.]
“Beyond that,” Amandina continued: “The money made from the auction was invested into Miss
Romaine’s goods which were subsequently used for the celebration after the Madara war. The returns
were then poured to gain deep access into this local region. This is the first time that I realize that having
gold coins is an amazing thing. Miss Romaine’s touch seemed to go permeate into the complicated noble
society and the underground thieves’ guilds.
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There wasn’t even a need to maintain a good relationship in order to gain access to the information too. I
thought it was only at Bruglas that contact was made with the Brotherhood of Thieves, but it seems like it
was done much earlier.”
“This is one of the reasons why I formed a coalition of merchants.” Brendel admitted it: “But it is not for
the reason of acquiring more money but power. Once people brought themselves into some form of any
system, even if they have their own personal agenda, their actions would most likely benefit others just
like how the circulation of goods would bring about abundance.”
“Information gathering isn’t really hard. My aunt says that information is everywhere around us.”
Romaine interrupted as if she was interested in the topic.
“That’s because the information we require isn’t particularly demanding on quality. The hardest part on
acquiring information is not on the process of collection, but to determine which information is useful.
This requires skilled professionals.” Brendel gave a laugh.
“My lord, you’re changing the subject. All the things that you do is because there’s some form of benefit.”
Amandina gazed at him.
“Even if you point out only these two things, I can only say that they are a coincidence.” Brendel did not
wish to spend time on this topic. He had too many secrets and each lie that he gave, would inevitably lead
to more lies to cover up the old ones.
“The Red Bronze Dragon mercenaries retired as if they wanted to stay away from the public’s attention,
but I can safely state that it was a measure to make sure Miss Freya enters the Royal Cavalry Academy……
But my lord, how did you know there were openings in the academy? No, not only that, it seems that my
lord has the ability to see even further. While we are still focused on the problems before us, you seemed
to have already seen the end results.”
Amandina looked a little ill and grumbled.
“I-I’m not sure if this is some form of talent, but I feel tremendous pressure.”
“Alright, alright,” Brendel quickly raised his hands to surrender: “I got it. You’re right, it’s a form of talent.
But there are areas that I can miss out if I plan things alone……”
He looked at the trees into the distant. The night battle seemed to intensify as the camps started to get
burned by fire. The northern sky was gradually filled with red light. Their location was starting to become
unsafe.
This was a temporary stop after all.
803
“…… We’re discussing too many things that are not related to our current situation. We should leave this
area before the fight reaches here.”
He quickly ended his sentences and grabbed the longsword near him and fled from Amandina, and
prevented her from asking more questions.
[At this rate you’re going to even get my identification number……] Brendel obviously would not divulge
himself as a parallel-world traveler with knowledge about the future.
Amandina understood that it was a poor attempt to change the topic, but she had gone a little too far by
saying too much. It was normal for a leader to keep things from his subordinates, and Brendel’s foresight
boosted the confidence she had in the things they were doing.
Thus she followed him without any objections.
A few moments later she turned around and whispered: “Ser Nightsong Tiger, are we really fine if we
head east?”
She had carefully observed Redi’s expressions, and saw him making a scornful face when Brendel said
they were going east.
The Nightsong Tiger looked at her with an impressed expression.
“Yes.” He added a motion to pat his left arm, which was a gesture to guarantee something: “Miss
Amandina, I have never seen anyone like my lord who is as familiar with these bastards who deserve to
go straight to hell—
He looked at Brendel’s back.
“I say this humbly, we have frequently fought them in the past, and the Disciples of the Black Flames love
to use distractions as a strategy. However, it is difficult to discern their true locations. Even if it’s me, I can
only pinpoint their ambushes to two locations, either in the south or west area.”
He pointed towards Brendel’s injured hand.
“Do you see our lord’s wounded hand? I’m willing to bet that he took less than a minute to deal with that
high ranking contract demon, and he probably did it with less than ten moves. Only a veteran can see
through the Lord of Throns attacking style and approach this monster quickly. Even though it has a wide
range, it is far less threatening to fight in close combat.”
Amandina listened to his explanation and understood about half of it. It was evident that the veteran
soldier was immensely respectful of Brendel. As she looked at Brendel’s injuries on his back and hand,
she suddenly realized something.
804
The current generation of Aouine nobles were ‘soft’, and unlike their ancestors.
[Brave, wise, decisive and tough. A lord like this makes me wonder how far his accomplishments will go.]
Amandina exhaled quietly.
805
================ Eke POV ===============
The battle abruptly ended as soon as it had started. Eke was almost certain that the bastards draped in
black robes were at least silver-ranked fighters. While he predicted there would be a fight, he did not
expect the ending—
He was almost certain that Capo and the others were going to be cut down; he finally could not suppress
himself and wanted to pull out his sword in order to prevent the tragedy from happening.
But there was an old man with wispy white hair who walked out from Capo’s back and pointed his finger
at the enemies. The enemies that Eke saw as nightmarish devils were struck by grey beams and turned
into piles of dust.
The youth’s mouth went wide and for a moment, wondered if he was dreaming.
When the old man cast his magic, the Holy Sigil of Earth briefly appeared on top of his hand. The signs of
an unlocked Element was apparent and visible, and Eke knew there were no more than ten people in
Aouine who had this kind of power.
[Who is this? Amongst this ten people are a certain lord and several famous high level wizards. The
remaining people who could possibly have such power are from the Black Tower and the owner of ‘The
Association of Stars and Moon’.]
Capo bowed to him and spoke respectfully.
“Grandmaster Liszt, thank you for taking the trouble to aid us.”
The words struck Eke like a lightning bolt, rooting him to the ground. There were many people who had
the name ‘Liszt’, but there was only one worthy of the title ‘Grandmaster’.
Liszt Hardaway Gemmer.
The chief royal wizard in Aouine and one of the three elders who aided the throne.
Eke was momentarily confused and did not understand why someone of such importance appeared in
such a remote area. It seemed like Liszt was actually there to aid them.
“This….. I……” The youth was tongue-tied and he stared and pointed at him: “Y-you’re……”
806
Liszt nodded and acknowledged his guess.
“It is going to take a while to explain things, mister Eke. Let knight Capote take us to safety, and I’ll
explain the situation in detail.”
“Knight…… Capo…….. Capote?” Eke looked at Capote and felt his world spinning out of control.
================= Brendel POV ==================
Brendel and his men traveled on the quiet eastern forest which led them upwards to a mountain slope.
The fifteen-strong group’s footsteps across the dense tall grass caused a rustling noise, like an invisible
long snake passing through the darkness. If they looked back, they would be able to see parted grasses
leading back into the lower valley’s smouldering camps.
It was originally an area which was lit with proper fire torches, now it was nothing more than scattered
burning remains.
“Our horses are still in the camp.”
Romaine said this sentence for the third time. Brendel knew she was hurting over the horse she had, but
he shook his head.
“The mercenaries will retreat, right?” She looked up at Brendel and asked.
Her eyes went back to the areas that used to be the heart of the Grey Wolves Mercenaries’ camps. She
understood Brendel’s meaning, but she was still soft-hearted.
Even though she and her aunt were not very popular amongst the Bucce citizens, it was still a place that
she could call home, and also why she wanted to help Freya rebuild Bucce. Now that their former allies
were in trouble, she was reluctant to leave them behind.
“I’m afraid only Mother Marsha would know the answer.” Brendel replied.
[Whether or not the Grey Wolves Mercenaries’ name will become part of history lies not with my decision
but Makarov’s.]
“But if they discover that it’s a trap he will be on the alert, right? Do you think that Makarov is a smart
person?” She asked.
“He’s too smart.” Brendel thought back on Makarov’s past.
807
He was the chief advisor in an effort to revolutionize the Royal Faction, but his failure in a political fight
eleven years ago caused him to end up in this current state.
“So he and his enemies are plotting against each other?” Amandina asked.
“That sounds about right.” Brendel nodded.
“I don’t understand. What is the reason for them to fight each other?” She made a new hypothesis: “Is
there something in this forest that would drive them to such greed?”
[There are secrets in this forest, certainly, but they are not precious enough for people to act on them.
They are fighting over something else entirely.]
She saw his smile and immediately asked: “My lord, you do know something.”
“That young man we saw a few days ago, do you still remember him?” He nodded his head: “His real
name should be Eke Ophelon Lantonrand.”
“That name sounds familiar.”
“Naturally. Because you should have heard of the name Canon Ophelon Lantonrand .”
She formed her breath into a gasp, but because of the acute rush of air she took in, she started to cough
instead. After regaining her composure, she asked breathlessly: “Duke Lantonrand?”
“Eke should have his own rank and land, the Earl of Merak.” Brendel narrowed his eyes, “It’s just that he
probably doesn’t know about it.”
“You mean…… It has something to do with that political fight eleven years ago? Hold on, Duke
Lantonrand’s son had already been missing—“
She suddenly stopped and looked at Brendel with an odd expression.
“My lord, why do you know so much about this?”
“It’s a public secret in the upper echelons.” Brendel lied through his teeth.
“Then this would mean……”
808
“The current Aouine is no longer the Aouine of the past. The so-called high nobles are rotten to the point
where they don’t deserved to be saved. This sickness have spread into their very bones, to put it mildly.”
Brendel deliberately said these words in front of her.
“I am not the only one who sees this point. You can mark my words, Miss Amandina, this kingdom will
break up in a civil war within three months. The events that you are seeing now are the final struggles to
stop it.”
“Can the Corvado empire be saved?” Amandina’s mind was thinking of the once glorious royal family that
brought honor to Aouine.
“Perhaps it can.” Brendel stroked his chin and thought about the ‘princess regent’.
“What are we going to do, my lord?” Amandina broke his chain of thoughts as she asked quietly.
“We should first search for the Sage Slate.” Brendel looked at the landscape of arching mountains and
gentle slopes that repeated itself. It appeared to Amandina like he saw things differently; as if he was able
to see past the darkness and opaque obstructions as if he was already there at their destination.
He brought everyone across a mountain peak; the gale from the southern sea strengthening and billowing
towards him, which made his cloak unfurl and spread out behind him.
He sniffed the air and stared into a dark and silent valley, his eyes glazed over with surprise, then turned
into an evident look.
“It’s really here. The only question is whether the person who wrote the walkthrough isn’t lying.”
Everyone heard his murmurs and turned towards him.
“Do you see the valley down there?” He said.
“What’s wrong?” Romaine asked.
“Hmm……” Brendel pointed into the valley, but they saw an empty carpet of darkness with trees lined on
each side. He turned towards them and his eyes were gleaming: “Have you heard of altars?”
“My aunt and I have seen an altar in the ‘Temple of the Flame God’. Do you mean something like that?”
“Of course it’s not that. But everyone has heard of ‘Nests’ right?”
They nodded as they knew about monsters spawning from them.
“There’s a Nest within the valley.”
“What?” The Nightsong Tiger jerked with fright.
809
A Nest allowed a kingdom’s forces to prosper as they produced creatures that could be used for wars.
However, a natural Nest was much more dangerous than a man-made Nest, and subjugating and
purifying such natural Nests would require a tremendous price.
“What rank is it?” He immediately asked.
“No need to worry,” Brendel motioned him to calm down. He paused for a while before he continued.
“That’s an Altar of Order, and related to the Temple of Truth.”
“What is an Altar of Order?”
“Have you heard of the Heaven’s Gate?”
The mercenaries felt their breaths chill. The Mercenaries of Lopes came from a kingdom known for its
cavalry and knew what the term signified. The Nightsong Tiger looked at the clueless Amandina and
Romaine, before he explained: “Angel of Thrones.”
Amandina gulped and looked at Brendel in disbelief; the kingdom Glace was only one-fifth of Aouine’s
land area, but its combat prowess towers all other kingdoms because it possessed two powerful armies.
The Knights of Fanaticism and Order of Brilliance, and part of their armies consisted of living creatures
from Nests.
In the previous Holy War, the Aouine forces under the banner of the Holy Cathedral of Flames had
suffered under these two armies greatly.
The Nightsong Tiger looked at Brendel with an incredulous look, and he stuttered to get his words out:
“My lord, are you saying there’s a Heaven’s Gate there?”
Brendel immediately shook his head.
[Of course not. Are you kidding me?]
The Heaven’s Gate was unlikely to be found by him. The Heaven’s Gate gave birth to the strongest
creature that could be used by the ‘Order of Brilliance’, the Angel of Thrones. Any place that had a
Heaven’s Gate would have showed strange omens in the near vicinity, and unless the local Holy Cathedral
of Flames were foolish enough to miss it, he would never be able to get to them.
“No, the Altar of Order below is similar to the Heaven’s Gate.”
“Similar?” The Nightsong Commander reflected on the words Brendel said. He was not as learned as a
scholar and most of these Nests were controlled by rulers or great lords. A man of his position was
usually not privy to know such things.
810
“You mean that this natural Nest has been blessed by Mother Marsha?” Amandina caught on to what
Brendel was trying to say.
Brendel stopped for a moment. Even though his mind had the explanation available for the local citizens,
but he still used the linguistic words from the game. He could only nod with an awkward smile.
“If that’s the case, then it’s a great find. A natural Nest is difficult to purify, and changing them requires at
least ten years, and twenty years even.” The Nightsong Tiger immediately said.
The Nests that were blessed by Mother Marsha was a gift to the citizens in the world. The living creatures
that were born from within are allies of sentient creatures. As long as the mana and maintenance was
paid for, the forces that controlled the Nests were able to gather a powerful army.
Any kingdom who offered the Holy Cathedral of Fire an Altar of Order would immediately get a rich land
three to four times the size of a knight’s. In addition, that land was hereditary and transferable.
Amandina’s eyes seemed to flare up with vigor.
But Brendel immediately raised his hands: “Everyone is overthinking things. That is merely an
abandoned altar.”
“Abandoned?” Amandina’s first reaction was disappointment, before it went back to curiosity: “How does
my lord know that?”
Brendel did not reply. He knew where the approximate location was because there was a serene and
tranquil air to it, and he was familiar of that feeling in the game since he traveled throughout the
continent.
There was also the fact that a game window with the words ‘Holy Area’ appearing in his vision. As to why
it was already abandoned, the walkthrough had already stated clearly that it was abandoned, of course.
The group made its way to the valley, and once they did so they realized that the outside world seemed to
be cut off. There was no sound within the valley, not even the common shrill of the insects commonly
heard in the summer.
With the aid of the light from the moonlight, they slowly walked through an unclear path filled with
cracks and holes. Within the dense foliage, they would sometimes catch glimpses of glimmering lights.
They could simply be fireflies, but perhaps they were the eyes of animals.
Amandina and Romaine had traveled through the night several times. Even though they were tense, they
were not exactly afraid of the environment. The Mercenaries of Lopes were not fazed in the slightest, but
the surroundings made them feel that there was something odd about the place.
811
“This altar isn’t actually discovered by me.” Brendel finally spotted some man-made fragments of a large
boulder, and suddenly spoke aloud.
812
TL: The Amber Sword’s raws have finally been completed, and it seems like it is a favorable ending
amongst the chinese readers. It’s sort of a relief, I guess. Although, I kind of had to sieve through some
plot spoilers to see if there are any problems to the stuff I’m translating. It’s more than likely that I have
to tweak some of the stuff in the beginning, but generally it shouldn’t affect any general plot.
Right now I’m in 130++ chapters in, and there’s like 1500? chapters. Well, I’m nearly at the 10% mark,
and I translated over 200,000 words on this series. So I guess there’s another 2,000,000 words waiting
for you guys? Cough.
I wasn’t planning on releasing this chapter yet because this chapter was done outside of home in a rush,
but I still think it’s important to inform the readers on the current status on a few things.
Next chapter ETA: 3-4 days later.
TL: Skip ahead to get to the chapter, otherwise read on for some information about donation status.
TL: What I have done recently is a partially done fanart (still need to work on it and remove the lineart)
for TSTBGAM, my other series. It’s based on the light novel’s original design on the wolf boy, which I
imagine him to be all warm and fuzzy in the majik forest.
tstbgam-fan-art
First drawing after graduation.
Donations are still closed until I can get a proper schedule in place and I stick with it without any
incidents.
In case everyone still doesn’t know, I have graduated from art student to ‘starving artist lulz’, and I have
to consider my future plans properly. It’s either I somehow get by with art freelancing + translations’
donations, or I go out to work for a game company and get some additional Artist XP.
One thing about sponsoring/donation/tipping for the chapters, I’ll remind everyone that you’re not
paying for my translations, but sponsoring me to be able to buy artbooks and novels and coffee. The
donations that I received so far have mostly gone into artbooks, thank you very much for easing my
burdens.
================= Scarlett’s POV ==================
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“Scarlett.”
A clear voice rang out from the forest, accompanied with hurried footsteps as if there was a group of
people approaching towards a girl with red long hair. She tidied her hair band before turning back; her
long eyelashes flickering once as she blinked at a burning torchlight nearby. Her irides were like red wine
as they reflected the shimmering orange flames, but the expression she gave was a little hesitant.
“That voice sounds like it belongs to Cecilia. Wasn’t she supposed to find Yula and Redi, why is she back
already? Did she find them, or did she encounter some form of trouble?”
The girl named Scarlett picked up the halberd in her hands warily. Brendel would have easily recognized
the origins of this weapon. Beyond the ink-black body of the spear, the most prominent feature of this
weapon were the faintly golden edges that fanned outwards at the tip, giving it a graceful deadliness.
‘Spear of Lightning, Roglas’ was a famous drop in Chablis. Any gamer with the appropriate level who used
a spear would have wanted this spear. Even though it was a level twenty-five spear, the price within the
online trading community did not fall regardless of time. There was only one reason why: The spear had a
1% chance of a special effect called ‘Whispers of Lightning when the user attacked.
This special effect was the same spell that an Elementalist used. It added 10% additional lightning
damage, and was a particular strategy used by gamers. They would first use the spear until they got the
special effect, then switch their weapons with the skill ‘Preparation’ without any penalties, as well as
adding potions that were usually made by Wind Elementalists to increase their damage output.
However, if they saw the spear in Scarlett’s hands they would certainly be surprised. As far as they knew,
it belonged to an undead knight that burned with crimson flame. (TL: The foreshadowing is certainly
strong for sure…)
The first rumors of the spear was two years after the Grey Wolves Mercenaries’ battle, and was still held
by the lizardmen bandits.
Scarlett raised her head up to look at the nearby hill. and saw several figures dashing out from the trees.
She furrowed her brows. The Grey Wolves Mercenaries had a different meaning to her compared to her
comrades. She was an orphan raised by Capo, and the group was like a huge family to her. She went into
battle not for the sake of money, but for the sake of protecting this family.
Other than fighting in battles, she felt that she did not know anything else.
She had witnessed the Grey Wolves Mercenaries scoring victory after victory for eleven years, and her
personal confidence improved every day until it formed into a feeling of glory. But this glory was shaken
tonight when she did not understand where the enemies came from. There was no question their
opponents were incredibly difficult and filled with a strong desire to battle.
814
She felt an uneasy feeling growing in her heart, and the tension and fatigue caused her heart to drum
loudly.
“What’s wrong?” She asked as Cecilia and the group of mercenaries behind approached her.
“I found Yula.” Cecilia replied.
Scarlett uttered a low sigh and her eyes wavered. She put her halberd down onto the ground and tousled
her hair.
“And? What did the commander say? Do we press forward or retreat?”
There was a series of low giggles from the crowd. It was a known fact amongst the mercenaries that
Scarlett was fond of Eke, even though she tried to hide it. A few of them even gracefully pretended that
they did not know anything about it and even cheered her on, despite the fact that Yula was Eke’s fiancee.
“Yula is something of a star seer and she’s highly intelligent. The commander is most likely to follow her
advice. Hmph. ” Scarlett made a nasally scoff before she glared at the giggling mercenaries.
“Careful that I tear your lips apart.” She said viciously.
But uncontrollable laughter burst out and one of them said kindly: “Scarlett, the commander has already
made the decision to head north to fight the enemies. Redi, Lothar and you are to take one squad of
mercenaries each to create an open path. Can we go along with you?”
Scarlett flashed a toothy grin: “Why would you want to come along with me. All of you have other
intentions right?”
“Of course not.” The few men who had their intentions revealed quickly waved their hands.
Scarlett raised her head and eyed one of the youths with an angry glare who quickly turned away.
[Idiots.]
“Whatever.” She turned away as she answered.
The few youths looked at her back with stunned expressions. They did not know that she was filled with
grave worry. The ‘Paper Cards’ had exceeded all their initial expectations, but Makarov did not issue any
orders to retreat and insisted on carrying on with the usual plans.
[Is the commander that confident, or is there another reason?]
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Scarlett clenched her fist and placed it over her heart which was beating quickly. Since the commander
had already given the command, there was no room left to disobey the order. Everything had to be left to
the spear in her hands.
She gripped it tightly. Eke had bought the spear from a merchant when she was fifteen years old, and she
made the decision to fight with her spear until her life was expended. She even felt at times that this was
her life’s reason.
She started to move forward but she suddenly recalled something and turned her head.
“Didn’t that merchant camped a fair distance away from us? Where is he now?”
“He probably…… got separated from us when the attack started……”
The mercenaries who followed her closely looked at each other, before one of them hesitatingly replied.
They were not Makarov’s direct subordinates and not all of the mercenaries knew his exact identity.
Many of them still thought he was still allies with them, even if it was just temporarily.
She frowned: “We’re moving in this direction to search for them.”
“Is that really…… okay?”
“What do you mean by that, the Grey Wolves Mercenaries cannot be seen as a group who abandons their
allies.”
A few chuckles could be heard amongst them. Scarlett was obviously being soft-hearted but she simply
had to find a grand reason to cover it up. The mercenaries were willing to group along with her was
partly because of the funny atmosphere around her, although, it was mostly out of a good-natured
perspective.
But as the chuckles died down, there was another cackling laugh that echoed throughout the greenwoods,
yet the voice was hollow and empty, comprising more of a frightening tone to it that was not unlike the .
Scarlett’s expression changed and sought for the source of the voice.
She immediately found the origin of the voice; a dark figure with long black robes with red sigils on either
side was standing next to a gigantic green colored creature. They were atop on a great black pine tree,
while the creature shook his massive wings, causing the chains around them to jangle loudly. The
creature’s head was that of a goat’s and their line-like pupils stared at the mercenaries.
“When did it appear?” Scarlett’s heart suddenly jolted and she gritted her teeth. Even though she had no
idea what manner of the creature was, she understood they were opponents that they most likely could
not face.
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“Lass.” The Disciple of Black Flames trilled with a piercing voice: “Did you say someone got separated?”
“That has nothing to do with you.” She raised her halberd and said through clenched teeth.
The initial assault had caused the Grey Wolves Mercenaries to lose a squad of patrolling guards, and one
of them was Scarlett’s close friend. Even though the mercenaries had gotten used to seeing life and death,
it did not mean they were able to calmly deal with them. The enemies and them were beyond concilatory
terms and only had enmity between them.
“It is fine if we can’t get to them. My comrade has probably been done in by them, so I’ll quenched my
thirst for revenge with your deaths.” The Disciple of Black Flames laughed in a crazed manner. “Abechas!”
The black chains swept towards the girl with a ringing sound caused by the chain links, while she
responded with a loud yell and struck away the chains. The force of the chains secretly swayed her
confidence, it was merely a single strike but her arm felt slightly numbed. Her performance was
apparently outside the expectations of the Disciple as he exclaimed in surprise. “A Silver-ranked fighter!
Makarov’s subordinates are certainly full of suprises. Even a little girl is skilled, how truly unexpected!”
“There are more to come, you bastard! Roglas, Arrow of Lightning!”
Scarlett reversed her spear and pointed it at the disciple. Electricity immediately gathered from the tip of
black-bodied spear and crackled with an explosive noise. By the time the sound reached the mercenaries’
ears, the lightning arc had leapt towards the disciple.
However, an invisible shield blocked the lightning and sparks sprayed everywhere from the contact,
causing the trees around the high-ranking disciple to smoke and turn black from the heat. The black-
robed disciple did not move at all, and not even the edge of his sleeves reacted to the Arrow of Lightning.
“A tier 2 Magic Artifact. That is certainly uncommon.” The disciple clicked his tongue after a moment
later.
Scarlett’s blood had turned completely cold. She drew in a sharp breath as she tried to dispel the
numbness that was spreading throughout his fingers. The moment of shock quickly turned into anger and
she roared at the mercenaries who pulled out their weapons in order to participate in the fight: “Run!
What the hell are you staying here for!”
“What do you mean?”
“Captain, we……”
“You idiots, I’m not his match at all, quickly get the commander to send help to me!”
“Your plans seem to be thought out pretty well.” The disciple sneered audibly, raised his hand, and the
creature beside immediately flung a long chain out. This time the targets were the mercenaries.
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“Damn it!”
She threw the halberd like a javelin towards the chain. There was a loud grinding noise as the spear and
chain collided, deflecting each other to the opposite direction. She immediately raised her hand, and there
was a lightning flash in between the spear and her. A moment later, the halberd flew back to her hand as
if they were connected to each other.
“Element Resonance!” The disciple screeched.
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==================== Makarov’s POV ====================
“He really said that?”
Even though the Grey Wolves Mercenaries were attacked in the night by the endless stream of Paper
Cards’ mercenaries and Disciples of Black Flame, and forced to retreat to the south, Makarov did not lose
his composure and calmly retreated in an orderly manner. He was even able to regroup and gather his
forces to make an organized army. Just that point alone would have qualified him as a famous general.
He was with Buga as usual, and wore a fiery red military uniform that was reminiscent of the previous
king’s personal cavalry guards’ uniform.
Makarov was once the commander of the king’s personal cavalry guards, and his fiery red uniform had
been his symbol ever since he took on that position. The things that were missing from before were the
shoulder emblems, badges and tassels.
His personal sword had not changed since the time he was the commander of the 35th cavalry unit.
That particular brand of sword was immensely popular amongst the level 30-40 gamers. It had the right
balance of stats for its price and was one of the best Magic Swords at the ‘Brass’ rating. The quantity of
the swords was also sufficient in the market, so it was well received.
Makarov calmly listened to Yula’s report without showing any signs that he was concerned with the
enemies, but merely raised an eyebrow upon Brendel’s advice. He turned to Buga and asked.
“That youth seems to be prepared. Do we head east as well?”
“Hold on,” Redi urgently cut in. He had a higher degree of authority amongst the other mercenaries,
otherwise they would not have interrupted the Makarov: “Commander, the enemies we are facing now
are the Tree Shepherds! We should retreat and seek for a better plan right? If they are attacking openly
now, I’m sure they are well prepared to fight us, continuing to fight with them in this forest would be
falling into their plans!”
His words were rash and rude, but Makarov was used to his attitude and did not mind it. Redi suddenly
thought of something and asked. “And Eke is still in town, he might not be safe either!”
Makarov eyed the youth and nodded: “Your words are not wrong, but there is no guarantee that the Grey
Wolves Mercenaries would be safe even if we retreat to Chablis.”
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He saw that Yula had lowered her head and knew that she was worried with her fiance. “In truth we have
already suspected that Conrad wouldn’t be so easy to deal with. But we are prepared to face him ever
since we stepped into the forest. As for Eke….. I am not sure what he discovered, but him staying in the
town is also fine. Capo stayed behind specifically to protect him, so worry not.”
Buga did not offer any comments and simply listened to the conversation, but he suddenly turned his
head around and immediately discovered a blinding light coming from the distant forest. A ear-piercing
explosion soon permeated the entire forest. Their expressions turned and Redi was about to say
something, but the mercenaries around them had started shouting.
“The seventh chord, thunder!”
“Scarlett is in trouble!”
Buga reached for his greatsword behind his back, but he quickly stopped and turned to peer closer at the
direction he was looking at earlier.
“The battle is already over.” He said gravely.
“You mean, Scarlett is……” Yula paled.
“I’ll bring some men to get to her now!” Redi finally reacted and reached for his sword, intending to rush
out to that area, but Makarov laid a strong arm on his shoulder and forced him to stay right where he was.
“Stop.”
“Commander…..?”
Makarov did not say anything but frowned for the first time and looked somberly at where Buga was
looking at as well. A few moments later, dark figures appeared in their line of sight, followed by two
gurgling screams. Whether or not they belonged to a human’s dying throes or a beast’s, the mercenaries
could not tell.
But they took a few steps back, as there were groups of men coming from the southern forest. They were
certainly the Disciples of the Black Flames, their chains dragging across the ground and shrubs with
metallic ringings from the chain links.
The bizarre sounds were clearly at odds with the supposedly tranquil forest.
— The attacks in the north are a distraction, while the enemies laid in the south to ambush them.
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Everyone thought of the same thing. Lothar and Scarlett had clearly failed to stop the enemies in the
north, but the mercenaries did not have the time to mourn for their losses, because they were also mired
in danger as well. The mercenaries were experienced enough to recognize that the enemies had three
times their numbers.
Redi gulped. Even though he was not afraid of death, but he felt suffocated to face such odds. Yula listened
closely and also realized the danger they were in.
“Conrad!”
Buga growled, his voice low but powerful.
“Oh?” A flippant voice immediately came back, even sounding young: “Ser Buga, do you know of me
personally? Would you like me to address you as the ‘Crosshand’, or are you Duke Lantonrand’s or Grand
Duke Roan’s guard commander?”
The stone thrown by Conrad was like a ripple amongst the Grey Wolves Mercenaries. They looked back
their vice-commander with stunned expressions. Even though they did not trust the enemies, they felt
curious over the sudden information. Buga and Makarov did not react to Conrad’s words, while the latter
even stuck out a hand to prevent Buga from doing anything rash.
“I did not think that the mercenaries of Paper Cards would work together with the infamous Tree
Shepherds. I’m sure it would be terrible if words of your deeds are circulated to the masses.”
The forest turned silent.
Conrad had not expected Makarov to know the relationship between the Disciples of the Black Flames
and the Tree Shepherds. He only replied with sarcasm after an afterthought: “As expected of the Cunning
Fox of the past. You do know plenty.”
[That youth’s words are right.] (TL: Makarov is referring to Brendel.)
Makarov frowned deeply. He was actually confirming Brendel’s words, but he was also disregarding his
men’s morale. In spite of that, he believed his men were not afraid to die in battle.
Mercenaries were men who risked their lives for coins. Although they were not as formidable as a formal
army, they were still recognized as a force to be reckoned with in Vaunte.
“We should skip with the pleasantries, Ser Makarov.” Conrad walked out from his spot, although it was
dark enough to only identity him as a young man. “I’m here to confirm only one thing. Is the only son of
Duke Rhun with you presently?”
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The mercenaries were once again stunned and stared at their commander. In their eyes, high nobles had
nothing to do with them.
Makarov broke into sheer laughter: “Have you gone fucking insane? Leaving aside the face that I don’t
understand what you are talking about, but even if I do, do you think I would bother to tell my enemies
anything?”
But the young man’s reaction was merely to shake his head at Makarov’s sarcastic remarks—
“You shouldn’t put your foot down so firmly, Ser Makarov. Do you truly wish to see your faithful
subordinates who followed you for over a decade to be put down like animals?” But he immediately
shook his head: “But perhaps you are right. Your original status puts your far above them. It is a natural
thing to fulfill your mission and abandon this baggage that is holding you back.”
“That’s enough, Conrad!” Buga snapped coldly at Conrad and shook his head. “We are all hired
mercenaries. Do you think your taunts are going to affect our men? If you have any skills, then bring it out
and show it to me. The worst fate that we can go through is merely death.”
Ther Grey Wolves Mercenaries immediately laughed. That was how it should be. They were already
prepared to meet death in the battlefield, and Conrad’s little speech before they fought was something of
a laughable thing.
It was especially so when they were facing their own kind. In order to show what they thought, they drew
out their weapons, and there was a series of metallic noises created by the weapons in the forest.
============== Conrad POV ============
“This old fucking bastard.” Conrad took a few steps back and hid himself in the forest once again. He
looked at the dying girl with long red hair who was covered with numerous wounds beside his feet. “This
cunning fox Makarov is really hard to deal with. Unfortunately our target isn’t him, otherwise I wouldn’t
waste my time to persuade this Royal Faction idiot.”
“If you already know he wouldn’t talk about it, why don’t you attack them right away?” There was a man
who wore long black robes standing behind Conrad, quietly advising him with a low voice. Two red
stripes were sewn onto both sleeves, and Brendel would have recognized the man as a ranked bishop in
the Disciples of the Black Flames, and several ranks higher than the high ranking acolytes he had faced.
“We could have done that, but there are two groups of men within the Grey Wolves Mercenaries that are
unaccounted for. Makarov is well known for his devious tactics.” Conrad spat the words out with a
displeased expression. “He left a group of men to chase after Eke in the town. They really do know how to
act like he was running away, but no matter how I look at it, this is a plan to distract us.”
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“It might be possible that he really ran away.”
“It doesn’t matter. To make sure that nothing goes wrong, I have already left a Gold-ranked swordsman
behind. Capot might hide his true skill, but he wouldn’t be able to go against my placed swordsman.”
“Then what else do you have to worry about?”
Conrad scoffed lightly. He crouched down and grabbed the girl’s hair, jerking her head up. Blood
immediately flowed and trickled down her face.
Scarlett jerked slightly and groaned softly. She tried to see past the blood in her eyes to see who was in
front of her, but the young man pulled her hair even higher and caused her to curl up in pain.
“Urgh—“
Conrad gave a devious grin: “The other group of missing mercenaries. The report says it’s a merchant
along with two women protected by a group of twelve mercenaries. How am I supposed to believe such a
ridiculous lie like that? Makarov has definitely planned something, but even if I can’t get him to talk, he
can’t ensure his men to do the same.”
“Isn’t that right,” He stared at the girl who had breathing in shallow gasps: “Little girl?”
Scarlett seemed to realize her situation, gritted her teeth and turned her face away.
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“Why is it, that you don’t wish to tell us where they went?” Conrad chortled with mirth, smacking the flat
blade of the dagger on the girl’s cheek: “Why do you want to risk your dear life for that group?”
The cold blade reflected the dim light seemed to emit a chilling feeling to her, and she twitched once. She
lightly gasped and answered with a pause on every word: “…… My responsibility…… for failing to defeat
you…… Only the weak….. would save themselves…… by betraying others.”
“I…… am…… different…… from…… you.” Her half-opened eyes hid the burning fury within her.
“Really?” Conrad did not get angry: “But you see, I’m not a patient man. As both you and I know, the Grey
Wolves Mercenaries have seventy to eighty of their men here. I’m actually quite certain that not everyone
is willing to sacrifice themselves for other strangers. I don’t need to remind you that mercenaries are
mercenaries, after all. There is really no need to be so loyal. If you think about it, the results won’t change
and I’ll get my answer. Why do you still want to persist in resisting? I can assure you that I don’t enjoy
killing, so I’m giving you one more chance, little girl, otherwise you’re going to that useless goddess
Mother Marsha.”
Scarlett’s eyelids twitched, and he waited with bated breath. In the end the girl gritted her teeth and
shook her head.
“The other mercenaries…… are not me.” Her reply was curt.
“Then farewell, little girl.”
Scarlett tensed her body and paled. She was a normal human being who still feared death at the last
moment, but it still did not overcome her willpower. She feebly clenched her fists and waited for her fate,
closing her eyes tightly while two streaks of tears flowed from them.
Conrad turned his head.
The high-ranking Disciple of the Black Flames who had stood behind Conrad throughout the
interrogation nodded his head once. It was just like what Conrad said, the mercenaries were already in
their trap and there was nowhere to run. There was no need to worry. Even though the mercenaries were
not afraid to die in battle, they would not easily give up their life to meaningless loyalty or honor.
Makarov and Buga needed to keep their secrets, but the men under them did not.
Conrad took the dagger and plunged it into the girl’s chest.
824
The disciple looked coldly at this scene. The red blood that flowed from the girl did not look like a life was
ending, but more of a painting to be admired. She gurgled and her body convulsed a few times, causing
her red hair to flutter about. Her eyes opened wide and she looked like she was thinking of something in
her final moments, but they quickly became vacant and void of all expressions.
Her willpower and strength were quickly leaving her own body.
[Am I dying…..? Eke…… do you know…… that I really like—] She felt extremely sleepy, but felt something
was placed onto her chest before she fell to a sleep she would not wake up from.
“What is that?” Conrad turned his head back and asked.
The disciple had placed a glowing dark ruby on the girl’s body. In a few moments, the ruby extended dark
tendril-like lights around the wound. The dark lights passed through the veins of the girl and her body
quickly gave out a faint crimson glow.
“The Divine Blood of a God.” He said.
“Do you wish to awaken her as an undead?” Conrad asked.
“No.” He shook his head. “This woman has an Element Resonance with her weapon, and even defeated
our high ranking disciple with just her current status as a Silver-ranked fighter. This means that her
potential is very high, and with such a tender age as well. What I gave her was the blood of the Lightning
God, Cabal. If she raises as an God Acolyte, then this gamble is worth it to me.”
“Blood from a high ranking God?” Conrad narrowed his eyes: “You’re a lower ranked bishop. How did you
get your hands on the blood jewel when you don’t even have the qualifications to handle it?”
“A mere coincidence. Luck plays a great factor, as dictated by the highest truth in this world, chaos.”
Conrad gave an incomprehensible hum in response to that, and looked back at Scarlett. The tendrils were
gradually turning her body into a cocoon.
“The chance for failure is very high.” Conrad said.
“The loss is acceptable.” The disciple said coldly.
“You can do whatever you want, my next move is going to launch an attack. You had better stay back.
Makarov and Buga are not your common fodder. If both of them put their lives on their line, my chances
to survive are not that favorable.”
825
Conrad got up and place his white gloved hand on his sword. Even though he could supposedly lose his
life, there was no tremor to his hand. The disciple knew that he was in charge of their current mission, so
he did not oppose his rudeness. He moved to one side to allow Conrad to pass, then spoke suddenly: “The
group that left the Grey Wolves Mercenaries, is that truly ‘Eke’?”
“The possibility is almost certain.” Conrad continued to walk towards the edge of the forest and spoke
without turning his head: “Regardless of they do, they won’t be able to escape here. If I want them to die
here, then they would assuredly be dead.”
The disciple merely gave a sneering smile at Conrad’s declaration.
============= Brendel POV ===============
The silence was quickly broken within the quiet forest —
“My lord, do you mean to say you knew that Eke was Duke Lantonrand’s son since the beginning?”
“Of course not, Miss Amandina. I was only suspicious of his identity in the beginning.” Brendel sighed.
“But seeing Miss Yula made me certain of that fact. She is not only a Star Seer, her other identity is Eke’s
fiancee. I had seen them before in the Black Tower.” (TL: Black Tower probably refers to where the
wizards congregate.)
[A lie, of course. I haven’t been to the Black Tower in this world yet. Not that anyone’s going to break my
lie anyways. But it’s true that Yula is Eke’s fiancee and the most famous Star Seer in Aouine in the future.
At the same time, her capabilities in the battlefield are beyond imagination.]
Brendel clearly remembered that Yula was a Chosen, and her blindness was proof of that. Mother Marsha
favored certain humans, but mortals were imperfect and unable to receive such pure divine energy,
resulting in a damaged body.
Over Vaunte’s long history, only two Chosens did not have any defects on them. One was the King of
Flames, Gatel, and the other future emperor of Madara who possessed the Mercury Staff. The other
Chosens might have been famous, but they were still flawed.
[Telling them that Yula would be a Grandmaster Brawler who awakened her Element status and was at a
peak level of 115, will be treated like a running joke. She aided the Princess Regent and the Goddess of
War to form a stalwart defense against Madara. Right now, her abilities as a Chosen have not awakened
yet— Hold on, is there a possibility that she awakens her abilities in this battlefield?]
Brendel wanted Yula’s abilities, but she was already in Eke’s faction and they were still loyal to the Royal
faction. The civil war would temporarily shake their loyalty, but the couple ultimately emerged victorious
and pledged their support for the Princess Regent. Unfortunately, the two prodigies died in the war and
826
left behind a daughter, Airrah Lantonrand Orphelon, who led the Aouine’s final resistance against
Madara.
At that time, Brendel had left the frontlines to join the Knights’ Order, Glace.
Brendel rapid thoughts were interrupted by Amandina’s reply who sounded like she doubted him.
“You mean to say that the fight between these two mercenary groups are a cover for the nobles’ civil war,
while Makarov is actually Duke Rhun’s retainer? The Grey Wolves Mercenaries are actually the guards of
Eke, and the mercenaries of Paper Cards are hired as assassins?”
“No, the majority of the Grey Wolves Mercenaries probably do not know the real truth behind their
commander.” Brendel explained: “When Duke Arreck was in control of the political arena, the entire
family of Duke Rhun was nearly wiped out by assassins. I’m sure you have heard of that incident.”
“Yes, the nobles’ blood that was shed on that day caused great political changes in a month. It’s not
possible for me to be ignorant of it……” Amandina’s eyes shimmered.
“Duke Rhun knew that the assassination was coming, and he planned to send his only son away. This is
the truth behind that incident; he used the deaths of his other family members in order to protect his only
child.” Brendel sighed and answered wearily.
Amandina did not respond after listening to Brendel’s explanation. The fights between nobles were
bloody and difficult. From a certain point of view, Duke Rhun’s actions were understandable.
Romaine merely glanced around, seemingly disinterested in this topic.
“Then instead of an assassination, they would want to capture his only son to threaten him?” Amandina
asked again after a short while.
“Yes, an astute observation.” Brendel praised her: “Duke Rhun is currently the strongest supporter of the
royal family, and if someone wants to act against them, they would naturally need to shake this ‘pillar’.”
“That would mean……”
Amandina frowned with worry. Even though a chaotic civil war was an advantage to them, she was still a
citizen of Aouine, and did not wish to see the worst outcome happening.
“No more than three months.” Brendel said.
“Makarov also knew about the movements of the Paper Cards and the Disciples of the Black Flames from
the beginning? He used his own mercenaries as bait?”
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“Most likely.”
The girl took a deep breath and sighed wistfully. The entire Grey Wolves Mercenaries consisted of more
than a hundred men and women altogether. There were people who had served Makarov for over a
decade.
She understood that being merciless was the only way to survive in a cruel war, but she still felt a certain
chill spreading throughout her entire body when she experienced it first hand. She cast a glance at
Brendel’s youthful face.
[I wonder if my lord is going to be like them in the future……]
Brendel’s eyes were already placed somewhere else as he prepared himself to solve a troublesome
problem.
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TL: Some additional info about recent stuff. Skip below to get to the chapter.
TL: Hey guys, so I’m putting in more time to draw stuff and polish my portfolio to prepare for a job.
Thanks to the two people who donated, I have now reached my minimum target of 50 dollars for this
month so I can pay the internet bills.
With regards to the TOC thingy, I hear you loud and clear, and that upgrade will probably come during
February. I’m planning to draw an image for TAS just like I did for TSTBGAM before moving on to other
stuff.
When it comes to translating stuff, I like to vary them. TAS is actually a pretty serious series that can be
emotional at times, and TSTBGAM balances it up with crude humor. If I actually had the time, I actually
want to take on one more JP series, lol.
I’ll also see if I can set up patreon. I always thought that you can only have one account and I would rather
have it on my art, but I now learned that you can have more than one without being faulted for. Thanks
for your continued support, everyone.
Chapter 85 – The story of fishes swimming in Chaos (7)
Brendel had been thinking of ways to break through the Tree Shepherds’ plans from the start. Makarov
brought them along with the intention to attract the enemies to them, and also the very same plan that
doomed the gamers in Brendel’s memory to be utterly wiped out.
[Even though the plan to escape was delayed by the arrival of those two, we managed to escape the
ambush. While that cunning fox used this plan to trick the enemies into thinking Eke is amongst us, I’m
sure he doesn’t know there’s an Altar here.]
Brendel believed that his own plans were superior to Makarov’s plans, as he was confident in his own
experiences that were forged along with other gamers who had spent a lifetime in the game.
The currents of the water had changed, but the fishes swimming in it might not follow the currents.
The gamers who later explored the land found out bits of historical content from the Altar. The monks
from the Holy Cathedral of Flames were the first to discover the temple approximately one hundred years
ago from the first era of the game, but the records were mysteriously erased as if they never existed.
Amandina glanced at Brendel’s unfocused gaze into the valley, and looked at the direction at where he
was looking at. She saw dense tree crowns but was unable to discover anything. She checked his
expressions again, only to discover his solemn looks, and forced back her questions into her throat.
829
She had guessed for herself that Makarov had planned to use them as baits from the very beginning, and
was quite furious over his actions. She subconsciously placed Duke Rhun’s and the people associated with
him into a list where they were not welcomed.
Brendel continued to lead them down into the valley.
There were two mercenaries who were ahead of Brendel to clear a path for them. Brances and vines were
constantly hacked away with their swords, and periodically cast dim light reflected from the stars into
the group’s eyes.
Brendel checked the Stats Window and paid 2 Wealth to keep the Card, ‘Mercenaries of Lopes’ to keep
them in the field. He currently had 10 Water EP and 150 Wealth.
He suddenly canceled the Stats Window and narrowed his eyes as he discovered the two scouts ahead of
him had stopped. They looked at each other as they had discovered something in front of them, then
turned their heads to Brendel.
“My lord, there’s something in front…..”
“What is it?” The Nightsong Tiger was the one who responded with a strict voice.
The two scouts were the youngest within the group and had the least experience. He had the intention to
train them, but did not expect their inexperience to embarrass him. He moved towards them with large
strides as he spoke, almost like he had wanted to cover up the mistakes that his subordinates made.
But he was also stunned when he pushed the shrubberies away to get a better look.
It was an large open clearing that was about the size of three hundred meters wide, and in the center of it
stood a temple that was covered with vines.
The Nighsong Tiger raised his head up subconsciously to study the entire temple; he was almost able to
imagine how the grand structure would look like under the sun. Even now, he could almost feel how
glorious it looked like in the past under the dim light.
Brendel had also gone forward to look at the reason why they stopped.
It was a temple that had tall marble pillars shaped into an arch with intricate patterns carved onto it. It
was nearly sixty feet tall and the overall design was certainly a temple to worship the Elven Goddess.
However, many of the Gods had already died and became star constellations, leaving behind only their
Will and Laws that shaped this world. The temple had already lost much of its former glory as it lost its
divine protection.
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“Wow!” Romaine exclaimed.
“This is……” Amandina was also stunned.
“The holy temple of the Silver Elves.” Brendel said.
He had seen much of the grand designs in the game. The Elves and Dwarves’ cities took his breath away
when he saw it for the first time.
“This building used to be the burial grounds for the Elven Royal Family. The humans had left them
untouched throughout history because they treated them as sacred allies, starting from the timeline of
the War of the Holy Saints when they defeated the Dragon of Darkness and continuing unto this day.”
“But why would the burial grounds for the royal family be turned into a temple?” Amandina turned
around and asked.
“The ancestral kings of the Silver Elves swore to protect their territory for all eternity. Their Elven
Goddess had asked Mother Marsha to allow their souls to forever reside in this land.”
“A ‘Nest’ of Heroes?” She asked again.
Brendel nodded.
“But why did it get abandoned?”
“History states it was due to wars, but in actual truth the Ancestral Kings did not wish to participate in
wars between humans. The citizens of Aouine nearly angered Mother Marsha as well because of the civil
wars, so the real truth was covereed up.” He cast a meaningful look at Romaine and Amandina: “You
won’t find this in any historical text.”
Both of the girls nodded without asking why, as Brendel would have answered ‘This is recorded in the
wizards’ historical records!’.
“This Altar might still work.” Brendel’s words stunned everyone.
“””What?”””
“Calm down everyone, it’s just a possibility.” Brendel was certain that the chance to activate the Altar was
one hundred percent.
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[According to the research done by the gamers, the ‘creatures’ that dwell within can exist for thirty days,
which is more than enough to finish the quest here.]
Brendel’s words did not soothe Amandina or the Nightsong Tiger. Both of them were greatly excited of
the possibility of the advantages that could have if it still worked. It was as if a treasure chest was in front
of them, which could either contain treasures or was actually an empty box.
The Nightsong Tiger licked his lips before he asked Brendel in a low voice. “What are your orders, my
lord?”
Brendel turned around and looked at the mercenaries behind him, then pointed at two of them: “Two of
you are Elementalists right?”
“Yes, my lord.” They nodded at the same time.
“Do you have men who use the crossbow?”
“Yes.” The Nightsong Tiger immediately picked two more mercenaries out: “Is two enough?”
“Yes.” Brendel took a coiled rope out from his backpack. “Come, the four of you. We need to practice a bit
of combat tactics.”
Amandina frowned: “There’s going to be fights?”
“Don’t worry, it’s just a Spectral Knight.” Brendel answered nonchalantly before he saw the Nightsong
Tiger’s incredulous face. He looked at him in confusion and asked subconsciously “What’s wrong?”
“M-my lord, did you said ‘Just a…… Spectral Knight’?” The Nightsong Tiger asked with a bizzare look on
his face.
Brendel coughed once. He suddenly realized that the Spectral Knight was a level thirty-five Elite Undead
which was easily stronger than a Silver-ranked fighter. The gamers had even described the encounter as a
‘mini boss’.
Since then, however, the gamers had researched deeply into finding the weaknesses of the various
Undead, and he was easily able to handle the spectral knights even with a lower level with tactical means.
Brendel consoled him: “Don’t worry. The Spectral Knights have a specific weakness. As long as you listen
to my commands properly, it’s not difficult to defeat them.”
The Nightsong Tiger looked at his lord, partly doubting his words but also trusting in his knowledge. Any
common mercenaries would have fled the area immediately, and they would roared at Brendel with
spittle.
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‘Are you crazy? Do you have goat shit for brains? A Spectral Knight is one the most terrifying Undead you
can encounter! It can move swiftly in the forest like a horse undeterred in the plains, and kill someone
without even making a sound! Anyone below the Gold rank should run because it would have fucked us
up to our deaths with their weapons!’
The Nightsong Tiger instantly shooed away a voice that crept into his mind. The twelve mercenaries they
had here would be easily slaughtered by the enemy, and even if they had twice the numbers, they would
also be done in.
However, the mercenaries were summoned by Brendel, so the Nightsong Tiger merely nodded.
Amandina observed his fearless attitude and merely served to convince her that he was a loyal retainer.
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TL: I should be able to post another chapter in about 5-6 hours, thank you very kindly for the donations.
After that I’ll be checking up on my TL for the past chapters.
TL: Paypal donations open at silentwolfie@gmail.com
Chapter 86 – The king and the dead (1)
The Spectral Knight under the moonlight looked like it was a translucent statue made of crystal, glowing
faintly from the dusty air. It held a silver spear as it rode on its horse around the temple, which then
disappeared from the group’s eyes at the other side of the temple’s wall.
The whole process of the Spectral Knight’s movements were silent. There were no sounds of hooves
hitting the ground or the metallic grind from its armor. However, Brendel had already determined the
subclass of the Spectral Knight in a few moments and decided on his strategy.
When he looked back at his men, he found thirteen pair of eyes with hesitation, doubt and anxiety. Even
the Nightsong Tiger held his breath. Amandina covered her lips and muffled her coughs, trying hard to
regain her composure.
The only exception was Romaine, whose eyes were bright from excitement at checking out the temple.
Brendel’s heart skipped a beat and warned her to be careful and not to slip away without his consent. In
regards to girl who called herself ‘The Great Merchant Romaine’, he was not sure what she would not do.
Brendel fiddled with his thumbs as he grumbled inwardly on how Romaine’s aunt disciplined her to have
such a unique personality. He quickly waved away that thought and addressed the mercenaries.
“Our strategy is quite simple,” He brushed away the shrubs and pointed towards a nearby slope: “See that
black pine tree? Other than the four people that I requested, I want the rest of you to lay an ambush there.
Wait for me to lure the Spectral Knight over and wait for my signal to attack it.”
[[[[That’s it?]]]]
Everyone was stunned.
“But…… just what exactly should we do, my lord?” The Nightsong Tiger asked with doubt creeping into
his voice.
[What do you mean by that…… Do you need me to teach you to attack someone when you ambushed him?
Just kill it!]
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Brendel answered after a split second with an answer: “Just hit him with everything you got……”
He suddenly realized what the problem was.
“Well, imagine this, treat this enemy like he was the one who murdered your wives and children.”
Brendel said.
[Murdered my wife and children?] The Nightsong Tiger did not understand.
“But my lord, to tell you the truth, my woman had died long ago during the fight with Kirrlutz.”
Brendel placed his palm over his forehead and sighed.
“Imagine that he owed you a million gold coins to your mercenary group and he intends to evade
payment—”
[[[[!!!]]]]
The mercenaries had never been refused payment after they became famous. They looked towards the
direction where the Spectral Knight was earlier with bloodshot eyes as if he had murdered everyone they
loved. The Nightsong Tiger gripped his axe so hard that it seemed to groan.
“Mother Marsha above! So this Spectral Knight is the same type of horseshit like the people of Anjou! My
lord, we swear by Mother Marsha’s name, we will beat that cursed undead till it’s nothing more than a
pile of rotting flesh—” He said with a loud voice.
Amandina listened to the Nightsong Tiger’s tirade in embarrassment. Even though there was coarse
language used within the nobles’ circle, she rarely heard it used directly in front of her. She gritted her
teeth until he was done with his rant, coughed once and asked with a crimson face.
“My lord, the enemy is a Spectral Knight that appears in fables, can we truly defeat it?” She asked.
The Mercenaries of Lopes might have trusted him whole-heartedly, but she was still hesistant of
Brendel’s simple plan. If everyone used his method, would it not mean that everyone was capable of
handling a Spectral Knight?
[Our group consists of simple mercenaries. There is no great wizard, a Grandmaster Swordsman or even
a battlemage. The description of a Spectral Knight requires at least someone with the equivalent of a
Gold-ranked fighter, but none of us here are that skill level, not even you, my lord. A simple ambush
wouldn’t raise the skill level of anyone here.]
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“Of course.” But Brendel’s reply came naturally.
“Why?” She blurted the word out.
“Don’t worry, he wouldn’t be able to attack us, or to be more accurate, he can’t.”
“He can’t?” Amandina’s jaw lowered itself.
[What reason is that? Is the Spectral Knight somehow crippled? Or maybe it’s actually a peace-loving
undead?]
She got a little angry at Brendel’s flippant reply, but she was unable to refute him when he had never
seemed to fail in his plans. Even the most ridiculous answer like this might somehow come through.
She calmed down a little, but still grumbled in a small voice.
“As your advisor… I can’t accept that explanation, my lord.”
Brendel shrugged as it was not an easy thing to explain.
[It’s rare for a monster to follow a path to patrol, and when it does, it will do so dilligently. It’s quite
obvious that this particular Spectral Knight has a strong fixation in this area. However, he has to move
within a fixed area. Once it crosses a certain line, it will return to guard its path, regardless of what
situation there is.]
Most of the creatures that appeared in the game that patrolled a pathing area were incredibly powerful,
and gamers were usually not able to take advantage of their behavior because they were able to attack
from incredible distances.
However, this Spectral Knight did not fall into that category. It was limited to a certain attacking range
and was unable to leave their position. Brendel was certain that he could do kill the Spectral Knight with
this method, and even if it failed, he was certain that he could take it on directly.
The only thing that he was feeling sorry about was the fact that quest mission’s loot tended to be half of
the normal encounters, and this world seemed to follow the game’s logic quite closely.
[The game lore states that Mother Marsha sealed this particular Nest in the past. Aouine’s high ranking
priests tried to change the oaths that the Elven kings made so they could be used, but the resistance made
from the kings made the oaths twisted and turned to negative emotions. Many of the priest died that day
as the guardians turned on them. The kingdom stopped providing mana, and all of the evil undead could
not be sustained any longer, except one. The temple itself still provide remnants of what little mana it has,
so it can only patrol around the area.]
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Brendel’s mind reviewed the contents of the history behind this temple. Explaining it would require the
knowledge of the Souls and Mana Cores, and these were closely guarded secrets from the Holy Cathedral
of Flames. If he tried explaining it to Amandina, she would immediately doubt his real identity.
“Well….. I kind of feel that the Spectral Knight is kind of friendly, maybe he won’t attack us?” He took a
few more moments before he answered in a serious tone.
“Lord Brendel.” Amandina took a deep breath.
“Look,” Brendel patted her shoulders: “Relax. Learn from little Romaine. Don’t worry, when have I ever
lied?”
[Learn from Romaine?] Amandina turned her head to glance at Romaine. The latter was looking all over
the temple, as if she was hoping to see a second Spectral Knight.
“I feel that you’re lying a lot……” Amandina mumbled to herself. Events always turned out the way
Brendel said it would as if he had foreseen everything.
Brendel smiled in response, as he knew that she was convinced. He waved to his men to allow them to
move out, then approached the Nightsong Tiger and borrowed a heavy crossbow. He felt the materials of
the crossbow with his finger, then placed it on the ground with his foot in the cocking stirrup, pulled the
string back and placed a bolt on it.
[A treasure amongst any serious gamers.] He remarked to himself.
The Nightsong Tiger kept frowning as he watched Brendel’s strange actions. “My lord, do you want me
lure the undead?”
“No, I’m the expert in this.” Brendel patted the heavy crossbow with confidence, making the string
tremble greatly, as if the bolt was going to be released any moment.
The Nightsong Tiger looked at him in great dismay. No matter how he looked at him, Brendel appeared to
be an amateur, otherwise he would not have said something so impolite. Many nobles took their
reputation more seriously than their lives, and it could be perceived as disloyalty to their lords.
But there was the issue of letting Brendel go out to meet his death. Amandina saw his worry as well and
asked: “My lord, is there a problem?”
Brendel looked strangely at her: “What problem is there?”
The girl nearly choked to death.
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Brendel laughed: “I know what your worries are, but if I find a particular crystal on the Spectral Knight’s,
I’ll treat everyone to stay at Ampere Seale’s most expensive inn and drink their fine wines till everyone
drops—”
The Nightsong Tiger and Amandina exchanged glances after they looked at Brendel without confidence.
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TL: Kind of late again, cough. I’ll be seeing you guys next Wednesday.
Chapter 87 – The kings and the undead (2)
Brendel smiled and showed off his white teeth when he thought about the Spectral Knight’s Crystal.
[Three Billion Tor. That’s how high a price for the ‘Engraved Spectral Knight’s Crystal’ was sold for in the
auctions. Even up to the second era in the game, there were only a few pay-to-win gamers who could
afford this artifact. The chances to get it is incredibly rare, up to the 7th decimal point as a loot drop.
Nope, it’s definitely impossible to get this item.]
He slung the crossbow over his shoulder and asked: “Do you have magic bolts?”
“”Yes.”” The two Elementalists immediately answered. There were female twin Elves, with grey-orange
long hair neatly braided into thin strands behind their pointy ears. Brendel recognized them as Wild
Elves from the Orrgesh region. When he was still a member of ‘The Godly Force’ guild, he had spent a long
time fighting the undead and was familiar with the natives there.
The Wild Elves were the children of the female goddess, Gaia, and were closely related to the Rock
Dwarves. Their customs were quite similar, and the Wild Elves were closely attuned as Hunters and
Elementalists, as well as Woodsman Knights. These three professions had strong attacking stats, and it
was quite easy to recognize their daring exploits.
When the Fourth King of Kirrlutz invaded the Lopes’ capital, he suffered a great deal of pain under their
defense. Even though he won in the end, he paid a great price, till the point where the people of Kirrlutz
bore hatred for the Wild Elves.
It was also because of their nature that many of the Wild Elves permeated the human mercenaries,
allowing the formation of Mercenaries of Lopes.
“My lord, which type of bolts do you wish to have?” The older twin with a sharper chin and paler skin
asked with a melodious voice.
“Bolts of Ice and Wind, how many of these two bolts can you create altogether?”
“If I use all my magic, I can create ten.”
“I can create six.” The younger twin answered with a crisp voice.
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“Good,” Brendel cut them off: “Give me seven each for the two types I asked for, then give me two Bolts of
Guidance.”
The two sisters exchanged puzzled looks with each other, then back at their lord. In the end the older
sister asked with a small voice: “My lord, I understand if you wanted the Bolts of Binding Wind and Bolts
of Shattering Ice, but isn’t the Bolt of Guidance paired with an additional Magic property?”
Bolts that were created with magic could have multiple properties applied to them, especially when if
higher ranking magic was used. If someone wasted the usage of a Dragon-Slaying Bolt, that would be a
great loss. Therefore the Bolts of Guidance would have a prefix usually placed in front, and the most
common type of such bolts was the Fire Bolts of Guidance.
The only time when the Bolts of Guidance were typically used, was when the nobles who wanted to cheat
during a hunting competition—
Brendel answered with a cheerful smile.
“Don’t worry, the both of you just need to follow what I asked for. When you’re done, go behind the back
and rest alongside with Amandina and Romaine. You can leave the battle ahead to the other
mercenaries.”
The older sister nodded. Even though she had her doubts, she knew that her lord was overly confident
and incredibly stubborn, and wisely chose to not question his decisions. However, her sister frowned
deeply and asked: “But, my lord—”
“Tia.” The older sister shouted with strictness in her voice.
Tia looked at her older sister in surprise, understood her intentions, and ceased any thoughts of speaking
again.
Brendel’s eyes went wide for a moment.
[Surely…… These are real people. Though all of them here are summoned from a card, they had their own
judgment, memories and feelings. Even Amandina thought they are truly my retainers.]
Brendel thought about Ciel’s sacrifice for a moment, and a bitter smile formed on his lips.
[Did I appear like a cold and cruel lord? Am I not smiling enough in front of them? The sisters’ reactions
feel like they are treading carefully around me. Surely there isn’t a huge misunderstanding somewhere
right?]
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He suddenly turned his head back and saw Amandina trying to suppress his giggles while Romaine was
smiling freely at him, as if they were watching a great show.
[Am I still your lord? What’s with your attitudes!] Brendel grumbled in his mind but tried to squeeze a
cheerful smile.
“Don’t worry about it…….” He said to the girls.
The bolts were quickly handed over to him after a short while. Brendel required only half of them back in
his world, but he made sure to be cautious because there was no second try in this world.
[Two Elementalists of the Second Circle would not be able to help out much in the battle ahead, so it’s
good to allow them to rest now and prepare for any unforseen events later on.]
He placed each bolt to the holding area of the heavy crossbow to allow the quick access to them. He raised
his head and found the mercenaries to be in place. He was more relaxed now that the mercenaries
followed his orders carefully, but the Nightsong Tiger crunched his already weathered face into further
furrows and wrinkles as he observed his lord’s actions.
“I already said everything is going to be fine, Commander.” Brendel sighed.
No matter how much he explained, the Nightsong Tiger refused to leave his side. He had the same
concern as Ciel had, and if there was any danger that arose, he would be able to sacrifice himself to give
Brendel enough time to escape.
“My lord, please allow me to accompany you. Even if I am to perish, you can still revive me. Please treat
me like a shield.” The Nightsong Tiger answered without any fear.
[Revive, revive. Hear, hear, that would mean that I have to pay an additional maintenance fee for you and
I have to wait an additional day to resummon you, Ser Nightsong Tiger!]
Brendel listened to his reasoning with exasperation and humor. He looked back at Amandina and
Romaine, making sure there were far enough where Romaine was unable to hear them, before
whispering to the Nightsong Tiger in the softest voice possible.
“Do your men know about the Planeswalker’s magic to revive you?”
The Nightsong Tiger shook his head: “Each Card of Fates has its own core, or you can think of them as the
leader. My men are branches of the main core, and within this card, I am the core who helps the
Planeswalker maintain the branches and attach this card to another related card or magic.”
“There’s a setting like that?” Brendel furrowed his brows as he thought of something: “That would mean
each ‘Core’ has their different knowledge about the Planeswalker?”
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“Yes, and it has something to do with the cards themselves.”
“Then do you know how to get a card out of the Graveyard?”
“The Black Cards are mysterious and could easily shift out of life and death. If you wish to use a strategy
around fishing the cards out of a Graveyard, then you would probably need to acquire the cards with
Dark Elements. Such cards are typically found in swamps, graves, or places with the undead like to
gather.” (TL: Some terms are a little fuzzy to me, so I need to check exactly what terms were used.)
Brendel nodded and prepared his bow.
“Very well. You can stay here, but do not make any sudden moves.” He gazed on the derelict temple
beneath the cold moonlight.
[It probably has been two hundred years since any sentient life entered here, ever since the citizens of
Aouine left this place behind.]
His thoughts strayed a little as he checked the time. In the game, luring a monster was a considerable
skill, and pro-gamers were able to predict their path down to their position. Against monsters with lower
intelligence, remembering the path was sufficient, against sentient monsters, it was a battle between
wits.
Brendel had never stopped practicing this particular skillset, even though it was mostly a job that
Hunters took. However, a party was sometimes found lacking of such a profession, and as a Warrior, it
was expected to have some experience in luring.
“Eight, seven……” He muttered to himself.
The Nightsong Tiger did not understand what he was counting. His actions were completely bizarre to
the natives of this world.
With the advancement of the technology in the world, the artificial intelligence in the game had reached
to a point where they accurately mimicked humans. However, the gamers still perceived them as
numbers and data to a certain extent, and calculated their actions like a precision machine to perceive
fluctuations in the data.
Everything had their own rules.
Brendel estimated the remaining time, and the crossbolt’s trigger was pressed with his finger. The first
bolt notched into the crossbow was an ordinary bolt, which sang across the air with a shrilling scream,
parting the misty air into two as it flew in an arc to the temple’s grounds covered with shadow.
“Six, five……”
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The noise from the bolt immediately attracted the attention of the hostile undead, appearing quickly to
the sides of the temple to investigate.
[Here he comes!] The Nightsong Tiger was tense as he gripped his axe tightly.
But Brendel threw away his heavy crossbow and took out a shortbow which hung from his waist belt,
another incomprehensible action in the Nightsong Tiger’s eyes.
Brendel merely signed with his hand.
‘Retreat, now!’
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Chapter 88 – The Kings and the dead (3)
The Spectral Knight immediately discovered the arrow’s flight and turned its horse silently. It raised its
lance as the horse charged across the land, splitting the misty night apart and leaving dust behind it.
Brendel’s reaction was instant; he pushed the Nightsong Tiger away and rolled to his side. Three loud
crashes resounded throughout the forest as the Spectral Knight smashed through with a vortex of air in
front of it, destroying everything in its path.
The enemy thrust out its lance to clear the debris on it. A path as wide as ten feet had been gouged out,
and both Brendel and the Nightsong Tiger had narrowly escaped its charge.
[Fuck, Vortex Strike?! Are you fucking kidding me? You used an ultimate skill right off the bat?!]
Brendel swiftly wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and got up immediately. He discovered the Spectral
Knight had raised its right hand and acted on his foreboding feeling. The Vortex Strike had the same effect
as the White Raven Sword Rave as an Area of Effect attack.
[If we didn’t escape in time that would be the end of us—]
The Nightsong Tiger was overwrought with frayed nerves as well. He had heard of rumors about how
terrifying the Spectral Knight could be, but when he came to face it, he discovered that it was even
beyond imagination.
He spat onto the ground, thinking to himself that he still had to fight like a greenhorn at his age. He
suddenly realized he had not checked on Brendel, and immediately turned to his direction, fearing the
worst, but the youth had a resolute face that did not seem to falter even after the frightening attack.
He took a deep breath.
“We can’t defeat it!” He shouted to Brendel. He was still a veteran mercenary, and he quickly gauged the
difference between the enemy and their forces.
Brendel merely signaled him to be silent. His eyes trained onto the enemy carefully, studying the designs
and patterns of the gothic armor. It was the crystallization of the old grandmasters in Vaunte’s history,
and the armor was glimmering with faint light. Even the horse was wearing heavy metal armor and he
would not be able to cut through it with a sword. The long lance that was pointing on the ground seemed
to extend its length with a dazzling brightness, with the Spectral Knight gripping tightly onto it.
[The Spectral Knight’s Element type is causing my eyes to fail in discerning its length…]
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When any profession reached the Gold-rank, they would more or less display their Element type, and
while the Spectral Knight had not reached that level, it was an Elite creature that rivaled a Gold-ranked
fighter.
The Nightsong Tiger got up to his feet in a rush to try and stop Brendel’s next action and pull him back. In
his eyes, Brendel was utterly mad as they were completely not the match of the monster, and its prowess
had gone beyond a normal Gold-rank fighter.
Brendel ignored his shouts and notched a silver bolt onto the crossbow, took aim, and released it.
The Bolt of Ice flew just across the Spectral Knight’s head and exploded onto a tree. A silver mist of ice
slightly grazed the monster’s left shoulder and left a touch of frost on it.
Brendel blushed a little and coughed to hide his embarrassment. Due to his strained nerves, he had
forgotten that he was merely proficient in the weapon in his current state, and no longer the expert
warrior in the past.
Even so, the meager damage had actually caused the Spectral Knight to miss its marks by a centimeter. It
had actually raised its lance to attack and a silver line of light swept across both their heads just after
Brendel attacked it.
When the Nightsong Tiger quickly turned his head behind, he was in time to witness the trees’ crowns
lopped off and falling down to leave behind the tall stumps. His mouth went wide and he nearly lost his
ability to breath. This level of strength had gone beyond what he knew was normal and he wondered if
the trees were actually packed with explosives instead.
Brendel saw that the Nightsong Tiger did not notice his problem with accuracy and relaxed a little. It
would be a disastrous result if the mercenary commander suddenly tried to interfere with his actions at
this point.
[Ten seconds. Using Vortex Strike two times in a row requires a great amount of Soul Fire, and he’s going
to be on cooldown.]
He notched another bolt into his crossbow and extended the amount of time to aim.
The Nightsong Tiger had regained his senses and could only watched him helplessly as the youth half
knelt like a statue without moving, while the Spectral Knight rode slowly towards the youth. It was akin
to suicide in his eyes.
The second Bolt of Ice was released after three seconds and exploded around the Spectral Knight’s waist,
causing the mist of ice to cover more than half of its body. Brendel confirmed the damage with the
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Window Stats in his eyes, and dealt 13 points of damage, as well as slowing the attack speed and recovery
by 12.5%.
[The effects have not changed as compared to the game.]
Brendel sighed with relief as he noted the changes, while his hands did not stop reloading the bolts.
Normal physical attacks were considerably weakened against Spectral Creatures, but weapons imbued
with magic bypassed such defenses. If the twin Elementalists had higher levels, the effects could go up to
50% with a single strike.
[4 more bolts left.]
“There’s actually an effect?” The Nightsong Tiger’s experience also allowed him to perceive the difference
as the Spectral Knight slowed down.
“Stop stating the obvious.” Brendel heard his mutterings and snapped at him. He was annoyed at the
mercenary for causing him to have a harder time.
“But my lord! We are still not his match even if you slow him down—“
“And?” Brendel started to move back as the Spectral Knight rode towards him.
“We should leave this place. Compared to this monster, I would rather fight with the Black Disciples!”
Brendel could not be bothered with his yells and threw a bundle of magic bolts at him. The Nightsong
commander received it with a questioning look: “What are these for?”
“Are you here to help me or drag me down?” The Nightsong Tiger’s face turned slightly red, but he kept
grumbling in his heart about his lord being an hopeless idiot or a fearless fool. However, he was a
renowned mercenary and would rather obey than to disregard his orders.
Brendel shot out his third bolt and missed, but his fourth bolt struck the Spectral Knight’s right shoulder
and turned his armor to be covered with a thick layer of ice, and was even more effective the previous
bolt, causing it to now move slower by thirty percent. The Nightsong Tiger was secretly delighted to see
that the enemy to be affected, but Brendel quickly called for him to retreat to the location of their planned
ambush.
The Nightsong Tiger’s eyes nearly popped out when he saw that the Spectral Knight suddenly began to
accelerate in spite of its rigid movements. It was almost comical to look at, but he felt like his blood was
turning to ice because he was convinced that it was going to do the very first strike that it did again.
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However, it was merely a Charge skill and not a combined Vortex Strike with a Charge skill.
Brendel also used his Charge skill.
The human and the undead streaked across the forest. It was a surreal sight where two lines were drawn
across a canvas filled with trees, continuously extending themselves while time seemed to stop. Brendel
fled in a manner that made use of quick twists and turns, while the Spectral Knight was forced to follow
him in an awkward manner because of its mount.
When Brendel finally stopped, the Nightsong Tiger who had ran in a straight line nearly found himself at
a loss for words.
“My lord, that’s—” The Nightsong Tiger shouted to Brendel who was considerably close to him.
“The Charge skill. It’s a technique that all knights should learn.” Brendel glanced at him: “As a Mercenary
of Lopes, surely you would know this at least.”
“No, my lord, I want to ask how did you know that it would use a Charge skill at that moment.”
“Oh? When I was at the Orrgesh region, my primary job was to fight against Spectral Knights. Did I not
mention this before?” Brendel quipped.
The truth was Brendel was also quite afraid as he felt his heart beating loudly all the way to his throat.
The Spectral Knight had traveled a ridiculous amount of distance during its first attack and they were
nearly a hundred meters apart from each other, but it had been reduced to no more than fifty meters.
[The error of margin is no more than a meter…] Brendel peeped behind him. Beneath the Spectral
Knight’s mask laid two white flames for its eyes and it looked directly at him, seemingly puzzled as to
who the intruder was.
Brendel shuddered slightly. He found that he was relying purely on instinct rather than experience
because the enemy was much faster than he expected.
================ Amandina’s POV =============
Amandina gasped softly when she saw the two lines charging across the forest. The mercenaries behind
her were completely silent and taken in by the sight where Brendel seemed to always stay one step ahead
at turning at the best possible moment, as if he had eyes behind his back who constantly kept watch of
the Spectral Knight. The chase only lasted for a few seconds, but they recognized the significant amount
of danger that Brendel was in.
Romaine bit her lips as she watched with excited eyes at Brendel’s escape.
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“If every Highland Knight youth in Karsuk is capable of such feats, then Aouine would be one of the
strongest kingdom!” Amandina drew in a deep breath: “My lord… You’re a liar—“
================= Brendel’s POV ==================
But Brendel was not in an optimistic position like she thought. The Spectral Knight’s Soul Fire was being
replenished again, and the Vortex Strike was not only the trump card that it had. He quickly signaled to
the Nightsong Tiger and they made their way to the mountain’s valley, where they would gain a greater
advantage because the sharp rocks affected the Spectral Knight’s horse.
“Nightsong Tiger.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Prepare to use the Bolts of Wind.”
“What?”
Brendel pointed to the Spectral Knight’s horse, and the Nightsong Tiger quickly understood after a short
pause. Even though the latter kept rejecting the idea to fight with the monster, he found himself ready to
engage it.
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Chapter 89 – The Kings and the dead (4)
The Spectral Knight raised its spear for the third time, moving much slower than before, and the
Nightsong Tiger shot a bolt before it was ready to attack. The sky-blue Bolt of Wind struck the Spectral
Knight’s horse from the front, and trails of colored wind wrapped around its hooves.
The binding magic was effective, and both the Spectral Knight and its mount were slowed down once
again.
[-12.7%]
Brendel immediately pulled the Nighsong Tiger to safety while he read the effective data. The Spectral
Knight’s attack had landed on their original positions.
[That projectile was almost spot on for accuracy. For someone who has the stats of just an Iron-ranked
fighter, the Mercenaries of Lopes are quite impressive indeed. Right now the distance we have is giving
me enough time to read his moves, and we just need to lead him to the ambush.]
The ambush was no more than fifty meters away. Brendel believed that the effects of the bolts were going
to last more than two minutes, which gave them enough time to lure it.
The Spectral Knight thrust its lance after missing the third Vortex Strike. The lance’s stab through the air
seemed to create a vaccum, which created an explosion of air rushing to fill its void, distorting the vision
of the nearby trees into a maelstrom, causing them to break and crunch loudly, with the void rushing
towards the two men.
Brendel quickly dragged the Nightsong Tiger behind the cover of the largest boulder while he summoned
the Magic Control card in his hand. (TL: Magic Control, a Planeswalker’s card that seizes control of a
magic.)
[This time it’s Seismic Blast. Let’s see if this still works.]
The card lit up brightly and the blast of air was directed back at the Spectral Knight, causing its body to
shake massively. Brendel saw that it did more than three hundred damage and chortled in his mind. The
thrusting of the lance made it seemed like a physical attack, but the gamers eventually discovered that it
was Soul magic, and countered it by sealing off such properties to render it useless.
Because the Magic Control card was a counter-magic spell, he thought that it might work. The damage
caused it to lose a third of its health, and Brendel was certain that it entered into a Stunned state, and
would enter Stage Two of its boss phase. Brendel quickly pulled the Nightsong Tiger to his feet and they
started to run to the location of the ambush.
849
The intelligence stat of the undead Spectral Knight was considerably high, so he was also certain that it
would not use the same attack again.
When the Spectral Knight shrugged off its Stunned status, the two men had already reached the ambush
point with shallow breaths. They were pushed to their utmost limits from the very start. Even though the
entire exchange was done in less than thirty seconds, they were starting to get tired. Brendel’s forehead
was full of perspiration, which was no better than his own.
The Nightsong Tiger was certain that the Spectral Knight had not shown off its full prowess, so he looked
at Brendel and wondered what other tricks he had that could reverse the situation.
Everyone at the ambush’s location was also thinking of the same thing.
The Elementalists twins felt their limbs were turning cold when they saw the Spectral Knight made its
first attack. The level of how it fought was beyond any battles they had before, and the strength that it
had was beyond common sense. The younger sister even trembled as the older sister hugged her tightly,
with both of them gritting their teeth and staying where they were. Any other mercenaries would surely
have run away.
There was an infamous incident in the game where the gamers incited a war against the NPCs against the
Kirrlutz’s White Lucerne city with a population of five hundred thousand. Eleven Gold-ranked gamers
fought in the war and caused half of the city to be destroyed. Even though the gamers were routed at the
end, the damage that was caused by these high ranking adventurers were fully shown.
Every kingdom eventually tightened the control of such adventurers after that incident.
The damage of the Spectral Knight that it caused with the Seismic Blast silenced Amandina. The unending
might of the Spectral Knight appeared like it could distort nature, and even though it was an illusion, it
made her feel nothing but despair.
The Spectral Knight started to charge forward towards Brendel once again, covering an immense
distance in a short period of time, and everyone held their breaths.
But a miracle seemed to happen.
The Spectral Knight suddenly stopped after charging through a certain point. It raised its head and stared
at the two men in front of it, then attacked with its lance twice, causing two blasts of wind pressure to
sweep across them.
The two currents of air rushed forward and caused deep gullies, forcing the nearby trees to bend and
groan, but before it could strike Brendel and the Nightsong Tiger, they vanished.
[[[[[What?]]]]]
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The Spectral Knight paced back and forth against an invisible line, swinging its spear again and again,
trying to slay the two men in front of it, but it was quickly proven that it was pointless to do so. Everyone
started to wonder if Mother Marsha had given her blessings to their lord.
Amandina was initially surprised but she quickly became suspicious of how the events turned out.
Romaine was also in a state of nervousness, and she sighed with relief and showed a faint smile.
[Auntie, little Romaine has an outstanding sweetheart—]
The mercenaries started to cheer loudly, while the Nightsong Tiger looked at Brendel in disbelief. Brendel
had not relaxed in the slightest. He had estimated the distance correctly but the battle was not over.
“Everyone is to enter the attacking range of the Spectral Knight.”
And everyone looked at him in disbelief.
“My lord, isn’t this good enough? We can hit him without being worried that he would hurt us!” One of the
mercenaries said, while a few others took out their crossbow and prepared to aim at it. They were
somehow worried that their lord had gone half mad.
“My lord……” The Nightsong Tiger began to speak.
“These are my orders! Are you going to obey them, or not?” Brendel roared loudly. The situation was not
as simple as the mercenaries thought. Perhaps they thought that the undead was unintelligent, but if the
situation continued as it was, the Spectral Knight would return to the temple.
He was the first to move into the attacking range of the Spectral Knight, which quickly reacted by slashing
its lance in his direction. While he nimbly avoided the attacks, he shot another Bolt of Ice and caused
damage to it.
Even though the mercenaries were unwilling to fight within its range, they still moved in once they saw
Brendel did so. With the cumulative effects of the magic bolts, they were able to avoid the slow ranged
attacks made by the undead monster.
The undead monster kept striking at them but it did not use the powerful Seismic Blast, and the Vortex
Strike was continously interrupted by Brendel and the Nightsong Tiger. The mercenaries were delighted
to see that the enemy could not reach them as they continued to scurry around it like rats, poking and
hurling their projectiles at it, completely disregarding their image on how unsightly and cowardly they
were acting.
The Nightsong Tiger could only expressed his astonishment in his heart. If the prowess of the Spectral
Knight was beyond his imagination, the fight they had right now was the most bizarre he ever had.
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Brendel was feeling a little smug when he saw the Nightsong Tiger’s expression. The gamers had spent
countless hours trying to bend the rules in the game, and the endless creativity they had created
numerous strategies in the virtual world. In his former life, there was a well-known meme:
‘The more freedom a gamer has, the more cheats they possess.’
They would always seek the easiest solution to solve a problem and never stick to common sense. If any
resources and advantages were available, they would use it in order to defeat the enemies beyond their
means.
Brendel believed in such a creed. They represented the crystallization of wisdom that would allow him to
progress through the darkness and conquer this world that was full of difficulties and pain. He took out
the remaining Bolts of Ice and tossed them to the mercenary commander.
“My lord?” The Nightsong Tiger was confused.
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Chapter 90 – The kings and the dead (6)
“I’m going to go behind his back.” Brendel replied.
The Spectral Knight was not going to stick around till it was finally killed by the cowardly mercenaries.
Brendel checked on the HP of the monster and quickly prepared ahead. Once it reached about ten percent
of its health, it would retreat decisively, and he could not allow his prey to escape.
“My lord, that’s too dangerous.” The Nightsong Tiger looked blankly at Brendel for a second before he
guessed what he was about to do and tried to stop him: “Let me do it for you.”
“You know what I’m about to do?” Brendel’s incredulous reply came.
“You can teach me, my lord,” He answered earnestly: “We’re your loyal men, and you should leave this to
us.”
“… I wish I can leave it to you as well,” Brendel smiled as he took out the long rope that was prepared
earlier: “Sadly, you can’t do this task.”
“Why, my lord?”
“Do you know alchemy?”
The Nightsong Tiger’s mouth opened wordlessly before he rolled his eyes.
Brendel truly did not wish to do it personally. It was always up to him to clear up some form of mess in
the past, but he had been worried about it every time he did so. Any mistakes here would not mean that
he lost a level but death. The only safety line for him was the Unyielding talent, and as long as he
protected his heart and head well, he could at least have a chance to survive, or at least write his final
will.
The battle persisted for some time. The mercenaries used fortified crossbows that were banned, but most
nobles closed an eye when it came to their usage. It was highly uncommon for most citizens because the
people required at least 5 OZ in strength to use it properly, yet the damage done to the Spectral Knight
was almost negligible.
In addition to that, the armor that it wore was resistant to physical attacks. The only time where it truly
took damage was when the bolts struck critical points of the armor, but the Spectral Knight was not a
wooden doll that sat there quietly. Despite the loss in speed from the debilitating effects from the magic
bolts, it was still agile enough to avoid most of the projectiles.
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Brendel was not in a particular hurry. The Nightsong Tiger had enough magic bolts to make the Spectral
Knight weakened for at least ten minutes. With that amount of time, a dozen Iron-ranked mercenaries
would deal enough damage to a Boss-level creature for it to retreat, and the current enemy was only an
Elite-level undead.
He slipped quietly behind its back while it was distracted by the mercenaries. The distance he took was
neither far nor near, about half a soccer field. It was the perfect balance for him. If he was any closer, the
undead creature might notice him, if he was any further, his accuracy might drop too much.
His goal was not to backstab it. Even if he attacked the Spectral Knight, the damage done would not be
effective to finish off the remaining 10% HP.
[If I am already at a Silver-rank, if I already learned some form of bow-related skill, if I managed to land a
critical hit, just maybe……] (TL: Silver rank = Over level 31)
Brendel’s mind wandered a little as he explored the possibility of a backstab, but it was never going to
work.
He glanced at the battlefield one more time before he concentrated on his task. The silence was deafening
in this area compared to the battlefield. He parted the foliage and drew an Alchemy Magic Circle on the
ground with his longsword.
Tamar would have persuaded Brendel not to do it if he saw what the youth was doing. After the Alchemy
Magic Circle was drawn, he drew a Blood Magic Formation which was going to strip away his health.
He placed the rope onto the Magic Circle along with the Soul Crystal he took from the intermediate-
ranking necromancer at Fortress Riedon. Brendel lamented over the usage of it. It was not going to be
easy to get something like this again until many years later. There was no better replacement for it,
otherwise he would not have wasted such a rare material.
He cut his finger with the longsword and dropped it onto the formation, and his heart tightened greatly.
Brendel felt his vitality drain, and the Stats Window reported a loss of half of his health. Brendel had tried
to prepare himself for it, but he still got a shock over how much health he lost.
He rubbed his forehead a little and was thankful that the Soul Crystal was not of a higher quality. If it was,
he might have been sucked dry. But that notion suddenly made him remember that thing in his bag. He
flipped it open and a golden light poured out from it. The light glowed and dimmed with rhythm, almost
like it was an actual heart. (TL: The Golden Demonic Tree’s fruit, The Golden Apple. In case anyone was
wonderin.)
Brendel sighed. This was a secret that he had not told anyone. He was certain that there was someone
who placed it in his bag. What he did not understand was who the person was. At best they were mere
acquaintances, but why would that person do something like this?
854
[What motive is there for that person to this… To make me a scapegoat? Or to test me?]
Brendel felt unhappy when he thought about it. This thing was highly important to some people, but it
was not of much use to him. He needed about four more levels to reach level 25 and allow him to activate
the second talent, and this thing in his bag was not something he needed. After a few moments of
pondering, he still did not arrive at any plausible answer and quickly returned to reality.
His biggest trouble was still the Spectral Knight, and any other matters could be solved later.
He focused on the transmuted object in the Magic Circle. The ordinary rope had turned completely black
and even gave out a shimmer from time to time. It looked quite impressive and he was reminded of a
shiny new pair of handcuffs.
Brendel mocked himself for thinking of that. This was clearly a horrifying product of alchemy. It was
merely a simple rope infused with the energy from a Soul Crystal. Because the quality of the Soul Crystal
was so high, it actually turned out to look like this.
[If Tamar was to see this… He would come after me with his legendary scythe— Wait, he hasn’t reached
the grandmaster status yet.]
Brendel corrected himself as he stood up to watch the battlefield again. The Spectral Knight had managed
to graze a few mercenaries when Brendel was not there to interrupt it. They were bleeding slightly, but in
exchange they became even more cautious than before. Just like Brendel had predicted, the battle took
close to ten minutes before the Spectral Knight finally retreated.
Its upper body creaked loudly as the armor was hindered by the ice. The Nightsong Tiger shot the final
Bolt of Ice at it, covering it with another layer of ice, but the speed at which it fled was beyond their belief.
[The Charge skill.] Brendel remarked to himself.
The Nightsong Tiger’s quick reactions allowed him to fire another Bolt of Wind, but the effect was not any
better as it continued to speed away. The mercenaries wanted to pursue it, but the Nightsong Tiger
stopped them. It was too dangerous for them to cross that invisible line. Once they did so, the undead
monster was free to attack them directly without restrictions.
He was certain that his mysterious lord was planning something to stop it, and he simply cast his eyes
into the forest.
Indeed, two dazzling bolts shot out one after another, causing two white lines to extend out in the dark
forest— Such was the sight before him.
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Chapter 91: The Kings and the dead (6)
“The Bolts of Accuracy!” The twin Elementalists spoke at the same time. They were the ones who made
the Magic Bolts and clearly the best people to recognize what the bolts were. The Bolts of Accuracy were
uniquely imbued with Light Magic, and even the other mercenaries could make a guess.
But they did not understand what their lord was attempting to do with the magic bolts. There was no
difference in damage even if a normal bolt was used. What was different was the accuracy.
[Is there some weakness somewhere on the monster?] One of the mercenaries thought.
However, the bolts nailed themselves deeply onto two giant trees with two dull thuds, completely
disappearing from sight.
“Hold on…… The bolts are off their marks?” One of them said.
Everyone had a strange thought. A few even expressed showed disbelief as to how someone could
actually missed their marks with the Bolts of accuracy, but they were quickly interrupted by the
sharpshooters in the group.
“Look closer, do you see that—“
“Is that a line?”
“No, it looks like a rope.”
They finally saw that there was a rope connected to the bolts at a person’s chest height.
[[[Anti cavalry rope trap!]]]
They were quickly surprised by Brendel’s ingenuity, but some of the magic savvy men pointed out that
the Spectral Knight was a spirit creature, which was resistant against physical objects and hardly
effective.
The Spectral Knight noticed the bolts and charged towards Brendel’s direction without considering it as a
trap. Unfortunately it did not expect the rope to actually work against it. The black ropes emitted black
light as the Spectral Knight approached it. A living warhorse of considerable strength might actually
break it apart, but the Soul Energy in the rope was incredibly effective against the Spectral Knight.
856
That unexpected barrier threw it off its mount and its entire body was launched straight into the air.
Brendel had waited for that moment where it was helpless in the air. The agility it had on its mount was
too high for him to aim properly, but now he was able to attack it without fail.
“Flamme!” Brendel raised the ruby ring towards the Spectral Knight. Red light poured forth like a laser
from the ruby ring after a short delay and struck the Spectral Knight’s chest.
It was as if any other light sources dimmed and the surroundings turned darked. Flames with the
intensity of the sun’s brightness flared from the center of the Spectral Knight. An explosive blast
resounded throughout the whole forest that even Brendel had to cover his ears. The surroudings of the
Spectral Knight had completely evaporated while the sandy ground turned into glass.
The foliage that was further away had turned black and was smoking from the intense heat.
“Oss!” Brendel followed up with another merciless attack with his other ring and a blast of wind directly
struck the Spectral Knight. The air distorted as the blast of wind struck the Spectral Knight before the
sound reached Brendel’s ears.
The mercenaries watched the events unfold in stunned silence. The younger Elementalist muttered to
herself: “Fireball, Wind Blast, is our lord a Silver-ranked Elementalist……”
The older sister combed her hair neatly after it was affected by the gust of wind: “The magic came from
artifacts.”
Her voice did not disguise the surprise she had. They had won the battle without anyone dying and got
away with mild injuries.
Brendel confirmed it with the Stats Window. He had successfully risen by two levels.
[Two more levels before I can select the next talent. The first talent decides the different physical
attributes, while the second talents dictates that path of what a character can take on in the future. It’s the
most important talent amongst the others.]
“It’s a pity that the fireball magic takes time to activate. If it’s an instant spell I wouldn’t have to pull off all
these stunts.” Brendel sighed as he watched the burning trees. The flames would soon die down as they
were made from magical properties.
He made a long sigh and drank thirstily from his waterskin. This battle was not as exhausting as the ones
he had earlier, where he found it hard to even lift a finger. However this was highly dependent on being
flawless in executing the strategy, and every mistake caused him to shake in fright.
857
His reflection on the battle quickly turned into shock as he found that the Spectral Knight did not turn
into dust. It was lying quietly on the ground as the mount stopped beside, nuzzling against its hand.
The Soul Fire slowly disappeared on both the Spectral Knight and the mount at different speeds. The
glowing armors on them started to crack, before vanishing into the air like tufts of smoke, revealing the
body under the heavy armor.
“A unicorn?!” Brendel first identified the mount.
He gaped at the transformation of the supposedly evil beast, revealing a body with bristling muscles that
could only belong to the fittest warhorse. A single horn was adorned on its forehead which easily
disclosed its identity.
[— Wait, but doesn’t the legends in Vaunte state that only the purest of maidens can ride a unicorn?]
He turned his head to look down, and spat out the water in his mouth. Some of it even went into his nose
and made him cough uncontrollably. The armor that covered the Spectral Knight had completely
disappeared, and a young Elven girl was lying there like a sleeping princess dressed with an finely
tailored dress, or perhaps to be more accurate it was the spirit of the Elven girl that was there.
A silver seal was still present on her forehead, which signified that she had not became an adult as
according to the Elven customs, perhaps one who was unfortunate enough to die early. Brendel’s pupils
narrowed in utter dismay as he realized what he had been fighting against.
[A young girl?! That was…… what we were fighting against?]
Brendel was seized with mental anguish as memories of the past came flooding back. The drowning
blood scents of iron-rust and distressing screams as the slave merchants slaughtered the gamers and
NPCs one by one, till they were finally routed. Did it not resemble the same actions they took when
Brendel led his men to slay this undead monster?
Everyone else had came up with the intention to congratulate Brendel as they approached him, but once
they saw the real figure of the enemy they had fought, they were taken by surprise.
“This……” The Nightsong Tiger looked at the translucent sprit and did not know what words to utter.
Amandina was also startled, and she breathlessly asked: “…… That thing from before…… Is her?”
Brendel gritted her teeth as he nodded.
It might have been quite inconceivable that a young girl was capable of the feats that she did earlier, but
that was the truth. In the back of his mind, he had faintly thought of the possibility of the idea that it was
858
some corruption of a former Elven king that made it turn into a Spectral Knight, but seeing it as the girl in
front of him made him shudder.
Amandina frowned but accepted the explanation.
“Do we kill her?” A small voice asked.
Brendel turned to the voice and found that it was the younger Elementalist. The older sister only
furrowed her brows, but it was clear that both of them were conflicted over the decision to kill a fellow
Elf.
The Silver Elves and Wild Elves were quite different. The Wild Elves had sunny dispositions, were kind
and agreeable. They got along with humans more so than many other races, and even stayed in the
human cities, as well as marrying them.
But the Silver Elves were aloof and the true lineage of the noble Elves, stayed faithfully to the prophecies
and avoid the material world, giving the world a mysterious and venerated image. They were usually
taller than the humans, having lithe figures and graceful actions. They were the earliest descriptions of
‘nobles’ and seemed unreachable like the moon.
Such was the difference between the pair of twin Wild Elves and the spirit of the Silver Elf lying before
them.
Brendel felt a pair of eyes on him, and he turned towards Romaine. She seemed to ask the same question,
but she yearned to hear the answer she expected the most.
Brendel licked his lips nervously and shook his head. He turned his gaze back at the spirit. The Soul
Energy was breaking down as the spirit became more transparent. Even though she had not disappeared
yet, she would not be able to hold on much longer.
“She is already dead. What you see now is the soul disappearing.”
Romaine uttered a disappointed sound.
Brendel was also feeling puzzled. The damage that she received was far beyond a Spectral Knight could
handle. Even if she was ten levels higher, she should had been turned into dust and not appear like a
sleeping beauty.
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TL: 5th chapter. Edit: There’s a mistake in which the chapter did not copy over (damned umatrix
extension).
Chapter 92 – The kings and the dead (7)
============ ??? POV ============
Am I in a dream?
The Silver Elven Court was as perfect as my memories. The saintly white luster of the walls, ceilings,
corridors and fences.
How long ago have I not dreamt of this……
“Sister.”
“What did you address me?” That voice in my dreams became sharp as usual.
“I-I’m sorry.”
That dream……
I remember my mother said to me, when I pressed gently on my chest, I would be able to feel my warmth
and life from my ‘heart’ with my fingertips. Only when one touched there, would they feel at peace.
It was precisely because of that, that my memories of the Cherau village became clearer, and how have I
yearned to return to that time…..
“Father king, my noble sister….. I am sorry. It is all my fault.”
========== Brendel’s POV ===========
Brendel’s mind shuffled through different answers as to why the girl’s spirit was still around. He had
calmed down from the shock, and thought if he saw it through a gamer’s perspective, this would be a
developer’s immunity settings, that it was a follow-up to a quest and possibly the key to activating the
Altar, and even though he could probably find the answer on his own—
Did it not look like the solution was in front of him?
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[If this is a mission, then this little girl is going to wake up pretty soon. The only exceptions thus far in this
world are the Planeswalker and the cards…]
Brendel looked up at the starry sky and waited patiently, wondering if the spirits also adhered to the
game.
The mercenaries whispered amongst themselves, as Amandina grabbed Romaine’s hand and watched the
Silver Elf warily. No one dared to approach her, as the unicorn was still beside her. The might exhibited
by the Spectral Knight’s mount was still fresh in their minds and nobody knew whether it would go on a
rampage.
But it was just as Brendel had predicted, the Elven girl’s eyelids moved and opened.
It was a pair of slightly vacant silver eyes with a little confusion in her eyes, which quickly seemed to be
poured in with many things all at once. It was as if memories and complicated emotions filled her eyes up
as it suddenly flickered with comprehension.
Her body moved a little, and she turned her head around to look at everyone around her.
She seemed to recall something, before she her brows were crunched into a sorrowful expression. Her
body curled up as she coughed vehemently, and she brought her hands to her lips. Once she uncovered
them, her hands were filled with silver blood. She reached out with her hands, trying to grasp the silver
lance on the ground.
The mercenaries pulled out their weapons and were on their guard, and a few of them wanted to stop
her.
“My lord, she has no more strength left to fight us.” Amandina quickly tried to persuade Brendel into
stopping the mercenaries. She recognized the expressions of the Silver Elf, which was how she felt when
she was at her lowest point.
[Indeed, she has no strength left.]
Brendel nodded. The spirit had reached the final stage of fading away. Even if he was to stand in front of
her, she would not even be able to raise her weapon to strike him down. The spirit was holding on to
some wish or mission to persist in this world. It was also the source of her Soul Energy. Once it was gone,
she would have no more connection with this world.
After a short moment, the girl suddenly stopped and stared at her transparent hand. It was becoming
fainter and seemed like it was going to disappear anytime.
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Brendel raised his hand to make everyone stop, which was not necessary to do so. If the Spectral Knight
struck fear in the mercenaries’ hearts, then the Elven girl in front of them was so weak and pitiful that
they felt like they needed to protect her.
“Messere…… Am I going to…… disappear?” The Silver Elf stared at her hand while she spoke. Her voice
was like the fabled nightingales within the deepest forest.
Her tone made the twin Elementalists gasp. The Wild Elves were considered as great musicians, and they
could hear how beautiful and trance-like the voice was.
[There are two Elven blood lineage that were derived from the Golden Bloodline. The first is the Silver
Elves, the latter is the Mist Elves. As expected, the voice from a Silver Elf is beautiful.]
Brendel nodded silently to the Silver Elf’s question. The related quest indeed came, but he felt he was
unable to feel happy. If it was in the game, he would have seen her as a NPC, but at this moment, he
discovered that he was unable to cut his emotions off.
“Was……” Amandina asked timidly in a small voice: “That Spectral Knight….. you?”
The Elven girl did not speak but silently nodded. Her arms and legs were becoming transparent as well.
She looked up to sky with a melancholic smile, and said with a tearful voice: “I…… killed so many
people…… Mother Marsha, must have abandoned me……”
“That is not your fault.” Brendel’s voice sounded angry.
[The Holy Cathedral of Flames was the faction that caused this incident. Mother Marsha would not have
gotten angry if it was not for their interference. As punishment, luck as never been on Aouine side ever
since then.]
Brendel had essentially made sense out of the entire situation.
The priests of the Holy Cathedral of Flames probably wanted to change the oath between the Elven kings,
the Elven Goddess and Mother Marsha. He personally had changed similar contracts before as a gamer,
and the risk presented to him was acceptable precisely because he was a gamer. The citizens of Aouine
must had been either bold or greedy enough to attempt something like this, and the conclusion was
distorting the oath and allowing evil spirits to invade the sanctuary.
It was a tragedy.
The evil spirits surely did not stop at controlling just the little girl, and many more Elves must have been
possessed. Despite that, the high ranking priests were not simple pushovers and a dire battle not
recorded in history broke out in this area. After the battle ended, all records of the Altar disappeared.
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“What is your name” Romaine asked.
Brendel suddenly discovered her question was really constructive.
“Medissa Lunette.” Came the reply.
“”You’re not from the royal family?”” Brendel and Amandina spoke at the same time. Only the royal
bloodline, the Aavlon royal lineage, was permitted to enter this tomb.
“Yes, I am a craftsman’s daughter.”
“But this is the tomb of the Elven kings……” Amandina continued to ask.
The question from Amandina made the Elven girl paused for a while. Half of her body was becoming
transparent: “There are unique circumstances…….”
“Unique circumstances? I have heard of the Silvers Elves interring their bravest and greatest heroes along
with the ancient kings……” Amandina looked doubtfully at the girl, unable to find traces of a ‘greatest
hero’ in her.
Medissa carassed the unicorn beside her as her eyes became misty: “That isn’t it. I am here to replace
someone else.”
[What?]
If there was another mouthful of water in Brendel, he would have spat it out again. He had never heard of
substitutes or was there a queue for being entombed?
Amandina had a clearer grasp of the situation. “A replacement in order to save someone? Or to be buried
as a sacrifice?”
[What kind of third rate development is this? To think that the ‘noble’ elves would also do something like
this, looks like they are no different compared to humans.] Brendel was surprised.
But Medissa shook her head: “I volunteered.”
“Volunteered?” Brendel could not understand how an ordinary citizen was able to replace a royal family
member.
She had a faint smile on her face, as though she had recalled a memory to be proud of. “I, volunteered to
replace…… my older sister…… No, I came here…… for the sake of the her Royal Princess.”
She was becoming fainter.
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“Hold on.” Brendel interrupted her, “Sister? Her Royal Princess, what do you mean by that?”
“My mother, is a craftsman in the Cherau village. My father, is the king of Aavlon. I think, I am half a
princess……”
“Does this mean your sister is the Silver Elves Kingdom’s princess?”
She nodded.
“Why did you need to replace her?”
“My noble sister was cursed by the Miirna people. The royal court magicians told me father that a related
blood member had to die for her sake, or else she will continue to weaken in her prime until she died.”
Medissa slowly explained: “But my noble sister is the best leader within the kingdom. The human allies,
the dwarves, our citizens, no one wished to see that happen……”
“In the end, my father chose me.”
Amandina was so indignant that her brows knitted together tightly: “…… He’s your father, how could he
have done something like this!”
Brendel could only pat her on her shoulders to calm her down. “During the era of Chaos, the twilight
dragon was a force that exceeded the imaginations of the various races. They paid a great price in order
to resist that existence, as the king of the Silver Elves, it could only be seen as something normal.”
He stared at Elven girl in silence, before he asked: “Why have you told us about all these?”
“Because…… I wish to ask you for help?”
[Just like a mission.]
“What help do you need?”
“The lizardmen in the forest had stolen my sister’s necklace. I don’t know what they want to do with it,
but without that trinklet, my sister’s curse would not be able to focus on me, I’m afraid it would—“
“You’re already about to disappear, why are you still trying to care about someone else!” Amandina
interrupted her after listening in dissatisfaction.
Medissa cast a glance at her and smiled.
“Precisely so, I wish….. That my disappearance….. has meaning…..”
Amandina did not know how to refute her.
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“But this matter is none of our business. We do have the right to refuse your request.” Brendel spoke
quietly. Even though logic told him that he should accept the quest, but he felt a little angry when he
looked at the Elven girl who had nothing to do with the cruelties and violence in the world.
Her eyes momentarily turned sad, but was quickly replaced with a touch of slyness: “Messere…… human,
you came to seek, for the souls of the Ancestral Elves…… right?”
She was nearly gone.
“You know of our intentions?”
“I was able to listen in, through the gust of wind in the valley……” She closed her eyes. “To gain the
acknowledgement of the Ancestral Elves, you would have to gain my acknowledgement……”
She paused for a moment, as though she was too tired to continue speaking. “That is why, I want to make
a deal with you.”
[I’m actually being held hostage. And I’m even threatened by a little girl.]
Brendel felt bitter feelings emerging from his heart. Did he had the option to get angry? He turned back to
look at everyone, but the girls and even the Nightsong commander nodded their heads.
“Very well, but I have also have my own request. In order to deal with the lizardmen bandits, I would
have to gather the help of the Ancestral Elves, otherwise I would not be able to deal with them.”
The girl nodded.
“I acknowledge your presence and you have my permission.”
“Are you not afraid that I will betray you?” Brendel was slightly surprised.
Medissa was silent for a moment. “I am…… worried.”
She started coughing and flecks of blood could be seen spluttering out, before it disappeared into thin air.
She raised her head weakly, as tears spilled across her face: “I’m…… worried….. I…… do not wish to
disappear……. I still…… have things…… that I want to do. I’m really sorry, can you…… help me….. please?”
A sudden rush of wind blew across the top of the forest, as though it was wailing— while Medissa
completely vanished before their eyes.
Everyone was stunned into silence as the heartrending pleadings wormed their way into their hearts.
Each word seemed to hang around their ears, and Brendel had an inscrutable expression.
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TL: That’s the final chapter for this mini arc. The next arc is Brendel vs various enemies. I’ll see you guys
next week for TAS. Please report any Engrish mistakes. Chapters links should be corrected now.
I’m also really sorry for those of you who missed chapter 91, that was a nasty accident.
Chapter 93 – The Eversong Elves
The winds died down and the forest sank back into silence.
Brendel deliberated for a moment before he looked back at the girls. They were looking at the Elven girls
with teary eyes. Even though they were enemies a moment ago, they quickly realized that it was not
Medissa’s fault for attacking them.
“Do you wish to save her?” Brendel suddenly asked.
Romaine snapped her head to look at Brendel and furiously nodded. Amandina hesitated and bit her lips,
but every time she wanted to say something her words did not come out.
(Nightsong Tiger.) Brendel communicated to his summon in his mind.
(My lord?) The Nightsong Tiger faced him.
(I have been wondering about the abilities for quite some time, but is it possible for me to turn the Elven
girl into a card?)
Brendel had wondered from time to time as to how Ciel and the Mercenaries of Lopes came about. The
only answer he had was that a Planeswalker was somehow able to seal them into cards.
(Yes, you can do so, my lord. This Elven girl’s abilities are incredibly powerful, and if you try to seal her,
she might turn out to be a high quality summon card. At your current abilities, you can only spend up to a
maximum of 100 Wealth and a little mana to seal something into a card. With this amount of resources
spent of sealing, you can only seal someone who’s extremely weak and willing to be sealed.) The
Nightsong Tiger explained quickly.
(That’s fine—)
(But my lord, you do not know whether she would agree to be sealed. 100 Wealth is approximately a
month’s worth of your savings.)
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Brendel shook his head. Even though a loss of 100 Wealth was painful if she rejected it, he needed to do
this.
(If I don’t do this, I feel that I would carry this regret in my life.) Brendel gave an embarrassed smile. His
past regrets in not saving the NPCs from the slave merchants, his guilt in fleeing Aouine after Freya died,
the things that he could not achieve in his past life, he wanted to absolve himself of such feelings.
[For what purpose have I come to this world? This is a chance for Medissa, but this is also a chance for
myself—]
He formed a blank card in his Deck according to the Nightsong Tiger’s instructions. The card was a blank
canvas, as though it was waiting for a guest to move into it.
“What is that?” Romaine saw Brendel taking a card out of from nowhere and asked curiously.
“My lord is going to save the little Elven girl.” The Nightsong Tiger explained: “He’s going to transfer her
soul into the card and stablize the Soul Fire that’s collasping.”
“That sounds like the abilities of a summoner, but don’t they use crystals for that? Can you seal souls
aside from magical beasts?” Amandina’s eyes glinted as she asked.
“You can think of it as a type of summoning.” The Nightsong Tiger answered: “But this is done because it’s
the only way to let the girl stay here.”
The girls nodded. If the Soul Fire broke down, the energy was returned to its basic elements and not
returned to the embrace of her goddess. Disappearing in that manner was the most painful way for a
spirit, not to mention a sentient one.
Brendel raised the card into the air: “Medissa Lunette, do you wish to join in my travels and become part
of the Laws in this world?”
The words were repeated in his heart, as though someone’s else voice spoke them. The blank card flew
out from his hands and floated in the air. Brendel waited for a full minute before he repeated his words
again, but no reply came. A mellow sadness spread within his heart as he sighed inwardly, certain that
Medissa had refused and was gone.
“I…… have a wish, can you grant me that? Brendel….. No, Lord Planeswalker.” Medissa’s voice echoed in
his mind.
Brendel’s elation soared and he exhaled loudly.
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“Of course, Miss Lunette. Please state your request.”
“I…… wish to see my sister on your journeys, just once would be fine.” Came the small voice.
Brendel was slightly dumbfounded. He did not think that her wish was so simple. Even if she requested to
have full freedom, he could agree to it.
The Silver Elves had superior bloodlines and their lives were exceedingly long. Perhaps her father and
older sister were still alive, so that wish was not as impossible as it seemed. However, the Silver Elves
avoided contact with the world and might be slightly troublesome to find them.
He nodded after a few moments.
The card immediately emitted a flash of black light, and the words were written in his retina:
“Contract established.”
A line came next:
“A new card has been found, please name it—“
“Eversong.” Brendel decided to name Medissa after the most famous Silver Elves’ army from the ancient
era.
The card gradually came back to his hand. Brendel inspected the card, and saw a female knight equipped
with silver armor and a long lance in her hands. She wore a warm and friendly smile— It was the very
image of Medissa.
Unicorn Knight
(Eversong I)
Darkness 15
[Heroic spirit/Knight, Level 35 Elite]
Pay 15 Darkness EP and places the Unicorn Knight, ‘Medissa Lunette’, into play.
Maintenance: When ‘Medissa Lunette’ is in play, pay 1 Darkness EP, 6 Wealth every day.
‘The flag of the Elves are raised proudly, with her heart and sword shining brightly in darkness.’
Brendel stared at the card for some time. The response from the card seemed to show off the difference
compared to his other cards.
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[Amazing. Even though she’s on the level of a Gold-ranked fighter, I didn’t think that that she’s on the
level of a legendary artifact. Apart from the Thorn of Light, this is my second legendary. Tulman told me
that my Cards of Fates are much rarer compared to other magic artifacts, but I didn’t think it would be as
rare as this.]
A gleeful smile spread across his face.
[That 100 Wealth is completely well spent! Guahahaha!]
Brendel roared with laughter inside his mind. If it was not for the fact that he would ruin his image
because of the people around him, he would shamelessly laughed with a greedy voice. He had constantly
faced ridiculously overpowered enemies one after another, and was starting to wonder if he was cursed
with some unlucky status.
Fighting against Ebdon before he reached level 15, fleeing against the Crusader Executioner, fighting
against Tirste, then dueling with Buga, Tree Shepherds, Black Disciples and the Spectral Knight. It was
driving him up the wall. (TL: Ebdon – Level 31 and above. Crusader Executioner, Level 40 and above,
Tirste – Blessed stats, Level 45 and above, Buga – Level 51 and above, Black Disciples – Level 31 and
above, Spectral Knight – Elite level 35, comparable to a level 51~ mob.)
He was not really afraid of the Unifying Guild, Tree Shepherds or the Madara army, but being targeted by
them at every waking moment made him feel awful.
[I finally have a Gold-ranked follower. This is at least enough for me to travel across Aouine’s southern
region without any issues. Even if the Tree Shepherds or the Unifying Guild have the numbers, they can’t
possibly send a Gold-ranked assassin after me right?]
The two organizations only sent such assassins after highly ranked earls, and he thought he had not
reached a threatening level yet. With Medissa’s abilities, he would be able to combine their abilities to
fight against any such threats.
[A good deed is rewarded.] Brendel was proud of himself and felt like there was sunshine everywhere.
He wiped off his crooked smile and turned back to everyone: “It’s done, everyone.”
The girls’ eyes shone brightly, and Romaine even urged him impatiently: “That’s wonderful! Quick,
summon Medissa to let us take a look at her.”
“Ahem.” Brendel coughed and his expression changed. Romaine’s words stabbed at his weakness. Even
though it was a godlike card to him, the problem was the summoning cost of fifteen Darkness EP. There
was also the maintenance of 6 Wealth and 1 Darkness EP.
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[Never mind about the Darkness EP. Right now 6 Wealth per day is enough to make me bankrupt. I only
have 4 Wealth of income per day, and 2 of it are used to pay off the Mercenaries of Lopes. If I want to
summon Medissa I need to have another Gold Mine.]
TL: For those of you who read the raw, you would probably have noticed the difference in this chapter. I
went back and checked on a particular issue, and I think that the author either made a mistake or had a
bout of off-text passage that he forgot to mention.
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TL: This chapter is kind of short. I’ll probably get one more chapter done if it’s not too long.
Special mention and many thanks to beefcake who donated a whopping $150. Most of it is going into
TSTBGAM though. He/She’s like the first person who donated to that series ever lol, and the biggest
donator to donate such a chunk of cash, so I’ll throw in a few more TSTBGAM chapters just for you. Holy
shit.
Chapter 94 – Crystal
Brendel explained to the girls there was a requirement to summon or use the cards he had at hand, and
expressed that he did not have the necessary materials to summon Medissa. Even though he had revealed
part of his abilities as a Planeswalker, Amandina did not suspect the Mercenaries of Lopes to be
summons.
[Medissa is one thing, but the Mercenaries of Lopes act like people who are still alive. If people start to
think that I can somehow trap people and turn them into cards, I might be sent to the gallows or to be cut
down on sight. Fortunately, Amandina is loyal enough so she probably wouldn’t reveal what I did here. I
can probably spin a nice story somehow……]
After keeping the card, he directed the two mercenaries to scout the temple. At the same time a few of the
mercenaries went to pass him the loot. The Spectral Knight had left behind a crystal and a pair of boots.
When Brendel saw the crystal he thought his eyes were deceiving him. He rubbed his eyes to make sure
he was not dreaming.
[No, I must be seeing it wrongly. I’m called the Luckless King in the game, so how did I managed to get so
lucky?]
When he fought the Golden Demonic Tree, it did not have any Golden Apple on it, and he did not find it
strange because he simply possessed awful luck. He thought the crystal was a delusion, but after checking
it various times and confirming on the Stats Window, it was the Spectral Knight’s Crystal.
– Spectral Knight’s Crystal [Boosting Equipment, Arm]
– +10% strength upon equipping.
Brendel pinched Romaine’s face, and the latter immediately furrowed her pair of delicate eyebrows in
protest: “W-what are you doing Brendel!
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Even though he would ignore that level of protest, he really caused her pain this time. She started to
complain loudly.
“No, I’m just confirming if I’m not dreaming.” Brendel spoke as though as he was sleep walking.
“Pinch your own cheeks, you idiot!” Romaine was angry enough to lift her leatherskin shoes and kicked
him.
This time Brendel knew that he was not dreaming because of the pain.
“Ow!”
“You deserve it!”
“I forbid you to wear leatherskin shoes.”
“Never!”
Amandina shook her head when she saw the two were acting like children. The mercenaries were
giggling in one corner as they knew their lord was in a good mood to act in that manner.
She looked at the crystal and wondered if it was really that important.
“Is that the Spectral Knight’s Crystal?” She suddenly asked a question out of curiosity. The others were
also waiting for Brendel to tell them what it was used for.
It had became a common thing for them to see Brendel as a walking dictionary.
“Yes, this is the Spectral Knight’s Crystal.” Brendel stopped his quarrel with Romaine and answered. Then
he suddenly smiled “It looks like I got my prediction right, so I’ll treat everyone at Ampere Seale for a
day.”
Compared to how valuable the crystal was, the mercenaries were obviously more interested in hearing
that line and everyone cheered loudly when they heard him. Even though they were summoned
creatures, they still possessed emotions and their memories.
Amandina had visited the biggest free-trading harbor of Aouine during her childhood, but other than its
busy nature, she did not have a deep impression of it. When she thought of his irresponsible actions, she
started to avoid the topic about that place.
“Is this crystal really that important?” She asked.
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“Of course.” Brendel answered in a matter-of-fact tone. It had reached the price of three billion Tor coins
even in the later parts of the game, which proved the value of this small Boosting Equipment.
These crystals were placed directly into the body, and there were three areas that a level 20 character
can put them. The arms, the head and the torso. The price of it was even higher in the game because it
was not an item that dropped upon death. While this advantage was lost in this world, it did not mean
that it was any less valuable.
At least compared to the Thorn of Light, such crystals would never be lost or destroyed.
[I have enough experience to upgrade Power Break and turn the burst of strength into 30 OZ, 10% of that
is 3 OZ, and pretty much the equivalent of a level 20 legendary equipment. Once I get to over several
hundred OZ worth of strength, what kind of bonus stats would that be?]
Brendel knew how much value it was able to bring him.
“If you want to put a tag on this,” He smiled as he brought the crystal up: “Three billion.”
[[[[Three billion?!]]]]
The mercenaries’ faces turned into incredulous expressions. If Brendel said three million, they might
start to have difficulty in breathing. But three billion was more than the richest duchy could earn in a
year. This astronomical figure was beyond the imagination of the mercenaries who were born as
commoners.
They could only think that Brendel was joking with them.
Even Romaine snorted lightly and glared at him, while Amandina frowned and thought he was
exaggerating again.
But Brendel ignored them and happily placed the object on his right hand, which gradually sank into it.
He was used to the odd sensation, and he brought the legguards up once the process was over. Once he
did so he exclaimed loudly.
– Blood Greaves, [Brass Quality], +10.5% in movement speed, +5 Physique
– Requirements: Level 20; Equipment rating (20 OZ)
Brendel suddenly thought the world was not realistic anymore.
[Is this the end of the world? Am I being promoted to become the Lucky King? A Spectral Knight’s Crystal
with a Magic equipment. This is an Elite monster, not a Boss……]
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He stared at it before he suddenly recalled something and asked in a hurry: “Who touched the corpse!”
[[[[Touched the corpse?]]]]
Everyone did not understand what he meant, and he realized he spoke wrongly. He coughed and changed
his words: “I mean, who cleared up the battlefield and collected the loot.”
That question sounded a little strange. Was there a need to assign someone to do something like that?
The mercenaries looked at each other and was momentarily quiet, but a voice finally responded.
“It was me, my lord. Is there something you are dissatisfied with?”
The voice sounded a little taciturn. Brendel turned his head and found that it was the older Elementalist
sister. She raised his head up to him but she could not hide the sliver of anxiety in her eyes. He had asked
with such fervor that she wondered if she did something wrongly.
“Nothing,” Brendel nodded: “I’ll leave the matters of clearing the battlefield to you.”
“Me?” She looked blankly at him with her hand placed over her chest. It looked like some kind of glorious
task but she did not understand why she caught Brendel’s attention. She thought for a long time and
could only think that it was some fetish of the nobles, and her eyes became suspicious of Brendel.
Brendel whirled around and did not explain to her. He was secretly delighted because he used to lead a
bunch of luckless party members. This time there was a lucky person who was also a hot babe……
The Blood Greaves were a standard ‘Tank’ item in the game. Brendel wanted to let the Nightsong Tiger
wear it, but the latter explained that summons were unable to benefit from any magic equipment. Even
though they could use the sword and bow to do damage, they could not access the energy from the
artifacts.
The only possibility for them to be equipped was through the rules of the Planeswalker’s system. By
equipping a card onto them, they would be able to benefit from it. For example, if Brendel equipped the
Holy Sword card onto the Mercenaries of Lopes, one of them could use the full benefits of the Holy Sword.
Although, the maintenance still had to be paid out.
The girls were not combatants so they were not suitable for the Blood Greaves. In the end, Brendel wore
it with a little guilt in his heart.
[If this is done in the game, everyone would have posted in the forums about my greedy actions to take all
the loot….]
When he finished putting them on, the two scouts returned.
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TL: Next TAS update will be on Wednesday. Any Engrish errors will be fixed some time later. I need to do
some stuff.
Chapter 95 – The holy alliance
The scouts returned to report that they did not discover any more enemies, and Brendel led everyone
into the temple.
Once inside the temple of the Elven Goddess Sayel, the sealed Altar opened again after nearly two
centuries —
Each tall elf walked down with a cold expression, their silver long braided behind their ears, their heads
fixed with pointed silver helmets with wings adorned at the sides, their hands carried a doubled-bladed
sword, their bodies covered with full silver-chain armor. They descended down the Altar made of
obsidian rocks with large steps, and Brendel was unable to suppress his feelings, and only one thought
was left in his mind.
[Heavy infantry! The strongest infantry rumored in the continent, the Royal Elven Guards!]
Twenty of them nodded towards Brendel and then stood at each side of the altar. At the end, a faint
shadow appeared in the center of the altar, like a spirit that was slowly forming. Sounds of weapons being
drawn could be heard behind Brendel, as the mercenaries pulled out their weapons, but Brendel was not
anxious as he somehow guessed what was going to happen and faintly nodded.
Under everyone’s anxious eyes, the figure gradually became clearer and his appearance could be seen. An
adult elf with silver eyes, hair wore a silver robe appeared before them. Even his skin was a pale silver.
He was taller than everyone in the room, and appeared brawny even amongst the Elves.
He swept across everyone with his stern gaze as though to discern them. Most of the mercenaries
lowered their heads, including the Nightsong Tiger. Even though it was just a projection, everyone held
their breaths as they could feel the strength of the figure in front of them. Their first thought was that he
was one of the ancestral kings of the Silver Elves.
The Silver Elf thought for a while before he spoke: “Are you humans?”
Everyone nodded.
“Who is he?” Amandina whispered behind Brendel.
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“I believe he is the First King, Elandorr. I have seen the likeness of him in engravings.” Brendel spouted
lies. The eleven portraits of the Silver Elf Kings were posted in the forums and Brendel could naturally
recognized them.
But once he spoke, the gigantic Elf looked at him: “You recognize me?”
Brendel nodded without any choice. What else could he have done? The ancestral kings of the Silver Elves
experienced the War of the Holy Saints, which happened during the terrifying Era of Chaos. There were
people with the Golden Bloodline, and all the races were descendants of the Silver Bloodline. The strong
appeared everywhere, and even Medissa who was underage had the strength of a Gold-ranked fighter. It
might appear to be unbelievable in this era, but they were everywhere back then.
[The gamers who had nothing to do estimated the levels of the strongest fighters. Their conclusions
ended up with the Four Holy Saints with at least level hundred eighty and above, while the leaders of the
humans, Dwarves, Elves, had no less than a hundred and fifty. A warrior had to have at least their
Elements unsealed, while everything under the Gold-rank was cannon fodder. In other words, that was
the Era of Legends.]
Brendel thought that some of the data might have errors in them, but he felt they were not too far off the
mark. In front of him was a projection, whose aura made him feel it was hard to breathe.
Elandorr pondered for a while before he spoke again: “That matter about the Child Medissa, I thank you
for it. But what is your purpose for coming here?”
[Didn’t you say that your agreement is given an ‘okay pass’? Why is there another Elandorr? Did that little
girl lie……. But I can’t ask her about it now since I can’t summon her.]
But Elandorr continued after pausing for a while: “Speak, what aid do you wish, our old allies.”
The Elven King’s voice was very low, as though he was not used to Kirrlutz’s language, thus he spoke
slowly. However, his meaning was clear. Everyone except Brendel thought the Elven King was easy to talk
to.
[I’m afraid things are not so simple with this king—]
Brendel decided to be honest in his reply: “I am here to deal with the Lizardmen bandits in the forest.
This is also Medissa’s wish, and I wish to receive your help.”
“This is a fight between the living, how can the dead interfere with it?” Elandorr said.
[Shit! This sly bastard!] Brendel complained in his mind, but he answered:
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“No, this concerns you.”
“Why?”
“The bunch of Lizardmen are probably under the Tree Shepherds.” He boldly looked at them.
“The Tree Shepherds?” He answered in a low voice.
“After the War of Holy Saints, the Twilight Dragon had been sealed permanently. The Miirna were driven
by our ancestor, the King of Fire Gatel, to the icy regions in the north. Although the world had not
recorded their presence ever since, the fact is they still exist. They separated and integrated themselves
into the world, calling themselves the Tree Shepherds, the Platinum Sky Snakes, and worked from the
shadows to overthrow civilization and unseal the Twilight Dragon.”
Amandina uttered a sudden gasp. She looked at Brendel in shock as she listened to him. She did not
expect that the Tree Shepherds were the fabled Citizens of Darkness.
[My lord seems to know about this the very beginning, but he knows, then the higher echelons must have
known about this. Why have they not taken any actions to drive this group out? If the Citizens of
Darkness exists, then what about the Twilight Dragon, is it really going to come back to this world again?]
She did not think that Brendel would lie in this situation, especially in front of the Elven King. The War of
the Holy Saints lasted for nearly seven hundred years, and it was a chaotic world that resembled hell. She
could not imagine the world to return to that chaotic era, and the fact the Golden Lineage had completely
died out, while the people with Silver Bloodline waning, how would the mere commoners of this world
save it again?
She paled a little.
Elandorr raised his eyebrows when he finished listening to Brendel.
“Gatel was too soft. I had warned him of this when I was still alive, but it seems that young man did not
listen to me in the end. But perhaps he was crowned king precisely because of that……”
Brendel kept his silence, but the others were appalled to the point they nearly could not speak. In the end
it was the younger Elementalist sister who asked: “King E-Elandorr, you said that the King of Fire Gatel,
was soft hearted?”
Brendel understood why they were surprised. History depicted Gatel as a cruel and cold man. He was the
last of the Holy Saints, and the rumors about him were how he cut a bloodbath to set up his own empire
and chased the Mirrna to the harsh north.
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The real history was something entirely different.
In order to avoid the topic being changed, he interrupted and said: “The Lizardmen are here partly
because of the interest in stealing the treasure from the tomb. Medissa said they had approached the
Altar more than once and stolen an artifact that belongs to her. Your majesty, even though you had
slumbered throughout the ages, I believe that you were able to notice their actions.”
Elandorr nodded. He looked at the two Wild Elves. Although he recognized them as Elves, he was not able
to discern which bloodline they were from.
“That is to say—” Brendel said with a confident look.
Elandorr revealed a warm smile for the first time, but it was quickly gone and his face became cold again:
“Even though the creatures of the dark have almost no chance to break through Mother Marsha’s barrier,
our oaths of the paths are still binding. We will stand together to fight against the Darkness, our human
friends.”
“We are most grateful.” Brendel placed his hand on his chest and bowed.
“What should we do now?” Amandina gathered her courage and asked Brendel. There was
encouragement in his eyes.
“I will lend my guards to you.” Elandorr replied: “They are the bravest warriors amongst the Silver Elves,
and swore to fight against the Darkness for all eternity after their deaths. They will follow you and help
you clear the enemies of darkness. However, the Altar has grown weaker since. They are unable to leave
this region and cannot be projected for too long. The last thing…..”
He paused.
“Treat Medissa well. She’s a pitiful child.” The Elven King said in a quiet voice.
Brendel nodded. Amandina whispered to Brendel: “Why does he trust us so much?”
“Simply because,” Brendel’s expression was solemn as he whispered back: “You don’t understand the era
they were living in. The humans have sworn oaths with the other races under unthinkable circumstances.
The oath is treated as sacred and did not involve any conditions. It was an alliance that they made in
order to simply survive. During that era, the races who fought against the Twilight Dragon were as close
as brothers and sisters, otherwise there was no need for the war to continue……”
“The War of the Holy Saints?”
Brendel nodded.
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Then he suddenly frowned and turned to a specific direction. He saw that the Nightsong Tiger was
looking in the same direction. The latter was silent, but he talked to Brendel through his mind:
“Card Resonance.”
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TL: Currently busy with real life issues, so probably update is on next week’s Saturday.
Chapter 96 – Fallen (1)
The battle was over. Conrad and the Disciples of the Black Flames’s bishop stood together to survey the
battlefield strewn with corpses, as wafts of white smoke rose thickly. There was death everywhere.
Demons, disciples, mercenaries’ bodies were gradually becoming colder as their blood poured into the
ground. They were still living a while ago, but their skin were becoming taut and their muscles rigid.
Conrad walked over a few steps, turned over a female mercenary’s body and a groan could be heard from
the latter. He frowned and ran his sword through her heart and ended her life.
He then raised his heart and said impatiently: “No, Duke Rhun’s only son isn’t here. That fucking bastard
Makarov!”
“Since you knew him so well, why did you fight this battle?” The dark bishop said with a low voice: “We
lost quite a few men, and it was that giant who was beside Makarov.”
“How do you reap the benefits if you don’t invest?” He laughed as he licked his lips. He pulled out the
sword stained with blood and pointed to his nearby men: “Bring the rest of the prisoners to me!”
Several shivering men from the Grey Wolves Mercenaries were quickly brought before him. They fought
like the bravest warriors during battle, but once they were out of it they realized they had no chance to
fight back. Their comrades-in-arms were skinned alive or eaten by the demons and they realized they had
no chance to change their fates.
Once they understood this, fear of their unknown fate gripped their hearts.
Amongst them was the familiar white-haired youth that Brendel knew well. He looked condescendingly
at the other frightened men who were pale. He had stayed behind to cover Yula and a few other Grey
Wolves Mercenaries to allow them to escape, so it was a given that he got caught.
He glared defiantly at Conrad. He had once thought he was the commander of the ‘Paper Cards’
mercenaries.
[Bloody fucking hell…… That bastard Brendel was actually right. Not only was this shit bastard colluding
with the Disciples of the Black flames, he was the dog of the Tree Shepherds.]
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Conrad did not look much older than Brendel, and Redi was furious over how Brendel had humiliated
him. Now that Conrad did the same thing by catching him, he saw Brendel and Conrad as the same
arrogant fucks who deserved to get their faces crushed by hammers.
He used the most condescending gaze he had to look at his enemies, trying to incite their anger.
[If this piece of garbage intimidates me, I’ll be able to shame him and let these unworthy bastards know
the bravery of the Grey Wolves Mercenaries.]
He planned to do so, but Conrad merely paused and smiled at him. The latter then shifted his gaze and
looked at another mercenary.
“Are you looking down at me?” Redi was angry and said muffled words because his mouth was gagged,
trying to struggle and rush at Conrad, but the latter’s men restrained him tightly. He could only watch
helplessly as Conrad walk over to the last man of the Grey Wolves Mercenaries on the right and said
something to him.
That mercenary was momentarily stunned before he shook his head with much difficulty.
Redi thought that Conrad would have tortured him at least for a while, but that monster waved his hand
and his comrade was taken away. Redi could not turn his head, but the sounds of flesh tearing apart could
be heard behind him. It was as if flesh was being ripped apart from the bones while organs started
slipping out from the body and dropped on the ground. Desperate shrieks of pain echoed throughout the
forest, which gradually turned to sobbing howls and finally hoarse gasps with a final low bellow.
The voice disappeared after a while, and the remaining mercenaries trembled at the same time.
Conrad walked to the next mercenary and asked something. That mercenary was scared out of his wits
and merely knelt on the ground and said nothing. The young commander shook his head with regret and
signaled to the men behind the mercenary. They moved away, and Conrad suddenly stabbed through the
mercenary’s eye with his sword and kicked him backwards.
He clapped his hands and let his men take the corpse away.
There were three men left, including Redi. The white-haired young man saw that his fellow mercenaries
seemed to lose their sanity because of fear. It seemed like they had started to remember they joined the
profession because they simply wanted to live and not die from starvation. All the glory and belief that
they got from their various feats in battle crumbled in an instant.
The two men realized they only wanted to live on.
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Redi watched them act like cowards. They used to laugh in the face of danger and were proud of
themselves, but their actions now made Redi curse at them in his heart, but he hurled muffled abuses at
Conrad.
“Kill me now, you cunt!” Redi wanted nothing more to prove himself. Was it not just death? He wanted to
prove to his comrades who were controlled by fear that death was nothing to be afraid of.
The most shameful thing was to submit to the enemies.
Conrad seemed like he could not hear Redi. He dismissed the other mercenaries without even asking any
questions. Before the final mercenary was dragged away, he managed to loosen his gag and kept begging
for his life. He swore to join the Paper Cards and said that he was willing to tell everything that he knew,
but in the end he was taken away.
Redi was the only one left.
Conrad stood right before him—
Redi acted without thinking, and he tried repeatedly to pounce at him like a crazed animal. But his chest
was immediately kicked hard backwards, and he looked like a kicked dog who rolled a few times on the
ground. When he crawled back up, he realized that he was the only one left.
[There’s no one left to witness my bravery? Who should I show now? The enemy?]
He looked at the reticent Conrad and the bishop who had his features hidden in the shadows. They would
not give appreciate his heroic actions. A bone piercing shiver permeated his whole body and Redi
trembled. He thought of a problem. Was he going to die here like the cowards in a shitty death without
reason or rhyme?
[I’m the most talented youth aside from Eke in the mercenaries, if I die here just like the corpses here,
who would know of my heroic deeds? No, I can’t die just like that, but there’s no one else in the forest to
record them. Was there really no one hiding in the forest? Someone who’s pretending to be dead?]
Redi did not want to die a meaningless death like the cowards before him, but he knew that it was a
wishful thought for someone to record his honorable death. Before the Disciples of the Black Flames, no
one except the commander and Buga could hide in the forest.
He hesitated in his heart. Dying an ignoble death was something that he could not bear and his
expressions kept changing.
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Conrad looked coldly at him. He had said nothing from the start to him, then he suddenly pulled out a
dagger from the bishop’s waist and approached the white-haired man. Redi’s straightened up
subconsciously as he realized death was approaching. He did not expect Conrad to say nothing at all. He
was from a long lineage of high nobles and descendant of the Knight Mark, and he struggled before
feeling the cold dagger blade on his neck.
He did not want to die.
Redi’s heart finally had the color of despair in it. The will to fight back had disappeared, and Conrad did
not miss the expression of his eyes. The knife was instantly withdrawn and his gag was loosened.
“Do you want to die?” Conrad asked.
Redi opened and closed his mouth several times, wanting to curse at him, but he realized that he was
merely trembled and could not say anything. In the end he nodded once, before he suddenly realized
what he was doing and shook his head repeatedly. He suddenly felt his face hot. It was not because of his
own weakness, but because he was actually afraid till the point where he did not even listen to his
question properly.
An utter disgrace.
“Then I’ll ask you a question.” Conrad straightened up to look down on the kneeling man: “The other
group of men who traveled with you, where did they go and how many men did they have?”
Redi was stunned. If the monster in front of him wanted him to reveal the core information about the
Grey Wolves Mercenaries, he thought he would not be able to bring up anything, but to mention that
particular group of men would mean getting revenge. At that moment, Redi saw them as people to
cooperate with, and not surrendering to them.
[I will first get revenge on that bastard.] He gritted his teeth.
“They headed for the east before you attacked. They are fifteen in total and their leader is around your
age. Amongst them are twelve guards and two girls.” He paused for a moment: “The guards are at least
Silver-ranks. I know this because I secretly listened to the commander and Buga talking.”
He spilled everything out without even Conrad’s reminder. If Brendel was to see this scene, he would
have been laughing out loud from anger. He only punched him once while Conrad had kicked him like a
dog, and it seemed like he had completely forgotten about that fact.
Conrad and the bishop exchanged glances.
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TL: Thanks to Seren who donated a whopping 150 dollars to TAS!
=========== Conrad’s POV =============
They did not say anything after Redi finished speaking.
The slightly cool wind swept across the entire battlefield under the night sky, and the scent of blood
permeated the air. The monster-like commander of the ‘Paper Cards’ and the dark bishop stood there
quietly, as though they were digesting the information that Redit told them.
Conrad smiled as he looked at Redi as if he praising the latter’s cooperation. The truth he would find it
praiseworthy, regardless of the latter’s brave resistance in order to die or his obedience towards him in
order to live.
“Twelve guards with the Silver-ranked strength.” He repeated the white-haired youth’s words: “What do
you think?”
“Twelve?” The dark bishop looked at Conrad: “I feel that group is a decoy, but it’s also the truth that Eke
was not in Makarov’s forces.”
“No, you should stop doubting the information in front of you. If you keep hesitating it will only ruin
things.” Conrad waved him off and looked at the kneeling youth on the ground: “Are you a noble from the
Kingdom of Unchanging Skies?”
Redi nodded quickly after a lull.
“Good, it seems like you have more value compared to these miserable fools.” Conrad’s smile was like a
devil: “We don’t need people who have no value so they got disposed of. But you are different; you have a
strong will and clearly know what you want. The Grey Wolves Mercenaries are done for, and those who
are smart know when to go over to the other side. Do you want to join us?”
Redi looked at him in with a dumbfounded expression. He did not understand what Conrad meant. The
latter had guessed of his identity, and he was afraid that his noble status would actually harm him when
he heard Conrad speak of it for the first time.
However, it was clear if he refused to join them, his ending would be the same as the useless cowards
before him.
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Redi was once again hesitant. He had betrayed his conscience once, and right now he was like a merchant
who kept losing money. He poured in more investments in order to gain back capital, but it did not seem
to be working at all no matter how much he wished for it. Conrad had given him a final rescue buoy. His
hesitation only lasted for a few moments before he gritted his teeth and grabbed it.
Even if he was to die, that would come later on.
Conrad laughed: “Very good. I’ll lend you a few men, no, a whole squadron. I want you to lead them and
chase that group of fifteen people. You don’t need to kill them all, but if you managed to do so, I’ll give you
the leadership of the Paper Cards.”
He slapped Redi’s face lightly: “Don’t worry, I am not lying to you. I have somewhere else I need to be
after this mission.”
Redi did not pay much attention to the leadership because he was more interested in killing Brendel. He
was secretly relieved as he thought he was going to be killed on the spot. Now that he was offered a
chance to live along with an enticing position, he started to feel glad that he had made the right choice.
Even though the Paper Cards were not as famous as the Grey Wolves Mercenaries, they were one of the
biggest mercenary groups in the southern region. When he thought of the leadership position offered to
him, he felt slightly inclined to become a leader.
When he finished reveling in that future, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure shrouded in
darkness. The dark bishop had stepped away to reveal a figure behind him, and Redi recognized her from
the weapon.
“Scarlett…..?”
“Oh, is her name Scarlett?” The dark bishop’s sinister laugh echoed in the forest: “Then I shall call her
Scarlett since I have no talent in giving names. If you complete this mission, I’ll give her to you—”
Redi’s throat gurgled once, and his hands balled into fists. Everyone in the Grey Wolves Mercenaries
knew that he was fond of her, but Scarlett only had eyes for Eke and treated the rest of the mercenaries
like siblings. He understood that fact clearly, but he still yearned for the day when Eke and Yula got
married, which he would hope for a chance after that to gain her affection no matter how small the
chance might be.
Even though she looked a little different from her usual self, he was excited over the prospect of having
her. With so many temptations before him, the greed that was hidden deep in his heart started to grow.
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Conrad observed Redi’s expression and gave a subtle grin. He tossed the dagger back to the dark bishop.
That ominous blade was used for rituals and not for killing, and as a member of the Tree Shepherds, he
understood that such rituals were sacred as they were part of the plan to revive the Dragon of Darkness.
He started to walk away after giving instructions to his men and Redi. The dark bishop glanced at Scarlett
before catching up with Conrad. He nodded his head respectfully and praised him: “You truly are a master
at manipulating minds.”
He knew that Conrad had no real interest in asking the other Grey Wolves Mercenaries for information.
Everything was done in order to show a performance for Redi simply because Conrad was certain about
his weakness.
“Human nature is weak. We are keen on gaining profits and possess an instinct to avoid danger. But I
don’t toy with people’s hearts — The only thing I offer to them is more choices.” He replied: “Sadly,
compared to the people who speak of honor and justice, I have a flaw; I cannot lie like them.”
The dark bishop crackled: “But we humans are cunning, he didn’t show his weakness, did he.”
“That is why interrogation is an art.” Conrad smiled: “To be honest, I was after his noble status. Having a
pawn in the Kingdom of Unchanging Skies might prove to be useful. But why did you agree to lend your
new pet to him?”
“That little girl is still holding on to her will. I’ll let her witness how bad her former comrade is. Only when
she recognized the darkness of a human would she synchronize faster with the Blood of Gods.”
“A wonderful plan.”
“What are your current plans now?”
“We should prepare and rush to meet Hewjil. They actually headed for the east despite knowing it’s the
Lizardmen territory. Their actions go against common sense. If I didn’t have the ability to control hearts,
that cunning fox Makarov would have deceived me.”
“I must say that I destest working with that barbaric Lizardman.” The dark bishop shook his head.
“I don’t like it either.” Conrad took off his bloodied gloves as he replied.
============ Brendel’s POV ============
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The starry night yesterday was proof of the crystal clear weather that followed, but no one knew about
the cruel battle in the forest other than those who participated in it, and the only evidence left behind was
the smouldering ground.
The scorching sun was up and lit the entire forest despite the trees’ dense leaves. The vivid-green foliage
was surprising to their eyes, and the mercenaries started to wonder if the battles that happened allowed
the trees to absorb nutrients from the bloodshed.
They whispered amongst themselves, but it did not escape the youth’s exceptional perception.
“Creating a myth like this is really scary.” Brendel muttered. He kept flipping the black card in his hand.
Even though it was a legendary artifact, the baleful black color from the card’s back was perplexing.
Medissa’s smile was warm and pleasant so the contrast was striking. This was the only Black Elemental
Card he had, and he had no other cards that provided Dark EP.
If he was able to summon the little girl, then he would be able to move freely without any worries. It
seemed like it was still impossible to do so.
He suddenly stopped his fidgeting. He was feeling the same sensations again from yesterday’s night. The
Card Resonance was happening again in his heart.
[According to the rules of the Planeswalker, a Card Resonance means that there’s another card with the
same series. I searched through all my cards but the Eversong card is the one causing a resonance. I didn’t
think a card that I created myself would have something related to it. Does this mean that new Laws were
written in relation to the card? Or that it’s because of the Darkness Element that is causing the Card
Resonance? Or both?]
“Nightsong Tiger, is it possible for a Land Card to resonate with the Eversong Card?”
“It’s quite unlikely, my lord. It is very rare for a Land Card to resonate with any cards. The cards that
resonate with Eversong could be equipment, creatures or barriers, or specific creatures that can be
sealed into the same series.” (TL: Medissa, Unicorn Night is Eversong I. If there are similar creature cards
in the Eversong series, it will probably be Eversong II.)
“The Card Resonance had happened six times since last night, and it gets closer each single time. The last
time it happened was an hour ago, and I feel like it’s near to our left.” Brendel was puzzled. Was it a
creature, or someone who was holding on to that card and moving about?
He raised his head to peek at the location of the sun. They had been moving since last night without rest,
and it was nearly noon. Most Iron-ranked or people with 3 Physique and higher, had no problems for not
sleeping a night or two, but Romaine and Amandina were having a tough time. Brendel glanced at them to
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check their conditions. The Elementalist sisters took care of them which helped them to barely manage to
keep up with the group.
[There isn’t much time left. Because of the delay in the Altar, we can’t afford to waste even a second.]
TL: About Redi and Brendel. I think that’s where the anger comes from. He sees Brendel as a merchant
who offended the status quo in this world, i.e, merchant vs noble. When it came to Conrad, he’s a Tree
Shepherd who doesn’t give a flying **** about social classes, so Redi is being a hypocritical noble here, as
he probably perceives them as outliers who wield considerable power and can be worked with.
Remember that it was hinted that some of the nobles allowed the Madara undead to invade the southern
region in order to wrestle power from the royal family, so that ‘noble’ inside Redi probably accepted
Conrad’s proposal more easily than he would think. I read criticism about Redi being that stereotypical
Chinese trope of setting up as a villain against the protagonist, but I actually think he’s quite subtle as a
character since he probably reflects the typical Aouine noble heading to the fallen path (at least that’s
what I think the title of the chapter means). I think with a little bit more editing and handling on his
character, he could be quite interesting.
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TL: Suggested music to be played from Chapter 98 – 100. Donated chapter.
The Disciples of the Black Flames were actively searching in the forest for their enemies, which meant
that Brendel’s group could encounter them any time.
[There’s no need to be too worried about encountering any boss fights. The disciples are probably
searching for Makarov and Buga, while the only trouble we should encounter are the Lizardmen. This
battle can’t be avoided, otherwise there would be trouble later on if I don’t clear them as soon as
possible.]
The entire quest was a trap. A few of the government officials were bribed by the Tree Shepherds and the
Tree Shepherds simply waited for Makarov to fall into their trap, which he did. However, Makarov
deserved his fame and managed to send Eke out safely just with his instincts.
Brendel did not care about what was going to happen to them. The problem he faced was the situation
evolving past what the strategy guide in the forums had written. In the game, the group of gamers were
completely wiped out when Conrad appeared to battle Makarov, which then led to Makarov and Buga’s
escape by sacrificing both the Grey Wolves Mercenaries and the gamers.
If the situation continued to the point where the gamers did not die, Brendel speculated that the Tree
Shepherd’s next move was to give orders to the Lizardmen Bandits and search for his group. Once
Makarov and Buga were out of the forest, then the Tree Shepherd’s attention would turn back to his
group.
Brendel needed to vanquish the Lizardmen before he was surrounded by the enemies. Once the
Lizardmen had the Tree Shepherd leading them, he was not sure whether he would be able to handle his
enemies.
At this point of time, the Lizardmen were nothing more than a mob of monsters. With the group of Elves
who wore full silver armor and helmets to only show a pair of irises, he felt fully confident that he would
easily defeat them. They were after all the royal guards during the alliance of the Holy Saints who went
undefeated during their time.
The Elves had explained to Brendel that they would quickly lose their strength once they were outside
the Altar, but the latter was not worried as took less than two days to reach the Lizardmen. Even if they
were weakened to half strength, they were at least level thirty Elites which was more than enough to
sweep the Lizardmen away—
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He definitely wanted to leave their corpses behind to get back at the Tree Shepherds.
[I won’t let any treasure and XP slip past me……] Brendel was still trying to figure out a way to kill the
level 50 BOSS, the dark bishop of the Tree Shepherds. Conrad was another great appetizer, if he could get
to him. It was one of the game’s highlights to make use of high level NPCs to kill bosses. In this case, the
Silver Elves were supposedly a good choice if he managed to encounter them right away, but it was far
more likely they would encounter the enemies at a much later time.
At the same time, Brendel felt troubled by the Silver Elves. They were mostly proud and had reticent
personalities, and chose to follow Brendel’s group from a far distance. They were confident that no
enemies would be able to bypass them. Even though the humans held alliances with the Silver Elves, the
prideful lot was not keen on working with the human mercenaries. It was common sense for them to act
in that manner, but the Mercenaries of Lopes were angered by them because they had never been
slighted before.
The Nightsong Tiger frowned at them as he cast glances at the Silver Elves. He knew how terrifying they
were so he did not wish to talk about them.
“My lord, I’m sure that it’s another card within the Eversong series—” He spoke patiently in his mind.
“Yes, yes, yes,” Brendel interrupted him inside his mind: “You already told me that six times already. The
Eversong card is a legendary card, so the resonating card is most likely a legendary card as well right? I
even memorized every word you told me. I know that very well, but that card keeps getting closer and
closer to us and it’s just too strange. Rather than actively seek for the card, I think we should just wait and
see what happens.”
The Nightsong Tiger smiled while shaking his head. He knew that point very well, but his lord looked as if
he did not care about these important things. The more powerful the Planeswalker was, the stronger the
summons would be, but Brendel did not want to listen about it. Even though he kept hinting to Brendel
that he should focus to train as a Planeswalker and gather Cards, the latter simply continued doing what
he wanted to do without changing his plans at all.
The Nightsong Tiger had seen many things in his days but he was unable to guess what Brendel’s plans
were.
[Does he want to become a lord of a region? But this is quite meaningless for a Planeswalker, especially
when they experienced the Planeswalker’s world for the first time. A mortal might be interested in
gaining authority, but the ultimate goals for a Planeswalker are to discover the truth of this world and
seek a higher path of power. Is there anything in the mortal world that is more attractive than that?] The
Nightsong Tiger scratched his beard.
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Certainly, the thing that he did not understand about Brendel was his greed for items. The latter was
practically drooling for items that might not even exist. As a hardcore gamer, there would be no way for
him to escape from the idea of killing and looting a BOSS.
When the youth nearly fell into a state of delirious giggling, someone patted his back.
The shock was extraordinary. He jumped up a little and whipped his head to the back to a shining golden
helmet and a pair of silver-grey eyes.
[The Elven commander. Gosh, fucking hell bro, do you even make any noises when you move?]
Brendel recognized him in an instant, before cursing at him in his mind. He patted his chest and asked:
The Silver Elves were formidable because of their abilities and equipment, and not known for their
subterfuge. Brendel was frightened because he did not pay attention to his surroundings in the slightest.
The Elven commander did not feel guilty for scaring him, and did not show any expressions at all. He
merely pointed to a direction and said quietly: “A group of people is escaping and moving to our location.”
“Escaping?” Brendel paused for a moment as he noticed the word the Elven Commander used.
[Who’s escaping in this direction? Buga’s men should be in the south. Was there anything in the guide
that said otherwise or did the gamers miss out something relevant?]
The Elven commander’s gaze went back to Brendel, as though there was a slight dissatisfaction to
Brendel’s questioning tone, but the latter nodded.
Brendel knew that this blockhead-like fellow would not be joking with him. He even wondered if the
Elven commander had the word ‘joke’ in his dictionary. In any case, he quickly raised his hand to signal
for his group to stop.
The sleepy Amandina and Romaine were jolted when the mercenaries immediately stopped upon
Brendel’s signal, and the merchant girl asked in curiosity: “What’s wrong Brendel?”
Brendel put his finger to his lips, and very quickly, he could also hear footsteps rushing through the
shrubs. Their chaotic footsteps seemed like they were in great disarray, and he could understand why the
Elven commander said they were running away.
[Amazing. As expected of someone who’s a high level NPC, this level of alertness isn’t something a normal
person would have.]
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He had seen many gamers playing like they were tourists in another country, hardly fitting for the
brewing wars in Aouine. However, their given abilities were strong enough to fend off ambushes, so that
was perhaps why they did acted like tourists.
He listened carefully once more, and detected another source of troops who had mounts pursuing them.
His expression became solemn. Two forces possessed mounts in this region. The first was the Lizardmen
with their traditional Riding Lizard mounts, the other was the Disciples of the Black Flames and their
demons.
Warhorses did not fare well in the forest, especially in this mountainous region, but he still thought it as a
third distant possibility. He then signaled for everyone to fall into formation and prepare for battle.
Very soon, the panicking people who were trying to escape entered his eyes. There were six of them,
males and females split equally into half, and their clothes were tattered and torn like refugees. They had
numerous wounds but they did not throw away their weapons, indicating that they still had the
willpower to fight. Under the circumstances, Brendel thought they were excellent mercenaries.
[Judging from their attire, they are the Grey Wolves Mercenaries. Wait— They are heavy infantry made
up of Juddelan’s citizens. I think I have seen them before. Does this mean the disciples are nearby fighting
the Grey Wolves Mercenaries?]
Brendel narrowed his eyes, but he believed that it was far more likely that they were stragglers who did
not managed to group up with Buga. The injured mercenaries seemed to be stunned when they saw a
group of men ready for battle and their expressions were full of despair. But someone amongst them
recognized Brendel. It was the very same youth next to Redi when they came in the morning to tell him
that the Grey Wolves Mercenaries were ready to set off.
[I recognize that kid…… What’s his name again? Oh, right! Sanford!] Brendel had a better impression of
him compared to Sanford.
“Ser Brendel, please help us!” Once Sanford saw Brendel, his whole body seemed like he was stripped of
energy and he fell to the ground. He yelled out like to him like he saw someone who came to rescue them.
Brendel disliked meddling with things that did not concern him, but he was not one to disregard those in
need. Furthermore, he was aided by the Elven guards, and it was the best moment for him to act grander
than he really was. Makarov threw the Grey Wolves Mercenaries behind and treated them like cannon
fodder, but it had also given Brendel an opportunity to recruit them, especially when most of them were
experienced fighters.
[The Juddelan mercenaries are one of the finest around—] Brendel nodded quickly as he thought about it,
ordering his men to protect them.
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“Why are you here?” He asked the crucial question.
“We……” But before Sanford had the chance to answer, the troops chasing them literally answered his
questions.
The rusting of leaves could be heard somewhere nearby, and soon after several disciples were riding on
large ‘boars’ who charged out.
Brendel recognized them as Demonic Boars, with green and orange spots covering their entire body, with
four pairs of tusks and eyes. They were low level demons, but formed the majority of lower ranked
cavalry and certainly fitting for the disciples. However, when Brendel saw the attire of the disciples, he
took in a cold breath.
“Ser Brendel, be careful…… T-they are somewhat strange!” Sanford yelled towards him.
[Of course they are fucking strange!] Brendel cursed. The odd ten plus Disciples of the Black Flames were
all high ranking members, was it not strange for their elite to chase these six forlorn mercenaries who
looked like beggars?
[No, wait—] Brendel pulled out his longsword to prepare for battle. [If they really wanted to chase them,
there’s no way for Sanford and the rest of them to reach here at all. This meant they specifically drove
them to this area. What is the reason for doing that, to intimidate me?]
He did not know if he was targeted, especially when these detestable disciples seemed to have no reason
as to why they would track him in the first place.
“There’s still someone else in the forest over there.” The Elven commander suddenly spoke as he pointed
to some tall bushes.
Brendel immediately turned to the indicated location, but he could only see layers of dense leaves made
up of different colors blocking his view. But a moment later, he suddenly felt a sensation in his heart. The
Unicorn Knight Card seemed to beat once like it was alive.
[Again, it’s a Card Resonance! So that is what— No, ‘who’ it is, these disciples and that person are here for
trouble!]
894
TL: Donated Chapter.
[I was hoping to meet the disciples during the journey to the Lizardmen, but to think that you would
really offer yourself on a silver platter to me. This service of offering your equipment and XP is
exemplary. But that figure over there—]
He rubbed his forehead and then beckoned with his hand to that direction.
“Come out.”
Silence answered Brendel.
The mercenaries in front of him were puzzled because they did not see anyone there, and they turned
back to look at Brendel and the Elven commander with confused eyes; Brendel was slightly surprised to
see nothing happening despite his invitation.
“Hmm? You don’t wish to come out?” He sneered, and pointed with his thumb. “Oss!”
He did not have any patience for hide-and-seek, and did not mind to use violent methods to bring his
wretched enemies out. The air around him instantly went into a frenzy, seeming to converge into a single
point where it was compressed with violent winds before it was released forward with a loud explosion.
The blast of wind shot directly towards his targeted area and the trees that were in its path snapped and
cracked one by one. A deafening thunder echoed throughout the vicinity as it exploded in a circular
radius, and once the dust settled, a red-haired girl was revealed.
The powerful gale had torn the robes on her body, revealing red-black armor and a war-dress that
reached to her knees. She wore a pair of boots fashioned out of layers of overlapping steel armor, and was
similarly painted with red and black. She stood in a battle stance and guarded her body with a halberd, as
though this action was enough to prevent the Wind Bullet from advancing any further.
There were clear tracks on the ground where the air current split in front of her and traveled into two
directions where it pulled dirt over ten over meters before gradually stopping.
Powerful.
This was what Brendel’s group thought of the girl.
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[That ring has the destructive force of a Silver-ranked fighter, so it also requires a Silver-ranked fighter to
defend against it. But to withstand it without any damage and not even flinch….. A Gold-ranked fighter.]
The Nightsong tiger rubbed his forehead admist the gasps of the mercenaries. He wondered if they
actually came to the Era of Chaos. They kept encountering Gold-ranked fighters for the past few months
and every one of them was young. Perhaps the capital or the most crowded cities would have such people
appearing, but they were in the southern region and they even traveled to a rural place like this. What
was going on in this era?
After a moment of silence, the red-haired girl raised her head up and stared at Brendel without blinking.
Her reddish-gold irises seemed to burn with the intention of battling. She straightened herself up and
swung her halberd forward. A bright arc of electricity trailed behind the weapon, and at the same time,
the trees in the direction of her weapon were lopped off and crashed down loudly onto the ground.
She smiled, revealing her canines. “Is that all you have?”
[It really is her.] Brendel sighed as he had completely forgot to factor a boss like this. The Bishop of
Lightning, the Crimson Spectral Knight, Milford. Brendel stared at her unique halberd and immediately
recognized her. He had forgotten about this character and her Spear of Lightning which had made
numerous gamers vying for that weapon. It was unexpected because this Spectral Knight was already in
this forest while she was only supposed to appear a few years later.
When the Card Resonance happened he had formed an answer, but until the girl was revealed he was not
certain that he was right.
[The Laws of Eversong. They turned out to be related to unyielding hearts. Their hearts yearned for the
light but fell into Darkness, and the Song of Lament is sung over and over again. This region gave birth to
two Spectral Knights and actually resonated with each other.] Brendel took out the Eversong Card and
glanced at it. [Mother Marsha, I named this card in the hopes of gaining an undefeated army like the
Elves, and not because of this reason!]
Suddenly he jerked his head back at the red-haired girl, realizing that she was not a spirit yet.
[But that appearance is definitely Milford’s appearance. But what is up with the air around her? She feels
like there’s a complete transfusion of the Blood of Gods within her, not to mention the contradictory facts
within the game. Milford is an incomplete bishop of the Tree Shepherds, and she also has a Spectral
Knight’s form, but that’s definitely a real body.]
“Scarlett! Redi!” A voice rang out beside him.
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Brendel turned his head and saw it was Sanford who was brought back by the Mercenaries of Lopes. He
then followed the shocked gaze and saw white hair somewhere behind the girl. He was hiding behind a
bush, trying to shrink as much as possible into it. Was it not that arrogant little prick, Redi?
[Fuck. It’s this pretentious bitch again.] Brendel cursed inside his heart. He thought he had given a good
lesson to him last night and at least became a little more humble, but he came to look for trouble again—
Brendel narrowed his eyes as he wondered how he actually hooked up with the disciples. There was
indeed a demonic boar beside him.
[Hah! So that’s how it is.]
He could not help but laugh with contempt: “You defected to a new owner in a single night, and couldn’t
wait to drive your former friends to their death. My, my, my, you really are quite hardworking to try and
please the Tree Shepherds.”
The Grey Wolves Mercenaries were stunned—
“Redi, y-you joined them?” Some of them could not believe their ears but they are not idiots. If they
thought about what happened earlier, everything made sense. There was one who had a bad temper and
immediately yelled at him: “You fucking cuntface, I treated you like my brother!”
“Redi, how could you let us down like this!”
Sanford simply asked: “Redi, what’s going on?”
If glares could kill someone, Redi would have executed Brendel many times over and even eat his heart
alive. He had wanted to hide behind in the back to allow the disciples to kill his ‘companions’ and
‘brothers’. That way, he would not need to have such a guilty heart.
But that was quickly broken by Brendel’s attack, and he started to curse everyone in Brendel’s group—
[These fucking pointy-eared shit pieces of……. Elves?]
He suddenly realized there were twenty Elves who were covered in full armor.
[Where did these bastards come from? Did the commander, no, that cunning fox, Makarov, place them
here?]
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He looked carefully everywhere, afraid that it was a trap. He soon calmed down as he realized Scarlett
was here. She had become a full Gold-ranked fighter and with the numbers of high ranking disciples he
had, the thirty odd Silver-ranked fighters guarding Brendel would not be able to win.
He straightened his body up and looked down on the Elven warriors. These Elves were really crazy to act
like heavy infantries. Their weak bodies were more suited to become rangers, archers or hunters. He
smirked as he observed them, before he realized his former allies were staring at him with questioning
gazes or hateful eyes.
He needed to explain himself. How could he allow himself to be branded as a traitor?
Redi relished that he had made this plan to drive the Grey Wolves Mercenaries to Brendel’s location. He
wanted Brendel to guard these weakened mercenaries, while having an excuse to defend himself if the
situation required it.
“No, everyone! I did not join Commander Conrad. I merely made a deal with him to borrow his forces in
order to deal with this bastard—”
He pointed at Brendel: “This is the fucking son of a bitch who is the cause of all our trouble.”
“Me?” Brendel pointed at himself and felt the situation was a little funny.
“That’s right, it’s all because of you!” Redi roared at him, his old and new memories of hatred mixed
together, causing his eyes to be bloodshot. “If it’s not because of you, I wouldn’t end up like this. That
fucking shit Makarov used us as baits in order to lure the attention of the disciples, just so that you can
leave safely. It looks like the treatment for people are really different for some individuals. I think
Makarov did not expect the final situation to turn out this way.”
He laughed manically: “Ser Brendel. You’re so amazing with your twelve Silver-ranked guards. I’m really
so terrified. What do you want do now? Do you really think you still have the confidence and courage to
teach me a lesson again?”
Brendel was infuriated over the crazy narcissist in front of him. He wanted to speak but Redi raised his
hand and interrupted him: “There’s no need to worm your way out of this. Commander Conrad has
already told me everything. Why would he send me with so many elite members of his troops just to
attack you? I’m not an idiot as well.”
He took a pause to emphasize his point. “You are the real Eke, right?”
[Huuuh? I’m Eke?] Brendel felt like he was being turned into stone— [Fuck your ‘right’ you imbecile!]
898
TL: Regular chapter.
[My fucking god, why not claim that I’m your grandfather too, you stupid fool!] Brendel already regained
his senses and started to curse Redi in his mind.
Makarov still managed to make use of him even though he escaped to the east to avoid such a situation
from developing. He took a deep breath and penned it down inside his mind. When he had the time, he
would visit Lantonrand and get the score even. Right now, he needed to deal with the dolt in front of him.
[I’ll probably lose ten years of my life if I have to talk with this crazy person any longer.]
But before he had the chance to speak, Sanford had already cut into the conversation: “So to sum it up
Redi, you joined hands with the Paper Cards Commander, Conrad?”
Brendel turned to look at Sanford, only to witness his calm face with a pair of cold eyes. The latter did not
have much expression on him, except that he was mildly disappointed. Brendel did not think this friendly
youth had a steely side to him.
Redi was surprised by Sanford’s words. He looked at his former allies who were glaring at him with
anger, then back at Sanford’s gaze who made him shrink back.
But these angry gazes stoked his feelings to resist and he scoffed coldly: “It’s that simple. Can’t you see
that Makarov has abandoned us? The old fucker had only treated us like usable pawns. Why should I
continue to work for him? Why can’t I choose a better option?”
“Thus you came over to kill us and display your loyalty to your new owner?” Sanford’s voice was biting: “I
am your best friend. These men and women were once your comrades. Makarov had wronged you, have
we wrong you too?”
Redi was silenced.
He gritted his teeth and hesitated for a while. He struggled to find a reply as he answered with a guilty
heart: “I didn’t wish to kill you in the first place. If you join me, I’ll still treat you like my comrades.”
“I don’t want your pity!” Sanford replied in disgust: “I treated you as my best friend because I thought you
had the sense to do the right thing. I must truly be blind not to see for what you are!”
“We’re the same as well!” The remaining Grey Wolves Mercenaries spoke bitterly.
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Brendel watched the scene unfold in front of him, but he was constantly on the alert to see if the situation
changed. However, Sanford suddenly turned and bowed to him.
“Ser Brendel, Redi is right in saying that Makarov had abandoned us. The old commander had treated us
like family for over a decade, whatever hatred that we have is negated by that fact. From this moment
forth, we are a group of pitiful worms who is being hunted right now. If you would lend a hand to save us,
we will pledge ourselves to you and fulfill whatever task that you have for us. We merely wish to live.”
Brendel was slightly surprised and he looked at the rest of the mercenaries, and realized that the
refugees more or less accepted Sanford’s suggestion. It was clear that the youth had considerable
influence amongst them.
But he tilted his head and looked at Redi: “Though it is true that I can save you, that bastard over there
said that I have a deep relationship with Makarov. Even if that’s the case, can you still accept it?”
“That fool has been taken over by the mere thought of revenge. He is no different from a moron! Who
would believe what he’s saying?” One of the mercenaries with a burly figured snapped.
Brendel turned back to Sanford and the latter merely nodded.
He was secretly laughing inside as that he thought the moron Redi did not entirely do bad deeds. At least
he did managed to send over a group of veteran mercenaries for him.
However, his face was serious and said solemnly: “That matter can be discussed later. It seems that I have
some personal grievances with this Redi. Once I take care of him, we can discuss further—”
Brendel peeked at him, but that apparently was a terrible move because he saw Redi’s smug face. He had
opened his mouth in an exaggerated manner which made Brendel feel really irritated to the point where
he wanted to rip a new one for him.
“Ha! Ha! Ha!” The white-haired youth laughed three times. “Take care of me? Ser Brendel, oh, or should I
say, Ser Eke. It seems like you have not understood the situation you are in. The disciples here are the
elites amongst the Disciples of the Black Flames, every one of them has the strength of a peak Silver-
ranked fighter, not to mention miss Scarlett here who has the strength of a Gold-ranked warrior. With
such a force on my side, you are actually arrogant enough to say that you want ‘to take care of me’, haha,
with just thirty silver-ranked guards? Your joke isn’t funny at all.”
He walked to Scarlett’s back as he spoke, reaching out to her face in order to pat it. However, the latter
batted his hand away and glared coldly at him. He coughed once in embarrassment to clear his throat. It
was good that his former comrades did not notice his plight.
900
That was because Sanford and the others were shocked at the strength of his forces, and even wondered
how the crazy fool managed to get Scarlett working for him. They only saw that there was something odd
about her, as though she did not recognize them at all.
They subconsciously took a step back. Were they going to die today?
They looked at the their new ‘boss’, but everyone was stunned at his reaction. That young ‘merchant’
actually had the time to comfort his female companions—
“Don’t worry, you can ignore that narcissist.” Brendel turned over and unexpectedly patted Romaine’s
face with a convincing voice.
“I-I’m already ignoring him, w-what are you doing, don’t randomly touch a girl’s face!” Romaine’s
eyebrows were raised high, and quickly prevented his hand from taking any further advantage with a
loud voice and blushing face.
The Mercenaries of Lopes merely looked at the squadron of twenty odd Silver Elves’ heavy infantry
behind them. They were certain of who was the one going to be in trouble. Their lord might look like he
was a straightforward person but he was actually a sly and devious person, and there was no way he
would let himself get into a disadvantageous situation.
The Grey Wolves Mercenaries could only look on and scream inside their hearts as they looked at
Brendel’s reaction.
But Brendel’s actions of ignoring Redi had the effect he wanted. The latter was trembling with rage from
all the humiliation from Conrad and Brendel, and barked like a rabid dog: “Attack! Attack! Kill them all!
No, leave their leader alone, I will let him know the price of offending me—”
He quickly calmed down: “The two women beside him, keep them alive as well—”
He planned to repay Brendel’s humiliation a hundred fold and licked his lips with anticipation.
But Brendel merely looked at him and raised his hand.
[Did he signal for me to wait?] Redi looked at him with a confused look. It was late for him to beg for
mercy when his orders are already given. The disciples had already rushed out with a fervor and would
not stop for any other orders. He thought it was just as well for the disciples to attack them and let
Brendel know the meaning of fear.
“Continue to pretend, you bastard—” He muttered angrily.
901
The Grey Wolves Mercenaries’ immediately paled. Their limbs were cold and shivering, but they still took
up their weapons and intended to fight to their deaths. They still clung to their namesake and oaths for
the Grey Wolves Mercenaries.
Redi glared at their resistance, as though he wanted to enjoy looking at the idiots who wanted to oppose
him. He quickly saw Brendel who was smiling and mouthing a few words. They were not asking for
mercy. He pieced each word slowly after a long while before they were formed into a coherent sentence:
“Unfortunately, you’re too early.”
[I’m too early?] Redi did not understand what it meant [Has he gone crazy from the shock of seeing my
men?]
When Brendel’s hand was lowered, the twenty odd expressionless Silver Elves immediately acted. When
they did so, Redi’s expression completely changed.
He was indeed too early. If he came later, even though he still could not do anything to Brendel, at least he
would not have sent himself to a death that he could not avoid.
The Grey Wolves Mercenaries, the Mercenaries of Lopes, Amandina’s expressions changed.
The Silver Elves’ bodies suddenly lit up with all sorts of colors that gathered on their armor and weapons,
as though a rainbow had formed in front of them. These signified one thing.
The powers of Elements.
The strongest heavy infantry of the Silver Elves who were the match for the Knights of the Holy Cathedral
in this era!
Redi wanted to slap himself for thinking that the Elves were suited for only a few professions. The
disciples could not wake up in time from their crazed trance and were drowned by the dazzling light.
The swords were drawn from the Silver Elves’ sheathes, and the disciples and demons’ heads flew up in
the air as the twenty odd lights charged forward without stopping.
902
TL: So what happened for the past week? Cough. My mouse broke down and I went shopping for a new
one. I had a pretty shitty mouse that I used for overwatch, and so I got a cheap gaming mouse for 10
dollars to game at it…… In case you were wondering if there’s any manga like progression where I git gud
at gaming, nope. Anyways, I had a lot of fun (I’ll never game like that again) and I’ll be translating for a full
day as an apology for going completely MIA. I know that cliffhanger is like wtf……
You can expect 3 more chapters soon (Over the next few hours).
Chapter 101 – Perfect completion
The battle was over before it started.
The high ranking Disciples of the Black Flames were no match for the Elven heavy infantry who
possessed the Element powers. The Silver Elves who lived long lives were exceedingly focused on
learning combat techniques. Not only did they have high physique and excellent equipment, they had
continuously sought to improve their skills for centuries.
Under their watchful eyes, the slight movements that their enemies made were enough for them to see
through their intentions. Brendel watched the disciples use their abilities in front of the Elven warriors
and could not resist laughing. In front of the Silver Elves who pursued perfection in combat, it was the
equivalent of desecrating the highest form of art.
The Silver Elves could not believe the servants of darkness dared to use such mediocre techniques
against them. Their battles against the Dragon of Darkness and the Miirna were the greatest they had
ever faced. Their enemies had exceptional magic spells and combat techniques that made them gasp.
They had never despised the servants of Darkness, simply because they were truly at the forefront of the
world’s civilization.
They were so skilled that more than a few of the Silver Elves actually turned to the Darkness. Yet these
foes had declined, no, they did not even have techniques to speak of now.
It was an insult.
The disciples did not expect their last resistance to draw the ire of the Silver Elves. In fact, everyone
under Brendel’s group felt ashamed when they saw the skill of the Silver Elves.
It was true!
After the War of the Holy Saints, civilization did not flourish but waned. The ultimate skills that both
factions possessed had became nothing more than legends.
903
But regardless of what others thought, the battle in front of them was over in the blink of an eye. The
disciples turned into headless corpses with black blood pouring out from their wounds, turning into
streams that filled the uneven ground’s cracks.
It looked like a network of veins with black blood.
The white-haired youth seemed like he was rooted to the ground by an invisible force. His mouth was
wide open with gurgling sounds in his throat, unable to form a word.
Suddenly a clattering sound could be heard behind Brendel’s group. They turned back and discovered it
was the biggest man in the Grey Wolves Mercenaries who dropped his greatsword. That man did not
seem to realize he dropped his weapon, and merely looked at the group of Silver Elves who had
regrouped.
[Twenty Elves who had the unsealed their Element powers! Marsha above, the strongest forces in Aouine
are not any better than them!]
Some of the Grey Wolves Mercenaries glanced at Brendel, wondering who exactly was the person who
used them as guards.
[Is this merchant actually one of Kirrlutz’s princes? Did he come to this place by coincidence? Or is it a
high level successor to the Holy Cathedral of Fire and these knights are here to guard him?] (TL: There
was a small description in the past chapter about how the people who unsealed their Element powers
needed to register in the Holy Cathedral of Fire. I don’t think the Silver Elves are under that faction or
bound by their rules in any way. The people who unsealed their Element are called Knights of the Holy
Cathedral of Fire after registering. While there might be some church faction that is related to the Holy
Cathedral of Fire, these knights are not under them but more of a formality, probably.)
They had wild guesses as they could no longer believe he was just a simple merchant.
Only Scarlett kept her wits about her and she swung her halberd onto the ground with a loud crash. Her
meaning was clear; she did not want the Elves to kill Redi. Her lips were pursed tightly and her
expression solemn. She knew that she was not a match for anyone amongst the Elves, but even so, there
was no intention of retreating in her eyes. Her body was placed slightly forward like a panther ready to
pounce.
“Scarlett?” Sanford knew of the girl’s movements. He and the other mercenaries were previously too
focused on the Disciples, but now that they were gone they realized that it was someone they knew all too
well.
“Scarlett, that bastard is a traitor! Why are you defending him!” The big mercenary yelled loudly.
904
“It’s only this time—” She said through gritted teeth, but she suddenly shook her head as if to drive a
thought out of her mind: “Only this final time, I can’t watch him die here.”
“Scarlett?” Redi was momentarily confused. He suddenly saw the former Scarlett from her figure.
“Get lost right now!” She roared angrily: “Find Conrad!”
Brendel looked at this scene in surprise. He had seen enough in the game to recognize that the will of this
‘Crimson Spectral Knight’ had not completely disappear.
[It’s her desire to protect Redi! A bishop of the Tree Shepherds who doesn’t care about life will never
protect someone of their own volition, so this means she’s actually at her infancy of becoming one.]
Brendel suddenly realized how she turned into a Spectral Knight and gave a thumbs up in his mind. Her
spirit was actually able to resist the Blood of Gods’ invasive nature. But even though he admired her
tenacity, he was not one to let this disgusting narcissist escape, not to mention he hated to let any enemy
of his get away from him.
[I can’t let this crazy idiot escape. What happens if he turns to some form of ultraman to fight me? Even if
there’s no plot armor protecting him, I’m going to regret it if he hurts someone close to me.]
He decisively gestured at both of them: Knock out that girl, kill that bastard.
The Elven commander looked at him in surprise. The gestures that Brendel did were the very gestures
that were used in the Era of Chaos, but he quickly followed his orders and ordered his men to move out.
Even if Scarlett had turned into the complete version of the Crimson Spectral Knight, there was no way
for Redi to escape.
============== Conrad POV ==============
Baern Shyrltaesi, the ruins that was left behind during the Year of Brilliance by the Silver Elves when they
retreated.
The commander of the Lizardmen, Hewjil, occupied the largest hall of the ruins. The Silver Elves had used
this section for worship and important rituals, but after several centuries of disuse, the once grand hall
had became decrepit.
Perhaps due to instinct or because the Lizardmen had not completely evolved from their primitive self,
Hewjil had a strong sense to be territorial and believed anyone who wanted to oust him from this area
was challenging his authority as the leader of the Lizardmen bandits.
905
What Hewjil was proud of was his sense of aesthetic. Unlike the other brutish Lizardmen, he had cleaned
this hall like a civilized person, placed a red carpet in the center leading to a grand chair like how it was
done centuries ago, with various stolen furniture that had different designs placed without any particular
orde. Hewjil enjoyed the disorder and ordered his subordinates to stack these furniture up, of which he
took time every day to study each piece.
When Conrad and the dark bishop entered the hall, the three of them snorted coldly at the same time.
Hewjil hated to even look at their face, while the other two men did not want to interact with a primitive
creature. Conrad especially hated the messy hall which he thought that it looked like a garbage dump.
“Cunrat, you had died in the battle, I received news of that.” Hewjil straightened his shirt’s collar which
was robbed from a noble. His wrinkled face was full of disappointment: “A pity, fake news, it was.”
“I am going to remind you for the last time, my name is Conrad.” The mercenary commander did not have
the mood to correct his bizarre Kirrlutz accent, and merely reminded that lizard not to roll the tongue to
pronounce his name.
“The same to me.” Hewjil looked at the bishop in arrogance: “Not keen to see me, I thought you said that.”
“You used the excuse of investigating the temple grave of the Silver Elves’ kings, but it seemed like you
are proud of acting like bandits.” Conrad snapped coldly as he surveyed the surroundings: “These things
that you stole must be worth quite a lot, aren’t they.”
“No, no, doing serious work.” Hewjil’s wrinkles became even deeper as he resisted shaking his head.
“Then what have you discovered?”
“A little. But not much progress.” Hewjil shook his head vigorously: “We could approach not the
surroundings of the temple. But this item help me do so.” He grabbed a necklace and shook it. “Wizard, I
need more of these.”
The two men exchanged looks. It seemed like Hewjil was really doing proper work, but that particular
matter was not of priority at the moment. Conrad arranged the thoughts in his mind and spoke: “That is
not a problem. We require your help in another matter right now.”
“I helped you already.” Hewjil said unhappily. He spread the news of his group looting in the area in order
to lure the Grey Wolves Mercenaries over to this location, but it had also attracted the attention of the
nearby adventurers as well.
“There will be benefits for you.” The dark bishop spoke in a low voice.
“What benefits?”
906
“Something big enough.” Conrad’s expression was solemn.
============ Brendel POV ================
A loud thud could be heard.
Brendel had grabbed Redi’s white hair and smashed it onto the ground, causing the latter to scream out.
The news gotten from Redi had made it clear to Brendel that the script had deviated from the
walkthrough, even though that result was something that he did not hope for.
[Conrad and the dark disciples have targeted me even before I reached the Lizardmen— I should have
predicted that this might be an outcome. Was this moron going to betray Makarov regardless, or did I
change something? The fact that he showed up with the Crimson Spectral Knight…… It doesn’t really
matter now. What is important is knowing Conrad had gone to Baern’s ruins and has completely
abandoned the idea of chasing Buga and Makarov. Instead he has turned his full attention to me.]
Brendel’s fury was at its peak at Makarov’s scheme. This outcome of events had turned into a grave
situation and caused serious trouble.
“My lord, should we retreat?” Amandina did not speak after listening to Redi’s description of what
happened, and only spoke after a long while.
Brendel waved his hand.
[They are going to pay a bitter price if they really want to cause trouble for me. Very well, it seems like it’s
going to be a 100% completion route where I kill them all. It’s not as if I have never completed 100% in
similar quests before. I wonder what Mother Marsha would give me as a reward…..]
Brendel quickly calmed down. He wanted to see how strong his enemies were and was imagining how he
would cut them down one by one, but his thoughts was soon interrupted by Sanford.
“My lord, what about Scarlett?” Sanford cautiously came over and asked quietly.
Brendel glanced at the unconscious girl. Several Silver Elves were standing beside her, waiting for the
order to kill her. There was never going to be a kill order for her in Brendel’s mind. Putting aside what the
new Grey Wolves Mercenaries would think, he would never agree to kill her. There was a connection
between her and the Eversong card, if her fate could not be turned her next best result would be
something like how Medissa turned out to be.
[Based on Redi’s description on that strange figure, it should be that bishop mentioned in the
walkthrough. Since she is only turned recently, then there might be some hope.]
Brendel was not inhumane enough to try and seal a living person as a card, and he was very willing to
rescue this girl who had a fiery personality. Perhaps she might even be willing to his subordinate, with
the strength of a Gold-ranked fighter.
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“Bring her along. She’s your companion after all. Perhaps there’s still some way to save her.” He said
without thinking much.
“She can be saved?!” Sanford was shocked and urgently asked.
“I will try my best.” Brendel nodded.
Sanford nodded to accept his answer. He understood that Scarlett’s condition was somehow strange.
“How about this person?” Amandina asked quietly with a little disgust when she looked at Redi. He was
forced to taste the mud as he struggled to breathe.
With those words, he seemed to regain his strength and tried to raise his head up with effort. His face was
mingled with soil and tears as he yelled with all his might: “You promised, as long I told you everything
you wouldn’t kill me—“
“My words count.” Brendel nodded.
He patted his hands as he released Redi, then looked at the Silver Elf beside him: “Commander, I will have
to trouble you to take over what I wanted to do originally.” (TL: If you still don’t get it, it’s game over for
Redi.)
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Chapter 102 – Lure (1)
The difficulty of attaining a perfect rating for the quest was harder than Brendel imagined. He initially
thought that he simply needed to protect what was left of the Grey Wolves Mercenaries, but it seemed
like he needed to wipe out every single enemy that was in his path.
[The reports from the Grey Wolves Mercenaries stated there are over a hundred Lizardmen Bandits, but
the walkthrough states otherwise.
Lizardmen mob – Over a thousand.
Disciples of the Black Flames – Over two hundred with the average strength of Iron-ranked fighters.
Paper Cards – Over seventy with the same average strength as the disciples.
Hewjil – The peak strength of a Silver-ranked fighter.
Conrad – Gold-ranked fighter.
Earth Bishop – Boss tier headache.]
(TL: I might have made a mistake somewhere. There are TWO bishops that he’s most likely going to fight,
the one currently with Conrad is the Dark Bishop who corrupted Scarlett. Brendel is now referring to a
new Bishop who hasn’t appeared yet and probably took the Blood of Gods, particularly a God related to
the earth element.)
Brendel pondered for a while before he turned around. The Silver Elves had already ended Redi’s life,
while the Mercenaries of Lopes were helping the Grey Wolves Mercenaries with their injuries. Perhaps it
was because of their similar professions, they seemed to bond well.
“What are you planning to do?” A voice called out from his side.
Brendel looked at the Elven commander in slight surprise.
“If that human did not lie, the disciples and the Lizardmen are going to meet soon. Their speed is
probably the same as us, and the foes we are going to face will not be mere Lizardmen rabble when we
reach our destined location.” The Elven commander described the scenario like it did not concern him.
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“You are basically right,” Brendel’s response was quick: “But I believe the Paper Cards’ leader Conrad has
already reached the Lizardmen commander Hewjil, and are discussing over how to prevent us from
escaping to the north.”
The Elven commander merely looked at him without saying anything. Brendel was certain that the Silver
Elves would not be able to perform as well as he did with the earlier fight, and in his own experience he
had never seen a SSS completion rating with just the mere help of the NPCs.
“If that is the case, then the Lizardmen will send out their scouts now.” Brendel laughed: “They think
we’re going to escape, haha, that is wonderful; I want them to commit such a mistake.”
Brendel’s guess was not wrong. The Lizardmen rode on their mounts and spread out from the Baern’s
ruins.
A day passed and the next morning came. The dry shrubbery on the hill top was rustling constantly due
to hands pushing them apart. Brendel and the Elven commander hid behind a thick bush as soon as they
spotted movements in the valley. The youth observed for a while before he spoke:
“The Lizardmen Dragoons.”
“That’s the third group that moved out since yesterday—” There was no change in Elf’s expression. The
scenery of the emerald forest was reflected in his eyes; the speed and agility that the dragoons moved in
the forest was faster than any cavalry in this era, but it could not compare with the Miirna’s shadow
knights.
Even though the dragoons darted through the forest and appeared through the gaps of the trees, it was
considered to be much too slow in the Elven commander’s eyes.
“It’s two times the normal patrolling radius at this distance. This is just abnormal even if they are under
the Tree Shepherd’s command……” Brendel muttered to himself: “In the end this looks like a quest mode.”
“What?” The Elven commander turned to look at Brendel.
“Nothing,” He realized his mistake and tried to change the topic: “I’m gauging the distance.”
“Pointless.” The Elven commander eyed him. They had estimated the distance more than once since
yesterday.
Brendel quickly nodded: “Indeed there’s nothing else to look at, so let’s proceed as planned. Sanford!”
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The former mercenary who turned into his subordinate ran up the hill panting and looked up to the two
men: “I’m here! My lord, what do you need?”
Even though the Grey Wolves Mercenaries just joined them, Brendel accepted Amandina’s idea to tell
them his ‘true identity’. Even though it was common to travel as an adventurer or merchant, they were
delighted to know that Brendel trusted them with his identity, and a future lord strongly appealed to
them.
Compared to the nomadic-like lifestyle, they were more willing to be a noble’s retainers. At least they
could settle down, and from the other mercenaries’ description, it was apparent that the young lord was
different from most nobles’ arrogant and cold attitudes who treated their subordinates’ lives like dirt.
They had suffered a lesson of betrayal from Makarov but such was the era of nobles and commoners.
What could they do when they had no power?
They could only work harder to gain the favor of their new lord.
“Convey the order to get ready.” Brendel answered as he looked at the valley.
“Understood, my lord. I will go immediately.” But as soon as he took a few steps, Sanford suddenly turned
back and asked: “My lord, there’s something I do not understand…..”
“Hmm?”
Sanford hesitated for a moment but he gathered his courage and asked: “My lord, there’s no need to use
such a complicated plan. I’m sure these Lizardmen would not be able to fend us off if we strike at them.
I’m sure the result would be the same even if they are working with the disciples. As far as I know, even
Aouine…….”
He did not state the latter half. ‘Even Aouine would not be able to gather twenty knights of the Holy
Cathedral’—
While it was true that Aouine had more than twenty knights within the kingdom, the majority of them did
not work for the nobles or even loyal to any faction. But these words made it sound like he was
questioning Brendel’s identity, so Sanford stopped himself from going any further.
Brendel still managed to understand what he was trying to say. He smiled:
“Perhaps you might be disappointed but these Elven allies are not under my command. They fight with us
because we have the same goal. And one other thing, they get weaker the further they are away from
their home.”
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Sanford did not quite understand what Brendel meant by the Elves getting weaker, but he immediately
spoke in a loud voice:
“My lord, you misunderstand me. We will never get disappointed. We swore an oath to follow you not
because of you possessed a great army but to repay for your aid. Regardless of whether we are the former
Grey Wolves Mercenaries or not, we will never break our oath.” But he quickly asked again: “Are the
Elven allies Knights of the Holy Cathedral? Do they still possess such strength if they get weaker from
their home…..?”
Brendel understood what he was thinking. Even if their ‘strength’ was weakened by half, they could still
be considered as people who had the peak strength of a Gold-ranked fighter. Twenty such Gold-ranked
fighters would certainly be enough to annihilate the enemies in this region.
However, the rules did not apply in such a manner. A single stat reduction merely degraded their powers
by a single rank, but in truth it was a level loss by over half. These Silver Elves were originally level sixty
Elites, but Brendel judged that they would become lower than level thirty when it was time to meet the
enemies in battle.
This meant the Silver Elves could not even maintain their Gold-ranked stats. That would spell trouble,
especially with the threat of the Earth Bishop and Conrad. He needed to find other ways to defeat the
Lizardmen.
But explaining these things required some effort, so he merely folded his arms and answered: “Don’t
worry and head off to convey my orders. Believe in me, and I will show you victory—”
Sanford’s reaction was delayed for a moment as he listened to Brendel’s words, before he nodded
furiously.
The Elven commander watched Sanford’s figure disappear in the woods, then glanced at Brendel and
said: “I did not think you are this arrogant, human.”
“You mean confidence.” Brendel tilted his head slightly as he corrected him: “Remember, this isn’t the
battlefield of the Holy Saints, nor the era of your brilliant generals who are capable of commanding the
battlefield to dwarf all other tactics. Perhaps the future might welcome that era again, but it would not be
right now.”
Brendel paused as he looked to the north forest.
“At this point of time in this battlefield, I am certain that no one here has the capabilities to steal victory
away from my hands. You can jot down my words, commander. I will lead them to victory.”
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The Elven commander took a long time to respond: “To be honest, I do not understand what you mean by
‘the future might welcome that era again’, do you mean to say that the Dragon of Darkness is going to
return to this continent again?”
“No, that is entirely another matter, I meant that there will be capable people emerging in the future.”
“How do you know of this, human? Can you see the future?”
Brendel’s voice was stuck in his throat. He hesitated for a while before replying: “It’s not foresight but
intuition. When the future comes I’ll return to this place and tell you what had happened in the world if
you don’t believe me—”
Brendel did not know why he said all these words. Perhaps there were too many secrets in his heart
which he kept away for too long. After all, the Elven commander was a spirit that could not leave this
place.
The Elven commander looked at him for a while and gave an emotionless smile: “My name is Nalaethar.”
“I’m Brendel.”
“I shall wait to see that victory you claim will happen.”
[This bastard doesn’t believe me at all.]
“As you wish.” Brendel said through grinding teeth.
913
Aakkin was the commander of a dragoon squadron. His orders were mostly straightforward amongst his
usual missions, to either assault or pillage. However, he would sometimes take on the scouting role which
was one of his most hated missions. It was too dangerous, especially in the forest where technical
expertise was more important than speed and agility. He also disliked the fact that he could not use his
best qualities in this role.
He raised his head and took in the golden rays of the rising sun. He trembled as the sun’s warmth drove
away the vestiges of the cold night and permeated into his blood. He shook his head in annoyance before
sniffing the air, trying to discover any signs of the humans he was tasked to search for.
In his eyes, the silence in this valley was quite odd.
He did not like the eerie peace because it was the calm before the storm, like how a poisonous snake was
lurking around the corner that would suddenly appear and bite. The northern Chablis region was like an
ocean of trees, and he felt that it was impossible to find the humans in this huge forest.
Still, he cautiously gripped his spear and raised his right hand, pointing all his three fingers into the forest
ahead of him. He chattered a series of noises, ordering his men to spread out and search.
He did not realize he made a mistake.
He only reacted when his men suddenly disappeared without a trace; his first thought was to retreat and
find an excuse to explain to his commander Hewjil as to why he sent four dragoons to their deaths.
He did not find an easy answer. Even though Hewjil was a irregular amongst the Lizardmen who was
churlish, he was considered to be sharp and Aakkin did not think him easy to fool.
But there he soon discovered there was no need to worry over it.
That was because he saw a human and Elf waiting when he turned around. He did not know when they
appeared behind him, but he only knew that it was a Silver Elf staring coldly at him. The Lizardmen had
recently caused trouble near the temple so Aakkin had an idea of what race he was from.
The Silver Elf had an Element power gathering on his armor.
The only thing that Aakkin could do was to surrender. A small mistake of spreading his men out, allowed
each individual to be caught without any commotion, and was enough to seal his fate. What was fortunate
the two men who caught him seemed like they did not want his life for the time being.
914
At the same time, he understood as a scout that his current fate would not last for long. He would be
allowed to live for a while before they obtained the information they needed, be treated like a burden and
disposed of in the end.
But death was not the most terrifying outcome. If the human and Silver Elf were scouts like himself, then
they would know of many ways to make him experience a fate worse than death. Aakkin was a veteran as
a scout, and even more experienced as a bandit, so he was certain of what was coming next. He was not
afraid, because he intended to spill everything out if they interrogated him.
There was no sense of dignity amongst the Lizardmen, especially so as a bandit.
His limbs were securely tied up with ropes so he studied the surroundings he was brought to. The other
four dragoons were lying dead in front of him. He strangely discovered that he was the only one alive and
it made him slightly puzzled. Did they think that a single Lizardman was enough to get accurate
information?
He suddenly realized that he was in considerable danger.
[Who are these men? What do they want exactly?] Aakkin wondered in his mind, before light was blocked
in front of him. He looked up and saw the human and Silver Elf standing in front of him. He gulped
immediately and his eyeballs turned to both at them in succession. He was willing to do anything in order
to live. But what exactly could he do to keep his life?
Brendel was also staring at him while he considered this difficult question,
[If I think about it, there are differences going from a console controller to a computer’s keyboard and
mouse. No matter how close it is in the game to this world, I need to get used to this world’s
characteristics and social state.]
Brendel stood in front of the dragoon and carefully studied him before smiling.
He knelt in front of Aakkin, reached out with his hand and patted his rough and narrow face, and spoke
with a gentle voice: “I know what you are thinking. You are wondering what kind of questions I would
ask, which you would then tell me everything you know about them. After that you would ask me to spare
your life, right?”
Aakkin’s mouth opened wide, displaying over a hundred sharp teeth. He had prepared himself to face his
enemy’s questions but he did not expect to receive this answer, and it made him feel like he had been
punched straight on. He shook his head once as he did not understand how the human knew what he was
thinking. Did the human read his mind?
915
If that was true, did it not mean there was already no reason to keep him alive? Aakkin trembled. He did
not hope to live, but he hoped that he would at least be spared from any torture from these terrfiying
enemies. He stared cautiously at Brendel with his diamond-shaped pupils.
“Afraid?” Brendel asked again.
When he spoke, soft giggles could be heard from behind his back. He could discern who they were;
Romaine, Amandina, the twin Elementalist and many of the Mercenaries of Lopes were amongst the
giggles. Brendel fumed for a moment, grumbling in his mind to tell them to give him a little respect. Did
they not see he was trying to work seriously here?
But this was something that could not be helped. The truth was that he tried this with every Lizardman
before Aakkin. At first the girls and the other mercenaries were really surprised by Brendel’s words,
before they discovered that he was just pretending to know what they were thinking.
He attempted several times to adjust each interrogation method he learned in the past, based on his
previous experience with the various NPC bandits.
But Aakkin did not have the mood to care what the others were thinking. He was completely afraid of
Brendel, and was almost certain that this human was a wizard, one who was frightening enough to be
able to see through his mind.
Brendel took out a ruby from his pouch and shook it in front of him: “Try answering my question—”
Aakkin looked at him in confusion and tried to respond, but he realized there was no voice coming out
from himself. Even though he was desparately closing and opening his mouth, there was no sound at all.
Aakkin’s body shook in fright. The wizards in this era were not as mysterious as those in the past, but the
people in the rural areas still believed that they possessed incredible magic. Aakkin could only look at
Brendel in fear, not understanding why he ‘stole’ his voice.
Brendel covered the ruby and took away the Silence spell. He looked at the energy left through the
system and saw that it still had six uses left. Then he sternly said to the Lizardman: “Do you understand? I
can take away your ability to talk and I can return it to you. The voice is part of the soul, and I am capable
of taking away not only your voice, but your soul.”
The youth’s voice turned cold and merciless: “A body can decay but the soul lives on forever. The torture
on a body can only last so long but have you seen a soul being burned for all eternity?”
Aakkin’s body shrunk as he shook his head immediately.
916
Brendel smiled warmly and stroked his forehead: “Then how about helping me out a little?”
The Lizardman nodded furiously.
============ Hewjil POV =============
“You said they are escaping to the southwest?” Hewjil said.
“Yes, chief. My men from the center of the hill saw them escaping through the southwestern valley, but I
am not sure if they discovered our presence……” A Lizardman was reporting to Hewjil.
When Aakkin opened the doors to the grand hall that belonged to Hewjil, he saw his comrade reporting
something to his chief sitting on the high chair. The atmosphere made him a little tense, but the instinct to
live overtook it. He took a deep breath to regain his composure and walked up to his chief.
That Lizardman who reported to Hewjil seemed to finish what he was saying and turned to leave under
Hewjil’s indication, passed by Aakkin and left the hall.
The blackmailed Lizardman did not dare to look at him or Hewjil and walked on the red carpet with his
head lowered, and allowed him to spot two other pairs of human boots at the edge of the carpet. He had
seen them before and knew they had some relationship with his chief, but he had not dared to inquire
about them from his chief.
He read out Brendel’s words in his heart, Marsha above, he swore he had never been so serious even
when he prayed. The threat from that human wizard was still echoing in his ears……
917
At the same time Aakkin planned his maleficence, Conrad and the Dark Bishop were observing the new
Lizardman who came in. But what made them feel wrong with this scene before them was how the
Lizardmen’s faces all looked the same. At least from their point of view, the ‘lizard’ who came in earlier
did not look any different from this ‘lizard’.
Perhaps their patterns on the skin were different?
Hewjil recognized his subordinate and asked in his own native tongue: “Aakkin, you came back earlier
than I expected. Why, did you find your targets?”
“Yes, chief.” Aakkin answered with a stuttering chatter.
His attitude did not draw Hewjil’s suspicion as he wanted deference from his subordinates, but he was a
little annoyed at Aakkin’s behavior. He waved his hand and replied: “When did you become inarticulate,
Aakkin? If you have anything you want to report, just spit it out. What else did you see?”
“My men and I were attacked in the southern area.” Aakkin gulped as he continued to chatter. “The
people who attacked us seemed to be the men we are supposed to look for. There are fifteen of them, two
female, and a youth who is leading twelve guards. They are really formidable, and before we could
react…… four of our brothers…..”
“The south?” Hewjil answered blankly, as if he did not hear the loss of men: “Are you sure it’s the south?”
Aakkin was also in a daze as he thought his chief would go into a rage. But he quickly recovered and
nodded.
“What did he say?” Conrad had no more patience when he heard them talk in their native language. When
Hewjil raised his voice, he knew something was up and immediately grabbed his shoulder and asked.
Hewjil smacked away his hand and yelled out: “This time, in the south region. Conrad, your foes, they
playing hide and seek with us?”
“They are appearing in the east, south and southwest.” The Dark Bishop was thoughtful: “This goes
against common sense, there has to be a scheme somewhere.”
“Damned your scheme,” Hewjil growled loudly: “The situation, simple. Enemies discovered where we are,
that shitfaced youth you sent to bite them, is definitely killed already. They are escaping to the south! In
three separate routes! They are dividing focus, I have seen enough of these ploys!”
918
“Impossible!” The Dark Bishop nearly jumped out from his chair: “That fool went with my acolyte,” He
grabbed a crystal out from his robes with his bony fingers: “This crystal has not cracked, which means my
acolyte is still fine!”
“Then your, foolish acolyte lost her way.” Hewjil spat his words out coldly with sarcasm dripping in his
voice.
“An acolyte of the Gods losing her way? Have your brains rotted, you witless lizard!” Conrad interrupted
Hewjil and blocked the Dark Bishop from attacking the latter with his arm. He roared at the Dark Bishop:
“Why are you losing your temper! That lizard is right in saying that the enemies have discovered our
intentions. They won’t break through the north any longer and they are sure to retreat. We can’t wait for
them here any longer.”
“Then what should we do?” The Dark Bishop asked after looking blankly at Conrad for a while.
“Of course we need to chase them.”
“Into which direction?” Hewjil snapped.
Conrad gave him a piercing look and answered in a tone void of warmth: “Are you truly brainless? Are
there only three of us here? What about your men, you imbecile, of course we’re going to divide our
forces into three separate directions. Are you afraid that a mere ten odd Silver-ranked guards defeating
our forces?”
Hewjil’s mouth opened, but found his voice dying in his throat as he discovered the damned human was
right. His tone was slightly deflated as he asked: “Then when do we set out?”
“Of course we should set out right now!” Conrad said.
“No, this time we need to be cautious.” The Dark Bishop stopped him: “When my men are here to rejoin
me, we can set out in the night.”
“You’re too cautious. By the time we set out, they will be way ahead of us.” Conrad grumbled, although he
also shared the same concern of a trap when he heard the reports from the Lizardmen.
Hewjil merely reminded them: “Do not forget, half of the promised rewards, are mine.”
The two men glowered at him in disgust. The three figures did not pay attention to Aakkin who was
secretly relieved.
919
[What did that terrifying wizard say? If I am not dead when the moon is up, my soul is returned to my
body?] Aakkin’s heart was pounding and he shivered. Would that cunning wizard keep his promise?
Night quickly arrived. Conrad and Hewjil’s men acted first. Hundreds of fire torches could be spotted near
the Elven ruins. This gathering of Lizardmen was highly unusual and complicated, especially when they
had no notion of gathering as a unit before. Grouping them up and dividing them into separate forces was
a huge task.
After an hour later, another long snaking group entered the ruins from the west, and they carried fire
torches with them as well, with the gathered torches lighting up the entire area with a fiery red hue.
At this moment, four shadows were waiting at the top of a nearby hill—
“The disciples have gathered.” Countless lights were reflected in Brendel’s eyes as he spoke.
“So are Conrad’s men.” Sanford chimed in.
Brendel nodded.
“Are you sure they will divide their forces into three, my lord?” Sanford turned to him and asked: “What
happens if they see through our scheme and concentrate their forces?”
“There is no ‘if’ here.” Brendel firmly said. If he was fighting against Madara’s talented commanders, his
tricks would not work, but he was facing a bunch of Lizardmen bandits and mercenaries. Based on their
quality, they would never be able to guess what he planned to do. One clear advantage he had was
knowing how much men they had, while they only knew that he had twelve guards with him.
Under this situation, none of the enemy commanders would even consider that he had an additional
squadron of Silver Elves and that he planned to consume them as experience points. Even if Brendel went
up to them and personally told them he was going to wipe out this thousand odd Lizardmen bandits, they
would think he had lost his mind.
Brendel was quiet for a moment before he replied: “Even the worst outcome now would be the enemy
forces gathering into one direction, but we are already here and ready to exploit our tactical advantage.
Know this well, they are the hunters and we are the prey. In this hunt, the party that decides where the
battle would be, is the prey and not the hunters.”
Sanford nodded as he listened quietly.
The Elven commander stood there quietly. At this distance away from the Altar, he felt a great limitation
on his strength, and he did not see any better than Brendel did. The last person that stood behind them
was Romaine.
920
She saw much more than the others did when she looked at the field of fire torches. These lights
appeared like stars gathering in the darkness to form a painting, and she thought it was truly beautiful.
Very soon, the fire torches started to spread out and reform into three straight lines.
“You were right, my lord!” Sanford’s eyes brightened up and he exclaimed excitedly, but his expression
quickly darkened as he saw an image of Makarov’s confident figure on Brendel’s back. In the Grey Wolves
Mercenaries’ hearts, the person who always had the means to lead them with victory was Makarov, but
now it was proven that was merely their wishful thinking.
Brendel’s reactions were not as unsteady as Sanford. The curtains on this play had just been lifted and
about to begin. He pointed towards the front of the fire torches: “Romaine, are you able to see the
appearances of the leaders?”
Sanford and the Elven commander were startled. How was she able to see that far? They were
approximately four kilometers away from the enemies, and the fire torches were about as bright as a
firefly, and it was quite impossible for them to even see the figure carrying the torches.
They suddenly realized that the girl who came with them was not an ordinary person as she nodded
immediately: “Of course I can! Hmm……. The one of the left looks like a lizard.”
“That’s the commander of the Lizardmen, Hewjil. Continue.” Brendel was confident of her abilities. She
was able to spot the Madara army at Fortress Riedon even when the night sky had no starlight or
moonlight. In this clear night, along with the fire torches, she definitely found it easy to see what they
looked like.
“The leader of the center group seems to be a human. He’s a young man wearing leather armor….. And
there seems to be something strange following next to him.” Romaine carefully described what it looked
like, and Brendel replied: “That’s Conrad and the Earth Bishop. Strange, if those two are together, then
who is leading the third group?” (TL: I’ll see what happens in the future when Brendel encounters the
‘Dark Bishop’ and ‘Earth Bishop’. Currently I’m using Bishop because I don’t know what the appearances
of the bosses are, but I might change it to Avatar of Earth [name?] and Avatar of Lightning [Scarlett] in the
future to differentiate them.)
She nodded and her gaze moved over to the third group and described what she saw.
“It looks like the figure is wearing a black long robe with several red stripes on the side? I can’t see
anything further than that.”
Brendel took a while to think about it: “Hmm…… It’s a Dark Bishop. That means that bastard Redi was
talking about him and not the Earth Bishop. The one who cursed Scarlett should be him, but judging from
the strength of the curse, he isn’t one of the higher ranked members of the Tree Shepherd.”
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“My lord, do we stick to the plan?” Sanford asked with concern in his voice.
[This is a problem. The plan was to kill off the Earth Bishop alone, but if that boss is moving with Conrad
then the entire battle would be extremely tough. The worst outcome is letting both of them flee without
being able to stop them. This level 50 boss is the rough equivalent of a level 65 creature, and against the
weakened level 35-40 Silver Elves…… With another Gold-ranked fighter like Conrad, trying to get both of
them would be difficult. Luring them into a trap will obviously work only once, and they won’t repeat
their mistakes…..]
Brendel rubbed his forehead. He needed to gain the best results from this trap. He agonized over the
situation for a while, should he kill the Lizardmen or the Dark Bishop?
[Wait, the Dark Bishop? Holy shit! Dark Bishop?! Isn’t he a dark elementalist? I should smack myself for
being an idiot. Killing him would mean I can get dark elemental crystals, and heck, the Dark Bishops are
famous for dropping nothing but crystals. Even the gamers called them one of the poorest mob creatures
around.]
Brendel’s mind was used to think about the overall picture, and actually forgot that he could really use
some dark elemental crystals. (TL: To summon Medissa, in case anyone is wondering.)
Once he thought about it, his mind seemed to clear up and even predicted how the future events would
flow. If the Dark Bishop died, the Blood of Gods in Scarlett’s body would also be suppressed because of
the lack of control, and he would gain another powerful Gold-ranked fighter.
He clapped his hands and said: “No, we’re not retreating. I want to go after the Dark Bishop now.”
Everyone did not understand why he changed his mind so easily.
Brendel patted the stolen Lizardman’s mount and made the beast turn its body. He smiled with
embarrassment: “It’s common to change a plan when there are unforeseen circumstances. Don’t worry,
this doesn’t affect things. In any case, we should return to our ambush location, I don’t want to get caught
in a battle here.”
922
Four of the Lizardmen’s mount darted through the darkness, their faint shadows passing through the
valley like river streams. A few moments later, the rider who was leading them raised his hand high up,
and the others quickly pulled back their reins to turn their mounts around, then started to dismount one
by one.
Brendel held his sword down with one hand while he nimbly left his mount by standing on the stirrups,
jumped up from them and landed gracefully onto the ground. When he did so, he heard Romaine
grumbling loudly behind him:
“Brendel, riding this thing is awful—” She was still on her mount with her eyebrows in a frown with her
hands rubbing her neck: “It’s not exciting at all and it’s painful.”
Brendel laughed as he went over to her and helped her down.
[If I let our highness Romaine have fun on this mount, would you still follow me properly?]
The Lizardmen’s mounts were creatures that crawled on the ground, moving in a ‘s’ direction that jerked
from side to side. If the riders did not have specific training on it, they would not have an easy time on it.
Brendel had wasted ten-odd skill points on it from the Lizardman prisoner to learn how to ride it.
He had learned this lesson in this game once already and would not fall into such a trap again. But when
he saw that her face was slightly pale, he felt a few pangs in his heart and replied gently: “Take a short
rest.”
The battles ahead did not involve Romaine.
“Then I’m going off to nap—” She jumped down from her mount with Brendel’s support with his arm, and
blinked at him: “I’ll be praying for you.”
“In your dreams?” Brendel asked with some exasperation.
“Yes, in my dreams.” She nodded seriously, her smiling eyes forming in a line like she scored a small
victory, then ran past the Mercenaries of Lopes who walked out from the forest. Brendel’s mood also
lifted up when he saw her actions. He was truly fond of her optimistic mindset even under dire
circumstances. Every time she smiled, he found his heart getting conquered by her, regardless of the old
and new Brendel.
Even from the first night in Bucce, he found it hard to take his eyes off her whimsical actions.
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He took in a deep breath and allowed the cold air of the night to enter his lungs, and slowly cooled down
his slightly dazzled mind which was getting hot. When he spotted the Nightsong Tiger, he paused for a
moment before moving straight to him while waving the back of his hand at him:
“Prepare for battle, the enemy is only two miles away from us. Hurry up, I want all these XP from the two
hundred Lizardmen to be taken completely.”
Brendel did not like to waste time on pointless banter before the battle. He had explained everything
clearly to them and it was just a small ambush. It was not even really an operation that required tactical
maneuvers like those in the game.
“XP?” Sanford looked like he was confused as he got down from his mount as he heard this unknown
word. The Nightsong Tiger merely curled his lips as he glanced at him. He was used to his lord spouting
some strange words from time to time. The other mercenaries had even learned what they meant.
“I meant that none of these enemies is to be left alive.” Brendel changed his words with a straight face.
The Elven commander’s lips twisted subtly at the corner without anyone noticing.
Brendel’s orders were quickly executed—
His men quickly moved in the forest and the youth started to deploy them at strategic positions. He chose
to use the most common tactic in the game against these low level mob of Lizardmen. He hid with the
Elven commander and the Nightsong Tiger, while the other Elves and mercenaries moved to their
designated positions. The Elves’ armors were made by the Elven craftsmen not to reflect moonlight, while
the majority of the mercenaries painted their leather armor black. They hid well enough that even trained
eyes would not spot them unless they specifically looked for them.
The Elves crouched down behind bushes with a single hand on their broadswords which were covered
with fallen leaves, while the mercenaries were approximately thirty feet behind them, waiting anxiously
with readied shortbows or crossbows, not daring to breathe loudly.
Brendel did not want any deaths in this battle, so he let the Elves lead the forefront while the mercenaries
were in charge of ranged suppression. This subconsciously made decision looked like he was taking care
of the newly recruited men. Even though Makarov was able to bring victory for them every time, he was a
commander who was born in nobility, and the nobles tend to see the deaths of their subordinates as mere
numbers.
With the high birth rate of Vaunte surpassing the medieval ages’ birth rates on earth, the rich population
was always a resource to be used in the commanders’ eyes.
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However, Brendel paid for each NPC from his own pocket in the game, and some of them were obtained
from unique missions; it could be said that every one of them was obtained with effort, and he was
reluctant to treat them like cannon fodder.
Naturally he did not notice his actions had raised the loyalty from the remnants of the Grey Wolves
Mercenaries; he merely checked the time from the stats window.
[I have about an hour more.]
He exhaled and shook his body to get some warmth in this cold forest. He mocked himself a little. It was
just a small battle but he actually felt a little tense. He had led so many battles in the game against Madara
forces, and even did so in this world by leading the refugees, but here he was, almost like a new soldier
who was participating in battle for the first time.
[I haven’t done an ambush against such numbers for quite some time. My heart seems to be beating
faster.]
He looked at the constant numbers fluctuating in the Stats Windows. It was calculating the penalty for the
distance in both projectile and magic constantly, and he felt like it did not fit reality. Brendel blinked a
few times before he checked his own stats:
Strength: 19.4 (+0.1)
Agility: 10.9 (+1.1)
Physique: 21.2 (+2)
Intelligence: 1.1
Will: 3.6 (+1)
Perception: 3.9
(TL: The stats are inclusive of the bonuses as stated by the author. Strength isn’t 19.5 but 19.4. Also, his
intelligence has not grown since the start of the series. Brendel is currently below level 25, and still
classified as a Iron-ranked fighter.)
[My stats are almost at a Silver-ranked fighter. If I gain another level I will definitely reach it. But
compared to my basic stats, my techniques are truly outstanding. The encounters in this world are much
better than the last, Power Break and the White Raven Sword Rave are pretty much the best techniques
for a warrior.]
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He could not really remember how he was able to survive back then in the game with his basic stats and
techniques. Right now with his current skillset, he was truly invincible amongst his enemies at his level. If
he added the various techniques that he had right now, he could fight against against a mid level Silver-
ranked fighter. If he combined his experience in the game, he could even go against the Gold-ranked
fighters who had not unsealed their Element.
Brendel rubbed his forehead as he pondered on several things, before he suddenly turned to the Elven
commander and asked: “Are your techniques from the Holy Land?”
The Elven commander was taken slightly aback, but he immediately looked back with a little caution.
“Don’t worry, I know your rules. I haw no interest in your Elven techniques but I’m just a little curious.”
Brendel’s mind said otherwise, of course. If he had a high renown he might have a better answer from the
Elven commander.
“Even if I tell you about them, you wouldn’t be able to learn because our Elven techniques are designed
specifically for us, human.” The Elven commander replied coldly.
There was a scene in Brendel’s mind where he was pulling the Elven’s commander cheeks with a ‘A lie
keeps growing and growing until it’s as clear as the nose on your face!’
He had learned the Silver Elves’ techniques before but he did not break his lies and merely smiled:
“Come on, Ser Nalaethar, don’t be so cold. You experienced the War of the Holy Saints right?”
The Elven commander eyed him coldly, not understanding how the topic turned to that, but he still
nodded.
“Have you learned any Dark Techniques?”
“No.” Nalaethar snapped. His eyes glared at him, while his lips parted again to say something before he
resisted doing so. Any Silver Elf who learned Dark Techniques meant they had joined the faction of the
Dragon of Darkness. Even though he thought Brendel was being sarcastic to him, he convinced himself
that the latter was innocent.
Very few people in this era would know that era well.
Unfortunately Brendel was one of them, and he was indeed making fun of him.
Nalaethar was silent for a moment before he suddenly spoke again: “Do you really wish to learn
something, human?”
This time it was Brendel who was surprised. His mouth went open but he did not know how to respond.
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[You really want to teach me something? You’re not yanking my chain? But it’s the hardest to raise one’s
reputation amongst the Silver Elves—]
927
TL: Some stuff I want to talk about, skip to chapter’s name if you wish to skip on my ramblings about my
art stuff.
TL: For the past few weeks I have been scratching my head and looking over some fundamental stuff for
anatomy, until I recently found a video by cushart on doing fundamental ‘spatial’ construction which I’m
currently practicing.
I am actually incredibly bad at constructing a 3D image properly in my mind and needs tons of reference.
The tips that my teachers gave were kind of there but not quite enough or too hard to understand. The
theory is there, using XYZ as coordinates in space to kind of plot where the fundamental shape should be,
but I could never really grasp it properly because it’s too complicated for me.
Cushart’s video goes into details about how he plots and constructs using, well, easy maths (sort of). I’m
not sure how far I can go with his method, but I do find it incredibly useful in training fundamentals in
‘spatial XYZ coordinates’. I’m pretty much spending the entire day just to kind of practice in that area, and
I’ll probably just keep going at it for the next 10 days.
I keep wanting to edit my old chapters and write some codes for the website, but the issue of needing to
settle important fundamentals about anatomy keep coming up, and I really want to get my weakest area
to a manageable state by the end of this month.
Anyways, here’s the donated chapter, and thank you very much for your continued support on TAS and
putting up with my ramblings.
Also, to make up for the late chapter, I decided to TL one more chapter (which took another few more
hours, lol.)
“You don’t wish to learn?” Nalaethar looked at Brendel with complete ridicule in his eyes.
“I want to, of course I want to.” Brendel rushed his answer out.
[Is there a need to even ask? Which idiot would refuse a Silver Elf’s technique?]
“The Elven techniques can’t be taught to you, so there’s no need to think about it.” Nalaethar’s eyes
changed back to its usual taciturn look. “Don’t be so hasty, I already told you our techniques are
specifically designed for my race.”
Brendel nodded, but his mind said otherwise: “Then…?”
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“I can teach you something else that we learned,” Nalaethar paused for a moment: “Do you know how
important it is to determine how strong your enemies—“
“Hold on!” Brendel drew in a breath rapidly and interrupted: “Are you talking about the ability ‘Probe’?”
Brendel was trying hard to restrain himself from beating his fists into the air. The unsociable Silver Elf
suddenly looked like he was becoming affable, Brendel looked hopefully at him.
He had been relying on numbers from the system to gauge the NPC enemies’ levels, and had always felt
disturbed by the lack of accurate information on their stats. He used his own experience to recall vital
enemies’ stats and their favored techniques, but there was no way for him to recall every one of them.
With the ability ‘Probe’, he would be able to see the characters’ entire list of stats and their skillsets, and
once the ability was raised to high levels, the system would even gave an Overall Power Rating. Judging
whether they are strong or weak would be a breeze for him.
In the game, Marden also taught this ability, but when Brendel tried asking him about it in this world, he
discovered that the old soldier did not know that ability at all. When he thought about the reason, he
recalled that he met Marden very late in the game and that the latter learned the ability from someone
else. (TL: Marden is the captain of Bucce’s guards, in case you can’t remember. Also I checked this with
prior records and I TLed it as ‘exploration’ back then. Now that the ability is explained clearly, I’m
changing it to Probe.)
“‘Probe’?” Nalaethar shook his head: “We simply call it ‘Evaluation’, if a name is needed. It is something
every Silver Elf warrior would learn, so that we can gauge the battlefield with that particular skill.”
“Huh?” Brendel looked blankly at the Elf. “What exactly is it used for?”
He had never heard of a skill like that before. The closest skill to Probe was Eagle Eye, a skill that was
much better. Not only did it have the same effects of Probe, there was a chance to steal techniques of the
enemies killed. However, he would never be to learn this technique because the person who taught it was
against Aouine’s princess, and he had no interest to betray this kingdom.
But he was certainly interested in this new skill that he had never heard before. Given how formidable
the Silver Elves were, the skills that they recognized would definitely be good stuff.
The Elven commander stared at Brendel as he replied: “I remember that you said you would bring victory
to us. I had kept your words in my mind and shall use this skill as a bet. I’ll teach this skill to you if you are
able to bring victory to us.”
Once the Elven commander finished speaking, he turned his head away and smiled faintly without
Brendel’s notice.
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[Shit, I knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. Well that’s fine. Both victory and the skill are as good as mine
anyways. An unknown skill in the game that I have never seen or heard before….. That’s a little
surprising.]
Suddenly he felt the Nightsong Tiger’s elbow knocking on his side. He looked at where the latter was
pointing and noticed the mercenaries readying their weapons. Even though it was only for a short
moment, he knew that the long awaited enemies had arrived.
The first group that entered the valley were thirty odd Lizardmen dragoons.
They trod under the moonlight and proceeded through the cold boulders, quickly reaching the lowest
point of the valley. The next group of units were the Lizardmen infantry with lances and crossbows.
These monsters were not like a formal army, and the equipment on their bodies were messily put
together. There were no banners that they carried, and were comprised of small squadrons led by
Lizardmen who wore an armband.
The leaders of the small squadrons chattered and made a din, gurgling high pitch noises that kept the
individuals who were out of order and their flanks from becoming too scattered. They marched in
disorderly lines of twos and threes and did not form a tactical formation because they were still far away
from the humans they were after.
The long snaking army of Lizardmen passed through the valley, and the mercenaries turned their heads
one by one to look for Brendel’s signal, but he shook his head. The Lizardmen were not the only enemies
and it was not the best moment to attack yet.
After a few minutes later, the Dark Bishop finally appeared. Because he was not a melee profession, he
did not appear in the front or flanks, and was surrounded by a bunch of high ranking disciples. Brendel
recognized them easily as high-ranking disciples from their attire, and also spotted two single-armed
demons walking along them with large strides. They were called Bachsa; they were once warriors with
great sins cast into hell and subsequently turned into lesser demons which had formidable attacking
strength.
More than half of the Lizardmen had crossed beyond the mercenaries.
Brendel suddenly looked to his left and right before asking: “Where’s Amandina?”
“It seems that Miss Romaine had called her away.” The Nightsong Tiger answered.
Brendel answered with a contemplative affirmation. He was slightly worried about that crazy lass
causing mayhem again, but he felt better once he heard Amandina was with her. The only thing left to do
was to properly handle this battle. He stared at the valley, with the Lizardmen not detecting the killing
intent from him.
930

The youth carefully pulled out his sword, taking care to place it under the shadows and pointing to the
enemies.
It was the signal to attack.
The curtains were pulled back and the battle commenced with crossbows firing at the same time. The
mercenaries carefully aimed for their preys as they clenched their teeth and pulled the triggers. The taut
strings shot the metallic bolts out and returned to their former unloaded positions. The slightly misty air
parted from the projectiles and dull thuds could be heard as the bolts bit into flesh.
The Lizardmen were only in time to turn their heads as they heard the ‘twang’ sounds, and more than a
dozen of their men who carried crossbows were shot down. Even though most of them did not lose their
lives from that, the immense impact had knocked them painfully to the ground and caused them to lose
their abilities to continue fighting.
“”””Attack!””” High-pitched chattering and screams could be heard from the Lizardmen.
The Lizardmen who were not fully evolved instinctively tried to get ready for battle, but the second wave
of bolts were fired unerringly into their midst once again. Their own ranged Lizardmen were picked off
one by one, and panic started to spread amongst them like wildfire. The foliage suddenly parted and
twenty Elven warriors wielding broadswords charged at them with a disciplined formation, displaying
the fervent aura of the warriors seven centuries ago and making it seem like there were thousands of
warriors behind them.
Such were their killing intent.
The Dark Bishop were nearly frightened out of his senses when he saw this scene. He immediately
thought that the Lizardmen must have offended this ancient race one too many times and caused them to
reappear in this world after disappearing for hundreds of years.
[I’m going to kill that fucking lizard Hewjil! Shit, this is the famous Silver Elven army that participated in
the War of the Holy Saints!]
The Dark Bishop’s hands trembled as he stared the Silver Elves who had the strength of the strongest
Gold-ranked fighters.
He really wished that the Lizardmen were enough to act like cannon fodder and stall for a little time, but
it seemed like it was wishful thinking. The immense potency of their charge was like a stake driving into
the heart of the Lizardmen’s formations, causing them to be knocked high up in the sky with blood and
931
sinew raining down. Their lithe and bony structures then crashed loudly onto the ground, causing them
to die immediately or become heavily injured.
The heavy Elven infantry quickly regrouped and continued to decimate their lines. Even though the
Lizardmen outnumbered them by ten times, they were one-sidedly slaughtered.
The mercenaries continued to reload and fire and gave support to the Elven infantry, while Brendel and
Nightsong Tiger and the Elven commander stealthily moved at the same time towards the battlefield.
Brendel was seeing something that he did not expect as numbers and lights kept flashing in his eyes. His
XP was going up all the time. The XP obtained from his mercenaries was one thing—
[Holy shit! Boosted XP mode because I entered the conditions for a 100% completion rating for this
quest? Going by game logic I should actually receive very little XP because the Silver Elves have higher
levels than the Lizardmen!]
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TL: Ok, I’ll see you on wednesday for a regular update of TAS. I’m going to go back to my art practice.
Once again, thanks for your support.
Brendel quickly recovered from the surprise and eagerly rushed to activate his Charge skill, moving
across the terrain in a straight line, passed through the mercenaries and Elven infantry to swoop down
into the thick of the fray. Dozens of Lizardmen rushed at him with their lances.
“Good! Come at me!” Brendel roared.
He activated Power Break and swung his sword to strike at the incoming weapons, knocking back the
Lizardmen easily. With his current strength, he easily pushed back the Level 19 creatures.
He then took another large step forward, gripped his sword’s hilt tightly with two hands and swung it
from right to left. The air instantly distorted and a translucent ripple could be seen rending the
Lizardmen’s flesh and passing through them.
The foliage around him fluttered backwards freely from the Sword Rave’s shockwave. A series of green
words and numbers filled his retina as the Lizardmen’s bodies separated into half. The enemies around
him fell into a quick silence as they retreated in fear as the body parts were strewn in a fan-shaped area
in front of Brendel.
There were only a few physical techniques that utilized thin air to wound the enemies other than magic
and unsealed Elements. Medissa’s area of effect abilities did not come from her own Elven techniques but
the Spectral Knight’s techniques. In order for a Silver Elf to do the same thing, they had to reach the peak
level of 60 before possessing similar capabilities.
Brendel drew his sword back and changed his stance into a defensive one, taking time to breathe in
properly.
Even though he killed only seven Lizardmen, the effect was more than enough to demoralize them. The
Lizardmen nearest to him had their morale bars plunging to a red color, and they started to retreat away
from him. The space around him was empty and gave enough time to check the amount of XP that he got.
[60 XP for these Lizardmen wielding a lance. A level 19 creature would give around 20 XP. I’m getting
nearly three times the XP of a normal mob creature when I killed these lizards, this is just like how it is in
the game. The Elven infantry got me 200 plus XP, I got 420 XP from my charge. If I kill a few Lizardmen
leaders and the mobs around them, I’m going to level up!]
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Brendel felt his blood burning hot. He was at 3200/7900 XP, and only had a chunk of XP required to get
to reach level 25.
[Level 25 is a new checkpoint. Not only do I get a new talent, I can get the third ability from my
profession. Along with that, I’m goint to be classified as a Silver ranked fighter, and only at the age of only
nineteen. That’s at the level of a ‘Blessed’ character!]
Even though Brendel had never looked down on his NPC status, he was quite irritated to see ridiculous
talents popping up around him with Gold-ranked abilities and stats.
[Or maybe I should target the level 25 dragoons or disciples first— Hold on, should I go after the Dark
Bishop now?]
Brendel quickly swiveled his eyes around to look for the Dark Bishop in excitement. His eyes were
starting to become bloodshot as he drooled over that sizable XP. However, what he saw was a group of
high ranking disciples rushing to the Elven infantry like a wave. He realized that the Dark Bishop did not
wish for the Lizardmen’s formation to break completely.
Once the Lizardmen’s army was cut into half, it would become difficult for the Dark Bishop to give orders,
as well as becoming slower to respond to the enemy’s attacks. He knew that if he lost control of the
battlefield, his chances to escape will be reduced significantly, thus he had no choice but to send out his
disciples in order to prevent the situation from becoming worse.
Ten over disciples brandished their weapons while riding the boar-like demons certainly looked
imposing, but the Elven infantry had already moved back into position and lined up with Brendel, ready
for them. The Lizardmen were impeded by the mercenaries’ ranged attacks and there were not many
obstacles between the disciples and the Elves.
If the Dark Bishop was a little better in commanding, he could order the Lizardmen around him to charge
at the mercenaries on the hill. This would even the odds a little bit more, but he was simply not suited to
lead. The only things he had in mind were to prevent the lines from splitting altogether and protecting
himself.
After issuing his commands to his men to prevent any enemies from coming near him, he started to
prepare his spells, but Brendel had already found him and formed a plan—
=============== Amandina’s POV ============
The war cries in the valley started to mix together and Amandina could no longer discern what was
happening. The battle below seemed like it was happening in another world
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When the cool wind blew over the hill’s top which was completely bare and void of foliage, she shivered
and coughed lightly once, before tightening the cloak around herself. She stood alone in the open cliff and
looked at her surroundings in slight fear, then turned back to check a certain crevice in the wall and
whispered in exasperation:
“Romaine, are you still not done?”
“I’m almost done.” Her voice came back like she was finishing soon.
Amandina sighed. She had heard of that answer a few times already, but she knew that Romaine would
definitely ignore her grumblings even if she tried, so she could only stomp her feet to get rid of the cold.
However, Romaine was really about to finish what she was doing. She went deeper into the narrow
crevice and walked in the dark area without hesitation. Any normal person would feel frightened of this
tight area that was void of light, but she walked with an excited expression as she reached her
destination. She reached into her pouch and pulled out a crystal, bent down to her feet, cleared the small
rocks on the ground and placed the crystal on top of it.
She got up and count the places where she laid five other crystals, nodded and finally came out from the
crevice with a light-hearted expression. She discovered Amandina with her frowning eyebrows that
nearly touched her eyes which were filled with full of discontent and blame.
“I’m regretting this already. Let’s go back now.” Amandina shivered and coughed from the cold.
“Don’t worry, it’s just a small experiment and Brendel won’t notice it at all,” Romaine showed a lopsided
grin and pulled Amandina’s arm: “Let’s move on to the next location.”
“W-wait……”
“Give me more of that crystal.”
“What are you trying to do!” Amandina’s wary hands went over her pouch. It was unlucky enough that
that damned girl discovered her secret, but she did not want to have anything to do with her crazy acts.
“But your calculations are fine right?”
“Of course!” She gritted her teeth as she answered: “Romaine, you horrible woman, I’m actually a
recognized student in Lantonrand’s Royal Geology Circle…….”
Romaine immediately made a disappointed sigh.
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=============== Brendel’s POV ==============
A Wind Bullet and a Fireball.
When the explosion of burning air finally dissipated from the battlefield, the high ranking disciples had
been turned into ashes.
[Ring of the Wind Empress, 20 OZ, 30 damage, Flame ring, 24 OZ, 70 damage. That’s enough to clear out
these Silver-ranked disciples. I was worried there might be some elite demons that came along with the
disciples, but it looks like my concern was for nothing. If I think about it, they are unlikely to come into
this world in great numbers…… Unless a flag is somehow raised and the Gate of Demons is opened,
cough—]
Brendel’s XP was raised by two thousand points. He was nearly level twenty five. He quickly lowered his
sword and gave new orders to the Elven infantry: “Attack the enemies’ flanks, get rid of the Lizardmen
and clear a path for me. The BOSS, I mean, leave the leader to me! Got it?”
Twenty Elves nodded at the same time.
“How about me, my lord?” The Nightsong tiger asked.
“Go along with Nalaethar.” Brendel replied.
“You don’t need any help?” The Elven commander asked.
“Just leave the leader to me, I don’t want that bastard to die off too quickly.” Brendel answered.
He had other thoughts about the Dark Bishop. Even though the latter had abilities and stats equivalent to
a level 35 normal NPC, his true level was only 25 and Brendel actually had an easier time to deal with
enemies with lower levels.
Without giving them a chance to argue, the youth charged towards the Dark Bishop, but two Bachsa
demons that were nearly three meters tall were obstructing him.
They were aggressive demons who also had the Charge abilities, and could be said to be the bane of low
level archers and wizards. Brendel stopped before them for a split moment before going around their
backs like a stealthy spirit. His hair flitted about as their weapons missed him before they landed onto the
ground with a resounding crash.
Although the demons had the Charge abilities, their agility was incredibly low and their regular strength
were also no match for Brendel’s strike combined with Power Break. His sword danced across the
demons’ bodies, painting injuries across them one after another as he constantly moved behind them and
936
biting at their backs. The demons were slowly bleeding to their deaths, but they were not even able to
catch a glimpse of Brendel’s appearance.
The Dark Bishop did not waste any time and quickly finished casting his spell. He screamed and directed
a bolt of lightning towards Brendel who had kept an eye on him.
[Claws of the Demon, a magic spell of the Third Circle.]
Brendel easily recognized the magic spell. It was a spell that had two effects. Even though it was based on
the Dark Element, the dark energy converted Hellfire into burning damage, while the second effect
caused a loss of speed. As a magic spell of the Third Circle, the effects were much more effective than an
Ice Arrow. It would literally seal the enemy onto the ground with dark energy unless they had over 40 OZ
strength, and would only dissipate after a couple of minutes.
This spell was one of the most common spells amongst Dark Elementalists and Witches, and were
primarily used for a sneak attack. Brendel really wanted to tell the Dark Bishop it should not be used in
this manner when he saw this ugly sight. During the early days in the game, players simply used this spell
without thinking until much later, where they discovered that it was better used with a combined spell to
hide the flashy effects, or even used as a close combat spell.
The reason for that was because the spell needed careful aim.
When Brendel saw the Dark Bishop’s hand stretched out, he immediately kicked the Bachsa’s body in
front of him to block the lightning’s path. Hundreds of black electricity sparks chained the body onto the
ground and spluttered hellfire everywhere. It was an impressive sight, but the spell effectiveness was
rendered to zero as it missed its intended target.
He then activated Power Break again with an upwards swing of his sword, sundering the other demon’s
neck and arm and instantly killed it with the body parts flying high up into the air.
Brendel took a moment to take a deep breath. The recent addition of the Spectral Knight’s crystal had
caused the effectiveness of Power Break to increase his strength to over 30 OZ, but the drain on his
stamina was even higher than before.
Fortunately, the balls of light that flew from the demons into his body caused him to level up and his body
felt lighter than before. Green words streaked across his retina:
– You have reached Level 25. New talents are available.
– You have gained the technique Frontal Assault;
– Frontal Assault (Level 0): Spend 5 stamina and break the opponent’s defenses (Armor, Magic, Natural),
causing your enemies’ defenses to weaken by 1.7 OZ.
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– Detected an Item of Destiny: ‘The Golden Seed of Destiny’. Do you wish to activate the destiny of ‘The
Golden Dawn’?
[What the fuck! No, I refuse to activate!]
Brendel was stunned for a moment before he hurriedly shook his head.
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TL: This chapter is kinda short but I feel like there’s info dumping here….. Erm, I’ll be translating the JP
series and TSTBGAM tomorrow.
The Golden Apple was a unique God-tier item in the game. Using that item would open the Destiny’s Gift
of ‘The Golden Dawn’. The unique talent from this gift was ‘The Leaves of the Golden Tree’, derived from
the true Golden Tree, and not the corrupted and useless Golden Demonic Tree.
The in-game lore of the Golden Tree described its true name as ‘Prana, The World Tree’, which was found
at the edge of the world next to the Deep Lake. Indeed, it was one of the sources that provided the Golden
Bloodline, and the talent rewarded a full 10% growth for all stats, and increased the Spiritual Points (SP)
by ten times.
In the game, only a few of the best Elementalists managed to activate this talent through a quest. The
Golden Apple was a dream for countless gamers.
This chance was presented in front of Brendel and in reach of his hands. As soon as he nodded, all his
stats would increase and effectively add his MP pool by two times. He would even gain the passive ability
‘Quaduraple Casting’, which it possible to effectively cast four different spells at the same time. It was the
best ability any profession that used spells could have, and affectionately called as ‘The Fairy’s Language’
by the gamers.
All the analysis websites rated the Golden Dawn with a S+ Grade, and was even seen as an option for the
warrior class simply because of the stats growth. It was even more compatible with Brendel, because he
ultimately had to take on a side profession as an Elementalist to become a Planeswalker.
However, he did not hesitate for one moment and refused it entirely.
Even though the talent was good, he only had one chance to choose and wanted only the best talents, or
at least the best available talents for his plan in this world. The game had countless gamers vying for the
limited professions, but this world was different because there was no one at all—
He understood there were many opportunities in this world, and the Golden Dawn was merely something
that looked decent.
He had two Talents he wanted:
Primeval Bloodline – All Stats increased by 10%, a reduction of 50% in penalty for taking side
professions.
Genealogy Unification – All professions gain a unique modified skillset.
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The first ability gave incredible value as Brendel had no idea how many professions he had to take on in
the future, and the more professions he had, the more penalties he was going to have.
The second ability boosted all professions in some form, and he remembered that it added Fabled Hero to
the Warrior Class: All abilities within the Warrior Skill Tree were increased by one level.
In the game, techniques were classified as such.
1-5: Elementary
6-10: Advanced
11-15: Veteran
16-20: Master
21 and above: Grandmaster
Classifications above Grandmaster had various names, but the highest of them all was Legendary, and
could only be achieved by Genealogy Unification, or at least this was the only method Brendel knew of.
The grades of each ability would go up by one when they reached the Legendary tier. Many gamers
wondered how overpowered a character would be if they managed to raise their all their professions’
abilities’ levels to the max, but that was practically impossible to achieve even for pay-to-win players.
(TL: Basically Grade B skill will become Grade A, etc.)
That was why some of the gamer analysts called Genealogy Unification the ‘fake SS’ Talent. Other
rumored SS talents in the game were Marsha’s Progeny or The Azure Catastrophe described by NPCs
which had never appeared in the game.
Brendel did not hope to acquire any of the SS rated talents, but he had a rough idea on how the quests for
these two Talents he wanted to have. As long as there was a general walkthrough or described process he
had read, he was confident that he could do the same like what the previous title holders had
accomplished.
[I’m not going to make a shitty choice again. Choosing a garbage talent like Unyielding…… If I had the
choice of choosing the talent Dragon’s Scion or Ironwill, my combat stats would be twenty percent better.
I need to choose the best talents available now so that I can recoup my losses. No, no, no, I refuse to
activate!]
Brendel answered in his mind and rotated his body to evade a Mana Arrow from the Dark Bishop. It was a
low level spell which did not need a long casting spell, designed to prevent Brendel from getting too close,
and not for the purpose of hitting him.
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All the disciples had died and there were only ten plus Lizardmen who were shivering from fear as they
guarded the Dark Bishop. He knew they were useless and could only rely on his own strength, even if the
situation looked hopeless. He threw another Mana Arrow while hurling curses on Hewjil for failing to
provide information on the twenty Silver Elves. Even up to till this point, he did not understand that he
had being lured into a trap by Brendel, who continued to dodge his arrows.
[If you reach level 30 and got the passive ability ‘Spirit Vein’ from your profession, I might worry about
your ability to do dual casting. Why are you wasting your mana to cast low level spells? Is your MP higher
than my stami—]
The option to activate the Talent had faded away when Brendel rejected it, but a new message appeared:
– Your character has reached Level 25. Your ability has been unlocked for the second time.
– Unyielding (Level 2): Your character has obtained gained Elemental Resistance +5, and a 5% physical
damage reduction.
[……..]
Brendel immediately canceled the Window to stop it from interrupting his mood to fight. Even though it
was quite a good talent for a tank there were no warriors in the game who took on the role of tanks,
especially when Brendel took on a variant profession as a Mercenary. This message looked like it was
mocking him.
[Just exactly who would allow a monster to hit them on purpose in this world?!]
The Silver Elves forced the Lizardmen to the sides of the hill, and the Dark Bishop finally realized his
mistake when the path between Brendel and him cleared up slowly. Brendel also noticed the Mana
Arrows had stopped and peered at the Dark Bishop who was gathering Dark Element around him, which
caused black smoke to circle around him. It was apparent to Brendel that the Dark Bishop was casting a
high level magic spell.
The latter forcefully swung his sword to knock any remaining Lizardmen in his path and activated his
Charge ability, and instantly turned into a straight line rushing towards the Dark Bishop. Before any of
the Lizardmen around the Dark Bishop could react, Brendel had bypassed them to reach the Dark
Bishop’s side.
He planted his right foot forward, raised his sword upwards to the sky, activated Power Break and
cleaved the Dark Bishop into two — that should have happened, but a black shield that reflected no light
appeared, and caused a loud clang when the sword crashed onto it.
[What…..?]
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Brendel was slightly stunned as he saw the Dark Bishop’s bony arm holding on to a shield that suddenly
appeared out from nowhere. The Dark Bishop leered at Brendel as he shrugged off his sword and pointed
with his other hand, firing off black flames from his fingers, and formed into a familiar shape.
“Mana Arrow!”
TL: Well the cliff is kind of real… I’ll have to see how long are the other series’ TLed length before I can
tell you whether I can spend time on the next TAS chapter and squeeze one in for the weekend. If the
TSTBGAM chapter is another 3-4k words again, well, the next regular update for TAS will be next
Wednesday.
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TL: Some important stuff that I want to talk about after the intro notes.
TL: As you know, I tl TSTBGAM along with TAS regularly. The reason why I tl TSTBGAM is mainly because
I wanted something to distract myself from TAS ‘serious’ plotline. In the past TAS took just slightly more
than 3 hours, because I didn’t really need to worry about the format of the skill names or search for
continuity checks.
However, like I have explained a while ago, the time to TL has gone up. Not only do I have to make the
sure the action scenes are making sense, I have to check the skill names in the past and (future) to make
sure there’s no TL errors, squash redundancy lines and format stats descriptions. Now one chapter takes
4-5 hours.
As for TSTBGAM, the recent chapters are killing me. It used to be around 1k words per chapter, but it
suddenly ramped up to 3.5k to 4.5k words. What used to be 2 hours per chapter, turned to 7-8 hours.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s still fun to watch Sue making life miserable for a bunch of people, but I’m pretty
much sitting on the chair without a break for that 7-8 hours.
For those of you who always wanted more TAS chapters, well, you’re probably going to get slightly more
for the near foreseeable future. Note on PROBABLY, so don’t get excited.
In the mean time, I want to TL a R18 JP series (the series is probably targeted towards the female
audience? Haven’t really read it…) that’s going to replace TSTBGAM. If I’m going to spend 7-8 hours to TL
then I’ll want to do to improve my kanji dictionary instead.
How long will the hiatus be? Probably 1-2 months, with a freeze on donations too. Right now it’s at a
pretty good point for me to stop because the plot won’t move till a few chapters later.
Finally, this chapter is brought to you by donators. Thanks for your constant support. Next regular update
will be on next wednesday.
Chapter 109 – Looting the body and an accident
“Mana Arrow!” The Dark Bishop screeched as he launched it towards Brendel.
Brendel clenched his teeth and evaded the arrow by twisting his body, letting it slide across his chest. The
hellfire scorched his skin and he felt like his whole body was set ablazed. Even though there was damage
done, the outcome was much better than having a few of his ribs broken.
[Damn it. Even though I was on my guard against the Dark Bishop’s Cast Invisibility spell, I still got
damaged.]
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In the game, the tanking professions would usually take this damage, but Brendel was certain that he
would not get caught by it with his reactions and was not disappointed by his agility.
If he failed to evade it, then the next few attacks would be a set of combination spells from the Dark
Bishop. He would not get killed by that, but would definitely suffer for the next few days.
[But this is the only time where I can get full solo XP, since the Nightsong Tiger and the others will
probably rush to help me out. In any case, now that the Dark Bishop has failed, it’s going to be my turn for
a counter-attack.]
Brendel leapt and immediately got behind the Dark Bishops’s back with another swing of his sword.
As he expected, the Dark Bishop flung his arm in an arc and allowed the black shield to intercept
Brendel’s sword, while a pile of black flames appeared on his left hand again.
[Although my attack only took 1/3 of the durability away, do you really think I can’t break your Shield of
Darkness that only has 10 points?]
Brendel scoffed as he jumped backwards to avoid the second Mana Arrow. There was no need to be
impatient.
The exchange of attacks took place during Brendel’s Charge ability. The Lizardmen realized their target
had disappeared, and paused for a moment blankly before they started to search for him. When they
spotted him again, they saw him attacking the Dark Bishop with a sword that was shining brightly—
He had called out the Stats Window during his retreat, and raised Frontal Assault to level five. At that
level the defenses would be weakened by 10 OZ, and was effectively the bane of warriors who wore
Heavy Armor as well as wizards with high level barriers.
Brendel’s sword started to vibrate intensely as the blade reflected the moonlight, and making it seem like
it was clad with light.
The sword went in a straight line.
[Power Break, Frontal Assault, activate!] Brendel felt as though all his strength leaving his body and
poured into the thrust.
The results did not disappoint him. The Dark Bishop stared at his shield which was breaking into a
shower of fragments in great disbelief. That ordinary looking sword emerged past his abdomen and back
without stopping, and once it did so, Brendel immediately released his sword and went behind his back.
When he did so, the Dark Bishop screamed loudly as excessive quantities of dark flames poured out from
his eyes, nostrils, mouth and injuries. The strength of the flames which were more than ten times
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stronger than the Mana Arrow, caused Brendel who went behind his back to feel the Dark Element
boiling in the sky and made his skin prick painfully.
Burning life points and converting them into Mana. This was the last defense of any Elementalist. It could
be used instantly, but only someone like the Dark Bishop was insane enough to use every bit of his life
force to kill Brendel along with himself.
Brendel had suffered this suicidal move in the past so he made sure to avoid it. If he took that head on, he
was most likely going to be dead or at the very least near death.
That well made Whitesteel Longsword was probably destroyed. Unless it was a magic artifact, most of the
normal artifacts would be destroyed from the Mana Explosion. He was not even sure if there was
anything going to be left from it.
He then turned around and smiled at the Lizardmen who were planning to surround him.
He felt that his smile was quite sincere and friendly, but the Lizardmen looked at him like he as though he
was a horrifying monster. Even someone as strong as the Dark Bishop was killed by the youth in an
instant, while they were just insignificant minions who would not make a difference in this battle. They
could not help but look at each other with doubt, then quickly turned around and ran away.
Their actions certainly fit the actions that stereotypical bandits would make.
They were able to relish that the fact that the youth did not go after them. The truth was Brendel was
actually in a weakened state. The combination of Power Break and Frontal Assault had used up fifteen
times the Stamina required to use a full swing. Even though he still had stamina remaining he felt quite
exhausted.
[Whatever. This battle is at its end anyway. Let’s see. I got 4200 points from the Dark Bishop, and my
current XP is 5645/13600, oh, it’s still going up huh……]
He looked up and saw the Silver Elves breaking the Lizardmen’s formation wide open, and chased them
to paths that were narrow and complicated. When the Dark Bishop died, the Lizardmen were unable to
form any resistance any longer and started to flee.
In the beginning, there were still some resemblance of a defensive formation, but it quickly descended
into a chaotic retreat.
[The only thing left to do in this battle was to just wait for the XP to come in.]
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Brendel went ahead and sat beside the Dark Bishop without touching anything. Since he was unlucky in
finding good loot from the bodies, he wanted to wait for the older Elementalist sister to handle the
corpse.
He took out a Moonlight Crystal out, activated it and threw it up into the air. This was the signal to inform
the mercenaries they no longer needed to support the battle with ranged attacks, and they should
regroup with him.
Since it was boring to wait for them, Brendel started to study his stats.
[Strength and Physique are over 25 oz, agility was added by 3 OZ from the level up. I’ve definitely reached
the minimum qualification for a Silver-rank fighter. Adding my other abilities like Power Break and
Frontal Assault will allow me to reach the top tier fighters of this rank.]
“That’s two months. Do you believe that, old pal? You turned from a common militia to the level of an
Apprentice Knight with the strength of a Silver-rank fighter. Even the formal Bucce guards can’t even
compare to you now. Trust me when I say our road is still far ahead-” Brendel smiled a little as he placed
his hand over his chest and muttered. The Brendel from the game world felt a surge of emotions within
him. It was true that level 25 was really nothing to him.
The mercenaries made their way down from the forest, and the former Grey Wolves Mercenaries were
especially excited. They knew very little about their new lord compared to the others. Even though
Brendel said he would bring them victory, they did not realize that it would be won so easily and without
casualties.
They were outnumbered by nearly seven times, and there were Silver-ranked demons and the Dark
Bishop who constantly hounded them in the past like an unending nightmare. Sanford was still a little
agitated when he ran to Brendel’s side, and he suddenly felt there was something different about his lord,
and caused him to forget his manners. He approached close to him and asked excitedly: “My lord, did you
break your limits?”
Brendel nodded.
“The lord is only twenty years old, and he attained the might of a Silver-rank fighter,” The Grey Wolves
Mercenaries looked at each other and murmured amongst themselves. “We are fortunate enough to
witness the birth of two prodigies.”
“Two?” Brendel said.
“The member within our former Grey Wolves Mercenaries. His name is Eke.” Sanford replied.
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“So it’s him.” Brendel raised his eyebrow. He was not really concerned with that name, so he quickly
looked for that person amongst the mercenaries, spotted the Elementalist older sister and immediately
beckoned his hand in that direction: “Over here, lucky babe, come over here and loot this body!”
Everyone stopped talking when they heard him —
They first looked at where Brendel was looking at, hesitated for a while, before putting their eyes on the
older Elementalist sister. She looked at the people around her before pointing at herself: “Me?”
“Yeah, didn’t I ask you before to do this task?” Brendel pointed at the Dark Bishop: “Loot the body…. No, I
mean, tidy up the victory items.”
The girl’s pretty looking brows frowned as she bit her lower lips, while she glared at Brendel: “My lord,
my name is Felaern, and not l-lucky babe!” Her heavily accented tongue caused her to nearly bite her
tongue. She was looking coldly at him as she thought he was trying to cause trouble for her.
“Ah, no, you see, Felaern, lucky babe is something we say to praise someone in my hometown.”
But he immediately saw her looking back at him with suspicion.
“My lord, I have also been to Karsuk, but the locals have never said something like that before…..” Sanford
reminded him from the side.
“No, this talk is between us wizards.” Brendel’s recovery was very quick.
“What does it mean?”
“It means that the person’s luck is very good, very moe, and a totally hot girl.”
Even though the Elementalist sister did not know what moe meant, she understood there were some ill
intentions somewhere. She glared at her lord as she confirmed in her heart that all human males were
certainly lustful beasts. However, she was a subordinate to him, so she did not make any disrespectful
actions, nodded and did what she was ordered to.
Suddenly there was a series of soft bangs in the east hills. At first the sounds continued with low rumbles,
before clear cracking sounds mixed with thunder-like booms could be heard. The ground where they
were standing trembled.
Brendel looked at the pebbles at his feet which moved like they were dancing.
[Why are these sounds so familiar. They sound like Exploding Crystals used in the second Madara War.
Come to think of it, I haven’t heard these sounds in the game for decades. How nostalgic…… Wait, what?!]
Brendel’s expression changed and immediately looked up. Indeed, the cliffs in the east were being
destroyed in a pile of rising dust clouds.
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Everyone stared with gaping mouths as they watched the rocks fly everywhere —
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TL: I’ll be posting another TAS chapter tomorrow.
Ramblings: I ruined a perfectly fine pork belly by accident. It was the saltiest and driest pork I have
cooked in a while, darn it. It tasted so good in the beginning too :/
Chapter 110 – Accidental bounty
Romaine was in a rare state where she was quiet and still, sitting obediently in front of Brendel with a
lowered head. If she did not peek from the corners of her eyes at Brendel, she actually appeared to be
quite like a noble’s daughter.
Of course that would only be true, if one was to discount her shabby appearance, with her face covered
with soot and her tattered clothes.
The real noble’s daughter who sat beside Romaine was roughly in the same state. She clutched her cloak
that was full of holes from the explosion with a lowered head that was covered with full of ashes, and
appeared anxious.
“Brendel, I……” Romaine saw Brendel’s furious face relaxed a little and rushed to explain herself, but
before she was able to finish her sentence, the latter’s glare sent her words back down her throat.
She had no choice but to lower her head gloomily.
She was sure that her plan was perfect, and if it was not for the small mistake at the end , she would have
helped him a lot. Even if there was just a tiny problem at the end, it flattened a few Lizardmen right? It
even sealed off their escape route too.
She told herself that she needed to put less Exploding Crystals the next time she did it.
If Brendel knew what she was thinking, he would probably spank her immediately. He and Nalaethar
went to inspect the area after the explosions. Based on Amandina’s calculation, the plan was indeed able
to kill the majority of the Lizardmen that escaped towards the hills. Unfortunately it was clear that she
worked with the wrong person, or to be precise, that plan would never have materialized. If the
troublemaker Romaine did not see that plan, then the plan would simply remain on paper.
Unfortunately, history did not have the word ‘if’ in it. Just like how Romaine did not have the word
‘caution’ in her dictionary, her plans were constructed in reality.
Brendel cast his gaze back on Amandina. She seemed to feel his eyes looking at her, and she shrank a little
and said in a small voice: “I’m sorry my lord, this is my fault…..”
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“No, this has nothing to do with you.” Brendel shook his head.
Amandina’s mind was blank for a moment. She thought he would ask her to take responsibility for this
matter. It was clear to everyone how much he spoiled Romaine, and if something was to happen to her,
she did not know how Brendel would react. She had gotten used to being Brendel’s aide and his finances,
and she felt that she would not be able to go back to her old life if he did not want to use her any longer.
[If Romaine did not change Amandina’s dosage on her own she would not caused the explosion to go
wrong. In the end, only a few Lizardmen died and nearly caused the two of them to get buried because of
the improper explosion. If Amandina did not realize something was wrong, the results would have been
disastrous.]
Brendel could not help but glare at Romaine when he thought about this point. This was also the thing
that made him the angriest. He did not mind Romaine helping out, as long as she did not act senselessly
and placed herself in danger.
He sighed and rubbed his forehead.
This girl from Bucce looked as if she was able to see things clearly like it was an innate talent, but at times
she seemed so out of the world that it caused him headaches.
“Amandina, did you create plans like this all the time?” He suddenly asked.
Amandina felt troubled again and was full of shame. He had treated her like an equal noble of his status,
and other than the slight difficulty of traveling, she felt that there was nothing to complain about.
“I apologize……”
“No,” Brendel continued to glare at Romaine to check whether she was reflecting on her mistake.: “I’m
asking if you’re coming up with plans on your own whenever something is happening.”
She blinked twice before nodding. Ever since she joined him, she had planned various schemes every
time he acted and was even proud of them, but he was always better and certainly proved that she was
always lacking. In front of his foresight which was verging on precognition, she felt that it was almost like
a joke for wanting to become his advisor
Even so, she had never given up on this habit. Now she made these plans to judge herself instead of her
initial goal to become his advisor. She would constantly check her plans as the events unfold to see
whether she had improved on her old mistakes, but she did not expect Romaine to peek at her boldest
plans amongst the ones she did.
She felt like Mother Marsha was playing a joke on her.
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“Why didn’t you show them to me?” He asked.
“I…..”
The youth was silent for a moment as he guessed what she was thinking. “Miss Amandina, you were the
one to recommend yourself to become my advisor. Since that is the case, isn’t it to be expected for you to
tell me your plans?”
“I’m sorry…… I know that, but all the time your plans…… I didn’t know that I’m so immature. In the future,
I’ll—“
“Brendel, the entire thing is my fault, stop picking on Amandina-” Romaine interrupted the conversation.
Brendel nearly failed to keep a straight face from the sudden interruption because he was angry.
[Shit. Luckily I told the Nightsong Tiger and Nalaethar to give me some space, otherwise I really can’t
maintain my appearance as a lord.]
He took a deep breath, ignored Romaine and continued his words from before: “Miss Amandina, there’s
no one who is accomplished from the very beginning. You are especially different, as there are very few
who has an astute mind like yours. If you give up your chance to become my advisor because of your
childish thoughts, then you’re wasting your talents and Mother Marsha’s efforts.”
Amandina looked at him with confusion and incomprehension.
“There is always a limit to a person’s understanding of a given situation. The Nightsong Tiger is able to
help me solve many things because of his experience, but he cannot match one particular thing that you
possess.” He pointed repeatedly at his head as he looked at her. “Miss Amandina. I hope that you don’t
stay outside of my circle any longer. I believe you can help me. Are you willing to do so?”
He wanted to give her confidence and comfort. A conman like himself could easily shake her confidence,
especially when she had such a strong desire to win.
[Even if I don’t change history too much, this foresight of mine can only last for a few years. In the game
the players had a great impact of how the world turned out, and without their interaction in this world,
‘history’ will definitely differ from what I know. Even though I can still use my experience to look at
things, the ability to know what the future holds will be heavily discounted. Just this mission alone is
enough to show me that there were things I missed out.]
In the game he was not the best warrior or the best commander, and while he could try to become the
former with items and experience, the latter had to be done with other means.
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[I have the Goddess of War with me in the future, but that won’t be enough. Amandina can see the entire
situation just from a few details and that isn’t something that I can do easily. While she isn’t someone
who’s omniscient she’s more than enough to be an advisor.]
Amandina was deeply moved by Brendel’s words. There was nothing more precious than give trust to
someone like her who was proud. Even though she still felt that Brendel was merely consoling her, she
nodded earnestly and was determined to help him.
Brendel did not expect the shy Amandina to have such a strong reaction as he thought he was only able to
dismiss her worries. His eyes went back to Romaine as he asked: “Do you still have any Exploding
Crystals left?”
“My lord, you know about them?” Amandina looked at her in disbelief.
“Something like that……” Brendel coughed awkwardly.
[This thing isn’t invented yet? Don’t tell me that this girl also invented the Exploding Crystals too,
coincidence much?]
But he still tried to gloss it over: “The High Tower’s wizards have something similar, so I’m just asking.”
“That’s a coincidence,” Amandina said in a small voice: “I named them as Exploding Crystals too. I used
the discarded materials during the creation of Magicite. They are capable of piercing through the
surrounding structure of an object, displacing their stability, allowing the Elements to become active, and
ultimately causes an explosion.”
[You really created this!]
Brendel’s head spun to her again. This was something quite big in the game, although it was gradually
phased out in the later half of the Madara War. Gamers agreed that they were the ‘explosives’ in this
fantasy world, but the stability of the crystals were poor and not suited to be kept in storage. It was quite
effective in the early stages, but the strength of the undead units were eventually strong enough at the
end of the war to withstand it.
“Do you have more of them?” He asked.
“I have a few more left,” Amandina immediately answered: “If my lord needs them, I can make them
overnight.”
“Overnight?” Brendel’s eyes became wide. Was it not supposed to take at least half a month?
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Brendel thought history might have changed because he took her along with him when he saw her
nodding. He wanted to ask for more details, but he saw the Nightsong Tiger beckoning at him with an
urgent expression.
[Damn it, isn’t he supposed to be with the lucky babe to gather the loot? I wanted to ask about this hack.]
But the Nightsong Tiger looked like he was about to run up, so he quickly gave his instructions: “If it’s
possible, I want everyone to have one or two of them. Also, these crystals are unstable right?”
Amandina felt a little numb at Brendel’s know-it-all words and nodded after a moment of shock.
[Okay! It looks like there’s no sudden change in history.]
“I’ll teach you a method to let it stabilize a little longer. But that method’s effectiveness has its limit, so
you need to research on it.”
“What?” She uttered a surprised gasp as she watched Brendel leave who appeared relieved.
[He even knows how to stabilize it……]
Her confidence that was repaired from Brendel’s encouragement was once again shattered with his
words. She thought she would have at some advantages in creating Magicite-related artifacts, but he
seemed to know even more than her.
However, this was a misunderstanding because Brendel did not take on such a profession in the game
and knew nothing about it. He did have some knowledge about a few recipes and materials regarding to
the profession though.
While Amandina was swimming in a pool of misery, Romaine finally gave a long sigh of relief as the only
person who could control her left.
“Thank you, Amandina.” She looked gratefully at Amandina and said.
[I’ll be grateful enough if you don’t give me anymore trouble.] Amandina glanced at her and shook her
head hurriedly. She was terrified of this girl.
But Romaine did not seem like she intended to let the only one whom she could talk to off the hook. She
thought for a while and asked: “Oh, that’s right, did you see that earlier?”
“That?”
“You know, there are a few flying lights that came towards us like fireflies when we were escaping. Did
you notice them?”
“I……”
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“Did you?”
“I think I did……”
============= Brendel POV ==============
When Brendel met up with the Nightsong Tiger, he saw him with a thick book covered in leather. That
was without a doubt an item from the Dark Bishop, which were covered with scorched marks left from
the explosion of Dark Mana.
[The lucky babe really has the golden touch of Midas. She can even scrounge items from one of the
poorest mob. Damn, it would be fun to watch the reaction of the other gamers if I can post them
screenshots online.]
“What’s this?” He asked.
The Nightsong Tiger looked at him secretively, and opened the book in front of him.
Brendel’s eyes turned into dots when he saw what was in them.
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TL: I spent a while to see if I was able to have lezhin’s webcomic in an offline format, and it looks like I can
somehow do it with a 3rd party program. The quality is seriously rubbish at 720 pixels wide though. Sigh,
I do want to support the authors, guess I’ll have to lay down some moolah -_-…
Anyone read Sweet Guy? I think the art’s really amazing as it improved towards the end. I’m not quite
sure about the official title though (He does a body good, seriously?)
Also, two chapters today. I had to cut off my TL halfway yesterday to pack the house.
Chapter 111 – Planeswalker’s Legacy (1)
“These…… are?” Brendel’s eyes looked a bit vacant.
“They like exactly what they are, my lord,” The Nightsong Tiger’s lips were formed into a straight line to
show a sense of mystery and calmness, but his light brown irises were filled excitement: “These are all
Cards of Fate!”
He opened the book, flipped the pages and pointed at the cards.
“I know what they are, but why are there so many cards?” Brendel’s eyes were glued to the thick
lambskin pages.
There seemed to be six cards in every page and Brendel guessed there were approximately nine thick
pages in this book.
“Hmm,” The Nightsong Tiger’s eyebrow strained a little: “I think it’s better to let Ciel answer my lord—“
“Ciel? You know him?” Brendel looked up at him with a questioning look.
“Yes. The cards in your deck are linked together. From a certain point of view, we exist in the same
Dimensional Space that my lord created. If we are not summoned, we will stay in the lands that make up
the space. The Land Card that you possess pays the Wealth and Element Points required for us. It goes
without saying the higher the Card’s rank is, the more wealth you need to pay.” (TL: I understand this as,
Land Card is used to pay for summoning a creature, and when a creature goes into the graveyard, it goes
back to that specific land.)
“Right.” Brendel took note of the Dimension Space, and checked the remaining resources he had.
– Nature Element: 6 points
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– Water Element: 6 points
– Wealth: 67 points
– Reputation: 17 points
His bag also contained Element Crystals; half of them were Fire Crystals.
“You didn’t tell me these things before.Also for some reason, these words doesn’t sound like something
you would say.”
The Nightsong Tiger laughed: “Haha. You’re indeed sharp, my lord. These are Ciel’s exact words. I’m
simply acting as a messenger.”
“You can converse with him right now?”
The Nightsong Tiger nodded.
“I see,” Brendel said: “If that’s the case, ask him to tell me exactly how the Dark Bishop came to get hold of
this collection. I remember that you told me that only Planewalkers, his summons and their permitted
followers are able to see them for what they are. Why did this bastard have so many cards? Was he a
Planeswalker or something similar, or did you get these cards from something else?”
“No, this is definitely taken from the Dark Bishop, but they are different from the normal cards, this is a
Legacy-“
“Wait, what is a Legacy?” Brendel interrupted.
The Nightsong Tiger paused for a while as though he was waiting for an answer, then looked at Brendel
and said: “Ciel says that a Planeswalker’s life is finite. When a Planeswalker reaches the end of his life, the
cards that he collects will be sealed. Under this condition, the cards will materialize and turn solid. Even a
normal person is able to see and touch them in this state. These cards would appear to be no different
from a fortune teller’s tarot cards to them. However, to a Planeswalker, they are assets and wealth left
behind from another Planeswalker. There are other reasons as to how a collection of cards can be
discovered but this is the primary reason.”
“You mean to say that the Dark Bishop got them by chance, but he has no idea what they are?”
“Ciel says that possiblity is very high, but he also says that it might be possible that my lord’s conjecture
the Dark Bishop is a Planeswalker, is the correct answer.”
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Brendel shook his head, if it was true that the Dark Bishop was a Planeswalker, he would have used the
cards on him. Ciel’s reasoning was most likely the correct answer, but he was trying to flatter him.
“If that is the case, isn’t it possible for Planeswalkers to steal each other’s cards?” He asked after thinking
for a short while.
“There’s the possibility, but the majority of the Planeswalkers wouldn’t fight to the death over them.
Many of the cards are not unique and unless they are truly insane, very few will kill over these cards.”
“What do you mean by unique?”
“There are many duplicate cards in a different location at any given time. Even a newly formed series like
the Eversong Card can have similar cards. My lord is able to summon a Highland Squire, Ciel, to work for
you. Other Planeswalkers are able to do the same and summon a Highland Squire, except they would
summon other names and not specifically Ciel. There might be conditions and rules for their summons to
appear, but once they do so, they will not change—” The Nightsong Tiger suddenly shrugged as he raised
his hands: “If my lord wants to summon a female eye-candy mercenary commander, with golden flowing
hair and azure eyes to work for you, that wouldn’t be possible. Of course, the first half of my reply is from
Ciel, the latter half is my humble addition.”
[Are you telling me that I have a preference for older men?] The corner of Brendel’s eyes twitched.
“Your input is unnecessary. You mentioned something about seals earlier, does that mean I’m unable to
use these cards directly?
“And why is that?”
The cards were brought closer to Brendel.
“Hmm?”
“Take the collection, look at the cards and you will know.”
Brendel took over the book and touched one of the cards.
– 1400 Reputation
Words immediately popped up, and he focused on the card to get a better look.
– Platinum Angel
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– (The Immortal Alliance XIX)
– Requirements: Willpower 40, Mana Points 50
– When Platinum Angel is on the battlefield, the Summoner will not die from injuries.
– Maintanenace: When Platinum Angel is in the battlefield, pay 10 Willpower, 10 Gems every day.
– ‘The secret of immortality is buried in the Angel’s heart.’
– Conditions: Pay 1400 Reputation to unseal this card.
[1400 reputation?! Marsha above, I don’t think I can even steal that much, are you toying with me!]
Brendel nearly dropped the card from his hand. The Highland Squire Card gave 1 Reputation per day and
he had got 17 reputation from it thus far. Ever since the card went into the grave, it stopped giving out
resources.
He stared at the faceless Platinum Angel which was drawn in a painterly style wordlessly for a moment,
then moved on to the next card subconsciously:
– Balm of Life
– (The Immortal Alliance X)
– Requirements: Light Element Points 10, Mana Points 50
– [Divine Equipment/Wondrous Artifact]
– Tap card and pay 5 Light EP. Restore half of your life points and shuffle Balm of Life and your graveyard
into your deck.
– ‘The life stored in this bottle doesn’t suit my taste, neither does it taste fresh, but at least the effect is
there.’ – Baron Cinder
– Conditions: Pay 2000 Wealth to unseal this card.
Brendel bit his lips to resist throwing the card onto the ground. There was a bit of wealth saved up by
him, but it was definitely not 2000 wealth. He started to wonder if the Nightsong Tiger brought the book
over in order to hurt his pride. The cards looked really powerful, but it was impossible for him to do
anything with it. He glanced at him and thought for a while, but he did not recall anything that he did
wrongly towards the mercenary. He flipped the pages with suspicion but discovered the quality of the
cards became lower and lower, and at the same time the cost was much more acceptable.
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[Lord of Holy Flames, Time Relapse, Iona’s judgment, Lion Nirya…… White and Black Cards occupy half of
this collection’s cards, then there’s a few red cards, as well as several Land cards.]
Brendel ignored the cards which required high amounts of Wealth and Reputation. A few cards had the
requirement of the Planewalker to have a certain level, which he also ignored. He was still at level 1 and
there did not seem to be anything in the cards that would raise his level. The Nightsong Tiger also
expressed that he did not know anything about raising the Planeswalker’s levels.
Some of the cards required things or terms that Brendel had not seen or heard any hints about them.
They were some strange resources needed, or he had to have specific lands and even barriers. The card
‘Time Relapse’, for example, required to have the profession ‘Wizard’ at level twenty. He flipped through
the book and discovered there were ten cards that he could afford.
[Vanguards of Blood, Black Earth Lion, Hymn of Light, Loxar’s market, Rougen’s Swamp, Land of Eternity,
etc, etc…… Pristine Archangel. I can unseal three of them with what I have right now. The first thing I
need to get is obviously the swamp for Dark Element Points.]
Brendel unsealed the card and paid 10 Wealth for it. When he inspected the card, he realized that
regardless of whether the card was tapped or not, he would still only get 1 Dark Element Point. It was
much weaker than the other land card that he had.
(TL: That other card is the Land of the Holy Tree card. He killed the Golden Demonic Tree and got that.
Only untapped Land Cards can be installed with certain things. There’s a gold mine card installed on this
card so he can’t tap it, otherwise he can’t get the Wealth. If he does tap the land card, he gains 2 Nature EP
and 1 Water EP. Tapped cards reset every day.)
But it solved half of the requirements to maintain the Unicorn Knight, and it was a matter of Wealth
points now.
Therefore he chose to unseal Loxar’s market. It provided 2 Wealth points and 1 Earth EP per day, and if
he tapped it and paid 2 Reputation, provided 6 Wealth. This unique Land Card required 50 Wealth which
prevented anymore redemption of other Land cards. (TL: Medissa requires 6 wealth and 1 Dark EP per
day.)
The third card he unsealed was the Pristine Archangel.
– Pristine Archangel
– (The Immortal Alliance III)
– Light Element Points 50
– [Angel creature/Knight, level 20 Elite]
– When Pristine Angel enters the battlefield, shuffle one non-black Card into your deck.
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– Pay 1 Light EP every day when Pristine Archangel is in the field.
– ‘The light of mercy descends from the sky, the messenger of the Gods emerges forth from the light.’
Although Brendel was able to unseal the card, he had no related Land cards that paid Light EP, and he had
no Light Crystals either, so it was still a dream to get Ciel or the Wind Spirit Spiders out from the
graveyard. He patted the Nightsong Tiger’s shoulders and told him to tell Ciel to wait a little longer.
“…… Hold on, didn’t you tell me the last that only the Dark Element Cards were able to retrieve the cards
in the graveyard?” Brendel suddenly looked suspiciously at him.
“…… I was guessing.” The veteran mercenary hesitated for a long time before he answered.
Brendel felt tears forming in his mind.
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TL: I’ll see you next wednesday for the next regular update of TAS. The next battle should be the
concluding arc between Brendel vs Conrad. I don’t think I’ll be updating the JP series because I want to
finish something else in the meantime.
Engrish mistakes are probably there because I didn’t really have much time left to look at these two
chapters.
Chapter 111 – Planeswalker’s Legacy (2)
[Creature cards like Vanguards of Blood and the Black Earth Lion, etc, all these are level 20-30 Elites, but
they are only useful for short-term benefits. I should invest my points into redeeming the two Fire Land
Cards and the only Wind Land Card in the book. It’s common sense to have provision first in order for an
army to be effective.]
Brendel gave a long sigh as he closed the book.
[After that, the next two targets would be the Ocean Gem at 60 Wealth, and the Silver Swallow-tailed Flag
at 100 Wealth. The former card raises Wealth, and the latter raises Reputation. These cards will fulfill my
basic needs and I can think about the higher grade cards next. Hmm…… The Platinum Angel, a level 60
Elite. I would be able to go anywhere in Randner’s souther region easily if I have that.]
He had only hoped to get Dark Crystals to summon Medissa for a short time. It was a terrible transaction
if he had to spend 15 Dark EP just to summon her, and his Elemental Pool’s limit was too small to sustain
her too. Even though it could not be called the perfect reward because of the limitations, this result was
beyond his expectations.
With the Land cards he had now, he would be able to maintain her in the battlefield for quite some time.
With a Gold-ranked fighter at his side, the southern region and the outer lands that appeared risky to
search in was less fraught with dangers now.
He even managed to get a card that could dig into his graveyard.
[Well, I’ll ask the Nightsong Tiger to confirm with Ciel about the ease of getting another Land card later.
The younger squire is much more adorable compared to this middle-aged dude who’s not reliable.]
Brendel finally placed his focus back on the current situation. The explosions most likely alerted Conrad
and Hewjil. Based from the information from the prisoners, Medissa’s pendant was most likely on Hewjil,
and the battle ahead was most likely going to be much worse than the battle that he had just now.
“Is there anything else?” Brendel put the book into his bag and looked back at the Nightsong Tiger.
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“Anything else?” The Nightsong Tiger looked back blankly.
“Things like Dark Crystals.”
“Oh,” The Nightsong Commander showed a look of comprehension, “The Dark Bishop left behind quite a
bit of them after he exploded himself, but it somehow fused together to the ground. I have already gotten
my subordinates to knock them loose.”
Brendel nodded as he knew that there was no need to worry about the Dark EP any more. Gamers easily
got forty to fifty crystals from killing a Dark Bishop, and the cheapest crystals around in the auctions were
certainly the Dark Element Crystals. Fire Element Crystals were the next in line for the cheapest crystals.
“Is there anything else that you discovered?”
“Oh, yes, there’s something strange.” The Nightsong Tiger nodded and took out a black heavy-looking
rock: “This was also found by Felaern.”
[A rock with blood-like spots on them…… Right, this is the artifact that’s used to control a God Acolyte like
Scarlett. Once she is completely turned, she’s no different from a monster and will have lost her original
personality.]
There was the option to use this artifact to control Scarlett who would become something much stronger
if she turned, but the youth felt great disdain to watch a person lose her soul bit by bit.
He took over the rock and crushed it with his hand—
“My lord?” The Nightsong Tiger jumped.
“Destroying this will allow the Blood of Gods to be dormant for a while. Instruct the Grey Wolves
Mercenaries to tell that girl to look for me after she wakes up.”
The Nightsong Tiger nodded and prepared to leave, but Brendel called him back as he patted his hands to
get rid of the rock’s residues: “Hold on.”
“What is it, my lord?”
“Ciel said that you and him are creations that are rooted in the Dimension Space created by my Land
Cards?”
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Brendel inspected his Land Cards in his mind. He was like a giant in the air viewing all these areas. In that
alternate world, he could see the edge of the Land of the Holy Tree constructed in his mind, with a bridge
leading to a black swamp, and at both the edges of these lands was a small town. The town was most
likely Loxar’s Market.
“Are you able to construct things in that area?” He pulled himself out from that world.
“Yes, but…..” The Nightsong Tiger hesitated before explaining things in detail: “The core of these areas is
certainly comprised of Land Cards, and Resource Cards attached to such Land Cards pay out Wealth and
other Resources. While it is true that you can use summons to gather resources from the Land Cards, but
my lord’s powers as a Planeswalker…… is still too….. unfamiliar.”
The Nightsong Tiger tried to find a word to describe Brendel’s insufficient abilities.
“Of course, my lord’s current cards are inadequate. Ciel is telling me that this Dimension Space can be
seen as an entire world by itself. If my lord concentrates on collecting more cards, they would form the
shape of this world, and allow it to become the Planeswalker’s strength. This world is ultimately formed
because of the cards’ connection with each other.”
“I see.” Brendel muttered.
“Is there anything else, my lord?”
“Yes, inform the men to prepare to move out; we only attained one single victory and our battles are far
from over—“
“As you command.”
=========== Conrad POV ===========
When Conrad met up with Hewjil again, it was afternoon on the second day. He had discovered
something was wrong during midnight when he heard faint explosions, but Hewjil was so far ahead with
his lack of caution that it was only till morning before Conrad’s dragoon riders under his command
reached Hewjil.
On the other hand, the dragoon scouts that he sent to the Dark Bishop were still missing.
Conrad felt that the situation was becoming worse, and was even out of his predictions. He made sure the
dragoons kept in contact with Hewjil all the time, while moving back in the Dark Bishop’s path with full
speed. He was afraid that Brendel and his men escaped with their successful assault on the Dark Bishop
and completely left their area of control within this forest.
If that was the case, their actions were completely wasted, with the result of losing a leader and soldiers.
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He did not even think for a moment that Brendel’s plan was to completely wipe out all the Tree
Shepherd’s forces.
When he and Hewjil returned to their original point and saw the undisturbed Elven Ruins, they sighed
with relief.
The ruins were still being patrolled with a considerable amount of Lizardmen. This meant that Brendel
and his men did not reach this place yet—
Perhaps it could be said they had quick reactions to respond to this strange situation.
“Conrad, your plan, this is?” Hewjil’s narrow face seemed to expand menacingly in an instant in front of
the mercenary commander. His emerald eyes stared coldly at him: “Many men lost, when this is over,
additional payment.”
Conrad snorted coldly in response. He ignored the bastard who was infamous for his cold blooded
actions. When did Hewjil gain a heart and cared about his men? It was all a chance for him to fleece
Conrad.
[I don’t have time for this. Something is wrong. The Dark Bishop is probably in grave danger, but based
on the information, none of us should have any problems to take care of Eke. Did that white-haired
bastard lie to me?]
Conrad shook his head as he believed in himself. The white-haired youth did not lie. The Lizardmen
scouts confirmed the information. But as he tried to cast out these unknown factors out of his mind,
someone else was staring in his direction not far from the ruins.
=========== Brendel POV =============
Brendel’s men hid behind the once-grand Elven walls’ shadows.
Everyone looked at Brendel explained his final plan. Their goal was simple. Deal the first strike and made
sure it counts enough to be fatal.
They were just waiting for a chance to them to slip up.
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TL: Thank you for the donation and continued support. The next regular update will be within the next 24
hours. Engrish will be fixed later.
Please continue to donate generously (cough).
Chapter 113 – The Final Battle (1)
Nalaethar, the Nightsong Tiger, Scarlett and Sanford stood quietly behind Brendel.
He supported himself against the Elven ruin’s rugged wall, his hand holding on to a stone tile as he
peeked out at the Lizardmen in the valley. His line of sight was blocked by the many trees and ruined
walls, and the Lizardmen appeared in and out from the tiny holes approximately a mile away.
The stone tile in the youth’s hand was the Sage Slate. It was the size of a fist, and on it was carved with
rune letters, ‘Eaam’. This word represented the land’s life and wisdom.
Since he already got the Sage Slate, his goals were half completed. The only thing left to do was to get
Medissa’s pendant back from that Lizardman leader.
[Two large companies of Lizardmen, their numbers no smaller than three hundred. It seems like there are
more of them at the back. Conrad and Hewjil must have met up already, they are pretty cautious, huh.]
Brendel had led a sneak attack into the heart of the Elven ruins with his men. With the aid of Medissa and
Scarlet who were Gold-ranked fighters, he successfully routed the two hundred odd Lizardmen, which
they ended up as Brendel’s XP. He then moved on to the entrance of the ruins where he waited for Conrad
and Hewjil’s arrival.
He looked up at the clear sky that was in a shade of deep blue. The sun at noon was directly hitting the
forest with its rays of light, causing the top of the trees to turn to a piercing green color.
He narrowed his eyes.
There was a faint scent of blood in the air. Even though he had ordered the men to clean the battlefield,
there was still the remnants of a skirmish between his men and the Lizardmen.
When he was pondering on his next step, he suddenly heard a shuffling noise behind him. When he
turned around, he saw the Elven princess tying her silver hair that reached her shoulders. She rode on
her unicorn, wearing an ornate full plate armor that was painted in a saintly white color and
complemented her regal appearance. Light shimmered on her legs as the layers of interlocking armor
plates moved ever so slightly, and Sanford mistook it for a silver dress for a moment. Her eyes were so
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clear that they looked like crystals. She was so beautiful that he lost his breath when his eyes went up to
her face.
Medissa’s unicorn trotted over and she looked at Brendel with a smile.
[Thank you, my lord-] She spoke in Brendel’s mind.
“It is my promise to help you.” Brendel tore his eyes away from her with much difficulty and replied as he
looked at the valley again.
Medissa’s face turned a little red. His words made her recall what happened on that day. She was so
afraid of disappearing that she cried in front of everyone and forgot about the Silver Elves’ royal
etiquette.
She turned her head a little out of embarrassment and suddenly saw Scarlett who was standing further
away from the others.
Her eyes in the shade seemed like two burning embers, while she leaned slightly against her spear. Her
head was tilted a little to the sides to look at the scenery.
Brendel told her about the things that happened so far. The Blood of Gods, the disbandment of the Grey
Wolves Mercenaries, as well as the events that happened after that. After she finished listening to him,
she had been quiet ever since and kept her distance away.
She did not show sadness or anger.
“What will happen to that lady?” Medissa asked in a soft voice.
“The Blood of Gods has been planted in her body. The corruption cannot be removed by any means that I
know, and it is currently suppressed by her own will. If she fails to control it, she will turn into an
‘Acolyte’. That word might sound nice, but you might as well call an Acolyte a monster instead.”
[…… The rules have been established with Medissa as the first Eversong card, and if Scarlett agrees I can
seal her as a card. But that will be my last resort…… Also, is it not naive to think that it will work every
time without any side effects?]
Brendel had reservations towards the ‘Planeswalker’s system’. Sealing was a foreign concept to him and
could have unknown results and problems, especially with the powerful influence of the Blood of Gods.
What would happen if she was not under his control?
Medissa’s brows frowned slightly upon hearing his words, but the quiet personality of her race made her
say nothing at all.
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Brendel did not continue speaking and checked the mercenaries at the opposite end. They had split up
and hid themselves in the abandoned buildings that once stood tall, crafted by the Silver Elves’
grandmaster artisans. Their crossbows were currently trained on the Lizardmen in front of them in order
to make sure they did not regroup with the leaders.
These Lizardmen which guarded the entrance were left alone in order to make Conrad and Hewjil believe
that everything was still fine in the ruins.
“Brendel.” Another set of familiar footsteps, along with a voice filled with a little pride entered his ears.
Brendel did not need to turn his head back to know who was calling him. He was even lazy enough not to
turn around, and extended his palm behind his shoulders: “You’re already done?”
Romaine placed three translucent white crystals the size of a thumb onto Brendel’s hand. Amandina was
a little bit behind her.
“Of course. The Great Merchant Romaine’s efficiency is very high. Here are the crystals. I already
distributed a batch to everyone, everything has been prepared and we’re just waiting for your orders to
attack.”
“It’s a shame that all my materials have been used up,” Amandina barely managed to make a smile in spite
of her exhaustion: “But I can make more of them in the future. The rest of the materials that I have now,
including the Magicite, has been dismantled to make them.”
Brendel nodded and carefully placed each Exploding Crystal into his pouch on his belt. He then signaled
to the Nightsong Tiger and received a longsword from him. He pointed the blade to the outside: “The
enemies are very cautious and we can’t deceive them for long. Once they are within a certain distance, I’ll
go out to distract them. Medissa and Scarlett, both of you follow me. Our goal is to distract Conrad and
Hewjil. As for their subordinates, Nalaethar and the rest of the men should be enough to handle them.”
The Elven Commander looked over to Brendel and nodded.
“Don’t just nod, commander.” Brendel did not forget to remind him: “Don’t forget about your promise to
me.” (TL: In case anyone forgot, that promise is a taught skill if Brendel wins.)
Nalaethar gave a faint smile: “I await with anticipation.”
Medissa also smiled as she looked at the two men.
“Scarlett, any problems with this order?” He asked.
“I have no problems.” She nodded.
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“Nightsong Tiger, your mission is to provide cover for our Silver Elves allies.”
[Also make sure to care of the Grey Wolves Mercenaries, they can’t revive like you do.] He added in his
mind.
He turned to Sanford after seeing the Nightsong Tiger nod. “Make sure to protect yourselves, you can
enjoy a victory only if you’re alive.”
“Understood, my lord.” Sanford nodded respectfully.
Brendel questioned them carefully to make sure they understood the orders. Other than Nalaethar and
his men, the people here were his only available forces. Perhaps Leto could be counted as his men, but
they were different because their reputation and status were actually higher than him.
The forces that he had here now were truly loyal to his cause, or at least Amandina and the Grey Wolves
Mercenaries relied deeply on him because they had no one else to turn to.
It was not that he did not trust Leto, but it was good to have distance and time to be placed between
them. He had seen enough betrayals from NPCs and gamers who swore fealty to each other to be
cautious.
Hewjil and Conrad did not seem to notice anything out of place yet. For some reason, the dragoons were
not at the front of the Lizardmen and Brendel was tremendously pleased at that sight. The impact would
be greater with the first strike.
[Seven hundred meters.] Brendel read the data.
The gradual noise from the Lizardmen became louder as they passed through the forest. It was as if a
current of water flowed through the forest, and the countless ants that scurried through were becoming
bigger. The mercenaries that were at the very forefront placed their hands on their pouch. The Exploding
Crystals were 15 OZ worth, with the force of Iron-ranked magician’s Mana Arrow.
[Five hundred meters.]
At this range, people with high perception like Nalaethar, Brendel, Medissa and Brendel were able to
almost see the Lizardmen’s expressions. They appeared to be extremely tired from the overnight march,
to the point that they did not realize they were going to be ambushed.
Scarlett bent to her knees as she seeked for Conrad’s familiar figure, gripping her Spear of Lightning so
hard that it was making noises.
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The Lizardmen continued to march closer and closer, and at this point they suddenly felt something was
wrong with the area they were in. They sniffed the air and chattered, continuing to march forward, but
Brendel saw ten odd dragoons stopping in the west direction.
[Shit, we have been discovered! Damn it, the leaders Hewjil and Conrad still have not appeared yet but I
can’t delay any further.]
Brendel raised his hand and directed his ring into the forest. A dazzling red flash emitted from the ring
and even seemed to dim the sun’s rays for a moment. A huge fireball hurled itself through the forest and
dragged countless burning leaves in its path, before a loud explosion struck the enemies, and a blast of
hot wind came back to him and swept his hair upwards.
The impact from the fireball killed a total of twenty Lizardmen dragoons and Lizardmen Warriors. It was
certainly a surprising harvest and proof of their tight positions. This was the signal for his men to attack.
The mercenaries opposite from Brendel fired their crossbows immediately and killed the remaining
guards at the Elven ruin’s entrance, then reached for the Exploding Crystals and took it out.
They were approximately three hundred meters away, but they possessed enough strength as Iron-
ranked fighters to toss them far enough into the enemies’ midst. The crystals caught the sun rays and
glittered as they flew in an arc before raining down onto the ground.
There was a moment of silence as the Lizardmen peered at the crystals.
It was the calm before the storm, as bright light poured through the crystals as they bounced on the
ground and lit the forest. The bursts of light kept forming in succession before explosions rang out one
after another; the exploding crystals’ impact ruptured the ground and the shockwave sent debris
everywhere.
When the mercenaries finally recovered from the scene, they discovered the landscape of the forest had
changed permanently.
There were numerous craters that formed into a deep cavity in the ground. Giant trees were uprooted
and splintered into large fragments, while hundreds of Lizardmen were turned into corpses with missing
body parts. Blood and soil were caked together, along bloody innards and brain matter splattered on
trees and bushes, dripping down freely onto the ground.
It was like living hell depicted in paintings.
Even Brendel dry-heaved once before he forced back the urge to puke, and concentrated on calculating
the remaining enemies.
[Hewjil brought the largest share of Lizardmen with him. There are at least four hundred of them here
right now. I doubt he will want to distribute his forces to Conrad and the Dark Bishop if it’s not because
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of the search for us. Conrad has his own men…… My guess is a total of more than seven hundred men that
we need to deal with. That really isn’t something to laugh about. Even though we cleared more than 10%
of the enemies from that attack, we can’t deal with so many enemies. We need to do thin the numbers
again.]
Brendel knew that it was his time to strike at the enemy’s formation. He signaled to Scarlett and Medissa,
and they prepared themselves to attack.
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TL: Next regular update will be on Saturday.
I’m also requesting for a little more donation money this month if possible, because Nier:Automata and
ME:Andromeda, Torment: Tides of Numenera are games that I want to pick up.
“Medissa!” Brendel pointed to the path where most of the Lizardmen could come in from.
The Silver Elf princess adjusted her helmet and lowered its flap to cover the upper half of her face, tapped
the sides of her unicorn and answered clearly.
“Understood!” Her white chainmail gloves clinked against her long spear as she hoisted it up from the
ground and pointed it to the sky. She pursed her faint pink lips, and there was an aura of determination
that could be felt in an instant.
The unicorn took a large step forward, allowing the intricate heavy armor on it to clatter. The designs on
it were complicated and elegant, but the defensive capability was unbelievably strong against slashing
and piercing strikes. Beneath the armor was a set of white robe that prevented chafing, and it was
carefully emblazoned with the Elven kingdom’s insignia which were designed with lilies.
“Charge!” The girl shouted and the unicorn sped forth.
The solitary figure ran out from the sides of the ruined walls and dashed down an unrestricted road
littered with the Lizardmen that the mercenaries killed earlier.
The armor reflected the sunlight as she charged out, causing the mercenaries to perceive her as a
legendary knight that flew out from a painting, and completed the image of a fable transforming into
reality.
The road was once used by the Silver Elves to complete rituals, allowing the high priests to bring along
the holy artifacts of their Elven Goddess across it. Centuries had passed and grass had covered the white
Cloud Rocks that were used to pave this road.
History had not taken kindly to these solemn rituals as records were either lost or destroyed, but the
unicorn blazed across the road once again with the Goddess’s will and etched forever in the eyes around
her.
[A Silver Elf!]
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Conrad’s pupils dilated as he spotted her in the back lines. He whirled around and grabbed Hewjil’s
padded armor, yelling in his ears: “You fucking piece of shit, what the fuck did you do! That’s a Silver Elf
with the Royal Insignia! How did you provoke the Silver Elves to come out here!”
Hewjil was also shocked out of its senses. It had the idea to rob the Elven Kings’ graves since a long time
ago. It was initially careful in his actions, afraid that the legendary Elves sung in bards’ songs and fables
who fought against the Dark Armies of a hundred-thousand strong to appear in front of them, but nothing
happened as they inched closer every day.
It seemed like the Silver Elves that hid from the world intended to keep their promise and never reappear
in this continent again, and Hewjil even thought that the Silver Elves were wiped out for unknown
reasons, and it was a lie that there was even an exodus in the past.
Yet the Silver Elves were reappearing before its very eyes. Even though its perception was not as good as
Conrad who was a Gold-ranked fighter, it recognized that soldiers were charging to them dressed in
exquisite silver armor. Their impressive designs and attractive crafted pieces were certainly the very
craft of the Silver Elves.
It took a chilling breath and shouted as Conrad shook him back and forth: “Conrad, y-young man…… over
there, look at him!”
Conrad turned his head—
To see Brendel and Scarlett running together behind the Unicorn Knight. They were like a silver and red
streak of flames that parted and shot straight into the battlefield, their speed so fast that the Lizardmen
could not track them. When Conrad finally locked on their figures properly, he saw two weapons
brandished out; a silver longsword and red spear that swiftly hacked off the Lizardmen’s heads.
“Damn it……” Conrad immediately understood that Medissa and Scarlett were stronger than him a tier
within the Gold-ranks, while the youth who looked like he was in the Silver-ranked had skill proficiency
beyond his class.
Even though he did not know where these strong enemies came from, he certainly recognized that girl
with red eyes and hair. She was definitely the girl he killed and later revived by the Dark Bishop.
[Isn’t this girl supposed to be turned into an Acolyte with the Blood of Gods?]
Conrad exhaled once and calmed down. He could at least confirm that the Dark Bishop was most likely
doomed. Only things that had no confirmation were frightening.
“I’ll handle the three in front of us. You had better take back your nest before I solve this problem.” He
spat out the words as he looked coldly at Hewjil, then took out a heavy steel gauntlet and put it over his
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hands. The leader of the Lizardmen sat there without any response. It knew Conrad was at the edge of
unleashing his fury at it. While it went against him in the past, there was no need to provoke him any
further and risk his life.
But when Conrad turned around, it finally stuttered and asked: “…… T-the Silver Elves?”
“Handle them yourself.”
Conrad scoffed loudly. If the Silver Elves were really driven out of by the stupid Lizardmen, there was no
need for him to deal with this mess. Even though the Tree Shepherds might not be necessarily afraid of
the Silver Elves because of their numbers, it was not wise to go head to head with these legendary
warriors.
The Lizardmen were pawns that could be thrown away anyways. He was more worried on explaining the
Dark Bishop’s ‘sacrifice’ to the Tree Shepherds. He had a sufficiently high position within the Tree
Shepherds and worked under the Lord of Worms, Mayard, one of the twelve leaders.
And Mayard was considered to have more authority amongst the twelve leaders because he had a bigger
force.
The deaths of the higher ranked disciples could be excused because the mission involved a duke, but
losing a Bishop was something that had not happened within the organization for at least a decade.
Conrad felt his head hurt when he thought about it.
The most important thing right now was to find the duke’s son and take one step at a time.
============== Brendel’s POV ===========
“Drive these Lizardmen away from the center!” Brendel cut down a Lizardman warrior who rushed at
him as he shouted loudly to Scarlett.
She nodded and twirled her body, her spear swinging wildly in arc with a trail of electricity following it.
They immediately retreated backwards, and those of were slow were knocked backwards so hard that
flesh and bones broke off when they hit the ground. Smoke could also be seen from their blackened
wounds from the electricity.
“Well done!” Brendel praised her without any reservations.
Even though the Lizardmen were only level 20, they outnumbered him and his men nearly thirty times.
Their five hundred odd Lizardmen were also aided by Conrad’s mercenaries, and it would be a disaster if
they managed to swarm his men.
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He had no choice but to limit the numbers of the enemies attacking at any given time. If he was able to
stop them here, then his men would have an advantage.
[The goal is simple. Medissa, Scarlett and I will hold down this path with all we’ve got. But I’m surprised
at how good she is working with me.]
What Brendel did not expect was the coordination that Scarlett had with him. It was as if she found the
best spot every time he made a move.
“Why are you praising me? Are you trying to win me over?” Scarlett asked.
“….. Is there any other reason than the fact you did great?”
Brendel grabbed one of the Lizardman’s spear with his off-hand and jerked it towards him, while running
through the Lizardman with his blade. He then exhaled and answered her.
“As you wish.” Scarlett glanced at him before she looked away. She fought for the Grey Wolves
Mercenaries and treated them like her family. Now that it was disbanded, the only thing left was revenge.
She did not talk much and preferred action act over talking. She always thought that it was something she
ought to do, and praise was never given to her actions.
Everyone’s eyes were always on Eke or the commander, and she also did the same.
But Brendel had a different idea. He did not like to overthink complicated issues. Now that Scarlett had
the abilities of a Gold-ranked fighter and her former home was gone, it would be really silly not to use this
chance and recruit her. There were lines he did not cross, but he wasnot some righteous knight fixated
with the word ‘honor’.
The battle continued with the Lizardmen retreating backwards.
The three of them had ranged attacks with their weapons even before they unsealed their Elements, and
their combined prowess in the battlefield was overwhelming. Scarlett was the weakest amongst them.
Due to her Element Resonance with the Spear of Lightning, she was able to use Lightning Cleave
repeatedly, but that was the only technique she had.
Medissa retained her abilities from a Spectral Knight, and was able to use Charge, Vortex Strike and
Seismic Blast, making her look like a portable cannon each time she used her abilities.
Brendel was even more terrifying. Even though he just reached the Silver-ranked status, he had Charge,
Power Break, White Raven Sword Arte and Frontal Assault, and his levels in these techniques were high.
He even had two Magic rings and Planeswalker cards that affect the battlefield. Even pay-to-win warriors
in the game could not outdo him at his level.
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[We’re doing quite well. With the three of us holding this section down, our battle capabilities go up by a
hundred fold. It’s good that the girls are gullible enough to listen to me completely. If I asked a handful of
experienced soldiers to hold back these Lizardmen, they will certainly think that I’m crazy.]
Brendel was a charismatic person in his past life, and he also had years of experience in the game inviting
famous gamers to his party, so it was easy for him to deceive the girls and board his pirate ship—
[That’s wrong! I mean, it’s an easy task for me to recruit them to my group…… Putting that aside, our
strategy should be obvious to the enemies. Why isn’t Conrad appearing yet? The Lizardmen are already
pushed to the sides, and Medissa alone can hold down this narrow path. We can even switch up to
conserve our stamina.]
The enemies should be able to understand this point. But what were they doing?
He surveyed his surroundings and even looked up. He wondered if the opponents were giving up because
he was not Eke, or they had counter measures.
He received his answer when Scarlett and himself fought off the fifth wave of Lizardmen. Medissa
suddenly warned both of them loudly as she guarded the left flank.
“Be careful behind you!”
The ground behind them suddenly opened up violently.
[Shit, there’s an enemy below us!] Brendel realized there was an enemy unaccounted for.
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Chapter 115
TL: Some additional things I want to talk about after the read more button.
Let me start off with a colored sketch where I decide the general lighting and design.
sketech 2
If I haven’t stated this before, I’m actually interested in drawing a few manga-like TAS chapters as a fan.
This is my image of Brendel with amber hair (The Amber Sword) and blue-green eyes (that Sci-fi system),
so I can play around with my own interpretation of the TAS world and character settings.
Technically a gambeson (thick padded cotton armor) isn’t supposed to look like that because it’s sewn in
a quilting method, but if I’m going to do that then there’s going to be too many details to draw later on.
It’s a thick shirt for now (lol).
Once I’m done with this drawing, I’m probably going to take a look at coding to have next/back buttons
for my series and see how it goes from there.
Next topic. Donations.
I have received an email about giving discounts on more chapters for a bulk donation, and a comment on
lowering the goal for a donated chapter. I want to be clear on this.
This isn’t a merchandise, or a freelance contract or even an offered service of sorts.
This is what I hope my readers do to show goodwill to me, where you show your support in helping me
with my electricity/coffee/artbooks/games. If you expect something like a service/contract from me,
then I’m telling you now that I’m not offering that at all.
It has to be from your goodwill to support me. It’s my grateful feelings that I spend hours on translating a
chapter, and not because you’re paying me for a service.
I also get that you guys don’t like to see cliffhangers. I’m going to finish this final arc by trying to do 1
chapter/day until it’s over, so there’s no need to fret about this issue being a gate whatsoever.
I understand my readers are reading a wide variety of webnovels and the priority to help me out is low.
That’s fine, but I hope you guys understand where I’m coming from about donations.
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Any donations received after this would be queued after the arc.
Next update will come tomorrow.
Medissa was approximately forty meters away, charging straight into a group of Lizardmen wielding
crossbows. When she turned around she spotted a disturbance on the ground and realized something
was amiss. She immediately warned Brendel and Scarlett, while she urged her unicorn back towards
them. The unicorn leapt into the air and she raised her lance and timed it together with the unicorn’s
descent—
“Vortex Strike!”
When Brendel turned back, he found Medissa making her move on the enemy with a loud yell. The air
around her lance immediately manifested into a distortion which condensed the air and released it as a
blast of wind, sweeping the Lizardmen off their feet like they were fallen leaves. When she thrust her
lance forward, an invisible path immediately emerged in front of her, destroying all the obstacles in front
of her. Wood splinters flew everywhere and the enemy that was behind Brendel immediately retreated to
the side.
The shockwave caused a large fissure to appear on the ground.
Brendel looked at the deep scar and felt a sheen of cold sweat on his body.
[My lady Medissa, can you be a little more gentle? Even if the enemy was a Gold-ranked fighter trying to
backstab me, I can still parry it, but receiving your boss attack means I might die from it…..]
He felt himself trembling a little before he recomposed himself and observed the enemy. He already knew
the identity of the monster.
A gigantic creature with the size of three fully grown adults was writhing in front of him. Despite the
quick reactions against Medissa’s attack, it did not escape unscathed. Its long left arm clutched its right
shoulder as blood flowed freely from the wound.
It was a humanoid that looked partially like a wurm, and there were three mismatched sections that
seemed like they were sewn together. The head, the chest and the abdomen were sections covered in a
grayish-yellow carapace that were inches thick and fortified with the blessings that came from the Blood
of Gods.
[It’s definitely harder than steel. The rating from the system is giving it A+ in defense. The Acolyte of
Earth is a level 55 boss, so that’s going to add 15 defense to it. It’s on par with a full tank class.]
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Brendel groaned wistfully.
The limbs that it had were like an insect’s appendages, although the hands that it had resembled a human.
At the area on its abdomen was a pair of eyes and another set of appendages in the form of a scythe. Its
long thighs were shaped weirdly and adorned with full of barbs. Any normal human that got swept by it
would certainly have gashes big enough to see the bones. Its head was something of a cross of a beetle
and ant, with a pair of long antennae and large mandibles, and there was a pair of huge eyes that could
see in low light places and capture motion well.
Brendel was glad to see that it did not have wings as it meant that it did not have flight yet. This was the
only good news.
[This is third boss in this world after Ebdon and the Golden Demonic Tree. Even though it’s not at its final
form, it’s already level 55 and has an unsealed Element. Comparing it with the previous bosses I faced
earlier won’t be right.]
Brendel took a deep breath as he realized this was going to be the hardest battle yet. If Scarlett and
Medissa were not here to help him, he would have pulled out of this area and left as far as he possibly
could.
He did not have much time to think about it because there was a loud metallic clash somewhat far away.
When he turned around, he saw Scarlett’s spear pushing down on a steel gauntlet. When he traced the
defending hand back to the owner’s face, he discovered that it was a young man whom he had not seen
before. Electricity danced around his hand, but was immediately pushed away from some unseen force
and did not hurt him at all.
“Well, well, isn’t this our lovely Scarlett? Did you seek a new lover and betrayed our organization so
quickly? That Blood of Gods from that man can’t be relied on after all. Don’t worry my dear, I killed you
once, I can kill you again and send you to meet up with your dead companions—” The unknown young
man sneered loudly.
Scarlett’s teeth were clenched so tightly that they were grating noises coming from her. She glared at him
with incredible hatred and desired nothing more than to run her spear through him. That young man
brushed off the spear and retreated a few steps, and she immediately chased after him.
However, it was a rash move and she immediately felt her feet sinking into the ground when she chased
after him. Her heart skipped a beat as she lowered her head and saw a layer of black fog surrounding her
feet, making it impossible to move.
“Magic!” Scarlett felt her blood ran cold as she realized he was some form of Magic Swordsman.
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But her reaction was too late. Conrad’s taunt to make her angry was for the sake of making her fall into a
trap, and he would not let this opportunity slip by. He opened up his fingers into a claw shape and thrust
them towards her heart. The vitality of an Acolyte was exceedingly high, but the Blood of Gods was
contained within the heart. Once it was damaged, even if the Acolyte did not die in that instant, their
strength would diminish greatly.
Conrad knew that he would have great difficulty to defend himself against two Gold-ranked fighters, so
he did not hold himself back and used his full might from the start. His target was clear. Even though
Scarlett had the strength of a Gold-ranked fighter, she did not possess any combat experience. She was
not the weakest amongst the three enemies in front of him, but in his eyes she was the easiest to take
down.
His lips twisted into a smile as his fingers inched closer to their target. Success was literally in his hand,
but right at that moment, a longsword blocked his fingers’ path with impeccable timing.
Brendel had thrown out his sword without any hesitation the moment he saw Scarlett trapped.
[I probably won’t hesitate even if this sword is the former Thorn of Light, right?] Brendel thought to
himself as he threw out his common longsword.
During the battle, he saw much clearer as to what was happening than Scarlett did. Conrad was leading
her into a magic trap.
[To think that the leader of the Paper Cards is a Mage Hunter. How peculiar, I rarely saw any NPCs in the
game reaching above the Gold rank level in this profession. Although it is quite true that the profession is
quite formidable, the path to leveling it up is really tough. It’s quite the PVP profession and
unquestionably good for PK.]
He took a moment to admire Conrad’s ability to set up the trap. It was rare for anyone to fool his eyes,
and he nearly failed to spot Conrad’s trap. Even having high proficiency in the skill alone would not be
mislead him, so he thought that Conrad must have some form innate talent within him.
[This bastard must have combined his talent with some form of chantless ability as well to speed up the
process. In addition to that, there’s probably another passive ability attached to that trap…… I’m sure it’s
a hypnotizing effect. He must have made Scarlett angry in order to hide it. Handling this bastard is a little
tricky.]
Conrad’s attack from the start was well executed, wasting no time in his attack for Scarlett’s heart the
moment she fell into the trap. When the sword blocked his attack, he swiped it away and attempted
another thrust, but Brendel had ran up to her and dragged her away by the elbow, as Conrad’s steel claws
barely missed the front of her chest and drew a little blood from her.
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“…… Thank you.” Scarlett said.
“Cut the crap, you’re lucky that I was fast enough. What were you thinking to lose your head like that!”
Brendel yelled at her, but did not lose his eyes on Conrad who was ready to attack again.
The latter realized Brendel must have somehow seen through his illusion-based magic trap. Scarlett
could not move when she stepped into the trap, but it was nothing more than an illusion. The hypnotizing
ability from Conrad was the real thing that immobilized her with a suggestion. This was the trick to the
Mage Hunters but it was clear that Brendel saw through it with his reply to Scarlett.
There were very few Mage Hunters in Aouine, and Conrad was recognized by his peers as highly skilled in
the profession and even attained the level of a Gold-rank. It was at his level where he realized the
advantages of his profession. Not many knew about the Mage Hunters, and even fewer people understood
how they fought. He had fought against many of his enemies that were stronger than he was, and
emerged victorious with bizarre attack combinations. However, he did not expect—
To meet his match today.
[This bastard must die!]
Conrad’s steel gauntlets swung in front of him, frightening Brendel so much that he immediately
activated the Charge skill and retreated even further away.
Even if he activated Power Break to defend against Conrad’s attack, that would be 50 OZ vs 80 OZ
strength, and would certainly meet his maker if he tried to fight him directly.
Under the Charge ability, he reached over 132 OZ worth of agility and vanished from where he stood. At
his speed, he could even outrun a speed based Gold-ranked fighter with the Electric Element.
Conrad’s claws lashed out into empty air and a loud bang could be heard. The decayed leaves in a circular
radius of ten meters in front of his claws were turned into dust, and the ground sank deeply to form a
large depression. When Conrad raised his head up, he saw that Brendel was already twenty meters away.
[What….. is that speed? Who the hell is this guy?!]
Conrad was so surprised that he forgot to chase after Brendel. Even though the latter had reach the Silver
rank at such a young age, Conrad himself was a genius who reached the Gold rank and did not think much
of him. His target, Eke, was also rumored to be a genius, but Brendel certainly fell short of the rumors he
heard when he fought against the Lizardmen.
But that short exchange made Conrad realize that the Silver-ranked bastard in front of him had combat
prowess that defied common sense. Each attack that he made was only a stalemate against his defensive
maneuvers.
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He felt his palms slightly sweaty. He had learned various skills and had a wealthy experience against
many enemies, and was even confident he could fight peak Gold-rank fighters. But he did not even gain
any advantage over a little Silver-rank fighter.
[That explosive speed…… A Sun Knight?]
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Chapter 116 – The final battle (4)
During the time when Brendel and Conrad made their moves against each other, Hewjil had already
separated his Lizardmen Warriors into two groups. They avoided the center path and attacked the ruins
from the two side paths.
But the Silver Elves had already set up their positions. Nalaethar had also split up his warriors into two;
one group was led personally by himself, while the other was given to the Nightsong Tiger to command,
and they hid at the side entrances of the ruins.
The brutish and simple minded creatures screamed as they swarmed out from the forest. Their
movements were nimble and they quickly stormed through the entrances, but what awaited them were
the Silver Elves’ shining blades. The ambush by the Silver Elves was highly effective and their
greatswords easily cleaved through the enemies’ throats, then quickly knocked the lifeless corpses back
through the congested areas.
Because of that, the Lizardmen were sent tumbling through the narrow path and some of the Lizardmen
who collided with the bodies lost their balance, and were sent flying down from the elevated height onto
both the Paper Cards Mercenaries and their fellow Lizardmen.
Hewjil’s planned attack was stifled right there at the entrance, and the Mercenaries of Lopes and the Grey
Wolves Mercenaries did not miss that chance. They immediately shot volleys of their bolts into the
enemies’ formation from the higher grounds, causing even more obstruction for them, making it seem
like they had crashed into an invisible wall and could not proceed any further.
A normal person who trained to use a crossbow was able to shoot six times in a minute, and these
veteran mercenaries were even more experienced and agile, firing ten to fifteen shots in a minute.
The accurate bolts were fatal to their morale. Each time the steel rain of arrows fell onto them, the
enemies felt like there was a death god who was swinging his scythe repeatedly to reap their lives.
There were indeed Lizardmen who wielded ranged weapons who could fight back, but Medissa
strategically went after them in the beginning of her attack. But even if she did not, the ranged Lizardmen
combatants were not as skilled as the mercenaries because they were a race as evolved as the humans.
With the lack of cover and the ability to fight back, the Lizardmen were forced to retreat. When Nalaethar
realized what they were doing, he took down his horn hanging from his belt and blew it. The rich blare of
the horn echoed throughout the ruins, and the Silver Elves gathered in front of their commander and fell
neatly into position, placing their greatsword at the right side of their chest—
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“My fellow Elves, who are we!”
“The Eversong army, the swords of Arlen!”
Nalaethar nodded and pointed his sword forward, and the Silver Elves charged down with a loud roar.
Their silver armor shimmered in the sun and appeared like a wave of mercury flooding the path down to
the lower valley. The Lizardmen were quickly swept away without any means to stop the Silver Elves .
The bolts did not stop firing from the start of the battle and seven crossbows were already damaged from
the overuse. When the final spare crossbow was taken, the mercenaries had no choice but to switch to
their shortbows.
The Lizardmen who appeared to be an endless sea of dark green creatures were unable to break past that
silver line, and was even pushed back by their charge.
When the Silver Elves chanted their battle creed, Sanford and the Grey Wolves Mercenaries felt that their
blood was set aflame. They felt like their hair standing up as though they had returned to that ancient era
where the Silver Elves fought against the Dark forces.
The battles that took place in the Era of Darkness, were when all the races put everything they had
against the Dark forces for the sake of freedom and pride. Sanford kept firing his bow and felt intoxicated
by the feelings when he thought about the fact that they were fighting the Tree Shepherds’ minions.
=============== Conrad’s POV ==============
The horn’s blare sounded like a dragon’s roar in the distance which reached across the entire battlefield.
Almost everyone stopped their actions when they heard it.
That was the signal of the Silver Elves’ attack —
Conrad’s expression changed once again. He was unable to see the flanks from his position because of the
trees so he did not know what exactly was happening. The long dragon-like bellow could not be mistaken.
The Silver Elves had returned once again after disappearing from the world for more than three
centuries.
Conrad was certain that the arrogant and stupid Hewjil was the cause of this entire situation, but he did
not think about trying to find the useless bastard and torture him.
[This fucking lizard is going to die a miserable death. The dragon-horn can only mean one thing, one of
the strongest armies of the Silver Elves has reappeared on the battlefield. Are the high-ranking cavalry of
the Elves or the Eversong Unicorn Cavalry in this attack as well? Damn it, if they are, I won’t even be able
to escape from this fight.]
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He had no heart to linger to battle any longer and glared hatefully at Brendel who was not far away. The
Mage Slayer’s agility was considerably high, and his figure darted quickly into the shadows and seemed to
merge into the background when he fled.
Brendel’s mind went blank for an instant, before he shouted to Medissa who was riding over quickly:
“Medissa! Stop him!”
[Damn it, if Conrad moves to the front, the situation might change. A Gold-ranked fighter might be enough
to turn the tides.]
Brendel clenched his fist as he felt he made a blunder on not reacting fast enough. However, Medissa had
thought of the same thing and did not waste any time in activating her Charge ability. Her unicorn’s speed
was already high enough, and the moment she activated her ability, it moved even faster; they were like a
silver comet and drew a beautiful arc across the ground, moving quickly into Conrad’s path and blocking
him.
“Ser Conrad. You have done too many evil deeds; please stay behind and settle the score. Your
companions who defiled the living’s pride and desecrated the dead’s eternal sleep, both of you must pay
the price—”
Medissa placed her lance horizontally as her unicorn turned around to face the youth whose dark red
cape was fluttering from the wind. Her voice was clear even amidst the din from the battlefield.
Conrad covertly gritted his teeth. He did not want to speak to the Elven knight at all. Brendel’s orders had
deepened his suspicion that he had confidence in his forces to defeat all of them. This was a trap.
Even though Conrad did not know what Brendel and his men had to do with Eke and the Grey Wolves
Mercenaries, he was on his guard.
[Damn you, you Elven cunt!]
He cursed in his heart and ran in the opposite direction. But how was he going to outrun a unicorn? After
a short run, he found that the Elven princess had blocked off his path again with an aloof expression.
Conrad tried three times and he was blocked off three times. He was starting to panic. If the opponent
blocked him without any reservations, that would mean that she had the forces to overwhelm his own.
Perhaps the highest ranking members of the Tree Shepherd would be to fight against these arrogant tree
sticks, but he definitely could not.
He did not think his Mage Slayer abilities would be able to deceive the Elven girl. In front of him was one
of the races who were the most proficient fighters in the continent, only a fool would hope that this
opponent would make a mistake.
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[If this is the case, it looks I only have to use my final trump card.]
============= Brendel’s POV ============
As Medissa blocked off Conrad, Brendel felt the sight in front in turning dark; a cold and dangerous air
was rushing towards his face, and the youth immediately guessed it was the Avatar of Earth, Ekman.
The gigantic monster which was over five meters tall blocked off the sunlight and raised its arm, then
swung it with a loud shriek.
The air vibrated and he felt the earth under his feet splitting apart and jutting up before it cracked.
[Earth Element, the power of boulders!]
He did not waste any time thinking further, grabbed Scarlett and jumped to his right. Both of them rolled
a few times on the ground from his force, while Ekman’s palm smashed onto the ground with a ear-
splitting blast. The soil scattered everywhere, with two rows of long rock spikes sticking out from the
ground and merging together at the top, forming into a rock cage.
The surrounding Lizardmen thought the monster’s fingers had somehow extended through the ground to
form the claw-like rock formation, but once its hand left the ground, the rocks immediately broke apart
and turned into a pile of soil and dust.
Brendel gulped once when he saw that scene. Even though the guide mentioned Ekman’s approximate
stats and strategies it liked to use, he felt it was something entirely different to face it in reality.
He felt a little like he had gone back during the time when he was level 40+. At that time, the developers
Torrential Rain released a new patch to the game, ‘Knights of the Holy Cathedral’. He and his commander,
a senior female classmate, and a few others went together to participate in a raid. It was the first time
they faced a Boss with an unsealed Element, and the fight against the Boss left behind a deep impression.
This was the first time the gamers understood the Element powers, and what the Knight of the Holy
Cathedral was.
It appeared that he was going to relive that memory of fighting a familiar Boss again.
TL: I researched a little on the crossbow. There are different types of crossbows depending on their
strength, but usually a light crossbow is the only type that’s fast enough for that claim. For a powerful
crossbow like an arbalest where you really need to windup the string, you could shoot 2 bolts per minute.
Brendel shoots a bolt every 3 seconds, or I think he does.
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The next TAS chapter might come a bit later as I’m halfway done with the JP series’ chapter.
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There were a few subtypes extensions of the Earth Element. While most of the Earth users were famed
for heavy defense, Ekman controlled the power to shape the earth into striking boulders. Although it was
truly powerful for its initial strength, its growth was severely limited and classified as a low grade
Element subtype.
But this was enough for Brendel to get a headache—
When he used his hands to help himself up, he brushed across Scarlett’s hands with his fingers. He
paused for a moment, looked down, and saw the red-haired girl lying on the ground and looking up at
him with her startling red irises. They looked at each other for a moment.
“My apologies.” Brendel said.
“It’s fine.” Came Scarlett’s reply.
Brendel quickly withdrew his hand and flipped his body over to get up, then drew out the dagger that
was tied on his calf. The Acolyte of Earth turned over to them slowly. As a Boss that had a
disproportionate amount of strength and defense, his agility was low. Because of its tremendous size
there was even a penalty to its agility, and it moved clumsily, giving the youths a chance to recover.
“Can you move?” Brendel readied himself into a fighting stance and asked. Scarlett sat up, dusted the dust
and soil off her armor. She merely nodded without saying anything.
“Be careful when you face this monster. Its attacks are very powerful. The Element it controls is the
Power of Boulders, the attacks that it can form are—”
Before he could finish, Ekman roared and raised its front limb, almost as if to prove Brendel’s words. Its
limbs quickly solidified and turned into hard surfaces to form a tremendous boulder-like sword that was
nearly ten meters high.
It lifted the sword and swung at the direction of the two as it continued to roar.
“Dodge it!”
Brendel and Scarlett dashed out to the left and right respectively. The boulder sword struck onto the
ground and exploded in a large arc. The whole forest seemed to shake as the shockwaves chased up to the
two of them. Scarlett made a sharp gasp of pain, while Brendel immediately threw up blood.
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Green words filled his vision, and he realized he lost 30 HP. The attack was even stronger than what the
Ring of the Wind Empress could do. At his level, the damage from his ring would have done at most two-
thirds of what it normally did, and it showed how strong Ekman’s attack was.
“My lord, are you all right?”
The forest was filled with dust and Scarlett’s voice came from the other end.
“Not too bad.”
Brendel coughed one more time. He was on his utmost guard. Ekman also had abilities that were
dangerous. In this environment, if he failed to be careful and allowed it to ambush him, then he would be
in deep trouble.
[I’m still not sensing that monster. The cooldown for merging with the soil is ten minutes, how is it
possible to lose sight of him so quickly? It hasn’t even been one minute.]
Suddenly, the two wary people heard a surprised scream from a distant area.
“Medissa!” Brendel was deeply alarmed.
============= Hewjil’s POV ============
When the dragon-like roar from the horn resounded through the battlefield, Hewjil was utterly dismayed.
It was not as knowledgeable as Conrad who could discern that the horn’s bellow belonged to one of the
strongest Silver Elves’ armies.
However, Hewjil made the same conclusion from where the position it was commanding at. It oversaw
the battle from a high vantage point, and saw Elven warriors clad in silver armor, had prominent silver
hair and wielded a greatsword. Surely even fools would recognize them for what they were; indeed, they
were Silver Elves.
The Lizardmen’s attacks were quickly rebuffed and they retreated one-sidedly. The Elves’ charge was
impressive, cutting the Lizardmen down were like how knives cutting through butter, going in and out
without stopping.
If Conrad’s men did not enter the fray in time, the morale of the Lizardmen would have been broken
completely. While the new addition did managed to stall the Elves’ charge, they were unable to do any
damage to the Silver Elves because of their unfamiliar teamwork.
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At the end of the first exchange, Hewjil found it had lost a tenth of his men just on its left flank. It grabbed
one of his men’s dagger angrily and threw it violently onto the ground. As one who lived on the edge, this
terrible loss raised its ire instead of making it discouraged. He clearly saw Conrad’s guarded disposition
towards the Silver Elves, but now that it saw them in battle, it was puzzled.
[Are they not just a bunch of Silver ranked fighters? The famed Silver Elves are not some undefeatable
opponents. Even the second tier army of Kirrlutz have their level of might, and it’s not as if I have not
fought against them.]
Hewjil was an exile that escaped from the Empire’s might, and he narrowed his eyes a little when he
recalled some memories about the armies chasing him.
After a moment of, it calmed down and observed his enemies, he quickly discovered something
interesting. It quickly beckoned its adjutant over and ordered him to lead a squadron to attack the
backlines. It was a taboo to separate the army during the fight that was happening currently, but it
discovered that the enemies constantly seemed to be the same thirty or forty men.
It decided to make a gamble to see if its guess was correct.
Unfortunately for him, the ally it believed in, Conrad, had already decided to escape.
The Lizardmen’s crossbowmen finally regrouped and started shooting their volleys of bolts from a higher
vantage point at a hill.
Because of the relatively small number of Silver Elves in the battlefield, they did not know how to aim at
them and simply shot messily as to where they might possibly be. The rest of the Lizardmen chose to
shoot at the Grey Wolves Mercenaries and the Mercenaries of Lopes. Their haphazard attacks resulted in
casualties of their own comrades as well.
The rain of bolts were obstructed by the trees while the remainder of the bolts struck where they were
intended to. Nalaethar decisively made his signal to retreat to the entrance immediately after seeing the
Lizardmen’s crossbowmen had formed up.
Quite a few of the Mercenaries were struck by arrows. The sudden retreat had caused the Grey Wolves
Mercenaries to be slow in doing so, and they were caught by a few daring Lizardmen who threw
themselves at them. Sanford’s artery was cut by a spear as he rescued a companion from their attacks,
but the mercenaries quickly slayed the attackers in retaliation.
Nalaethar regrouped with them and led them to safety, who then treated Sanford’s wounds.
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Nalaethar ordered the mercenaries to make a simple stretcher and placed Sanford there. Even though the
latter was in pain, he gritted his teeth to prevent himself from groaning. The Grey Wolves Mercenaries
treated death as a sacred thing and did not fear death.
Suddenly there was an urgent set of footsteps that rushed to where Nalaethar was at.
Sanford turned his head to the side and discovered a familiar face.
[Isn’t that someone from the Nightsong Tiger?] This thought came to his mind.
“Ser Nalaethar!” He said quickly: “Commander Nightsong Tiger saw a squadron of Lizardmen making
they way to the back of the ruins. He asked for your views on this.”
The Grey Wolves Mercenaries were surprised, and Sanford frowned deeply.
[Surrounding us? That’s the worst situation that our lord said we would be in, and that we need to be act
accordingly or else we would fall into a panic.]
The Silver Elves did not show any reactions to that statement, but the mercenaries were the opposite.
Most of the mercenaries believed in the Twins of Destiny, and their beliefs were tied strongly to their
mental state. Many had described mercenaries to be alike to gamblers. Right now, they did not take this
situation well.
“Human, your commander has a clearer picture of the attackers. What are his thoughts?” Nalaethar asked.
“Our commander states that we would be attacked from the rear if we do not split our forces to intercept
them. He said the Grey Wolves Mercenaries and the Mercenaries of Lopes should delay them.”
“That’s an acceptable strategy,” Nalaethar nodded: “But who is going to lead the mercenaries to intercept
them? My men are unable to lead them because we are unfamiliar with their tactics and language.”
“Our commander thinks that Sanford should be……” The mercenary looked around to find Sanford and
saw the conspicuous stretcher, and he suddenly lost the latter half of his words.
The most experienced commanders amongst Brendel were Nalaethar and the Nightsong Tiger, then
Medissa and Scarlett. The four of them were already assigned to their roles, and Sanford was the only
person left who had the best head amongst the mercenaries.
Brendel had mentioned giving Sanford such a role, but the situation was even worse than what their lord
had described. The mercenaries glanced at each other in trepidation.
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“Let me have a go at it, Ser Commander!” A bell-like sound suddenly came from their back. Everyone
turned their eyes on them and saw Romaine dragging a sword behind her back with both her hands. She
looked at them with big eager eyes and the words ‘Can I?’ was written in both of them.
Of course not.
Nalaethar shook his head. The Elven commander might have asked what training she had and considered
her request, but the actions that this girl did last night were too shocking. He could not allow her to lead
this battle and treat it like a game.
“Then let me go, Ser Nalaethar.” Another girl walked out behind Romaine. She clutched her collar and
held onto her robes, looking calmly at them.
Nalaethar studied her.
“I have studied light infantry tactics from books. I believe I can be of use in stopping the enemy.”
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Thanks for the recent donations. I’m still seeking more donations this month so I can get artbooks/games.
If you would like to continue to support me, please drop a few dollars through my paypal so I can get
more stuff.
The next chapter will come 8-10 hours later, along with pictures from the artbooks. I haven’t opened it
yet lol. The Persona 5 has over 500 pages. Sounds like super value to me.
Chapter 118 – The final battle
When Brendel and Scarlett rushed over to Medissa’s direction, they saw she was pressing down on her
left shoulder with her right hand. Blood drenched her white inner robes and leaked onto the silver armor.
Her brows were bunched up together as she faced the monster in front of her.
Conrad was nowhere to be seen.
The Acolyte of Earth looked different from a while ago. The dull yellow colored carapace were cracked
open, revealing a dark red light that pulsed slowly from the crevices, like magma flowing across the
ground. The monster that had appeared like it was a carved statue was somehow turned into a molten
boulder-like creature.
Brendel was shocked when he saw Ekman in that appearance. It was clearly in a Berserk mode, and going
into such a state was usually a final desperate attempt. The aftermath of the Berserk mode was devolving
back into an even weaker state than its already incomplete self, if it survived.
[What’s going on? It’s not like there’s any threat to its life. The Acolytes will never willingly activate this
mode to go on a rampage. Similar bosses would only go in a Berserk mode when they have 30% hp or
less…… It’s not moving?]
Brendel’s eyes went over the monster’s state and realized there was an injury on Ekman’s ribcage; the
gash was deep enough for him to see the bones. He immediately understood it was from Medissa’s
Seismic Blast, but that was not the right explanation. Given how high Ekman’s defense was, even if her
attack was directly on its face, it would deal no more than 1/10 of its life. But the strangest thing was why
it did not move at all.
[The last possibility is a command to make him go into a rampaging mode…..]
Medissa saw Brendel from the corner of her eyes, and spoke through clenched teeth: “I apologize, my
lord. I allowed Conrad to escape.”
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Brendel secretly felt ashamed as it was his mistake and did not expect Ekman’s attack to be a diversion to
get to Medissa. He had completely underestimated his opponent because he thought it was some sort of
Wurm creature that got corrupted by the Blood of Gods, and did not possess that intelligence to outwit
him. He failed to consider the fact that Conrad was holding on to the Control Orb to control the monster.
“This isn’t your fault.” Brendel and Scarlett regrouped with Medissa and form a line to face the rampaging
monster. “What exactly happened?”
“That man tried to lure me into a trap but I managed to see through it. He then managed to summon this
monster somehow and tried to escape by using it as cover……” Medissa covered her mouth as she
coughed, and blood leaked through her fingers: “…… I tried to use Seismic Blast to stop them, but the
monster suddenly turned stronger and shrugged off the gravity binding from the Seismic Blast…..”
“Your injury was caused by the monster?”
She nodded.
“Are you alright?” Brendel frowned. Ekman’s strength was increased by 20% when it was in a berserk
mode. If Medissa was directly struck by it, her injuries could be quite serious.
“It’s not too much of a problem to continue fighting. It’s a little scratch……” She coughed repeatedly: “But I
feel like there’s some Element damage done to my lungs.”
[That’s not a problem?] Brendel looked at her in utter disbelief, then suddenly recalled her status as a
Heroic Spirit. Even though she appeared like she was coughing out blood like a real person, it was her
Soul Fire that would affect her ability to fight. A normal person would have their fighting abilities greatly
lowered if they received the same injury Medissa did.
“What should we do now?” Scarlett asked.
“I want to change our plans a little.” Brendel stared at the monster that blocked their path. He really did
not understand why Conrad was so eager to escape from them, to the point that he would waste a
creature with the Blood of Gods and allow the three of them to fight it. Ekman would not stand a chance
after the Berserk mode was over. Yet there was no time for them to wait for it to do so.
“Both of you need to go after that man right away. We have to stop him from messing up the tactical
positions where the Silver Elves and the mercenaries are fighting the Lizardmen. Leave this monster to
me.”
“You?” Scarlett looked back at him, forgetting her manners as she heard his incredulous words.
“My lord?” Medissa was also stunned. As someone who fought against him earlier, she knew clearly that
he was a fighter who had just reached the Silver-rank tier. No matter much fighting experience he had,
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there was no chance to fight against a monster who had unsealed its Element power. Even delaying it
seemed like a problem.
“Have you forgotten my true abilities, Medissa?” Brendel answered in his mind.
“Do you mean to say your abilities as a Planeswalker, my lord?” She also replied in her mind.
Brendel nodded.
“I’ll fight along with you.” Scarlett answered. She raised her halberd against the monster. It looked like it
was dead because it did not move at all, but once they moved to chase Conrad, it would certainly attack
them.
“If you die, my lord, Medissa and I have will also have no guarantee that we can face it. In order to protect
everyone left from the Grey Wolves Mercenaries, your life is my life—”
Brendel raised his eyebrow at her.
“Scarlett is right, my lord.” Medissa also persuaded him: “As long as this monster is not guarding Conrad,
he is not my match. I have fought many Miirna Mage Slayers in my life time.”
“Very well.” Brendel did not wish to waste any time to convince Scarlett, and it was true with the latter’s
aid he would have a better chance against it. He took out the second Card of Fate that he had drawn for
the day: “Let’s move out.”
Brendel flipped over his card—
– The Silver Horse
– The Legendary Light V, White
– Requirements: 10 MP
– Artifact Creature/Treasure, Level 7 Construct
– The Silver Horse has Flying.
– ‘Made with Mithril’
(TL: This card is given by Tulman and not taken from the Dark Bishop.)
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The Card of Fate floated up into the air and a Magic Formation was immediately drawn on the forest
ground. A long neigh from a warhorse could be heard in the center of the Magic Formation
Brendel’s actions immediately caused Ekman to launch an attack. Conrad had given a set of instructions
to Ekman to wait at its spot in case Brendel and the others were somehow able to lure it away from
guarding him. If it detected an enemy crossing a certain point to go after him or did something else, then
the permission to attack would be given. Magic was amongst one of the conditions.
Scarlett and Medissa went up to intercept its attack and were able to guard successfully against its attack,
although both of them struggled to breath as the air were knocked out of them from the impact.
[Interesting….. Even though Medissa and Scarlett’s levels are below 50, they are able to reach use their
Element powers which are typically learned at level 50 to 51. If they did not utilize their powers they
wouldn’t have been able to stop the rampaging monster.]
The light in front of Brendel faded and a metallic warhorse with wings made from mithril trotted forward
proudly. The creature’s chiseled ruby eyes glanced at Brendel before it lowered its head.
The two girls looked looked at the horse in slight surprise, but they quickly understood his intention.
“Scarlett, get on the horse! Medissa, cover us!”
Ekman wanted to attack Brendel again but the Elven princess used Vortex Strike to force it back. Her
abilities had a long cooldown, but the attacking strength was high enough to force Ekman to engage her
carefully.
With the slight opening, Scarlett got onto the horse and immediately extended her hand out to Brendel.
He got up onto the horse quickly but she felt a little embarrassed when they rode together. That thought
quickly disappeared and she calmed down quickly.
“Ride behind its back. That creature is obeying Conrad’s order to guard this place with its life. Attract its
attention and make it chase us. Medissa, stay here and make your move only after we leave this place!”
“Understood.” She nodded.
Scarlett urged the horse upwards, and the warhorse jumped into the sky, and flew over the angry
creature’s head. That was not the only action she took. She reached for a compact crossbow that was
behind her belt and shot at it.
The attack immediately caused it to fight back.
The creature roared and slammed its palm onto the ground, and a twenty meter rock spike shot up into
the sky, reaching towards the two of them. Scarlett urged the horse to fly higher, but spikes continued to
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chase after them, each time higher than the last. The last spike nearly reached fifty meters high, and when
they looked down onto the ground, they discovered that the ground below had turned into a forest filled
with rock pillars.
When the Acolyte of Earth’s hand left the ground, the rock pillars immediately turned to soil and
crumbled. It stared at the warhorse that flew further and futher away, bellowed loudly, then slammed
both of its hand into the ground and merged with the soil in an instant.
That was the last time Medissa saw the monster. She had seen how it attacked Brendel the first time, so
she knew that it was performing the same feat again. She remained on guard and looked around for a
while before she rode towards where Conrad escaped, urging her unicorn to move as quickly as possible.
Brendel also saw the same thing and asked Scarlett to lower their flying height. Even though the
monster’s intelligence was not high, it would not keep on chasing a prey that it could not reach. Luring a
monster in the game was considered to be a precise skill, and it was the same in this world.
Brendel continued to remain on his guard as the speed and height of the mithril warhorse were quickly
lowered.
“What are we going to do next?” Scarlett asked.
“Bring this monster around,” Brendel said: “It’s best to move back to where we fought yesterday, since
our plan is to regroup back there when the mercenaries and Silver Elves defeat the Lizardmen. We will be
able to receive support from them.”
“Can we last that long?”
“That depends on our skill. Well, perhaps a little luck is needed as well.”
Scarlett suddenly stopped talking and swung her halberd at a certain direction. A streak of lightning shot
out dozens of meters away and struck in between a few pine trees.
An explosion rang out and the Boss reappeared.
“Have the horse run on the ground in a zigzag manner.” Brendel put out his hand. “Give me your
crossbow—”
She nodded and handed it over.
The warhorse’s direction changed once as a sharp spike reached for their backs. Brendel secretly nodded
at Scarlett’s reactions. He might not have done as well as if he was the one leading the horse.
[This is the start of a dangerous game……]
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The scouts quickly reported their information.
The holy grounds of Baern Shyrltaesi was comprised of the Elves’ Goddess Temple and two outer
courtyards with walls, and was in the center of the Elven ruins, with other buildings surrounding
arranged like an axis around it.
The grand hall of the Goddess Temple was where Hewjil had occupied previously. The back room led to
an altar, while the front of hall’s entrance was a corridor that led to the rooms where the Elven Priests
stayed at. It also had stairways leading to the top of the Temple.
Amandina chose this place the very moment she saw it.
The mercenaries passed through the ruined walls of the buildings, accepting Amandina’s command to
enter the temple. The courtyard within the temple was once filled with Silver Elves who came to pray to
their goddess, but now that beautiful and tranquil place was in shambles. The elegant white tiles in the
corridors were broken and stained with dirt, and the only thing left intact was the pillars.
The wind blew softly from time to time, passing through the holes within the walls almost like whispers.
In this near silence, three of the Mercenaries of Lopes who set out early were the first to reach the place.
They went up to the temple’s rooftop to deposit a hastily made flag made with a spear and grey cloth torn
from Brendel’s robes, then went out to the second outer walls of the temple’s courtyards to observe the
Lizardmen.
Two outer walls that surrounded the courtyard were built by the Silver Elves in order to make defensive
lines for the Holy Temple and prevent intruders. Many centuries later, these walls suffered harsh rain and
winds, and were nearly gone. There was almost no cover left to stand behind and defend the area
properly, and the Lizardmen had not repaired the walls when they occupied it.
The Lizardmen did not do so because of two reasons. The first reason was simply because they did not
have the ability to repair the walls because of its intricate designs. The walls were built to lure in enemies
at certain junctions which allowed the Silver Elves to ambush them, and with Hewjil’s intelligence, he was
never able to figure out how it was supposed to be done. The second reason was the Lizardmen had no
need to do so because they had no enemies. In this forest, their worst enemies were themselves and wine,
having a hundred deaths nearly every year because they killed each other.
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The second batch of mercenaries set themselves up at another opening of the outer walls once they
arrived.
‘The Lizardmen have passed through the forest-‘
‘They are approaching the ruins.’
‘Their numbers are no less than a hundred.’
‘I spotted their commander.’
The mercenaries passed information around through signs, before it went back to the Elementalists’
sisters who accompanied Amandina and informed her of the situation.
She lifted up her skirt as she crossed over the hall quickly, then climbed up the stairs to the rooftop where
it was able to oversee the entire area of the temple.
The complex defense lines of the temple quickly became clear to her.
She looked down and compared the area to the map that was hurriedly drawn by Nalaethar. Her studies
in the architecture knowledge was useful enough to recognize the important chokepoints, leading her to
turn around and search the area.
She straightened the first flag vertically and placed it in the center.
As long as the flag was standing upright, it informed Nalaethar and the Nightsong Tiger that the backlines
and defenses were not lost.
She then gave the orders to the Elementalist sisters, informing the Grey Wolves Mercenaries to defend
the fourth chokepoint.
The Grey Wolves Mercenaries looked at each other with uncertainty, when they realized what the order
was from a Mercenaries of Lopes’ member accompanying them.
Amandina’s location was quite prominent. If the Lizardmen broke through the chokepoints, they could
easily enter the inner temple and climbed up the stairs to where Amandina was. Brendel had instructed
them to protect her safety, but she had ordered them to move far away where she was.
“Miss Amandina?” One of the mercenaries yelled out in a loud voice.
“Follow my orders!” Her reply came back.
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“But—“
Amandina flung her hand indignantly: “I’m your commander now. My orders are your utmost priorities, if
there are any objections, you can bring it up to our lord after this is over!”
The mercenaries fell into silence.
Amandina suddenly spotted the Lizardmen rushing out of the forest. Their formation was almost non-
existent, moving out quickly across the ground for the sake of speed rather than safety. This meant that
the leader of the Lizardmen had indeed deduced of their smaller numbers. She was definitely in a great
disadvantage, because she only had a total of fifteen mercenaries under her
Even though the mercenaries were much more experienced than the Lizardmen, the latter outnumbered
them many times.
[Delaying them is the best I can do.]
Amandina gripped the flag tightly subconsciously with gritted teeth.
============= Brendel’s POV =============
Brendel wiped the sweat of his head.
He had already lost count of how many times they escaped Ekman’s attacks by mere inches. He could
hear his heart pounding loudly because of the constant tension. Scarlett’s rate of breathing was also
beginning to increase, indicating that her stamina was going down.
“How long did you say…… that the warhorse can use charge again?” Scarlett asked with a panting voice.
“Another…… twenty seconds.” Brendel estimated in his mind. He had used this ability once earlier to
cover half of the distance to his destination.
“No, if we…… don’t fly in the air….. we can’t hold on that long!” She shook her head right away.
Brendel turned his head to take a look.
He wished that Scarlett’s answer was different from his own but he knew that was something impossible.
He had predicted the same results from the start. Even though the monster was clumsy and slow in
turning directions, the speed at which it charged in a straight line was shocking. Each time they turned to
pull away from it ended up with the monster gaining back the distance after a few seconds.
If they kept changing directions all the time, they would not be able to lure the monster back to the
intended location even if the sky turned dark.
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Flying up to the sky was a temporary solution, but Brendel realized that it was becoming more and more
accurate in sending the rock spikes at them. With the nearby trees being destroyed over and over again,
the obstructions to the attacks were also becoming fewer. They might as well have a target painted
behind their back.
“You can’t fly up.” Brendel gave his conclusion.
Scarlett rapped the warhorse’s head in frustration.
He looked back again and saw Ekman getting closer and closer. He finally stopped hesitating and threw
out an Exploding Crystal at it. The monster covered its head with both hands as the series of explosions
happened right in front of it. However, the explosions did not seem to stop it even for a moment, as it
charged right out of the smoke and dust.
Scarlett felt that threat and forced the warhorse to jump into the air. Ekman did not waste any time and
shot the spikes out from the ground at them.
Even though Scarlett reacted to the attack as fast as she possibly could, the exhaustion from the long
tension had caused her to be slower by a split second. The rock spikes accurately struck the warhorse’s
thigh and caused the entire body to topple, knocking it straight onto a tree.
The immense impact caused Brendel and Scarlett to be jerked out from the warhorse, and when they
finally reacted from the attack, they realized they were already on the ground, dazed and injured.
Brendel almost felt like he was back at Bucce the first time he arrived there. That feeling of wrecking pain
and confusion was almost like a bomb thrown into his mind. But his worry was not about what kind of
damage he received from the impact, because the bastard was going to follow up with another attack.
[Fuck, this time we’re in grave trouble!]
He grabbed the last Exploding Crystal and tried to get up while he shook his head to shrug his dizziness,
but before he was able to do so, a hand pressed him down.
“Listen carefully.”
Scarlett’s voice sounded like it came from a near and far place at the same time. Even his vision appeared
like there were two or three images overlapping each other when he tried to focus on her.
“I’m going to delay that monster and give you some time to escape.”
“What are you trying to do?”
Brendel felt pangs of sharp pain in his spine, and he wondered if it was broken in several places.
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“There’s no need to worry about me. I’m also an Acolyte, the most damage that mindless creature would
be able to do is injure me if I delayed it for a short while.”
“I think I’m the one who told you about the characteristics of an Acolyte…… Ouch.” Brendel felt her help
him up.
“Hmph.”
The girl scoffed coldly in his ear and released him. “The horse is right behind you. Stop wasting time.”
She took up her halberd and turned around to face the monster. It had crashed into a few trees and
destroyed them in its charge.
Scarlett took up a stance and placed her spear horizontal to her body and gritted her teeth.
Brendel looked at her back once more before he grabbed the reins of the mithril warhorse and mounted
it. There was no time to waste and argue. Scarlett had made her choice and he could only cooperate with
her.
This chance would be wasted if he hesitated.
He forced the horse into a furious gallop. There was a loud smacking noise, and when he looked back, he
saw Scarlett flying backwards like a piece of rock, colliding into trees with audible snapping noises,
before he lost all signs of her.
[Fuck! There’s no way she’s able to hold off a Boss-tier with an unsealed Element at all! This isn’t going to
work—]
The monster turned to Scarlett’s direction for a few seconds, when a small crystal knocked onto its head.
The explosions happened in front of its face, causing it to turn into Brendel’s direction again.
It was certain that the girl had lost her combat abilities, and thus set its target on the irritating fly.
Without a proper order, the Berserk status that it had caused it to kill anything that still moved.
Scarlett’s delay had worked.
Brendel was ready to use his Charge ability. He made the horse run off in another direction and activated
his ability, causing the speed of the warhorse to move over a thousand OZ, reaching the peak of his
character’s speed in his previous world.
If someone was able to look at him from a hill, they would have seen a blurring silver line cutting through
the entire forest.
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When Brendel activated his ability, he suddenly realized that he was unable to handle the air resistance
as the warhorse charged through the area. Scarlett had taken the brunt of the first time he used it, but
now that he was alone he reached his limits to handle it.
It was nearly impossible for a player in the game to get a pet that surpassed their own stats, but Brendel
had gotten a mount that had an innate 132 OZ worth of agility. With the ability Charge added to it, he had
completely broken the sound barrier so many times that he felt like he had turned into a fly that crashed
onto a sheet of metal and was dragged through nearly fifteen kilometers with an insane speed.
When it finally stopped, Brendel could not stop himself from vomiting out the contents of his stomach.
Blood was flowing from his eyes, nose and ears. His organs were completely damaged, and green words
kept flashing in his eyes. The remaining life he had was literally a few pixels left on his HP bar.
[How did Scarlett managed to endure that? Did she use her spear or something to cut through air
resistance?]
Brendel had twenty times the normal physique of a normal person and his defense and regeneration was
just barely enough for him to survive that. If he was given enough time to rest, that physique would even
allow him to recuperate without side effects.
[There’s no time to rest and that monster definitely won’t give me time to do so. Because it travels in a
straight line at such a ridiculous speed, we couldn’t outrun it earlier. Give it a minute and it would be next
to me again. Should I sacrifice this card and let it go to the graveyard?]
He broke into another bout of cold sweat when he remembered how difficult it was to escape from
Ekman.
This was a desperate move to have his mount lure the enemy away, but the closer he was able to get to
the meeting place, the stronger the Silver Elves would become when they joined up with him. Despite the
numerous twists and turns, he was able to travel nearly forty kilometers from where he started and was
close to where the Silver Elves fought Redi.
Twenty Silver Elves at level 50 would be enough to handle a level 50 Boss. When Nalaethar finished his
battle, he would return to the meeting place with his full speed.
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[The travel time for them to return is ten minutes. Once the Lizardmen fall below a certain number they
will probably retreat. Perhaps twenty minutes for them to give up? Hewjil is one thing, but hopefully
Medissa can kill Conrad.]
Brendel spent a few seconds to consider the outcomes and his options. He did not find any obvious
shortcomings to his plans, so he got off the horse and patted its metallic head. This machine like artifact
seemed like it was created by some factory in his previous world. It was intricately built and its
toughness was extraordinary, appearing like it was never going to tire. Even that attack from Ekman only
put a small scratch on it.
But losing this mount meant that he was gambling every token on the table. If the monster did not pursue
the mount and came after him instead, then that would be the end of him. Brendel’s heart beated rapidly
and he could not suppress his tension. Even so, he made up his mind and yelled:
“SILVER BMW! RUN LIKE THE WIND!” He yelled out the name he gave to his pet horse at the last
moment, and finished the details of his orders in his mind.
Since the warhorse was not a living creature, it would not have any fears when it faced the monster. It
looked at Brendel once with its red gem-like eyes as if to confirm his orders before turning around and
disappeared into the forest.
Brendel sighed and flinched in pain as he reached for the Silver Horse card. He took it out and began to
move as quickly as he possibly could, while listening carefully for any signs of Ekman. It was not long
before he heard of angry bellows getting further away from his back, while causing the critters in front of
him to flee in terror.
============ Hewjil POV ============
As long as one had not fallen completely into a crazed bloodlust state, they would always recover their
senses at some point.
Hewjil had poured almost all its Lizardmen into the ruins like an addicted gambler, but the place seemed
like it was a black hole that sucked out the lives of its men.
At first the initial tactics that it played to get its men to attack the backlines worked, as the mercenaries
did not appear again and the Silver Elves lost their ranged cover, while its own Lizardmen’s crossbow
users gathered up to give cover to the Lizardmen warriors. The situation had reversed, surely, before it
quickly discovered that the Silver Elves gave up on attacking in the open and chose to retreat to the ruins.
They moved back into narrow streets and hidden corners, and all of a sudden Hewjil realized the Silver
Elves were using the territory to perform hit and run tactics. However, what shocked it was not the loss
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of his men, but the fact that when one of the Silver Elves of was caught out of position and killed, then
turned into white light and shot back to the place where the Elven Kings were entombed.
This was the first time where Hewjil realized these Silver Elves were abnormal.
However, that thought was soon replaced by another problem. It had spotted a flag at the roof of the
highest building. Even till now the mercenaries did not appear, but so did his men who were supposed to
attack the backlines. The Lizardmen who fought against the Silver Elves in the frontlines were greatly
demoralized, and the latter did not waste any time in launching another attack to take advantage of them.
This time, they managed to push the Lizardmen out and even took the control of the outer section. Hewjil
was furious again, but it realized it just needed to gather all its men and surround that section. When he
turned around to check the number of Lizardmen it had, its eyes bulged.
There was just a handful of Lizardmen behind him.
All of its tokens were already on the table, and yet the Silver Elves acted like it did not matter whether
there a hundred Lizardmen or a thousand Lizardmen. Would the situation change even if it went in
personally?
Hewjil felt the blood drain out of its face.
Unlike the other Lizardmen, it was intelligent enough to predict the conclusion of this battle. It called out
another of its adjutant immediately.
“Tell the frontline commander to put more pressure and force the Silver Elves back.”
“Chief, are we going to launch a final attack?” The adjutant asked.
“No.” Hewjile shook its head: “We’re leaving. Only us.”
“What? But our brothers……”
“Ignore them. We can’t care about them anymore.” The leader of the Lizardmen shook its head
regretfully. It held out its glittering pendant on its neck. “As long as this is with us, we can seek help from
the Tree Shepherds and take back this area later. I know where these Silver Elves come from. The next
time we are here I will be ready.”
“But do we not inform Conrad if we just leave?”
Hewjil hesitated for a moment before it shook its head. “Don’t worry, that bastard is an Emissary who
controls members that have the Blood of Gods. Even without us, he can take care of himself.”
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[It would be good if something happens to him anyway— But if that bastard dies in this area, I’m going to
pay a hefty price as well. This is such a tricky problem.]
Hewjil observed the battlefiled again. Even though the Lizardmen in the battle still had the upper hand, it
did not seem like the Silver Elves had any signs of defeat yet. If the battle took another twenty minutes or
so, the total number of his Lizardmen lost would be more than half and the situation would change.
At that point, trying to escape would depend on whether the Silver Elves were willing to let them go.
The Lizardmen were treated as slaves in Kirrlutz, and the pockets of their resistance had gone on for
centuries. Hewjil’s instinct was honed by the constant resistance it had against Kirrlutz and the Empire,
and the long years of evading capture as a bandit made him sensitive to danger.
It was time to escape.
============= Nalaethar’s POV =============
Nalaethar discovered that the Lizardmen suddenly increased their resistance, but they appeared
hesistant and reluctant to do so. With this opening, the Elven commander who had centuries of
experience decisively grabbed the chance and blew his horn. The Elven warriors immediately gathered
into position and charged straight into the heart of the enemies. The Lizardmen crossbowmen shot out
their bolts in a panic, but were hardly effective as they bounced off their armor.
The synergy of the Elven warriors was like a portable fortress that cut down the Lizardmen unerringly.
The waves of Lizardmen finally parted and completely fell into chaos. When they realized Hewjil was
gone, they fell into confusion and screamed, scampering off to the forest in all directions.
Nalaethar let his men pursue them for a while, but they were like green cockroaches which fled so fast
that even the Silver Elves felt impressed. Brendel would have made fun of the Lizardmen’s excellent
escape if he was there.
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The Elven commander took off his pointed helmet which had a few streaks of gold painted over it to
distinguish him as a commander. He shook his head, and his beautiful silver hair fell down like a
waterfall. He exhaled slowly, and looked coldly at the battlefield’s messy appearance. The Lizardmen’s
corpses were strewn over over their Elven grounds with blood forming into moving streams. There was a
piercing stench of blood in the air, which would have made normal people queasy in their stomachs, but
it was the scent of victory to the Silver Elves.
[No. This is not victory yet.]
Hewjil had escaped. Nalaethar’s men wanted to chase it but he stopped them from doing so. He flicked his
sword once in the air to remove blood from it and placed it back into the sheath. The ornate design of the
sword’s hilt glittered in the sun as he signaled to his men to gather up and get ready for their next move,
not wasting any time.
The Nightsong Tiger brought back the other team of Silver Elves. He frowned when he saw Nalaethar’s
appearance. The latter already appeared cold and distant, and the blood on his armor added on a
disconcerting feeling to him. However, this somehow made him look seductive even to the Nightsong
Tiger for some odd reason.
“Commander.” The Nightsong Tiger’s surprise only lasted for a short while: “I think our battle here is
over.”
“Yes.” Nalaethar nodded.
The flag on the building was still upright, but no one knew how the battle between the mercenaries and
the Lizardmen progressed.
“We can’t call this a victory yet.” Nalaethar said: “We must abide to our original plan and return to the
agreed meeting place right now. I hope that your lord has fulfilled his promise instead of wasting his life.”
“What?” The Nightsong Tiger interrupted him: “Our lord’s orders are different. We’re supposed to clear
out the remaining lizardmen in the backlines if it came to that.”
Nalaethar looked at him with arrogant indifference.
“You saw that monster as well, and it is much stronger than what your lord had described in his plans.
Even with our powers at their peak, we would need at least three of us in order to fight it to a standstill.
Do you truly believe your lord can take it on by himself for so long? He is in grave danger.”
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“But…..”
“There is no time left for arguments. The choices before you are your lord or Amandina, and the
importance of your lord outweighs her. Do you truly need to choose? In the battle against the Dragon of
Darkness, there is no room for benevolence. The standards for judging the situation lies in the conclusion
of the battle.”
The Nightsong Tiger could not help but look at Amandina’s direction. Brendel clearly ordered the
mercenaries to protect her.
Nalaethar shook his head: “Very well, human, I will tell you a secret. I have already asked Amandina to
place your lord’s safety as priority before she went off to command the mercenaries. I have no intention
of going her aid. In our history, putting our lives before defeating the Dragon of Darkness was to give up
hope for the continent’s future. This is why Medissa sacrificed herself for her sister, no matter how
unthinkable of a choice it might appear to you.”
He straightened himself and raised his hand, and the Silver Elves gathered before him.
“Move out!”
============== Amandina’s POV =============
Nalaethar and the Nightsong Tiger understood Amandina’s situation.
The mercenaries and her were in dire straits. There were simply too many openings in the ruins for the
Lizardmen to go through. The cover for the mercenaries was also inadequate and were easily in range of
the Lizardmen’s crossbows. Even if they retaliated with their own ranged attacks, it was not effective in
stopping the Lizardmen warriors from pouring in.
However, this showed off the Mercenaries of Lopes’ strong fighting will. The furthest three mercenaries
faced off against the initial hundred Lizardmen, giving up their positions twice and took it back two times
as well by using Exploding Crystals.
The reinforcements that Amandina sent out to help them were rebuffed by the enemies’ numbers, and
the three mercenaries were ultimately overwhelmed by the Lizardmen warriors who swarmed them
angrily with weapons and shredded them into pieces. The last person waited till his final breath and
detonated the last Exploding Crystal on himself, causing the largest damage to the Lizardmen’s numbers
since the start of the battle.
Almost twenty Lizardmen were taken out from that blast.
The battles after that were no less bloodier than the first one. The Mercenaries of Lopes were the ones in
charge of defending the riskiest chokeholds, and almost every time they battled it was a melee fest that
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guaranteed corpses. After exchanging twenty two Lizardmen for another four mercenaries, the enemies
finally broke through the outer positions and began to invade the ritual hall.
The remainder of the mercenaries retreated into the building and defended there, but it was not a plan
they could hold on to because there was less and less room to defend against the enemies. If the defense
lines were pushed back any further, they would have to retreat to the roof.
Amandina held on to the flag and continued to watch for changes in the battlefield, waiting for an
opportunity to order the mercenaries to charge into the enemies’ weak points. Each mercenary’s death
made her heart feel heavier. When Brendel was leading these men there was not even a single death, but
it was just her mere ten odd minutes of commanding them had caused them to suffer serious injuries and
even led them to their deaths
When the older Elven elementalist sister, Felaern, used her own body to block off a fatal crossbow bolt
attack, Amandina felt her eyes tear up uncontrollably. The Elven girl even suppressed her own voice in
order to make sure Amandina did not panic.
Amandina understood what Falaern was doing and gritted her teeth as she laid her down onto the
ground. The latter’s body warmth lingered in Amandina’s hands, and she looked like she was just
sleeping with her closed eyes.
A handkerchief appeared in front of Amandina.
She looked back in surprise and saw Deyna, the younger Elven sister.
“Wipe your tears, miss Amandina.”
“No, I’m fine…..” Amandina took a deep breath and then stuttered: “S-sorry…..”
Deyna’s lips moved once and wanted to say something, but she stopped herself. Brendel did not tell her
about the secret of the Mercenaries of Lopes, and she did not have the permission to reveal it either.
“Please give me the flag, Miss Amandina. This place is too dangerous.” She said after a moment of
hesitation.
Amandina shook her head.
“No, I have to be here.” She needed to do see this to the bitter end.
The Lizardmen had already broken the fourth defensive line, and the mercenaries retreated once again.
They were close to the roof. From that distance, Deyna estimated there was less than fifty meters before
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they reached Amandina. She even saw the Lizardmen’s crossbows raising towards them. Even though
they were not accurate shooters, their repeated attempts will reach the flag’s position soon.
Deyna creased her brows and stood in front of Amandina and reached for her sword. She was out of mana
like her older sister. Still, she had to accomplish her task to defend Amandina.
“Deyna.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.” Amandina said quietly.
The Elven girl smiled faintly, but quickly fell into a solemn expression when her eyes saw that the
Lizardmen were chattering amongst themselves. All the crossbows were raised at the same time, and she
was not certain whether she could defend against all the crossbows’ bolts. She gritted her teeth and
pulled out her sword, gripping the hilt tightly.
The Lizardmen’s fingers were on the triggers, waiting for the command to allow them to fire—
Amandina and Deyna held their breaths. No matter how much they prepared themselves for their deaths,
there was a sense of despair when they faced it directly.
However, that moment never came. A small shining crystal suddenly fell onto the ground and in the midst
of the Lizardmen. An explosion happened, and the walls were immediately painted with blood and rained
across the stairs along with bits of flesh and bones.
Everyone was stunned.
Amandina was certain she gave all the crystals to the mercenaries at the outer wall!
A sudden clang could be heard from the edge, and she turned her head around to see a sword on the
ground. Romaine climbed up onto the roof, appearing utterly exhausted and panting for breath. When she
saw Amandina, she gave a smug smile: “Haa— I nearly got lost, haa…… haa…… It was hard to find a
path…… to the roof…… Amandina, I learned how to use a sword, I can protect you…… Haaaaa….. I’m
tired…..”
“W-wait, aren’t you supposed to go back and wait?! Were you the one who used the Exploding Crystal?
Didn’t you give it all to Brendel?”
Romaine’s hands suddenly went to her small bag: “Well….. I might have kept a few.”
1010
“Hold on…… The reason why the explosion failed that night was because there were not enough to break
an important section of the hill, causing the rocks to fall around us right! Damn it, didn’t you say you used
them all?”
Romaine jumped up when she heard Amandina curse for the first time. She shook her head repeatedly. “I-
I promise I only have five, no, four left.”
1011
Soon after Hewjil left the battlefield, he received a report from the Lizardmen under Conrad and
discovered that he had escaped much earlier. It cursed loudly in front of the Lizardmen, but was secretly
delighted. If it was the first person to escape and leave Conrad behind, there would be repercussions from
the Tree Shepherds.
If Hewjil did not discover the secrets of the Elven kings’ grave, it would not consider leaving its men
behind. Telling the Tree Shepherds this secret would earn a great amount of goodwill and absolve his
responsibility for leaving early.
As for Conrad who escaped like a coward, he would be treated as the scapegoat, while the Lizardmen
would be seen as the ones who stayed behind to resist valiantly. The situation was unfortunate as the
Silver Elves were ultimately drawn out from the graves by its actions, otherwise it would be free to
complain to the Tree Shepherds about this bastard and land him into great trouble.
[This bloody bunch of sharp ears bastards.]
Hewjil’s uplifted mood turned dark when he thought about the Elves again. All his stolen goods were
placed in the ritual hall of the Elven temple. Giving them up like that made its teeth itchy. Suddenly, it
knocked into its adjutant who was in front as it did not pay attention.
Hewjil did not have anything to vent its anger on, and this made it reach its boiling point: “You mindless
bastard! Do you have no eyes—”
The leader of the Lizardmen suddenly realized something was wrong, it quickly snapped its head to the
object that was obscuring the light in front of it.
There was a tall Silver Elf fully clad in a heavy-looking silver armor. A pair of silver eyes was behind a
pointed helmet with two wings at its side, and at the tip of it was a long white tassel extending below his
shoulders.
And he…… was riding on a white unicorn.
Behind him were rows of Elves also riding unicorns. They looked almost like they were carved out of the
same image; every one of them had the same body height and figure.
They stood quietly there in the forest, while the forest was completely silent—
1012
The Elf in front of him looked down at Hewjil with expressionless eyes, yet they made it tremble. He
spoke after a short moment, his voice gentle and low: “Hewjil, I presume?”
The Lizardman opened its mouth and wanted to deny it, but it found that it could not do so because from
the intense gaze that seemed to pierce through any falsehoods.
“Good.” The Elf nodded: “We intended to slowly find our way to you ever since the Lizardmen invaded the
ruins, but it was only until recently that we were forced to come because the kings’ graves were
disturbed.”
Hewjil’s eyes narrowed in terror and felt faint. These Silver Elves were not the same as the ones they
fought earlier.
The Silver Elves had truly reappeared on this continent—
=============== Brendel’s POV ============
The card in Brendel’s hand turned grey after ten minutes passed. He threw it out and it burst into flames,
and left nothing behind. The card had gone into the graveyard and he felt a little annoyed at that fact.
Instead of reducing the number of cards inside his grave, it seemed like he needed to retrieve more of it.
Knowing that the cards in his deck were limited made him feel even more frustrated.
He peered deeper into the silent forest. Ekman had a poor sense of smell, but it had strong vision and
hearing senses. It was able to listen through all of its six limbs, and capable of capturing frequencies much
more than a human could.
But the distance between them were nearly five kilometers apart. If he did not make any noise, the
monster would probably have a difficult time finding him.
He considered for a while. Although he wanted to wait a little longer, he was afraid that it would turn
around and go for Scarlett instead. If that was the case, that would be the end of her since she was
unlikely to beat even a normal person in her condition.
He chose to raise his right hand and shot a Wind Bullet into the forest.
[The ring is almost useless against that monster anyway. Using it to attract the enemy is using its
capabilities well enough.]
As expected, once the spell was released, sounds of trees being felled quickly could be heard. The
monster’s reaction was incredibly quick, almost rushing straight towards his directions.
Brendel did not feel tense at all. He took a deep breath to focus himself, took out a ruby from his pouch
and counted the time in his mind.
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Countless trees were being knocked down one after another in rapid succession, to the point where it
sounded like an automatic gun being fired.
[Three, two, one…… Here it comes.]
Brendel immediately squeezed the ruby in between his fingers and formed an ‘okay’ sign. He chanted the
activation words and a red light was transmitted from it. The surroundings within ten meters of Brendel
was instantly silenced. The rustling of leaves, the sound of his breath, his heartbeats; everything was
silenced.
– Charge remaining: 6/10
Brendel saw the indication in his eyes.
The Acolyte of Earth immediately stopped in confusion and looked everywhere. It realized that the faint
heartbeat it heard earlier had completely disappeared. While it was hesitating on whether it should go
back to the girl, it saw an elegant white deer appearing in front of him.
The deer trotted slowly across the ground silently. It was truly like an open challenge to Ekman who was
in a berserk state. It uttered a guttural roar and charged towards it. However, the white deer was nothing
more than an illusion which was made out of light. Brendel could make it as fast and agile as he pleased,
and Ekman could not do anything other than to be toyed with.
Brendel hid on the branches of an old tree, holding on the statue and playing with the monster like it was
a game. Every time Ekman bellowed with frustration, he giggled without holding back. There was no
sound from his laughter, of course. Each cast of the Silence magic lasted for five minutes, and he had six
charges left. With the addition of the ten minutes that the warhorse had given him, he gain a total of forty-
five minutes.
The last option he had was the Unyielding talent, and Brendel believed that the Silver Elves would be
done with the Lizardmen, even with the worst scenario where the Lizardmen attacked the backlines.
Obviously, he would not gamble with his life if he did not have the means to delay the boss for that long.
The time passed by slowly—
When Brendel wanted to cast the Silence Magic for the fourth time, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.
That was because he discovered the monster had suddenly stopped moving and was not paying anymore
attention to the white deer.
It was making repeated growls that Brendel recognized as a warning.
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[Someone’s coming, who is it? Nalaethar?]
Countless thoughts passed through his mind, but he did not waste any time and recast the Silence spell
again. However, he confirmed that there was something amiss as it did not look to the north but over to
his direction.
[What the actual fuck?]
His heart suddenly tightened. He went through his actions in his mind once, but he did not believe he
made a mistake.
And then he caught something in the corner of his eyes—
The bushes suddenly parted, presumably with a rustle, because the monster reacted by extending to its
full height and roared. A familiar face emerged from the bushes, and the person was someone whom
Brendel had seen before.
It was Eke Lantonrand Ophelon, the cause of this entire chain of events.
He was the only son of Duke Rhun, and the successor of the Lantonrand territory. But that was not the
biggest problem. Eke was capable of seeing Brendel from his position while Ekman could not.
The first thing that Eke saw was certainly Ekman’s body fully covered with the Element power that it had
and he paled instantly. But when he looked around for a moment, he saw Brendel looking back with an
incredulous expression.
[T—– This fucking wanker!]
Brendel wanted to strangle Eke for intruding into his plans. He truly did not foresee this person
appearing in this desolate place.
Eke hesitated for a moment before he looked at the monster again. He pulled out his sword and ran
further away from Brendel, while yelling at the monster: “What are you looking at, you monster, are you
trying to pick a fight with me?”
[…… Hah?]
Brendel watched the baby-faced youth try to lure the monster away. He understood what his intentions
were. At that moment all his thoughts were replaced by something else.
[Holy shit! Is this kid Oskar Schindler?!]
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1016
Chapter 123 – Sorry, I’m not a knight.
Brendel thought he was an average human being in his past and present life. The difference between the
two was that he knew the events that were to come in the future. With that basis, he had a larger
ambition and desire to change Aouine’s fate, and change that ending that he bitterly regretted.
That thought did not really have anything to do with the word ‘selfless’. His wish was born out of his
desires and feelings, and did not think he had become a noble person even if he saved many people in
that path.
He would mete punishment equivalent to the evil deeds done, while answering with rewards to good
deeds shown, and firmly believed in that principle. He had never bound himself with the responsibilities
of a messiah or the likes, but at the same time he could not ignore Eke’s situation.
[Mother Marsha, did I offend you or something—]
He looked up to the sky with a helpless expression as he canceled the Silence spell.
“Stop running and come back to where you were!” He shouted to Eke.
Eke stopped running after a short while, but the Acolyte of Earth was already in the middle of the two. It
first stared at Eke, before looking back at Brendel, and recognized him as the one he had been chasing all
along.
“Is it really a gentleman’s behavior to steal the monster I’m hunting?” Brendel said as he looked at the
monster’s many eyes, feeling like his emotions were being tied into complicated knots. He really wanted
to smack the youth on the head a few times, but the latter’s actions invoked a sense of favorable
impression towards him.
In the end he made a sarcastic remark.
“…… Thanks.” Eke looked back at him with a grateful smile and shouted. He knew if Brendel did not help
in confronting the enemy, he would only last for a few seconds before getting shredded into pieces. The
monster seemed to exceed the strength of a Gold-ranked fighter, and handling it himself was an
impossible task.
It was clear that this was his fault. When he saw Brendel removing a spell, he immediately knew that it
was a Silence spell; a spell frequently used by mercenaries to either ambush or infiltrate, and he was
familiar with it. This was the equivalent of pulling Brendel right into danger, especially when he was
clearly hurt all over from the start.
1017
He sighed lightly and became convinced that the man on the tree was a righteous knight. Ever since he
was young, he was engrossed in reading novels about knights and even dreamed of becoming one.
Becoming a mercenary meant that his dream was still a little far away, but his conviction had never
changed. It was also the reason why the Grey Wolves Mercenaries liked him so much.
“Ser Knight, let us work together to defeat this monster!”
Eke shouted somewhat excitedly. He knew that even if the both of them fought together they were not be
able to defeat it, but if they were going to die, then they should at least have heroic deaths. He even
thought it was Mother Marsha granting him a chance to fight a monster together with a real knight in his
last moments, instead of seeing viewing this encounter as bad luck. (TL: This dude is absolutely bananas.)
“Huh?” Brendel obviously did not understand what he was talking about.
There was a flash of red that appeared in the monster’s eyes, and Brendel tensed up. It was a sign that it
was about to attack, and he was on the verge of activating his Charge ability when he realized the
monster did not move to attack him. He soon found out that it was because Eke had gone up and tried to
attack it.
“Holy shit! Are you crazy?”
Brendel really wanted to cover his eyes at that moment. A level 30 idiot trying to hit a level 65 (+15) boss
in a Berserk state. Indeed, the Boss had an increase in levels ever since it went berserk. Not only was it
stronger, it even had the abilities of its added levels. Layers and layers of rock walls sprouted from the
ground to form elaborate patterns that prevented him from advancing.
– Passive ability ‘Rock Bulwark’ activated.
Green words appeared in Brendel’s eyes. Each layer of rock was six centimeters long and was formed
with quartz, capable of resisting hardened steel swords. If anyone got close to it, the shield would
automatically activate to defend it from harm. A normal physical attack was useless against it.
Eke did not know that and he struck at the walls, and the sword only penetrated a few centimeters before
it was stopped. He immediately realized that it was a bad move but it was too late to retreat.
The monster swung its arm backwards, its hardened forelimb bringing about a sharp blade made of wind,
cutting and breaking its own layers of rocks to reach Eke. At that moment, he thought he had taken his
last breath, but someone knocked deeply unto him with a great impact, sending the air out of him and
forcing him to roll on the ground uncontrollably. When he finally managed to open his eyes from the pain,
he realized that the monster’s attack had missed him.
1018
When he turned his head to the side, he saw Brendel groaning as he got up and immediately understood
what happened. After having a moment to allow his mind to function properly, he hurriedly spoke with
gratitude: “Thanks ag—”
“Fuck!” Brendel punched the ground. The idiot had wasted his ability again. Even though Eke was better
with his personality compared to the bastards Makarov and Buga, this was truly an idiot who did not
think about consequences. No matter how he looked at Eke, it was clear that Makarov failed to teach him
how to think ahead.
The so-called idiot youth jumped a little when he saw Brendel looking angry, but the latter did not say
anything else and the monster was not going to wait for them, so he put his worries aside and bravely
said: “Ser Knight, let me distract him and you can attack him—”
“Shut your god damned mouth! Stop your bullshit!” Brendel cut him off again with a roar.
“I’m sorry……”
“Forget it. Just stop your nonsense.” Brendel’s patience had ran out and his replies were curt. The
monster began to charge towards them like a heavy tank and he immediately stood up. There was no
time to waste when he had to face a boss with limited options. Since the monster had trouble turning
around easily, he kicked himself off the trees and launched himself to the sides and ran towards the
monster’s rear.
[I’ll test out Frontal Assault first—]
What surprised him was how easy he managed to get behind him. Even if the monster turned slowly, it
would not give up on defending itself. He was even prepared to suffer an attack if things went awry. But
he suddenly thought of another possibility and stiffly turned his head to Eke, then broke out into a cold
sweat.
Eke had placed his sword horizontally across his chest and faced the Acolyte of Earth directly where he
was.
“What the fucking hell—-!”
Brendel stopped his motion to use Frontal assault and instead raised his hand to use the Flame Ring. The
explosive fireball struck the monster’s shoulder, disrupting its aim slightly. Instead of hitting Eke’s chest
the attack landed on his left shoulder instead. The latter cried out loudly and was knocked straight into
the bushes. There was a loud crash as he slammed into a tree and there was no further sound.
Brendel quickly retreated, but when he looked at the monster that was turning towards him, he could
only scream repeatedly by cursing Eke in his mind.
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He was completely out of options now. He could only hope for Nalaethar to reach here as soon as
possible, but it seemed like the wish was truly unlikely. Was Mother Marsha listening to his prayers?
Suddenly, he heard a light giggle that sounded like it came from a child. It sounded truly out of place in
this forest —
=============== Amandina’s POV ============
After Romaine joined the battle the situation was quickly reversed. She did not want to tell her how many
Exploding Crystals she had, and simply handed two over to the mercenaries who quickly used them
against the Lizardmen, forcing them back from the roof. However, their commander ordered them to
attack in a loose formation and once again pushed towards the roof.
Romaine took out another two Exploding crystals and indicated that she did not have anymore left, but
no one believed her. The horn from the battlefield suddenly sounded out for a long time. This was a signal
to indicate the battle at the frontlines was over, and they were free to pull out of battle.
However, Amandina did not want this to end and she quickly issued an order.
“Deyna, get me Romaine’s bag—”
The Elven girl obeyed the order and resulted in Romaine staring at Amandina with teary eyes. The latter
took her bag and poured it out onto the ground. She discovered there was another two Exploding Crystals
in it, and she yelled angrily: “I told you these things are dangerous! How could you hide six Exploding
Crystals from me!
“I did make sure that I kept them carefully.” Romaine said in a pitiful voice.
“That isn’t the problem…… Forget it. I’ll talk to you later.” Amandina sighed. “Deyna, distribute the
remaining crystals. I want a counter attack.”
She nodded and left.
The conclusion of the battle was nearly over.
1020
Chapter 124 – The observer in the back (1)
The clear laughter pierced through the quiet forest.
Brendel and Ekman raised their heads to the source of the voice, and discovered a short girl sitting on top
of a branch. She looked like she was fourteen or fifteen years old, and had twin ponytails that were
slightly curled. She supported her round face with both hands and looked at Brendel with interest.
The girl’s clear green eyes was also filled with mirth. She wore traditional leather armor and shook her
boots subconsciously.
“Mister Brendel, do you need any help?” The girl asked with a big smile.
“Who are you?” Brendel asked after a moment and narrowed his eyes. The little girl was somehow
familiar to him.
“Rauze.” The girl said.
“Rauze?”
Ekman’s bellow interrupted the both of them. It was clearly displeased with this newcomer, but there
seemed to be something dangerous about her and was reluctant to move rashly. It looked at her
cautiously while lowering its body and entered into a wary stance.
This action clearly grabbed Brendel’s attention.
“How annoying, interrupting me when I’m speaking—” The little girl snapped her teeth lightly and
jumped down, with a huge greatsword suddenly appearing in her hands. She did not waste any more
lines and swung it. Ekman roared loudly and jumped back a little, placing both its hardened arms in front
of him. There was a sharp snapping sound like twigs being snapped, as the sword’s blade shattered the
layers of the rock shield like it was made of glass before destroying the outer layer of the forefront limbs.
Copper-green blood immediately spurted out from the cracks, but the blade continued to travel its path
without stopping, slicing off its limbs and biting into its chest. A loud explosion rang out as the sword
knocked Ekman away, causing it to scream repeatedly from pain.
Bredel froze there on the spot.
1021
The attack was done in the blink of an eye. She only took a split second to beat that scary monster Ekman
into a pulp. He even asked himself if it was an illusion. How did she make it was even weaker than the low
leveled grey wolves outside of Bucce?
“You are……” Before Brendel could finish his words, his mouth opened widely because the girl threw
away the gigantic sword like it was a toothpick into Ekman’s direction. A loud crash could be heard as the
sword struck it and the forest was silent once again.
“……” Brendel did not know what to say.
“Such a naughty little puppy. It needs to be taught a lesson before it’s quiet.” The little girl clapped her
hands as if to get rid of the dust on them before she turned around. Because Brendel was much taller than
her, she had to look up at him.
“What were you asking just now, mister Brendel?” She asked while raising her eyebrow in a mischievous
manner.
“Erm…… I have no questions. I have things to do, so I’m going to leave now.” It looked like the girl was
someone violent, and he knew how many crazy NPCs there were in the game. Even though they had
amazing hidden side quests, it would be better to leave them alone if he could not handle it.
There was no way he could revive in this world so he had to flee now before trouble got a hold on him.
Sadly, that trouble was looking specifically for him—
“Wait,” The little girl saw that Brendel really wanted to leave and pulled his sleeves, but she had hurriedly
grabbed his leather armor with both hands and tore the seams off with a loud ripping sound. She stuck
out her tongue: “Sorry, I think I used too much strength…..”
Brendel said nothing as he took off his leather armor and threw it onto the ground because it was not
usable anymore. He sighed and turned around: “Do I know you, miss Rauze?”
“Of course you do, you even accepted such a precious gift from me.”
“Wait— I don’t understand what you mean. What precious gift did I accept from you?”
She pointed at his bag.
“You mean to say…..”
The little girl nodded.
1022
Brendel’s face darkened. The Golden Apple naturally would not find its way into his bag without rhyme
or reason. He had suspected that someone did it on purpose, but he always lacked a target to point his
finger at. He even thought that it was Romaine’s aunt that he had not met yet, especially after he met
Tulman. However, he did not think it was….. a little girl?
He looked at her. Her features were pretty like a doll and she was staring at him in a mischievous manner.
He still felt it was a little difficult to believe her.
“So, you know what that is?”
“The Fairy’s Apple. Is it rare?”
[She really is that person.]
“That means you were at that place from the start?”
“Haaah~~~ I feel really hurt that you are so~~~ suspicious of me, mister Brendel! Of course I know
what that place is. The Valley of the Holy Saints, that is the name you humans call it right?”
[You humans—?]
Brendel caught that two words. He tested her in order to confirm his suspicions and there was no
mistaking it. At the very least, she was somehow related to the Golden Apple. Even he did not realize he
was carrying it for a while, after the visit to the Valley of the Holy Saints.
“Why did you give this to me?” Brendel thought for a while before he retrieved the shining golden apple
and asked the question he had that was on his mind ever since the day he found it. The Golden Apple was
famous amongst folklore as the Golden Tree was grown from the River of Destiny, and had the ability to
change the fate of a person. “I don’t believe I know you personally, miss Rauze?”
The short girl giggled again, her eyes turning into crescents. “Of course there’s a reason. Just treat it as a
thank you gift.”
“A thank you gift?”
She nodded.
“Somehow I feel that it sounds like it’s big trouble.” Brendel could feel black manga lines creeping over
his forehead and his face darkened slightly.
[A Golden Apple as a thank you gift. I can just imagine how much trouble it is.]
1023
“That’s why I’m thanking you ahead with that gift, mister Brendel.”
“You saved me this time to thank me too?” Brendel was beginning to find what sort of trouble he got
himself into but did not think he did anything crazy enough to attract her attention. He thought for a long
time but was not able to figure it out. Rauze did not look like she was lying, and more to the point, did not
need to give him a Golden Apple to make fun of him.
“Well, no actually.” Rauze shook her head, and her pair of golden twintails shook in a playful manner.
Brendel looked at her in silence.
“I wanted to ask you a question but I’m not sure if I want to ask you . If I ask you the question, then I can
get the satisfaction of getting the answer, but if I don’t ask you I can get the satisfaction of guessing the
answer. It’s so annoying and so conflicting. But if that naughty puppy killed you, wouldn’t I lose that
satisfaction? No, no, no!”
[My god. Ekman died in such a horrible manner. Why does it sound like, ‘Well shit, I’m in a bad mood
today, I’m doing whatever I want, so fuck you—‘? No matter how I look at it, this girl sounds like the
unwelcomed and unreasonable dragon race in the continent.]
“And?” Brendel said.
“I changed my mind. I thought about it enough, and I decided that I want to ask you this question—”
“So you’re going to lose your fun of guessing?”
“Didn’t I say I changed my mind.”
“Very well, what do you want to ask me?”
Rauze pointed at the Golden Apple.
“It has something to do with this?” Brendel looked at her incredulously.
“Mister Brendel, you should very well know the value of the Fairy’s apple, have you not thought about
eating it?”
He shook his head. He had already planned his path ahead of him. However, the girl’s attitude had raised
his suspicions. He looked at the apple in his hand and wondered if it was fake or if there was some other
problem to it.
He never believed that something good would just happen out of nowhere.
“Are you worried that I’m lying to you? Don’t worry, there’s no poison to it this time, but I did add
something interesting to it—” The girl answered.
1024
Brendel felt his back grow cold with sweat. It was lucky that he was careful.
“What interesting thing?” He asked, but it seemed like Rauze did not wish to answer.
Instead, she parted the bushes and ran to Ekman’s corpse, then dragged the gigantic monster over like
she was dragging a small animal. She knocked it around a few times, then suddenly discovered a longbow
before throwing it to the sides.
“Strange, the mana around it is dissipating so quickly. And why is it carrying a longbow?”
[Shit, stop messing the body with your unlucky hands!]
Players discovered in the game that monsters’ drops were affected by the rate of mana disappearing. A
bound Magic Weapon could even be damaged from the disappearing mana, and it was dependent on luck
as to how many items could be gotten.
Brendel was the called the King of Luckless Hands because the monsters’ mana usually disappeared
quickly when he messed around with their bodies. The only person who had even worse luck was his
female senior, and her level was at the instant evaporation of mana, leaving almost no items behind. He
had the sensibility to leave the looting of corpses to other people, but she was really into looting as
though she wanted to defeat the fate of being luckless.
In the end, she failed in her challenge.
But this time Brendel witnessed another person who was as luckless as she was.
A level 65 Boss in a berserk state that was killed perfectly when he was at level 25, yet the first item was a
longbow at a Brass-rating (Magic) rarity as a reward.
– Shale Longbow, Brass-rating (magic).
[Please stop, please……! What happened to my promised pauldrons at the Gold-rating (Fantasy) rarity?!]
Brendel’s heart was bleeding with tears.
1025
Chapter 125 – The observer in the back (2)
The girl knelt beside the corpse that was almost like a small building. She flipped it around for quite some
time but she did not seem to discover anything else, so she lifted the longbow by its string with her
fingers, stood up and shook it in front of Brendel before placing it on the ground: “Do you want it?”
“How about you?”
Rauze naturally shook her head at the longbow which was taller than her. “It’s useless to me, I just want
to see what it had—”
Brendel wanted to hit the ground.
[If you don’t need it stop messing with the body!]
He really wanted to destroy things with his bare hands so he could feel better, but the girl literally killed
the Acolyte of Earth with one single blow for him so he had no rights to complain about it. He could only
ask with the faintest of hope:
“That’s it?”
“What do you mean by ‘that’s it’?”
“You only discovered this longbow?”
“Of course not, there are quite a number of things on it, but they don’t fit my aesthetics so I didn’t want to
touch them at all.”
[This is a reason?] Brendel grumbled, but he continued to ask the question he did not receive an answer
to:
“You still haven’t told me what you added to the Golden Apple. If that’s a thank you gift, I think I have the
right to know what it is, right?” He lifted up at the apple. He originally wanted to let Freya or Romaine eat
it, but he found that it was fortunate that he did not do so. Only the Gods would know what was on it.
He carefully placed it slightly further away from him, in case he somehow touched that ‘interesting thing’
on it.
“It’s a secret.” She giggled again.
1026

“Secret…” His mouth twitched a little.
Brendel still wanted to get an answer but Rauze suddenly frowned a little and looked to a certain
direction. She put her index finger to her lips and made an action to get him to be quiet.
“Someone’s coming.” Her expressions turned solemn. “Mister Brendel, your adventures were really
exciting and I like them very much. I came to see you personally this time because there’s a little trouble
back in my clan. My friend and I need to return back there soon.” (TL: Friend’s name is Phoral.)
“Hold on.” Brendel suddenly caught on to a number of things. The girl seemed to have followed him for a
long time, but he caught onto something that practically confirmed his suspicion: “Clan? You are……”
Rauze nodded with a smile.
An explosion set off in his mind. The only race that liked to call itself ‘clan’ was the Dragon race. Everyone
in the continent disliked them, even the Madara undead. They were arrogant and did crazy things, while
being unreasonable all the time and were infamous for their deeds.
He really did not expect to be involved with a little girl dragon for so long, but it was fortunate that she
did not become unhappy through the process and ate him for lunch. In fact, it seemed she seemed like she
had a favorable opinion of him. Now he somehow felt a little lucky with a dragon covering his back.
Was this good karma for rescuing the refugees?
“All right, Mister Brendel, those men are about to reach here. I don’t want these lowly stupid creatures to
see me. Don’t worry, I’ll stay with you a little longer and not let them hurt you.” She stood up on her toes
and petted his shoulders, like she was his older godsister. Her body started to fade away, becoming
transparent and disappeared entirely.
[Hurt me? Why would Nalaethar and the Silver Elves need to do that?]
For the prideful Silver Elves to be called as lowly creatures by the dragon girl would likely cause their
king to wake up from his grave and return to the world. At the same time, the dragons were the rare races
who still held on the Golden Bloodlines. The dragons might not have large numbers because they
conceived less compared to the other races, but any of their lineage had the ability to use the Element
power from the time when they were born. It was the most recognizable sign of the Golden Bloodlines.
[Nalaethar is really slow…… Hmm, did I forget something?]
A faint thought of something important passed through his mind, but he was instantly distracted by
Ekman’s body. Since a pair of unlucky hands already went through his body, then the items were
1027
probably set in stone. He first picked up the longbow in front of him and read the description from the
system.
– Shale Longbow, Brass-rating (Magic).
– Piercing damage: 25-29, +4 agility, +2 strength
– Ability: Creates one Arrow of Petrification (1 week cooldown)
Brendel played with the longbow’s string. He was barely satisfied with the stats. Even though it was
merely at a Brass-rating with normal stats, the ability to create an Arrow of Petrification was very useful,
as this type of arrow could not be replicated by spells. The arrow was completely effective on any Iron-
rank fighters and below, but that would be a waste to use it on them. It would be a serious threat to peak
Silver-rank fighters at level 40, and even affect gold-rank fighters at lvl 41-50.
The arrow itself can be kept like any other generated Magic arrows, and would retain its effectiveness
even after a long time. This was something players loved to hoard, and many archers prepared this
ammunition in advance. It also did not need special bows in order for it to be used too.
The Shale Longbow was not a terrible weapon but it was underwhelming if it was dropped from a level
65 boss with a perfect kill score. He eagerly went went over to Ekman, even though Rauze was still at his
side. Finding great equipment from a boss was still something that enticed him enough for him to ignore
other problems.
He carefully placed the Golden Apple on the ground. He did not feel like putting back into his bag until he
figured what the apple had on it. Then he went over and checked Ekman’s body.
– Star of Flames, Brass-rating (Magic)
– Expands Fire Element Mana Pool by 50%, increase Fire Element by 10.
Brendel giggled three times when he saw this necklace.
He was a Planeswalker in this world and it was important to expand his Fire Element Mana Pool. This
suddenly led him to consider finding and equipping equipment from the Elementalist’s profession. He
could find brooches and earrings, and expanding his Mana pool several times would be an easy task. Even
if he had shitty innate talent, he could be a qualified user with great artifacts.
[Cheating with items in order to compensate for the lack of talent. Ha, ha, ha.]
Brendel chucked away the necklace before he suddenly heard a snap behind him. When he turned
around, he saw a group of men walking out from the bushes. Brendel’s eyes went wide when he saw
them, and realized what that important thought was.
1028
If Eke appeared, was it not possible that the bastards Makarov and Buga were nearby? Naturally there
were more than the two of them. Seven or eight men accompanied them, but they did not like they were
from the Grey Wolves Mercenaries.
Brendel concentrated on his eyes on the old man behind Makarov and Buga, frowning as he felt like he
had seen him before from somewhere.
But compared to Brendel’s surprise, Makarov and Buga were utterly shocked. They obviously recognized
him, but Brendel looked like a hero depicted from some legendary fable. He was holding on to a short
sword, with bloody wounds all over his fit body which were exposed to the air. The monstrous Acolyte of
Earth, Ekman, was cut up with deep gashing wounds and laid dead with blood spewed everywhere. It was
even dragged a sizable distance on the ground.
It did not seem wrong to say that the youth took the monster down all by himself after an incredible
grueling fight.
Buga and Makarov fought against Ekman a few nights ago, and even at that time the level 50 Boss was
equivalent to a level 65 normal monster, which already exceeded a Gold-rank fighter, and were
completely outmatched. The worst thing was how Buga and Ekman had the same Element type, making it
easy for everyone to see the difference between their strength. Once he realized that he was outmatched,
Buga and Makarov made the decision to leave the Grey Wolves Mercenaries and left them to fend for
themselves.
The two of them took a step back when they saw that corpse.
[This young man……] Makarov thought to himself.
“It’s you!” But it was Buga who spoke first.
“I was wonder who could it be.” Brendel answered lazily as he looked at them. He was laughing inside his
mind. To think that karma happened so quickly.
[It looks like you have yourself to blame for your bad luck. What a fucking joke. If I don’t get my revenge, I
won’t live up to my name as the Super Veteran, and should just retire somewhere to live life peacefully.]
His reply came with a pair of folded arms without any inflections to his voice. Buga’s sudden call out was
followed by a long silence—
1029
Chapter 126 – With great power comes great responsibilities (1)
“Mister Brendel, do you need some help with your injuries?” As expected of the experienced cunning fox,
Makarov smiled and asked in a well meaning way after overcoming his shock: “We did not expect to meet
you again after we got separated from the ambush.”
[You fucking bastard. You led the enemies right to us and you dare to take zero responsibility for your
shit. Are you really treating me like some naive kid?]
However, Brendel did not display his fury and even smiled, patting the lifeless head of the Acolyte of
Earth: “Nope. This enemy is not strong enough to cause me trouble. It’s a pity that you fled so quickly that
night, I couldn’t even react fast enough to lend you aid as allies. I sincerely apologize for that.”
Both of them exchanged barbs with each other. Their skills at spouting bullshit seemed like a stalemate,
but Makarov was on his guard because he was not certain whether Brendel knew the whole truth or
because he was angry at his actions at the night of the ambush. Brendel appeared like he had many facets
to him in contrast to his youthful appearance, and Makarov felt it was difficult to deal with him in such a
short notice.
Even to the point where he had to ignore Brendel’s sarcastic remarks.
Ultimately he did not appear there to argue with the youth. He frowned and looked at the area behind
Brendel’s back. He hesitated for a while before he asked:
“Mister Brendel, did you see anyone else passing by here?”
“Perhaps you mean to find a young man?” Brendel asked innocently while suppressing his laughter.
“Yes, we are indeed looking for a young man!” Makarov answered as the people behind him also
appeared anxious.
“Well, if my guess isn’t wrong, that would be mister Eke you’re looking for??” Brendel asked.
Their expressions immediately turned serious.
“You know him?” Makarov took a step forward and his words left him before he could stopped himself.
He realized he had overreacted and coughed once, before he returned to where he was. He looked at the
Buga and the old man beside him. Buga was holding on his greatsword’s hilt with one hand and looked
warily at the youth with a darkened expression, while the old man looked at him with a thoughtful face.
1030
Makarov was certain that Brendel had guessed something by now, although he did not think that he knew
of their identities. Even the entire Grey Wolves Mercenaries and Eke were deceived by him.
“Mister Brendel, Eke is the son of my close friend. I promised him that I would take care of Eke, but I
accidentally got separated from him. Please tell me where you saw him” Makarov coughed again and
asked.
[You got separated with not only Eke but the entire Grey Wolves Mercenaries right? You don’t even
looked concerned with their well being, you piece of shit.]
“Close friend? The subordinate of Duke Rhun, Makarov, calling his lord with that title? Would your duke
agree to that?”
The moment Brendel mentioned Duke Rhun, the followers behind Makarov immediately drew out their
weapons, while he looked at them in amusement.
“Young man, who exactly are you.” Makarov finally cast off his friendly tone and questioned him in a
demanding tone. He immediately wondered if Brendel was on Conrad’s side, but when he looked at the
Acolyte of Earth, that did not seem likely.
[A third faction? Even though the possibility is there, who would be interested in this affair? It does feel
more likely that it’s not a faction within the kingdom. Then from the outside? Madara or Kirrlutz?]
Brendel did not know what Makarov was thinking, but he was waiting for the old man to make a move. If
he was standing beside Buga and Makarov, then his status would be high enough for him to do so. But
that was not Duke Rhun, and he would not make a mistake with that famous person. Even if Duke Rhun
was to disguise himself, he would not be fooled.
The old finally spoke, but the question he asked surprised everyone.
“Young man, is that the Fairy’s Apple beside your feet?” The old man had spend all the time identifying it
and asked.
[Crap!]
Brendel yelled in his mind and realized he did not keep the fruit in his bag. That mistake was partially
caused by Rauze’s remark and also because he did not expect anyone else coming other than his allies.
At the same time, he finally recognized who the old man was when he spoke.
1031
That was the head of the court wizards, the old minister who aided King Ansen the seventh, Fleetwood
Deverra Gemmer.
[This person is the princess and prince’s teacher. So he’s involved in all of this. To think Makarov has this
hidden card. No wonder he’s confident enough to leave Eke in town. He even fooled me into thinking his
forces were stretched thin. Conrad must have sent part of his men to the town as well, and if Fleetwood is
there…… I see. The Grey Wolves Mercenaries was a bait all along. Makarov wanted to make sure that all
of Conrad’s men are accounted for. Then—]
Brendel’s mind worked furiously as he looked suspiciously at the men in front of him and his hand
subconsciously touched his sword’s hilt.
Even though he understood the motives of the nobles’ need for such merciless behavior in times where
Madara was at their doorstep, but they had never acknowledged their feelings. Sanford, Scarlett and even
Redi, had given up great sacrifices in order to work for Makarov, but were regarded as nothing more than
mere pawns.
When they did not need these pawns anymore, they simply sent them out to die and destroyed their
dreams, not even allowing them to resist. The worst thing was how they did not realize this point at all.
Brendel took a deep breath and gritted his teeth. He was determined to teach these vermins a lesson. It
was not because he was honorable, but because he could no longer tolerate his situation. He wanted them
to pay for their actions.
“Grandmaster Fleetwood, right?”
Brendel took the Golden Apple and shook it in front of them.
His actions made Makarov and Buga’s expression change. They finally realized what Fleetwood meant by
the Fairy’s Apple. That was the fruit of the Golden Tree. With that item, they had the ability to change
everything. The dying king’s body, or even the prince’s feeble personality and luck, with the Golden
Apple, everything would change.
Was this the chance that the Gods gave Aouine?
Everyone in front of Brendel thought of that.
Regardless of whether it was the two-faced Makarov or Fleetwood who had seen countless events, had
their breaths quickened.
“Young man, the thing in your hands is important to us. May I know if you’re willing to sell it to us? We
will fulfill your demands, regardless of whether it is money or power.”
1032
Brendel felt two hands placed onto his shoulders, and a small voice in his ears: “Do you want to sell it? I
permit you to do that, mister Brendel.”
Brendel merely gave a big smile while looking at them like they were rotting pigswill. “You want it?”
“Yes,” Makarov continued from Fleetwood with incredible charisma: “Mister Brendel, that item in your
hand is incredibly important to us, to the point where it can change the fate of many people. Please
believe me when we say that we’re not buying this for ourselves. We are also willing to pay and abide for
a fair transaction. As long as you quote a price, we will do our best to fulfill it. Money, power, girls, or even
boys, anything that you desire— we will grant it.”
Brendel chortled coldly: “Such bold claims, mister Makarov. What do you have to guarantee anything to
say, or even let me trust you? Just because the royal family is behind you? You ask me what I want? Very
well, I do want to ask you two questions—”
The three men in front of Brendel looked at each other in confusion. They did not understand his request,
but if that was all, this chance could not be squandered, so Makarov nodded: “Go ahead and ask.”
“The first question. I’m really curious and I don’t understand your plan quite a bit. If you had
Grandmaster Fleetwood, why do you need mister Buga and yourself to risk your lives, and even throw
away the Grey Wolves Mercenaries here.”
Makarov and Buga did not expect this question at all and looked blankly at him, but it was Fleetwood who
answered: “Young man, these fights are not what they seem at all on the surface. I don’t know how much
you know exactly, but we don’t want to the world to know that the royal family has interfered in this
matter—”
He did not wish to reveal this information to a stranger, but Brendel had already recognized him, and the
item in his hand was too important, so he lowered his status and explained for him.
“I see.” Brendel nodded.
“Then the second question. The fact that you came here, is it because you wanted to gather back the Grey
Wolves Mercenaries?” Brendel lowered his head with a smile, hiding away his sinister eyes: “You see, I
accepted your men into my group……”
Makarov and Fleetwood looked at each other before he shook his head: “No, you’re thinking too much Mr
Brendel. We have no intention to come back for them at all. It was because Mister Eke insisted to find his
companions and his betrothed.”
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He felt a little awkward when he spoke about his betrothed. It was shameful that he allowed the only son
of Duke Rhun to get engaged with someone under his watch. But he shook his head and continued his
answer:
“The Grey Wolves Mercenaries are a thing of the past. It doesn’t exist any longer, and for the men that you
accepted, I thank you.”
[As expected.] Brendel was grinding his teeth.
He heard a clanking sound on the ground, and everyone turned to the source of the sound. They found a
red-haired girl covered in blood and holding on to her wound on her cheat, standing blankly there. The
spear in her hand had dropped onto the ground.
TL: Sorry, I couldn’t resist from quoting something from something.
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Chapter 127 – With great power comes great responsibilities (2)
“Scarlett?” Makarov’s eyes bulged slightly, before he glanced at Brendel with a heavy heart, and
understood why he had asked these two questions earlier.
However, at this critical juncture, Fleetwood would never allow him to anger the youth in front of him,
even if the latter sowed discord in front of him. He tried to suppress his emotions, but the emotional blow
to him was so strong that he could only look away, when his adopted daughter looked at him with
disbelief and a tinge of sadness in her eyes.
Even if he had a thousand excuses, or at the very least one sentence which Scarlett hoped to even listen
to, he could not speak of it.
“She’s a gold rank fighter……” Buga suddenly spoke.
Makarov looked at her again in surprise and realized it was true. He did not know what happened to her
in just a few days, and thought it was her potential that came out from the dire situation she was in. They
had completely failed to spot her talent, but the value of the Golden Apple in Brendel’s hand surpassed
any gold-ranked fighters.
That was a source of the Golden Bloodline.
Once the person ate it, they would become a ‘Chosen’.
“Scarlet, you……” Makarov’s explanations turned into these two words.
But no further words came out from him, and the girl looked sadly to the man whom she looked up to as a
father. It was not disappointment she had in her eyes, but a gaze of pleading, even if it was just a white lie,
she would believe it.
She waited helplessly for her merciless leader to change his mind, hoping to hear the words “I’m sorry,
welcome back…..”
His words felt like he was concerned about her well-being, but his actions were clearly drawing a line
that they were nothing more than strangers. The tall figure of Makarov instantly became blurry and far
away from Scarlett and she clutched over her heart as tears spilled from her eyes.
“Why…..” She sobbed out a single word before she fainted right onto the ground with a audible sound
with her eyes closed.
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Even with this scene appearing in front of Makarov, he chose to stay silent.
Brendel’s eyes were cold and furious. He felt a tap on his back, and he nodded. If Rauze did not alert him
in advance, he would not have detected Scarlett’s presence. He wanted her to know the truth about
Makarov because he could not allow Makarov to keep her like a pawn to be disposed of any time.
“I’m sorry.” Brendel sighed and muttered. It was not his intention to break her heart.
He walked over to her and held her in his arms, and cleaned off the mud from her face. Her tears could
still be seen on her face and looked like she was still reliving a nightmare. He then carefully propped her
against a tree, before turning back to Makarov and the others with a condescending gaze.
“Mister Brendel?” Fleetwood cut in as he felt Brendel’s fury.
“MAKAROV!” Brendel’s roar was unleashed with a burning fury from his chest, his voice so cold that it
was like a blade at their throats. Everyone was startled, not knowing what exactly was his relationship
with Scarlett was.
“Do you think me as a fool? I know all your fucking secrets! Ever since King Ansen the Seventh took the
throne, Aouine has been on a decline, and this kingdom is shrouded from the light and became dark from
corruption. Ten years, you staked everything on a comeback with all you’ve got. Your carefully laid out
merciless plan seemed like it was meant for the greater good, but the truth is all of you just wanted to
indict Duke Arreck and control the nobles after he’s gone. You lied to the whole kingdom into thinking
Duke Lantonrand is a fool so you can become the victors at the end. Who else is assisting you? Lord
Schwake?”
Brendel’s words were like daggers that lodged into their hearts. Makarov and Fleetwood paled
immediately and even forgot to breath as they tried to guess who exactly the youth in front of them was.
He had pointed out the gist of their plans, and even knew that it was a gamble that was all or nothing. All
sacrifices were worth the price, even if it meant their lives. The political exchange between the royal
faction and the nobles had become something like a fantatical belief. There was only one chance to topple
their target, and once they did so, the royal faction that was losing the battle would be able to turn the
tide and sweep the darkness that was plaguing the kingdom.
This was the makings of a great legend, and it should rightly have legendary ending of good triumphing
over evil. It was supposed to be flawless, but the youth who was a stranger who knew more than most of
their members, even had the knowledge of when the plan started.
[Who is this bastard? What is he planning?] Makarov’s forehead was glistening with cold sweat.
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Brendel punched a nearby tree in explosive anger, causing it to splinter: “Under the banner of ‘justice’
from the royal faction, your sword points even at the men and women who are innocent! For the sake of
the kingdom’s future, you even tried to bribe me with Aouine’s citizens. Girls?! Boys?! Your morals have
been fed to the dogs! Your honor has been fucked away like whores! You sent men and women out to
their deaths even if your plans fail completely and utterly!”
“Stop your insults.” Fleetwood’s wrinkles bunched up together as he also felt a wrath boiling in him. Even
though the Golden Apple was something important to them, he could not allow him to insult the royal
crown.
“Do you have nothing to say about your plans, Grandmaster Fleetwood?”
“Our plans have not failed—“
“Do you want to know the reasons why your failure is inevitable?” Brendel suddenly laughed in a
pleasant voice. He took a deep breath as he recalled the past in his previous life. The memories of burning
pillars and furniture in the castle. The kingdom was in ruins and destroyed by Madara, and everything
was gone.
The Rrincess Regent’s final wish.
The oath from the Goddess of War.
They made their vows as though they would be able to allow Aouine to rise from the ashes, and every
gamer in the kingdom poured their efforts into the war. But Madara poured in like a black sea and swept
everything away. It was an ending that was destined for faliure and tragedy.
The nobles who won against Duke Lantonrand were still seating in their high chairs and manipulating the
scenes from behind. They thought that they were the final victors by ruining the royal family, but they
were ultimately slayed. Countless lives were lost.
Even till the end, they did not take responsibility for their actions.
[These nobles are so high up on their horses that I don’t know how to deal with them. They think their
every action is sacred, putting in so much belief into their corrupted sense of ‘justice’ and ‘kindness’ or
just plain ‘I deserve this shit because I’m a fucking noble’.]
“How can I let you see the truth…..” Brendel sighed tiredly. He shook his hand: “This Golden Apple. I know
what kind of impact it has in your eyes, because this will make your ‘game’ shine ever brighter. You truly
believe that the scales will tip in your favor. Sadly, and it’s not because I wish to shock you, you are
destined to fail.”
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“What are you talking about?” This time it was Buga who frowned.
“Young man, not everyone can become a seer.” Fleetwood shook his head.
“The ones who uses such lies are burned on a stake.” Makarov added with a threatening glare.
“You don’t believe?” Brendel merely laughed.
“Your reason?” Buga asked simply.
“I recall a story. During the Aouine’s brightest era, the knights of Aouine would carry their horns and
swallowtail flags. With their blades pointed forth, they would blow their horns and charge forth. The
golden emblems from Corvado, Grinoires and Arreck were woven onto the swallowtail flags. The nobles
in that era held on their oaths—“
Brendel took a pause.
“Do you still remember that oath?” Brendel smiled.
They looked at him with a dumbfounded look.
“Don’t recall it?” Brendel’s eyes were full of ridicule: “That’s fine. I can recite it for you.”
“I swear upon this sword and will stay true to this oath! I will lead my citizens away from wars and
killings, to distance ourselves from the empire’s nobles’ arrogance and greed; I will never repeat the
mistakes of the empire’s bloody history. I will ensure that the nobles will be faithful to the knights’ code
of being fair and disciplined, brave and unflinching, generous and benevolent. I will enforce this oath to
the end of my life!”
Brendel recited these words passionately and looked at the speechless men in front of him.
“Do you still recall the person who made this vow?” He said.
Fleetwood, Makarov and Buga exchanged glances. They felt a little hot on their faces. They obviously
knew who made the oath, but they merely forgot who did it.
“Indeed,” Brendel nodded: “That is the source of your beliefs, the origin of Aouine’s nobles. Your ancestral
king of the wise, the First King Erik who swore upon the Lionheart. Do you remember the words after the
oath? When the day comes where the nobles of Aouine have forgotten their responsibilities, then this
sword shall return to where it came from and not protect this kingdom any longer.”
“Do you not remember?” Brendel asked admist the silence. “You don’t—“
1038
“Such a pity.” Brendel spoke again after their replies still did not come.
He then sighed and cast his gaze into the distant forest. The afternoon sun seemed to shine a little
brighter.
Teaser for next chapter:
“Mister Brendel, that oath you just recited seemed to have resonated with something; this power, is really
strange…… I can’t suppress it any longer……” Rauze suddenly whispered. “I can’t hold it any longer, I’m
releasing the barrier…..”
“Hey, wait!”
……….
“T-this……. This is….. King Erik’s Lionheart sword……” Fleetwood was completely stunned.
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Chapter 128 – The acknowledgement from the knights
The youth’s voice seemed to linger in their minds.
They were silenced by his words, cutting through their excuses and beliefs, forcing them to lower their
heads and ponder upon their actions. Even ardent supporters of the crown, Fleetwood and Makarov’s
minds were shaken in that moment. Was the origin of Aouine not the brightest era?
But they calmed down and reinforced their beliefs.
“The ancestral king’s ideals are lofty and admirable, but the era now is different from the era of the past.”
The elderly scholar sighed: “To the very end, we cannot allow ourselves to abandon our plans because of
the possibility of the Lionheart abandoning us.”
“Ideals will not change reality!” Makarov added to Fleetwood’s words with an indignant voice.
“Therefore you would answer the arrogant and ruthless nobles with your own coldblooded hubris. What
is the difference between you and them?” Brendel answered with vehement displeasure. “The royal
crown, the nobles, any of you, would not bring real change to Aouine, therefore your failure is assured.
Even if you claim victory over Duke Arreck, are you capable of winning against Madara?”
“Stop your nonsense!” Makarov’s voice was like the grinding of teeth: “How would a kingdom splintered
into political factions be able to fight against the invaders! This matter has nothing to do with you, now
please fulfill your promise and give the Golden Apple to us!”
Brendel’s body shook though he was trying to suppress his laughter.
“The royal faction allowed Madara’s invasion to come to pass! How would Aouine ever be able to repel
the invaders? Your king betrayed Aouine! This Fairy’s Apple that is capable of changing a person’s
destiny, but—” Brendel glanced sadly at Scarlett, before he raised his voice: “It won’t change a kingdom’s
destiny. Maybe that sickly king of yours can survive, or that cowardly prince of yours might finally grow a
pair of balls, but your actions will only hinder her first step—” (TL: Brendel is referring to the princess.)
“So,” Brendel placed the fruit back into his bag: “You’re not getting it.”
“You bastard!” Makarov bellowed angrily, his chest full of rage after being played by Brendel. Even
though he knew that it was a huge possibility that Brendel was toying with him, it was his condescending
tone that truly enraged him. The advisor known as the ‘Cunning Fox’ lost his wits and regained that
identity of the former Grey Wolves Mercenaries’ commander, drawing out his sword.
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The metallic clang rang out as he rushed towards Brendel—
The latter did not retreat or move, staring at him without unflinching eyes. When the blade reached the
youth’s nose, a barrier with hexagon-like plates lit up as lights, with magic runes appearing in between
the plates, appearing and disappearing quickly.
Fleetwood’s wrinkled face paled as though he saw a ghost.
“Ancient magic!” He squeezed out the words from his throat as he looked at Brendel, not knowing what to
do. The only known race that could use magic like this was the dragon race.
Brendel thanked Rauze in his mind and appreciated Makarov’s pallor without any injuries.
“What are you……” Makarov’s throat moved as he retreated in surprise.
“I—” Brendel wanted to mock him further but was cut short.
“Mister Brendel, that oath you just recited seemed to have resonated with something; this power, is really
strange…… I can’t suppress it any longer……” Rauze whispered urgently. “I can’t hold it any longer, I’m
releasing the barrier…..”
“Hey, wait!” Brendel wanted to ask her to hold the barrier a little longer, before he suddenly felt a tremor
from inside his deepest self. That was definitely not Rauze’s prank or the resonance between the
Planeswalkers’ cards; it was as if a spark had gone into his mind that was brilliant and gentle, then
became a light that lit up the dark. And within this light a door opened—
He seemed to walk through it, and he saw the human knights standing on both sides smiling and nodding
at him, their eyes full of encouraging acknowledgement. He recognized two of them who were wielding
familiar weapons. Ebdon and Gerard. Finally there was a grand-looking person standing in the center
amongst the knights, who nodded to him as well. (TL: You should know who Ebdon is. Gerard is that poor
knight whose tomb got looted by Brendel, lol. Didn’t he steal that sword Thorn of Light?)
This illusion seemed to last for the briefest of seconds before it was gone. Brendel woke up from his
stupor, found the source of the tremor, and subconsciously pressed down on his bag which contained the
Sage Slate. He felt it shake uncontrollably as though it was alive, before a piercing shockwave above him
separated the clouds above the entire Chablis region.
That afternoon, everyone from the nearby region, even the citizens from Bruglas, witnessed a miracle.
Unending light poured down and seemed to disperse the white clouds, like a stone being thrown into a
lake and cast ripples onto the surface.
When all the clouds and light disappeared from the region, the sky was like a pure blue gem with hints of
purple in it, clean and pure. The citizens yelled at each other to look at it, while the traveling priests and
1041
adventurers rushed to their respective groups to observe this moment of intrigue. Even the seers from
the Guild of Stars and Moon were alarmed.
The wizards living in Drora at the Sea of death recorded this sight. Monks came out from the palace in
droves, suspecting the Lionheart had appeared. The Recorder in the Black Tower even lost hold of his
precious Crystal Ball while he looked at the image in surprise. The priests in the Holy Cathedral knelt
down and prayed.
One of the twelve representatives of the Archmage in Drora, William Pestle, held on to his magic scribe
which was on a piece of lambskin paper filled with runes, causing a large black blot on it while he stared
with an agape mouth into the sky.
Everyone looked at the peculiar circular sky void of clouds, but only the few there understood what
exactly happened.
Divine Artifact Resonance —
The forest became brighter than before. Everyone in that area looked up into the azure sky and saw hints
of magical rune words that formed layers of circles that were miles long. The Law of Tiamat, created by
Marsha to bind the Elements in a border.
Some of the men in front teared up at this intricate and beautiful sky, knowing how small they were in
front of the Divine Magic and admired the beauty with all their heart.
Brendel gripped the Sage Slate tightly and looked up into the sky.
The Law of Tiamat was being invoked, and the layers of circles moved across hundred of miles, turning
like cogs in a wheel, lining up to fit into sections like a jigsaw puzzle. Each layer kept moving and aligned
above the forest.
The forest was completely silent.
The wind had stopped.
If this was in the game, Brendel would have been on his complete guard. This sight was like a legendary
wizard that cast the highest class of spells that reached the fourteenth circles, or facing the Lords of
Elements. This spells were legendary magic that was completely outside the scope any mortal
understanding, and was the highest order of Laws that invoked destruction. The destructive force was
akin to a nuclear bomb.
That tremor in his soul had reached its peak.
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The center of this particular sky suddenly vibrated from a small point, then spread out everywhere with a
pillar of white light descending from the sky, connecting the sky to the earth, and there was something
silver in it.
“T-this……. This is….. King Erik’s Lionheart sword……” Fleetwood was completely stunned.
Suddenly another pillar of light shot out from the direction of the capital and shot into the sky’s circular
borders, causing it to diffract and meet that pillar of light.
Fleetwood and the others stared blankly at this sight.
But Brendel wanted to knock his head onto a tree. He merely wanted to act cool by reciting that damned
oath, and did not expect to receive the acknowledgement of King Erik. If he knew that this was going to
happen he would not have done it.
That was simply because it was a Divine Artifact Resonance.
Suddenly Brendel shook his head.
[Hold on— Isn’t the Lionheart a Fantasy-ranked weapon? When did it suddenly rank up to become a
Divine-ranked weapon? The history of Aouine wouldn’t make sense! Everyone would have attacked the
kingdom to gain possession of it!]
That phenomenon lasted for five seconds before it waned; the Sage Slate that was held down by Brendel’s
hand stopped struggling. At the same time, Brendel felt that a mark was left in his mind, as though he
could feel where the location of the weapon was now. The Lionheart and him was now connected to each
other.
Of course, this meant that there were good and bad points—
The good point was that he was naturally one step closer to that legendary sword.
The bad point was how Fleetwood and Makarov were now staring at him……
TL: Ramblings.
This is some of the stuff I’m pulling out my head, not sure if there are more.
Royal faction
– Duke Rhun sent all his family members and men guarding into a trap to preserve his son’s life.
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– The current king probably worked with Madara and allowed them to invade Aouine, weakening the
nobles.
– Makarov uses the Grey Wolves Mercenaries as pawns to get the nobles against the royal faction out in
the open, and weakening their forces (the Tree Shepherds).
– Tries to get Brendel to sell the Golden Apple and willing to pay any price.
Nobles faction
– Corruption at Fortress Riedon, witnessed firsthand by Freya (imprisons the militia for bringing news of
Madara’s attack).
– Throws away Fortress Riedon and the three villages at the borders without sending aid.
– Buried the truth about the militia’s contribution, made Freya a ‘hero’ to make the citizens happy.
– Also refused to allow the refugees into the cities.
Tree Shepherds
– Tirste is a member of the Tree Shepherds and seeks to do their bidding. He wanted Brendel to create
chaos, by inciting a rebel of sorts.
– Tirste forced Brendel in an agreement to create chaos in the city, but even without the latter’s
interference, the refugees will revolt (I think).
– Turned Scarlett into an Acolyte
– That fake noble guy from Fortress Riedon wanted Brendel’s girls.
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Chapter 129 – Reinforcements
The mood in the forest was turning awkward.
As a Grandmaster wizard in the royal court, Fleetwood understood many of the events that happened
before his very eyes, but he did not know how to react to it.
[Divine Artifact Resonance, Ancient Magic, knowing all our plans…..! Mother Marsha, what’s going on?! If
this is really a dragon before us, we won’t be able to stop him from running even if he is at a young
age.] (TL: I feel like it’s becoming a running joke as to how many different ways Brendel can be
mistaken as.)
But Brendel was just as confused like them.
After that phenomenon, he had no desire to continue talking to them and wanted to leave. The biggest
problem to him right now was the amount of people who had witnessed such the powerful magic that
happened in the area. Anyone with common sense would believe that something wondrous appeared in
this region. The southern region must be in a state of confusion right now, and adventurers from nearby,
including the disliked wizards, would be rushing all over to this area very soon.
[Shit, this whole area is going to be in a state of chaos. I need to leave as soon as possible in case any
idiots come after me.]
Brendel had considered many times as to how he would affect the history, but he did not expect to do just
that after a few months he arrived in this world. He was not prepared for that and also not concerned
about the Lionheart, but worried about the plan to take over the land he was targeting in the Randner
region. He was even worried that it would change the princess’s next move in the future.
[A butterfly effect that changes the entire future will be the worst outcome—]
Brendel was already having cold sweat on his forehead and the tips of his fingers were cold.
When Brendel was still considering this problem, there was a sudden applause in the forest. He looked
over to Fleetwood and Makarov immediately, but found they were initially confused as well, before they
broke into a delighted smile.
Brendel immediately turned around and discovered a middle-aged man wearing a thick purple coat with
an inner white shirt walking out from the forest. The latter was clapping with a large smile on his face.
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“So this is Mister Brendel mentioned by the Cunning Fox? A young genius indeed. Your plan is really
something that a normal person couldn’t come up with.”
[Another person with an Unsealed Element power? ……Wait, I recognize this person.]
The corners of Brendel’s eyes twitched. He was Count Barre Deorwine, the right hand of Duke Rhun, and
ruled over the fief Matthiola.
Brendel had conversed quite a few times in the game with him. Although he looked like he was someone
who backstabbed people easily, he was actually a rare noble who was honest and upright to a fault. While
he was considerably skilled, Buga turned out to be the greater warrior and reached over level eighty,
approximately forty years later.
He ultimately met his demise against the Tree Shepherds, and was quite a considerable loss for Aouine.
Brendel turned towards him and smiled a little in spite of himself, his tone relaxing a little as he recalled
these memories: “Plan?”
“Indeed.” Count Barre said: “According to my knowledge, the dragon race are mostly on their own under
all circumstances. At most they would travel along with their mate, right? By pretending to be a dragon,
you are free to do whatever you wish, including that stunt of summoning the Lionheart.”
Brendel immediately heard Rauze’s remarks.
“That man seems to understand us quite well.” She said.
[But you don’t know him. Barre Deorwine is very different from Fleetwood, Makarov and Buga. This man
is a realist, and wouldn’t seek to initiate a conversation just to intimidate me. There is no doubt that he
has taken measures here. This person is also someone who has unsealed his Element power…… The
entire situation has become much more complicated than having the Tree Shepherds around.]
Brendel’s mind was starting to give warning signals to his body to consider running away. He glanced
around his surroundings.
[You’re still just a loli dragon, facing these many Gold-ranked fighters would not be in your favor— Holy
shit!]
When Count Barre appeared, Brendel had subconsciously recalled that he was a true holder of a fiefdom.
After looking closely in the forest, he indeed discovered human figures in the vicinity, and the numbers
were large enough to rival Conrad’s army.
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[Of course you had to bring an army in order to stop the damned Tree Shepherds! But this area isn’t
under your territory, bringing your soldiers into this area is practically asking to fight with Count
Randner. Is this Duke Rhun’s goal?]
Suddenly he recalled a certain land at the borders of the Randner’s territory.
[No, that’s not it…… These are not Duke Rhun or Count Barre’s men. That particular land at Rander’s
borders, doesn’t it belong to the Princess? That’s where the Royal Cavalry Academy is. Eke was most
likely used as bait in order to lure out the political opponents, and with the troops from the princess—]
He hardly participated in Aouine’s civil wars because he was busy raising his levels in the game world.
Even though he roughly understood how the battles’ conclusions were, he did not know the details of
them. If his suspicions were correct, then the princess must have recruited soldiers from the very
beginning, even before the Madara’s invasion.
[Then it’s no wonder why she was able to suppress the nobles with such little political clout for so long. I
had never understood how she did it. So this is Makarov’s contributions?]
He glanced at Makarov. This plan looked like something that the latter would conceive, but he did not
understand the royal faction entirely. It somehow looked like there were separate tangents operating at
the same time. The king colluded with Madara, while the princess gathered her own forces?
He shook his head slightly. Guessing what was going on with the royal faction was making his head spin.
“Which means,” Count Barre continued: “You’re not a dragon at all, right?”
“Miss Rauze, why didn’t you warn me about the men around us—” He turned his head away from their
gazes and whispered to Rauze.
“The magic reaction was so strong that this little me was paying full attention to it. Plus, they are just
some little insects buzzing around. What’s there to pay attention to? Well, that person who just came in is
a little bit stronger.” She replied.
[Insects? That’s a whole army out there. In order to fight Conrad there must be more than a thousand
men. Barre used to say his favorite pastimes were playing poker and commanding a large force to fight a
smaller force. Even though it’s sort of a joke, but it goes to show how nasty his personality is. Also, what is
he thinking? That Ancient Magic that Rauze cast is the real thing!]
Brendel did not believe her in the slightest. He had killed many dragons in the game and knew them well
enough. Judging from her age, there was no possible way that she would be able to match them
physically. With this thought in mind, he became even more careful in coming up with his response.
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“But his Dragon Magic……” Makarov looked confused and asked, but Fleetwood interrupted him: “If I am
not wrong, that magic came from a scroll. Since Mister Brendel is capable of acquiring the Golden Apple
and invoking the Lionheart, then having a Dragon Scroll would not be a difficult task.”
Brendel looked incredulously at Fleetwood.
[Aren’t you a grandmaster wizard, how can you fail to differentiate between…… T-that…..]
If Fleetwood was not mistaken, then it meant the possibility was indeed there. He lowered his head
deeply with his canines shown, and whispered urgently: “Miss Rauze, did you use a Dragon Scroll?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“Well you see, that’s like the only way where they would lay their hands on you right?” Rauze’s voice was
in a gleeful pitch: “I haven’t beaten people up in a long~~~ time.”
[Dear dragon boss, you’re right in guessing that they would fight us because of that….. But we might not
win against them!]
Brendel was certain this problematic girl could not be relied on, so he took a deep breath and lifted his
head: “Mister Barre, perhaps you’re right. I’m not a dragon. But are you going to try and find out how
many scrolls I have?”
Barre shook his head just like Brendel expected him to: “That’s fine. No matter how many scrolls you
have, are you confident that you can fight against an entire army? Mister Brendel, that would be folly, so
please hand over the Golden Apple.”
Brendel wanted to punch that incredibly fake smile off that irritating bastard’s face, but he had to force
himself to think of a proper response.
“Is that so? How about if you include us?” A clear voice rang out from the east direction.
The bushes were parted and revealed a group of approximately twenty Elven warriors covered in blood.
Nalaethar took down his helmet and stared at Count Barre with an indifferent expression at him.
[[[Silver Elves……?!]]] Count Barre and the other men’s eyes popped upon when they saw them. No one
had seen them for centuries. He nearly choked when he saw them appear, and squeezed out his words
after a long time with much difficulty.
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“Our allies of the past, the Silver Elves, you were the only race who had never participated in any civil
wars. Are you going to go to war with the humans over one person?” Barre clenched his fists; the Golden
Apple was too important to let it slip by.
Nalaethar nodded as he looked at Brendel: “I owe him a promise.”
“Very well.” Barre sighed in exasperation as he tried again: “But do you really think that you can match
our whole army with twenty men? We acknowledge your skill, but we vastly outnumber—“
His words quickly faltered. It was not only him, but the people beside him quickly held their breaths,
including Brendel.
Everyone saw a large patch of blinding silver armor appear, as Elven Knights riding on unicorns came
forward to join Nalaethar and his men……
The Eversong Army.
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Chapter 130 – Thou art my friend (1)
=========== Princess Gryphine POV ==========
“My lady, there are too many enemies, please move in a little deeper into the carriage.”
Knight Benninger pleaded sincerely outside the carriage, his voice a little urgent. Crossbow bolts from all
directions struck onto the inner steel plates of the horse carriage, shaking and causing audible echoes
within it. Princess Gryphine did not expect an assassination attempt within her own private lands.
“There’s no need, I’ll wait here for my knights to arrive. But the girl pursed her lips tightly and looked
forward with her faint silver eyes.
“My lady—“
“Benninger.”
“Yes.”
“Say no more.” She answered simply. “…… Thank you, Benninger.”
The sounds striking the carriage suddenly stopped, and the youth turned around with one hand on his
sword, and had only courage in his heart as his aid.
Gryphine had worn her usual white gown like before and sat with both hands over each other own her
knees. Even at her moment of danger, her sitting posture was as refined as any lady. She exuded the
ancient royal family’s grace, and even the most austere of nobles would find that she was the brightest
gem on the royal crown.
At the opposite of the princess’s eyes, was the only successor to Aouine’s throne. The boy, Haruze was
looking at her with a pair of frightened eyes.
“Sister…..” His voice was filled with dread.
She looked coldly at her brother.
“Haruze, pick up your sword and point it to the ground.”
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The boy had always listened to her strict sister, and he did not disobey her this time. He overcame his
jittery feelings and carefully pointed the sword onto the ground. The sheath of the sword was written
with refined letters:
‘ Hark and know that my name is courage ‘
This was the motto of the Corvado’s royal family, and was renowned to be the half-Elven princess’s
motto. However, it was a blinding irony on the boy. He stood up as held onto the sword and looked at his
sister in utter confusion, with tears swimming in his eyes against the danger they were in.
Gryphine sighed when she saw his brother acting in this manner. She softened her features and spoke
gently to him: “Don’t worry, your sister will definitely protect you.”
The boy wiped his tears with his sleeves and nodded with vigor at her words.
The forest had gone silent for quite some time. The interior of the carriage also fell into silence because of
that. They tried to to pick up any signs of where the enemies were, but heard nothing other than their
hearts beating rapidly.
============== Freya POV ============
Barsta, the Royal Cavalry Academy. Everyone in the courtyards, classrooms, corridors, any place with a
window, looked up to the sky as the phenomenon happened.
Freya gazed at the blue sky with a central pillar of light connecting the sky and earth together. The clouds
had been dispersed around the area, and the purity of the myriad glows in the sky made her gasp in awe
of the beauty.
[What is that?]
The girl was wearing a set of armor meant for training, and she was combing her ponytail
absentmindedly with her fingers before she subconsciously put it down. The lights on her face
shimmered as smaller pillars of light in a circle suddenly lit up in the sky and connected to the center.
[Is Mother Marsha showing us a sign?]
The crowd in the training courtyard started to increase in numbers. They were screaming and shouting,
telling everyone to look up at the sky, as though the end of the world was coming. They held their breaths
as they watched it.
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Whispers turned into murmurs, and the instructors joined in with their apprentice knights to discuss
over what had happened. They shook their heads in disbelief almost as if to shake off what they saw.
“That’s an Artifact Resonance, right?” A man near Freya suddenly spoke.
“What did you say it was?” She turned around and asked.
The man watched Freya looked at him with a pair of light brown eyes. Sangany, the second son of a count,
felt his heart skip a beat. It was an opportunity for him. The majority of the academy were males, and the
few females that joined this batch were naturally targets of the nobles’ scions. Freya’s appearance was
outstanding compared to the other girls, and it was even better for them because she did not have a
notable background and was seen to be a delicious prey.
This game was circulated only amongst the seniors, and because she had just joined in recently she did
not know the existence of this game. The only thing she did feel was the odd number of males around her,
which made her slightly uneasy and anxious from her instincts. However, the boy with blonde hair in
front of her had an answer to her question, so she took another look at him.
“It’s a type of Mana resonance, but for it to be so powerful…… I have never seen or heard something like
that before.” He immediately showed off his best side and answered with a patient smile.
“Mana Resonance?” Freya’s mind was slightly jolted, as she recalled a certain heroic image of someone’s
back at the Valley of the Golden Demonic Tree. She immediately turned away in order to prevent her
burning face to be seen by anyone else. She took another look at the sky as the lights disappeared. She
took another deep breath and calmed herself down: “Where is that area?”
“Judging from that area, it should be Randner.”
Freya thought of Brendel and Romaine, and she felt her heart beat faster: “Is that the doing from the two
of you? I really miss you…..”
Her uneasy and shy expressions made the youth behind her think that she was impressed. He thought of
her as a country bumpkin from her looks, but he maintained his smile and took a closer step to her,
wanting to say more, but the tolls from a bell rang throughout the courtyard and interrupted him.
Everyone’s eyes reluctantly tore away from the sky and put their gaze into a certain direction.
The giant steel bell was placed in the tallest building and used only in festivals or emergency situations.
Everyone wondered if that phenomenon had anything to do with it.
A squadron of knights urgently ran into the training courtyard, with the crowd separating to allow them
through. The leader of the knights was a young woman wearing a purple swallow-tailed army uniform
riding on a horse. She rode to the front, turned around and raised her chin up while looking at everyone.
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“This order is meant for everyone in their respective years. I want all of you to gather in three minutes,
fully equipped and ready for battle—“
The woman’s voice was a little low and gruff, but her strict bearings made everyone alert.
[We’re to wear our armors and swords?]
[Are we going out for a battle? A mock battle?]
[But this doesn’t seem like we’re close for any tests—]
“These are knight members in the Reserves…..” Sangany muttered.
“What do you mean?” Freya looked at the leader whose straight black hair was tied behind her and
weighted down behind her back like a straight spear, all the way down to her waist.
“The woman at the front is a senior apprentice knight of this academy but she’s special because she’s a
Reserve. Their ranks are equivalent to the Black Knights, or the Royal Cavalry’s reserves. She’s a squire
and a military officer at the same time. Her name is Maynild, daughter of Madame Ida. Perhaps this would
be clearer, Madame Ida is Duke Rhun’s sister, she married to a knight who died in the Ten Years War, and
lived alone in her home ever since. This woman is her only daughter.” Sangany explained with a stern
look: “She’s a genius in this academy, but anyone who is capable of entering the Reserves is naturally
more capable than us trash.”
Freya committed the name Maynild to her memory, and looked gratefully back at the youth with a smile:
“There’s no need to put yourself down. I think you’re capable because you know so much.”
Sangany looked back at her in surprise, and was slightly moved and grateful at her sincere gaze. But that
lasted only for a moment.
[Once you try the sword on me, you will find how impressive I really am—] The youth laughed coldly in
his heart as filthy thoughts washed over his mind.
============= Brendel’s POV ============
The Silver Elves stood quietly in opposition of Barre’s commanded men. No wind blew in the forest, and
both the black and silver swallow-tailed flags stood limply where they were. The sun’s rays struck down
harshly onto the forest, and showed off the Silver Elves’ lily emblems, while Barre’s men held onto the
flags depicting direwolves as their symbol.
There was the occasional horse pants and suppressed sneezes, but other than it was an awkward silence.
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Count Barre and the men beside him had dark expressions, in contrast of the taciturn Nalaethar as well as
the commanding officer of the other Elven Knights who wore a full helmet and prevented any signs of his
expressions from being seen.
Only Brendel sat peacefully and lazily on a tree trunk in between them. He knew Rauze was beside him,
so he did not need to fear of any sudden attacks, and also believed that he would be fine even if a battle
was to break out.
Count Barre and the others still did not know why the Silver Elves were willing to break their vow, and
were unable to find a solution to this stalemate. On the other hand Brendel was reflecting on his mistakes
and assumptions, and thought about the fact that the Silver Elves had appeared on the continent so
quickly after the first Madara war.
[Is there going to be any major change in the future because of this incident?] He rubbed his forehead.
It did not seem that the situation was going to change any time soon, so Brendel jumped down and went
over the Acolyte of Earth’s body in boredom. The remainder of the mana had already condensed into a
highly pure Mana Crystal. It was a Level 65 Boss’s drop, and even had the properties of the Blood of Gods.
It was one of the best crafting and alchemy materials, only one rank below the items from a dragon’s loot
drop.
He suddenly looked over the the direction of Rauze, although it was just empty air he was looking at.
“Your expression is a little strange mister Brendel.”
“Is that right?”
“But Rauze already has a mate. I’m also not really interested in humans. But— If it’s mister Brendel, I
don’t mind trying it once.”
Brendel coughed uncontrollably, choking his spit wrongly into his lungs when he heard the reply.
The two leaders looked over at him for a while, before Count Barre broke the silence:
“Let’s negotiate.”
Nalaethar nodded.
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Chapter 131 – Thou Art my Friend (2)
The ones who really participated in the negotiations were Count Barre, Fleetwood and the newly arrived
Elven commander of the Unicorn Knights.
Buga and Makarov went over to the bushes with Brendel’s directions, brought out a bloody Eke out from
there with reluctant thanks, and lowered their glowering attitudes against him. The Silver Elves had
clearly displayed their intentions to protect Brendel because he protected the graves of their old kings.
Brendel sat beside the Acolyte of Earth and watched the discussion. Even though he did not participate in
the negotiation, he knew that Count Barre’s core topic would now be about the Silver Elves instead of
him. The Silver Elves had disappeared and gave up on this particular forest a long time ago. This land was
now regarded to be part of the kingdom, and even the closest allies of the past may not easily enter this
land anymore.
Aouine had the upper hand on the territory.
Brendel could see the Silver Elf commander was adamant in his attitude, almost refusing Count Barre and
Fleetwood’s every suggestion. He wondered what sort of agreement would the two increasingly annoyed
men enter into.
“Are you able to guess why the Silver Elves have returned?” He suddenly asked.
“How should I know what these strange Elves are thinking about. They don’t socialize with others.”
Rauze’s voice was nonchalant at the start, before she suddenly grumbled. “And stop disturbing from
doing my important stuff!”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m writing a script about the knight Ser Brendel. It’s really hard for me to get good inspirations. Oh, I
forgot to mention, I’m a bard—” Rauze’s voice turned to one of pride.
[A bard…]
Brendel frowned from that revelation. It seemed like many of the dragons’ professions were bards. He
recalled a famous quest in the game: A dragon made a huge underground dungeon and captured a few
strong monsters and put them inside, becoming the BOSS with his monster underlings. When the
unsuspecting adventurers or gamers challenged him, he would record the results and turned them into
stories. If they won, then the dragon awarded them part of his treasures. Some gamers investigated the
1055
whole affair and proved that the dragon actually made ten times more money than what the given
treasure was worth.
The quest was meant for level 45 players and was disguised as a normal chain event, but gained notoriety
when this secret was revealed. Many players were quite impressed with it and was a hot topic for quite a
while.
Although it was clear that some of the dragons had bad hobbies, they were still much better than the ones
who actually just directly robbed others.
“Ahh, stop bothering and annoying me.” Her attitude quickly changed. “Never mind, I’m going some place
else to write it—“
[Tsk.] He clicked his tongue sarcastically when he heard nothing more from her.
He suddenly heard a cracking sound behind him, and whipped his head around, thinking that it was
Rauze but it was Nalaethar instead. The latter had taken off his helmet and looked solemnly at Brendel,
then at the creature beside him; his eyes had a puzzled streak in them.
Brendel looked blankly at him, then gave a smile and said: “Hey, Nalaethar—“
The handsome Elf looked back at him, slightly startled at Brendel’s strange tone.
“Could you wear your helmet?”
“Why?” His monotone reply came.
“You’re so good looking that I feel great pressure looking at you.” The youth sighed.
Nalaethar smiled for the first time. He thought about the request seriously before wearing back the
helmet, leaving only a pair of eyes that looked at the youth. He paused for a while before he spoke again.
“I’m leaving, Brendel.”
Brendel looked back with puzzled eyes. It was obvious that the Elf was going to leave when the mission
was over. He wanted to say thankful words but suddenly realized that there was an empty feeling in his
heart. Even though they did not exchange any wasted words along the way, he had trusted in this ally
completely and he was now leaving.
He wondered where Nalaethar was going to go after this.
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[Is he going back to the altar or take his final slumber? The Altar’s magic is growing weaker by the day
and although I said I’ll bring back information of the outside world, is it really possible to do so? Maybe
this is really like a quest, Nalaethar and I will only meet this one time and once I leave, the Altar will be
nothing more than an abandoned building.]
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that possibility was very high. His heart fell when he
realized that fact. After a long time, he could only find the greedy words inside of him.
“Are you going already? But you haven’t fulfilled your promise to teach me that skill. Are you trying to
break it?”
“Breaking promises. That’s something you humans are fond of. Of course I will fulfill it.” He took out a
scroll and handed it to Brendel as he spoke. “I have written the usage of the skill on it, my friend.”
That two words struck Brendel like a bolt of lightning and he looked stupidly back at him. Nalaethar
squeezed the scroll into his hand and hugged him once, before releasing him with a smile: “I thank you for
bringing us a battle. We had hoped to have one for a long time. The blood in me has once again been set
aflame. You are exceptional. Your skills in battle impressed me and the others, but there comes a time
where we have to go our separate ways. Now, you owe me a promise—“
Nalaethar closed his eyes:
“Remember to tell me the events of the future. Be it ten years, or a hundred years from now. I will wait for
you to fulfill it, my friend.”
“I will. Yes.” Brendel wiped his eyes with his hand. “The wind is a little big.”
Nalaethar nodded with understanding.
“There is one other thing. We rushed over to your side because of the Acolyte of Earth. We do not know
what has become of your mercenaries, you should ask the Nightsong Tiger for more details.”
His body was gradually disappearing, his helmet dissolving away to show his smile one last time. All the
heroic Elven spirits then turned into white light and shot out into the sky, disappearing into a certain
direction in the southern forest.
The other humans looked puzzledly at that display, while Brendel caught the Elven commander of the
Eversong army nodding to him with respect from afar.
The youth felt slightly better at Nalaethar’s parting words, before he set off to the Nightsong Tiger’s
location.
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Count Barre went through the situation before him with suppressed anger. He could not allow his forces
to fight against the Silver Elves: the Eversong army was renowned in the continent for their skill, and
persisted in the lore for more than seven centuries. The only wise decision he could make was to retreat.
In the end, they negotiated a neutral standpoint, they each retreated three hundred meters away and set
up camp, and the atmosphere in the forest finally lost some of its bloodlust.
The Elven knights nodded at Brendel with respect, and their commander walked over and gave him a
silver fern leaf. It looked something like a bookmark, but Brendel knew that it was a sign of the Silver
Elves’ greatest gratitude.
[Nice. If there’s some political bullshit in Aouine, I can apply for political asylum.] He joked to himself.
The silver leaf allowed him to redeem a boon from the Silver Elves, and anyone who brought it before
them could seek help no matter how much time had passed He did knew that someone in the game
world managed to borrow over a hundred heavy infantry from the Silver Elves and the loan period was a
hundred years, although he did not know what favors could be sought exactly,
The Silver Elves’ heavy infantry was just one or two ranks below the Eversong army, but they were
definitely regarded as the top tier army to have. Brendel wanted to try and ask for that favor right away,
but stopped after a moment of deliberation. This was an alternate parallel world which was different
from a game. It would be much better to establish a proper relationship with the Silver Elves so that he
could gain more in the future.
If he acted greedy, these prideful and distant race might look down on him and affect things in many
subtle ways. It would be a loss.
1058
Chapter 132 – The end of Summer
Count Barre stood in Brendel’s path.
[The hell?] Brendel gave him a wide berth as he walked past the smiling man.
“Ser Brendel?” Count Barre called out to him in a solemn voice when he realized Brendel was avoiding
him.
“What is it?” Brendel snapped with a displeased tone. He was in a rush to find the Nightsong Tiger to get
the details from him about Amandina.
“Even though our viewpoints differ our goals seem to align. At the very least, I am certain that you are not
on the side of our enemies, are you not?” Count Barre spoke in a rush, not giving Brendel the chance to
cut him off. “Naturally, we have our own thoughts on restoring the kingdom, but surely there is no need
for us to draw our swords at each other’s throats. I agree that Makarov’s actions are a little overbearing,
but he’s a only a human who’s acting with limited resources.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Would you be willing to join us? If you hate our actions, then why not take control of the situation? I
hope to have an outstanding youth like yourself on our side.” Barre invited Brendel with sincere words,
as though he had forgotten the unpleasant exchange between them.
[That’s something the Count Barre I know would do.]
Brendel had actually given them enough leeway on this issue and avoided having an all-out battle with
them, precisely because they were on the same side. If these people were against the crown, then he
would have redeemed the Silver Elves’ promise and killed them immediately.
Because of Makarov’s plans, he and his men were put into danger. Romaine and Amandina were still
nowhere to be seen. If he lost his temper and waged a battle to get Makarov’s head as an act of revenge,
then duke Arreck might take the opportunity to capture the princess’s land in the nearby area. Freya
might even be in danger because of that.
[It looks like he’s smart enough not to talk about the Golden Apple anymore, so I’ll put it aside. But joining
your group is an absolute joke.]
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“No,” Brendel looked at the count and shook his head. His reply was cold and hard, surprising the count
with his tone: “You will see me very soon, but believe me, it would not be here, and not the way any of
you would like to see—“
“… Then I shall await to see your future.” Count Barre’s eyes were fretful as he stared at Brendel.
============ Freya POV =============
In truth, the battle that she was supposed to be in was undertaken by the senior squires in the academy,
led by the reserve officers in the graduating class. When Freya and newer members like herself reached
the battlefield in the forest, their task was taking care of the battle’s aftermath.
She immediately noticed a carriage filled with bolts and arrows like a porcupine in the center of the road.
There were cavalry equipped with silver armor riding near the carriage, with many of their comrades’
dead bodies on the ground. They refused anyone from approaching the carriage, and insisted of taking
care of their injuries as they cleaned up after their own.
There were two clear colors. Purple and silver. The bodies with these two colors were strewn
everywhere. Heavy groans from the injured, mingled with low frightened murmurs from the newly
arrived nobles’ sons and daughters, could be heard everywhere. They were seeing this bloodied sight for
the first time.
The reserved officers wanted to take prisoners, and gave the order for the older squires to intentionally
maim the attackers, and had left many of them alive. However, once they took enough prisoners to be
satisfied with, the remainder was ordered to be killed, and this task was also left to the new members of
the academy.
Many of them found their weapons shaking, unable to swing it, and there were even a few who vomited
as they saw the bloodied mess from the ones who were brave enough to attempt it.
Freya had fought enough in real battles not to be shaken by the sight and faithfully did her job. She had
only paused in the beginning to guess the identity of the people within the carriage. Sangany followed
behind with a sick face. He had expelled everything he had for his meals, and he could only heave weakly
after that.
He held himself against up a tree, while being impressed by Freya’s clean strikes to the enemies. She was
certainly an admirable maiden.
“…… Do you know who that is?” He asked after catching his breath.
“What?” Freya looked back at him with incomprehension.
“The carriage.”
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She took another look at the carriage, then shook her head, her clear eyes showing that she did not
understand.
“The insignia on the carriage is a Holy Beetle. There is only one person within the kingdom who has this.”
“And?”
[You don’t even know this? How did you even manage to come to the academy— Wait, is she bluffing?]
The youth looked at Freya in incredulity, but he did not find any signs of deceit in her, so he shook his
head and answered: “Grandmaster Fleetwood, the court’s First Wizard of Aouine.”
“What!” Freya was shocked.
But Sangany shook his head: “If that is truly Grandmaster Fleetwood, there is no need for us to go into
battle. The person within the carriage is very likely to be someone else. And yet, Grandmaster Fleetwood
has very few friends or people related to him. The people who could borrow his carriage, is either the
king, or his student.”
“Her royal highness?” Freya’s eyes were wide. She still know this common knowledge even though she
came from the borders.
The youth nodded.
Suddenly a black warhorse passed by them quickly. The rider swiftly rode through the forest, before the
warhorse suddenly stopped, turned around in a trot and moved back the two of them.
Freya and Sangany looked up, and found a beautiful but cold face.
Her appearance was something like an artistic artifact, it was rare to find such perfectly shaped features.
Her sharp chin was a strong arc that led into high cheekbones and deeply set eyes of a pure purple.
Her central parting of her fringe led down to her fine eyebrows, which was raised slightly before lowering
in displeasure. Her straight nose bridge seemed to reflect her extremely strong character.
The two of them instantly thought of the bards’ descriptions of the beautiful ladies of the north.
There was a slight scoff as Maynild looked down at them from the warhorse, first at Freya, then at
Sangany.
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“Your name is Freya?” She asked a question while she stared at the young man, making the latter feel like
he was being targeted by a predator.
“Y-yes.” Freya answered.
“The results for your riding and sword skills are excellent.” She said in a low magnetic voice: “I have
heard of your tale as well, but if you want to accomplish something, you had better leave scum — like this
man here — behind.”
There was great disdain in her eyes as she spoke unreservedly.
The two of them looked blankly at her.
Sangany’s eyebrows frowned and he tried to refute subconsciously: “Miss Maynild, even though you are
Madame’s—“
But his words were cut off by a metallic screech, and he felt his neck slightly colder. When the youth
understood what happened, Maynild had actually jumped down from her horse and pulled out her sword,
drawing it against his neck. Her actions were done in a single second, and he was left frozen with a
gesture that he did halfway before it was finished.
“Have I given you permission to speak?” Maynild spoke in a chilly voice.
Sangany’s back was cold from sweat, but he did not reply because of his confusion.
“S-Sangany……”
“Your rank?”
“M-Miss Maynild, I—“
The sword in her hand pressed ever so slightly against his neck: “Ser.”
“S-Ser Maynild.” Sangany swallowed and answered with a stutter. “I’m a second year squire, I have no
rank yet—“
He did not waste any more words, and used all his strength in his body to squeeze out the answer.
Maynild’s sword was sheathed back so quickly that the two of them could not see it done properly. She
glared coldly at the youth who was cursing in his heart, then gave an order: “Then, soldier, I’m ordering
you to shut your mouth—“
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She finally looked at Freya properly, then adjusted the latter’s collar which was a little crooked from
cleaning up the battlefield. She patted her arms and said softly: “Remember my advice, it won’t harm
you—“
Freya was also in a state of confusion with quick thoughts swirling through her head
[Should I thank her? She was really amazing with her sword. Can I be someone like her? Perhaps
someday…..]
============ Princess Gryphine POV ============
“Who is she?” The half-Elven princess asked the young man beside him. The scene where Maynild and
Sangany exchanged words happened to fall into her eyes. She looked at Freya, finding that there was a
sliver of familiarity.
“Madame Ida’s daughter. Duke Rhun is her uncle. She’s quite talented and an ardent supporter of the
royal crown. We should be able to trust her.” Ser Benninger looked over to her direction and said.
Gryphine laughed at the silly response: “Are you exhausted, Benninger? We both know who she is. You
even know she’s my close friend.”
“I apologize, my lady.” Benninger answered in embarrassment.
“I’m talking about the other girl, do you recognize her? She looks familiar.”
“That’s Everton’s daughter—” A warm voice came from outside the carriage.
Gryphine was slightly surprised, but her light silver eyes immediately shone with delight.
“Oberbeck?” She spoke softly.
A laugh came from the outside. “Yes, your highness. It seems that I am late.”
TL: One thing I want to keep in mind. Anyone close enough to the princess and is a male knight, I’ll use
‘My lady’ instead of your highness.
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Chapter 133 – Romaine’s second plan (1)
In the bountiful pastures of the northern highlands, the citizens who lived there circulated a famous
legend, which depicted the soldiers left behind in the battlefield to be people who were watched by the
God of Death.
Kren Norsdt had heard of this legend too. He was hired by the northern kingdom’s Baltha region, and was
born in a gentry family. He was considerably talented as a beast tamer, and enrolled in the Dragoon
Knight’s 34th wing and became a Dragoon. That particular platoon was part of the southern region’s
army, but it was defeated by Madara and their commander slain in battle. (TL: Not sure how to use gentry
in a sentence. Nobles > Gentry > Commoner, in terms of social ranking.)
However, the squadron did not wait for a truce, and assaulted Madara harder each time the days went by.
The nobles that were further away from the battles, used the ongoing negotiations at that time as an
excuse not to provide any support for them.
The messengers that were sent out to the White-Mane Army and the other armies from Arreck did not
return, and the situation grew more desperate, and the situation turned out like how the next highest
ranking officer in the 34th wing predicted:
“The southern region’s situation is becoming worse every day. We do not know where our brothers are
after being separated, and the Madara army continues to attack from all directions. We are unable to
contact anyone and it seems like all news have been sealed off. It is impossible to retreat. The nobles are
acting on their own, and this land has completely fallen away from the kingdom’s control by now. Marsha
above, I pray that I will see this nightmare end while I still live—“
But it was all pointless to Kren right now.
He rode on his injured flying dragon and patrolled one of the villages destroyed by the undead. He tried
taking to the sky when he was discovered, but the thick arrows managed to pierce the dragon’s eye and
brought it down shrieking in pain. When it finally crashed back down onto the ground, he found that it
had succumbed to its injuries and was pinning him down. He looked at the surroundings with
despondent eyes and gritted teeth.
He became someone who received the gaze of the God of Death.
He tried getting his body out from but he immediately yelled out in pain. That crash had broken
numerous bones in his body and realized there was no possible way for him to drag himself out. In the
end, he sighed and reached for his light crossbow, loaded it with a bolt and shot at one of the skeletons.
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The bolt had been blessed with Holy Water and shone brightly as it was fired towards the skeleton,
making it hurl backwards, while setting it aflame before it turned into dust.
More of these white lights were fired into the air, but even more undead drowned out Kren’s sight. The
youth reminisced upon the time when he first heard of how Madara split up their armies into three
different routes. Almost everyone in the army, regardless of whether they were nobles or commoners,
held a light-hearted attitude towards their enemies. They believed that these barbaric Dark Lords were
going to fight amongst themselves and fall apart because of their uncoordinated commanding, just like
how they failed in history every single time.
The result was utterly beyond their expectations. The Madara’s advancing army was swift and decisive,
calmly taking every bit of advantage whenever a mistake was made. On the contrary, Aouine’s army was
like a slow and elderly man. They unable to defend at vital points because they were late to respond, and
even when they went into battle, they were haggard soldiers fighting the tireless undead.
Aouine’s days of glory were long gone, and the praise from the 17th pope of the Holy Cathedral of Flames
three hundred years ago describing Aouine as ‘The Fiery Blade that represents the shining glory of the
Old Eras’, was nothing more than history.
When Kren finally exhausted his supply of Holy Bolts, he gripped the pendant containing his wife’s
portrait and looked up. A giant skeleton had already blocked off the sunlight from reaching him—
The Soul Flames of its eyes jumped about.
“Farewell, my father, mother, and my lovely Vanessa. I wish you remember your son and husband, and
the many others who fought to protect Aouine…… This kingdom can no longer see hope……”
============== Brendel POV =============
At the end of the tenth month, the scent of autumn was becoming denser. Trentheim’s grasslands were
dyed with a layer of pale yellow and had a picturesque scenery. But when Brendel and the others rode
through the rural village’s path, they could feel the war’s aftermath.
After Rauze had ripped his leather armor apart, he decided not to replace it with another, and ordered a
black comfortable robe and clothing set from a tailor during their journey. He was now sitting on the
horse with a contrasting pair of white gloves, and a silver-plated sword at his waist, looking like a young
noble.
But this was not because he wanted to enjoy being one. It was simply because it was easier for him to
avoid any additional troubles. After leaving Chablis, the month-long journey was quite peaceful, but it
was clear that public order was poor due to the war. Most of the bandits were formed by peasants whose
livelihood were destroyed.
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Brendel had resummoned his mercenaries and formed up into a group of twenty one men strong, and
they were all well-equipped. These peasant-bandits hardly had the courage to rob them.
Brendel glanced at the empty villages along the way with unhappy eyes. He had been warned by Rauze
that an army of Madara undead was marching towards Trentheim’s southern area. This knowledge was
no different from what he knew in the previous world. The ‘Black Lord’ Incirsta would stay in Randner’s
region for half a year after the truce, simply because he was greedy to gain more from Aouine. This
kingdom at its current state was unable to fend him off anyways.
In accordance to Brendel’s knowledge of the month’s end, the upper echelons of Aouine were starting to
act behind the shadows.
Oberg’s first son, Hammil, would receive support from Queen Anna’s faction.
Anna, sister of Duke Seifer, was a representative of the Seifer dynasty. The members who supported the
Corvado royal family were against her from the start, but it was to no avail. She even committed adultery
with Marquis Kluge, and they worked together to imprison the king and left behind a disastrous and
splintered the court.
(TL: Kluge is the guy who advised the king back then, and he was most likely the culprit who told the king
to invite Madara’s invasion. Benninger, dude from the previous chapter, is the son of Duke Seifer, but he’s
on the princess side because he likes her.)
In the beginning of the eleventh month, Hammil announced himself as king and attemped to seize the
throne. This formally raised the curtains on the internal strife within the royal faction. Princess Gryphine
with her strong personality naturally would not accept this silently, and denounced Hammil from within
her territory to the nobles and knights of the whole kingdom, accusing him to be an usurper of the
throne. The people who supported her were fierce opposers of the queen and backers of the Elven races.
In the middle of the elventh month, duke Arreck formally announced his support for the First-prince
Hammil, and the various regions either took their independence or placed their support to either side.
The civil war of Aouine started from that moment. From that period onwards, the civil war lasted for two
years and completely shook the foundation of the kingdom. It had a brief moment where it resurged, but
it had spilled too much blood for it to regain its former past.
Aouine’s demise was hastened because of this incident.
No one was able to notice what Incirsta did precisely because of the civil war. However, not noticing the
Madara’s presence did not mean that the influence was not there. Many cities and villages were
completely empty and void of life, and there was a bleak feeling when Brendel and the others passed
through the place.
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As they reached further into Trentheim’s region, that sight gradually changed. They finally discovered
some presense of human life near the core city of Trentheim, Firburh. The lord of Trentheim’s region was
the third son of Duke Randner, Baron Graudin.
Brendel was not very familiar with him, but the majority of the nobles were arrogant and selfish. A lord
was even worse, because they were merciless and cruel, heaping misery upon the citizens in their
territory.
When Brendel and the others entered Firbugh, they quickly realized this fact, and their small
expectations were lowered once again:
In front of them were the impoverished citizens of the city, their clothes tattered and torn, while their
gaunt, pallid faces with sunken eyes showed how they had no hope for their future. The refugees were
even more wretched as though the air of death was about them, reduced to nothing more than bones and
their cracked lips, indicating how hungry and thirsty they were.
The path to the city was dirty and foul smelling, as though excrement from livestock was everywhere in
the dry air. The nobles from Bruglas seemed kind compared to this place, simply because the citizens of
that place were still able to survive despite their commoner status.
This destitute land seemed to give birth to people filled with avarice. The poorer the land, the greedier
they seemed to be. Brendel understood it was not because the nobles in Grinoires were kinder, it was
simply because the lands of Trentheim were not bountiful, and their lives were in near shambles.
Amandina widened her eyes in shock and covered her lips in disbelief.
“My lord, the land you are inheriting…… is this place?” Her tone was filled with disappointment.
She thought she was leaving the highlands for a richer place in Trentheim. The area was supposed to face
the sea in the east, and it should be a place of wealth because it was easier to trade. It might not compare
to Ampere Seale, but at least it should be on the same standard as Bruglas.
She did not expect this land to be in such a terrible state.
Brendel glanced back at her.
After discovering that he intended for the veteran mercenaries to protect her and the Grey Wolves
Mercenaries, she had adopted a business-like attitude ever since they left Chablis. She would ignore him
every time and only spoke when she was spoken to. Even after he explained that they were similar to
heroic spirits like Medissa and brought them back, she did not relent on her attitude.
Brendel scratched his head at this situation and grumbled to himself about how a retainer should act in
his mind, but he did not use his position to remind her on their status.
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“Are you finally willing to talk to me?” He asked.
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Brendel looked at the natives in Trentheim with furrowed brows. Lives had no value here. There were
black markets behind destitute places like this, and the price of getting a goat was equivalent to the price
of getting a slave boy. In some cases, a slave girl was even lower than that of livestock. The settings in the
game was now applied in the real world.
Anyone who possessed enough power or authority would be able to trample on these citizens. Bandits
raped and murdered people. Lords did the same deed. The only difference was where it was done; either
it was done outside the city, or it was done within the city.
Nobles could afford to pay these evil lords a little money to perform wicked deeds, and the latter even
encouraged them to do so, simply because gold coins were much cuter than people who needed money.
Brendel wondered if he should explain to Amandina in advance before she found out on her own.
But Amandina thought that Brendel was displeased with her, and though she still felt frustrated over the
mercenaries, she lowered her head and replied: “…… I apologize, my lord! I should not have said that.”
Brendel waved his hand: “Miss Amandina, you’re mistaken. I’m not holding it against you at all.”
Amandina looked up, as if to confirm whether Brendel was telling the truth. She quickly lowered her head
again and did not say anything else.
“We still need to head south a little more to reach our land.” Brendel continued as he looked to the south.
“Further south?” Amandina was completely stunned as she jerked her head back up: “If we leave
Trentheim it would be wilderness—“
“Have you heard of a Pioneer Knight?”
“What—“
She blurted the word in spite of herself. She knew the term well. Young nobles or knights who had no
land to inherit, would receive the authority from the Holy Cathedral of Flames to develop new land for
the kingdom. They would bring along a few of their squires and head to the wilderness and develop new
cities.
These stories sounded like children’s bedtime stories. She did not expect the legends to happen directly
to her. She panicked for a moment. Even though it sounded like a great adventure, it was incredibly
1069
dangerous. No one in Aouine had tried to develop new lands for over a century, and for a moment she
thought Brendel was a madman.
But she quickly calmed down. When she compared the days in Bruglas where she was hounded for her
father’s debt to Brendel’s journey, she saw a glimmer of hope.
[…… So what if it’s dangerous?]
She took a long look at Brendel. A Pioneer Knight. The title sounded like the classic heroes from the past
who were full of eager to progress. Even though it was dangerous, there was an air of romance about it.
No matter how she looked at him, be it bravery, wits and morals, he fulfilled her ideal standards
completely.
He was even quite attractive when he dressed up as a noble.
[It’s a pity. He already has someone else.]
Amandina blinked rapidly as she found her heart beating a little faster, before she looked at Romaine
beside her. After her actions of running in the dangerous battlefield twice, she was lectured by him for a
long time and was currently kept in check.
Romaine was looking at something with interest and called out to him: “Hey Brendel, look over there—“
She seemed to have a magnetic pull to her; Brendel and the others looked over to where she pointed.
There were many travelers on the street that were not natives—
Because of Brendel’s action a month ago, the news of the Divine Artifact Resonance in Randner had
circulated to various bars and inns in the kingdom. The bards were carrying this news further north, and
adventurers who wanted to try their luck started appearing. Mercenaries, merchants and bounty hunters
were other groups were like hyenas which had smelled the scent of blood, rushing and gathering around
the region.
Nobles who concerned themselves with Aouine’s brewing storm sent out their eyes and ears. Even the
Association of Stars and Moon, as well as the Black Tower sent out their scouts. Within half a month, the
population of Princess Gryhpine’s territory actually doubled. If Trentheim was not under the threat of
Madara’s army, the cities’ lords would have been delighted at receiving more taxes.
[The situation is becoming complicated.]
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Brendel’s eyes swept across them. It was clear that he did not fit in with these adventurers because of his
attire, and the adventurers did not fit in with the local natives. This scene looked as though an artist
deliberately painted the social differences.
The majority of these outsiders did not want to get involved with the locals, and the same goes for the
latter who wanted to do with these likely lawless lot.
However, Romaine was pointing at something else. It was a small group of adventurers who were
distributing food to the emaciated children. This sight made him feel there was an illusion where time
was going backwards, as if he was in the game world, and these were the sympathetic gamers who were
distributing food.
He quickly shook his head to get rid of that illusion. There were still young adventurers who pursued
their dreams instead of profit.
[Four men and two women. All of them are indeed in their youths.]
Brendel could not help but reflect on the reality between fantasy and the real world. Adventurers were
not the exciting and romantic life mentioned in fairy tales, and in truth it was bloody and difficult. They
had to enter areas fraught with dangers and perils, and it was common for them to meet with their deaths
just like mercenaries. Their compensation was a pittance compared to the danger they were in, and most
of them ended up as bones in unknown places, although there was no lack of people who became rich
overnight.
Because of this, the majority of the adventurers had to become practical and work for profit. Only the
youths who acted upon ideal dreams did something illogical, and he was certain this group of
adventurers had just started their journey.
The other exceptions were them being the descendants of rich nobles or merchants.
“What did you want us to look at?” He turned his head back to ask.
He felt pangs of danger when he saw her pretty, dark brown eyes roll about as though she had thought of
something creative.
“What are you thinking about?” Brendel asked while being on his guard against her crazy antics.
“Something like what they are doing.” Little Romaine replied as a matter-of-fact.
“The food that we brought along isn’t enough, Romaine.” Amandina reminded Romaine as she
understood her thoughts immediately: “Our men and horses are draining our supplies quickly. If we’re
going to purchase food supplies here, we would have to deal with the local lord. Have you forgotten what
happened just a while ago?”
1071
Amandina was referring to the incident when they passed by a low-ranking noble’s land. Brendel had
gone with Scarlett to negotiate the price of procuring food supplies, but the noble became interested in
Scarlett and sent out his personal guards to abduct her.
The end results were thirty-odd iron-ranked guards were soundly beaten by the youth, then forced the
noble to compensate for his transgressions. However, this event served as a warning. Even though the
royal crown still retained its power, the nobles were already abusing their powers.
Brendel gave a grateful glance to Amandina when she finished speaking. The previous lord they
encountered was still fine, but this time they were going to face Baron Graudin. Even though he was
insignificant in Aouine’s history, his father was Duke Randner. If he tried to blackmail Graudin or kill him
outright, the duke would definitely send out his army out after his head.
[In the past, Duke Rhun’s army is able to freely move through Duke Randner’s territory as they pleased.
Perhaps the Princess’s faction established some form of deal with him. Someday I’ll deal with these
parasites, but it will only be when my army is ready and I have enough speaking authority. Power, is still
one of the most important rules in this world.]
Romaine shook her head upon listening to Amandina, gave a mysterious smile and replied: “Do you all
not discover it yet?”
“About what?” Brendel said.
“The method to do business—“
“Huh?”
Brendel took off his glove and brought his hand to her forehead, wondering if she was having a fever,
while Romaine swatted his hand away in annoyance. The younger Wild Elf sister asked curiously:
“Miss Romaine, my hometown has a saying. Poverty and merchants do not go along with each other. In
such a poor place, is there really business to be done in such a poor place?”
“Tia!” Felaern said as she glared at her.
Tia was scared of her older sister’s wrath, so she stuck out her tongue and swallowed her remaining
words.
“You can’t really say that. My aunt said that if there are places with transactions to be done, then there
would be merchants.” Romaine said.
1072
“I don’t disagree with your aunt,” Amandina looked at the uneven roads. It was highly unsuitable for
horse carriages to even pass through the streets at its state. Having commerce in this area was still a long
way off: “But this place seems to lack even the basic conditions for transactions……”
“But are these adventurers not doing transactions right before our eyes?” The merchant girl looked at the
young adventurers’ actions with great interest.
Brendel’s head snapped back to Romaine with incredulous eyes. A bold idea was forming in his head as
he realized what she was thinking about.
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“Miss Romaine, I don’t think you can call their actions a trade, it’s actually a donation.” Sangany answered
behind her.
Romaine’s face went up a little higher as she tapped her chin with her finger: “But that’s obviously a
trade. If you buy hope with food, isn’t that a transaction?”
“Using food to buy hope? What does that mean?” Amandina looked strangely at her.
Everyone felt the same way about Romaine’s replies. Brendel was the only exception as he wondered
how Romaine’s little mind actually worked. She seemed to always think of something that normal people
could not.
“Amandina, how long do you need to make this place a self-sufficient economy if the region is governed
by you?”
Amandina immediately felt there was an additional meaning to his words. She turned her attention to
him, wondering if the youth had his eyes set on this territory, or simply to test her out.
Regardless of his intentions were, she took a serious look at the filthy citizens who had clothes that were
patched up many times from different clothes like refugees, thought for a while before she answered with
difficulty.
“The shortest time would be at least a year, two if things don’t go well. There is no wealth amongst the
citizens right now, and they lacks the basic requirements to convert into a commercial industry. Even if
we did a tax reform and redistribute the land for cultivation, we need a certain amount of time to gather
the resources to store up wealth…… But I am confident that I can start paving the road of a commercial
district in two years. But it would require a great sum of money…..”
“Then we just need to distribute the wealth so the citizens are wealthy enough right?” Romaine
interrupted her and said it like it was matter-of-fact.
“Is…… there any meaning to it?” Amandina nearly choked on her indignance: “Are we going to be any
different from the addicted gamblers if we lend our money to the poor? It’s the same as letting them
gamble for us, and the money we win back is nothing but our own money with the real possibility of
losing everything…..”
She looked at Romaine like the latter was someone who was merely interested in dealing with risk.
1074
“Didn’t you already say you’re ‘lending’ money? These cute gamblers won’t run away with our money and
bring back even more to us. It’s cgoing to be clearly stated on promissory notes.”
“In the end we won’t receive anything because they are simply too poor and ignorant on how to earn
money.”
Romaine shook her finger like she was a world-class banker, then pointed at the citizens in the city.
“You are not wrong. But these people are desperate to get out of poverty, right? Distributing our money is
the same as buying hope for them. When we give them money, we can teach them on how to work in
production lines and fulfill their wish on being self-sufficient, and when they do so, it naturally means
they would be able to pay off what they owe in thier promissory notes. I would then gain many partners
in the commerce game. This is different from gambling. If you bury your a gold coin in the ground here,
the next year you would be able to gain two gold coins!”
She winked at Amandina mischeiviously.
“That…… Maybe it’s true, but achieving it in reality is difficult……” Even though Amandina understood
Romaine’s point of view, she was unable to accept this crazy logic.
“Indeed there’s a certain difficulty…..” Brendel nodded, but he looked at Romaine with praise. Romaine’s
ideas were not really transactions, but a form of redistribution. If they direct both capital and production
materials to the citizens, they would be able to create high productivity. However, that idea will only
work if the entire region’s wealth was under the territory’s lord. Still, it was remarkably ahead for this era
in terms of economic policies.
While Brendel was capable in administering the financial structure, he was a layman when it came to
building the finer details on infrastructure for a business.
He was confident he could set the foundations for the policy and free it from any outside interference,
though.
“Rather than say you’re buying hope, you can think it as buying labor. By having a motivated workforce,
there would be a difference in the speed of creating financial gains. If we are to do this, then the most
important aspect of the policy is how the wealth is redistributed. Amandina, do you have any thoughts on
this?” Brendel said.
“Repair the roads.” Amandina said.
Brendel nodded inwardly when her thoughts were the same as his own.
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“…… My lord, what exactly are you planning to do in this land?” Amandina hesitated for a while before she
finally gathered her courage and whispered to him.
Amandina almost could not believe the words she was asking. It was the same as encouraging her lord to
attack a legitimate lord. Usurping the land was the equivalent of betraying the kingdom. However, the
royal crown was weakening as the days passed by, and witnessing the noble lords’ cruely and decadent
behaviors, she was greatly shaken in the kingdom’s future.
Brendel first nodded, then shook his head and rubbed his forehead.
[I certainly have ideas on this place. That bastard isn’t some decent noble in the game or this world. Just
look at the plight of this place. Baron Graudin is just too close to my future lands, even if he doesn’t invade
my territory, there would definitely be highly unfair trading happening in the future. There wouldn’t be
any profit to speak off. But there are two things that I’m lacking in to take him down. Men and timing.]
He estimated that he should wait at least one to two months, when the various lords in their territories
announced their independence, and no one would care about the fight between two lords in the southern
border. By that time, he should be ready to deal with Baron Graudin.
[But this is a headache. Trentheim at this year is certainly one of the poorest regions in Aouine. I was
afraid Romaine might have trouble creating commerce in this area, but it seems like she already have
ideas in place. Should I get Amandina to start working on a plan? Money is the next concern, the first step
would be blackmailing money from the nobles who skimmed profits from Bruglas’ routes as our startup
capital, then start working on access to the rich southern mines. Any other sources like overseas trading
can be left to Amandina to work on—]
A loud snap from a horse whip suddenly broke his thoughts. He and his men immediately turned to the
source of the noise, and saw a group of riders entering the city. Even though their equipment were all
mixed all over, their emblems were clear.
Their flag was a pelican over a black-and-white checkmarked squares, which was clearly Randner’s
retainer’s symbol. Brendel immediately knew these men belonged to Baron Graudin’s personal troops.
They wrote through the uneven roads quickly and raised their whips in order to drive the citizens on the
street to the sides. The citizens scattered like they were a bunch of livestock, but this scene seemed to be
oddly humorous to the riders, and they laughed openly and loudly.
A few even had to correct their riding postures from their laughter.
Amandina instantly frowned. This was not an uncommon sight in Bruglas as the city’s guards did the
same thing. Scarlett scoffed coldly a little later after observing the riders.
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“They seemed to be dragging something behind them.” Sanford suddenly pointed at the ground behind
the riders.
“Dead bodies.” Brendel answered, but sighed as he finished as his words: “The nobles’ private soldiers
went out to kill bandits.”
“Is there something wrong?” Amandina was puzzled over his reaction. Was it not a common thing?
But Brendel placed his palm up to stop her queries, then pointed at another direction. When she placed
her focus in the area, she saw a group of women kneeling on the ground weeping as they covered their
faces.
“…… What’s going on?” She asked.
“Rather than calling them bandits, you can call them peasants forced to flee from the lord’s taxation.
Many of them lived their lives out like common peasants and do not partake in thievery, but since they
avoided taxes, they were classified and judged as outlaws.” One of the Grey Wolves Mercenaries
answered her question as he was familar with this practice: “My father also died in this manner, these
fucking nobles…..”
“Are there only men?” Amandina inhaled deeply and asked.
“Yes. It’s not exactly heaven living out int he open.” Brendel nodded.
At Brendel’s final comment, the city suddenly seemed to fall into an odd silence. Other than the private
soldiers’ yells and curses, and the women’s quiet weeps, there was on one who spoke when they saw this
sight.
(TL: I think I explained it before, but Feudalism has 3 concepts, Lords – Vassals – Fiedom. Vassals
answers to their sworn lords and may hold fiefs. For more information, go wikipedia. Too much info to
summarize, honestly.
The next thing is about redistribution of wealth. When I look at the information as a whole, it seems like
Amandina/Brendel is either going for trading/production over agriculture.)
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Chapter 136 – Dispute.
“Father!” A sudden childish outcry of anxiety and unease suddenly cut through the cavalry’s sneering
laughter.
A haggard-looking woman covered her child’s mouth and looked at the riders with fearful eyes. Silence
covered the entire street as the leader of the riders dismounted and walked slowly over to her. His gait
had a certain threatening weight to it as he carried his large spear over his shoulders.
While his eyes were dyed with surprise from the cry earlier, it could not hide the disdain in them.
“This boy knows that wretched thing?” The stout man licked his lips as he pointed with his spear to the
blood-stained corpse on the ground. His comrades came up as well and surrounded her like a pack of
hyenas.
The woman hugged her son and shook her head with tears rolling across her cheeks.
“Let that boy go. I want to hear the answer directly from him.” The man used his spear to draw back the
woman’s fringe as he said.
The woman hugged her child even tighter as she was afraid of losing him; the people around her looked
on with sympathetic eyes but quickly drew back from her.
“Did you not hear what I just said?”
“Ser Knight, he’s still young, please have mercy on my boy!” She begged him as she wept.
“You wretched whore.” The man said as he quickly raised his spear to strike her, he immediately found a
young woman carrying a longbow spreading her arms out and stood in his way.
“Hmm?” The man looked at the unexpected interference in front of him.
Brendel relaxed his fingers that were on his sword a while ago. He recognized the daring girl from the
group of youths who distributed food earlier.
“That’s enough, do you have no shame in bullying a helpless woman?” The woman with the longbow
shouted angrily: “I’m a daughter of a Baronet, and I command you to stop this immediately!”
“Oh?” The burly man looked blankly at her for a moment, before he turned back to his comrades and said:
“Boys, this lass here is an aristocrat’s daughter! What should we do?”
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Rude laughter came in reply.
“And which land is your noble father from?” The man turned back to the baronet’s daughter and asked in
a blank tone.
“Fenna, be careful!”
A man wearing heavy armor burst out from the crowd, his hand on the greatsword behind his back, but it
was too late, the leader of the cavalry had already stabbed through her stomach with his spear.
That outcome suddenly came from nowhere, and the woman named Fenna looked down in disbelief as
she uttered a soft gasp. Pain drowned her when the leader pulled his weapon, and she staggered back a
few steps before she fell forward onto the ground. Blood pooled around her as she repeatedly opened and
closed her mouth, shuddering repeatedly before she finally laid still.
The leader casually placed the spear back across his shoulders like it nothing had happened, flinging
drops of blood across the ground. The cavalry behind him quickly took out their longbows and shot at the
adventurers and civilians alike. Ten-odd men were instantly killed as screams broke out from the crowd.
The cavalry did not care whether they hurt the innocent and efficiently drove the crowd away to prevent
any sudden retaliation.
“Fenna!” That swordsman cried out again and swept away the arrows with his sword, but before his cry
ended, another member in his party collapsed to the ground as an arrow struck him. “You fucking
bastards!”
He roared as he pushed away the panicking crowd and rushed straight to the leader with his greatsword.
The latter intercepted his attack with his spear and bellowed: “Whoever interferes will be the enemies of
Lord Trentheim!” (TL: Baron Graudin = Lord Trentheim.)
The provoked crowd of adventurers quickly abated their tempers.
The swordsman continued to attack regardless of the leader’s threat, but the latter easily deflected the
strikes, accurately bashed the swordsman’s fingers with the base of the spear and knocked away the
greatsword with a sweep. He then followed up with a strike from the spear’s body to the swordsman’s
face before he finally thrust the blade into his neck.
While both of them were perceived as Iron-ranked fighters, it was clear that the cavalry’s leader was
several grades above the swordsman.
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But the spear never reached the swordsman’s neck. A tremendous force had struck against it and caused
a metallic clash to ring out. It inched away from the latter’s neck, and caused the cavalry’s leader to
wobble unsteadily. His hands were numb from the impact.
“Who dares!” The leader roared in fury and turned around, and his eyes laid on a youth wearing a jet-
black cloak over an alabaster shirt with fancy patterns stitched across his collar. His cashmere gloves
were dyed in a startling red and were connected to a heavy longbow.
That youth was gazing back at him as though he was filth.
The old and new Brendel were aligned perfectly with each other right at that moment. They did not allow
unjust actions to defile their sanctuary.
Amandina, Sanford and Scarlett looked at the youth in utter surprise. They did not think that Brendel
would interfere with this situation so openly. Romaine was looking at him with sparkles in her eyes,
feeling that this was his true personality.
The different faces that he showed were many; his courageous expression, his resolute appearance, his
air of violent bloodthirst when he fought against his enemies, and even the one when he was angry with
her.
She liked every one of those faces.
A moment of silence came about as everyone in the streets turned their attention to the youth.
The cavalry’s leader narrowed his eyes as he studied the men around Brendel. He was secretly shocked at
the display of strength that the youth had.
The aristocrat’s daughter was stupid enough to go against him here. There was nothing her lowly ranking
noble father could do if he did not have any land under his name. Would he dare to address his grievances
directly to a Baron who had a duke as his backing forces?
But the youth in front of him was different. No common man would be able to bring so many guards along
with him, and they looked like they had the abilities of the kingdom’s elite forces.
[This man probably isn’t some common aristocrat’s offspring.]
He quickly put away his spear and came to attention and cautiously greeted him.
“May I inquire who you are, Messere?”
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The cavalry’s arrows that were focused on Brendel, lowered as soon as they heard their commander
speak politely. They quickly cooled their heads as they realized the situation was changing.
“Let them go.” Brendel said, his voice void of any warmth.
He did not even take a look at the archers. With Scarlett and Medissa around, it would be a joke if the
people around him got hurt by any arrows. However, he started investing his bonus XP for completing
the quest in Baern Shyrltaesi.
[200000 XP in total. There’s no telling what will happen here. If I threaten this bastard he’s most likely to
back down, but I don’t want any mistakes here…… There, I placed everything into the Mercenary
profession. It’s at level 25 now, and my overall character level is 32. Strength and dexerity is at 70 and 40,
respectively, putting me on par with the stats of Silver-ranked fighter at a higher tier……]
Suddenly, there was an odd feeling in his mind. When he fired that arrow at the cavalry’s leader, he was
suddenly reminded of the time when he lost his temper at Makarov over Scarlett. He shook off that
feeling in a hurry.
[…… Regardless, I need to raise my level as soon as possible to unseal my Element. Once my perception is
raised I should be able to make sense of the type of Element I have. The situation might go out of hand
anytime and I need every bit of power available to me.]
Brendel was easily able to kill every one of the bastards in front of him, and would gladly do so if Baron
Graudin was not in the picture.
“Messere, we will be in trouble if we do as you say,” The attitude of the riders’ leader changed to a polite
tone as Brendel’s haughty reaction confirmed his suspicions: “These people who fought back might be
conspiring with the bandits. We can’t answer to our lord if we let them go—“
But he chose to resist. He did kill a noble, and if he let the survivors escape then there would still be
trouble for him if rumors came about.
Brendel’s laughter echoed in the street when he heard the leader’s answer.
“Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to?” The youth’s hand went to his sword: “Killing you is as easy
as killing a rat, and I just need to apologize to Graudin after the deed is done— But I’m going to give him
my respect by not cutting your head off on the spot despite your insolence. However, my patience has its
limits—“
He pulled out his sword and caused the riders in front of him to shiver slightly.
The world was simply that practical. If the nobility’s status did not work in negotiations, then violence
and power were the answers. The price of being naive was too high, and all too easily understood with
Fenna’s still-warm body.
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The riders’ leader considered for a while before he finally agreed and stepped away from the swordsman.
The swordsman still wanted to grab his greatsword and cut down the bastard in front of him, but another
adventurer dashed out from the crowd to restrain him. Brendel watched him whisper into the
swordsman’s ears before the latter finally calmed down.
– Don’t cause trouble for others.
Brendel sighed inwardly. The group of adventurers were truly naive. To the point where it was as rare as
precious gems.
Tears streaked down the swordsman’s eyes as he gently carried Fenna’s body. The crowd parted as the
two men walked towards Brendel.
“Thank you, kind sir.”
The person who thanked him was a skinny-looking youth around Brendel’s age. He had a pale face and
long light-grey hair, and wore a monocle which was chained back behind his ear. He wore a grey set of
long robes which had runic patterns on his sleeves, and Brendel realized that he was an apprenticing
wizard.
Unlike the swordsman who displayed his anger and sorrow openly, the youth appeared composed and
polite, although his slightly red eyes betrayed the fury in him.
“Do you want to take revenge?” Brendel asked after studying the wizard for a moment.
The young wizard looked up at Brendel in suspicion before he quietly shook his head and pulled the
surprised swordsman away.
Brendel’s eyes followed his back. That young wizard was just as angry as the swordsman and would
never forget about this incident, but contrary to his partner, he was cautious and showed restraint.
[I thought that everyone in that group is naive but that youth is quite intriguing…..]
“Messere, I have done what you asked of me. Would you kindly follow us and explain to our superiors?”
The riders’ leader carefully asked.
Brendel gave a derisive scoff, but he nodded after a moment.
“My lord?” Amandina whispered.
Since he interfered with this matter it would be necessary for him to meet Baron Graudin. It was folly to
use force here, and he thought it would be better for him to make the first move and fool the latter.
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Chapter 137 – Gift
Brendel proclaimed himself as ‘Viscount Gunston’, a noble who traveled south from the north. The papers
he had on him were given by the cripple Roen, and the craftsmanship on them was as perfect as the
papers handed down straight from the capital’s parliament. Even the original Viscount Gunston would
wonder if his papers were fake if he ever saw them.
When the riders’ leader received the papers and read them, he bowed politely and said: “My lord, my
name is Colton. I will report to my superiors so they can arrange a meeting between you and Lord
Trentheim. Would you allow one of my men to accompany you and let him direct you to the best inn in
the city?”
Brendel nodded, and Colton quickly gave orders to his men to clean up the street, and got one of the
younger riders to escort Brendel.
The capital of Trentheim was called Fohre. Its streets spread out like spiderwebs, narrow and many, and
the roofs of the buildings were a spectacular crimson due to the red soil used. Colton’s subordinate lead
them to an inn called The Brave Fist, a unique building that was high enough to allow its guests to look at
the city’s grey outer walls.
With such close borders to the wilderness that was outside Mother’s Marsha protection, humans had to
rely on the city walls to defend against magical creatures, beasts and demi-races.
Brendel and the others only had to wait a few hours after their meals at the inn before Baron Graudin’s
invitation arrived. Although it was only a small group of Graudin’s men who escorted them, when they
arrived at Graudin’s manor, he found two rows of elite soldiers standing at the gates. They wore heavy
armor, equipped with lances, and were neatly lined up and without expressions on their faces.
[A grand entrance indeed. It looks like Graudin is trying to threaten me. It might even frighten a real
viscount—]
The youth ignored them and walked past the gates. There was a massive man who immediately blocked
his path and tried to grab his shoulders. However, before he could even touch Brendel a girl with fiery red
hair grabbed his wrist and jerked it away. Her eyes looked like she was locking on to her prey.
“Get lost.” She said simply.
She took a step forward and rammed into him, causing him to crash into the wall of soldiers. There was
immediate wailing after a loud crash.
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“Cease your actions!” The soldiers were surprised and immediately tried to block Brendel from
progressing any further, but they were hurled backwards by the youth the moment they touched him.
It was as if they were facing a dragon and not a refined noble.
[70 OZ in the strength stats. Even in king Ansen’s era, I would qualify for a spot in the kingdom’s cavalry.
Just a little more and I can be in the elite group. In this era, I am even on par with a captain…]
Brendel continued to advance quickly, and there were constant metallic crashing noises as the soldiers
were thrown at each other like bags of flour. He never looked back and finally stopped at the second gate.
It was shut tight. Perhaps the person who was meant to open it was lying on the ground, so he did not
waste any time, and kicked down the door just like how he had done it countless times in the game.
The door crashed onto the ground with an impressive bang, and the empty hall was presented before
Brendel.
============= Graudin’s POV ===============
“My god, this man is such a brute!”
Somewhere in the mansion behind an arch window, was a middle-aged man who was peeking through
the curtains with piqued interest. Even though he sounded impressed, his eyes were cold and discerning.
He was holding onto a goblet with bright red liquid in it. He shook his hand and allowed the viscous liquid
to bob up and down.
Brendel would recognize that man in a heartbeat if he saw him. It was all too easy to recognize Graudin’s
prominent eagle-like hook nose. His eye sockets were deeply inset and his skin was pale as though he was
sick with malaise, giving him the uniquely sinister look which was prevalent within the Randner’s family.
The only thing that seemed alive was his bushy moustache that ended in a curl.
“A youth of twenty years and barely qualifies as a Silver-rank fighter.” Graudin stroked his moustache:
“What do you think?”
The lanky man behind him shook his head: “He did not use his full strength. That girl with red hair isn’t
simple either. If we were to fight, the odds will be split in both ways. I do not suggest fighting.”
“Of course I won’t,” Graudin laid his goblet down onto the windowsill with some annoyance, causing it to
gave out a light clink: “He must have some considerable backing if he dares to openly challenge me in my
own territory. But even if I don’t find fault with this matter, I need to show him a lesson.”
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He lowered the curtains and turned around: “What of the task that I instructed you to do?”
“The men have been sent out. If there are no problems, they would be back this very evening.” The man
bowed slightly.
“Good.” Graudin threw his goblet away with a fling on his hand, and it landed next to a dead woman. The
red liquid immediately splashed everywhere, causing a foul stench to spread throughout the room. The
dull-brown carpet slowly turned to a red hue once again.
“This matter is requested by my father. Make sure everything is perfect.”
Graudin wondered when his damned father would choose his successor. What disappointed him was how
his father became sharper every year, or he would have poisoned all his brothers to their deaths.
[A bunch of fools blocking my path.] (TL: I made a pretty huge mistake. It’s not duke Randner, it’s count
Randner. I’ll make sure to change it one day.)
============= Brendel’s POV ============
The grand hall was decorated with a crystal chandelier, an excessive luxury with intricate craftsmanship.
There were sigils within the crystals, indicating that it was an magic artifact. The design dated to the early
era of king Ansen, and was crafted to tell the story of the Treatise of the Holy Men, depicting one hundred
and eighty star consellations of the Gods.
Brendel and Graudin met under that artifact, separated by a long rectangular table on each end. The
supposedly empty hall was soon filled with people. Besides Graudin’s knights, there were many local
nobles who were also invited to the meeting.
[Looks like his real followers are not here.]
Brendel was certain that Graudin’s confidants were not in the room after studying everyone. Trentheim’s
territory was not considered large, but there were at least twenty-odd districts ruled by Graudin’s loyal
retainers.
After the superficial pleasantries were exchanged, the baron formerly announced the banquet’s opening,
in the name of welcoming ‘Viscount Gunston’.
The food that the servants brought had a wide variety but they were wasted on Brendel’s men. Having a
meal in the heart of the enemy’s territory was too stifling for them. Amandina’s heart was racing all the
time, frowning at the table as she looked across at the two exceptions.
Brendel and Romaine were sampling each dish with delight.
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Baron Graudin noticed Amandina’s expression and spoke after a moment of thinking: “What’s wrong,
does my lady feel that there’s something not satisfactory to your taste?”
The grand hall was suddenly silenced.
Amandina secretly panicked but she raised her head and nodded:
“My Lord Brendel and Lady Romaine are too polite and would not speak badly of this banquet. However
as their retainer, I would have to protest at your treatment. Do you view us as nobles below your rank?—
”
The other nobles went still.
[Good job! You saw through that bastard’s ploy.]
Brendel secretly raised both of his thumbs up at Amandina’s impressive remark. It was truly a slap to
Graudin’s face and he was unable to find a retort at her criticism. One could hardly imagine a city’s lord to
quarrel with someone’s subordinate, and a woman at that.
But Graudin merely smiled at her remark, before he cast his slightly clouded eyeballs at Brendel. The
latter also gazed back at him without any fear. He was acting as an arrogant noble who did not care who
or what was in front of him, even more so than the typical young nobles in the kingdom.
“Viscount Gunston.” Graudin said after a pause. He had a warm smile.
“Baron Graudin.” Brendel nodded.
“Since Lord Gunston came from the north, does the weather in the south cause any discomfort to you?”
“As a knight of the kingdom, there is no difference whether the weather changes or not. The frail idiots
who can’t even withstand such changes are not worth being called as nobles in my eyes.” Brendel’s mouth
fired back with conceit, and he wondered for a moment if he was actually a talented noble in the arts of
arrogance.
The air in the grand hall continued became even more unbearable. This was another attempt to slap
Graudin’s face, and the nobles wondered who exactly the youth was.
“A young man like yourself should not bring us old bones into the discussion. If you find that the food is
not to your taste, I have a gift prepared for you as an apology.” Graudin’s smile was ever polite and even
appeared sincere.
[Gift? What the fuck is he up to?]
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Brendel narrowed his eyes. He was trying to get the idiot to back down and get him to let them leave. It
was more important to get his own territory, and coming back to pick a fight with him could come later.
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Chapter 138 – Element
Graudin snapped his fingers with a loud snap, and servants appeared to clear the dishes in front of
Brendel. After it was cleared, two servants came up bearing a box each and placed them in front of him.
They bowed slightly and left the area.
The baron stood up and extended his hand to prompt Brendel to open the box.
Brendel was certain that the bastard in front of him was not giving him gifts. Even though he was a
viscount, there was no need for Graduin to bootlick him. If the latter actually chose to do that, even the
word shameless would not be enough to describe his character.
He hesitated for a while before nodding to Amandina, indicating for her to open up the box and she did.
However, her actions immediately froze when it was slightly ajar.
From Brendel’s point of view, she was clenching her teeth so hard that she seemed to be trembling but it
was to prevent herself from screaming in terror.
She stood vacantly in front of the box for a while as though there was some magic restraining her. Her
throat shifted slightly as she swallowed and took a deep breath before she opened it fully.
A fork dropped onto the plate. Romaine’s hand stayed in mid-air as she stared at the contents in the box.
Brendel’s expression immediately changed as well.
That was because a human head was placed in it—
To be precise, it was the swordsman he saw earlier. The decapitated head’s eyes were shut tightly and the
skin had turned white because blood had been completely drained from it.
Brendel did not utter a word.
Amandina glanced at him for a moment before her hands slowly reached for the next box. Her heart was
beating so fast that she felt faint, but she was determined to act her role. Her trembling fingers touched
the box’s wooden frame, stopped for a second then slowly lifted it up.
It was another head — The baronet’s daughter Fenna.
Blood drained from Amandina’s face.
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“The taste of that woman’s blood is quite good,” Baron Graudin had a pleasant smile as he spoke: “But a
gentleman wouldn’t steal someone’s else belongings. I have heard that the skull of a young girl used as a
wine glass makes the wine even better. Lord Brendel, you ought to try it sometime. The other head is a
complimentary gift—”
Before he finished his words, there was a light humming sound in the hall.
Everyone’s eyes went to the source of the noise and discovered Brendel’s sword drawing itself halfway
out from its sheath. It was vibrating so fast that it caused the hum they heard earlier, and it looked like it
was about to fly out.
The youth had both of his hands planted onto the table with tightly pursed lips.
Everyone felt a cold air emitting from him as though there was a palpable killing intent about him.
The nobles near Brendel dropped their utensils and even fell out of their seats as they watched in horror.
That murderous aura intensified and the knights around Graudin drew out their weapon to protect him,
while the latter continued to look on as he enjoyed Brendel’s fury.
But that smile immediately went stiff.
That was because that cold air manifested into white frost and covered the table, starting from Brendel’s
hands. Silver knives and folks twisted into horrific shapes, while the porcelain plates and bowls cracked
into pieces, then shattering once more to turn into white powder. That faint mist of cold air suddenly
traveled rapidly across the table as though a raging beast was trying to stampede across to strike
Graudin.
The two knights who were directly in front of Graudin grunted as they felt their swords’ blades break into
pieces, before they suddenly screamed and covered their eyes; blood was oozing down between their
fingers.
But the injuries from the knights did not register the people’s minds. It was because the only words that
came into their minds were —
Unsealed Element.
Brendel felt his thoughts plunge into an endless darkness that seemed to freeze everything. The
commotion he caused in the streets had caused Graudin’s retaliation and killed the innocent man he
thought he had saved.
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Utter disgust rose from within Brendel’s heart as he stared at Graudin with piercing eyes. The latter was
worse than any of the nobles he had met so far. The baron was truly made of utter filth. His fake smile
seemed to twist into some strange abstract art that looked like it came from hell.
A sobering rage was born from his heart, wanting every bit of this filth to be gone from this world, and
this emotion swept every other useless thought in his mind. Time seemed to stop and his eyes perceived
everything with absolute clarity.
His rage, the fear of the nobles around him, Amandina’s discomfort from being so near his unraveling
rage, and Graudin’s surprised eyes.
It was as though he was watching everything somewhere from above.
[I can’t believe I reached that so early….. That barrier that prevents me from using my Element.]
He felt his strength increasing by leaps and bounds, and together with the experience gained from the
battle against his grandfather, he found himself pounding on the wall in front of him.
When he did so, he felt his mind describing the Element power in front of him with words. Frozen.
Stability. However, that barrier knocked him back mercilessly:
You wish to break this barrier? You are not qualified yet!
The illusion disappeared and the world of darkness fragmented and scattered everywhere. Time
resumed, and he was brought back to reality.
Brendel then heard the shattering noises. Everything was breaking in front of him. The temperature of
the hall dropped over several tens of degrees and the walls were cover in a thick layer of frost.
Brendel’s next reaction was to place his hand on his sword, and this action alone forced Graudin and the
twenty-odd knights behind him to take a big step back, while the furniture behind them exploded into
countless splinters.
“Protect me!” Graudin screamed.
The knights beside him received a great amount of pressure as though an invisible wall was pushing
them back, but they forced themselves forward and pulled out their swords against Brendel.
What awaited them was a seemingly ordinary swing across the table—
Brendel held the sword with both hands and used the muscles across his body. From the legs, chest,
shoulders, wrists and hands. The sword sailed through the air in a straight line.
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[White Raven Sword Rave, Power Break!!!]
Anyone could see that it was a standard swing of the sword. Any beginner who started training would use
the same stance and posture as Brendel did. The path was clear and his intention was easily understood;
anyone with the slightest amount of experience could understand how it was done.
But none of the twenty Iron-ranked knights was able to evade the attack.
That swing seemed to slice through the air like a visible shockwave of white light, chilling everything as it
went across the hall and reached towards the knights’ bodies. Frost spread everywhere like
uncontrollable wildfire and turned them into ice statues.
That line continued to sweep across the hall, cutting just above Graudin’s hair and freezing it before it
finally ended against the walls. Twenty over heads were hurled backwards as they were lopped off from
the slash.
The nobles were completely terrified and escaped from the table, some of them stumbling onto the
ground, backing away from the frightening youth as quickly as possible.
The deaths of Graudin’s knights were displayed before Graudin’s eyes. He had controlled the fates of
other men, women and even children since his birth, but it was only at this moment that he realized that
he was as helpless as the people he had tortured and killed over the years.
[F-fuck! H-he’s not a Silver-ranked swordsman, he— No, this monster has reached its way to its Element
power!]
Graudin had thought the youth was someone he could stand toe to toe with, and the confrontation
between them would getting each other to back down through underhanded means.
The table suddenly split into half with a light tapping noise and crashed onto the ground. No one saw how
the youth cut the table into two, and he advanced towards the baron with no obstacles between them.
Brendel’s sword was raised once again.
“I’m a feudal baron!” Graudin shrieked pitifully as he glanced around in a panic, hoping for someone to
rescue him.
However, there was no one who did so. None of them expected a banquet to end as a fight, and certainly
did not expect a powerful wielder of an unsealed Element to come to such a remote location.
Brendel’s eyes only saw Graudin’s neck. He gripped his sword tightly and was determined to end him.
But a hand suddenly reached out to his sword arm and lowered it. He turned his head around and
discovered Scarlett in a battle stance, her eyes looking straight ahead to the second floor.
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Brendel peered into the direction to where she was glaring in an instant.
(TL: Feudal Baron – The highest degree of feudal land tenure. It means he’s directly under the king’s
employment.)
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“…… Then if you’re friends with the little prince, surely you can go in by the main entrance. Surely there’s
no need to…..” Lawrence floundered for a long time but he was still unable to describe Sue’s actions……
Was she trying to pick a bone over nothing?! Or perhaps she was worried that her status as a commoner
would not be allowed to see the prince?!
“Who set the rules that one must enter through the front door when they visit a friend’s home?!”
Who the heck could stop her if she wanted to jump onto a windowsill?
“I’m heading off, you should go back too, I can take care of myself.”
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Chapter 139 – Warm words of hope (1)
There was a dark figure on the second floor of the hall. When Brendel focused his eyes, he found it was a
gigantic skeleton covered in a weathered set of brass armor of an ancient design and wielded a battle-axe.
The top of the skull had a horizontal crevice, as though someone had tried to cut across its forehead with
a sword when it was still alive. Its jaw was slightly unhinged and it looked like it was looking at the scene
below with a mocking smile.
[…… That’s Kabias!] Brendel identified what the dark figure was at once.
“Viscount Gaston, is it?” Kabias’s voice was dry like sandpaper, “How have you been after you left
Fortress Riedon?”
It had seen this young man from afar when the undead surrounded the fortress. That youth had caught its
eye for some unknown reason.
“Madara.” Brendel said through clenched teeth. He turned around and glared at Graudin: “When did the
Madara became so close to Aouine’s nobles?”
“All life turns into dust with time. The only thing that does not change is profit, Viscount.” Kabias said.
[Graudin has actually colluded with the Madara undead, but for what purpose? It seems like I’m free to
kill Graudin at this distance, but……]
Although the Skeleton Lord in front of him was a full-fledged Gold-ranked fighter, there was a
considerable distance between them. It should at least jump down in between him and Graudin to
prevent the latter from being killed but it did not do so. In fact, it appeared almost smug—
He started to search the hall for any oddities, and finally discovered a pale man wearing long grey robes
hiding behind a few shivering nobles.
[That’s Rothko, I think. This bastard got me good the first time I got to this world. Two purple flame sigils
on his collars. Huh. He upgraded to a mid-tier necromancer from an acolyte the first time I saw him.]
Brendel rubbed his forehead and looked back at Graudin. The latter had seemed to regain some of his
composure. His hand was resting against a wooden pillar as support, while his face had that fake smile
once again on it. Only his blootshot eyes revealed the anxiety and fear in him.
Brendel purposely placed his sword horizontally across his chest, causing light to reflect into Graudin’s
eyes and caused him to flinch with a rat-like squeak emitting from his throat. The latter realized a few
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moments later that Brendel was toying with him. Fury was set ablaze in his heart but he did not show it
in his face.
“I truly did not expect you to sell your soul to the undead.” Brendel’s voice was one of murder as he spoke
to Graudin. He cast his eyes on Kabias again and said: “The fact that your rotten bones are here would
mean that you want to preserve this worm’s life, right?”
Graudin seemed to have gotten back his courage from the support of his allies. He ground his teeth
menacingly with hatred from his eyes.
“Young man, you can go ahead and bark like a dog if you so desire, but you do know I’m a Randner that
even if I don’t rely on my Madara allies. Do you truly intend to go against the entire Randner family? Are
you going to bring on a war between two retainers just because of a disagreement? Viscount Gaston, I
think even your family wouldn’t allow you—”
Brendel’s scoff turned the temperature of the hall down by several degrees, and cold mist even appeared
from Graudin’s lips. Almost everyone shivered from the cold as the latter’s words died in his throat. He
did not understand how he was wrong from the very start; Brendel was a complete fake.
His swung his sword like a quick draw, drawing a line towards Graudin’s throat—
Two shockwaves collided in the air. Rothko was ready for Brendel’s attack because he had seen the attack
before; Kabias kicked against the ledge and propelled down to intercept Brendel’s next attack as he
activated his Charge ability. The baron looked on stupidly at the blade inching closer towards him,
completely flabbergasted by Brendel’s actions which went against common sense.
But the long battleaxe had successfully parried his longsword. If the Skeleton Lord was one second late,
the sword would have pierced through Graudin’s heart.
“I have said before,” Kabias looked down at the youth as he towered over him: “Baron Graudin is an
important ally to us. We will not hand him over so easily to you.”
“I’m sorry to tell you that you didn’t!” Brendel yelled as he unleashed a flurry of blows of which the
Skeleton Lord deflected them with ease. He activated Power Break in an overhead slash, while Kabias
took a step back and sent the battle-axe in a vertical upper slash to meet the blade.
A thunderous metallic crash echoed throughout the hall and both of them took three steps back from the
impact, neither gaining an advantage over each other.
“Young man, you should back down,” Kabias stopped his momentum by using the battle-axe as a support
on the ground, raised his head and said: “Aouine and Madara has called for a truce. Is it necessary to
cause a war over your quarrel with the baron? The commotion in the hall has probably alarmed the
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guards in the fortress as well, are you not worried about your servants whom you left behind in the
courtyard—”
Brendel’s face darkened and his chipped sword was raised again.
“Mister Brendel!” Scarlett grabbed his wrist.
Sanford and the other Grey Wolves Mercenaries were still outside and she could not allow him to
continue in his rampage.
“Miss Amandina, do you think I should let this worm off as well?”
Amandina took a short moment to recover from the sudden chain of events after Brendel called out to
her. She looked at Graudin who had fallen to his rear in fear. She wanted to kick that face repeatedly until
it was no longer recognizable as a ‘human face’. But she took a deep breath and answered despite her
desire to do so:
“My lord, this bastard is still a Feudal Baron assigned by the kingdom.”
She pointed out to Brendel about Graudin’s status, but she was implying something else. The real trouble
was the people who assigned Graudin’s title.
While Feudal Barons were assigned directly by the king, it was actually the Randner family who handled
Graudin’s territory and rank. From the two prior generations before King Oberg, the family with a long
history started to raise their private army in order to combat the monsters at the border. Today, almost
all the soldiers in the Randner’s territory belonged to their private army.
Even if there were those within the royal family who did not view these ‘barbarians’ as important, the
count’s forces were abnormal for someone his rank. Also, because of Madara’s invasion the situation in
the capital had become chaotic; the royal crown could hardly care about two families waging wars at the
borders.
Finally, the crafted lie about Brendel being the Viscount Gaston would be revealed.
There was no possible way for him to set up his new territory if the Randner family poured their full rage
onto him. Amandina tried to squeeze every intention to a single line, requesting him to think of the
consequences, while limiting her words to a single sentence in order to make sure their weakness was
not revealed.
She believed that the youth in front of him would understand her intentions.
1097
Brendel spat onto the ground.
“Observe the situation in front of you and act prudently, young man.” Kabias’s jaw unhinged and
appeared like it was smiling.
The youth’s sword slowly lowered to the ground and he glared at Graudin with disgusted eyes as though
he was looking at a dead animal covered with maggots.
Graudin gained his wits about him when he felt Brendel’s expression turn to something else. Perhaps
Kabias gave him enough courage to threaten Brendel at that moment:
“If you don’t kill me today, Viscount Brendel, I’ll make certain today’s insult would be doubly returned—”
The baron’s voice was dripping with anger and humiliation. He had invited the local nobles only to have
them witness his shameful display. That sense of failure had caused him to feel like there was an undying
rage lit up in him. He wanted to find new ways to anger Brendel in order to goad him into a fight with
Kabias to ensure mutual destruction, but his hand was suddenly raised.
“Oss!”
Brendel fired a wind bullet towards Rothko who cast a counter-spell in a fluster, while his sword drew a
silver line across Graudin’s cheek.
Graudin’s expression went blank as he felt his hair fall onto the ground on the side where Brendel cut.
Throbbing pain spread across his face, and the nobles saw a visible wound on his cheeks. He used his
hand to feel the area in a daze, then put it before his eyes. Striking red blood covered all over his fingers,
and he started screaming like a pig being slaughtered.
Kabias did not react to Brendel’s attack. It saw from his position what damage the attack would do; it was
not Graudin’s guard and there was no need to act there. It was also good to have the latter receive a
lesson to understand their exact relationship.
“I’ll leave your head on your body for now. I’ll come back and take it the next time—” He said, then glared
at the nobles around him and they stepped back in fright. He glanced at Amandina and Scarlett, sheathed
his sword and walked out of the hall with angry footsteps.
When he reached the entrance, the heavily armored soldiers and guards who arrived and watched the
fight between Kabias and him, immediately parted and stood on each side. Some of them even saw how
he cut down twenty-odd knights with a single slash, and none of them wanted to stand in his path.
Graudin was still screaming. He wanted to order his men to cut Brendel down as he left the building, but
the pain remained in his mind and the words never came.
1098
TL: If you spot any Engrish mistakes, please point them out… I’m losing my concentration lol.
1099
Chapter 140 – Warm words of hope
When Brendel walked out of Graudin’s manor, he clenched his sword’s hilt till his fingers were white. The
men who waited in the courtyard were confused as to why their lord looked so angry as the people who
were in the mansion did not explain what happened in there.
[In the end, I chose to compromise……]
Brendel wanted to swing his sword and destroy the landscape.
It was not because he was afraid of Madara and Graudin’s combined forces, but because Scarlett’s
pleading eyes had moved him. Just like how he could never become someone like Makarov, he would
never allow his anger to affect his men who were still waiting in the courtyard.
The Grey Wolves Mercenaries were her last kin, and she had the right to stop him from killing Graudin to
make sure no retribution was going to happen to them.
He had tried to resist Aouine’s decadent politics ever since he came to this world but he soon realized he
did not have the power to go against the nobles. His heart was especially heavy because Amandina had
subtly objected to his actions, and was disappointed that she tried to make him play the game that all
nobles did. Even though she did not state it directly to him, she did not hide her intentions either.
[Yes, this might be a better choice for me but is this worth it? This is the first time I abandoned on my
decision that I made. I didn’t even think there would be a day like this. No, there’s no way I can let this
fucking go. Even if the entire kingdom is backing Graudin I’ll definitely cut him down. Just give me some
time……]
Brendel’s thoughts were interrupted when he detected a piercing rust-like stench in the air. The slight
wind picked up and made it stronger, while a sudden scream from Amandina occurred behind him. He
wanted to turn behind and asked her what was wrong, but he caught a glimpse of an oddity on the path
back to the city.
That familiar path had rows of human-sized crosses on each side, leading back to the city’s streets below.
There was no one walking in the streets—
Because they were cruified to the crosses.
From their appearances, it seemed that they were adventurers, hired mercenaries and the citizens in the
city. Men and women were not spared; everyone had their throats slit, leaving behind lifeless corpses.
1100
This was an old practice in the continent. Lords would crucify the bandits onto to a cross as a warning to
those who would turn to robbing.
Who was Baron Graudin warning with this display?
No, it was not just him. He was warning all the angry adventurers and foreign mercenaries in the city, that
he was the lord of this territory.
A bloody warning indeed.
“Well done—” Brendel said through clenched teeth. His legs nearly turned around but he resisted doing
so.
Scarlett and Amandina glanced at him when they saw the display in the streets, but Brendel’s footsteps
started once again without saying anything else. The rest of them followed his back in silence. When they
were near their inn, he suddenly saw a human figure hesitating in a corner before he slipped away into an
alley.
[It’s him?]
He immediately chased after that figure and followed him into the alley.
“My lord?” A few of his men called after him in surprise.
When he entered the alley, he immediately saw a young man with a monocle on his right eye. The latter
stopped walking when he heard Brendel’s footsteps, and slowly turned around.
“Lord….. Brendel, is it?” The youth said with a dour expression.
It was the same young man whom Brendel recognized as an apprentice wizard, and also a party member
of the swordsman’s group this morning.
Brendel nodded but the young wizard did not continue speaking, and both of them fell into an uneasy
silence. He saw that the latter’s eyes were bloodshot with rage even though he did not show it in his face.
“…… My lord, my name is Alistair. I remember you asked me this morning if I wanted revenge? If I told
you I want to—” The wizard gritted his teeth as he took a pause: “My lord, can you show me the way to do
so?”
Brendel did not answer.
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“The mercenaries and adventurers in the city have the same thought. The blood feud between Graudin
and us has been set in stone.” Alistair stared at him: “If my lord agrees to help us, we will work for you—”
But Brendel shook his head, and Alistair’s face fell.
“Are you absolutely certain that you want revenge?” Brendel said after a long pause, rubbing his
forehead.
Life went back into Alistair’s eyes, but he took time to think about Brendel’s words before he nodded
resolutely.
“Then make sure you stay low and don’t get into any further trouble with Graudin.” Brendel’s fist went to
his heart: “I promise I will help you take revenge but now is not the time. I will send word to you when
I’m ready.”
“Wait, my lord!” Alistair called out after Brendel as the latter turned around and left the alley.
Brendel’s men were waiting at the entrance of the alley. They had guessed a little as to what had
happened when they saw the crucified bodies and Alistair.
“Brendel.” Romaine called out to him. She went in front of him and stared at his eyes. “Are you sad?”
The youth finally stopped and looked at her in surprise. When he heard her words he felt that he realized
that his fury was overwhelming the pain in his heart. He almost teared up as he lightly patted her head.
“Thanks.” He said in a wistful voice.
“Eh,” Romaine frowned as she moved away his hand and asked curiously: “But I haven’t even done
anything yet—”
“…… Did Amandina ask you to come over to talk to me?”
“How did you know?”
Brendel sighed and shook his head. When he turned around, he saw Amandina rushing over with her
fingers raising her dress.
“Are you angry with me, my lord?” Amandina stopped in front of him and asked.
“You did nothing wrong.” Brendel rubbed his forehead as he spoke.
“But you’re still angry with me?”
1102
“Yes.”
“Why is that?”
“Miss Amandina, as you very well know, this world isn’t black or white nor is it simple. I know you meant
to tell me that Count Randner is the highest authority in the southern borders of Aouine. His forces are no
smaller than that of any dukes, and his private army is powerful enough to make anyone who dares to
resist him shiver in fright. Even dukes will only act against him in the shadows.”
He took a deep breath and brushed his hair back: “Not to mention our small group who is nothing more
like ants to him. You might even say that a single order from him is enough to kill us all.”
“But?” Amandina asked solemnly.
“This is not a reason for me to back down. If you ask me to choose between duplicity or violence, I will
choose the later. I will not accept Graudin’s ‘Gift’ with a hypocritical smile; I will choose a path of steel and
blood.” Brendel unsheathed his sword and pointed it to Graudin’s manor: “You asked me the reason why.
The reason is simple, miss Amandina. It’s simply because I am Brendel.”
He looked back at Romaine: “Brendel, who came from Bucce.”
Romaine immediately winked at him mischievously and gave a curtsy.
Amandina was slightly awed by his words but she quickly regained her sense: “But there’s possibly a
better choice. I understand your thoughts, my lord, but the dead has no power to speak amongst the
nobles! We are not just facing Baron Graudin and his family, there’s also Madara to worry about—”
There was a fire that was stoked within her heart from Brendel’s words but her eyes were also full of
worry.
“That would be my problem, miss Amandina. Regardless of Graudin, count Randner, or even the entire
Madara army.” He looked back at Graudin’s large manor. “Since we’re going to face each other sooner or
later, I’ll be ready for them.”
He said, and continued to walk back to the inn.
Scarlett tightened her grip on her long spear when she heard Brendel’s speech as she followed him.
Amandina’s eyes followed his back with worry but there was a newfound respect for him in her heart. At
the same time, she began to think about the number of enemies they were going to face. No matter how
she looked at it, there was no way for a small group of men to go against the hundreds and even
thousands of soldiers Graudin had at his disposal.
1103
=============== Graudin’s POV ============
There was a loud smash and crazed yelling. Pieces of white porcelain were shattered across the ground.
Graudin was throwing his belongings in his study in absolute fury regardless of how valuable it was after
Brendel and his men left.
Rothko and Kabias had already left the manor. At this point of time, even if count Randner was found to
have an alliance with Madara, there would not be any repercussions to him because of the chaos in the
capital. However, his reputation would fall beyond unsavory if people found out he worked with the
undead.
The people left beside him were his two male lovers. This was the reason why he could openly vent all his
anger.
“Viscount Gaston, Viscount Gaston, god fucking Viscount Gaston, damned these fucking Northern
bastards!” He yelled at the top of his lungs.
If Brendel’s forces did not appear to be as strong as he was, he would have ordered all his men to attack
him and cut off his head. He did not care even if he had to go to war with another family.
One of the male lovers saw an opportunity to come up to him when Graudin was taking a respite to gain
his breath: “My lord, since they already left the manor, do you want to gather your soldiers and kill him—
”
TL: Bit of trivia on medieval research—
I can’t believe how much text is written about medieval sexual orientation. Like why only the missionary
position is the only position allowed. Lol. And sodomy (note it doesn’t matter if it’s female or male) is
apparently worse than prostitution.
Things that date back even further in Rome was how it was okay for a high class noble to penetrate male
or female without any loss of status, but getting penetrated would probably result in a loss instead.
“Penetration and power were highly correlated with the rights of the ruling elite in Roman society. It was
acceptable for members of the less powerful group to surrender to penetration by members of a more
powerful group. Thus, penetration was associated with a man’s power and authority, and was not
regarded as either a homosexual or heterosexual act.” – Excerpt from wikipedia
The greatest reason as to why and how sex was controlled in the medieval era was pretty much due to
the church which was pretty powerful. Since this world hardly has a doctrine to speak of and considering
the goddess favors the undead and the living equally without bias…… Well I don’t want to think about it.
Too much effort. Just know that this particular world probably does not frown on gender-based sex.
1104
1105
Chapter 141 – Warm words of Hope (3)
The other male lover lowered his voice and added: “He might be a viscount, but surely their family’s
influence has limited reach over the south. I had sent men out to investigate his family name and he
comes from Baltha, the furthest northern region in the kingdom.”
“Are you stupid?” Graudin said. Even though he was in a rage his mind was unaffected by it. “Who do you
think we can send after him? That skeleton said that bastard is at least a Gold-ranked swordsman, and the
red-haired woman by her side most likely has the same strength as well. Do you think my troubles are
still not enough?”
“I apologize, my lord. I had failed to consider his strength.”
“Then perhaps we can close the city gates and force them to stay here while we send word to the
assassins in the capital?” His other lover said.
Graudin took in a deep breath before he kicked him: “Halfwit! Should I send you out to close the gates?
Perhaps he would cut you down as well!”
The latter screamed in pain and shook his head.
“Perhaps we can try to get the Skeleton Lord and his undead army to attack him? Are they not our allies?”
The other lover who was still standing said.
“They won’t act on this matter. Aouine and Madara had just signed a treaty, and they won’t risk a war
with any noble families at this point of time. Even though I don’t know what their undead commander is
doing here, I don’t think they will leave the city easily.” Graudin said.
There were other words that did not leave his lips. His family and Madara were both using each other.
This alliance in the dark would never see action in the open. Randner was allowing Madara to attack the
other southern regions in order to bolster their own forces.
This was the secret between them.
He did not tell his kept lovers about this. He looked at them and shook his head, touching the injury on his
cheeks and said bitterly: “But I’m not going to let this matter slide. I will absolutely get my revenge on
that bastard. My father might not be willing to go to war with another family, but I’m going to see if he’s
capable of protecting his companions—”
His smile was a twisted curl of his lips: “Get me a pen and some paper, I’m writing a letter to the count.”
1106
“Understood, my lord.”
Both of his lovers bowed and prepared to leave, but at that moment the door opened and a dark figure
entered the room like a snake.
“My lord, the matter you assigned to Kerri is finished. I have just received their message—”
Graudin took a moment to understand the figure’s words because of his anger, but he quickly nodded and
said through clenched teeth: “Good, then bring that thing and my letter over to my father. I don’t think he
will refuse this small request of mine.”
When he saw that the figure was still there he spoke again: “What else do you have to report?”
“My lord, the situation within the city looks unstable, I’m afraid those mercenaries will……” He said in a
low voice.
“Ignore them. Even though the Madara undead monsters won’t help me with the viscount they won’t let
these rebels get to me. I know this point better than you do.” Graudin waved his hand: “Take a rest. If the
mercenaries are still rowdy I’ll teach them a lesson again—”
The figure nodded and left the room quietly.
=========== Brendel’s POV ===========
Amandina wanted the rest of the day to pass by quietly, but it seemed like the world was not going to let
her wish come true. The situation kept spiraling out of control and beyond her calculations.
Firbugh was no longer safe to stay when they fought with the city’s lord. Even though Brendel was not
afraid of Graudin he still had to consider the possibility of Madara backstabbing him. They had most likely
realized he was the one who had led the refugees out. He was probably on Incirsta’s kill list.
Kabias might hold back for now because of his status as a viscount, but that identity was ultimately fake
and would not last forever.
Leaving Trentheim as soon as possible was the best decision. However, just three hours after they left the
city, they met with a group of cavalry directly under Graudin—
Kerri was surprised at the group of people in front of him. His face was angular, had a pointed chin, with
prominent cheekbones. His cunning eyes were spaced apart and set under a faint pair of slightly raised
brows, looking almost like a hyena. He looked at the women within the group with lustful eyes.
1107
[Marsha above, these woman are beautiful! Even the lord’s women are not as good-looking as them.]
The man who was widely known as the Jackal, rubbed his eyes and pinched himself in order to test
whether he was dreaming. The women he saw in the territory were mostly weathered and thin, or were
whores who lurked nearby the inns. This was the first time he saw so many women with such beauty and
elegance.
[If I can send them all to my lord, wait, maybe keep one secretly for myself—]
He licked his lips and checked out the group of mercenaries who were following a young man. This was
not the first time he attempted something like this, and he had previously sent the sister of the group’s
leader to Graudin.
[Even though these ten-odd mercenaries look like they are Iron-ranked fighters, they should be doable
with my riders. The fools who resisted me the last time had even more……]
The hundred-odd men behind him perked up their heads when he lifted his morning star.
[It looks like that young man has pretty good clothes on him, probably a small-ranking noble. These
nobles who travel to Trentheim are really fools. Do you really think that a ‘noble’ title is going to help
when you come to the desolate borders of Aouine?]
“Boys, let’s go greet our prey.” He said and rode out.
The men behind him snickered with leering faces and followed him. Before long, they reached Brendel
and the Jackal yelled at him.
“Who are you lot?” His voice was as grating as the bellows used in a forge: “Do you not know whose
territory you are in? If you dare to carry your weapons so openly, are you—”
He wanted to say ‘bandits’, but the word suddenly stuck in his throat. The young man in front of him was
looking at him strangely as though he was looking at an idiot.
“All of you came over from the Green village?” Brendel asked, acting like he had not heard the Jackal’s
question.
Kerri recovered from his daze and immediately roared with anger.
“You bastard, who the fuck do you think you are talking to? Do you even know who we are? Lord
Graudin’s personal city guards. I suspect you are bandits outside Firbugh, and I order you to lay down
your weapons and come with us! If I give my order to my men to attack, there won’t be any mercy!”
“So?” Brendel said.
1108
“How dare you speak back……” The Jackal did not hear the suppressed killing intent that was leaking out
from Brendel’s lips. Perhaps he did not expect the group of Iron-ranked mercenaries would resist him,
and there was also the fact behind him were blood-thirsty mercenaries who were paid handsomely for
their skill. “I’m giving you a final chance. If you offer me your women right now, I might be kind enough to
just let the rest of you go.”
His men laughed when they heard their commander’s words.
Amandina did not feel the slightest bit of anger. It was the complete opposite. She had seen enough of the
nobles’ private troops acting to what the man in front of her did, but she still sighed as she looked at
Brendel.
That youth was about to unleash the anger he suppressed in the baron’s manor. His right hand was
released from his sword’s hilt, clenched and unclenched once before it hung loosely beside him. He tilted
his head and said one word at a time: “You asked me who I am, right?”
The Jackal paused and wondered if the man in front of him was crazy, but he subconsciously gripped his
morning star tighter as he felt something was amissed.
“I wonder if you have heard of this story before.” The youth said.
“Story?”
“The story of an idiot and an unhappy person.”
Everyone looked at him with furrowed brows. Brendel was looking so serious they thought that there
was something to his words, but they realized he was mocking the man in front of him after a moment.
“In the story that unhappy person takes off the idiot’s head.” Brendel said. His hand suddenly reached for
his sword and a flash of light suddenly appeared and disappeared. “Like so.”
“You fucking—” The Jackal wanted to order his men to attack but he suddenly froze.
He had a shocked expression on his face before his head slid off his body and fell down from the horse.
1109
The battle was over quickly.
Even though the enemy riders fought Brendel’s mercenaries on equal grounds in the beginning, the
situation quickly turned to a one-sided slaughter when Brendel and Scarlett joined in the battle.
Silver and red flashes shot into the riders’ formation as Element powers were fired repeatedly, and from
the sky it looked like an ice dragon and lightning dragon were gobbling up the riders.
When they realized they could not defeat Brendel and his men, they quickly yelled in terror and fled in all
directions However, they were unable to escape Brendel and Scarlett’s pursuit. Thirty minutes later, all
the riders were killed and their corpses were scattered all over the plains.
Brendel did not summon Medissa because he wanted to hide his true strength or the battle would have
been over much quicker. There was no telling if there were Madara scouts following him.
He sat at a distance away from his men regained his composure after the battle while they cleaned up the
battlefield. He realized that his newfound strength was not something temporary and had lasted all
throughout the battle. There was no doubt that he had gained enough stats to be on par with a level 40+
Gold-ranked fighter.
[The duel with my grandfather increased the skill of my swordsmanship before. I had wondered if this
was how a NPC leveled up their skill or was it a quest reward? I initially thought I needed to do some
related quests to unseal my Element but it seemed like it’s not necessary now. Typically most NPCs are
stuck at the Gold-ranked tier because they are unable to unseal their Element powers…… I’ll open up the
Stats Window to be sure—]
His eyes went wide when he saw the information displayed in front of him.
[I’m still level 32— but my stats have increased by thirty percent?! What happened?]
He immediately switched the menus rapidly before he suddenly froze and went back a few pages.
– Brendel (Level 32 Elite NPC)
He looked at his name for a few moments and blinked stupidly. He finally realized that he possessed both
the special quality reserved for a NPC as well as a system for gamers. He could raised his skill proficiency
by points or increase it by ‘special events’.
[Are you serious? What would the next title would be? Unique NPC? Boss NPC? Elite Boss NPC?]
1110
He complained to himself when he realized he was becoming something like a monster who had special
attributes. One day he might have some crazy ‘Final Boss Form’ while changing three or four times to get
there…..
He suddenly jerked his head left and right; perhaps there was going to be a 25 men raid party that was
going to appear out of nowhere in the future. The entire thing was too surreal.
[…… Well, is there any stat resistances or elite skills available?]
He changed the menu once again and discovered three new ability slots under his character sheet.
– ??? (Level 45)
– ??? (Level 47)
– ??? (Level 60)
He immediately guessed that these abilities were locked until he reached the appropriate level, and it was
probably necessary to add skill points into them before he could use the skills.
[The skills of an Elite are not that impressive. Even the stat resistance bonuses are about the same as
wearing a cloak or something. Maybe if I get a Boss NPC title and above…… Then things would be
different.]
His eyes were so focused and cross-eyed on his new title that he looked silly.
[If I gained the title ‘World Boss’….. Then he would go beyond any gamer could possibly go. N-no. The
probability of a NPC entering a gold rank and unsealing their Element power is low enough. Reaching the
peak of the pyramid is impossible, otherwise gamers wouldn’t have controlled the continent in the end
game of The Amber Sword.]
It was a possibility regardless of how small it was, a voice inside his head said, but he quickly regained his
senses and checked his Element menu instead.
Two words described his Element powers.
– Frozen. Stability.
There will be more words to describe his Element power when he had more power to try and break the
barrier down. After the barrier was broken he would be capable of using the Laws of his Element power.
Element Points, Element Abilities and Aura. A fighter with an unsealed Element power would possess
these three qualities, and he would be perceived as someone who was beyond a normal human.
1111
[In the game, a low tier Gold-ranked NPC must possess two conditions: Their overall power rating must
cross over 100 and they must be able to sense their Element power. It’s not too difficult to clear the first
condition and most people with some talent is capable of achieving it, but they would stop and end as the
highest tier Silver-ranked NPC if they are unable to sense their Element power. An Element is based on
the Laws of this world. If one is unable to see and manipulate the lines that connect them to the Laws,
then they will never be able to reach the barrier of their Element Power.]
Brendel reflected on his NPC body. Wizards, Priests and even Knights NPCs had a much easier time to
find the lines connecting to the Laws of their Element powers. A NPC with a warrior profession and
unsealed Element Power was almost non-existent. Buga was amongst the rare few who naturally gained
his unsealed Element as his level increased.
[I can’t even think of any warrior NPC who’s able to sense his Element Power with an event at such low
levels. And the description of my Element is strange. If the words describing my Element is Cold or Ice, or
even Northern Wind or water, I won’t be so puzzled. The appearance of my Element might look like it has
something to do with Ice, but no matter how I think about these two words in the game, it’s actually
related to Time and Space.]
Was it an Ice Element or Time and Space Element?
Even though the Ice Element was one of the four highly prized Elements in the game, the Time and Space
Element was rated Legendary.
When he was still pondering, he caught the figures of Amandina and Romaine behind his stats window
walking towards him. He dismissed the system and paused for a moment when he saw them holding
hands with a timid little girl looking at him—
She appeared to be no older than ten and had braided green hair.
[A Senia citizen?]
He frowned slightly. The Viridien village was the only southern village in the Trentheim region, and these
Senia citizens who lived there were short humans who descended from the Forest Wildlings. They were
quite friendly with the druids in the forest, but because of their wild nature they were perceived as
barbarians.
These Senia citizens were isolationists and stayed at the very edge of the forest, refusing to submit to
Aouine. Most of the local lords ignored them, but there were a few who tried to use violent and bloody
means to make them submit.
Graudin was amongst the latter.
1112
[But why did that bastard want to capture a little girl like her? The nobles hate to have anything to do
with the Senia citizens; it is considered a grave insult if the citizens even touch their clothes. Commoners
look down on them. But it is true that the Viridien village is my next stop.]
The youth rubbed his head subconsciously.
TL: This chapter has a ridiculous amount of Element talk. If any of you guys can’t understand the stuff
here, just leave a comment and I’ll spend more time thinking of better terms. Also, there won’t be a
chapter tomorrow because I need to collect some documents.
1113
The little’s girl clouded emerald eyes seemed to bring forth a certain vigor in her body. She wore a grey
flaxen dress but was barefooted, while her thin arms looked almost like they were malnourished. Each of
her hands were linked to Amandina and Romaine’s hands as they walked side-by-side. When she walked
towards Brendel she bit her lips nervously and looked up at him.
Her green hair were like newly sprouted vines covering her dusty face. Even though her eyes were weak
and timid, she did not shy away from his gaze, rather, she was studying him carefully.
“And who might this be?” He said.
[Emerald-like eyes only belong to Forest Elves and pure-blooded Senia citizens, but her green waist-long
hair is remarkably striking— The only NPC I have ever seen with such green hair is the Avatar of Forest.]
“Scarlett rescued her from the riders. She might have been kidnapped from the nearby village.” Amandina
answered as he lowered her head and carefully combed the little girl’s hair.
“Do you know she’s a Senia citizen?” He suddenly said.
“What’s a Senia citizen, Brendel?” Romaine asked with blinking eyes.
“A Senia citizen?” Amandina’s hand drew back momentarily and hesitated, but eventually went back to
comb her hair. The little girl looked up at her and saw the latter had complicated expressions.
There were many rumors about these ‘Green Folks’. One of the highly circulated rumors was this: The
Senia citizens carried a disease that turned people into beasts. Most humans did not want to come into
contact with them, and nobles were even more loathed to go near them. In certain areas, some extremists
even support burning these pagans in order to prevent these supposed disease from spreading.
“What’s your name?” Brendel ignored Amandina’s reaction, softened his tone and asked the little girl.
He was indifferent to the different races. The Senia fled to the south in the forest some seven or eight
hundred years ago to avoid the Dragon of Darkness while the other races participated in the battle to
fight for their freedom. Civilization progressed while the Senia lagged behind because of their isolation.
The various races thought they deserved the discrimination they had.
The little girl did not respond.
1114
“She doesn’t understand our language.” Amandina answered.
Brendel was not surprised. He nodded and straightened up his body: “That’s fine, I can roughly guess
where she’s from, but I’m a little puzzled.”
Amandina nodded to agree with him. Graudin’s private soldiers must have realized the little girl was a
Senia, and it must have been great mercy to spare her from death. Even if this was some other land
outside Trentheim, it was legal for the army to execute a Senia citizen.
Brendel took a few steps forward and surveyed the land around him.
“We’re sending her to the Viridien village.” He said.
“The Viridien village? Where’s that?”
“It’s a Senia village. It’s the south of here, approximately half a day’s journey.” Brendel took up a sword
from one of the riders. He pulled the sword out, inspected it and replaced his sword which had been
damaged during the fight at Graudin’s manor.
“What are we going there for?” Amandina frowned and lowered her voice to the point where it was out of
the little girl’s reach: “My lord, we should just send someone to escort her back—”
Brendel waved her off.
“My lord! Do you really intend to go to their village? If anyone knows that we went to their land,” She lost
her composure and blurted out. “Your reputation……”
She suddenly realized what she did and glanced at the little girl beside her. Even though she knew that
the latter did not understand her words, she chose to stop talking.
“That’s enough, Miss Amandina. That’s where we’re going in the first place.” He said.
“What?” Amandina was completely shocked.
Valhalla. That was the place he was searching for. It was tremendous help to him that Mother Marsha had
delivered the little girl to his hands. The Senia might be isolationists but they treated their true friends
with great sincerity.
[Getting Valhalla’s location requires the Druids. This particular race chose to retire around the same time
as the Silver Elves, and their presence have completely disappeared some three hundred and fifty years
ago. The only possible way to get to them is have the Senia to contact them.]
1115
“Brendel, who are the Senia?” Romaine asked again since she did not receive an answer.
“It’s a long story,” Brendel smiled and flipped her nose, causing her to scowl angrily as she retreated
backwards. “The Elves called them At’zon, The Forest’s Children.”
“Lycanthropes?” Romaine’s eyes turned wide with curiosity: “I heard of this term before!” (TL: What
the……. Green Fur Lycanthropes…….)
The young man suddenly felt a gaze on him and turned around. The little girl had an obvious reaction
when he mentioned the word at’zon. He pondered for a while to ensure he did not make any mistakes in
his plans before he ordered his men to set out.
The Viridien village was a foreign name to numerous regions and even local mapmakers. The latest
edition of the political map made by the order of King Oberg listed a total of four hundred and fifty
locations, but it did not mention the name either.
In the game, adventurers made their way to Karanjar’s mountainous region from their village and
Brendel was one of them, but the sight he saw that day was different from today—
“These fucking bastards.” One of the Grey Wolves Mercenaries muttered under his breath.
They rode through abandoned farmlands with damaged fences. Gardening tools were broken and strewn
everywhere, while the planted vegetables were trampled and ruined by the riders’ warhorses. It was
quite easy to see how much effort and time the Senia had spent to clear the verdant forest in order to
create arable land, only to have them completely ruined by the Graudin’s men.
[When I came here in the game there wasn’t anything like this. It was a place that had dense foliage and
trees with no signs of anyone living here at all.]
Brendel’s eyes glanced across the farmlands, almost able to see the nearby river there. He had a difficult
time cross the forest back then because it was full of level thirty plant-type monsters.
The Grey Wolves Mercenaries glowered unhappily as they continued to ride. Their backgrounds were
either hunters or farmers, and they regarded farming as something sacred because it was everything
their families had.
“Stop advancing. Let’s enter this area and check for villagers.” Brendel suddenly said. He heard sounds
coming from the inner farmlands.
His men followed his instructions and went around the damaged fence. They finally saw a woman
wearing a tattered dress, covering her face and sobbing in front of the damaged vegetables.
1116
Another man, perhaps her husband, was carrying a rake over his soldiers with a sullen look as he
inspected the damage. When he saw Brendel’s men coming around the fence, he was initially startled
before he placed the rake horizontally across his chest and yelled:
“Jora, get up and run! They’re back!”
He lunged at the young man in front of him with a bellow. However, Scarlett urged her horse forward and
used her lance to sweep across the enemy’s legs. He immediately stumbled and fell forward onto his face
almost comically. She frowned and instantly realized the man in front of her was just a simple farmer. She
quickly dismounted in order to help him up, but the woman behind him ran up and blocked his body with
her own.
“Please, have mercy and spare my husband. Yol, run away!”
But the man did not have the intention to do so. He pulled Jasa back and tried to attack Scarlett with
another savage yell and bloodshot eyes. However, before he even took a step forward he found a lance
already at his throat. He stared at the girl’s cold amber eyes and shivered subconsciously.
His movements faltered and stopped.
“Fool.” Scarlett’s voice was cold. “You can’t even discern the difference between us.”
She lowered her lance slowly before she suddenly swung it to the sides. There was a flash of lightning
that seemed to dim the surroundings because of its brilliance, and when it was over a black pine tree was
sent crashing to the ground.
Brendel’s men merely watched the scene unfold. They did not have a good impression of the Senia, and
Romaine was about the only person who looked at them with curiosity and neutral feelings.
The man named Yol finally seemed to understand their difference in strength. He did not understand why
Scarlett did not kill him, but strength left his legs and he wanted to fall backwards and sit down. A voice
suddenly rang out in the midst of the mercenaries.
“(Uncle Ulf!)” The little girl spoke in a different language.
His head jerked towards the direction of the voice, almost disbelieving his ears. When he turned around,
he saw the little girl in the embrace of a pretty woman looking curiously at him.
“Sifrid, w-why are you here, didn’t they take you away…..?” It was Jasa who spoke in astonishment.
“(Uncle Ulf, these people saved me.)” The little girl’s voice were like crystal bells that rang in the wind.
1117
1118
Volume 2 Chapter 144 – Warm words of hope (6)
The bodies of the dead were covered with a layer of leaves, and were lined up in the village’s square in
front of Goddess Nia’s statue. A crowd observed in silence while an elderly priest performed a rite for the
dead.
The difficulty of life had become part of Senia’s citizens dating from a few centuries back. The weak race
was powerless to resist the forces around them, and they could only choose to retreat further into the
dark forest. Cold, hunger and monstrous creatures greeted them and brought about the threat of death
everyday.
Everyone looked to the oldest elder amongst them, one whom they regarded as the most experienced in
life and the best leader they could have in trying times. The leaders had always managed to lead the
citizens of Senia out of difficult situations in history. However, their wise elder was now hunched in
defeat with melancholic eyes.
The old man leaned against the cane in his hand, with each wrinkle in his face seemingly casting a dark
shadow over him. His sigh of lament was just loud enough for the dark-skinned middle-aged man with a
short beard beside him to walk off with a huff.
“Uncle Brynjar, where are you going?” A tall youth beside the old man immediately yelled after him.
“I’m going to take Sifrid back by force!”
“Please calm down!” The youth urged: “Uncle Brynjar, what can you possibly do by yourself? Are you
trying to head to your death?”
“I promised Sassa to take care of her….. Even if I’m heading to my death I still have to go and rescue her!”
The middle-aged man was stubborn.
But he also knew that it was a remark made out of anger. He turned away with clenched fists, and every
muscle on his body was taut with anger.
“Byrnjar, restrain yourself,” The elderly leader finally spoke, and sighed: “Sassa is my daughter. Sifrid is
also my granddaughter. I am just as upset as you are….. Once the winter is over, we’re moving to the
forest.”
“And what about Sifrid? How about the others? Are we not going to take revenge?” He whirled around to
the elderly man with bloodshot eyes.
1119
The villagers were silent with bowed heads.
He scoffed at them and left. The elderly leader sighed deeply again as he looked at Brynjar’s back. He
knew that the latter was not going to find the nobles and seek revenge. None of the male villages would
turn their backs for the greater good of this tribe. It was their responsibility.
However, Brynjar’s departure still caused a deafening silence amongst the gathered crowd. There was
nothing they could really do. Their greatest warrior was a mere Silver-ranked brawler, and one man was
no match for the army of the terrifying Baron Graudin.
The silence did not last for long as the priest started his ritual rites again but was soon interrupted by a
man running in with clumsy footsteps—
It was Ulf who was in charge of guarding the outer areas of the village.
The crowd tensed up when they recognized him, wondering if the vicious soldiers were back to attack
them again. They already took Sifrid, were they back for more of them?
“Ulf, what’s wrong?” The old man said when the panting Ulf stopped in front of him. Even though he
maintained his calm demeanor for the sake of his tribe, his fingers gripped his cane tightly to the point it
was trembling slightly.
“S-Sifrid…… She’s……” Ulf’s words came in breaks as he forced air into his lungs. His pale face looked as
though he saw a ghost.
“Sifrid?” The elderly leader’s expression turned grim and immediately demanded for an answer: “What
happened to her?”
“She has been rescued……”
“What?”
=========== Brendel’s POV =============
The news of the little girl being rescued were quickly spread throughout the village.
But Brendel felt a little awkward from the villagers’ treatment.
He did not expect them to give him a cold shoulder. Even though he didn’t hope to get gratitude, he did
save the little girl after all. The gazes that he received from them were of suspicion and fear. They felt
such eyes upon them at every moment ever since he and his men arrived in the village.
1120
The man named Ulf returned to receive them and brought them to the biggest house in the village. He
explained to them the Elder was going to come over very soon, and cast a complicated and nervous
glance at them before he left the house and shut the doors.
Once he left, the Grey Wolves Mercenaries were the first to be vocal about their discontent.
“They are insulting us with their attitudes!”
“Indeed, we should not have come here if this is supposed to be our treatment.”
“There’s no reasoning with these barbarians!”
They complained bitterly but they did not go overboard with their words. Their lord had already stated
that their original destination was this village. However, they did not understand why they were here in
this remote area, and glanced at Brendel with puzzled looks from time to time. Even Amandina did the
same thing, but with the addition of resentment in her eyes.
Brendel had a wry smile.
“You would feel much more better if you are less biased to them.” The youth sighed and had no choice but
try and soothe them.
“But my lord these are the people who fled during that war.” The younger Wild Elf sister blurted out with
a clear voice. She had been following him closely because she discovered he seemed to have limitless
capability to handle problems.
“Dia!” Her older sister yelled. She had cautioned her younger sister multiple times not to interfere with
the living world multiple times but she never seemed to listen. She glanced at her lord’s expressions but it
seemed like he did not care.
“I care little about their sentiments to us, my lord, but……” Amandina shook her head.
“Yes, I know. My reputation.” Brendel said.
“If you understand this point, my lord……”
“And it means little to me.”
“My lord!”
A knock interrupted Amandina’s protest. Brendel nodded to a mercenary nearest to the door, indicating
for him to open it. The latter straightened up and placed his hand over his sword as he walked cautiously
over to the door to open it—
1121
The door was opened but there was no one outside. The mercenary looked surprised.
“What’s wrong?” Brendel asked.
That mercenary turned around with a strange expression and stood aside from the door. There was a
basket of fruits outside. It looked like they were freshly plucked as there were still green leaves and dew
on them.
The mercenaries looked at the fruits in surprise, before their faces turned to awkward expressions. Did
the person who delivered the fruits overhear their words?
Brendel sighed again in his mind. The Senia might have been suspicious of them but they were definitely
grateful for bringing back the little girl. The problem here was how deep the feud between the citizens of
Aouine and Senia was.
“What should I do with the fruits, my lord?” The mercenary at the door asked.
“Bring it in.” Brendel said. His gaze went outside the house. The memories of the Viridien village in his
memories were different; the Senia had completely abandoned this place a long time ago and it was
overgrown with wild plants and trees.
But in this world, they were still here, despite the signs of fights and bloodshed that happened not long
ago.
The statue of the Goddess of Hunting and Harvest, Nia, was present in the center of the village and
undamaged. She wore a long leather coat and carried a shortbow over her back, while her hands held a
basket of hunted game and fruits over her head.
Brendel shifted his eyes to their cottages made out of stone and wood with a reed thatch over the roofs.
These were unlike the rumors where they lived in tents like barbarians. However, their old culture was
mostly lost and their title of ‘Hunters of the Night’ was nothing more than a legend now.
But their ties with the Druids were still there and as close as it had ever been even from a few centuries
ago.
When the door was closed, the Grey Wolves Mercenaries’ grumbles were silenced and they started
reconsidering the difference between the Senia and the rumors about them.
Brendel did not have to wait very long as there was a knock on the door once again. This time it was the
man he had been waiting for—
1122
An elderly man who held onto a cane entered the house. Brendel immediately figured he was the leader
of the village. Sifrid was standing beside a dark-skinned middle-aged man, most likely her father, and
they came in together with the elderly man.
“My guests from faraway, I thank you humbly.” The elderly man bowed deeply and said.
“Please refrain from thanking us. This is something that we happened to solve in our journey,” Brendel
did not have the chance to even get up when the elderly man spoke quickly. He frowned slightly and
replied: “We have our own request to trouble you……”
The old man exchanged glances with the Sifrid’s father and he nodded: “Ulf has told me of your requests
to enter the forest, my lord. It isn’t a troublesome thing for us.”
Brendel’s frown became a grimace.
[This Elder is starting off with a lie. Why is that?]
Entering the Dark Forest here was a dangerous thing. Even if his men were to enter it they had to be
extremely careful and prepared. If the Senia went in deeper to the forest it would be no different from
heading to their deaths.
“Who are you sending?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I’m going.” The middle-aged man took a look at her daughter and at Brendel and his men, and said with
resolution.
“(Father?)” The little girl raised her head and asked in surprise at once.
[Are you leaving your daughter behind…..?] Brendel’s surprise was palpable. He realized why the Elder
said it was no trouble for them.
TL: I also have chapter 145 ready in about 3-4 hours.
1123
“Is the little girl your daughter?” Brendel said to the middle-aged man.
“She is indeed Brynjar’s daughter, my lord, but I’ll be taking care of her. Her mother is my adopted
daughter.” It was the Elder who replied: “He has volunteered to be your guide because he’s grateful that
you brought her back.”
(TL: I searched for a while, but I’m not finding any medieval equivalent for “in-laws”. That term seems to
be relatively new. So instead of Bro.-in-law X, it’s just Brother X. I’ll assume that a father/mother calls his
son-in-law by name without any addressing term.)
He took a moment to stroke Sifrid’s head.
“I would gladly guide you through the Dark Forest myself but I hope my lord understands I have to lead
the village, even though I’m more familiar with it…..”
The mercenaries were silent the entire time. The rumors about the Dark Forest were more several times
worse than the bedtime stories used to frighten the children in Aouine to sleep.
“What of her mother?” Amandina asked with furrowed brows.
The Elder sighed and his eyes appeared distant as he recalled old memories: “Sifrid’s mother shares half
the blood of an Elf and was the loveliest girl in our village. She was also the happiest girl when she
married Brynjar, but regrettably, she died to protect the other villagers during the previous ‘Hunt’……”
Brendel’s throat went dry. Memories of the crucified men and women came flooding back to him once
more.
A Hunt was something that the nobles did to subjugate the fearsome barbarians. This practice was
supposedly eliminated during the first Holy War as they stopped invading civilized kingdoms by then.
Graudin’s supposed Hunt against the Senia’s citizens was nothing more to fulfill his perverse bloodlust.
[That fucking bastard must have deepened the feud between the locals and the Senia through some
ridiculous reasoning……]
“…… I see.” Brendel chose to move forward: “Let’s move on to the next topic. I won’t object to your choice
since you have already decided. I don’t believe going into the forest is a simple matter, so how much time
do you need?”
1124
His eyes went briefly to Brynjar before it went to the little girl. It should be fine to at least preserve his life
with three Gold-ranked fighters in his group but he was troubled about the villagers.
“We will be ready in a few days, but my lord, I wish to warn you about the Dark Forest. It will become
dangerous when autumn sets in fully. It is especially so just before winter, because the starving beasts in
it will become extremely aggressive. And the powerful monsters—”
“That is fine,” Brendel interrupted him. “We only wish to cross the forest and we can handle anything that
comes along our way.”
The Elder looked surprised; his mouth opened and shut a few times but no words came out.
He did not know Brendel was looking for the druids. They had been gone for nearly four centuries and
had no ties with the outside world.
The youth was familiar with their territorial ways, and once he entered the forest, he was certain he was
able to bait their ‘Beasts’ out. With his experience, he would be able to discern the druids’ locations if they
ran back to their hideouts.
[The only problem I have is convincing the druids to find the legendary Lost Santuary, Vahalla, for me.
These hidden race is neutral and holds no interest in humans’ affairs. The alliance between the druids
and humans have been broken even before they chose to hide themselves. A Senia with me should
help…… But there’s also the issue of my enemies are piling up before me. I probably need to find quicker
solutions because I’m running out of time.]
He could only take one step at a time. The druids were slightly different from the Silver Elves. In a way,
they were slightly better in comparison to the Silver Elves because they did not sever their ties to the
outside world. The druids having a good relationship with the Senia was proof that he could strike up a
relationship with them.
The Elder did not suspect Brendel’s motives. If they wanted to destroy the village they could have done so
easily. One could only imagine how powerful they were when they took back Sifrid without any injuries
with the amount of people they had.
But he was fearful of the aftermath. His experience told him that Baron Graudin would never let this feud
go, and his wrath will reach this village very quickly.
[This village is unable to defend against Graudin. I originally wanted this young man and his mercenaries
to stay here until this winter but he has flatly refused me….. They are not interested in our lives and only
want a trade between us.]
1125
The Elder had measured this in his heart. He felt that he had no excuses or rights to refuse Brendel. He
could only sign deeply inside in his heart.
“I understand, my lord.” The old man bowed and said. “We will make arrangements for you as soon as
possible.”
Brendel merely nodded.
When the Senia left he felt he could finally relax. He understood the worries of the Elder, but there was
not enough time for him to stay the entire winter. And even if he did it might not be of use—
[Even if I march right up to Graudin’s face and tell him I did it, that crazy bastard would just vent his
anger on them regardless.]
“Brendel, can we help them out?” Romaine tugged at his sleeves.
“I can lead them into the forest, but there’s no way for us to provide enough food to last them through
winter. The only place we can purchase additional food is within Graudin’s territory, but do you think
they would sell to us?” The youth spoke slowly.
Romaine’s eyes flickered sadly.
“I’ll stay behind.” Scarlett walked up to him and placed her lance over her shoulders, staring at Brendel
with her amber eyes.
“Let me check your forehead.” He said after a short moment.
He got up with a heavy heart and pushed away the hair which was covering her forehead. A black flower-
like pattern had spread across it. He had heard reports about how she had nightmares every night to the
point she could not breathe but she had not made any complaints about it.
“You can’t stay behind.” He sighed. “The truth is, I don’t want you to leave too far away from me. Staying
here for even one month is too dangerous for you or for these villagers. You know what I mean.”
She gritted her teeth and acknowledged his reply with a soft assent. His words plunged into her heart like
daggers as she realized he was right. Once she became fully corrupted, these villagers’ fates will most
likely be sealed if she stayed behind.
Amandina stood quietly at one corner without saying anything. She was not fond of the Senia villagers,
but she clenched her fist at her inability to protect them.
1126
Brendel tidied his shirt and looked at all of them: “I’m going out for a walk—”
Everyone looked surprised. Their lord was not someone who took random trips. The Nightsong Tiger and
Scarlett walked up to him, but his hands were raised up: “The two of you stay behind. I’m taking a walk to
clear my mind. The rest of you should take a good rest and prepare for our journey ahead.”
============= Sifrid’s POV =============
There was a tradition amongst the Senia; they believed that the dead will stay amongst the living for
some time and bless them for their journeys ahead of them. Thus they built a Longhouse specifically for
them and held the most important meetings in it.
This was to allow the souls of the dead to accompany the living to tide over the village’s most perilous
junctures.
Now, there was an altercation that broke out in this holy grounds.
“I refuse!” The youth who stopped Brynjar yelled, his spittle flying across the table. “Goddess Nia will
never hope to see this happen. It’s a miracle that Sifrid got rescued but we’re going to send her back?!
Fuck your cowardly suggestions!”
“If we don’t send her back, every single head of the villagers heads will roll,” A thin man spoke in a low
menacing voice: “None of us here want this to happen to Sifrid but we have no choice. Don’t you think we
have seen enough deaths? Sifrid’s mother died resisting them for the sake of our lives. This is a sacred
oath to let us survive the odds!”
He glared at the young man: “I’ll gladly offer my worthless life if the village requires me to sacrifice it.
What we need now is our rational thoughts and not reckless emotions. We survived till this day because
of that— Brynjar, Sifrid’s your daughter, tell us of your opinions.”
He turned to the middle-aged man. The latter was folding his arms and said nothing.
“Is there no other choice?” The young man said through clenched teeth: “Are we supposed to hand our
own to the enemies just like that?”
“Perhaps we can enter the forest?” Someone said.
“We have no food for the harsh winter.” The Elder shook his head. They had not collected the food from
their farms, and hiding the forest now would only mean they would starve and freeze to their deaths.
“Are we supposed to just send her to her death?”
1127
“Your words aren’t right. The baron said he was taking her as a foster daughter right? Didn’t he say that if
we bring her over there would be no need for us to hide in the forest and we can become real citizens…..”
A small voice in the crowd pierced through the room.
Everyone fell into complete silence. That was a lie which could not even deceive a child. A local lord will
never look to the Senia citizens kindly, even if Sifrid had Elven blood in her. The nobles in Graudin’s land
were twisted and immoral.
“Have you no shame? I cannot believe you are even capable of uttering these pathetic words. Why don’t
you offer yourself and beg the Baron to fuck your arse?” The young man spat at the man who spoke
earlier, the latter flushing red with shame.
“Elder, perhaps we should take up our weapons and fight these bastards off?” Another man said angrily.
The quarrels in the Longhouse became louder and louder and spilled out into the streets. Brendel was
listening quietly on a boulder while he looked at the little girl squatting beside him. She was looking at
the ants crawling on the ground peacefully, as though she did not hear the quarrels in the Longhouse……
“Sifrid,” The youth finally said: “You understand what our language, don’t you?”
She raised her head up with a surprised look.
“I’m….. Sorry.” She spoke in Brendel’s native tongue with difficulty.
“That’s fine,” Brendel shook his head. “I know that you needed to protect yourself during that time. It
seems like you’re a smart little girl. You can call me Brother Brendel—”
The little girl’s smile was endearing. She paused for a moment.
“Brother….. Brendel, can I, take you to the forest, instead of my father? I too, know the forest. My mother,
taught me.”
Brendel felt his heart melting, but he shook his head at the end.
“(Sifrid, even if you bring us to the forest and you are not in this village, that baron will still be here?)”
This time the youth spoke in the Elven language.
(TL: Ooooooookay. I’m going to pretend that Elven is some generic French language. No wait, maybe I
should poll you guys. Yah, I should do that huh. Check the end of the chapter later.)
Sifrid was taken aback for a moment and her face quickly fell.
“I’m sorry.” Brendel whispered.
1128
The little girl bit her lips.
Suddenly, he heard crashes within the Longhouse with intensified yells.
TL: How does Sophie or the old Brendel knows the Elven language. I’m not going to chalk it up to ‘but its’s
VR!’ BS without the author giving us proper exposition for this, but I’m leaving it to you guys. In order to
have another ‘background check’ in the event of Brendel speaking a foreign language again…… Choose
your poison guys.
Option 1: Languages in this alternate world follow Europe’s languages. Elven = French.
Kirrlutz/Aouine/Whatever = English. Dragonspeak = Latin. LoL.
Option 2: It’s VR MAGICK! VR solves everything! VR makes people godliek! VR……
Option 3: Maybe it’s that game system somehow connecting to Mother Marsha/Gods/Goddesses hotline
with quantum magick and automatically translates everything and makes Brendel a polyglot BAUS.
Edit: Okay, I know a lot of people are saying Klingon and Elven etc, and I’m sure that the creators have put
in countless hours into it. However, I ultimately disagree that these languages can even compare to our
languages that evolved for thousands of years. Just imagine how Shakespearean English is enough to beat
us to the ground (never mind the amount of hair-pulling I have to think about Medieval-speak in this
story).
It is why I’m so skeptical about VR solving everything. It belittles the languages and effort made in the
real world. I’ll respect your decision in choosing VR if it comes down to it (and thereafter translating with
your choice in mind if it wins), but I rather not have VR explaining every single reason why Brendel is
good at what he does.
1129
There was a loud bang as the young man pounded on the desk with both of his hands. The veins on his
arms were visible.
“I will never agree to it!” He retorted with bloodshot eyes. “Sifrid is still a child, and she’s Lady Sassa’s
daughter. Are the men in our village going to trade a child’s life in order to survive? Can you really do it?
Can you!”
His roars echoed throughout the Longhouse. Most of the men glanced at each other without answering
the youth. Brynjar rocked his body back and forth with folded arms and said nothing. The Elder gave a
soft sigh and raised his head, blinking his old clouded eyes.
“Who was that?” Brendel asked as his eyes went over to the direction of the Longhouse.
“Brother Thor.” The little girl said with her bell-like voice.
He nodded to acknowledge her words, and there was a short moment where no one spoke.
“…… That’s enough,” The thin middle-aged man shook his head and sighed: “You said too much, Thor.”
“Uncle Klarr!” The youth protested with clenched fists.
“Enough! We understand your point all too well— But we’re Senia’s citizens. Do you understand? This is
the destiny we carry and the choices of life and death are not for us to choose. Do you not recall the
villagers who froze to their deaths in the forest?”
The young man’s eyes widened slightly and he bit his lips. He trembled a few times before he blinked his
red eyes: “Of course, my father…..”
“He sacrificed his life for yours.” The Elder sighed.
“I know.”
“Every one of us survived till this day because of the villagers’ sacrifices. You need to consider our
circumstances, as well as the dead. They sacrificed their lives so we can live on, and we must not waste
their efforts. Our folklore has a song dedicated to describe how our ancestors fought against the Dark
Forest over generations, shedding blood and flesh and their lives for the sake of the Senia’s future. They
did not sacrifice themselves to let us throw it all away for one reckless moment.”
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Klarr paused for a moment, before he uttered the next few words one at a time. “Do you understand?”
A few men started tearing up upon hearing his words.
“I…… understand. But are we going to live on like this forever as cowards? Goddess Nia said we should
not live just for the sake of living—” Thor wiped his eyes with chokes in between his words: “Should we
throw away everything so we can live on?”
“At the very least we still have hope while we are alive,” Klarr shook his head: “If we are not able to see
that day happen, then I hope your generation would be able to see it—”
“Elder, please make your decision.” He turned his head to the oldest man.
“…… Very well. We have reached a consensus to this discussion. However, none of us have the authority
to send one of us to their deaths. I hope to ask for Sifrid’s opinions.” The Elder’s eyes were dyed with
sadness.
“But there’s no precedent to ask for one’s permission.”
“That is because the people before us have been adult men or the elderly. They have made their decisions
through their judgments and understood what they were doing.” The Elder’s head was bowed as he
spoke.
“But Sifrid’s a child. What would she know about our customs? Are we handing our entire village’s fate to
a child? This is a foolhardy decision!” Someone objected.
Most of the men’s glares were cold.
“And do you not feel any shame on relying a child to save yourself, even if we have no choice?”
“Your words are not wrong but it is also true we have no precedent for this, and Sifrid’s also the Elder’s
granddaughter……” That small voice filled the room again.
The men took a moment to absorb his words. When Thor realized what that bastard implied, he walked
over to him, grabbed his shirt and forced him to stand up.
“Yes, she’s not your daughter, so you can fucking send her off like it’s none of your concern. You cowardly
bastard, you’re not fit to call yourself a Senia, get the fuck out of this sacred building now!”
He threw him across the floor like a sack of potatoes. The men near the injured person retreated away
from him.
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“W-what are you talking about, I’m just stating it as a possibility, that doesn’t mean it’s true…..” That man
stuttered and groaned in pain: “And who’s to say there’s no possibility of that? Can you assure us that the
Elder isn’t favoring his own kind? Are you the Elder?”
The old man stared at the cowardly man backing away from the ground as Thor lumbered angrily over to
him. His fist was raised and ready to strike the bastard in front of him—
“Stop fighting!” A child’s voice pierced through the coward’s distressed whining and filled the room.
The front door had been pushed open without anyone realizing it. Sifrid’s had balled her hands into fists
and shouted with her eyes closed, pouring every ounce of effort to raise her voice—
“Stop fighting, everyone…..” She opened her eyes and tears quickly filled them before they spilled over.
Her vision was blurry as she pleaded with pained eyes: “I’m sorry, father, grandfather…… It’s all Sifrid’s
fault…..”
The room was silenced and only Sifrid’s soft crying remained.
Klarr got up at once and walked over to hug her: “We’re the ones who’re sorry! Sifrid, we should be
cursed and abandoned by Goddess Nia for our actions—”
Brynjar suddenly hugged his head as he bawled loudly while the others looked at the situation in
bewilderment.
But the Elder’s eyes went to the scenery outside of the house—
“I have allowed you to see something shameful, my lord.” He stood up and bowed slightly at Brendel.
Brendel’s trembling hand was on his sword. He had to grip it tightly in order to stop himself from making
a rash decision.
The Elder made his way before the youth, his cane striking against the ground with each step. He looked
solemnly at him as though he made a difficult decision: He knelt down and bowed with his head on the
ground.
“My lord, I beg you to help us! I know we shouldn’t force this trouble onto you, but……” He said.
The youth looked at the weak before him.
Sifrid was mewling with stifled sobs, while Brynjar was half-crying and bemoaning his uselessness.
Lament filled Brendel’s heart and he licked his dry lips, preparing to open them. But a hand grabbed his
own all of a sudden. The youth turned around in surprise and saw a pair of dark eyes staring at him.
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Amandina’s expression was determined and hurt at the same time—
She glanced at the sight before her and hesitated. She was almost swept away by the emotions until she
nearly forgot what she was supposed to here.
“My lord.” She shook her head. The words and her actions stabbed through her heart like daggers.
“Are you here to persuade me?” Brendel asked.
Amandina did not reply and merely looked at him.
“Do you really the heart to hold me back?”
Amandina bit her lips and glanced at the scene before her. Each second she took, made her face paler as
though blood had left it entirely. But her fingers grabbed onto Brendel’s wrists till they were white.
“Resent me for all you desire, my lord.” The dignified aristocrat’s daughter said: “I cannot allow you— I
will not allow you to do this; My Lord, you know who you will face. Graudin, Madara, Randner, possibly
the entire Aouine’s kingdom. Your enemies are nearly endless. If you agree to help them, the only
conclusion for you is death—”
“I know that my lord doesn’t care about the foes before you. You are the bravest and most honorable
knight I have ever seen, and I feel like I’m bearing witness to the birth of the high nobles described in the
legends again. I once thought that they were mere fiction, but my lord has shown me that they all ring
true……”
“But I care about your fate!” She shouted.
“Because of that, I will not watch you head to your death. Even if I am to bear all the hatred from the
entire village and your men, I don’t care—” She raised her head and stared at him: “But I must stop you.”
Brendel stared back at her for a long while. This was the first time she spoke her mind so freely. He
bowed his head.
“Thank you.” He said.
He closed his eyes and exhaled once before opening them again. He then gently removed her fingers,
walked over to Sifrid, patted her head and left.
“My lord?” Amandina looked on in surprise.
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The villagers were slightly dejected as well. They had observed his back and had their hopes diminished
with every passing second after his shoulders sagged. Amandina’s words had pointed out of the dangers
he would face, and they had no right to have a stranger become their sacrifice.
They were even thankful for the youth’s anger and sadness. He truly cared about them, and it was not
sympathy or altruism, but empathy.
[Mother Marsha, Goddess Nia, have you not punished the Senia enough?]
“Let’s go, Amandina” He called out to her in a low voice without turning back.
She finally gave a small sigh of relief but when she looked at his back she found herself at a loss, as though
she had buried something important with her own hands. She lowered her head and felt her chest
throbbing.
Behind her was Sifrid’s soft sobs—
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The night sky of Senia’s village was quiet and peaceful. Bright stars filled the cloudless sky like paint on
an empty canvas with an aurora highlighting it. The forest was quiet enough for one to appreciate the
majestic painting.
The village had once again went back to its peaceful self after the quarrels in the Longhouse ended. But at
the darker corners of the courtyard which was lit up by the campfire, a small shadow quietly slipped into
a warehouse located at the village’s edge.
Sifrid was quietly taking in breaths as she looked carefully to her left and right. Her green eyes were dyed
with anxiety as she slowly pushed against the building’s door with her tiny hands. She successfully
infiltrated the building and closed it gently from the inside.
The interior was pitch-black, save for the sky-window located at the top which cast a tiny beam of
moonlight onto the ground.
However, the buried bloodlines of the Lycanthropes within the Senia’s citizens would awaken in the dark.
Her pupils expanded and captured every detail in the dark.
Sifrid took a moment before she found what she came for. She moved towards a vase which contained
water and stood on her tiptoes to fill her waterbag. Once she was done she stashed it away and surveyed
her surroundings again.
In the end there was no resolution to the quarrels earlier, but Sifrid had made up her mind and decided to
travel alone to the Baron.
[The adults said I can save everyone if I present myself before the Lord Baron. If I do so, Father and
Grandfather wouldn’t need to fight with them anymore.]
She prayed for everyone to live on properly and not end up like her mother who left her behind for all
eternity.
“Mother…..”
Sifrid sniffled and stopped herself from having her tears from falling. She knew that she would never see
her father and grandfather and everyone else ever again if she left.
(Sifrid, you should quickly grow up and stop crying. You’re a citizen of the forest, a true Senia— Mother
told me this all the time.)
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She wiped her eyes and felt she needed to become strong. But when she thought of her mother’s final
moments covered in blood and smiling warmly at her, her tears still fell down like a stream of stars.
“Sifrid, you idiot…..” She rubbed her eyes angrily and bit her lips as she whispered.
After taking a short moment to recompose herself, she went before the storage boxes stored with the
clothes worn only at festivals.
She rummaged through the boxes before she found her red dress and leather shoes, She held them up
and twirled around, almost in a little dance. She loved their designs and the feel of the material and
started to wear them with rapid heartbeats. She was unsure what she was about to meet but she still
wanted to fulfill her selfish little wish at this final moment—
She thought that the others would not blame for her wearing the clothes. But even if they did, she was
going to do so anyway. She grinned with slight glee at the thought of her little mischief; her earlier tears
glittering because her eyes were narrowed with mirth.
[What else have I forgotten? Ah, Mother’s flute.]
The little girl paused for a slight moment before she reluctantly took it down from her neck. She stared it
over and over again, rubbing against the wooden grains with her fingertips, before she finally set it aside
gently.
“I’ll leave this behind for father,” She muttered: “So Father will remember Mother and me.”
She blinked a few times and parted ways with it. As she walked away, the turned around a few times and
looked back at it, before she finally clenched her tiny fists and ran to the door, stopping there. She made
sure she did not forget anything before she pushed the door slightly open, peeking outside to ensure no
one was there.
Once outside, she started to move towards the village’s entrance. However, after taking a few steps, the
little girl felt something cold pressing on her right arm.
She trembled.
She turned around like a small frightened animal, her wide green eyes catching the glimpse of a silver
sheathe. She raised her head and saw a familiar pair of warm eyes along with a confident smile.
“Ah……Brother…… Bre—” She said and carefully took a step back.
It was Brendel.
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“If you’re heading out, you need to remember to bring something to defend yourself with.” He said with
an encouraging voice.
He slowly walked over and knelt down before her. He raised her right hand and pressed the short sword
he was carrying onto her palms, before closing her fingers.
Sifrid looked at him in confusion.
“In the end, you decided to go to the Baron by yourself?” He said.
The little girl lowered her head and did not reply. He nodded in response and took a long breath.
“Lady Sifrid, will you allow this knight to accompany you on your journey?” Brendel lowered his head and
placed his fist across his heart.
Sifrid’s head rose up in surprise and stared at him. Perhaps he was escorting her to keep her safe along
the journey? In the end, she blushed and extended her other empty hand before him. Brendel grasped her
hand firmly and stood up.
“Well then, let us take a look what kind of man Lord Baron is.” He said, his soft voice belied the threat
behind his words.
She looked at him in confusion once again before comprehension dawned on her.
“But Brother Brendel, y-you will be killed!” She stammered.
“Don’t worry. Just as the Senia desires to have hope for themselves, I too yearn for it—”
He cast an unwavering gaze towards the direction of Trentheim. He raised his left hand and stretched it
out before he formed his fingers into a tight fist; he pictured himself swallowing up Graudin’s manor as
he said:
“Even if the entire world is against me, I swear I will show you victory before your very eyes, Sifrid—”
============== Graudin’s POV ===========
Even though it was deep within the night the Baron’s manor was still lit up with candles. The hallway had
people walking through to and fro noisily, but Graudin stood quietly in his room and looked out the
arched stone window with a cold gaze out to the night sky.
The land below were similarly filled lit up with countless torches.
1137
Seven administrative officers stood behind the cruel baron. Their mouths constantly moved like worms,
but none of them dared to speak up. In the end it was Graudin’s right hand who bowed at his waist and
spoke in his low growling voice:
“My lord, the mercenaries have gathered outside the city in force, I’m worried that our men are not going
to be able to suppress them and—”
Graudin’s glare swept across his face and forced his remaining words to remain stuck in his throat.
Graudin whirled around and marched towards the table and swept the top filled with luxurious food with
his right arm, causing plates and bowls to crash loudly and spectacularly to the ground. Metallic spoons
and forks danced about as everyone got startled. The servants immediately retreated as far as they
possibly could to the edge of the room, afraid of their lord’s wrath and getting crucified because of a
whim.
The blood of the mercenaries and adventurers had not dried yet—
“You fools.” Graudin’s icy words filled the room: “Let me ask you, why do you think Kerri and his men are
not back yet?”
His right hand swallowed and answered: “…… That’s probably because they are blocked outside by the
mercenaries.”
“Probably?” Graudin’s eyes narrowed.
“I apologize, my lord, our men are unable to leave the city because of the mercenaries’ blockade. We are
unable to receive any news for now……”
“Mercenaries, mercenaries, and still these fucking mercenaries, can’t any of you think of a solution?” He
threw a fork at his right hand’s face, causing it to bleed slightly, as he roared: “Why can’t you kill all of
them?”
“This…..”
[There are ten large squadrons of mercenaries outside the city, and that’s not counting the adventurers
yet. Mother Marsha is already looking out for us because they haven’t launched an attack. We simply
don’t have the forces to kill everyone. I even fucking told you not to kill so many of them during the day. It
was good enough to teach them a lesson, but you refused to listen and relied on the fact that you have
Madara’s army. You stupid arrogant piece of shit. Because of your inability to think of the consequences
the situation has gotten out control!]
Graudin’s right hand insulted his lord in his mind, but he did not show any of his discontent on his face,
and merely lowered his head as he waited for Graudin to change his mind.
1138
The latter was silent for a while as he realized what the problem was, but he was not too worried.
“Where are the Madara undead?”
“Are you calling them?” His right hand’s head immediately raised up.
“Of course. This problem is partly because of them. Go to them and tell them the truth about our situation.
I only want one result; I don’t want to see any of these filthy mercenaries in my lands by tomorrow’s
dawn.” Graudin waved his hand to dismiss them.
[You’re really killing them all?]
The expressions of Graudin’s men changed. This was not a small matter to gloss over.
======== Mercenaries’ POV ==========
The mercenaries were indeed gathered outside the city, but not all of them were interested in getting
justice from a Feudal Baron.
The bonfire burned with a fiery rage, causing everyone’s faces to be visible near it.
Alistair looked at everyone of them coldly. The people in front of him were mixed with the mercenaries’
leaders and adventurers’ representatives. Some were sellswords who did not belong to any faction. While
their faces held angry looks at the same time, the majority of them were hiding their thoughts on what
they could gain from this.
The young Acolyte sighed and knew that it was impossible to seek revenge today. But the rage in him
continued to burn because so many of his comrades died. He clenched his teeth as he questioned the
crowd with full of disdain:
“Do you truly not want to fight Baron Graudin? So many lives have been taken away today and yet you
choose to be cowards and stay silent. Has anyone thought about how much they look down on us? Are
our lives really worthless and to be wantonly trampled upon?”
Everyone glanced at each other but no one responded.
“Your comrades, friends and companions, their bodies are still crucified in public display; have you
resigned yourself to watch them rot?” He tried again.
“Do we just let the baron’s transgression against us go on?” Someone in the crowd whispered.
“What else can we do? That fucking Graudin is directly under the king, A Feudal Baron.”
“And that gives him the right to kill us?” Alistair retorted in fury when he heard the whispers: “I don’t see
any laws that allow him to do so!”
1139
1140
Chapter 148 – Breaking dawn (1)
============= Alistair’s POV ===========
“Rage does not feed our stomachs, boy.” An old mercenary almost did not have the heart to lecture him:
“You can bring up the laws of the kingdom all you want, but what use does it have if the sword is mightier
than the pen? We have gathered in front of the city gates but they act as if we’re invisible. Why? Because
they are not afraid of us in the least.”
“Even if we attacked the city, are we capable of penetrating their defense lines and into the heart of the
city? You should stop thinking of the impossible. Don’t forget that bastard has a full army that is no
smaller than our numbers.” Another mercenary leader said.
Alistair gritted his teeth and could not think of a way to refute these words, but he tried appealing to their
pride.
“Are we not capable of having a full-fledged battle against them, even if for just one day? Yes, we are
adventurers and mercenaries, but do we not have the dignity and pride to defend our own? If we throw
these away, are we nothing more than barbarians?”
Silence greeted him, as the leaders were still hesitant even after Alistair’s attempt to rouse their anger. No
one was willing to bend their knees, but if they chose to fight today, then it was very likely they would
have no future standing in this kingdom.
It was a path all too hard to cross.
The young man sighed when he observed their faces: “My apologies. It seems that I have demanded too
much from you. Very well, I know the positions you are in and I won’t force your hand. But the victims on
the crosses demand an answer. If there is someone who needs to die fighting today, let it be my
companions and I. The only thing I ask of you is not to forget this day when the baron took away your
comrades’ lives and your dignity.”
He took a few steps away from them before someone called out to him: “Young man! Have you forgotten
what that lord told you? He will bring justice to us one day—”
“And you believe him?” Alistair interrupted him, turning back with an incredulous voice: “Do you believe
his perfunctory words? These nobles and lords are all—”
He stopped talking.
1141
There was a strange commotion nearby them. The leaders immediately became alert and spurred
towards the source while yelling at their men:
“What are you lot doing! Stop your sniveling and get back into position!”
“Captain, there seem to be more people coming up to the walls, they are being reinforced!” The
mercenaries near the city’s gates yelled in response.
The leaders frowned when they heard this reply.
“Damn. They still have more men?” One of them made a face.
“Aye, I understand why they are unafraid of us.”
============ Madara’s POV ===========
When Rothko brought his men up the walls, he discovered the black patches of something in the darkness
interspersed with camp fires were all humans—
The youth with pale skin and a grey undertone under it, scoffed loudly.
He turned back to the rows of soldiers covered in black robes behind him. Underneath the robes were
skeleton soldiers, the basic unit of Madara’s merciless troops in the frontline. His eyes went back to the
plains with irritation, but maintained a restrained tone when he spoke to the noble next to him:
“Give the order, tell these mercenaries they have half an hour to leave this place, or be prepared to be
killed without quarter.”
His words were sharp like a blade.
The noble looked carefully at him and affirmed quickly with a bowed head. Even though he was puzzled
over where the strange army came from, he understood it was Graudin who sent them. He did not dare to
ask the man in front of him if he was Graudin’s retainer.
He did not suspect the mysterious soldiers beside him were Madara’s undead soldiers.
Rothko hated the fact he was standing there. He would rather return to his study and analyze the
research materials he stole from the human libraries.
The noble walked to the center of the city walls. He was secretly delighted. The mercenaries who
surrounded the city had caused him to be exceedingly displeased.
1142
[These commoners had the galls to stand up to us.]
He never thought he would see the day where the mercenaries revolted. It was a loss of dignity, even if
they did not attack the city. He raised his hand, and ordered one of the nearby acolyte wizard to come
over: “Get your crystal ready.”
The acolyte wizard did not waste any time and immediately activated the spell, Great Shout, on the
crystal.
The noble officer nodded with satisfaction, acting like a commander of a thousand-strong Aouine cavalry
unit. He cleared his throat before he roared at the city below:
“You wretched commoners, listen well!”
The mercenaries’ heads rose up and they stopped what they were doing. They cast their gaze up on
Firbugh’s walls and waited for the noble’s speech.
But he did not continue his words—
Shortly after the commander opened his mouth, he froze what he was doing and the crystal he was
holding on to fell onto the ground. He stared blankly into to the distance.
The mercenaries near the city wall who listened attentively to him, created a commotion filled with
insults when he suddenly stopped talking, but they abruptly ceased talking and parted away to the sides;
it was as though a giant monster was walking on the road and forced them to move away.
The strange, invisible monster seemed to move towards the gate quietly.
[What’s happening?]
Rothko narrowed his eyes and looked to the distance like a statue.
=========== Brendel POV ============
The crowd was being parted by force. The campfire dimmed as the air around it started to cool rapidly.
White frost visibly grew on the ground.
Alistair had detected the commotion made from the back and diverted his attention there. He gasped
when he saw the figures there.
A youth was carrying a little girl and cantered towards the city walls. The aura around him was an
invisible barrier of frost that forbade anyone from approaching him. Those who were slow to retreat
from the cold air found it difficult to breathe.
1143
No one blocked his path, and a empty passage was extended between him and the southern Firbugh’s
gate.
The mercenaries who were trying to catch a glimpse of him, rallied behind Brendel from a fixed distance,
almost appearing as if they had the relationship of a king and his knights.
The youth dismounted and carried the little girl down. They walked before the city gates and stopped
there.
Everyone watched them silently.
Sifrid looked up to him; her eyes were full of trust. He had led her across the dark passageway and
wilderness during the night, his embrace chasing away the cold, and she felt nothing but warmth and
peace.
Brendel raised his head up and glared at the pale noble officer.
“What did you want me to listen to,” The youth’s voice was not loud, but the silence in the area allowed
them to hear what he said clearly: “Pawn?”
The noble’s eyes saw near darkness. The youth had merely cast a lazy eye at him but he felt like he was
stabbed in the chest and could not breathe. He turned his head around to Rothko’s direction, trying to beg
for help, but he could not find his presence.
Because of Brendel’s staggering pressure, he had no choice but to stutter: “I….. I want to t-t-tell you,
that…… you are t-t-to leave, or…… you will be s-s-shown…… no mercy.”
The mercenaries immediately caused a commotion. They knew the cold-blooded baron will not joke with
them. With this threat, many of them wavered in their conviction.
Brendel merely nodded.
“Is that all?” He said.
“T-t-that’s all…..” The noble’s palms were sweaty. Even though the youth before him was far away, he felt
that he was going to be cut down any moment.
“Now, it’s my turn to speak—”
He took a step forward, his left hand raising his sword’s sheath, while his right hand drew out the blade; a
vertical silver line seemed to be drawn in thin air—
1144
Except it was not a line but was a sword’s path, and it sliced the air apart in a silver shockwave that
expanded from the silver line. Before the air rushed in the fill the void, the city gate was already dented
inwards and shattered into dust in an instant. The rippling shockwave continued to travel upwards from
the path, tearing apart the stone walls and grinding the rocks into dust—
Brendel’s sword traveled over his head before he took a step back and returned the sword to the sheath,
but once he did so, the sword broke into four pieces. The strength of a Gold-tier swordsman had caused
the ordinary blade to break!
1145
Brendel raised his sword and glanced at it when he realized the blade had broken, before throwing it
away.
The youth turned around and said:
“I have returned to fulfill my promise — Do you still remember the words you promised?”
His voice was even, but it was like a sharpened blade that pierced through everyone’s heart.
The mercenaries glanced at each other but they did not answer. The reinforcements on the wall had
caused them to hesitate.
“I remember……” Alistair exhaled audibly and walked out with big steps: “I await your command, my
lord……” (TL: The mercenaries promised to work for Brendel if he leads them.)
Brendel eyed him for a second before it went back to the other mercenaries.
“What of the others?” He said.
But no reply came.
“You…..” Alistair glared at them angrily and wanted to punch these cowards for breaking their oaths.
Brendel’s lips curled into a faint smile while his head lowered a little, and his face appeared slightly
darker: “If I am you, I wouldn’t choose to offend two lords—”
Suddenly there was a cacophony of clacking noises in the rubble of the destroyed city gates. A group of
soldiers covered in black robes were running stiffly towards Brendel with raised swords.
Brendel turned around with furrowed brows. The first skeleton soldier was immediately kicked into the
air when it approached him, shattering into pieces before a shower of bones hit the ground. The upper
half was not destroyed yet, and clawed around in confusion.
The soldiers on the city wall looked on in shock from Brendel’s strength and the revelation that their
reinforcements were undead soldiers.
The second skeleton had reached into striking distance of Brendel, but the youth grabbed its wrist with
his right hand and pulled it down, while disarming its Blacksteel Longsword with his left hand. He then
1146
threw the off-balance soldier over his head and smashed it onto the ground, shattering it into multiple
pieces as well.
His left hand swung the Blacksteel Longsword in a curve without any hesitation. A line of white line cut
across a dozen over skeletons cleanly, spreading out in a crescent, and they quickly ceased to move. He
glanced at the pile of shattered bones to make sure they posed no threat, before he raised his head and
looked inside the city.
“I’ll give you a chance to redeem the regrets in your hearts!” He pointed his sword into the streets ahead:
“The dead who have been crucified in this street, are now looking at your powerless selves, but I swear I
shall lead you and have them bear witness your victory against the unjust! Fight with me so this wrong
can be redressed!”
Everyone gasped when Brendel unleashed a torrent of cold gales in a circle around him, forcing them to
take several steps back. His strength somehow blew their doubts away; his figure appearing like a
legendary hero that brought about miracles.
A few averted their heads; some blinked their puffy eyes; the rest silently gripped their weapons. This
was the final time the departed would see them battle.
They wept inside their hearts and implored the victims in the city to watch their backs.
Without wasting more time, the mercenaries withdrew their weapons and fell into position behind their
leaders. They raised their weapons solemnly in front of them in salutation before lowering them in front
of Brendel.
An oath of allegiance to fight for their commander.
Alistair looked at the change with bulging eyes. He could not believe what he was seeing.
Brendel turned back with clenched teeth as he felt fire raging in his chest. But he shut his eyes for a
second and recomposed himself: “The commanders of the three major mercenary groups, approach—”
Three people amongst the crowd eyed each other briefly before they walked out.
“Your names.” He said, after the three gathered in front of him.
“Cornelius at your service, my lord. I am the commander of Rosewine Mercenaries.” An attractive middle-
aged man with silver hair bowed slightly and answered.
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“Raban, the commander of Firebrand Mercenaries.” A towering man with dark-skin crossed his arms
while he observed Brendel.
“Jana, I am the person-in-charge for Mountain Swallows Company. My lord, forgive me for being blunt.
Even though my men and I agree to participate in the battle, it does not mean we will obey all your orders
and I will judge our course of actions accordingly.” A red-haired woman with a tempting body answered.
Her green eyes stared at the youth as if to taunt him.
“I do not know the composition of your men,” Brendel merely smiled in response without minding her
remarks, and returned her glare: “But my order is simple. Ser Raban and you are to organize your
mercenaries to guard the south gate and assault the west gate. There is only one condition. Three hours,
before the dawn rises, I want to see your mercenaries’ flags on the city walls and control them—”
He turned his gaze to Cornelius: “Ser Cornelius, your mission is to lead your mercenaries and the
remaining sellswords to attack the heart of Firburh with me.”
“I await to hear the details of your plan.” Cornelius bowed again and answered in an unhurried tone.
“Wait,” Jana interrupted with furious brows: “The west gate? Why are we attacking the west gate? Isn’t
our target supposed to be Graudin’s manor so we can kill that damned worm?”
“I’ll be open with you. The enemies you are going to face are Madara’s undead army.”
“What?”
The three of them subconsciously looked at the pile of shattered bones behind Brendel and realized the
strange situation before them.
“Graudin has colluded with Madara. The entirety of Madara’s undead army isn’t in the city— Perhaps
there would be a small portion in it, but the majority of their army is definitely hiding nearby. My guess is
the south-western forest. Your mission is to prevent them from entering the city until we are done with
killing Graudin.” He said.
Jana and Raban looked at each other with uncertain eyes, before the latter spoke: “The inner walls of
Firburh are no weaker than a fortress. If Graudin colluded with Madara then there must be powerful
enemies in there as well. The mission of assaulting Graudin must be more difficult than guarding the
walls, so why doesn’t my lord choose us, the Firebrand Mercenaries? Are we that weak in your eyes?”
Cornelius frowned when he heard his words. But Brendel shook his head: “Did I just not mention I don’t
know the composition of your men? The number of mercenaries behind the three of you are close enough
for me to pick any one of your groups. Time is of the essence because this is a surprise attack, so obey my
orders—”
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The naked threat in his voice made the three commanders’ hearts skip a beat.
“We have to kill Graudin as soon as possible. Madara will retreat if he is killed. If anyone of you is thinking
about running away now, be prepared for hell. If we fail to take Graudin down he will definitely hunt you
down. Your actions on surrounding Firburh have already caused things to go beyond a path of no return.
Inform your men of our plans on our respective missions along the way. Now move out!”
Brendel turned around and carried Sifrid. He walked across the rubble and entered the city.
“Brother Brendel, you don’t need to fight for me. I heard Grandfather said if I go before Graudin,
everything will be fine.” Sifrid said.
“Sifrid, you don’t understand, this isn’t only your fight—” Brendel answered softly as he glanced at the
crosses extending into the darkness, his voice trailing off a little. “I chose to carve a bloody path for
myself— that is all.”
In the end he chose to face everything. The road before him would now become difficult and thorny,
straight into a fiery path filled with blood—
His anger in the afternoon held on to hesitation, but Sifrid and the Senia’s plight caused him to realize one
thing; if he still chose to avoid conflict here, then he would have failed himself and the people before him.
[I might find victory through other means by finding Valhalla, conquer everything later by hiding in the
shadows and ignoring everything else along the way. But is this really something that I want? Gaining
power, but losing everything else?]
Brendel laughed.
In the end, he chose the most complicated plan yet again. He had tried countless ways to avoid involving
himself from playing this game of roulette like a gambler, but every time he moved away from it, he found
himself coming back to this plan.
He really wished to follow Amandina’s suggestions. It was so easy, so logical and so safe.
[But, we are still Brendel at the very end…..]
He mocked himself, but his expression was filled with resolution. Since he had chosen this path, he would
charge forward against all odds to victory—
Or death.
Brendel stopped moving and turned around. Alistair had been following him closely. The latter took a
moment to recompose himself and his expression was one of neutrality again.
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“My lord?” Alistair said.
“Do you hear it?” Brendel asked.
“What?”
“The sounds of battle. Take care of Sifrid—” Brendel let the little girl down and took out a silver card.
The next instant, the cavalry under Graudin rushed out from the corner of a street—
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Chapter 150 – Breaking Dawn (3)
The trampling sounds of horses’ hooves shook the cold air in the night.
The loud robes of the nobles’ cavalry fluttered about as they charged out from the corner of an alley.
Their lances were lowered at the same time and pointed towards Brendel.
The earth trembled.
Brendel glared at them coldly, raised the silver card to the air before throwing it out in front of him.
[Unicorn Knight, Enter the Battlefield—]
The card flew down in an elegant arc and landed onto the ground.
White light poured forth as magic circles were drawn from the ground. Everyone saw an ethereal gate
forming in the air before their very eyes. A female knight wielding a lance on top of a proud unicorn
slowly cantered out from the gate and stood in the middle of the street.
[[[Summoner?!]]]
The enemy’s cavalry slowed down in astonishment, while the voices mercenaries behind Brendel rose to
a clamor.
“My lord,” The Elven princess’s voice was almost a whisper: “Thank you.”
Brendel knew she was talking about the pendant. He shook his head: “I have already told you that you
should thank your own Elven race.”
“The process isn’t quite as important, my lord. You were the reason why they acted on this. What are your
orders for me this time?”
“Advance forward and attack.”
Alistair was confused. The spell that Brendel appeared to cast appeared to be similar to ‘Silver Knight’. It
was certainly a higher level summon, but the ‘Silver Knight’ was better used as a defensive role instead of
attacking.
The nobles’ cavalry had once again sped up and was merely a few feet away.
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Alistair hurriedly started to prepare a defensive spell, but when his hands were up, he froze completely
with his mouth wide open.
The female knight who was clad in silver had raised her lance to the sky. When she swung it, the distance
between the approaching cavalry seemed to stretch further and further away.
Time and space were distorted. Soul Energy materialized in thin air, and it was clear it was a form of
Element power.
“Seismic—”
“Blast!”
Her voice echoed in her helmet as she pierced through the cavalry’s formation in a flash of silver light.
Her charge completely broke through the ranks and files, sweeping them up into the air.
Neither men nor beasts were spared.
[[[Gold-Ranked— There’s another one!]]]
The three commanders of the mercenaries and their men felt their breaths expelled out of their lungs. It
was rare for them to see even one Gold-ranked fighter in this remote land, but they saw two today.
However, the greatest shock still came from the fact the youth himself was a Gold-ranked swordsman and
summoned a Gold-ranked knight. Would that not mean he had two Gold-ranked classes?
The three commanders felt a chill on their back as they wondered who exactly the youth was. They were
secretly glad to choose Brendel’s side. Graudin might have the power to put up wanted papers for their
heads, but Brendel could easily take them down anytime with his own hands.
Cornelius’s blue eyes were filled with resolution. He clenched his teeth and drew out his longsword,
pointing it to the front: “Members of the Rosewine Mercenaries, stand at attention! For our fallen
comrades, to battle!”
“To battle!!!”
The mercenaries under the middle-aged commander assented and rush forward, went past Brendel and
joined in the fray between Medissa and the enemy’s cavalry. The enemy was in disarray and was forced
back to where they came from.
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[This is only one point where the enemy is able to attack. Graudin’s men will keep on coming from other
areas.]
Brendel thought as he turned to Cornelius who approached and bowed.
“My lord, the Rosewine Mercenaries will fight with you. We await your command and hope to have you
lead us to victory.”
Brendel did not reply and smiled. Despite Cornelius’s polite manners from the start, there were slight
traces of discontent in his eyes.
[I can understand why he’s not happy with me since I practically forced his arm. But since you chose to
take my hand and walk on this bloody road, I shall have you continue on it without straying. There is no
turning back.]
Brendel’s first move on the chessboard had been placed. The fight would begin now.
“Ser Cornelius.” He said.
“Yes, my lord?”
Brendel pointed to the inner gates of the city. “Let’s reach that spot first before we discuss our next step.
We are in a particularly bad position, and I’m referring to our standing in Aouine. All outcomes are
pointless if we do not take down Graudin.”
“Are you really going to kill him, my lord?” Cornelius felt his lips a little dry: “Graudin is a Feudal Baron
and count Randner’s son. I think it’s sufficient…… to teach him a lesson…..”
Brendel glanced at him before shaking his head.
[Aouine’s divide between a noble and commoner is so strong that he is still unable to commit fully.]
“It’s not because I want to kill him. It’s because the laws demand his head, Ser Cornelius.” He said after a
moment.
The silver-haired man looked stunned. He clenched his fists.
Jana watched the scene unfold before looking back at Raban: “That indecisive fool Cornelius, he looks like
he’s about to commit fully. That’s rare.”
“Hmph,” The huge man threw his derisive gaze at him as well: “He’s just a fox.”
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There was a low rumble of hooves from the distance, seemingly the reinforcements of Graudin’s men.
“Stay here, Raban. I’ll assist the lord, as for the west gate, leave it to me and my men.” A glint of danger
came to her eyes.
“Why am I the one defending?” Raban took a moment to respond with furrowed brows: “The Firebrand
Mercenaries are not weaker than any of you.”
“Oh, and you would fight with a weak woman like myself? I thought you were a knight in the past,
shouldn’t you allow me to have the honors?”
Raban scoffed and ignored her by turning his body away. He lunged his greatsword onto the ground with
a loud crack. He faced his mercenaries and ordered with a yell: “No undead is to be allowed in the city
before the dawn breaks. Anyone who dares to retreat will get his balls busted by me!”
He raised his right fist.
And a wave of weapons raised with determination was their response.
Jana had her smile of victory spread across her face. But when she turned to face her own mercenaries, it
was gone and replaced by a chilling expression.
“Men, come with me—” Her voice was like a cold blade.
Raban caught a glimpse of her out from the corners of his eyes. The etiquettes of a knight demanded them
to prevent women and children from participating in a battle. He did not refuse her because Jana’s only
sister was killed in the slaughter.
All the mercenaries had chosen to be silent on Graudin’s atrocities. Even though their hearts were filled
with rage and hatred, they did not choose to walk the bloody path of revenge. But the youth had forced
them to march on it and made them choose what was truly in their hearts.
[The dawn breaks only if the first ray of light comes. But where is the ray of light?]
Raban sighed as he cast his gaze on the starry sky.
If the battlefield was a large chessboard, then it was certainly an exciting exchange between Brendel and
Graudin.
The nobles’ cavalry were not able to stop Brendel’s advance, but the rear army of crossbowmen quickly
set themselves up in an attacking position. They were the core unit for fighting against the monsters at
the borders. They wore heavy armor, wielded fortified heavy crossbows, and were well-trained with a
good amount of experience behind them. All of them were Iron-ranked marksmen or higher.
[Arm your crossbows, take aim—- Fire!] Their commanding officer shouted.
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A hail of black projectiles shot across from their crossbows and onto the frontmost mercenaries. The first
line was instantly felled. Cornelius struck away the bolts fired at him with his sword. The death of his
men made him pale in anger.
Brendel swung his right arm and his sword unleashed the White Raven Sword Arte and the violent
tempest of wind knocked back the bolts onto the wall, protecting Alistair and Sifrid.
The second defense line made by the defending army was starting to deform. Two Silver-ranked knight
commanders meted out orders one after another, but they discovered that they were facing against an
abnormal Gold-Ranked fighter.
Before them was a true Elven knight.
The Elven princess had centuries of fighting techniques in her arsenal and her battle sense exceeded most
men. Her indomitable charge penetrated the defense and met their commanders in combat. The two
enemy knights raised their lances and thrust at her, but she skillfully avoided them and knocked them off
their horses, before ending their lives with an accurate jab to their throats each.
The crossbowmen quickly realized the differences in the strength between their commanders and the
heavily armored Elven knight. There were no obstacles blocking her anymore.
The lance in Medissa’s hands was raised again as she glared at them coldly—
It was a complete defeat for the defending army.
1155
============= Graudin’s POV =============
Graudin concentrated on the countless torches that were gathering to a single point in the city. His
expression was a rigid mixture of regret and fear. He should have surrounded “Viscount Gaston” and
killed him at all costs before he left the city in the afternoon.
But he felt more fear than regret. Even though he knew that Madara’s undead army was in the city and
understood the Skeleton Lord would not let him die here, he felt his fingertips cold and numb, while his
heart palpitated quickly and loudly. He even felt a chill on the tip of his head, as though there was a sword
was hovering over it.
He subconsciously felt the injury on his face. He appeared calm in front of his subordinates, but he was
secretly panicking. He could not forget Brendel’s cold eyes as the latter spat out this line:
“I’ll leave your head on your body for now. I’ll come and take it the next time—”
He did not expect his threat to come true only after one day.
He turned back. Behind him was a mysterious guest who wore a suit of black chain armor. He was
covered with a black robe with winged patterns on it, wore a dark mask that hid most of his features, and
only revealed a pair of golden eyes.
He held on to a huge scythe with his right hand; a sharp golden-clawed glove was worn on it. He was
looking at the battlefield over Graudin’s shoulders silently.
The Black Knight, the Scales of Justice, Iamas, one of the four knights of Madara— (TL: This is the first
time this character is introduced.)
But he was different from the Pale knight Ebdon or the Red Knight Ladios, as Iamas was already highly
ranked as Tarkas’s right hand.
There were many legends about him, and it was rumored that anyone who saw him without his mask
would be dead. No living or dead had ever seen his real face.
“Lord Baron. There’s no need to worry, our great army will be here momentarily—” The Black Knight’s
voice was pleasant enough to make one think he was smiling under his mask, despite his slightly cold
tone. “I have heard from the reports that the viscount is moving on his own. Even though I laud him for
1156
his bravery, he clearly lacks the wisdom to see his position. Kabias will have no problems fighting
someone who just reached the prowess of a Gold-ranked fighter.”
Even though his words assured Graudin, he thought about the youth that Medes had mentioned before.
He paused for a moment as he felt the interest to meet the latter, before he continued speaking: “We will
leave the decision to you if you wish to torture or kill him.” (TL: Medes was the one who led the undead
surrounding Fortress
(TL: Medes was the one who led the undead surrounding Fortress Riedon.)
Graudin scoffed. He knew Madara was still uninterested to interfere with the nobles’ fights in Aouine, but
he was still delighted with his answer.
When he thought about the trouble which Brendel had given him, he ground his teeth in fury and was
prepared to give the viscount an elaborate feast. (TL: Graudin drank human blood.)
Death was not going to be a simple thing for him.
=========== Brendel’s POV =============
The battles within the city intensified as the mercenaries assaulted the alleys to pick at the enemy’s
defense.
Medissa led the charge, while Brendel followed leisurely behind as he led Sifrid along. The sight of him
and the little girl was almost bizarre and the nobles’ cavalry looked on in confusion as to how defenseless
they appeared to be.
Those enemies who recklessly charged in found their answers.
With a swing of his sword, all their weapons were either knocked away or shattered into metallic pieces,
and it took no more than a second. Their gaping injuries ought to bleed heavily but they were quickly
covered in frost. They looked on in disbelief and fell forward as their hearts stopped beating due to the
cold.
Brendel mercilessly pushed their bodies away and continued forward. Sifrid’s face was pale, but she did
not stop moving and held on to his hand tightly.
During the time where Brendel and his men killed the Jackal, she had seen his cold and angry expressions
from a distance. His gaze had caused her to tremble a little, but she came to the conclusion that they were
good people when they led her back to the village.
[Enemies of Brother Brendel must be bad people.]
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She thought to herself, her hands gripping onto his hands tightly.
Brendel glanced at her in response and discovered the flecks of blood on Sifrid’s forehead. He frowned
and wiped them away with his sleeve, wondering if it was a bad idea to bring her along to witness the
carnage in the city.
They were very near the inner gates of the city and reaching the path towards Graudin’s manor. While
they had made considerable progress in the time frame of thirty minutes, he held no illusion they were
ahead of the Madara’s defensive setups.
[—There. Not skeleton soldiers or White Knights, but Zombie Outlanders.]
He managed to discover them hiding within Graudin’s private soldiers. They were moving silently and
quickly towards them. Medissa and the mercenaries did not discover the hidden dangers because of a
certain spell over them, but it was impossible for him to miss it. The green flames in Zombie Outlanders’
eyes sockets flickered as they were ready to attack the mercenaries.
[Less than 10 meters away.]
“Take care of her.” Brendel passed Sifrid over to Alistair, and leaped into the air.
His Charge ability was activated.
The people near Brendel barely saw a shadow flying over the ground, and witnessed seven continuous
flashes of a sword as it sliced through the air. They heard seven combined cracking sounds at the same
time before the shadow finally stopped moving and reappeared as Brendel.
The sight before them seemed to distort as body parts of the Zombie Outlanders suddenly appeared and
blown away, causing the enemy soldiers to fall backward due to the impact.
His attack ended with his longsword out in the open, while he stood before the mercenaries who gasped
lightly. Even though they realized that the youth was a Gold-ranked swordsman the skill he had shown
still surprised them greatly. The enemy soldiers were also flabbergasted.
But this momentary silence was broken as an undead Crusader Executioner six meters tall emerged from
the inner city’s gates, and made its way through the enemy soldiers, causing them to either be crushed or
knocked away with its clumsy movements. The huge axe it dragged across the ground caused stone tiles
to crumble loudly and a cloud of dust to form, causing almost everyone to panic.
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Both factions watched in horror as they saw the gigantic skeleton in front of them. Even though they
knew the Madara’s undead was within the city, they still felt terror to see the creatures only described in
legends appearing in the city.
Brendel watched it run before him. He recalled the damned thing caused him to crawl about in Bruglas’s
underground auction, but facing it now made him feel like he was watching a slow-motion video.
[Surely one strike is enough to break it into pieces now?]
He mused to himself, but he did not move despite the axe swinging towards him.
A long lance had gone past his shoulder to intercept the huge axe in the blink of an eye. There was a
tremendous crash as the lance’s blade cut through the axe’s metallic body and causing it to fall in the
midst of the enemy soldiers. Shrieks and yells could be heard almost immediately.
The Crusader Executioner looked at the broken axe in confusion before it looked at the Unicorn Knight
guarding the young human in front of it. The Soul Flames in its dark sockets flared.
“My lord.” Medissa was frowning. Even though she was supposedly an undead as well and was used to
their presence, the pure bloodlust the Crusader Executioner was emitting caused her to feel uneasy.
Brendel did not reply.
He suddenly turned his head to a specific direction. A small flinch in the shadows caused him to scoff
coldly, and he hurled his Blacksteel Longsword there—
A screaming clash of metals assailed everyone’s ears.
The Blacksteel Longsword seemed to crash into a wall of air. Sparks flew as it was smashed away
violently. It struck against the ground three times and skidded a long way before it stopped.
Brendel’s eyes never left the spot. The air shimmered and a black shroud seemed to dissipate in the area.
A tall skeleton wearing brass armor and wielding a battle axe appeared. Pale yellow flames darted about
in Kabias’s sockets as it glared at Brendel.
It then raised the battleaxe and inspected the damage caused to it. A large gouge could be seen where it
deflected the Blacksteel Longsword. Brendel also saw the damage and raised one eyebrow in surprise. He
did not think a vice-captain like Kabias was using an ordinary battleaxe.
Every mercenary and soldier stopped moving, and the only sounds in the battlefield were the injured’s
cries. The infamous ‘Death God’ Kabias had spread throughout the southern region. The Kirrlutz’s brass
1159
armor forged three centuries ago made the skeleton all too conspicuous, while the battles against him
made the Aouine commanders give him a description of ‘Devious’.
“K-Kabias……?”
“…… Madara’s undead general…..”
“Why is it here…..”
Whispers started to sweep across the battlefield, but they were quickly silenced when Kabias spoke.
“The rumor is true,” Kabias ignored the whispers as it observed Brendel and said: “You’re well-versed in
Black Magic…..”
“A mere Shadow Shroud, nothing more than a mere cantrip spell. “Brendel sneered coldly.
(TL: I TLed this spell with various names in the past, but I’m going to go back and edit to this name.)
[That spell doesn’t look like a normal necromancer’s work. I’m almost certain Rothko is nearby.]
He secretly paid attention to his surroundings.
“Who exactly are you, young man?” It said with a low raspy voice. “The little act about the Red Bronze
Dragon, Leto, might have deceived the foolish nobles, but not me—”
There was a short pause.
“You are the true leader of that band of mercenaries, are you not? And the person who led Fortress
Riedon’s refugees out to safety from our attack is also you.” Kabias laughed once: “I have wanted to meet
you on the battlefield, since a long time ago—”
Upon this revelation, shocking murmurs broke out once again as the soldiers and mercenaries’ eyes
turned to the youth with awe.
1160
The Year of Bustling Summer Leaves and Flowers. This year marked the first Black Rose War.
The regions near Karsuk were invaded and defeated by Madara, while Vieiro went into immediate alert.
When the side flanks of the White-mane army were crushed, the Grinoires region went into a state of
shock and withdrew themselves into their cities.
The Black Lord Incirsta marched his undead armies straight into Aouine’s territory, and Randner was in
grave danger.
The news of Aouine’s defeat was not unexpected, but citizens of Bucce and the regions citizens could not
help but ask:
‘Where is Aouine’s Army?’
‘Where is the sight of our victory?’
‘Where are our glory and honor?’
The reply came in the form of a paper stating that Bucce’s region no longer belonged to the Aouine
kingdom and there would be no aid provided.
Silence came after that.
But a voice emerged from this silence, as though it was just there to answer the cries for help.
Within Fortress Riedon.
A flame that lit up the darkness.
The huge number of refugees broke through Medes and Ladios’s siege under his command, and slew
Incirsta’s right hand, ‘The Pale Knight, Ebdon’, all in a single night. It was something out of a legendary
tale when they appeared before Bruglas’s city gates.
The name that led them was The Bronze Dragon, Leto.
The citizens’ questions in Bruglas rose to a clamor, demanding to know who he was. Rumors spread
throughout the southern region, and traveled far to the north, entering the nobles’ ears in the capital, and
his identity was the discussions of the citizens.
1161

He was supposedly the man who brought a miracle.
But the undead general Kabias known as the Reaper of Death and led the attack on Fortress Riedon spoke
of a different truth. It was someone else who stood behind Leto and led the refugees. His gravelly voice
was dyed with admiration and expectation. The flames in his eye sockets flickered wildly, as though they
were looking at the youth in front of it with respect.
There was no need to lie to the men and women here, and thus everyone’s eyes were on the silent youth.
They wondered why he stood behind the scenes. If Kabias did not speak of his deeds, would his name not
be known forever?
They did not understand why he rejected honor and glory. They did not understand how he had the
courage to lead the refugees out of that situation when it was far easier to flee on his own.
And the reaction he had was a mere smile on his face, neither rejection or disdain at the truth that was
revealed.
Some of them swallowed, a few gripped their weapons tightly, and the others inhaled deeply.
Neither fame or repute mattered to him. This mysterious air started to clad around him.
The only thought they had in their mind was, ‘Who is this youth?’
The silence in the battlefield continued, with the exception of Medissa fighting off the Crusader
Executioner.
=========== Brendel’s POV ============
[What the f—. You mean to say I’m being targeted by the upper echelons of the entire fucking Madara
army!?]
Brendel was screaming loudly in his mind. He did not know what the others around him were thinking at
that moment, but when Kabias revealed the truth, he was unable to find a proper response and had to
resort to a commercial smile in order to hide his confusion.
“Cornelius, what are you waiting for?” He roared after a pause.
The mercenaries stiffened before they regained their senses.
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Medissa was charging across the enemy’s left flank and the Unicorn Knight leapt into the air like an arrow
straight into the Crusader Executioner’s chest. Panic and confusion rose again amongst the city’s soldiers
as the gigantic skeleton fell over in their midst, forcing them to withdraw even further.
Kabias knew that Graudin’s army was no match for the mercenaries. The former worked for money, while
the latter was out for revenge and blood. The degree of conviction was too different, and it was not hard
to predict the conclusion of the battle.
The outer city was lost and they needed time to retreat into the inner gates. This was the reason why it
was here; to defend the inner city gates.
The undead within the city was limited and it had to focus their numbers on the most important area.
But Brendel also knew this point. He understood both Aouine and Madara’s tactics and was prepared to
face both of them here. He would not allow Graudin’s private army to fall back to the inner city to set up
their defensive lines.
Although he was perturbed by Kabias’s words, he knew about its plans like an open book.
The two of them faced each other without moving.
He was able to wait for Kabias to make its first move because Medissa was able to lead the mercenaries
forward without any problems. He gazed smugly at his enemy with his folded arms, waiting for the
moment where it could no longer hold itself back.
The Soul Flames within Kabias’s eyes flickered again.
The battles within the city ought to be complicated, but Brendel had targeted critical positions and broke
through strong defensive lines one after another with unbelievable speed, as though he was looking
down at the city like a chessboard.
This made Kabias cautious.
[This youth isn’t a simple opponent. When did Aouine gain such a formidable commander? It is no
wonder Medes said he should be captured alive. His intuition in battle rivals Lord Incirsta. If he is under
Madara, then the Emperor would have ushered him under his direct command.]
When he thought of the Emperor who wielded the Mercury Staff, he felt his Soul Fire trembling, as though
blood was flowing through his body once again. It was as though he had returned to the glorious battles
of the past.
These memories pained it when it thought about the past, but they also gave it the desire to battle.
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Brendel’s gaze followed Kabias when it raised its battleaxe, but made no further movement.
[You dare to fight me alone without the Unicorn Knight?]
Slight fury grew within it when it saw Brendel’s arrogance. The exchange yesterday made it certain that
he had just became a Gold-ranked swordsman.
“I know you are capable of the Aouine’s royal swordsmanship; the White Raven Sword Arte. But do you
really believe a mere mid-tier sword skill is capable of defeating an Element power?”
Brendel gave a smirk when he heard the comment, almost bursting out in laughter when he heard the
skeleton’s words. There was hardly anyone in the continent who could teach him anything about fighting.
He activated the skill ‘Evaluation’ and the color of Kabias’s skeletal body changed. His torso and limbs
turned into a deep red, while the joints and waist turned into a light red. The Soul Energy in his skull
appeared to be translucent.
White lines from its body lined up to the surroundings; these were indicative of where Kabias was able to
attack. Brendel had little use of this skill because his attacks were focused on killing multiple groups of
enemies and not on a single duel. But he was free to concentrate and use it now.
[Physique and Strength are at certainly higher than average for a Gold-ranked tier. His agility is slightly
lower, while his Will and Intelligence stats are at an average for a Silver-ranked—]
Kabias shifted its center of gravity. The extending white lines gradually reduced to three lines that
focused onto his path.
Brendel knew its stance well. It was a basic combat stance for Madara’s Black Knight, and his judgment
was the same as the skill ‘Evaluation’; three paths of attacks were available to Kabias.
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A metallic scream exploded in everyone’s ears. Brendel’s longsword smashed into Kabias’s battleaxe,
forcing the Skeleton Lord back several steps before it managed to shrug away the attack. In order to
balance itself, the battleaxe’s pommel was thrust deeply into the ground’s stone tile, while Brendel
continued his charge into the crowd—
“What ability is that!?” The giant skeleton finally regained his balance after his body was arched
backward, and roared with fury and surprise. The way how Brendel reacted to its defensive maneuver
felt almost like he was seeing through everything; it was unlikely to anything else other than an ability.
“Something that will take your life away!” Brendel also regained his footing and yelled as he rushed back
with his sword to attack Kabias’s flank.
But no matter how quick Brendel’s blade appeared to be like a flash of lightning which had descended
onto earth, it was much too slow in Kabias’s eyes. It waited until the final moment when the longsword
could no longer deviate from its path before Kabias’s torso slipped away. The latter’s foot landed onto the
side heavily, sending dust and cracked stone fragments upward, its body rotating once with a heavy
swing of its battleaxe towards Brendel’s body as a counterattack.
The single white line from Kabias completely changed in a single moment, weaving into an inescapable
net.
“My lord!” The Elven Princess who was putting half of her attention realized the danger he was in.
Brendel had also realized the sword’s failed attack; it was too late for him to dodge the battleaxe—
But a miracle happened.
A slender figure of blazing flame streaked across the ground and burned into the crowd’s eyes.
A reverberation rattled everyone’s eardrums as metal met each other. The Spear of Lightning extended
before the two fighters and cut across Kabias’s black battleaxe. The snaking fiery flame soon emerged as a
girl with a red-haired ponytail trailing behind her. Her arms were trembling a little as she knocked away
the enemy’s weapon, before falling into a stable stance with her hands gripping her halberd tightly.
Scarlett’s amber eyes were steady and calm.
Another thunderous clash rang out.
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As it time was frozen in its place, Brendel’s sword had accurately struck across Kabias’s right chest; the
rush of power erupting from Power Break extending itself into the blade and seeping into the ancient
armor. The whirlpool of air in the skeleton’s chest broke its weak Aura Barrier, and cracking sounds
echoed repeatedly in there.
Kabias felt three of its ribcage’s bones break before it was completely launched into the air from the
impact.
[[[Impossible!]]]
Kabias, Scarlett and Medissa had this word in their mind when they saw this scene. The blade had clearly
missed its mark because Kabias’s body slithered away, yet when the blade swung into its designated
path—
Kabias’s body was still in its original position.
Brendel had swung with everything in his body to take advantage of Kabias’s momentary distraction. A
line of white frost had followed the blade’s path and continued to assail Kabias even in mid-air, hurling it
uncontrollably with countless rotations onto the ground. Meters of dust and soil were agitated as the
ancient armor collided violently several times against the street’s pavement, before it finally stopped
against a thick wall with a tremendous boom. A cloud of dust prevented visibility of its fate.
Brendel’s longsword cracked into multiple fragments and dropped onto the floor. He had forgotten about
going after Kabias as he looked on with slight disbelief.
[I did not make a mistake by seeing things wrongly in this low-level ‘brawl’. I really did miss that attack,
meaning there’s another reason why I managed to strike Kabias?]
He discarded the sword hilt and randomly took another sword out from a nearby fallen soldier. The
ordinary swords were unable to handle his current power. He missed the Thorn of Light. Even though it
was also a low-level weapon it was still a magic artifact. He sent a signal to Scarlett who nodded and they
began to run towards Kabias.
The Skeleton Lord got up shakily from the wreckage. That attack could not be said to have given it a fatal
strike, but its condition was far from optimal. Brendel had used Power Break on his attack, and there was
no one in the Gold-ranked tier who could receive it directly on the chest.
It felt the armor’s dent with its hand.
Before the Skeleton Lord had a chance to complain about the ridiculous attack, it saw two figures
approaching it; one red and one black.
[A good strategy, but you’re too slow to make it work.]
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Kabias lightly tapped his feet forward a few steps before it leaped forward with the battleaxe rising into
an uppercut to meet his opponents. The screeching metallic din pierced through the battlefield when it
collided against two weapons, causing the nearby men to cover their ears subconsciously.
[Power Break!]
Brendel did not expect the Skeleton Lord to know this ability as well. When he reacted, Scarlett had
uttered a groan and was hurled backward. The sudden shockwave reached him and he was also slightly
knocked off his feet.
The ordinary longsword, as well as Kabias’s battleaxe, turned into countless metal fragments.
The youth immediately used both of his hands to cover his eyes. The fragments had scattered with a
frightening impact that shot at both Kabias and him. Merciless pain struck him as his entire body received
the shrapnel attack.
[My strength isn’t much higher than Scarlett, so why did she get blasted off and I knocked off my feet? ……
Kabias did this intentionally—!]
The corner of his eyes glanced in front of him and indeed discovered throwing away his battleaxe. At the
same time, a glittering gold sheen appeared in his skeletal claws. Short laughter gurgled in its throat, and
the glitter turned out to be a short spear. Red mist accompanied the weapon as it launched forward in a
bloody line with Kabias’s full strength towards his shoulders.
[Magic weapon, shit, it’s too fast—]
He was unable to avoid it. Kabias could almost imagine the youth’s unfortunate shrill scream of pain
but—
It did not strike true.
The Skeleton Lord looked at the empty ground before it subconsciously raised its skull up, and saw
Brendel appearing in mid-air with his right thumb pointing towards the ground. He was wearing a
victory smile.
What Brendel did was to flip his body around and use the Ring of the Wind Empress to launch himself up
into the air. No matter how many times he thought about it, he found it odd that Kabias used an ordinary
battleaxe as his main weapon. When he saw it taking out a spear, he reacted immediately.
The Wind Bullet did not hurt him much, and it helped him in escaping this critical situation and even
turned it around.
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Brendel took out a dagger from his boots as he spun in the air and sliced towards Kabias with the aid of
gravity.
The Skeleton Lord’s reaction was quick enough, and prepared to dodge and counterattack. However, the
situation that happened earlier repeated itself.
Kabias was completely certain it had dodged it, but the dagger cut through the air and struck accurately
onto its skull.
Impossible—
It wanted to roar out in fury, but a loud slam forced its rage back as it was sent flying away.
Brendel carefully landed on his feet with the aid of that attack, and pounced towards Kabias. He had no
time to confirm the strange feeling and chose not to use Power Break in order not to ruin the weapon in
his hands.
Kabias was cursing with rage, trying to dodge the incoming blade and find an opportunity to
counterattack. However, the same thing happened yet again. It had clearly avoided the attack but the
dagger still managed to hit it.
The battlefield had most of its men stopping their actions and looking at this unforgettable sight:
The youth, Lord Gaston, the true hero of Fortress Riedon was using a dagger to strike at Kabias’s body,
and the latter somehow seemed to have rehearsed with him a fancy dance. No matter how hard the
Skeleton Lord tried to dodge the attacks, Brendel easily cut him over and over again with the dagger
clanking away on his armor and bones.
The speed of the attacks was a blurry mess, and a few started to wonder if the skeleton was truly
deserving the name of Reaper. Even more thought the youth was a secret Knight from the Holy Cathedral
of Flames. (TL: It has been mentioned before, but anyone who has an Element power needs to register in
the Holy Cathedral and they are recognized as Knights.)
A twenty-years old Knight?
More and more people started to believe in that notion as the strikes kept landing on the undead general.
The morale of Graudin’s men was completely gone when they saw Brendel’s ‘frightening prowess’. A
Gold-tier fighter without an Element Power could still be taken down using numbers, but once they
unsealed their Element power, they would become an inhuman existence.
Nobody wanted to fight this hopeless battle, and become cannon fodder for delaying these monsters,
especially when they are just soldiers who came for merely money and authority.
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Brendel’s dagger finally broke with his final attack as he watched Kabias fly into a building like a
punching bag. He exhaled with relief and threw away the hilt.
He was careful to distribute the stress to every part of the blade, but it merely lasted twenty-odd attacks
before it finally broke. He finally had the time to reflect on the odd attacks. Every single one of them had
supposedly missed its mark but it still somehow landed on the skeleton.
His thoughts were interrupted as Kabias bellowed: “What kind of fucking Element power is this, you
damned living creature!”
Brendel gave a thoughtful nod as he picked up another sword as he agreed with Kabias’s words.
1169
Chapter 154:
Brendel had not seen or heard of his Element power before as described in his Character Sheet.
[Causality Reversal, Time Retrace or Space Distortion, these three Element Powers might achieve the
same results. I know the description of the Casualty Reversal is ‘Sequence’, that alone proves that it could
not be my Element Power. Time Retrace has to be related to the material I’m touching. My attacks need to
first hit Kabias for it to work.]
The way of how an Element Power worked at the Gold-ranked tier was entirely autonomous. It had to be
an interaction between ‘self’ and ‘target’. Any Time-Element related power was surely incorrect.
[There are many definitions of Space. It could interact greatly with Time Element. Order and Stability can
be used to describe Space Distortion, but Vectors, Movement, Physical, Mind and Displacement are also
possible attributes. The only thing that’s missing is Frozen, and that has nothing to with Space Distortion.
The lower ranked Element Powers: Sure-strike, Refraction, Curved Route, Illusion, all of them are unable
to lower the temperature or have anything to do with the description Stability.]
Brendel’s thoughts were interrupted as he felt someone approaching him. A scent of Aouine’s summer
mountain entered his nostrils, as though he had crossed a bridge toward verdant greenery. When he
turned around, he found Scarlett taking out her personal longsword she hardly used and handing it over
to him.
“Here.” She said.
“Thank you.”
Brendel dropped the sword he was holding and received her sword, and saw Kabias’s large body
separating from the debris dropping loudly onto the broken rocks. The Skeleton Lord stood up and glared
hatefully over to his direction, wary of his Element power.
Its Element power was Soul Energy strengthening its attack and defense. It was able to fend off Brendel’s
Power Break even without resorting to Power Break, but the bizarre Element power the youth possessed
had nearly suppressed the Skeleton Lord all the time.
The mercenaries had already proceeded to the inner city gates under Medissa’s leadership, but it did not
dare to react carelessly and had to wait for an opportunity where it stood.
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Its bony fingers went across the dents and cuts on its ancient armor. It was certain of its victory earlier,
but the mysterious youth’s attacks made it uncertain whether it was able to truly defend against him
now.
The situation was not going to change but it had to at least stall him here.
“Do we defeat it here?” Scarlett readied her halberd and asked.
Brendel shook his head. He had an unknown Element Power that he had never heard or seen before. The
grasp on his Element power was fleeting and distant, while Kabias’s true strength far surpassed him. The
Skeleton Lord was able to withstand punishment but he could not. Once he made a mistake with his
Element power, a counterstrike from Kabias was not something he could withstand.
He had readied himself for his own death, but he was holding on to countless lives in his position.
Death was easy, but that was an utterly unacceptable outcome.
“His earlier attack was to force you out. I thought you were able to discern that.” Brendel said, referring to
the initial moment where she intercepted Kabias’s battleaxe.
“Sorry—” Scarlett said subconsciously before she whipped her head to his direction: “You…… You know I
was there?”
She was surprised. She had been following him alone from a distant place in the forest. She had
experience in tracking and erasing her tracks, and he had never once turned his head back when he led
Sifrid. She suddenly closed her mouth and looked suspiciously at Brendel.
Perhaps he was lying to her.
“When you went out of the village I already realized,” Brendel said: “The Control Key for the Blood of
Gods.”
“Ah.”
She lowered her head. The young lord in front of her seemed to like controlling every aspect of his plans
and preferred to do everything his way. Even Romaine with her quirky charm got yelled at by him. The
fact that she took impulsive action on her own even though he specifically warned her not to do so was
sure to invite rebuke. But she was ready to accept responsibility, as she had gotten used to not being
taken seriously by Makarov.
She suddenly took in a light breath. She had thought of another possibility: What if Brendel wanted to
shift the blame to Sanford and the others?
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The more the young girl thought, the more that possibility seemed plausible. She looked at him with
guarded eyes.
“What is it?” Brendel sensed an apparent distrust from her from the slight pause, as he stared at the
motionless Kabias.
“My actions, my responsibility.” She said with furrowed brows.
“Responsibility?” Brendel parroted her.
[Come now. Let’s see if you can afford to wait longer than I do. I’m not in a rush.]
He was cavalier in his attitude with Scarlett’s conversation as he paid full attention to Kabias. However,
this made her certain that he would cast his anger onto the Grey Wolves Mercenaries. She began to fret as
she did not expect her actions to cause trouble for the others.
“Any punishment is fine!” She suddenly raised her voice.
Even though she was an orphan and a naive girl in the mercenaries, rumors of the nobles had already
filled her ears.
Brendel was startled and looked at her, perplexed. Her face was red, and even the tips of her ears, as
though she was squeezing every bit of her strength to speak up: “Any punishment to me is fine…… My
lord, but please don’t cast your anger on them.”
“Hah?”
“Is it insufficient?” She said through gritted teeth.
“What?” Brendel was confused: “Them? Who are you talking about?”
“Sanford, and the others.”
“Cast my anger on them? Why?”
Her eyes went blank as she stared into Brendel’s eyes as if to check whether they hid any lies in them.
“Because—” She suddenly realized she made a blunder and shut her mouth.
Brendel’s expression turned inscrutable as he realized what she was thinking about, and he broke into an
awkward smile: “I would find it strange if you didn’t follow me.”
1172
“Is that so?” Her voice was so soft that Brendel nearly failed to hear it. She turned her head away: “You
say it like I’m some reckless fool……”
“Of course not,” Brendel shook his head solemnly: “I’m merely respecting your decision.”
“What about the others?”
“Everyone has their obligations and responsibilities. Anyone can have their willful moments, but that
doesn’t mean they would do it all the time. I respect their decisions, but once they made their choice they
would have to bear the consequences. A moment of impulse can govern someone’s fate, but there is a
clear difference between ideals and naivety. One who is the former will understand what price he is
paying for, as well as whether he’s willing to pay that kind of price.”
He paused for a moment: “You are here because you did not choose to run away, right?”
She nodded and looked at the outline of the Firbugh’s manor which was lit up slightly in the darkness:
“The truth is I would rather die than retreat before that scum—”
“Then our position is one and the same, and we stand on the same line. Why would I blame you?”
“Because I’m an outsider at the very end.”
He obviously wanted her to join him. A Gold-ranked fighter would be viewed importantly anywhere. It
was good that she was starting to integrate into his group and become more loyal. He had never intended
on giving up on her, but the idea of having the Grey Wolves Mercenaries as the reason why she had to
follow him was not particularly a pleasant one.
The only reaction he could give was a smile at her reply, before his eyes went back to Kabias.
Kabias’s supposedly short spear was in contrast with its huge body. An average human wielding it would
find it to be a suitable length. The Soul Flames continued to burn the Skeleton Lord’s eye sockets, even
though it did not move even a little. He knew that it was going to make sure he stayed here at all costs.
He cast a glance at the surroundings. “Scarlett.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Would you kindly lend your aid to Medissa? You can leave this place to me.”
She quickly nodded and walked away with her halberd raised over her shoulders. She looked at Kabias,
who was somewhat in the fog, before she took another two steps and stopped.
“You can just give the order to me.” She said.
1173
He raised his eyebrow and looked at her, but she had already run off into the streets and disappeared
amidst the wafting smoke from the flames. He pleasantly smiled as he thrust his longsword onto the
ground and folded his arms.
Kabias and Brendel glared at each other without moving.
=========== Medissa’s POV =========
Medissa had encountered a problem. The mercenaries had continued to push Graudin’s army into the
inner gates with high morale and overall combat ability, but the last line of defense to the path leading to
Graudin’s manor consisted of Graudin’s elite soldiers and an entire army of skeletons.
These undead skeletons had imposing figures to them, their white bones almost marble-like as they
gleamed brightly under the moonlight. They were different from the usual skeletons, wearing flexible
leather armor, wielding spears with a buckler, and a backup sword at their waist. They even had three to
four Bone Javelins on their back.
They were now standing quietly at the backlines, but they had previously met the mercenaries in battle
just a moment ago, causing extensive damage to them. They were Madara’s Elite Skeletons known as
‘Bonethorns’. They were Tarkus’s main infantry, a ‘higher existence’ amongst the low-tier shock troops.
It was also a fact that their existence meant a high-level general could also be somewhere nearby.
And standing before the Elven Princess was an undead Knight. One of the Four Horsemen of Revelations,
the Black Knight and the Scales of Justice, the most dreaded and mysterious out of the four.
She could see the golden mask clearly; half of it was a crying expression while the other half was a smiling
expression. It was a creepy symbol.
The golden eyes behind the mask were now staring at Medissa.
“Who are you?” Medissa’s eyebrows were slightly contorted. The earlier exchange between them made
her realize her opponent’s power.
“Silver Elf” The Black Knight was surprised. His voice was full of appeal: “Are you also with that man?
How intriguing. He is surely not Viscount Gaston, nor Bucce’s Brendel with a claim of Highland Knight.
Even the Black Tower’s wizards would not be so knowledgeable about Madara. In my judgment, he’s
more of an Ancestral Citizen—”
“Ancestral Citizen?” Medissa looked blankly at him.
He raised his head suddenly. In his eyes were the reflection of a bright fire in the south; a magic signal
was raised into the sky.
1174
1175
============== Raban’s POV ==============
A bright light shot straight into the air and illuminated the vast land, originating from the ruins near the
southern inner gate. The varying intensity of the light made it appear ethereal.
Raban, the commander of the Firebrand Mercenaries, wore an aloof expression. His rippling muscles gave
him a hard rigid outline that kept dancing from the light. He was a massive man who wielded a
greatsword with a carved devil for a hilt, standing motionlessly in the night. His gaze was not on the light
but the scenery outside the city.
The darkness seemed to form a black line over the horizon, and the night fog had created a thin mist in
between the city and the forest. It seemed like nothing was out of the ordinary, but there was a constant
shuffling sound of leaves being swept up by thousands of footsteps moving rhythmically.
The oddity of the inhuman noises was terrifying enough for one to feel like they came from hell.
A large army was moving towards the city.
Raban was not Aouine’s knight. He was formerly part of Karsuk’s forces; a retired cavalryman who had
fought against Madara, but he acted like a knight to gain an advantage over the other mercenaries.
When he listened to the sounds with his eyes closed, he was almost certain they were Madara’s army. An
endless amount of skeletons like a sea, shuffling across the ground row after row. The noise wormed into
his ears and heart.
Fire torches began to emerge in the darkness like stars coming out during the night. They shimmered in
the fog like ghost-fire, causing the mercenaries to grip their weapons subconsciously with solemn
expressions.
They got into a formation and stood atop the city walls in silence, and held their breaths as the skeletons’
shuffling noises became louder.
Madara’s undead army finally appeared one by one, emerging past the swirling fog.
A few of Raban’s close subordinates stood behind him, including a few wizards. They were the ‘brains’ of
the mercenaries, in charge of handling the strategies and tactics used. They were hesitant whether this
battle was worth fighting for. The largest reason was not to offend the young noble, but when they saw
the skeletons appearing like a tidal wave, they drew in a cold breath.
1176
Madara. A blooming rose with all its brilliance and thorns in the darkness. It was an irresistible aura like
the scent of death visiting upon one’s eventual demise—
“Commander?” A wizard with a pale-looking face asked quietly under his hood.
Raban did not answer.
“Commander, the number of undead enemies appears to be at least a few thousands,” He said: “Our total
numbers with the stray sellswords around us are less than two hundred. These sellswords are also men
who can hardly be trusted, even more so for that noble. Are we truly going to fight to our deaths for a
single promise made to him? Even if all our brothers are to meet their demise?”
“And where are we to run to if we flee?” Raban turned around and glanced coolly at him: “I am far more
familiar with the undead than you are. This city is already beset with the undead. I have learned my
lesson in Karsuk. Never guess how many undead there are because their numbers far surpass your
imagination.”
His eyes went back to the scenery: “However, while their numbers are indeed numerous, they are
skeletons which are raised from the graves recently. If we hold our position till daylight comes they will
fall back.”
“But—”
Raban raised his hand and interrupted the wizard: “Our only hope lies with that young noble. Two Gold-
ranked fighters are enough to lead us out of this siege. Prepare your magic signals. Tell him he has two
hours, the Firebrand mercenaries will not retreat even unto our deaths—”
He yelled to another person: “Raise our Warflags, even if we are going to face death itself, I want to see
them flying in the dawn—”
He spat onto the ground. He was confident of what he knew about Brendel’s plan: “Since that young noble
wants me to defend this position till dawn breaks, it means that he has a miracle up his sleeves. I want to
see how the first light of dawn breaks this impossible darkness.”
[If he’s capable of doing it I don’t even mind giving up my position.]
The wizards glanced at each other with troubled looks. There were two hours left before dawn broke.
============ Medissa’s POV ===========
[Ancestral Citizen?]
1177
Medissa’s movements have stopped moving. Her brows were knitted together as she shifted the lance in
her hands. Every nerve in her body was on alert as she glared at the undead general. There was a pair of
silver-colored scales woven onto his black robes, and his body gave out a chilling dread about him.
She did not know what he meant exactly by the two words. Before the Wise Kings ruled in the old eras,
there was a mythical legend of a heroic knight leading a group of men and women out of Mother Marsha’s
protection, defeated the entity known as the ‘Final Calamity,’ The Twilight Dragon, which marked the
beginning of the Era of Chaos.
Ancestral Citizens— this title was given to the men and women of varying races who fought the Twilight
Dragon.
The Golden Lineage had all but died out, with the exception of the Dragon race, becoming mere legends.
The Silver Lineage was the proud existences in the Era of Chaos, but they were nearly wiped out in the
battle against the the Dragon of Darkness. Most of these races had already disappeared or became
obscure existences.
How could an Ancestral Citizen, an existence as old as the Golden Lineage still be around?
[Unless my Lord is a dragon.]
The Elven Princess immediately shook her head. Even a new-born dragon would not be as weak as her
Lord, she thought, before she suddenly blushed and felt as though she had slighted him. She quickly
apologized in her heart and refuted his words: “What nonsense are you spouting?”
Iamas’s eyes suddenly lit up with golden flames behind his mask. He was holding on to his scythe without
moving but that strange glint made her feel slightly odd, and she hurriedly blinked. She was afraid she
was being charmed, but his response was an echoing laughter:
“My words are exactly what they meant, and you understand it well.”
“Stop your lies!” Medissa glanced at her surroundings. The strength of the Undead General in front of her
was far beyond her imagination, and she had to act carefully.
However, once she stopped moving, the mercenaries’ assault had also started to stagnate. She could not
make a decision whether she should ask Brendel for reinforcements. There was a thick layer of smoke
and dust forming over the location where Kabias and Brendel had fought, and she did not know what was
happening there.
She was afraid of distracting him in his fight.
1178
But this stalemate would not be in her favor if the undead general fought back against the mercenaries.
She bit her faint silver lips and tried to delay for time: “The Golden Lineage is lost to the ages. There are
no Ancestral Citizens, save for the dragons, left walking in this continent.”
Iamas gave a faint smile with a calm reply: “Indeed. The citizens of the Golden Lineage are considered
Ancestral Citizens, but young Elven child, you forget there is the existence of the ‘Great Fool.’”
She could not help but laugh at the impossible idea: “The Dragon of Darkness? That’s far too funny. You
believe my Lord is the Dragon of Darkness? Is there a point to that lie? No one will believe it—”
“No at all,” Iamas shook his head: “But a legend runs in Madara. ‘The Master of Darkness will return, its
eyes sees through hearts, its mind knowing all things.’ Surely you have heard of that legend? It’s the Black
Prophecy of Miirna’s citizens after all. They are a sworn enemy of your race, is it not?”
“And what of it?”
“I have merely met a certain witch in Fortress Riedon,” Iamas said nonchalantly: “As you well know, the
witches are sensitive to the Powers of Darkness compared to ordinary people.”
“And you have forgotten that the Dragon of Darkness is the greatest enemy of our race. Compared to the
witches, we are far more familiar with the scent of Darkness. The Black Prophecy also has this passage:
‘The Darkness will be born from no mortals, and the Glorious Races will expire amongst the flames.’ My
Lord is a human, a descendant of the King of Flames, Gatel. He is a descendant of the Glorious Races, do
you deny that point?” (TL: Flagscream.)
“That is true.” Iamas raised his scythe and placed it over his shoulder, nodding.
“Stop trying to sow discord between us, undead. Who exactly are you?” Her opponent seemed to be
satisfied with her attempts to delay the battle, and she started to become restless. Perhaps it was a trap
after all, and he was waiting for reinforcements. She decided to attack him, and if she did not gain an
advantage, she would request aid from Brendel.
“I already told you my name, Iamas. I am the Scales of War and the Judge of Fairness—”
The undead general placed one hand on his chest and bowed slightly.
“The inciter and instigator, you meant to say,” Medissa shouted as she raised her lance, but her opponent
was even faster than she was. She had barely begun to urge her unicorn forward when he had already
swung his scythe forward.
A dark beam of energy shot towards her.
1179
She immediately shifted her unicorn’s direction, but the edge of the blast had reached her. Her armor
pieces immediately exploded with light as they fended off the blow, causing a blast of powerful wind to
spread in all directions. The mercenaries near her stumbled backward.
She released a soft groan as she received considerable damage from it.
“Your Soul Energy is very impressive. As expected from an Elven Spirit—”
Iamas raised his hand as he spoke. The squadron of Bonethorn Skeletons took out their bone spears and
entered into an attacking stance. The mercenaries who had lost their footings were in no condition to
defend against their strikes properly. Medissa, who was still trying to recover from the damage, instantly
panicked when she realized the situation they were in.
“Stop—” She said through gritted teeth.
Iamas’s hand lowered mercilessly.
The air vibrated and whistled as rows of bone spears flew towards them, the noise echoing through the
vicinity.
Her panic turned into determination.
“Ptyoona!” She roared in ancient Elven, as she released the spell ‘Spirit Wings.’
Her voice pierced through the entire battlefield, creating countless Soul Fire to emerge around her before
it spread out with blinding speed into a gigantic pair of wings. A translucent web of crystalline hexagons
filled up the entire street in the blink of an eye. The bone spears fell like rain from the sky smashed into
the shield, reverberating loudly as they tried to force their way through, but it continued to hold up and
ultimately turned them into ashes.
The mercenaries looked up in shock as the light brightened their faces, but they quickly realized they
were saved.
Iamas looked on calmly, his golden irises shimmering: “An ancient technique from the Silver Elves—”
He smiled as he laid his scythe horizontally across his mount.
Medissa had no protection once the Soul Fire extended outwards—
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Medissa did not hesitate to use her ability and protected the mercenaries. However, when she saw the
undead general staring at her with an extended right arm holding onto his scythe, she realized her
mistake. He gripped onto his scythe with his metallic spiked gloves and shifted it slightly.
Iamas disappeared from her sight in an instant.
She raised her lance in instinct, but she was too late. The brilliance of the Spirit Wings immediately
dimmed as the scythe’s swing came from the sky. Iamas’s swing had sundered the weaker protection and
cleaved through her silver armor easily; the chain links holding them split apart and scattered like leaves
covered in glitter.
Crimson blood quickly dyed her inner shirt as she looked at the gaping injury from her shoulders to her
abdomen in disbelief.
Iamas’s cloak gracefully fluttered as he landed on the unicorn. He reached for her throat with his right
hand, effortlessly lifted her up, before he hurled her towards the ground.
The Elven Princess had lost all her strength and was unable to resist. She crashed onto the ground with a
loud blast, causing a cloud of dust to fly up.
Iamas leaped into the air again when the mercenaries rushed to her aid. He swung the scythe in a perfect
arc, a black crescent of energy swept across the mercenaries, spilling blood as they were mowed down
like grass. Screams quickly filled the area.
He landed near Medissa’s location.
Her unicorn quickly blocked his path, but he casually struck it down with a swing of his fist. He walked
slowly towards her, and lowered his head to observe the bleeding girl; her eyes were unfocused as she
coughed with bloody splutters. The blade had cut deeply into her body, and blood dyed it red.
She had almost no feeling left in her body other than pain invading her every nerve. Fatigue gripped her
mind, and her consciousness was leaving her. Iamas grabbed her throat again and lifted her up into the
air in her dimming vision.
“Medissa, why are you so immature—” Iamas said with a mocking voice, mimicking someone from her
past.
Her feeble eyes widened slightly.
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“Y-you—” She squeezed her words out before coughing out blood. Iamas had closed one eye while his
other blazed with golden flames, staring into her eyes.
[Mind-reading!]
“Damn you—” She concentrated and sealed off her mind with her remaining Soul Energy by flooding
around it like water. The Mind-reading skill was only able to retrieve surface thoughts, but it was still
considered despicable, and only deplorable wizards would use it.
However, it was widely circulated amongst the Madara’s nobles. The Elven girl trembled with rage and
felt humiliated by how she fell for his trick so easily.
[I can’t escape……] She tried to get away from his vice-like grip, but her consciousness was getting fainter,
even with the metal spikes from his gloves piercing painfully through her neck. She wanted to warn
Brendel, but an invisible wall seemed to shut down her connection to Brendel.
“Y-you…… bastard…..” She coughed
“There are many ways to use the Soul Element Power. Madara’s undead have put in considerable effort to
research this Element Power, and I am no exception. The barrier I created severs your mental connection
to the material world.”
Iamas’s voice suddenly stopped, and he turned around.
He raised his scythe in a certain direction and blocked off a blade infused with visible lightning electricity.
The explosive sound came a moment later, as he grunted with effort to shake off the electrical spirals.
Scarlett had struck a blow to him before she retreated quickly.
“Another Gold-ranked existence.” He looked at the red-haired girl standing a short distance away in a
readied stance: “That youth has quite the number of skilled people.”
“Release her!” Scarlett roared through clenched teeth.
He scoffed once and threw away Medissa, and his scythe had already swung towards Scarlett. She was
momentarily startled as she suddenly lost track of him. The cold blade was nearing her neck with a
piercing pain like a needle.
Her blood turned into ice. She saw glimpses of the battle between Iamas and Medissa, but he had actually
held back against her. His abilities had far surpassed what he had shown earlier. He was at least at the
highest peak of a Gold-ranked fighter, one who had started to master his Element Power fully.
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Scarlett immediately twisted her body to avoid injuries to vital areas. The scythe’s sharp blade struck
across her back, and she uttered a guttural sound as she was knocked into a nearby wall, completely
destroying it.
The attack was far stronger than what Medissa had received, but Scarlett quickly got up.
The Blood of Gods offered a robust defense and regeneration, and it was incomparable to the frail Elves’
constitution.
“What?” Iamas was surprised. He had put in considerable strength into his attack and should have killed
her outright, but she got up as if nothing had happened.
Scarlett was glaring angrily at the mercenaries. Iamas and her were a fair distance away from Medissa,
and it was the best timing for them to rescue her. However, they had become fearful of his attack and
made no attempts to move.
Cornelis was greatly hesitant. His forehead was full of perspiration because of the fear gripping him. The
enemy was beyond anything he had seen before in his life and was as terrifying as the monsters
appearing in mythical legends. His closest aides had started persuading him to flee from the city, but the
youth was just as troublesome to handle. He was not only a viscount in rank; he was also someone who
had multiple Gold-ranked fighters under his command.
He had to have an incredible background. Abandoning the two women here would certainly doom him
and his men in the future.
The Bonethorn Skeletons suddenly started to move. Iamas had given them the order to surround Medissa
and kill her.
Cornelis made his decision with clenched teeth. Going against Brendel might cost them their lives later,
but they had an immediate threat here. That undead general was clearly stronger than what they had
here; he injured both the newly-arrived Gold-ranked fighter and Medissa in a single strike.
He returned his sword to his sheath and prepared to give the order to retreat, but when he was about to
do so, a small pair of hands grabbed onto his sleeve. He looked down to see who it was.
It was the little girl Brendel brought into battle.
“Messere Cornelis?” Sifrid was looking up at him with a frightened pair of deep green eyes. Her voice was
a whisper.
Cornelis obviously knew what her question was.
[How should I answer to this little girl? Should I tell her we’re leaving?]
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He opened his mouth and tried to find the words to gently tell her the truth. But he quickly discovered he
was unable to do so. Sifrid’s terrified face reminded of his own daughter.
His wife and daughter had died in the borders of this accursed land against Madara’s forces. Almost
everyone living in this damned place had suffered the hardships of war. Leaving this city meant it was
doomed to Graudin’s torturing ways.
He closed his eyes.
“Commander?” One of his aides asked again for his command.
Cornelis’s eyes opened again, bloodshot vessels signaling his madness: “I’m betting everything here.”
Everyone in the vicinity was startled.
“Our fates are left to Marsha’s hands! Form up!” Cornelis bellowed.
“””Our fates are left to Marsha’s hands!!!””” The mercenaries roared in return.
The mercenaries did not waste any time the moment he gave his order. Indecisiveness was the biggest
mistake in a battlefield. They quickly formed up to get into a formation and pushed forward against the
rows of skeletons. The nearest mercenaries to the Elven Princess picked her up and formed a human wall.
Medissa shook her head to shrug off her blurring senses. There was still a chance to turn this situation
around. She gritted her teeth and took a deep breath and whispered feebly to the mercenaries around her
Scarlett was trying hard to fend off Iamas’s attacks, but she received another injury for the third time. She
wiped off the blood off her lips when the mercenaries suddenly yelled at her: “Use all your strength to
give a blow to that undead fucker!”
[What? Use all my strength?]
She was puzzled, but she suddenly caught a glimpse of the Elven princess amidst the mercenaries. Hope
flared up in her heart and understood that it was Medissa’s advice.
“A strike with all I got, you say?” She raised her halberd in the air like she was claiming victory. Lightning
gathered to her halberd and lit up the area as though the sun had appeared in the sky.
The blinding light forced Iamas to partially hide his eyes behind his hands.
Countless streaks of electricity danced across her body as she leveled her weapon to his body. The static
energy was so intense that it forced her tied up ponytail to break apart and raise up into the air. She
grinned at him with her fangs shown.
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“Seventh chord—”
“Resounding Thunderclap!”
A star descended onto the battlefield. It pierced through the barrier made of Soul Energy and shook the
entire ground. The roaring peals of thunder nearly deafened everyone as lightning flooded the area
where Iamas stood—
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The peals of thunder interrupted Brendel and Kabias’s glares at each other.
The youth felt a strange sensation on him and looked at his clothes; the fabric of his clothes was standing
up. When he looked up, he found flashes of lightning continuing to descend in the inner city with
continued tremors to the ground.
Brendel was immediately on the alert.
Nothing happened after that. After the sudden show of noise and light, there was nothing but silence.
Brendel finally made his move to go forward to the inner city gates with his sword in hand, but when he
did so, Kabias immediately walked forward with great strides and blocked his path.
Brendel sighed as he looked up to the giant skeleton: “Why, Kabias, have you not received enough
punishment?”
Kabias’s jaw unhinged itself with a laugh: “I don’t mind trying.”
Brendel’s expression darkened. The sword in his hand was lighter than the others he had so far. When he
raised his sword against Kabias; it took a step back, wary of his Element Power but had every intention of
making him stay where he was.
He frowned. Kabias was a cunning individual who had several surprises during their battle. Without
knowing what exactly happened in the inner city, he dared not advance carelessly.
[Use the White Deer Statue? No, Rothko is hiding somewhere in the dark. His ability in magic is much
higher than me. Playing this game in front of him is unlikely to go anywhere. And why isn’t Medissa
reporting the situation to me?]
Brendel’s tried sending his thoughts into the city gates several times, but there was no reply. Just when he
sighed out of frustration, a feeble voice finally echoed in his mind:
“My lord, time is limited. There’s a powerful undead general—” Medissa said between coughs and
growing weaker with each word, “called Iam—”
Medissa’s voice ended. There was a chilling realization when he felt the connection to her was completely
severed. Her card had entered the Planeswalker’s graveyard, and he felt a pain in his heart for failing her.
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[Iam— Iamas? Fuck, why is that bastard here! Why is Tarkus’s right hand here and not fighting alongside
him in the southern-east region!?]
That name set off an explosion in his mind. The thought of the chilling golden mask made his hair stand
on end.
[Even if it’s to sign an alliance with Randner himself, why would Tarkus send out such an important
general out here? Damn it, what are these undead planning?]
Countless thoughts ran through his mind. Iamas’s name and Medissa’s death had shocked him, but he
maintained a poker face all the time. He glared at Kabias before he walked closer to it. The latter stared at
him, puzzled. It did not understand why he suddenly became impatient, but its sole mission was to stop
the youth in front of him.
The Skeleton Lord readied itself into a stance, gripping the short spear tightly.
Brendel clenched his teeth. There was no time to deal with a troublesome foe here.
“Kabias, I’m going to give you this one last chance to back down. If you still wish to go back to the
Mountain of the Dead to rule over your land, now is the time to do so.”
He could no longer waste any more time. He revealed knowledge about what only the undead would
know.
“You seem to be very familiar with us.” The flames in Kabias’s eye sockets flickered warily as it spoke.
He ignored the question and stabbed his sword into the ground with a metallic clang. He folded his arms
and looked at Kabias like it was already defeated.
“What, young human, are you trying to surrender?” Kabias said with a mocking smile.
“Kabias, you fool, watch out—” Rothko’s voice appeared from the streets.
“What?”
“There’s mana activity coming from him!”
Kabias pointed its finger at Brendel while being on its guard: “You mean to tell me this twenty years old
youth is not only a Gold-ranked swordsman, he’s also a wizard on the side? Have you become stupid from
experimenting too much?”
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Rothko’s voice was silenced. He too thought it was impossible. Even one who was blessed by Marsha
could not become an all-rounded person. Someone who possessed dual identities of both a Gold-ranked
swordsman and a wizard was something out from legends. Only Saints from the Holy War possessed that
power.
The King of Flames, Gatel.
The Grand Priest, Farnezain.
The Empress of Wind, Osor.
The Paragon Apostle, Eirelannt.
The four saints led the various races to war against the Dragon of Darkness and triumphed against it.
Even their great leader, the Emperor of Eternal Death, Loptr was no match for any of them, both in
abilities or reputation.
They were not wrong to discern the flow of mana coming out from Brendel, but the mana ripple from him
was not from a wizard—
But a Planeswalker.
Brendel’s glare seemed to focus on Kabias, but he was actually inspecting his Elemental Pool from the
Character Sheet. (TL: Elemental Pool)
[Ten Fire Elemental Points, Eight Elemental Points for the other Basic Elements, no Light or Dark
Elemental Points. No matter how many times I look at it, I’m disappointed. It’s an utter mess now with
Medissa gone, and I can’t change the situation with my abilities. This means I have no choice but to use
my last trump card.]
He sighed deeply and closed his eyes.
Kabias retreated slightly. Brendel did not take the initiative and even closed his eyes. The bizarre sight
made him even more cautious.
“Mana is gathering around him, Kabias!” Rothko warned it again. The mana gathering around Brendel
was the entire Mana Pool of a Silver-ranked wizard.
“I can see that for myself, there’s no need to worry—” Kabias said. There was indeed no need to worry
about a Silver-ranked wizard.
[I-I’m watching someone as talented as the Holy Saints in the legends…..]
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Rothko had no words for the situation in front of him. He started to wonder if it was a mistake to attack
the youth. His potential was out of this world!
When Brendel opened his eyes, the chill aura in them which was affected by his Element Power was
replaced by something else.
“The fourth hour in the morning. Matteya calls this hour ‘The Slumbering Darkness’. It is the period
where the living is in their deepest sleep.” Brendel glanced at Kabias: “If I did not recall wrongly, the
undead calls this the Midnight Morning. It is the time where the Dark Energy is at its peak. Am I right,
Kabias?”
“What?”
Kabias tightened its short spear in response.
“I just want to say this. It is true that the world is shrouded in darkness before the sunrise—” Brendel
raised his hand and threw out a Card of Fate: “But the Darkness is also in my favor!”
The card landed on the ground.
“Card of Fates: Mercenaries of Lopes, Reshuffled into deck, Resummoned into field!” He said as his Wind
Elemental Points drained instantly.
Twelve mercenaries appeared in the streets on top of the summoning circle with their weapons ready in
front of Kabias and Rothko’s shocked eyes. The mercenaries looked at each other in confusion, not
understanding what happened. The Nightsong Tiger was first to respond as he asked in his mind:
[My Lord, what happened here, did you reset our card?]
Brendel nodded in response.
Kabias’s eyes went across the mercenaries. The Soul Fire in his eyes flickered slightly.
“To think you’re a summoner as well, young human. A Silver-ranked wizard capable of summoning
twelve Iron-ranked living creatures. I have not seen or heard of a spell like that. You are certainly no
common man, Brendel or Viscount Gaston.” The Skeleton Lord looked at Brendel once it was done
scrutinizing the new enemies: “But would the situation change if you add numbers to your side?”
Kabias shook his head in mocking laughter.
Brendel did not seem to hear his words. He looked at the twin Wild Elves sisters.
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1190
Chapter 158 – Planeswalker’s battle (1)
In the Laws of this World —
During the day’s second hour to the sixth hour, the Matteya race described these hours as ‘The
Slumbering Darkness,’ representing the world’s torpor during this time.
But the Planeswalkers called this period ‘Realignment Phase’. This was the ending phase for them to
shuffle any cards in the battlefield, and reconfigure their mana to use new strategies in the battlefield—
“Felaern.” He said to the older Elementalist.
“My Lord, what is your command?” Felaern responded after a short pause. Her guarded eyes were
lukewarm without much trust in them. He often asked her to do incomprehensible things in the past
month.
“Create an Elemental Resonance with Dia.”
“What?”
“Create an Elemental Resonance with Dia.” He repeated himself, his face utterly serious.
“My Lord, what…..”
Rothko, who was eavesdropping in the dark street, wore an incredulous expression on him. An Elemental
Resonance was used to teach Elementalist’s students to sense the various harmonious notes of the six
basic element types.
But that was it; an Elemental Resonance had no other uses. The only answer was—
[[[He’s trying to become an Elementalist right now?]]]
Felaern, Dia and Rothko’s eyes popped out as they had this thought in this mind. It was undoubtedly a
crazy notion. An Elementalist had to be acknowledged by the Six Basic Elements, and it was a system that
required long years of study like a wizard. There was simply no shortcut to it.
Felaern looked at Brendel with exceedingly troubled eyes. Her younger sister was even more forthright,
her bell-like voice twinkling with rage: “My Lord, your idea is a little unrealistic!”
“Dia—” Felaern gritted her teeth as she stopped her younger sister’s complaint.
1191

“Now. Felaern.” Brendel ordered her as he watched Kabias in a readied stance. There was no time to
explain things to them.
Felaern finally nodded with difficulty. She closed her eyes and dived into her Elemental Pool. To create an
Elemental Resonance meant she had to evaporate her stored mana, and no one would choose to do
something like this on the battlefield. However, this was her lord’s command, and she had no choice.
Immediately—
Brendel’s eyes had two lines of green words:
– Detected a Mentor, do you wish to receive tutelage?
[Stats window.]
Brendel brought up his Character Sheet.
– XP: 64420 (Commoner: Level 1 ; Militia: Level 6, 0/200 ; Mercenary: Level 26, 475/55537)
[There’s no choice but to use all the XP I got from solving Makarov’s quest. I had planned to save this for
my second profession. Damn it, that quest also had a Perfect Clear bonus XP reward. I can’t even imagine
how many months I have to work to get this amount of XP again…… Raise side-profession Scholar to level
15.]
– Scholar’s level has been raised to level 15. You have unlocked a free slot for a new profession class,
attached to the Scholar’s profession.
[Accept Felaern’s tutelage.]
– You may learn the profession Elementalist. Do you use your slot?
[Yes.]
The moment Brendel answered, the twin Elementalists beside him widened their emerald eyes in utter
shock. Felaern took a step back in surprise, while Dia’s jaw was unhinged like Kabias, the latter looking at
him like he was a monster. The young undead wizard hiding in the shadows repeatedly coughed as he
choked on his saliva.
“What’s wrong? Rothko, what the fuck is happening?” Kabias bellowed as he sensed several things
happened at once. Something was trembling in the air, but it was not a wizard after all and had no idea
what was going on.
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The Six Basic Elements started to surround Brendel with restless delight. The chaotic whirlpool
continued to swirl around at Brendel, exulting the birth of a new Elementalist in the continent.
Elementalists, the controllers of the natural Elements, allies of the four Great Spirit Kings—
– You have established a contract with the Elements.
– The Elemental Resonance has caused a change within you.
– You have gained affinity to the Elements. Your innate potential has merged with the surrounding
Elements.
– You have become an Elementalist.
When the words disappeared, Brendel was pulled back into reality and saw the sisters’ expressions.
Felaern opened and closed her mouth several times with a complicated expression as she looked at
Brendel. After a long struggle she squeezed a few words out:
“Congratulations, my lord…… We welcome you the Elementalists’ world.”
“That’s utterly amazing, my Lord!” Dia was looking at him with blind adoration and curiosity.
“Wait!” The Nightsong Tiger interrupted them: “Do you mean to say……”
He looked at Brendel with a look of disbelief. Felaern merely nodded.
A momentary silence filled the area.
“Impossible!” Kabias yelled and broke the silence. It smashed the short spear into the ground so hard that
the ground cracked beneath him.
“Rothko, is this some kind of ploy from them? No one can become an Elementalist just because they
sensed the Elements, not unless he’s the reincarnation of the Elementalist Emperor Tulman!”
“Lord Kabias, he has truly become an Elementalist! But…..” Rothko rubbed his temples. If he did not
witness the entire thing with his own eyes, he could not believe how it happened.
Kabias stopped moving for a long time and stared at the youth in front of him. It managed to squeeze out
a response to fight back against the reality in front of it: “Perhaps it’s an unbelievable feat. But young
human, what exactly do you think you are achieving here? Are you thinking you can frighten me into
allowing you to pass through? What can a fledgling Elementalist do?”
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But despite the numerous counters, there was already a small lack of confidence in his tone. Who knew if
this damned youth had other things up his sleeves?
Brendel’s eyes turned to Kabias for a second.
He then brought up the Character Sheet once more and checked his data. All Elemental Points had been
increased by two points, with the Fire Element increasing by three points.
[As expected, this is much lower than what a gamer would receive. So much for my Elite status. Whatever,
this is the first step anyways.]
– Elementalist level 1 requires 6 XP. Allocate XP?
Brendel began allocating his XP into the profession.
“I—Impossible!” Felaern’s expression changed again, and a word escaped from her lips. She had to be
dreaming.
The Elements around Brendel were gathering around him like a thick wall. The speed of how fast he
gathered so much Elemental Power was something that she had never seen before. No— this was not a
problem of speed. It was as if he was being blessed by the Spirit King!
Nay, perhaps all the Spirit Kings were blessing him!
Brendel did not care about the events around him as he quickly added the XP to his level until he reached
level 22 in the Elementalist’s profession. He sighed when he saw the three hundred over XP left.
The main stats for an Elementalist were Willpower, Perception and Health Points. If the side-profession
added to his main stats for Strength, Agility, and Physique, he might be able to break his Element Barrier
and unseal his Element completely.
[But this doesn’t mean there isn’t any gain from this. 37 Fire EP, 24 Light and Dark EP each, the rest of my
other EPs is at 32.]
“The peak of an Iron-ranked Elementalist…..” Kabias repeated Rothko’s words: “Is that it?”
“That’s it.”
Kabias finally sighed. It was afraid that the youth would somehow break his Element Barrier and unseal
his Element Power entirely. Even though it was an impossible task, he had already accomplished multiple
1194
things that were supposedly impossible. But the world was still grounded in reality, and it thanked
Mother Marsha gratefully.
“Remember what I said earlier?”
“What?”
“I said I was going to give you one last chance to back down if you retreat.”
Kabias looked at him in confusion, before urgent footsteps moving away from the area interrupted its
thoughts.
It realized Rothko was running away.
“Rothko, you useless coward! What the fuck are you doing!?” The Skeleton Lord looked over to his
direction before it suddenly snapped back to Brendel. Its instinct was screaming at it and had to ignore
Rothko.
The latter had taken out a book from his leather pouch attached to his belt. A book with dark leather skin.
“Pity. You ran out chances, Kabias,” Brendel said with a snarl.
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Brendel opened the book, his finger landing to a particular page.
[Seventh page, second row.]
– Unlocking this Card requires 100 Wealth.
The image of the Card centered in his eyes.
[Unlock it.]
The 381 Wealth that he had gathered from not summoning Medissa in the past month dwindled instantly.
[The stars in heaven shall cast its shadows upon the chaotic mysteries. Display Card of Fate: Eternity
Orb.]
He held the card up with his thumb and index finger as he spoke in his mind.
– Eternity Orb
– (Visionary Artifact IX)
– Costs 10 Will, 10 Mana Points
– Artifact/Fantasy-ranked rarity
– Pay 5 Will and Tap the card. Choose a Card that has entered the field and copy it.
– The Eternity Globe can copy only one card in the field when used.
Brendel paid 10 Fire EP as Mana to cast the card. It floated into the air and turned into a mysterious
Magic Formation. A moment later, an orb the size of a fist appeared with seventeen smaller mercury
spheres revolving around it appeared and hovered around Brendel’s shoulder.
Kabias was taken aback by the appearance of the artifact. The moment it appeared, it suppressed the Soul
Fire in its eye sockets.
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[A Fantasy-ranked artifact? Impossible, a mere Silver-ranked summoner and an Iron-ranked Elementalist
summoning a Fantasy-ranked artifact! I can’t let him cast any more spells—]
It was the first time the Skeleton Lord felt Brendel’s threat to be true. It let out a guttural roar and rushed
forward to attack him.
Brendel also felt the same pressure from the lack of time. He smoothly slid out the second card and
placed it down, while spending 5 Fire EP to activate the Eternity Orb and put it into a tapped phase:
[The light of mercy descends from the sky, the messenger of the Gods emerges forth from the light.]
– Pristine Archangel
– (The Immortal Alliance III)
– Costs 5 Light Element Points
– [Angel creature/Knight, level 20 Elite]
– When Pristine Angel enters the battlefield, shuffle one non-black Card from the Graveyard into your
Deck.
– Pay 1 Light Element Point every day when Pristine Archangel is in the field.
– ‘The light of mercy descends from the sky, the messenger of the Gods emerges forth from the light.’
Kabias’s short spear was mere meters away when Brendel pointed his finger at it. A bright light burst
forth, and white feathers decorated the air. Four pairs of wings guarded Brendel’s flanks and intercepted
the short spear’s thrust with two sharp metallic screams.
Kabias’s Soul Fire shook when it realized it was being blocked by something strong enough to stop its
charge. Two swords had crossed their paths against the short spear. Complex runes and patterns were
carved from the hilt to the bright swords’ beveled grooves. Few would be to identify them as the heaven’s
ancient language, derived from the Gate of Order’s sacred words. The only ones who were able to
understand them were the proud citizens of light.
The two angels made of light forced back Kabias’s spear and took to the skies. They raised their chins
proudly with scornful expressions. Their swords were placed together in an angled cross that would
stand in its path if it tried attacking again. Brendel continued to flip his book while he looked at Kabias
calmly.
“Two Silver-ranked creatures will not be able to block me!” The Skeleton Lord spat out each word.
1197
Brendel’s response was a short chortle, causing Kabias to go insane from fury and it started charging
towards him again. He wasted no time and summoned one of the two cards he had retrieved from the
graveyard.
[Highland’s courage.]
Amidst the white light from the Magic Formation, came the bumbling youth who rubbed his hair
vigorously as he charged out from it with his familiar voice: “Marsha above! My lord! I didn’t expect you
to get me out so quickly; you’re truly the wisest Highland Knight from— Gaaah!”
He emitted a strange yell as an angel was knocked over his head and crashed into the nearby ruins.
Ciel was frightened enough to be at a loss for words. The defense from the angels did not last very long
against Kabias’s Power Break.
[Ninth page, third row: Bitter Ordeal.]
– Unlocking this card requires 80 Wealth.
[Unlock it.]
The image of the card centered in his eyes like the previous card.
– Bitter Ordeal
– The Wolf’s Den II
– Earth 10
– Event/Search
– Target summoned Creature receives 250,000 XP.
– ‘To a Lornian, the Wolf Den’s altar was more of a safe harbor for the souls.’
– State which Creature to bind to.
[Ciel.]
Brendel tossed the card towards Ciel who was still clutching his head and running about like a headless
chicken.
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The image of the card disappeared, and another card appeared in front of Brendel in physical form:
– Highland Wizard
– Knight IX
– Costs 5 Water Element Points
– Living human/Wizard, Level 45 creature
– When Highland Wizard is in play, you gain 5 Reputation Points.
– Pay 2 Earth Element Points per day when this card is in play.
– ‘Highland’s courage.’
Brendel took a moment to read the effects before his eyes instinctively went to Ciel. He looked up and
saw a light shining onto Ciel, standing there in confusion when his simple long robes suddenly changed to
a new shinier robe. Two long mysterious flower patterns were woven into it, while three white circular
patterns decorated the sleeves, signifying that he was a Wizard of the Seventh Circle. Ciel looked at
himself in a daze when a short golden staff suddenly appeared onto his hand.
“This is……” Ciel was still in a state of a shock when he somehow felt a disturbance in the air. The second
angel was knocked back into his direction. The youth who had become a Master Wizard immediately
reacted without thinking and created a soft cushion of air, gently bringing the angel up.
“I’m a Gold-ranked Master Wizard!” Ciel looked at Brendel in utter surprise and delight.
“Ciel, Time-stop Barrier.” Brendel nodded and gave his next order.
The wizard immediately pointed at the charging skeleton with his staff, shaking his head and
disapproving of its reckless charge: “Laws of Time: Stagnate and Imprison—”
A transparent barrier formed around Kabias, and it realized its actions were slowing down. It turned to
the source of magic and realized there was a wizard behind Brendel.
[A Highland Master Wizard of the Seventh Circle!!! Does this bastard have an endless supply of
reinforcements, how many Gold-ranked subordinates does he have?!]
Kabias’s Soul Fire shook and dimmed as he saw yet another summoned creature. He felt the signs of
failure shrouding over him. A wizard did not have the prowess of a warrior, but their offensive spells
were incredibly powerful. A Highland Wizard’s spells were mysterious and nearly impossible to avoid.
Even if Kabias had a higher level, it was no match for Ciel once it got trapped in his magic. The fact that it
had charged straight into his Seventh Circle spell meant that it was already doomed.
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The only possible way it could think of was to reach Ciel before he cast an offensive spell, but Brendel was
standing behind him with that accursed book, and it shut down the Skeleton Lord’s final delusion.
“Farewell and good riddance, Kabias.” Brendel shook his head in utter annoyance.
His expression at the Skeleton Lord was akin to looking at a piece of filth, causing it to roar out in a fury.
However, the barrier seemed to cast layer upon layer of magical restraints upon him, causing him to
move as slow as a snail.
[Wind Spider Spirits.]
Brendel had far more mana compared to the time when he used it in the auction. He summoned fifty of
them, and they landed across the streets. Everyone looked at Brendel in confusion when they saw the
low-level creatures that were weaker than an Iron-ranked militia.
The spiders were existences that could deal with said Iron-ranked militia because of their numbers, but it
was utterly useless here. Even if they were used for scouting, the angels that Brendel had summoned
were far more efficient and effective. Thus his action was suspect of wasting mana.
But Brendel went about in his own world, calling up the cards he had left.
[Display Holy Swords, Sun Blade, and Golden Battle Flag—]
Brendel picked out the Holy Swords card after a moment, paid for the cost and attached them to the Wind
Spider Spirits card.
In that instant—
Everyone saw numerous swords hovering high up in the air, and when they looked down across the floor,
they saw a corresponding spider below it. But when Brendel smiled and raised his hands, they realized
the spiders were somehow controlling the swords when they gathered behind him to form a huge
formation.
“This……” Ciel looked at the sight before him at a loss for words.
“I’ll give this move a name—” Brendel glanced at him before turning back to Kabias who was still trapped
in the barrier: “The Dragon Knights Formation.”
He cast his hand forth—
“Dragon Knights, attack!”
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Chapter 160 – Planeswalker’s Battle (3)
Fifty golden pillars of flames shot out from every direction of Kabias’s body. They burned and melted its
ancient armor as waves of wind exploded from its body. The temperature continued to rise until the air
was hot enough to twist the light and distort Kabias’s appearance. The ancient armor disintegrated
completely.
“For Madara!!!” The Skeleton Lord’s angry roars echoed in the night sky. The pillars of light had flashed
three times before it finally dissipated—
“Marsha above, that fool—”
Rothko’s Soul Fire in his eyes danced when it saw the remnants of the beautiful flames. He cursed once
through his teeth before he slid weakly against the wall.
He shook his head. To think he once thought himself as a genius.
============ Iamas’s POV =============
Iamas’s eyes narrowed as he threw down a mercenary’s corpse. His stable Soul Barrier was quivering
widely. Scarlett’s earlier technique had managed to pierce through his barrier just for a few moments
before he restored it and made it even stronger.
[Something is causing my barrier to shake— But there shouldn’t be an existence that’s more powerful
than me.]
Suddenly everyone in the inner city felt their souls shake, almost as if something screamed at them. It
first spread from the mercenaries nearest to the city gates, to the skeleton soldiers which had their Soul
Fire dimming as though a wind had threatened to extinguish them.
The battle stopped momentarily.
Scarlett got up slowly. Blood was streaming down all over her injuries, and she wiped her the blood on
her chin with her fist. Her amber eyes still held an obstinate glare, but momentarily looked up to the sky.
She had felt her soul tremble as well.
Something cracked loudly, and she reacted immediately by looking for the source of the sound.
She discovered black fragments falling over her head before it disappeared into thin air. More cracking
sounds spread across the battlefield, and she saw fragments raining across the streets.
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Iamas grunted in pain.
[Someone has forcefully broken apart my barrier?! How is this possible!]
His Soul Fire felt like it had been turned to ice when it held the possibility that there was something out
there that could defeat him. Suddenly a shining orb of light streaked across the sky, like an impossibly
bright firefly.
More of them quickly appeared and moved across the battlefield in a disorderly manner. Everyone’s
confused gazes followed them as they streaked across their heads. The lights suddenly became dazzling
like stars.
A Holy Aura was gathering in the vicinity.
“Dragon Knights, attack!” Someone yelled.
The first beam of light suddenly descended from the sky, piercing through the darkness and illuminating
the ground. The nearest mercenaries were just in time to see it penetrating through three skeletons as
the beam of light moved in sudden and impossible angles.
Skull, ribs, and pelvis.
They looked on with agape mouths as the three skeletons scattered onto the ground with broken bones,
before they started burning up and turned into ashes.
The second beam of light started to pierce through the air, the third—
The night turned into day as lights continued to flash across the battlefield, raining down onto the undead
like they were being commanded by a divine entity. In the blink of an eye, the Bonethorn Skeletons were
turned into grey ashes one by one. Two rounds of the attacking beams had decimated the skeleton army,
leaving but scant few unharmed.
“Marsha above!!! Quickly, destroy these remaining filthy existences!”
The mercenaries immediately cheered after a stunned moment.
Cornelius watched the attacking beams in a daze. He was guarding Sifrid by her side. While he was
delighted with the sudden turn of events, he could not help but wipe his sweaty palms and glance at his
pale adjutant beside him. They recognized the youth’s voice.
They truly did not expect him to have this power.
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But he quickly understood what he needed to do and decisively gave out his command:
“My brothers, break through the enemies’ line of defense! Do not waste this chance!”
The furious roar marked the change of the battlefield’s tide.
Iamas recomposed himself upon hearing the roar. His eyes turned to a particular alley shrouded in smoke
and fog. Two angels abruptly appeared and flew into the air before descending onto him in a split second.
Their swords were nearly upon him, but he calmly swung at each attacker once, knocking them back and
causing their glowing feathers to flutter in the air.
He did not relax.
A significant amount of mana was gathering in the sky; magic formations were swiftly forming and
converging into a giant sphere. Without any warning, it rapidly turned into an immense boulder that shot
towards Iamas with blinding speed. His pupils quickly shrunk as he realized he could not avoid it in
time—
[Laws of Magic that materializes into physical objects, there’s a Master Wizard who’s able to cast high-
level Circle Spells here!]
The earth shook when the massive boulder crashed onto the ground, causing a cloud of dust to spread
everywhere.
He had tried to sunder the projectile with his scythe, but the impact forced him off his steed. He fell flat on
his face and had to push himself off the ground. After the cloud of dust had been dispelled caused by his
body’s impact, the mercenaries had already suppressed Graudin’s army.
The undead general watched the city’s cowardly soldiers escape from his side. The battle was over. The
air was stifling and painful to breathe in, and not simply because it was filled with dust and smoke.
There was one final chance. He finally saw Brendel appearing in the streets.
In order to win the battle he had to destroy the orbs of light, but there was no time to go after them
individually. He was certain that Brendel was the one controlling these bizarre objects, and if he killed the
youth everything would be solved, and the scales in this battle would turn towards him.
He scoffed coldly and placed his scythe horizontally across his chest.
Brendel had found Iamas earlier and commanded Ciel to attack him. It was an old opponent in the game,
and he had not changed at all.
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[Bleah. He’s still wearing that ridiculous get-up with a pretentious mask. He even has the same old
strategy of capturing the enemy’s leader. He probably hasn’t gotten the Blood of the Evil Dragon, so it’s
easier to handle him though…..]
But Iamas did not know that his intentions were seen through by Brendel. Ciel and the Mercenaries of
Lopes were participating in the battle, leaving only the two angels who were guarding him. He had never
seen or heard the citizens of heaven guarding a mortal before. He concluded they were quite strong from
the earlier exchange, but it was not as if he had no chance in bypassing them.
He moved in a blur, darting across the battlefield three times like an elusive shadow. Each time he did so,
he ran across hundreds of meters. Brendel simply reacted by calling back every single Dragon Knight to
form multiple rows and fired into a sector at the same time.
The chaotic golden pillars of light pierced through the ground, and for a single moment, it appeared as
though a golden forest had suddenly sprung up in the streets. The Dragon Knight Formation had no need
for accuracy as the numbers alone made up for the deficit.
Each single strike from the beams of light was the equivalent of a Silver-ranked spell, and even someone
as powerful as Iamas was not able to openly show himself under the barrage of ten-odd strikes
happening in a second.
He swung his scythe and tried to strike the beams of light with his own dark beam of energy, successfully
wiping out seven Wind Spider Spirits.
The Holy Sword Card was able to provide the attacking strength of a Silver-ranked spell if it was attached
to something, but it did not affect anything else. The Wind Spider Spirits’ defenses were as weak as paper
against his attack.
When he realized his strike was effective, he tried chasing them, but the orbs of light immediately
scattered everywhere and shot at him from a distant range. When he moved at high speed with his ability,
he found they had gathered once again and suppressed him with heavy firepower.
[The enemy seems to predict every single move that I make!]
Other than the first strike which managed to get a lucky hit, he found that he was unable to gain any
advantage at all. He had to slow them significantly in order to evade the attacks.
Brendel divided the spiders into eight groups and commanded the angels to take the skies. When he
discovered Iamas’s location, he quickly directed six groups of spiders to fire quick separate shots to steer
him, while the remaining two groups shot concentrated beams of fire to deal a powerful blow o him.
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It proved nearly impossible to hit him, but Brendel slowly cornered Iamas into a dead alley, while the two
groups of spiders waited there in ambush and fired through the wall. The intense power of the beams
demolished the flimsy bricks and blasted against Iamas, but the latter managed to direct his Soul Element
to form a thick barrier against it and defended him.
Before the beams were able to melt his barrier, he managed to escape the corner and the game repeated
itself.
The Mercenaries of Lopes watched the battle between Brendel and Iamas unfold in absolute shock. Ciel
was earnestly explaining to them with a dignified expression as though he understood everything:
“…… To be clear, a game always have three rules. Techniques, equipment, and stats. As you can see for
yourself, the techniques of our Lord and his excellent equipment are giving the result you see now. He
once taught me that any one of them will be effective, and I thank him for teaching me.”
He nodded, bragging all the way without really understanding what was happening: “Now that I have
become a Master Wizard, I am very grateful to our Lord for teaching me this secret.”
Dia could not suppress her giggles.
“Ciel,” Brendel’s teeth were grinding against each other before he yelled at him: “You had better join this
fight right now—-”
“Of course, my lord. I am already preparing a spell,” Ciel immediately gave a reply: “But I’m seeing a lot of
soldiers with their symbols somehow related to the Randner’s house?”
“They are indeed under Count Randner’s house.”
“My Lord, you offended another house?” The young wizard was shocked: “Marsha above, you must have
offended many people in your previous life too.”
“Shut it. Based on your theory, we should have been hung the previous time we went against a noble,”
Brendel constantly changed the positions of the Dragon Knights and replied with amused annoyance: “At
most, we will get hung again.”
“You are quite right.” Ciel raised his eyebrow.
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Ciel completed his spell.
When Iamas finally forced his way through the endless arrays of golden pillars of light and knocked away
the angels in his path, he found Brendel behind a Magic Wall. Countless lines of light had weaved into
walls that extended before Brendel on four sides. He rushed forward and tried to cut through the wall,
sending a shower of sparks.
His pupils contracted, and he made the decision to retreat. The wall had turned into a physical wall made
of Laws cast by a master wizard. The youth was a Golden-ranked swordsman as well, and it was
impossible to end things quickly. He thought he could rely on his proud speed to gain victory, but his
opponent had decisively abandoned supporting the entire battlefield by summoning all the strange orbs
just to slow him down.
It was a failure.
[The fact that he used his entire formation of Light Orbs and called back his Master Wizard…… Either he’s
someone who’s utterly afraid of getting injured, or he has incredible judgment. Regardless, he has
definitely won.]
When he looked back at Brendel’s light brown eyes as he retreated, he saw his opponent staring back at
him without any signs of emotion, appearing like an enemy who had fought against him for many years.
Brendel was exactly what he had thought of. The battles he had fought against Iamas in the Kingdom of
Knights, Glace, were no less than ten times over the years in the game. Iamas had attained the Blood of
Evil Dragon and was even more formidable than he appeared now, but be it in the game or the world
here; he had not changed in the slightest.
Therefore Brendel’s strategies on him were effective and served only to confuse Iamas, who found it
more and more bizarre.
“Stop him from escaping!” Brendel bellowed when he found Iamas had the desire to retreat. Several of the
mercenaries jumped up as they were startled at his ear-splitting roar.
[This fucker is the commander who completely broke through Bruglas in the game, I can’t let him
escape!]
Even though Iamas did not improve as much over the ages, he remained as the best tactician amongst the
Four Knights. If he were killed, it would be the equivalent of cutting of Tarkus’s right arm, and governing
1206
the southern region of Aouine would be less stressful, not to mention that he was going to face the House
of Randner’s fury.
Iamas scoffed furiously at Brendel’s words. Even though he was unable to get to Brendel quickly, he felt
that victory would not be on the latter’s side so easily if he went all-out. However, he had to ensure
Graudin’s safety and had to retreat to reform the city’s soldiers into a defensive line. He was ultimately a
general who looked at the bigger picture at all times.
His entire body was a blur, easily stopping before Ciel’s Time-stop barrier and evading it. The two
Pristine Angels came at him again, but with a leap into the air, he had easily dodged them. Scarlett barely
caught a glimpse of him as she swung her halberd, and it missed him by meters.
“Damn it—” She glared at his disappearing figure.
Brendel was also disappointed and surprised. He had hoped to anger Iamas into staying by letting the
entire battlefield know about his decision to flee.
[This opponent is truly one of the worst I can face here. Even from the beginning, this bastard is already a
level-headed general. So much for hoping that he’s still immature—]
He immediately thought of the reason why Iamas had to escape.
“Ciel, find a good-looking middle-aged man called Cornelius. He’s the commander of the mercenaries
here. The undead bastard might probably take away Graudin—”
“What exactly should I do, my lord?”
“Are you the wizard or I’m the wizard? React as the situation comes,” Brendel replied: “If that dunce
Freya can become the Goddess of War, I’m sure she will be fine as well.”
“What?”
“Nothing. I’m just planning her future.”
“I see,” Ciel bowed: “I am pleased to follow your command.”
“Go.” Brendel nodded.
When Scarlett hobbled over, Ciel muttered to himself.
“She really does look quite like Miss Freya. I see, so my Lord likes this type of—”
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Ciel quickly closed his lips; Brendel was looking at him with a sour expression, while Scarlett glared at
him with gritted teeth while she passed him by.
“Scarlett, are you alright?” Brendel asked Scarlett.
“Yes?” She was slightly surprised.
“I’m fine, my lord.” She wiped away her blood: “But Medissa is……”
“I know.” Brendel’s face was strangely composed as he nodded. Since he had enough Light EP,
resummoning Medissa was not a problem after all.
Scarlett’s glance was curious. She had heard of the relationship between the Elven Princess and the
youth. She found it strange that Brendel’s reaction was so small upon hearing her death, but it was not
her place to know what he was thinking.
The mercenaries had begun to push on the path towards Graudin’s manor. Iamas had issued an order to
retreat further and create a new defensive line. However, even though he was an accomplished undead
general who knew the humans well, he was simply not confident in leading them. The mercenaries
crushed the skeletons’ bones beneath their feet and marched towards the soldiers, pushing them to the
brink of destruction.
Their morale was already shaken, and when they received the order to retreat yet again, made them feel
like they were at the end of their roads. They were almost like a bunch of livestock waiting to be
slaughtered.
Brendel had specifically ordered the mercenaries not to kill them. Otherwise, there would not be many of
them left—
Graudin’s manor was somewhat of a small fortress; the building was located on higher grounds, with a
fortified gate and extended stone walls with a moat at the base. There was also a winding path that was
difficult for a large army to pass through quickly.
When Iamas created a new line of defense near the gate, the soldiers were already losing their formations
and being pried open by Brendel’s mercenaries. Graudin’s army was no longer fit for command.
“These fools!” Iamas muttered angrily to himself.
The Light Orbs were still flying in the air shooting down from above at pockets of stiff resistance from a
few of Graudin’s brave soldiers, while destroying any remaining skeletons. That was when Iamas
suddenly saw a dark shadow flittering across the streets.
1208
[A spider? It’s…… somehow controlling an Orb of light. Then that youth is a summoner? I see— So my
first strike back then killed a bunch of them. But a frail creature is controlling a Silver-ranked magic spell.
I have never seen such a strange summon before. Perhaps it’s ancient magic?]
He was again surprised by the youth. The magic system in the Era of Chaos was different from the current
generation, just like how the Dragon race wielded ancient Chord Magic and vastly different from the
generation now.
[If Lord Tarkus’s main force is here, they would easily be able to counter these damned creatures.
Wraiths and high-level necromancers are more than a match for them.]
But that was just a mere wish that would never come true. Lord Incirsta was leading an important
mission in the southern-east region and was using Tarkus’s forces to deal with the remnants there. It was
impossible for them to appear here. Even allowing him to command a battalion of Bonethorn skeletons
was the very limits for stretching out Madara’s undead forces.
[A tenth of my Bonethorn Skeletons were wiped out almost instantly when that youth attacked.
Fortunately, these are mere ranged units.]
The manor’s guards consist of Graudin’s personal knights. Relying on them might allow him to hold on for
a while, but the best answer in this situation was to take away the Baron immediately, instead of waiting
for Madara’s army outside the city to arrive.
After a short moment, he cast his gaze back to the western direction.
“Young human, this battle isn’t over yet.” He said.
His Nightmare mount quickly charged towards the manor, after giving the knights an order to close the
gates and raise the drawbridge.
He chose to give up on commanding the soldiers; their lives were not important to him after all. The
youth would not give him a chance to rally them, and there was also the possibility of a smaller force
infiltrating the manor.
When Iamas reached the room where Graudin was overseeing the battle, he realized that Brendel had
already reached the fortified gates. The remaining soldiers were fleeing to the city’s side gates like rats on
a burning ship.
Graudin was wearing a set of velvet robes, his face completely pale.
“Lord Iamas?” He asked.
1209
“This defense point is unable to stop them,” He continued to observe the situation and replied coldly:
“Come with me if you want to live.”
The baron looked at him with a shocked expression.
“What about my men?” He asked in a small quivering voice.
“And you still wish to care about them?” Iamas’s golden pair of eyes pierced through him with a chilling
glare.
Graudin’s voice died within him.
Suddenly there was a loud commotion outside, and the two men turned their attention back there. They
chanced upon a young man who had destroyed the fortified gates with a powerful spell.
His long robes fluttered against a rising wind, and his two golden intricate flower patterns shimmered
before their eyes. He raised his staff and snapped his fingers, and a resounding blast emitted from him.
Six golden Magic Formations formed across the ground.
“Stop that Master Wizard! Fire your arrows at him!” Iamas bellowed, hoping his voice would reach
Graudin’s knights.
But it was too late. Six pillars of light formed and extended across the moat and reached the winding path.
“I invoke the Laws of Exchange: Material Conversion— ‘Iazu’.” The gem on his staff shone brightly as
mana filled and converted into physical properties. Six huge bridges made of rocks had materialized out
of thin air.
Silence temporarily filled the place—
1210
As the six bridges smashed onto the ground, the knights lurched forward and fell as though an
earthquake had happened.
The young wizard smiled as he lowered his staff. The sounds of horses’ hooves echoed behind him as the
riders amongst the mercenaries dashed past him. The young lord who was just behind them drew out his
sword, reflecting the stars’ light as it issued a signal:
‘Attack and destroy the enemy before us!’
The knights quickly got up as they saw the approaching mercenaries. Brendel had resummoned his
Pristine Angels again, retrieving Medissa’s card from the graveyard, and restoring the angels’ health as
though they had never been injured.
The angels flew up and descended upon the knights with their swords. They were no match for Kabias or
Iamas, but it was the same for the knights when they tried to attack them. Heads were lopped off one
after another, and they ultimately chose to retreat into the manor’s square.
Iamas did not wait any longer and began to drag Graudin away from the window. As long as he was fine,
it did not even matter if Firburh was razed to the ground.
Brendel who managed to spot Iamas and Graudin at an arched window, gave a cackling laugh when he
saw Iamas pulling Graudin away.
He beckoned to Cornelius and gave instructions to him, who in turn relayed his instructions to his
mercenaries.
“Baron Graudin has fled Firburh!”
“Baron Graudin is no longer in Firburh!”
When the knights heard the mercenaries’ cries, they stopped moving and turned to look for Graudin’s
location. When they were unable to find him, they tossed down their weapons and put their hands up and
gave up. When Brendel’s men flooded the huge mansion, they were unable to find any traces of the
wretched noble.
Brendel himself had made a guess as to where they were and entered together with Ciel and Scarlett into
a secret passage. It led to a set of spiral staircase that descended deep down.
1211
When he exited the area, he found himself in a hall, not unlike the first time where he and Graudin met,
decorated with the same set of crystal chandeliers above him. Two sets of footsteps echoed hurriedly
through another corridor, and two figures finally emerged, they found Brendel waiting for them with Ciel
lighting up the area with his staff.
Graudin’s eyes nearly popped out when he saw three people waiting for him, wondering if he had
somehow gotten betrayed. This place was only known to him.
The same atmosphere was also similar when Brendel gained his Element Power. His eyes glinted
dangerously in the dimly lit hall, and could not help but laugh at the familiar sight before him. He had
promised to cut off Graudin’s head, and this setting was just too similar to where he threatened him.
Iamas calmly looked at him, almost like he was not surprised. He pushed Graudin back behind him and
raised his scythe with his right hand.
“Human, you are far more capable than I imagine. I am surprised to see Aouine have a noble like
yourself—” His voice was like rusted iron, unlike the pleasant voice he once had.
“Stop wasting time, Iamas.” Brendel shook his head and cut off the topic: “I am sure you know whose life I
am here for. I am unable to stop you from escaping, but don’t even think for a fucking moment you can
bring Aouine’s Lord Baron away.”
He put emphasis in the last few words.
“I don’t know who you are exactly, but I guess I shall recognize you as a viscount. At the very least, Lord
Viscount, I do remember the rules between the nobles are quite different. Behind me is a legitimate lord
directly under the king himself. His house carries a bloodline directly back to the former kingdom. Are
you telling me that you wish to lay your hands on such a prestigious House? You would become the
precedent of a bloody war between two noble Houses,” Iamas said.
He shrugged. “I can step aside, but even if I do so, are you certain you want to kill him?”
Graudin’s face darkened behind the undead general.
“The glory of the kingdom does not extend to a traitor,” Brendel said.
“But it is still not a reason to break the rules of the nobles, and certainly not a reason to set two Houses at
each other till one is beyond saving.”
Brendel’s laughter echoed in the hall: “If a single Baron from Randner is capable of ending my House, why
the fuck would I come here?”
1212
Iamas was at a loss for words.
“Your arrogance!” Graudin’s teeth ground furiously at each other when he listened to Brendel’s words: “I
don’t know where your confidence comes from, Viscount Gaston—”
“Did I allow you to speak?” Brendel’s voice was so cold that it chilled Graudin’s blood, causing a great fear
to spread within him. The latter’s pupils contracted, and he immediately stopped talking.
Iamas clapped his hands.
“Your spirit is commendable. But the Lornians, native citizens of the Kingdom of Knights, have said the
wise should learn to seek a balance. Lord Viscount, a noble like yourself should understand that Graudin
has received his due punishment. Why not stop here and allow everyone to have a chance to reconcile?”
“The Lornians have said this as well, blood for blood, tooth for tooth,” Ciel added with a warm smile.
“But the blood that was shed does not belong to Lord Viscount,” Iamas countered.
“Indeed. But the noble’s honor demands retribution,” Brendel replied coldly.
Iamas was once again silent.
Brendel was secretly frowning. Iamas was not someone who wasted his time on words. He and Ebdon
were famous for being decisive and practical. He doubted it was due to some unknown event in the future
that somehow changed his personality.
[Is Graudin this important to Madara? What exactly is the promise between the Randner House and
Madara?! No, there’s still another possibility—]
The best way to avoid any trap is to act upon it.
Brendel stopped talking and walked forward towards Graudin. His right glove made of comfortable white
leather reached for his sword. A freezing aura immediately extended to half the hall.
Iamas did not move, but Graudin took three steps back in fright, nearly falling onto the ground. His face
flushed with anger and fear, his heart full of disbelief as he gnashed his teeth.
Even though he was a mere Iron-ranked swordsman, he realized Brendel’s power had increased so much
that it could not be compared to the day before!
Naturally, he could not have guessed that the new source of power came from Brendel’s newly gained
levels from his Elementalist’s profession. The only possibility he could think of was that Brendel hid his
real strength.
1213
He immediately went up to Iamas and whispered to him. The undead general nodded and looked at
Brendel in amusement.
Kabias’s report could not be wrong. But he had sensed Brendel’s strength for himself. There was no
change in his demeanor, however, as he thought about this problem.
“Lord Viscount, why not reconsider?” Iamas said.
“There are no advantages for you when you interfere with us humans. You already know that you can’t
bring Graudin away, and it a meaningless battle for both of us. Step aside, I know this is not something
you would do—” Brendel said.
Iamas shook his head as he watched Brendel get closer with every step. He pushed Graudin slightly back
with his scythe.
“This battle might mean nothing to you, Lord Viscount, but Madara takes it seriously and therefore has a
different meaning for me. While we have never allied with the living in our history, there is a first for
everything, and abandoning our first ally would cast doubt upon our reputation.”
He gave a short laugh under his mask: “But you are not wrong. Protecting the Lord Baron here against
three Gold-ranked fighters is certainly difficult—”
“Lord Iamas!” Graudin jolted in fright, his face paling quickly.
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The only person Graudin rely on for his safety was Iamas. If the latter was unable to ensure his safety,
then the barbarian-like youth would really run him through his sword.
Iamas ignored the mewling man behind him: “But I still have some confidence in holding out for thirty
minutes.”
“Thirty minutes? So that your undead army can march in through the city?” Brendel’s smile spread across
his face, getting straight to the point.
“Truly, if you are not my enemy, I would suspect that you were some close friend of mine when I was still
living. Even my personal maid doesn’t know me as well as you do.”
Brendel merely smiled at his provocation. This character coincided with the knowledge he had of him in
the game. His pride extended all the way to his speech and had offended many people in Madara. Because
of that, he was sent to work under Incirsta’s command.
His feet had not stopped moving, and he was less than ten meters away from Iamas. Ciel was right behind
him, ready with a spell.
“Lord Viscount, have you received a response from the city’s west gate? I do recall the mercenary
commander’s to have quite the pretty features for a woman. But fret not, the forces under my command
here are not many and was merely sent out to delay them from setting up a foothold in the west.”
Brendel stopped and listened silently.
“I do believe my kind has breached the city. Of course, they are low-level skeletons led by useless fledging
necromancers, but even so, if you don’t rush to that lovely woman’s aid, I’m afraid the situation might
turn out to be quite troublesome?”
The youth resisted from wanting to smash his fist onto Iamas’s mask. There was a level of smugness from
him that grated on his nerves, but he was quite aware that Iamas had no need to lie to him because the
latter already did it.
[If the situation is just as Iamas had stated, then it wouldn’t be just a troublesome situation, forget the
damage done to the city, everyone is in danger. Even now I have received no news from the west gate.
The fact that I had Ciel create so many bridges ended up as a terrible decision! Shit, this bastard dared to
separate his troops from the start of this battle. Does he really care about Graudin’s life— No, that’s not it,
the Iamas I know will never do that, he intended to bring Graudin out of here from the very start!]
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Brendel’s heart sank.
He had been worried about Jana’s situation since he had not received any news, and now he finally
received an answer. He asked himself why Madara had to keep Graudin safe at all cost. He was not even
the eldest son, and merely one of many—
He took a deep breath. Iamas attack had indeed struck into one of his weak points. It was fortunate that
he did not waste any more time talking and forced him to reveal his secret. There was still room for a
choice to be made.
[Damn it. As expected from the Scales of War. If it’s possible, I really want to cut off his head right here,
even more so than Graudin’s.]
It was the start of the Black Rose War, but Iamas was already exhibiting the same intelligence and
brilliance in predicting the future. If he managed to get the Blood of the Evil Dragon, he would be
impossibly hard to kill.
Perhaps the undead general in front of him might even know of his plan?
“Thirty minutes remain. Perhaps we can make a deal instead?” Iamas smiled, golden flames igniting in his
eyes.
Graudin sighed with relief, showing an ugly smile from his rigid face. He chortled a few times, delighted at
Brendel’s misery. The latter seemed to be caught in two places. He looked like he did not care the undead
razed his entire city to the ground. The lowly commoners were like cockroaches after all, and even the
city could be rebuilt.
The most important thing was to enjoy how Brendel felt. He could not help but speak with a triumphant
smile.
“Young man, you have to pay the price for being rash—” Graudin suddenly recalled the price he paid for
trying to taunt him, and hurriedly stopped what he was doing: “But I admit you are powerful. Strength
deserves to be respected. If you let things go as it is, I can make a promise on behalf of my father…… To
stop our feud.”
He started to relax and continued: “As you very well know, we nobles typically dislike wars that hurt each
other so we should make peace. But there is one other thing; I received reports that my adopted daughter
is amongst the mercenaries—”
Suddenly Iamas turned around and glared at him. Graudin’s heart beat loudly and realized he had
committed an error. He quickly stopped talking.
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“Do you mean to give up on the mercenaries and everyone else in the city? I know the skeletons are
unable to stop you, and it is no matter to me of might turn out to be their fates. But this is where you are
different from me.” Iamas returned his gaze back to Brendel.
Graudin put on a sinister smile. Iamas was using the same trick he had used a few days ago by
threatening the men under Brendel. Watching Brendel entering the same trap again filled his heart with
malicious glee.
Everyone looked at Brendel and waited for his response—
“Iamas, there is an ancient saying where I came from.” Brendel’s hand loosened its grip on the sword he
was carrying. For a moment he looked almost defeated before he continued speaking: “No man ever steps
in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man!”
Iamas’s mind froze when he peered into Brendel’s clear and indomitable eyes. Brendel’s right hand
flickered, and the longsword was thrown straight into Graudin’s path in a straight line. The undead
general barely regained his senses at the whistling blade piercing through the air and lifted up his scythe.
It barely glanced the sword and changed the path of the sword ever so slightly, and it went past Graudin’s
neck.
The blade nailed into an oil painting not far away from Graudin’s back, its hilt trembling repeatedly.
Iamas turned around.
Graudin was pressing down on his wound on the neck. He stared at Brendel with a face void of color.
Mixed emotions of fear, confusion and fury washed over his heart. He did not understand why the youth
was so fixated in killing him.
“Give up cutting Graudin’s head, offer a truce, and surrender Sifrid over? Are you treating me like a
complete fool, Iamas? ” Frost was literally coming out from Brendel’s lips.
“…… Was that necessary, Lord Viscount? A momentary pause, please, I am quite interested to know what
exactly your quote meant.” Iamas realized that he was tricked into lowering his guard just for an instant.
The long string of words had taken away his concentration, and also realized Brendel was completely
unaffected by his ability.
“There are many explanations to that,” Brendel replied: “But my favorite answer is how someone
wouldn’t commit the same mistake; the same trap wouldn’t apply twice and he is no longer the naive
person he once was.”
“That would mean you are choosing to do battle with me?”
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“Indeed.”
The undead general gripped his scythe tightly. He stared at Brendel: “Then go ahead and try. I wait with
bated breath to see if you are faster than I am—”
He expanded his Element Power and formed into a silver wall that almost appeared in tangible form.
“Are you mistaking something, Iamas?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The truth is— I have already gone past you.”
The youth said with a tranquil expression. His gaze went past Iamas’s shoulder and onto the longsword
stuck onto wall painting. A card was pinned onto to the oil painting, not seen by anyone else other than
Brendel.
A card with the illustration of a Unicorn Knight—
[The flag of the Elves are raised proudly, with her heart and sword shining brightly in darkness.]
“Come forth, Medissa!”
There was a loud scream—
Iamas turned around just in time to witness a silver lance stabbing through Graudin’s chest. The latter
had a look of utter disbelief. He tried turning back to Iamas for help with every bit of strength he had left,
but the lance was withdrawn easily and caused a spurt of blood to be sprayed across the floor. Graudin
staggered a few steps forward before he collapsed onto the ground into a heap.
“She— How can this be, I have already gravely injured her, why is she free of injuries!” He bellowed at
Brendel.
“I’m a summoner,” Brendel’s eyes had a condescending look to them. “She’s a summon.”
Ciel’s body immediately trembled as he refuted this statement with every bit of his mind.
“Impossible, a summoner cannot summon anything past my Soul Barrier!” He roared again.
Brendel’s grin under the dim light seemed almost mysterious and terrifying.
“Have you not realized it? I am quite the extraordinary individual.”
1218
1219
Chapter 164 – Gambler’s roulette (1)
A thin blade pierced through a skull, and the final Zombie Outlander lost its strength and fell to the
ground heavily.
The female commander with fiery red hair gripped her sword with a single hand and looked at her
surroundings. The reflection in her emerald eyes showed many skeletal bones and mercenaries’ corpses.
The battle had finally ended. Even though they paid a hefty price, they had managed to fight the attackers
off.
Jana exhaled slowly and returned her rapier into a sheath covered with black leather.
“Commander!” A shout came from behind her. She turned back and saw one of her youngest mercenaries
run over.
“Leave your protests for later. Get some men to stay behind and take care of our injured, while the rest
advance. We have wasted too much time, and we need to control the west gate before Madara arrives!”
“Wait!” The boy bent over and held on to his knees in support while he tried to catch his breath.
“What?” She frowned and said with impatience.
“It’s too late,” The youth’s voice was surprisingly loud: “Sometime after we began fighting the monsters,
group Mouse caught a glimpse of a magic signal from the south. Commander, it’s too late, the undead has
already reached the western city gates. If we head over there, we will just meet against countless
undead.”
“What else did Mouse say?” She stopped moving and turned around with her full attention.
“They also said our only option is to retreat right now. We should break through from the north and leave
the Firburh. When the undead pours in, every one of us will die.”
“If we leave now, what will happen to the citizens here?”
“Commander, can we change anything by staying here?!” The boy refuted anxiously.
“Shut up!” She punched the nearby wall with her full strength, causing the bricks to crack in a radial
direction: “Get our men ready. Have the groups ready; Owls, Wolves, and Bears. Get these three groups to
advance in the streets! If we can’t stop them from entering the city, we’ll intercept them here!”
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“Commander!” He said: “We have less than three hundred men. The undead skeletons could easily reach
ten thousand! If we don’t rely on the city’s stone walls we cannot stop them!”
“We have to do it even if we can’t! Are you trying to make me break my promise! Follow my orders, now!”
“Commander, does a noble deserve to have your promise? That young man is leading us only because he
has a quarrel with Graudin in the first place. He’s a stranger and even stands on the same line on
Graudin’s side, why should we fight for someone like him! Your parents and sister died at the damned
nobles! Most of us here have the same background like you, and w-w-we followed you because we
respect you! Why should we die for someone like him, let them kill each other!”
Jana was momentarily silent. She sighed and wanted to respond gently when a sudden bang could be
heard from the inner city. A pure pillar of white light shot into the sky, vanishing the darkness and
lighting up the sky. It was as though Mother Marsha had shed her first tear in the darkness, just like how
it was described in Kirrlutz’s poems of the world’s creation.
The light was born in the darkness, bestowing blessed wisdom, spirit and resplendence to the creatures.
Jana and the mercenaries around her looked to the sky in rapt wonder. A Magic Formation began to
expand in the sky, reaching a span of hundred meters before it exploded and blasted the clouds apart, and
the final form of the magic was—
“Graudin is dead.”
Words burned in the sky like fire.
Her voice was flat in tone.
“My Lord is asking us to respond to him.” She said.
“My…… lord?” The youth replied in shock.
“That idiot Cornelius has chosen to stick that young noble, so why would I not dare to? Graudin is dead,
and Lord Gaston has given me his answer. From now onwards, I shall follow him.” She lowered her head
and laughed before she shook her head: “Unfortunately, it seems that time has run out.”
“But……”
“There is no ‘but.’ Are we able to send a signal?”
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“…… The necromancers have used Black Magic and shrouded the streets with a spell. Only the Light and
Dark elements can be utilized. Trying to use other Elements end up fizzling. We don’t have a priest or
wizard in our group, and our strongest Elementalist is an Iron-ranked; he’s not able to use any magic at
all.” He shook his head.
“How about Signalling Arrows?”
“Mouse said that stuff requires Elemental Mana.”
“Then we have to use our own means to buy some time for Lord Gaston.” She gritted her teeth once while
she looked into the dark alleys before her.
“Commander?”
She wore a solemn look, taking a moment to herself before she raised her head and turned around. Her
rapier was pointed to the right: “Everyone here, listen up! A certain someone has given an answer to us
through the biggest way possible, but we have failed to answer in return. I am now giving you the order
to advance to the west gate. Either we stop the damned undead here, or they can walk past us by stepping
over our dead bodies!”
The large street was silent for a moment, with Jana’s strict order echoing for several moments. Everyone
stopped what they were doing as they looked at their commander.
“Answer me, are there any cowards in my army?”
“There are none!” The mercenaries raised their weapons and roared.
“Commander, why would you do this much for a noble—” The boy said through clenched teeth.
Jana laughed again and patted the boy’s head, while she got closer to his ear and whispered:
“Little boy, I know more about nobles than you do. If that young man is truly a proper noble, he wouldn’t
have killed Graudin. The rules between the nobles are sacrosanct, and no one has broken them for the
past few centuries—”
She took a few steps back and looked at the moon.
“Regardless of who he is, our deals between him and I are concluded.”
The boy looked at her in shock.
============ Raban’s POV =============
1222
The fierce battle continued in the south gate. With the Firebrand’s commander careful watch, the
mercenaries kept up a rhythmical approach of engaging the undead carefully, losing almost none of their
own.
The battle in the darkness repeatedly continued as though it was never going to end. Everyone was
exhausted. Before their eyes were countless skeletons and undead creatures stacked up like a small hill.
The defensive line was maintained at the gates.
The earlier destruction from Brendel’s sword had caused a considerable amount of damage to the nearby
city walls. The majority of the mercenaries were Iron-ranked fighters, and barely held up against the
assault by limiting the number of undead that was able to enter the city.
In truth, the mercenaries were willing to sacrifice as many bodies as possible to prevent the undead from
entering the city before them. One could hardly describe this as a battle, but a bone grinder that crushed
and cut the skeletons into tiny bits every time they entered.
Both commanders continued to send their forces to contest this hole mercilessly. However, the
necromancers had unlimited stakes to gamble their troops with, and they continued to send countless
attempts to break through a victory on the table.
It was one of the reasons why the living feared the undead—
“Crossbowmen, ready yourselves—”
“Reload your blunt bolts—”
One of the squadron’s captain took up the position of calling the timings for the ranged mercenaries on
the walls. The veteran men once again pulled upon their bottles of Blessed water and poured them all
over their bundles of crossbow bolts. They felt somewhat pained and reluctant to do so, as they rarely
spent this much coin to use in a normal battle.
“Aim—”
They raised their fortified crossbows and aimed at the skeletons marching in droves into the hole.
“Fire!”
Sharp twangs resounded in a single moment, and the whistling bolts seemed to form an invisible barrier,
striking the skeletons down and turned into ashes with burning flames.
Raban was nearby that hole, crushing a skeleton below with his feet. He carried his greatsword shoulder
with one hand. He had just swapped the first squadron of exhausted mercenaries with the second
1223
squadron. He quickly barked out his next order and ordered a few sellswords to bring down the injured
men from the city walls. The battle was slow and unending, just like the battles he had experienced in
Karsuk.
He did not waver against the endless number of undead, knowing quite well what he was capable of, as
well as knowing what Madara’s undead was capable of.
When the pillar of light shot into the sky, he laughed heartily: “A noble killing another noble. It seems like
I received an appropriate compensation. It’s the first time I have seen them kill each other than poison or
assassinations or political scheming. This young man is more than a brute that I expected.”
“What things are these nobles not capable of?” His adjutant replied.
Raban cast an amused glance at him.
“You don’t understand,” he said before he put his focus back onto the battlefield: “How long more?”
“Thirty minutes.”
Raban raised his hand: “Go and make sure to place our Warflags higher. After this wave of undead, the
necromancers will be coming out. Since that brutish noble has given me an answer, I need to have a reply
ready as well.”
“Dawn……” The commander of Firebrand’s mercenary looked out to the horizons: “It’s coming soon
enough. That’s the completion of the Head’s first order. ”
“Head?”
“Let’s call him by that title,” Raban muttered to himself.
1224
Chapter 165 – Gambler’s roulette (2)
Brendel had brought out an incredibly large map which had dust gathering on it from the secret
basement and returned to manor’s hall. He placed it onto to a long table. All his subordinates were beside
him, while Cornelius’s mercenaries shuffled in and out.
When the map was fully extended out onto the table, everyone gave an impressed sigh.
“My lord, how did you know that horrible man has a secret basement and map?” Dia asked while she cast
furtive glances at her older sister. It was fortunate that the latter did not get angry at her and only
received an exasperated glare.
Felaern was truthfully not feeling well. When Brendel became an Elementalist, she felt her world crashing
before her very eyes.
The once arrogant Graudin was now lying outside the manor’s courtyard. There was perhaps some use
for his body in the future. The mercenaries were flushing out the remaining enemies and to report any
traces of Iamas. Brendel was certain that he had completely left the city.
[He’s not one to stay behind and vent his anger or create trouble to get revenge on me. That’s his habit. If
it’s the Red Knight Ladios, then that might happen. The reason why Iamas is so hard to deal with is that
his nature always avoided putting himself into a dangerous position. It’s hard to latch onto his mistakes.]
“Most nobles have similar habits, Dia,” Brendel answered as he thought about the overall situation. “But
this thing might not be Graudin’s handiwork. I suspect he has no real wish to govern this region.”
His mixed his words with half-truths. Nobles’ habits had nothing to do with hidden basements and maps.
The only truth here was how he knew gamers turned this place upside-down by overthrowing Graudin.
He took a few moments to study the map and concluded that it was not from Graudin, but generations
before him who designed and built Firburh.
“This map has decades behind it,” Ciel coughed a few times from the dust. He looked at it with a frown:
“Does that stupid fool not care about his land? In the Black Tower’s region, the Wizards would redraw a
map every year.”
Brendel nearly snorted with laughter. Trentheim was the most barbaric region and furthest away at
Aouine’s borders. The citizens here were clearly not wizards.
1225
“In this era, it’s quite common for a small city to reuse their maps for several decades. It’s good enough to
rely on it as a guide, and we don’t need a detailed map.”
“In this era?” Ciel looked at him strangely.
“It’s a lisp.” Brendel glared at him: “You have a problem?”
“No,” The young wizard hurriedly shook his head: “It’s just the moment my Lord speak that few words, I
felt a heavy sense of richness like I have experienced history before my very eyes. I feel like my Lord has
somehow stood at a very high place, almost like a God of War, no, truly a God of War.”
The corners of Brendel’s eyes twitched while the corners of his lips stiffened: “Cut the crap out.”
He suddenly thought of something and turned towards the older Elementalist sister: “Ah, lucky babe……
no, I mean, Felaern, where are the equipment I asked you to sort out?”
“Yes?” She answered like she was in a stupor before she asked back: “What?”
“Clearing up the battlefield?”
“Oh,” Felaern answered after a short pause: “You mean that Skeleton Lord? I found something strange on
him, and I wanted to ask my Lord about it—”
[Something strange? Kabias is a high-level general. There should be goodies from him.]
There were many odd types of equipment in the game, and Fantasy-ranked artifacts were almost deemed
as ‘Mini Cheats’. His ears perked up in curiosity, but Cornelius walked in with a forehead full of
perspiration, alongside with Alistair in his dark green robe fluttering urgently from his large strides.
Brendel immediately raised his hand up and stopped Felaern from speaking.
“Are you ready?” He asked in a hasty tone.
“We are ready, my lord, we can proceed to move any time—” Cornelius eyed him carefully and answered.
His words were like a signal. Brendel’s men stood up with their weapons ready. Scarlett who had been
talking to Sifrid all this time stood up and patted the latter’s head.
“Then let’s move out! I’ll leave you to aid Raban, Ser Cornelius. I’ll have Medissa aid you too. Do you have
any news of the west gate?”
Medissa nodded to Cornelius when she heard his order.
1226
But the silver-haired middle-aged man frowned and shook his head: “We have been looking out for a
signal, but there still isn’t any news. I have sent scouts to contact them, but I don’t believe they will be
able to report back soon.”
“There’s no time for that,” Brendel shook his head: “We have to set out immediately.”
“My lord, I understand Jana well enough. Even if she did not reach the west gate in time, she would
definitely choose to delay the Madara’s undead. My lord, there’s no need for you to worry—”
“Pointless. They won’t be able to hold it. I understand Madara’s tactics far better than you do. One has to
guard against them with a fortified position. Under the sea of skeletons, three hundred mercenaries are
nothing more than a rock thrown into the sea. They will be wiped out almost instantly.”
His hands laid on the table as he studied the map quickly: “And that’s not counting in the Dark Warriors
and Necromancers.”
He straightened up and took up Scarlett’s longsword: “The only thing we can do is to set out immediately.
We can only hope that Miss Jana is able to reach the west gate in time, or else we have one real ending—”
While everyone glanced at each other, Brendel already left his seat and went outside. His men left one by
one after watching his back for a few seconds.
“So the worst outcome for you, my Lord, is to give up on Firburh, right?” Ciel quickly ran out and walked
beside Brendel, keeping pace with his quick strides.
“What have you thought of?” Brendel looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
“I’m just thinking about how my Lord is as bold as before—
Brendel’s teeth were shown slightly when he gave a smile.
“The price for Graudin’s head is too high,” he said: “Thus I have to choose the most rewarding choice in
order not to lose out. The risk is certainly too high, but like I said before, would a dead man care if one or
two nooses were tied around his neck?”
“You are right, but I now realize that my Lord is indeed a great match for Miss Romaine.”
“My lord?” Cornelius who also followed him was confused over how the direction of the conversation
went to.
“To be clear, Ciel is right about his guess.” Brendel nodded: “It doesn’t end with Graudin’s death, I’m also
going to usurp Trentheim’s ownership. Count Randner is going to take revenge for his son; then I’m going
1227
to take his lands in return. Victory doesn’t rely on strength alone; wisdom is also part of it— After all, is
there a rule that says a newly promoted noble is allowed to have one piece of land?” He said.
[No one can defeat the future after all—]
Brendel’s smile at Cornelius was so wide that his eyes were half-closed: “What do you think, Ser
Cornelius?”
The handsome middle-aged man looked at him with his eyes shrinking to the size of a dot.
[Is this young man crazy! He’s challenging this old kingdom’s traditions and mocking the rules between
the nobles! Marsha above!]
He lowered his head and dared not answer. If the youth actually succeeded he would have overturned
everything about Aouine. The other possibility was this; he was insane.
Ciel had other thoughts. “But the risk does appear to be big. The undead is right outside the city. If you
give up on Firburh, then you would have lost the reason to usurp Trentheim. What exactly do you plan to
do, my lord? Are you going to prepare yourself by retreating to the forest and attack as threats come
alone? Ah, what was did my Lord mentioned about something the previous time?”
[Is Firburh able to hold on against the undead…..?]
Brendel walked through the manor’s square and to the large arched gate. It was still dark, but dawn was
about to break. The sun was going to be up soon.
“Homo proponit, sed Deus disponit.” Brendel said: “Since we chose to gamble, we should calmly enjoy the
thrill that comes along with it—”
“As for performing guerrilla tactics in the forest,” he said: “Don’t worry, I studied under some of the finest
Grandmasters.”
1228
Chapter 166 – Gambler’s Roulette (3)
“I’m not seeing any enemies.”
“The left street has no enemies too.”
“This alley has none of the damned skeletons either!” The yell echoed in the empty street.
Jana’s anxious eyes glinted under the dim light. Her fingers were on her rapier; her doubts in her heart
were growing so deeply that she felt she was drowning. Everyone was under the same state as they
searched around the streets for the undead.
When the mercenaries did not discover their presence, they regrouped and advanced in the darkness.
Their hurried footsteps were not curtailed and shuffled against the soil loudly. Under the unknown
presence that threatened to lurk at every corner, they felt a chill entering their soul. Fear gripped their
throats as every shadow in the vicinity seemed to move.
They strained their ears to listen for the faintest hint of noise, afraid that the undead would suddenly
gush out from a random alley and surround them completely.
They crossed than half of the distance required to go to the west gate and found nothing. The undead
supposedly overwhelming the city was not there.
[Did that young noble judge wrongly?]
The scrawny boy was recently recruited by Jana, and he still had signs of malnourished because of his
previous impoverished life. His face held a terrible pallor, mostly because of the terrible atmosphere
around him.
“Commander?” The boy said.
“What is it?”
“Has that noble judged wrongly? Is the undead moving towards the north instead?”
“Impossible,” Jana immediately rejected this suggestion: “Timing is everything in a war, and undead
commanders are not fools.”
“But……” The boy wanted to say more, but he was interrupted a shout.
1229
“Commander, we found something.” One of the mercenaries ahead of them shouted: “Come over and take
a look!”
Jana exchanged glances with the boy before she nodded and ran over. When she got onto the crossroads,
she was stunned—
The entire road had turned into something unrecognizable, and skeletons and human bodies were found
everywhere.
It was as if a terrible battle had happened there. When she looked into the distance, there were almost no
stone tiles that were intact. The pavements were filled with large holes as though they had been dug out.
Boulders were strewn all over the ground, and the nearby buildings were smashed full of holes as though
something huge had gone through it.
Some of them looked lopsided as though the ground had sunk; when she looked closer, she discovered
wooden splinters leading to smashed wooden supports destroyed with a single punch each. The damage
appeared to have been caused by a Silver-ranked fighter.
If it was not for the fact that they were unable to find even a trace of the Element powers disrupting the
mana in the vicinity, they would have thought it was a situation where two Golden-ranked fighters fought
each other.
“Who are these people?”
When she looked at them, she discovered their clothes were no different from the citizens living outside
the city, but it did not explain the destroyed skeletons. She briefly counted the number of skeletons to a
body.
It was in the ratio five to one.
[If this ratio is right, that would mean the citizens have a ridiculous amount of fighting prowess. How is it
possible for Graudin to live until this day?]
The mercenaries were shaking their heads in disbelief.
“Do you see their weapons?” She suddenly realized something odd.
“We didn’t find any,” said the mercenary who shouted earlier.
“You didn’t find any?” Jana took a deep breath: “Are you trying to tell me these humans used their bare
fists to fight with the undead? Are you telling me these citizens are from the Silver Lineage?”
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“Commander, I’m not sure if you are joking by that last remark, but the armors’ dents on the skeletons
looked like they are smashed by fists—” He said in a small voice.
Jana’s eyes narrowed. The events that happened tonight were a little out of her understanding. Before
long, they heard a few sets of horse hooves cantering in the street. Three riders dashed through the
swirling fog. The scouts sent out earlier by her had returned.
“What did you discover at the city gates?” She broke off from her thoughts and asked.
“Commander,” the rider greeted her before he answered: “There is a fight breaking out at the city gates
between what looks to be undead skeletons and humans.”
[[[What?! Are you trying to say the city’s citizens managed to push back the undead?]]]
The mercenaries who heard this answer glanced at each other and had this thought in their mind.
========== Amandina’s POV ==========
A light in the dark felt like it represented hope. Even though it was nothing more than an illusion in their
minds, people were still willing to walk forward towards the light.
A fire torch was flickering in the darkness.
A young woman was kneeling on her knees in front of the light. The red hue emitted from it colored her
cheeks and body. In the midst of the unsteady intensity of the brightness when it flickered, the beautiful
lines of her body were repeatedly drawn.
Her lips were pursed together with a relaxed expression, and she placed both her hands on her knees
without moving a muscle. Her black eyes seemed to have a light dancing in them as the fire burned
unsteadily.
The sights before her eyes did not affect her at all as if she cared nothing about them.
A tremendous bang echoed in front of her. Three impossibly huge vines which needed two men to hug it
emerged violently from the ground, bringing stone fragments and soil up in the air, before they whipped
across the gleaming white skeletons in the darkness.
The ten-odd meters long vines easily crushed and swept across the sea of skeletons, causing a cacophony
of cracking noises as the crushed skeletons were knocked high up into the air before it smashed onto the
ground.
Three tall, stoic men who wore long animal hides covering their backs stood on the city wall commanded
the vines. They cleared the skeletons which kept rushing in repeatedly like they were sweeping away
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snow. Standing near them were even taller figures with slightly hunched bodies. They were transformed
Lycanthropes and stared at the sea of undead with their gleaming pupils, ready to fight off any Dark
Warriors and Necromancers lurking nearby.
The battle had already lasted a full hour—
“Miss Amandina, it seems there are ally reinforcements from the city.” A gigantic Lycanthrope walked
over with surprisingly stealthy footsteps and bowed to her. “They appear to be mercenaries.”
She got up and looked down from the city walls. She nodded after a moment and glanced at Romaine who
was clutching her precious bag. Half her body was lying against a battlement as she slept soundly. She
would have appeared quite a charming lady if it was not her drooling and half opened mouth and
mutterings from her dreams.
Amandina walked over with a sigh and patted her cheeks.
Romaine immediately made a face and made a loud sound of displeasure with her tongue, waving her
hands with small protests of complaints: “If you wish to kill Romaine, please wait till I’m done with my
sleep—”
Amandina suddenly felt she needed to lie down, but not for the reason of being fatigued.
“Romaine.”
“Yes, yes,” She frowned with her eyebrows as she spoke in her dreams: “Get your queue number, next—”
When Amandina finally brought Romaine over, she found the female commander Jana in a grimace.
The latter was observing the Lycanthropes and Druids suppressing the undead with considerable ease.
Even if her mercenaries did not come, the results in the west gate would not change. Their strange
appearances had led them to wonder what exactly they were and whether they worked for the young
noble. If they were, did it meant that he had never trusted her in the first place?
[Perhaps that youth had also made countermeasures for Raban as well?]
She inhaled with displeasure. Even though she knew it was a common thing to do, she felt a sliver of
discomfort. It was as if her determination to risk her life was denied by someone else. Despite her
maturity, she had looked forward to achieving a miracle after witnessing the proof that the youth had
killed Graudin. Her band of mercenaries thought the same way.
In this chaotic region, she and her mercenaries led a nomadic life. She had hoped that the young man was
someone worth following, and at least allowed her followers to feel like they could swear loyalty to.
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[He’s just like them. No matter how outstanding he appears to be, he’s only looking at us like pieces on a
chessboard. He doesn’t trust us and sent additional forces to guard against the undead.]
Jana swung her hair back to her ears and looked silently at Amandina. The latter returned her gaze and
stood calmly with showing any signs of being intimidated. For some strange reason, she found Jana and
her mercenaries was staring oddly at her and the men here. She quickly came to a conclusion on what
had transpired between Brendel and the mercenaries.
“May I know who you are?” Amandina was the first to speak.
Jana felt like she was being suppressed even though the person in front of her was much younger.
[Another damned aristocrat wench.]
“Jana, commander of the Mountain Swallows Company. We are sent here by Lord Gaston’s order, and who
might you be, little girl?” She asked with a ridiculing tone, despite knowing who the girl possibly was.
Amandina’s expressions did not change, although she was smirking in her mind.
“I am also Lord Gaston’s subordinate. To be exact, I’m his chief advisor.” She said, and extended out a
hand: “This is Lady Romaine, Lord Gaston’s fiancee.”
The merchant girl yawned as she rubbed her eyes sleepily.
A streak of disgust and disappointment flashed in Jana’s eyes. Amandina did not miss her expressions,
and she felt the same feeling in her own heart.
“Although, I wish to be clear,” Amandina’s expression turned cold, her voice with slight disdain creeping
in: “I might have introduced myself as his advisor, but that does not mean I agree with his methods. Tell
Lord Gaston this, miss Jana, if he thinks he can avoid hurting others by acting on his own, he should cast
off that naivety. I don’t know what he’s trying to become, but a hero isn’t a saint who doesn’t commit
mistakes, but one who takes up responsibility!
Even if he chooses to commit a mistake, he carries not only his life but our hopes and love for him as well.
I might respect his choice today, but I will never forgive the act where he abandoned his subordinates—
Finally, tell him in this world, freedom, and hope cannot be obtained without going to war and shedding
blood.”
The Lycanthropes who had impossibly sharp ears of hearing turned towards Amandina with emotional
gazes.
Jana looked at the Lycanthropes who reacted strangely before she asked: “What does that mean?”
Amandina did not reply.
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Jana cast her gaze at Romaine for answers, but the latter merely smiled sweetly in response.
“Erm Miss J—, whatsyournameagain……” Romaine muttered under her breath before she continued:
“Miss Dame, may I ask if you have Magic Signalling arrows?”
The corners of Jana’s eyes twitched.
============== Brendel’s POV =============
A signal rose from the west gate. The bright fire from the arrow sailed across the sky and lit up the city
brightly.
Brendel and his men stopped running when they saw it. The light felt almost like a congratulatory note,
informing them they had won.
Brendel sighed heavily.
[If I’m a gambler, then I must be one of the luckiest one around. The roulette has stopped and pointed to
the biggest door possible to the future. The fact that the west gate is held means that the Viridien Village
has set out to defend it. Since the Lycanthropes didn’t go looking for Sifrid, it must have been Amandina
or Romaine’s idea to guard the west gate. Perhaps somewhere along the way, they probably spotted the
undead moving…… Regardless of how it came to this conclusion, I have won the day.]
He did not know what the future lied beyond that door, or at least he could not see that far ahead, but the
chess piece he placed down had survived Graudin and Madara’s resistance.
“My lord, does this mean Dawn is finally here?” Ciel asked with a smile.
“No, not yet,” Brendel shook his head while he looked at the light: “But— I can finally see Firburh’s
ending.”
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Recap on TAS:
After the escape from Fortress Riedon, Brendel recruited Amandina and set out to his new destination.
He encountered the Grey Wolves Mercenaries’ leader, Makarov. The latter was someone under the Royal
Faction and betrayed the Grey Wolves Mercenaries. This incident caused Brendel considerable trouble as
he was forced to get involved with an enemy faction, but he managed to get Medissa, an Elven Princess
who’s also a Unicorn Knight, and some of the Grey Wolves Mercenaries.
After putting the Royal Faction into their place with the aid of the Silver Elves, he set off to Valhalla under
the title of Viscount Gaston/ His goal was to reach a unique land that would increase his army strength
because it has considerable ‘wealth.’ (TL: I can’t remember exactly if that place is a Nest of some sort, but
I do remember it being desirable to players in the game.)
He passed by Trentheim, the territory near the undead’s borders in the southwest of Aouine. Baron
Graudin who ruled there, killed the citizens and mercenaries in Firbugh, the capital of Trentheim, to
flaunt his powers to Brendel.
After finding out that his atrocities extended all the way to the nearby Lycanthropes in the outer areas,
Brendel was driven into a cold fury that made him swore an oath to defeat Graudin. He managed to do so
even when the undead was aiding the enemy.
This outcome has set him up quite nicely with three large mercenary groups, Lycanthropes, possibly the
druids, and the city Firbugh. It remains to be seen if they are any stray resistances from other nobles to
his claim to Trentheim.
And now, let’s proceed to Volume 3 of The Amber Sword.
Volume 3 – Royal authority and the Rose
Chapter 1 – Letter (1)
=========== Tirste’s POV ==========
The afternoon’s sunlight poured onto the ground’s decaying leaves. The shadows shimmered
continuously on them as the top of the trees trembled against the slight breeze.
“The silence here is slightly unusual, my lord.” Gail said with a slight frown.
“There is a particular legend circulating amongst the Highland’s citizens. The abnormal silence in the
forest’s certain areas happens because the Goddess of the Lake is watching. ‘In these places, be wary and
1235
do not turn your head back.’ — So they say.” Tirste replied. His bony and pale fingers were on his sword’s
hilt, while his gaze was cast towards a thin path where a vigilant beast was crossing. (TL: Tirste is a young
man from the Unifying Guild who nearly killed Brendel during the auction quite a while back.)
“You jest, my Lord,” Gail felt the hair on the back of his neck rise a little. His eyes wandered all over the
surroundings. The shadows seemed to have a pair of eyes hiding in them somewhere: “All manners of
Divine Spirits are mere untruths.”
“I think not, Gail,” came Tirste’s reply. “I believe the Divine Spirits are real existences.”
Gail’s gaze went back to the young Viscount’s kind eyes, as though he was trying to find the source of the
grisly tales. Tirste was recognized as a Holy Saint in the Unifying Guild. To get to his position, he was
gifted with wisdom, talent and was completely loyal to the cause. He was one in ten thousand. Even
though he was quite fickle with his personality, no one would believe he utter those words.
“If Divine Spirits exists,” Gail asked with uncertainty, “are our actions not blasphemy towards them?”
Tirste glanced at Gail’s unsteady footsteps; his expression seemed to mock the young knight’s cowardice.
“If there are divine spirits,” he said, “do you think they are always in the right? I don’t.”
Gail fell into silence. He realized the difference between himself and the viscount.
Tirste turned around and observed the nearby lake at the edge of the forest. Knights were approaching
the bank on boats. They disembarked before towing them back onto land clumsily.
“Let us continue on our journey.” Tirste snapped his fingers. “Pay attention to your surroundings. We
might encounter dark spirits and the likes in this place. Even if they don’t threaten us, they are still
troublesome foes.”
He pushed out with his hand to brush his cloak behind him, marching forward. Gail followed him closely.
The knights who landed near the shore eventually caught up to both of them.
“My lord, the third, fourth, fifth and seventh squadrons are ahead of us and will join us in the north.
However, the other squadrons seemed to have failed to push through the fog shrouding the forest.” The
knights’ captain reported to Tirste.
Tirste studied the beautiful forest’s surroundings as he continued to march forward. The ever-changing
light that reached his narrow eyes seemed to become soft with a glow.
“That would mean a total of thirty-seven knights have arrived?” He said.
1236
The captain nodded.
“Thirty-seven silver-ranked knights and I included. That should be enough to take care of the ‘Knight of
the Lake,’ if the information provided isn’t wrong—”
Gail’s nervous hand was on his blade upon hearing Tirste’s words. Their footsteps shuffled across the soil
until he could no longer help but ask a question to relieve his anxiety.
“How big is that particular island, my lord?” He asked.
“Feeling afraid, Gail? The native fishermen have said the Knight of the Lake will not appear outside of the
sacred mountains.”
“I apologize, my lord.” Gail relaxed his hand stiffly, taking in a deep breath.
Tirste smiled kindly in response.
When they were finally out of the forest, they discovered the northern squadrons of knights waiting for
them. After a short moment of greeting Tirste, they doubled their speed to reach their destination.
A valley of pure white boulders led to tall, rising cliffs. Tirste walked up to the nearby walls and stroked it
with his long fingers, savoring the uneven and rough surfaces.
It was the feedback of a certain weight from a venerable history. Many centuries ago, a king had brought
along his personal sword and quietly slumbered within the forest ahead.
“A king made his eternal rest here. Do you know who it is?” Tirste said.
“King Erik?” Gail asked.
“No,” Tirste shook his head. “Not him.”
But he did not speak further and merely withdrew his hand, letting it hang limply beside him. After a
moment, he continued his footsteps and went deeper into the valley.
The knights traversed the uneven ground behind him, and he led them into a cave and out of it. A verdant
forest appeared before their very eyes.
‘The Sleeping Forest,’ the natives had named this place so.
“Is this it?” Tirste asked as he looked at the knights’ captain.
“Yes, my lord. According to the report, the Knight of the Lake is patrolling the area within the forest.”
1237
“Is everyone armed and ready?”
The knights’ hands went to their swords as their replies. Tirste nodded with satisfaction.
“Then follow me into battle.”
“For the Chaos above!” The knights responded.
============== Brendel’s POV ==============
Brendel was sitting in front of a table made from a walnut tree, when he felt the Sage Slate in the bag
hanging on his belt vibrating.
[Again?]
He paused momentarily in hesitation, before laying down the goose-feathered pen in his hand, took it out
and placed it on the table beside his letter.
The Sage Slate continued to vibrate as though it was alive, but it turned silent after a moment.
“Is there something wrong, my lord?” Amandina asked, blinking in confusion.
She had been standing against an arched window. Her posture was upright and graceful, her long neck
accentuated by the sun. Brendel’s eyes went to her and were momentarily distracted by her beauty.
“…… Nothing.” He said, his eyes going back to the slab of rock. He prodded it, but there was no response.
He pondered for a moment. “It seems to be another low-level resonance, something that’s quite common
recently.”
He pulled open the table’s drawer and placed the Sage Slate in it. He dipped the pen into the bottle of ink,
and it went back to the letter he was writing earlier. However, the interruption he had gave him trouble
to continue writing it. He rubbed his forehead as he felt a headache coming on.
“Are you writing a letter to Miss Freya?” Amandina glanced at the letter on the table.
“Yes. It’s quite a headache. The troubles with Graudin are over, but the real problem starts now.” He
raised his head back up at her. “How should we handle Count Randner?”
Amandina’s eyes went back to him, irritated.
“I thought my lord has a solution prepared. Why didn’t you seek my opinion when you marched straight
into Graudin’s manor?”
1238
“Are you going to rest easy if I give up on finding a solution?” Brendel gave a short laugh.
She turned her head back sullenly to gaze at the scenery and did not speak anymore.
[There she goes again with the hot and cold attitude.] He dabbed the pen on the paper.
“What exactly did you mean when you spoke with that female mercenary commander?” He asked.
“The words are exactly what they mean.”
“I don’t think so. I understand the complaints in your heart, but you and I both know how straightforward
you are. There’s no need to tell an outsider that much.” Brendel shook his head. He took the letter up,
crumpled it with both hands and threw into a wastebasket. “That was quite a smart move, Amandina. I’m
really fortunate to have a subordinate like you—”
Amandina’s eyes went back to him with a hint of admiration.
“I merely acted on my own when I realized my lord wanted to recruit these mercenaries.” She said.
“So you are not blaming me any longer? I should thank Mother Marsha.” Brendel sighed with relief.
“I never did blame you, but I was a little angry at being left behind.” A faint smile went up before she
frowned. “The truth is, I’m afraid that I’m unable to follow your thoughts. If any misunderstanding arises
because of my actions, it will become a rift between us and grow increasingly larger.”
[As long as you are willing to work for me, you won’t go wrong very far.] Brendel smiled. He took out
another parchment.
“Well, let’s put that aside. Now then, do you have any ideas to handle the Count Randner, Lady Advisor?”
“Somewhat of a plan. My lord has made a dangerous move, and any ordinary means would not be able to
resolve the dangers we are going to face. A noble weak in power against someone stronger traditionally
deflects the attacks, or borrows influence from another family.
In that aspect, we should try and find someone who’s willing to back us. However, families who have
strong traditional values are unfortunately unlikely to lend us their troops.
While we can consider seeking aid from his enemies, our actions have gone against the rules of the
nobles’ game. Our name is also weak and unknown to them, and there is probably no one who will accept
the risk of going up against Count Randner. We should not expect anything.”
She looked troubled as she pondered on the options. “What remains are illogical choices, but I think they
are better than the above. Joining hands with the southern armies, or even Madara—”
1239
“Madara is out of the question. Let’s hear your thoughts on the southern armies.” Brendel waved his
hand.
“The reasons why Madara and Count Randner went into an alliance are probably due to one of these few
reasons. Count Randner wants to borrow Madara’s hands to eliminate the southern armies, while
suppressing the citizens of Randner’s highland territory. My lord, have you noticed that Madara’s undead
has not set foot in the Lightning Lake of the Goddess? Their activities have only progressed in busy cities
or within the autonomous regions of the Highland’s citizens.
The Southern Armies are cut off from reinforcements, and possibly resent Count Randner greatly for not
doing anything. Since they are entrenched in areas of great poverty, their most immediate troubles are
the lack of supplies. If we can secure an alliance with them with that reason, putting the war with the
Randners aside, we can at least secure our defenses in our backlines.”
“You are referring to Madara as the secondary threat?”
She nodded.
“The plan is a good one.” Brendel was doodling on the parchment subconsciously while his eyes and
thoughts were outside the window. “However, the Southern Armies are deeply cut off with the world
after Madara’s battles with them. Figuring out if they are still battle-worthy is a problem, and contacting
them is another problem.”
The pen stopped moving. He sighed deeply.
“We cannot rely on mere luck. Therefore this plan can only be used as a backup. I will send scouts along
to investigate the various regions, but before we receive any concrete information, this will remain as a
mere plan.” He said.
“Are the Silver Elves available to aid us? When it comes to military prowess, they are the strongest troops
available—” Amandina said.
“The Silver Elves?” Brendel shifted his body slightly as he allowed one hand to support his chin. “Indeed,
the friendship I have with the Silver Citizens is of one of my trump cards that I can use. However, unless
we have reached a critical point, I will avoid throwing this card out. Do you have any more ideas?”
1240
Amandina was pondering in silence for more solutions before her eyes landed on the pale parchment
beneath her lord’s pen. It was gradually turning yellow.
The parchment came from a particular tree from the southern Grinoires. Natives called these trees
Duval’s Gold, prized for the creation of thin parchment and equivalent to the value of gold. The completed
papers were mostly sent to Seale Ampere, Seifer, Corvado, as well as other rich regions.
However, the transactional relationship between Aouine and other kingdoms were affected because of
the brewing civil war.
“My lord,” She suddenly realized something and frowned: “You wish to…… But even if the princess‘s
faction is weak, they might not be interested in what we have to offer. In addition to that, the Royal
Faction is uninterested in offending Count Randner.”
“You get to the crux quickly, Amandina,” Brendel folded the paper into the shape of an airplane and sent it
flying into the bin, “But what if it’s not borrowing strength, but dividing it?”
“Dividing?”
“This letter is indeed written to Gryphine Corvado Ordelis. As you have guessed, I am doing this to gain a
brief respite from the unending pressure on us,” Brendel said as he got up and passed his pen to
Amandina, “Here, write for me.”
“A letter to the princess?” Amandina inhaled lightly when she received the pen. She sat down and pressed
it against the paper: “What are the contents?”
“I’ll leave the format to you, and the contents are these,” Brendel snapped his fingers as he went to the
arched windows.
“On the seventeen day of the month of Autumn Twilight, this letter is written in the city Firburh of
Trentheim, and addressed to Princess Gryphine Corvado Ordelis.
There was a battle on the previous night, and it hailed from the Madara’s undead forces, Incirsta the Black
Lord.
They had passed through four southern districts unchecked and launched a secret attack on Firburh,
resulting in massive loss of lives and the death of Trentheim’s Feudal Baron, Graudin Randner.
1241
I am a Pioneer Knight of the kingdom with the rank of baron, who set forth in taking new land for the
kingdom, and successfully became the lord of the Valhalla region. With my dual status as a new Baron and
a region’s lord, your humble servant had the duty to undertake the defense of neighboring Trentheim,
especially when I had received Lord Randner’s generosity during my journey.
I successfully repelled the undead after fighting through the entire night. However, in order to prevent
the undead from invading again, I had temporarily taken up the position as Trentheim’s lord to handle
the local administration and defenses—”
He paused for a moment.
“Until Your Highness appoints a new lord.” He watched Amandina write carefully, her seemingly quick
scribbles forming into perfect letters.
“I’m continuing again,” he said, “In addition, I have to question Lord Randner’s motives. He had reported
no news of Incirsta’s army in the southern region, and allowed Madara’s undead to pass through four
regions unchecked. To validate the proof of my words, I have attached a Mana Stone which recorded the
battles along with this letter.”
Amandina’s pen stopped, and she looked up. “A Mana Stone? Where did you get—”
Before she was able to finish her last word, there were a few knocks on the door.
(TL: I had to search through chapters to see the reaction on this letter for some additional information. It
turns out Brendel didn’t sign his full name. Now, this kind of leaves things in an interesting fashion
because I keep wondering about Brendel’s surname and whether his Pioneer Knight has some fake name
registered on it. I’m going to assume that Brendel did a crazy perfect job about hiding his identity starting
from Fortress Riedon, since the nobles didn’t seem to get any real information about him.)
“Come in.” Brendel said.
The door opened, and the older Wild Elf sister Felaern who came in. She glanced at Amandina before
going to Brendel’s side.
“My lord.” She spoke in her usual flat voice, and placed a white sphere-like rock full of intricate sigils onto
a nearby table, “This is the item you requested.”
Brendel turned around to look at her. She wore a simple leather armor and dress, with her golden hair
braided perfectly behind her head, and appeared tidy and capable like a high-functioning secretary.
“Have you inspected it?” He asked after imagining a pair of glasses on her.
1242
Falearn nodded in response.
[The Mana Stones are not rare but to use them in advance the previous night, means that my lord did not
attack Graudin because he was reckless. He had planned everything in advance…..]
Amandina snapped out of her thoughts as she saw him take the Mana Stone away.
Mana Stones were artifacts created by wizards a few centuries ago. They discovered records during the
Era of the Silver Bloodlines, where it was mentioned a certain type of quartz was capable of recording
approximately for a day or two. When the citizens of the Silver Bloodlines placed them into a Magic
Formation, they were able to increase the preservation of the recordings to several decades.
“We need to wait and see what Princess Gryphine’s response is after she read the letter. Although, I’m
sure she will make good use of this opportunity since she’s a smart person.” He said.
“My lord, you seem to know her very well?” She quickly found the relevant point with her sharpness.
“She left the Corvado’s palace admist all that turbulence, possibly with only her knight and a few maids to
her territory, then borrowed the Royal Faction’s strength to oppose her older brother’s power. Is that
level of wisdom still insufficient?” Brendel replied smoothly without batting an eyelid, “Don’t forget this,
Amandina, she’s only sixteen this year…… And even if she doesn’t take to my letter’s value, the people
around her aren’t blind. They have spent their entire lives in politics inside the royal court, and will
understand the intentions behind this letter.”
He walked over to Amandina and took the letter from the table, smacking it a few times.
“Count Randner is a snake who wavers between the nobles, the Royal Faction and the Prince’s Faction.
Everyone would be glad to see someone like us, an unpredictable variable that puts pressure on him.
That is why the importance of this letter isn’t whether the contents are real or not, but how realistic it
appears to be. With this letter, it’s a chance for the Royal Faction to force Randner into compromising—”
“While it is a good choice to be used as a pawn during moments of weakness,” Amandina frowned upon
hearing Brendel’s words and refuted, “Once Count Randner chooses the Royal Faction’s hand, we will be
discarded.”
“Things are not so simple,” Brendel shook his head, “Count Randner is a cunning old fox who is careful by
nature. He will never allow any sides to control him easily. He’s quite indecisive and easily angered, but
when he’s being pressured, he becomes cautious. In any case, the pressure on us will be reduced, and
from a long term point of view, as long as we have time to breathe, the situation will change for us.
Ultimately, it’s our strength that dictates our fate.”
1243
She glanced at him before looking away. He had described himself as a mere Pioneer Knight, but how
would one know these many secrets? He knew not only the nobles’ traditions; he even grasped their
personalities well. Even prominent children of high ranking aristocrats might not know as much as he
did. Even though puzzles about him kept getting unraveled, she was certain that he must have an
incredible story behind him.
Surely everyone following him would think the same.
“Is Count Randner truly going to forget about the fact that we murdered his son?” Falearn asked, a little
puzzled.
“A traditional noble like Count Randner woule be more interested in power and position, compared to his
offspring.” Amandina answered quietly, “Also, Graudin isn’t Count Randner’s only child. However, since it
concerns his family’s honor, he wouldn’t let this go unanswered. Sooner or later, we will face Randner’s
armies.”
Brendel nodded to agree with her assessment.
“A pawn needs to establish his worth,” he continued: “we have to let her Highness see our pressure on
Count Randner. If we are unable to fortify our position, no one will be willing to provide the Venture
Capital we need.”
“Venture Capital?”
“Think of it like a gambler’s bet.” Brendel explained as he took out another parchment from the drawer,
“A great gambler doesn’t rely only on luck.”
The two women nodded to show they understood.
“One more thing, Amandina, copy the contents of this draft to a new parchment,” he said to the confused
girl. “This letter is for Leto and the others. I suspect we will fight against Graudin’s remaining retainers
and Randner’s armies quite soon. They are the only force outside of Trentheim, and it’s a question
whether I can rely on them. As you well know, I hate things that are uncertain, so I want them to give up
on their original mission and meet up with me here.”
Amandina opened the folded parchment. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes as she studied the
contents. She thought for a moment before she suddenly asked: “The people from the Viridien village,
what do you plan to do with them?”
Brendel had thought about them for quite some time. He was certain that they were willing to pledge
their loyalty to him, but their lowly status was preventing them from speaking. He did not mind this
point, however.
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[There are about three hundred of these Lycanthropes, and their natural strength coupled with the
terrible environment of the Dark Forest…… Without any other considerations, half of them should be at
Iron-ranked fighters, and is quite a force to have.]
“Aouine’s citizens might not be able to accept the Senia’s citizens,” he replied after a slow afterthought,
“the best solution is for them to return to the Viridien village temporarily. Once I reach that place, it will
need a large population—”
“That place?”
“A fantastical place called Valhalla, as mentioned in the letter. You will know it very soon. Ah, yes, about
the druids, how did they join up with this battle?”
“The druids are a coincidence. When I spurred the Lycanthropes into action, I didn’t know of their
existence. But I’m certain…… they were there to find Sifrid.”
“Sifrid?” Brendel’s eyebrow was raised slightly.
1245
Chapter 3 – Letter
The doors to the room were suddenly pushed opened with force.
[Who the hell—]
Brendel was slightly angered by the people who barged in without seeking permission. When he turned
around, he found three faces staring back at him.
The person with had unique features. His skin was dark and his angular face was chiseled like a rock. His
deep sunken eye sockets with long ashen-white eyebrows which followed the bone structure. His grey
hair was braided and tied behind his head and long enough to reach his bear-skin overcoat.
“Please stop, you can’t go in right now—” The mercenary who had tried to stop them from going in was
pushed back by one of the strange men. When he finally realized that it was meaningless to stop them
because he was already in the room, he turned around and looked at Brendel with an apologetic
expression, “My lord, I couldn’t stop—”
Brendel waved his hand once, indicating that it was fine. He then looked at the strangely dressed men
again, and immediately recognized them as Druids. They were mostly a unique force that held an
agreement with Goddess Nia, staying within forests corrupted by Mana to observe and track the animals
during the Month of Goetia.
[Hmm? Isn’t this Andellu, one of the Elder druids of the Waning Groves? The two young followers
behind…… Nope, no idea. Some branches of Druids are even nice enough to become cordial with the
natives and warn them when the monsters were invading during the ‘Waves of Calamity’. But the Waning
Groves won’t do something like that. So why would they bother to find me?]
He suddenly spotted Sifrid behind them, just as the mercenary retreated out of the room and closed the
door. Silence filled the room momentarily before it was broken by Amandina who made sure the
mercenary was out of earshot.
“How dare you barge into this room without permission!” Amandina stood up in anger. She was
completely dwarfed by the three gigantic intruders, but she was not in the least bit intimidated.
Andellu’s observed the room with a pair of hawk-like eyes. The room had not received the chance to be
redecorated as the battle had just ended in the morning. It still retained the slightly dark red fancy
furnishings that Graudin was fond of. However, the thick carpet emitted some form of foul, piercing odor
that he was able to detect and caused him to frown.
1246
Brendel scratched his brow in response to Amandina’s outburst and also waved his hand to calm her
down.
[Well, these fellows consort with wild beasts day and night. I’m not surprised they ignore customs.]
Sifrid peeked out from one of the druid’s back and smiled shyly at him, and he felt his mood lift up
slightly. Her green hair was almost like a waterfall that seemed to burst with life.
“Well then, would you introduce yourselves?” He said with a pleasant voice.
“I am Andellu. The two behind me are Reid and Raim.” The Elder Druid spoke with a stiff accent, and
pointed at the younger men behind him respectively as he called out their names.
“This is Amandina and Falaern. So, would you explain yourselves?”
“Lord Viscount, we’re here to bring Sifrid away.”
“What exactly do you mean?” Brendel was not surprised as he suspected they did not aid the
Lycanthropes out of kindness, but because of the mysterious little girl. When he cast his gaze at Sifrid, she
avoided his eyes and nodded slightly. Brendel’s eyes returned to the Druids. “I’m sure you wouldn’t
bother getting my permission to take her away. What exactly are you here for?”
“Lord Viscount,” Reid suddenly cut into the conversation, “we had already sought permission from her
father and the Viridien’s Village Elder, but Lady Sifrid insisted on getting yours to let her leave.”
“Is that so?” Brendel pointed his question to Sifrid.
“It’s true, brother Brendel.” Sifrid replied softly, but there was something in her voice that said there was
more to it.
“What exactly do you want from me?” He frowned and decided to get right to the point.
“Lady Sifrid has requested us to enter an alliance with you, Lord Viscount.” Andellu’s eyes were just as
sharp as when he stared at Brendel. He appeared as if he was studying an oddity of the rotting nobility
within Aouine. “That’s because you seemed to be caught up in some form of trouble after rescuing her.
We have thought about it and we agreed to do so if you—”
“Hold on,” Brendel’s eyes narrowed and stopped him from continuing. “I have no interest to engage in
trafficking people. You lot better start from the beginning and explain everything.”
The room fell into silence, and Amandina and Falaern looked at Brendel in surprise. The three druids
looked at each other before Andellu spoke again:
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“Very well, Lord Viscount. This has to start from the reason why we left the forest. There has been a
prophecy in our forest—”
Brendel raised his eyebrow slightly, but he did not interrupt and listened patiently.
“In the prophecy, it was said that a female baby had succeeded Goddess Nia’s will and would be born in
this land…… And we believe Sifrid to be the chosen one.”
“Prophecy,” Brendel repeated that word.
The Gods turned themselves into Laws, but they continued to impact the world. When a God’s Will
interfered with mortals, they would send a revelation down and be called as prophecy.
[The Druids won’t lie if they bring up Goddess Nia. This is surprising. If Sifrid came up in their prophecy,
that means she’s a Chosen. Considering that idiot Graudin’s actions to want her in front of my face— No,
that’s not it. It’s the Madara’s undead who wants Sifrid. Iamas wasn’t trying to stop Graudin from
negotiating with me; he was trying to hide the information about Sifrid’s identity! That would mean the
undead has received their own prophecy, and it explains the relationship between the Randner family
and Madara much better. It’s not as simple as making use of each other. And yet…… to have both Druids
and Madara to have their own prophecies, this isn’t something as simple as inheriting Goddess Nia’s will.]
“The Dragon of Darkness.” He whispered to himself. The divine being that blessed the undead could only
be the Dragon of Darkness, and Goddess Nia opposed them. His expression turned serious as he felt the
situation had turned into something complicated. He asked the Druids: “How certain are you that Sifrid’s
the one mentioned in the prophecy?”
“My lord, we have the means to ascertain it,” Raim said.
Andellu nodded as well and immediately lowered himself to Sifrid’s height and said: “Lady Sifrid, would
you please turn around?”
The Druid was almost like a clumsy bear bending at the waist, appearing to be nearly comical, but Sifrid
nodded obediently and turned. Her hand pulled back her lush green hair and allowed Brendel to see
something like a tattoo on her pale neck.
A leaf-like tattoo the size of a thumb with threads sprouting from the center.
“Nia’s Holy Sigil!” He shouted in a low voice. “The Lady of the Forest!”
Reid nodded to Sifrid, and she lowered her hair back and turned around with a blushing face. Andellu’s
expression turned solemn and looked at Brendel cautiously: “Lord Viscount, you know of Nia’s symbol?”
1248
“…… I need to correct something. I am not Viscount Gaston, that identity is used to deceive Graudin. My
name is Brendel, and I’m a Highland Knight. I believe you have met Ciel, my wizard squire.” Brendel
paused for a moment, “And from him, I learned quite some things about this land, including the legend
about The Lady of the Forest……”
Brendel finished spouting his usual lies with truth intermixed into it. The three druids did not object to
his words and even appeared to come to a certain realization. It was a great excuse for him since it was
well known for wizards to be learned, but their expressions changed completely when they heard his
next line.
“The Lady of the Forest is the key to Valhalla—” He said.
“Did you say Valhalla?” Andellu took a step forward, and his hands nearly grabbed Brendel’s collar, before
he suddenly felt an oppressing feeling from the latter. His instinct told him that this normal looking man
was a Gold-ranked warrior. “Ser Brendel, did you say Valhalla has something to do with the Lady of the
Forest? The Kingdom of Fantasy that only belongs in the legends?”
“You don’t know that?” Brendel was at a loss for words.
[The Lady of the Forest is someone chosen by the Goddess Nia and the only person who inherits
Valhalla’s lineage. The legend itself is closely linked to the Waning Grove, how could they not know of it?]
“Valhalla truly exists, and in fact, it has always existed within this forest. I am quite puzzled as to why you
have no idea that legend existed there when you have been living in it for so long.” Brendel rubbed his
forehead with one finger while he observed Andellu.
The Druids faced each other and began discussing in whispers for a short while before it ended.
“Valhalla has always been a legend in this area, and it’s rumored that the Sealed Kingdom is one of
Mother Marsha’s given land in the earliest days. But there’s no one who’s capable of verifying such a
story, as it existed before the records of history. Rumor has it that Valhalla has a unique ‘Fire Seed’, and if
it’s lit up the entire Dark Forest will become a land governed by Laws.” Andellu said and swallowed once,
“If that happens, the Waning Grove and other branches of the Druids can finally finish their task to guard
this land and fulfill our promise to Goddess Nia.”
“Then isn’t it clear? That’s the meaning of your prophecy.” Brendel said.
1249
“Please wait. Even though the rumors indicate as such,” Reid interrupted, “we have not seen any signs of
Valhalla in the forest.”
Andellu suddenly became alarmed. He realized it was a possibility that Brendel might be misleading them
and even coaxing information out from them.
“Ser Brendel, let’s go back to our original topic!” He tried to stop the discussion.
But Brendel shook his head.
“You are mistaken about your position. Sifrid told you to seek permission from me to let her leave, and if
you’re unable to convince me to do so, don’t even think for a moment that I will allow her to even take
one single step out of this land. And you can stop raising your eyebrows, old man. Spare me your
nonsense about using your abilities like Merging With Nature or Hide In Nature’s Shadows. You can go
ahead and try either technique, but I have my ways to catch you.”
When Andellu heard the Druids’ techniques being called out, he abandoned the idea of taking away Sifrid
by force. The masses had a poor understanding of the Druids, but the overbearing youth in front of him
was an exception. He did not believe it was an empty threat, so he spoke again after some hesitation.
“Ser Brendel, what exactly do you want? We are of no threat to Lady Sifrid, and I’m sure that you believe
in what we have told you. We can swear upon Goddess Nia that we are only here to bring her to our land
and have her become a Druid.”
“Have you been listening to anything I have been saying so far? Are you not interested in lighting up
Valhalla’s Fire Seed?” Brendel said in exasperation.
The three Druids froze.
“Of course we do. This is one of our goals in the Dark Forest. The Druids believe in Mother Marsha as well,
but I have to be blunt, my lord, Valhalla—” Raim was incredibly polite.
“Valhalla is in the Dark Forest! The rumors are true!” Brendel’s voice was almost in a yell, before he
suddenly stopped and glanced at Sifrid, his voice back to normal, “To be more precise, the Lady of the
Forest isn’t the key to lighting up the Fire Seed, but the key to using part of Valhalla’s power.”
He walked over to an armchair filled with cushions and sank fully. He showed an amused face and
interlocked his fingers: “Let’s make a transaction.”
1250
“What kind of transaction?” Andellu said.
“Help me find Valhalla, and I’ll help you light up the Fire Seed.”
“And you intend to become Valhalla’s lord as a Pioneer Knight?” Andellu finally realized his real
intentions. “This suggestion is feasible since we have no desire for power, but I have to repeat myself.
Valhalla doesn’t exist in the forest, and it is a mere legend.”
“Fine, believe what you will. If that’s the case, I want you to enter deeper into the forest and help me
locate the ruins of a city.”
Reid suddenly whispered to Andellu’s ears: “Elder, didn’t we discover the ruins in the outskirts of the
Annulus of Wind?”
The words seemed to jolt Andellu’s memories.
“Are you certain the ruins are the fabled Valhalla? I have witnessed that place for myself in the Annulus of
Wind, and it is in complete shambles. Humans have entered the Dark Forest repeatedly in the past, and
it’s possible for them to leave something behind like a small city. We have investigated that area carefully,
and did not discover anything related to the Fire Seed.”
“That place you mentioned, is it the pathway that faces the seasonal wind and loops around the Karanjar
mountains?”
“Yes.”
“You got the right place,” Brendel nodded with certainty, trying hard to resist the excitement within him.
The Valhalla he knew was constructed there, and received sufficient rainfall from the Diesluna Inland Sea
during summer and ensuring that the harvest was bountiful. “How long ago did you discover the ruins?”
Andellu was slightly affected by his eagerness, and answered carefully: “That was about three years ago.”
“Can you still remember the direction that place?”
“It’s difficult to say,” Andellu shook his head, “In truth, we discovered that place by accident. We had gone
deep into the Karanjar mountains to investigate the biology of the corrupted beasts. If we want to locate
that place again, I’m afraid we need to send out a new investigative team again. But we do have the
general direction and shouldn’t take too long. Are you interested in going to ascertain that it is Valhalla,
Ser Brendel?”
1251
“No, I don’t have the time right now. That’s it for the transaction. Send your men to find the place, and
once do, immediately notify me.” Brendel said.
The transaction was solely advantageous to him as he obtained Valhalla, but he knew the Druids ignored
power and fame. The only way to have deals with them was to know what they were interested in.
Lighting the Valhalla’s Fire Seed was something that the Druids desired immensely.
The Druids agreed as well. In their eyes, Brendel’s transaction was something that was also advantageous
for them. However, Amandina immediately spoke up when she saw the discussion ending between the
two parties.
“Sifrid’s relatives are now in Firburh. If you take away Sifrid, what is going to happen to them when
Counter Randner’s revenge reach this place? Have you thought about it?”
Andellu frowned and glanced at her: “Ser Brendel, our agreement to search for Valhalla still stands. Once I
report to the other Elders, you will receive our aid. However, in the matter of lending our strength…… We
have at least one condition that you must agree on.”
Brendel glanced at Sifrid who nodded.
“Speak freely.” He said.
“Our obligations end at defending your forces in Firburh. We will not provide any aid other than this.”
Andellu’s eyes saw through the youth’s ambitions, but the Druids were unwilling to be tied down to his
wars.
He was almost certain that Brendel was going to try and make use of them, but Brendel nodded
unexpectedly: “The Druids have always been neutral. I’m satisfied to hear something like this. But I would
like to add one more point; the protection extends to Valhalla.”
Andellu was momentarily surprised, but he nodded quickly: “Of course.”
[Good~ While the Druids are good at perceiving human emotions, their common sense is lacking. The
nobles’ greed is something they didn’t account for in their plans. War cannot be avoided with the
Randner situation, but having something a mythical land like Valhalla appearing would definitely attract
the nobles’ attention. As long as the Druids are tied to Valhalla, they have to enter the war at some point.]
Brendel knew that he had to gain as much power as possible in order to rescue Aouine from a terminal
fate. Securing the Druids meant that history had changed in some ways, regardless of how small or big it
was going to be.
This was his first major step.
1252
But Brendel suddenly turned to Sifrid.
“….. Sifrid, becoming a Druid isn’t an easy task. Even though you’re chosen by Goddess Nia, your fate is
still controlled by your own hands. If you stay here, it’s still possible to learn many things.” His voice
became a little softer at this point: “If you say you don’t want to go with them, the deal with them is off.”
The two girls looked at him in surprise. The Druids were shocked. They had thought Brendel to be no
different from the other nobles, but now they looked at him with a slightly changed outlook.
Sifrid stared at Brendel who was smiling slightly, almost as if he was persuading her not to accept the
Druids, but she nodded in the end. “I’m going with them, Brother Brendel.”
“Why is that?” Falaern did not know the Druids as well as Brendel, was furious over the fact that a little
child was being used as a bargaining tool. “Isn’t it fine if you stay here? Why do you need to enter a
dangerous place like the Dark Forest?”
“That’s because of sister Amandina.” Sifrid looked at her and replied earnestly.
“Me?” Amandina looked back in confusion.
“Sister Amandina told my father that people had to rely on themselves. Brother Brendel treats me very
well, but I can’t accept his help without feeling right. Uncle Andellu said that I would have their powers if
I become a Druid.” She took a pause to breathe: “Then I’ll have the ability to protect everyone in the
village.”
“Wonderfully said.” Brendel’s smile was like the sun.
1253
Brendel got up and walked over to Sifrid. He patted her head.
“Sifrid’s is an understanding kid,” he said to the Elder Druid. “I treat her like she’s my younger sister, so
I’m going to entrust her to you as per her wishes. I don’t care whether she becomes a citizen of the forest
or not, but I want you to ensure her safety. The Druids are capable of doing at least that?”
“That goes without saying, Ser Brendel.” Andellu nodded.
“Thank you, brother Brendel.” Sifrid’s hands grabbed on to his sleeves as she sniffed a little.
Brendel stroked her head. The little girl was earnest and mature for her age. Brendel did not care much
for the Druids’ alliance, but since they were coming on board, he was going to make full use of Valhalla’s
connection to enforce the relationship.
“Amandina, please bring Sifrid out to pack the necessary things for the journey.”
“What?” Amandina was called back to reality when she was studying the Druids. She looked at Brendel in
confusion, “Me?”
“Yes, even though she’s just a child, she’s still a girl. There are probably things that only girls would know,
or perhaps I should let Romaine do it,” he suddenly grinned, “but would your mind be in peace if I allow
her to take over?”
Amandina had an image of the merchant girl stuffing marbles into Sifrid’s tiny backpack, with the latter
boasting how much they cost when she bought them in Bucce. She sighed:
“But…… Isn’t Scarlett a choice as well?”
“She’s not as careful as you?” Brendel tilted his head.
Amandina felt a strange little delight in her heart when she heard that, but his expression seemed to say
more. “Is there anything else, my lord?”
“Tell Cornelius and the others to find me.” He said.
Amandina nodded and took Sifrid’s hand. The little girl looked back every few steps until the doors were
closed.
1254
“Is there anything else you wish to request, Ser Brendel?” Andellu looked at the youth in front of him. He
was certain the latter in front of him was incredibly ambitious, and letting Sifrid leave was a prelude to
something more. “We Druids are a straightforward bunch, so there’s no need to beat around the bush.”
“It’s going to take a while, unfortunately. First of all, I’m really busy, so I won’t be able to send you off on
your journey….. I do know that you’re not interested in having an alliance with me—” He said.
“Lord Brendel.” Reid interrupted, but Brendel put his hand up.
“Let me finish. I understand what your traditions; the Druids towards the Dark Forest and what kind of
promise you have with Nia, I know of it. However, I have to warn you, the power that the Chaos hold is
incredibly strong.”
The Druids suddenly flinched and readied themselves into a stance.
“You’re a member of the Unifying Guild?” Andellu’s eyes turned cold: “The Platinum Sky Serpent, the Tree
Shepherds, or a Baphomet’s disciple?”
“I thought you would put the Tree Shepherds first.”
The Druid Elder scoffed coldly.
“None of the above, and every name you mentioned happens to be my enemies,” Brendel said.
“An enemy of enemies might not necessarily be a friend,” Andellu said with a snarl.
“True. You and I both know this era is about to reach its ending. The Demonic Moon is about to reach its
peak— The previous ‘Waves of Calamity’ ended the Era of Chaos, but who would know what’s going to
happen this time? But one thing is definite, it’s impossible for the Druids to suppress the growth of the
Dark Forest.”
“What of it?”
“I know much more about the Dark Forest than you do—”
Andellu looked at Brendel with an incredulous expression. The Druids have spent generations living in
the Dark Forest, and now there was a young man telling them he knew the Dark Forest better than they
did. This feeling went beyond exaggeration; it was arrogance.
1255
Brendel merely smiled in response: “It’s fine if you don’t believe me. Think about it, before the Era of
Chaos, the continent was only a fourth of what it is now. Who was it who expanded the borders and
turned multiple ‘Dark Forests’ that were practically everywhere?”
“It’s the Druids.” Andellu’s voice had pride creeping in it.
“To be more precise, it’s the Ancient Druids of the World Tree. When the Sky Tower collapsed, the Dragon
of Darkness attacked the Druids next and forced them into the Wilderness fraught with monsters. The
factions of the World Tree fractured, resulting in the Tree Shepherds and the traditional Druids. Do I need
to say more?”
“You are certainly knowledgeable, Ser Brendel.”
“No, this is quite similar to us,” Brendel sighed on purpose, “When the Sky Tower collapsed, the wizards
who studied Ancient Magic and Modern Magic fractured into factions as well. I am certain that the
current Druids and Wizards are interested in seeking Ancient Relics. Coincidentally, I know of one
Dragon personally, as well as having certain knowledge about the Ancient Druids’ teachings.”
“You know of Ancient Magic?” Andellu narrowed his eyes. He knew the Dragons were the remaining
Golden Lineage in this world, and capable of the Ancient Chord Magic unique to them. While the Ancient
Runic Magic from Druids were more mysterious, the fundamentals between the two were similar.
“Auiseaamrs. The Seed of Life, surely you understand what I mean by this word.”
The three Druids’ expressions immediately changed when they heard the words ‘Seed of Life’. The seeds
would grow into the Tree of Life, but the Tree Shepherds typically corrupted and turned them into the
Golden Demonic Tree.
The Druids had discovered the Tree of Life was able to purify the Dark Forest, but it was nearly
impossible to get the seed without interference from mortals’ hands to create them artificially with great
odds, even if they found the tree. The only other option was to find one from Ancient Ruins.
[Auiseaamrs sounds like a conversion spell word. Eaam refers to the Great Earth. This sounds like it’s
part of the Ancient Druids’ Magic, ‘Words of Nature’. Our legends said the magic is able to purify Mana
Corruption in the Dark Forest.]
The Elder Druid searched through his memories. Such Ancient Magic was more than a thousand years
ago, and their oldest books only recorded certain tales about it. Finally, Andellu looked at Brendel with a
complicated expression as he writhed a little:
“Words of Nature?” He asked.
“Indeed.” Brendel nodded.
1256
The word itself was written on the Sage Slates, and almost every gamer more or less knew about it. But
knowing of the lore had no effect, because the only way to activate the Ancient Magic was through the
Sage Slates’ activation. It was also why the ‘War of the Wizards’ happened in the later part of the game. In
other words, it was cool to know the Ancient Words as a trivia, but they were completely worthless
without the artifacts.
It was just that the Druids fell for the hook, line, and sinker.
“If you know how to use that magic, then, are you a Druid?” Andellu pressed on.
“Of course not,” Brendel answered while he reached for the letters and rolled them up.
“Then what is your purpose for saying that word?” Andellu frowned.
“To put it simply, I’m also interested in the Dark Forest. “In spite of how strong the Laws are, the Chaos’
resistances to them are also just as great. Fighting against them alone isn’t the perfect solution to them.
The Druids are used to solving things with the Laws of Nature, but didn’t the Goddess of the Forest give
you a new path to quash the monsters?”
“What path is that?”
Brendel took a candle from the table, carefully snipped away the stalk and lit it.
“Borrowing the strength of others. After the Era of Chaos, civilization hardly expanded outwards of the
land guarded by Laws, other than the handful of Pioneer Knights. As a result, with the beasts’ corruption
from Mana, and the limited land available, the signs of civil wars are increasing every passing day,” he
said, pausing for dramatic effect: “But I have a new solution to end this problem, even if it’s just an
attempt. Still, I’m quite confident of making it work. Are you interested?”
Andellu took a moment to think before he spoke again: “Please continue, Ser Brendel.”
“In order to stabilize the kingdom and revitalize it, I’ll expand my land—” Brendel said as he dripped the
hot wax over a rolled up parchment.
The Druids suddenly took a deep breath as they realized he was hinting at changing the entire politics of
the kingdom, and that he was not going to stop there. His ambition was far beyond ruling Trentheim.
He was going to create an empire of his own.
Andellu was immediately uneasy and stared at him with guarded eyes. He spoke in a low voice in order to
prevent drawing Brendel’s ire: “Such expansions will bring along blood and wars, and this goes against
our beliefs. If you wish to entice into joining you by providing us soldiers from your victory spoils that
you gained from other nobles’ lands, I’m afraid you’re gravely mistaken.”
1257
“Wars are unavoidable,” Brendel did the same for the other parchment before he extinguished the candle
and took off the Ring of the Wind Empress, “and it’s going to be a last resort to protect myself. You’re
mistaken by what I mean by expansion—”
“Y-you mean?” Andellu looked at him in disbelief, realizing the other possibility.
“Yes, expansion towards the Wilderness,” The ring pressed into the hot wax before it was lifted up, “I’ll
carve out new territory and gain resources from there.”
1258
“But the Wilderness isn’t something easily conquered. No one will acknowledge sending out their men
into the unknown, when there are hardly any resources and filled with monstrous beasts and demi-races
because of the Mana Corruption.” Andellu said impatiently before he tried again in another approach:
“Also, Ser Brendel, do you not have your troubles from the people out for revenge because of the former
Lord’s murder? Would you risk all your men to do this?”
“Conquering the Wilderness not as hard as you believe, and profits will always spur people into action,”
Brendel said after reflecting for a moment.
[This is the same reason as to why Portugal and Spain ventured out to the sea: For gold and silver. I’m
just following what Prince Henry did. The only comparable organization who knows what kind of
probable valuables are in the Wilderness, is the Church, and they are unlikely to match what I know.]
“There are examples of great valuables found in the Wilderness, besides the usual gold and silver. These
are easy reasons for the citizens of the kingdom to act if someone succeeds in bringing them back.
Mortals easily forget themselves when they see a profit, and only a few can see the risk in them. This is
especially so when they find their lives improving from the riches, and will never want to go back to the
past. You have seen the poverty in this town, haven’t you? You will gain the men you need to quell the
monsters, and I get the resources I want.”
“How can you be sure of the profits when these events of getting valuables are clearly rare? Once you
failed, the shock from your assumptions would be devastating.”
Brendel was giggling to himself. If Andellu was standing in his shoes to think for him, it would mean that
he’s already persuaded.
“Which is why I need you,” Brendel said with a beaming smile: “with your knowledge of the land and my
expertise, a thorough plan with a little luck, the chances would be far better. Do you know why the
Pioneer Knights in the past failed in getting anything done? That’s because they lack the natives’ and the
Lords’ support. Even the entire kingdom did not spare anything for them.”
[There are cases where powerful Lords tried expanding out to the Wilderness, but given the number of
political enemies, nobody wants to invest too much into the unknown. Such gambles are usually a single
time and never repeated. Since the majority failed in Aouine’s history, people are hardly interested in
expanding anymore, other than crazy gamblers.]
Brendel had a far better understanding of the Wilderness, and was confident that his investments would
always end up in profit.
1259
Andellu folded his arms and thought for a long time about the events leading up to Graudin’s removal,
and he finally nodded: “Very well, Lord Brendel, you have convinced me. If you’re capable of expanding
into the Wilderness, what do you want us to do after that?”
“I don’t need you to do anything. Rather, you should think about how you can protect what you have
earned. You will understand what I mean. I believe you have not truly seen the nobles’ greed in this world
yet.”
“I see. I must say that you’re the best speaker I have seen yet.” Andellu nodded.
“There is one final thing before you go,” Brendel said as he lifted two letters from the table.
“What else do you require?.” Andellu said and took a deep breath. In truth, he was a little agitated when
he heard the possibility of the conversion of the Dark Forest. If Brendel were able to accomplish that,
then he would possibly be able to do the same for the Wilderness, which was even more impressive.
King Erik the Kind was known for the greatest expansion of the Wilderness after the Era of Chaos,
creating the Kingdom Aouine, and this youth somehow appeared like he was going to be as famous as he
was.
“Help me deliver these two letters to Port Gris to the east of the forest. I have some subordinates there. In
particular, send them to the Red Bronze Dragon, Leto. His name is ridiculous enough, so I don’t think you
will get it wrong.” Brendel said.
Andellu received and looked at the letters. Striking words were written on one of the parchment’s back:
‘To The Red Bronze Dragon, Leto’. The other letter was void of the addressee’s name.
“Is there anything else?”
“No, that’s it. The only thing left is to leave it to time and prove things. I have other things to be concerned
with, so I won’t send you out. I wish you luck in your endeavors.”
Andellu nodded: “Then I’ll take my leave.”
The three Druids bowed deeply and left the room.
Falaern merely sent them off with their eyes and only spoke when they were gone: “My lord, you passed
both letters to them?”
Even though she knew Brendel’s actions were beyond reproach, she was still worried because the three
men were strangers. Not only did he entrust Sifrid to them, he even gave them the letters that could
decide their lives.
Brendel was unable to explain that he had actually met Andellu in the game as an NPC over ten years later
from the current time period. He had raised the reputation with the Waning Grove to participate in
1260
Valhalla’s quests. Graudin had been slain as well, and it could be said that Aouine was at its peak after
recovering from the civil wars.
“Well, Leto has kept in contact with Freya, so having him deliver the other letter to princess Gryphine
would be convenient enough.” He chuckled.
Falaern glared at him: “You know I’m not referring to that…… My lord.”
“I know what you mean, but you have to admit I understand the Druids better than you. Trust in my
judgment. Everything they said is the truth. Their respect for the Goddess Nia is much more than you can
imagine, and that prophecy is real. I’m certain that Andellu perceives this letter as a test,” Brendel
thought a moment and explained further: “If you don’t look at things from their perspective, it’s very hard
to understand how much importance they put on this matter.”
“But—”
“Look, that itself is just a single plan of mine, I have other moves.” Brendel gave up convincing her and
lied.
“You do?” Falaern looked at him with suspicion. There were no signs of any other plans. Having
Amandina write the letters and then dismissing her without having anything else done, made it
impossible to believe he had more plans. She had started to understand what the youth much better after
a long time with him.
“Of course,” Brendel peeked at her unimpressed face. He suddenly had a flash of inspiration: “So has the
goods been accounted for?”
There was a moment in Falaern’s eyes that showed she looked down at him for changing the topic. But
she reached for a book in her bag and said flatly: “We checked the warehouses. There are fifty thousand
bushels worth of grains, and we can support the entire city for approximately three to four months. The
other goods like raw metal, lumber, stone, and others are much less than what’s recorded on paper, and
there’s no way to track down where they went to.”
[Embezzlement is a common thing amongst the nobles. With Graudin’s greed, I should be thankful that he
hasn’t turned Firburh into another Dark Forest. The Druids should be glad that he doesn’t know they
existed.]
“We need to find a solution to the shortage to stone and lumber. The city isn’t in a safe state, and the
damage caused yesterday needs to be fixed and repaired.” He was rubbing his forehead so hard he was
causing the skin to go red.
[The game used 2 units of stone and lumber to repair a wall— Then how do you convert that into reality?
Amandina probably knows nothing about repairing a wall—]
1261
“Is there anyone amongst the prisoners who know about the city’s conditions or related to maintaining
the city?” He said.
“Most of them are mercenaries hired by Graudin. A few of the commanders refused to answer our
questions and would rather pay ransom for their freedom.” She replied.
“Fine, we have enough resources to repair the southern gate at the very least, yes?”
Falaern eyed him for a few seconds. He had shown off by cleaving the gate into two, but he was literally
shooting himself in the foot. She grumbled internally while she said flatly: “My lord, the short answer is,
an unequivocal no.”
“What!”
1262
Chapter 7 – Territory (1)
Brendel’s mind was working furiously.
“Four sawmills and two rock quarries near Firburh and there are not even enough materials to repair a
gate? No, that’s not the full extent, there are seven sawmills in Trentheim! Let’s see, getting four to work
overtime and we should be able to fix and strengthen the walls…..”
[A sawmill provides 1 unit of lumber every week, and working overtime increases the unit production by
1 as well. At least, in theory, there should be enough….. Shit, but I can’t guarantee that’s going to be the
same here.]
“My lord knows about the resources here?” Falaern asked as she looked up from the book, her voice even.
“Of course I do,” Brendel pushed down his questions and replied: “so tell me exactly why the resources
cannot be procured.”
“Two reasons,” the Elven girl pursed her lips, “the first reason: The workers in the sawmill are Graudin’s
private property, and they are not willing to work for us.”
“Why?”
“Because they fear retribution. In their eyes, my lord is one who’s destined to lose. After all, your enemy is
Count Randner, and you, my lord, is a weak noble who has no support or power.”
“That’s reasonable,” Brendel nodded, “then vacate them without causing any trouble. The natives won’t
follow us if they don’t feel safe. They are as practical as they come, no one will believe promises without
proof behind them. That’s fine; we can stabilize our forces if we passed this first hurdle. Overturning this
problem will be fast.”
“I see, then who shall work in the sawmills?”
“Do we not have the Senia’s citizens?”
“I see. But we still can’t use the sawmills.”
“Why?!”
“Because my lord needs to conquer them.”
1263
“What?” Brendel was almost laughing out of his nose when he heard the robot-like answers from the
Elven girl, “Are the Sawmill not within our control?”
[I’m sure the nearest sawmill was just a few miles away, did the remnants of Graudin’s army gather
outside the city and took over the resources? But I don’t recall these mercenaries to have such discipline.]
“That’s the second reason. I have checked with the citizens. Three out of the four sawmills are occupied
by Subterrane Dwellers. The remaining sawmill was abandoned five years ago.”
“Subterrane Dwellers, the lowest demi-races living in the Jurgen Underworld? Aren’t they fighting
amongst their own tribes and the Demon Lords at the same time, when did they have the time to come up
to the surface?”
“It seems there’s a crack in the Dark Forest that leads the underworld to the surface,” Falaern paused for
a moment, “our captain believes that it’s a tribe which escaped from their wars and came to this place.”
“And Graudin did nothing about it?” Brendel tapped the table with his fingers gloomily, “But his fondness
for treasure……”
Falaern’s eyes were looking at him in an accusing way, almost as if to tell him that all nobles are
incomprehensible, and caused him to flinch unhappily.
[…… It’s not that Graudin did nothing, it’s because he couldn’t do anything about it. I led a squadron of
mercenaries and killed off his private men with ease. Even though they easily bullied Firburh’s citizens,
the Subterrane Dwellers are a force to be reckoned with. They could easily rival the riders or pikemen of
the empire Kirrlutz, known for its military strength. They are even a match for Aouine’s core army in the
capital. Graudin must have his hands full from defending their attacks, not to mention attacking them.]
Brendel silently cursed their incompetence.
[I’m looking at the world with level 130 eyes. Even though all these wars right now are basically children
fighting with each other, a low tier army like the Subterrane Dwellers is causing me trouble…… But I
should be happy that the second chapter hasn’t started yet. Otherwise single ‘hero’ anti-army units like
Tamar and Incirsta are going to start appearing everywhere.]
Brendel pondered on events of the second chapter, ‘Separation and War’. The battles in that chapter were
many times more intense than how Incirsta fought against Bucce and the nearby cities.
[If I rate the strongest units right now in the various kingdoms, they would be Tier 5. The Dwellers are
Tier 1. The mercenaries under me, well, Tier 0? Since Aouine isn’t like the military empire Kirrlutz, even a
Tier 0 unit is considered to be the main component of a battalion.]
1264
Brendel started pacing throughout the room. Falaern watched him for a few minutes with an
expressionless face, but she finally called out to him with a hint of curiosity.
“My lord?” She asked.
“Let’s go,” Brendel said.
“To where?”
“I want to find someone.”
“Who exactly?” Falaern asked, her thoughts a little slow, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Although I feel like I’m being rushed for time.” Brendel shook his head while he walked over to
the table and retrieved the Sage Slate, placing it back to his bag around his belt.
He then moved to an ornate sword hanging from the wall and removed it entirely. It was one of Graudin’s
prized object. The bloodthirsty baron was not a brave swordsman, but his desire to boast was obvious.
When the youth drew the blade, he discovered it was an Iron-ranked longsword enhanced with simple
magic. He sighed. There was not much of a difference with a normal longsword because it similarly could
not withstand his full strength.
[I miss the Thorn of Light. Ever since I lost that weapon, I can’t find anything that suits me. There’s no
time to get any of the swords I want too.]
The two of them left the room and walked silently in the empty north hallway. Brendel noticed Falaern’s
creased brows after a while and asked:
“It’s just that Kabias’s relics are still with me, my lord.”
“Right, I forgot all about it. I remembered you wanted to ask me something the previous time?”
Falaern rummaged in her bag around her waist and took something out. Her outstretched palm revealed
a four-sided triangular golden brooch, the shape almost like a compass needle. Brendel took the weighty
artifact and stared at it.
“So it’s this, Kabias really is lucky— I mean, I’m really lucky.” He blurted.
Falaern was looking curiously at him and waited for an explanation.
1265
“The Gemstone of Law. It’s a wonderful artifact that expands the territory.”
“I don’t understand.”
Brendel withdrew his gaze and looked out to the garden, his head shaking lightly. “I’m not quite sure how
to explain it to you. It’s a rare artifact, and I don’t know how that bastard Kabias got it. This level of
cheese— he probably stole from the southern nobles near the borders. Damn, these people must be rich.”
[Maybe I should just rob the nobles?]
The Gemstones of Law provided a unique bonus in the game. If it were used in a forest, then it would be
‘Quick Growth’ (+1 to lumber production), or if was used in a workshop it would be ‘Professional’
(increase in output). He did not know how to explain it to her.
Falaern frowned when she heard him speak incomprehensible things again. She took another ring. “My
lord, this is also something that Kabias left behind.”
Brendel’s footsteps stopped, causing her to overtake him. He stared at the ring; it was a sword and shield
on the ring’s settings.
“The Warrior Ring,” Brendel’s eyes were gleaming as he called out the artifact’s name with great effort,
“this is also what Kabias had?”
Falaern nodded and asked curiously: “Is it something important?”
The name sounded like it was something that could be found anywhere in the streets.
“Beyond imagination.” Brendel took in a deep breath. If one were not familiar with the abilities it gave
out, they would be misled by the name. It was truly a priceless artifact in the game.
[A Fantasy grade artifact….. Open Stats— Indeed, it’s just like the game.]
The description was just as simple as the name sounded.
– The Warrior Ring (Fantasy grade artifact)
– Description: All Warrior Skills +1
1266
Brendel rubbed the bronze ring as he carefully studied the ring’s settings of the shield and sword. When
he finally wore the cool ring to his left hand’s forefinger, he closed his eyes and drank in the feeling of the
power that rushed into him.
The Ring of the Wind Empress, the Flame Ring, and the Warrior Ring. These rings were respectively worn
on his right hand’s thumb, forefinger, and his left hand’s forefinger and fully occupied the Magic
Boundary which formed somewhat into a triangle.
[It’s only until the Year of the Holy Griffin that I assembled a set of rings like these.]
Trinkets containing magic in them were incredibly rare, and Brendel spent three years from the start of
the game to get them. Even Pay-to-win gamers needed to spend months trying to get them.
[I do have a Brass-ranked Shale Longbow and Tamar’s Soul Arrows. Rock Mercenaries’ Necklace, Star of
Flames, three Ghoul Necklaces, three Defensive Totems, Element Bracelet and a Deer Statue. From the
looks of it, I do have a great selection of artifacts gathered, and a moment where the first Madara War had
ended recently…… Although I still feel like pounding the ground when that unlucky dragon girl ruined my
chance of getting a Fantasy-ranked defensive armor….]
Reminder on Items rank
(TL: I’m leaving it here so people can kind of refresh their memories. Also for your sanity points
Tier 1 – Iron. Alchemist level. Deer Statue. It’s arguably a super useful item for Brendel tho.
Tier 2 – Bronze. Low-class magic infused. Shale Longbow
Tier 3 – Brass. True class magic, Flame Ring, Wind Empress Ring, capable of launching projectiles.
Tier 4 – Legendary. Changes Power Level. Thorn of Light, double damage to undead.
Tier 5 – Fantasy. Items found in myths or legends, rarely owned by people. Warrior Ring.
Tier 6 – Godly. Only Core Guild Leaders get them and are representative of their status. Mercury Staff
owned by Madara’s Emperor is an example.
Deer Statue – Created quite a long time ago by Brendel. I think it led him to some sanctuary and escaped
from Madara Siege in Fortress Riedon? Detects undead?
1267
Star of Flames – Killed the Earth Acolyte recently with the dragon girl’s help. Adds 50% to Fire EP and
adds 10 points to Fire Element’s power. Tier 3.
Shale Longbow – Looted from the above as well.
Ghoul Necklaces – +0.3 Str, from Black Warriors’ loot which are probably strong mobs. Tier 2.
Defensive Totems – Some kind of one-time usage barrier shield? Tier 2.)
He suddenly looked up at her when he realized it was all thanks to her luck.
“What is it, my lord?” She asked.
“Nothing,” he said as he brought up the Stats Window and looked at his abilities.
– Power Break
– Level 11(10+1), Master Rank, 3 Stamina, + 15 OZ Strength, +10% OZ Strength
– White Raven Sword Arte
– Level 6 (5+1), Elite Rank
– Frontal Assault (5+1)
– Level 6 (5+1), Elite Rank
Brendel walked out to the center of the garden, drew out his sword and slashed at the sky. But instead of
the usual crescent-like wave, a gigantic web of air currents violently formed into a spiral that seemed to
drag the world to its center. Metallic petals seemed to appear from nowhere and refracted light as it
followed the air currents, piercing through anything that crosses its path. When the burst of wind finally
died down, the nearby trees were in shambles and bald.
Leaves fluttered through the slight breeze that still remained, while the two stared at the scene with
agape mouths.
[Holy shit, this AOE is huge,] Brendel was cursing from the shock: “I have never heard of such an insane
Sword Arte. Did the Aouine court ever have something like this in their teachings?”
“My lord,” Felaern’s eyes glinted once as she adjusted the account book in her arms: “was that the Royal
Court’s Sword Arte?”
“It’s a coincidence that I got it,” Brendel said.
1268
He sheathed his weapon and saw a red and white figure dashing over. Scarlett and Medissa were resting
in their rooms, but the explosive sound from the wind pressure reached them. They were slightly taken
aback at Brendel and Felaern’s figures, glanced at each other once, and spoke at the same time: “What
happened my lord!”
“Nothing to be concerned about, I’m just training a little.” He replied.
Scarlett immediately frowned when she saw the trees that were stripped bare. She was fond of the
certain tranquil silence found there and felt at peace whenever she walked past it. Her eyes went back to
the young man with slight dissatisfaction.
Brendel completely missed her reproachful gaze and said: “Right, Scarlett. Follow me for a walk.”
“Where to?” Her spear relaxed slightly from the surprise.
“We’re going to Firburh’s inner area, before leaving the city.”
“Only us?”
“I probably want Cornelius and the others to come along.”
“What about me,” Medissa bowed slightly and put her hand over her chest as she asked: “should I go
along, my lord?”
“I need you to stay in the city,” Brendel shook his head, his eyes going to her “the undead might have fled,
but they did not move far away. I need to leave men behind in the city to prevent any sudden attacks.
Even though Iamas won’t fight a battle with such odds, but a battlefield can change anytime, and I need to
put safeguards. Ciel and you should be enough to hold him off.”
Medissa quietly nodded without any surprise shown, and merely head back. Scarlett walked and passed
her by. She had thought of something, but after a moment of hesitation, she chose not to say anything. She
lowered her spear and walked over to Brendel: “Where exactly are we going, my lord?”
“The prison,” he said.
The journey took approximately thirty minutes. When he set foot in the prison, it was just as he had
imagined. It was a dark, dirty place filled with a foul stench that caused him to frown and wrinkle his
nose. Rats larger than cats would sometimes run past the uneven ground tiles when they went past the
cells.
1269
[A horrible history in this place. The lore in the game stated that it was constructed about two hundred
and forty years ago. The threats from the borders were greater in the past, and this prison was used to
torture and jail the ‘barbarians’ from the Dark Forest.]
However, Graudin used this place to imprison the poor citizens who did not pay their taxes, thieves or
lowly ranked nobles who offended him. Most of them were falsely accused of a crime, and the remainder
of them were directly thrown in without reason. Many had suffered in this place without seeing daylight
for years, and given the fact that the kingdom set their laws during a harsh era and hardly changed, the
treatment that they received was terrible.
Many died in the prison from illnesses.
After the battle against Graudin, Brendel ordered Amandina to release the citizens who were jailed; most
of them were impoverished farmers who could not afford to pay the taxes. Thus, the prison that was used
filled to the brim appeared oddly quiet.
Brendel, Scarlett, and Felaern continued to follow the guards in front of them. Footsteps echoed
throughout the narrow path, and they would sometimes knock against the chains that hung loosely from
the ceiling. Brendel was considerably irritated when he realized that they were there to instill fear to the
prisoners.
An old man who was in one of the deepest, isolated cells sat up in alarm and steadied his breathing.
[Someone’s coming again— the footsteps sound constant and powerful, moving at an even pace. There
was a lot of commotion during yesterday’s night. The guards seemed to be replaced with a new batch, and
military at that. The people currently approaching here seem even more formidable.]
The old man’s name was Bosley. He had spent half his life amongst soldiers and developed an innate
sense to detect bloodlust like a wild animal. Keys jangled as they repeatedly tried to open an iron gate
leading to his cell’s section. Given that he was the only one in it, he was certain they were there to find
him.
His heart beat painfully.
The first ray of light came from the corner and poured into this cell. He had not seen any form of light for
a long time, and it painfully caused him to tear up, but he did not look away. He could not even recall how
long it had been since he was thrown into this godforsaken place, neither remember what the world
outside nor the daylight look like.
[There’s no reason for Graudin to send his man here…… Given the commotion last night, does it mean
that bastard was replaced? But every member of the Randner’s family are as vile as they come.]
1270
Bosley sneered in his heart.
A few seconds passed, before the warm voice of a young man wormed into his ears.
“Bosley Lipsius, Lord of the Golden City, Royal Faction. I do recall that you were supposed to be dead
because of Everton’s Rebellion?”
The voice shook Bosley enough for him to stand up. His muscles turned rigid, and his face paled. He
gradually got used to the light and realized the person who spoke to him was a young man.
“Who….. are you?” The old man’s heart was beating rapidly.
The Royal Faction lost completely in that fateful battle. The highest ranking leader within the Royal
Faction, Duke Everton of Highfield, was implicated and imprisoned. Bosley received a secret report of the
situation and cast the lies that he died in the battle and he was not an important figure in the Royal
Faction.
He moved to the borders and changed his name, awaiting the day for the Royal Faction to rise again.
However, he had offended Graudin over a small matter and was sentenced to life imprisonment. He
thought he was going to die alone without anyone caring, but someone called out his true identity out
from nowhere.
Even Graudin did not know his name.
On the other side, Scarlett and Felaern looked at him in surprise. It seemed like the young lord somehow
knew at least one person from every single place they traveled. This time, it was someone who was
supposedly dead and well before Brendel was born. Amandina had stated that he was probably a scion of
an incredibly powerful family, although they did not put much belief into it.
“Who I am isn’t important to you. I am not from the Royal Faction, Duke Arreck or Randner.” Brendel
smiled faintly.
“Then you are from…..”
“Consider me as a separate faction, Grandmaster Bosley,” Brendel received a waterskin bag from one of
the mercenaries prepared for the old man, and passed it to him, “but you should know that my goal is the
same as yours.”
The old man was considerably grateful to Brendel for his actions. He received the waterskin bag and
drank from it greedily. When he was done, he wiped his lips with his dirty sleeves before asking his next
question: “What does that mean?”
“To restore Aouine.”
1271
“Restoring the kingdom? If that’s the case, why not join the Royal faction and assist the Corvado royal
family?” Bosley lowered the waterskin bag as he studied the youth with considerable suspicion: “Or
perhaps, you stand with the Seifers?”
Brendel shook his head, “No, I belong to no faction other than myself. I have my position to consider, and I
handle things differently, but these things are not important. I am here to recruit you to my side.”
“What can a miserable old man help you with?” The old man chortled.
“Grandmaster Bosley, you’re one of the finest blacksmiths in Aouine proficient in crafting armor, are you
not?”
“— You want to raise your own private soldiers?” Bosley’s eyes darkened.
“Indeed.”
1272
“But I belong to the Royal Faction,” the old man shook his head and raised the waterskin bag in his hands,
“does Lord Trentheim really believe that a small act of kindness will move me?”
“Why not listen to me for a while? Different actions during different situations have another meaning.
Stubbornly refusing to change will lead to ruin, just like how Duke Everton did. Surely you have
experienced it for yourself by staying in this prison.”
“Then go ahead and try to convince me, young man.” Bosley scoffed.
“Two weeks ago, under Queen Anna, the elder son was announced as heir to the throne. House Seifer,
Marquis Kluge and the nobles under his faction support him. Even though you have been imprisoned for
years, surely you are familiar with their names?”
“What! What are Lord Oberbeck and the others doing to allow that bastard Kluge to get a hold of one of
the royal family’s scion? What of His Majesty?”
Brendel merely gazed back at him without answering.
Bosley pulled back a little, his grey hair shaking a few times, while his wrinkles sank deeper and he
looked as defeated as he could possibly be.
“How…… How…… If this is so…… Then our efforts are completely wasted,” he mumbled to himself for a
few seconds, but he was someone who experienced all sorts of hardships and he recovered himself. “Lord
Oberbeck isn’t a fool to suffer Kluge clowning antics. If that rat succeeded, surely it must be due to
another reason?”
Brendel nodded, although he disagreed with Bosley’s assessment.
[Kluge is a core member of the Unifying Guild, he’s definitely not someone useless.]
He began to inform Bosley of the recent events. Because of his insight to Madara’s actions, Bosley quickly
realized the meaning to the war was something different in its nature. (TL: It is hinted that Kluge
persuaded the king to allow Madara’s invasion to happen to clean up the nobles straying away from the
crown, although no one is certain whether the king actually allowed it to happen on purpose or he’s
actually dead or influenced? Lots of question marks.)
“Madara’s invasion, you say……”
1273
“Yes.”
Bosley’s face was drained of all colors.
“Then, it means the Mercury Staff has reappeared? Loptr’s Mercury staff?” There was a sudden glint in
the old man’s cloudy eyes.
Brendel’s mouth parted slightly. He did not expect Bosley to know of the staff. The legends of the Mercury
Staff was hardly known, and the gamers actually had to do story quests not only in Aouine and other
kingdoms to piece the story together.
“You know of the Mercury staff?” Brendel said.
“Of course,” Bosley scratched his head, sending specks of dust flying about. He walked a few unsteady
steps closer to Brendel: “Not only do I know, I know the origin of it.”
“Oh?” Brendel’s eyes opened wider with interest. He had not seen or heard anything related to the staff’s
origin. The legends only depicted Loptr having that staff before it appeared in Madara after countless
years of silence. As to what history or whether a child of the Gods possessed it before Loptr, he had no
clue at all.
[Interesting, I can’t believe I’m gaining lore from such a rural area. I wonder how much this blacksmith
knows.]
“The Mercury Staff is not the only divine artifact that appears in the prophecy.” Bosley’s words nailed
Brendel to the ground.
“What?!”
“I had thought it as a mere myth,” Bosley’s tone was flat, “but the story that you have told me might mean
that the myth is turning into truth, then the next divine artifact that appears……”
He paused as he stared at the young man in front of him, his cloudy eyes suddenly clearing up: “The
Firestorm Staff.”
“The Firestorm Staff? What’s that?” Brendel’s questions continued to grow.
He was confident in the game knowledge he possessed, but nothing from Bosley’s words reminded him of
anything. He had completely no idea what he was talking about, and if a Divine Weapon like that
appeared in the game, it was going to be huge. Madara had sealed off the information tightly, but it only
took one year for the gamers to discover it.
1274
“Lord Trentheim has heard of the Four Sages’ legend?” Bosley said.
“Naturally,” Brendel nodded, “King of Fire, Gatel, Wind Empress Osorno, The High Priest Enzian, Saint
Eireann.”
Bosley’s gaze suddenly seemed to travel back a thousand years, and he spoke as if he was trying to recall
an old memory: “That year, the Four Sages, in order to emerge victorious against the Dragon of Darkness,
received the permission of the Ancestral Kings—”
He suddenly looked back at Brendel: “This is Kirrlutz’s poem of world creation, under the Poem of Grey,
has my lord heard of it?”
“The Four ‘Hidden’ defeated the ‘Emperor’ in the darkness—” Brendel said before his eyes bulged.
Everyone and everything disappeared as if they were swallowed by darkness. When he turned around, he
saw a bright moon and a dark tower that extended towards the sky. He felt as though he was standing in
an empty land that was endless, making him feel as though he was nothing more than a speck of dust. He
shook his head hard, and he was back to reality.
“My lord?” Scarlett whispered to him when she saw a sheen of perspiration on Brendel’s forehead.
Brendel put up his hand to indicate everything was fine. His mind went through possibilities but there
was no answer, so he moved on: “Yes, I heard of it, and so?”
The old man studied him for a while before speaking again: “The Four Sages took four Divine Weapons
from the Ancestral Valley, the Firestorm Staff, Dyrnwyn—”
“Wait,” Brendel interrupted with a near yell: “Dyrnwyn, isn’t that King Gatel’s sword?”
He suddenly realized something and took a look at his Ring of the Wind Empress: “The Wind Empress’s
Hydra Ring, the Holy Staff Oarvolr, and the Divine Spear Gungnir, these are all …..”
Bosley nodded.
“…… How do you know all this?” Brendel said.
“Does Lord Trentheim think I can trust you with that information?” Bosley answered in a low voice.
Brendel looked a little surprised at his response, and he rubbed his forehead as he nodded: “I understand.
But my earlier suggestion to join my cause, Grandmaster Bosley?”
“Before that, I have a question. If you know what the Mercury Staff means, you understand that Aouine is
standing on the edge of a cliff. Why are you so confident that you can revive Aouine?”
1275
“I have no confidence,” Brendel said without any hesitation, “but is that important? As you well know, the
next thing that comes after Madara’s war will be the civil wars in Aouine. The fact that Duke Arreck had
put his support so quickly into supporting the king’s eldest son means that the princess is in grave
danger. I have decided to lend my hand to her in times of need if it’s necessary. You can even consider me
to be in support of the Royal Faction.”
“If that’s the case, why not join us? Will it not be easier for you and us to gain strength?”
“Like I said before, I have my position to think of and my means of doing things.”
“I still don’t understand why you keep refusing…… Can you tell me your motive for supporting her?”
“My motive…..?” Brendel laughed harshly for a long time, before he spoke through clenched teeth, “My
motive is this, why have I come to this place if I’m not doing anything?”
Bosley did not understand Brendel’s words. Perhaps he would never understand the meaning of the
latter’s words for his entire life. In the end, he just observed him and spoke slowly: “Then, what can this
old man who has half his foot in the grave do for Lord Trentheim? If I can help you to assist the Corvado’s
royal family, I’ll do anything. But surely you’re not lacking in armorsmiths if you wish to raise a private
army. As far as I know, Firbugh alone has five different workshops to make standard armor. There should
not be any problems for you.”
Brendel felt a headache coming on when the stubborn old man tried to deflect him again. He did not
understand why the corrupted kingdom had so many loyal retainers. He even had to state that he was on
the princess’s side to get his attention and interest.
“Grandmaster Bosley, standard armor is difficult to get, but I believe only a royal blacksmith like yourself
knows how the recipe to create the White Lion’s Plate Armor?”
“The White Lion’s Plate Armor!” Bosley looked at Brendel with incredulous eyes: “You wish to create a
regiment of the royal army?”
Brendel nodded, but suddenly frowned a little.
The Sage Slate in his bag was vibrating again.
1276
Tirste looked up. The forest was filled with myriad shades of green. His thirty-seven knights under him
were strewn all around him, lying quietly for all eternity amongst the decaying leaves. They were killed
quite some time ago.
The sword injuries on the young Viscount were throbbing with pain, and every time he took a breath, he
felt needles poking into his lungs, causing him to feel dizzy.
He turned his head to look at the ghastly knight staring back at him in the shadows. He realized that he
had most likely fallen into a trap.
[The information came from the Unifying Guild’s internal department, and there’s the proof of the
Oubourous sigil— Unless Megeska is a damned traitor.] (TL: Megeska is from the Unifying guild and also
the commander of the Silver-Winged Cavalry)
Tirste expelled the air in his lungs with a bloody cough, and he subconsciously searched for the sword
that was knocked away from him. But even if he was in peak condition, there was no way he could fight
against the opponent before him.
That knight covered in emerald-green armor injured him with the very first strike. His strength was
beyond common sense, and what surprised him the most was how it did not even use its Element power.
It defeated him with pure skill.
Tirst was unable to find his sword and he turned to the altar made out of white rocks in front of him. It
was constructed on a ground that was void of foliage. The longsword was placed horizontally on the
altar’s flat surface. Its blade was simple and ordinary, but the hilt’s grip handle was intricately made with
golden-red sigils. A golden lion’s head jutted out from the center from the cross-guard with its mane
extended from bone sides.
Three unknown heroic spirits, their runic names written on the blue gem just above the lion’s head,
blessed the sword, bestowing the king’s merciful, braveness, and impartial nature onto it.
It was just a few steps away from the sword, but the Knight of the Lake stood in his way, making it seem
as though there was an endless chasm between him.
Any normal man would run away, but Tirste gave a sneering laugh.
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He was gravely injured and knew that he was about to die, so he hardened his heart and crawled to the
sword. Blood flowed freely from his thighs and abdomen, revealing the deadly wounds that stopped him
from even standing up. Yet he crawled forward with his left hand, while his right hand attempted to
staunch the bleeding wound from his heart.
[Even if I die, I’ll be closer to my goals than anyone else!]
As Duke Grinoires’s illegitimate son, he quickly understood the cold-blooded nature of the world. If there
was nothing to rely on, then he would rely on himself. Being weak meant losing everything. He had
worked hard to gain the position he had currently. Certainly, he could be seen as having great ambition,
and he would defy the world even if it meant giving up his life.
The earlier battle he and his knights had against the Knight of the Lake kept playing in his mind as he
crawled towards the sword. He was unable to find that moment where the Knight of the Lake stabbed his
heart.
But halfway through his destination to the Lionheart, the Knight of the Lake turned away; its sword was
returned back to its sheath, and it walked away without saying anything. It adhered to the oaths of the
knights of the old era, and would not attack anyone who had lost their ability to move.
[What’s going on?]
Tirst looked at it in confusion, not understanding why it stopped attacking. But he did not let this
opportunity slide and put in even more effort to reach the sword. The distance was gradually shortened,
and he finally laid his hand on the hilt.
The moment he grabbed the sword, a sudden warmth entered his entire body. He felt energy coursing
through him, as though every pore within him was able to sense the world around him. His injuries itched
for a moment before they repaired themselves.
He lowered his head to look at the wound on his heart, and discovered it was already gone.
[What!?]
Tirste stared at the Lionheart, but to his surprise, the light on it that had enveloped him was rapidly
fading away.
It was turning into stone.
He was startled and nearly threw the sword away, afraid that it was somehow going to turn him into
stone as well. However, when he took another closer glimpse, he could not see any signs of magic on it.
He carefully felt the blade with his finger tips; it had already turned into rock.
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He looked at it in confusion. Based on the strange event earlier, it ought to be the Lionheart sword as it
invoked a holy power, but it was now a rock in the shape of an odd-looking sword. There was a strange
feeling in his heart; it was as though the sword was rejecting him. The sword was clearly in his hands, but
it did not feel like it was here.
He finally glanced at his surroundings again. He and his knights had searched this place carefully, and
there did not seem to be anything else in the vicinity. The item in his hands was probably not a fake, but
there was no answer to why it had changed. He looked back at the shadows carefully. The Knight of the
Lake should be there somewhere, staring at him.
But it still did not appear even after he took a few steps away from the altar.
He sighed with relief and decided to bring the rock back with him.
“This trip is truly a nightmare…..” He shook his head hard and ignored the corpses around him, picking up
another longsword as he started walking out of the forest.
============== Brendel’s POV ================
The Sage Slate in Brendel’s hand finally stopped. It was the first time it had resonated this long. Everyone
was staring at the artifact until it stopped vibrating before they cast their eyes back at Brendel.
The prison fell into an uneasy silence, with the occasional dripping sound of water from somewhere far
away.
“A sealed Sage Slate, Lord Trentheim?” Bosley said.
Even though he was a prisoner, or perhaps Brendel’s temperorary retainer, his attitude did not diminish
in the slightest. He was almost expressing himself that he was likely to go back to the Royal Faction
anytime, but Brendel did not seem to react to his actions.
It surprised him and made him feel uneasy, almost believing that he would be better off being
imprisoned. But the warm fire and promise of fresh air stopped him from thinking.
Brendel glanced at him and appeared as though he had understood his thoughts. He had took on the role
of Guild Commander in the game, but he had never gotten his own territory and acted as a lord. Even if he
was in the position now, he did not feel like he was one.
Moreover, his attitude seemed to be acknowledged by the people who followed him. Amandina had to
agree that his usual easygoing attitude solidified his men as a group better, although the most convincing
1279
aspect was how he seemed to have endless confidence in himself. She believed it to be charisma from a
unique person.
“You know what this is?” He asked with a curious glance at Bosley.
“Sage Slates— They are described in the Poem of Grey from the Miirna and the witches to be fragments of
the Stars. They are able to establish relationship to Fate itself, and in truth many mortals know much
about the Sage Slates. Seers use them to find prophecies by having the Sage Slate establishing a resonance
with something else. With the hints from the reaction, they are able to foresee the related events in the
Sage Slate. The Saint Statue is able to see the future in the same way. As long as you place them on the
Saint Statue, you would be able to receive the answer your heart wants—”
[Indeed, the gamers have validated these rumors themselves. This setting is in the game. But knowing
that it’s sealed? Not everyone understands one of the oldest runic words. Perhaps as a blacksmith for the
royal family, hearing rumors about it is natural. Understanding them is abnormal…… Though I doubt he’s
bluffing here.]
“Indeed, this Sage Slate is sealed. Since you understand these things well, can you tell me what the words
on this Sage Slate mean?” Brendel asked.
His question was actually forcing the impossible to happen. Even he did not understand what the chicken
scribbles meant; though he guessed it had to do something with the Lionheart.
“Let me see…..” Bosley received the artifact almost smugly, but his face gradually turned solemn. Very
soon, both of his hands were trembling. “The symbols of the kings, the saints…..”
He rubbed his eyes and looked at it again, before he took a step back with disbelief and looked up at
Brendel, almost like he was testing the waters: “The Lionheart?”
Brendel’s face was even in a state of shock when he heard the name.
Scarlett let out a small yelp. Even though she did not understand what all the fuss was about, as an
Aouine’s citizen, she had heard the most famous story about the King Erik the kind, and the Lionheart
sword he possessed. She wanted to ask Brendel for confirmation, but he already answered in a hoarse
voice:
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Felaern looked suspiciously at the old man, while everyone else was momentarily at a loss for words.
“It’s truly the Lionheart……” Bosley suddenly mumbled and took one step back subconsciously as he
looked at Brendel. “…… But how is that possible!? I know King Erik had once said that if his descendants
forgot the oaths that the kingdom was founded upon, then the Lionheart would be lost as well, but the
Royal Faction have gathered to restore the kingdom and find the glory that was lost for decades, so why is
the sword tied to your destiny……”
Brendel took back the Sage Slate and gave a slightly surprised sidelong glance. He could hardly imagine
the beggar-like appearance of the old man had anything to do with his job as the Royal Family’s head
blacksmith. But despite his eccentric mumblings, the latter was able to read the runic words.
“Grandmaster Bosley, is there some secret to the Lionheart?” He said carefully.
Bosley’s hands stopped scratching his head and looked back at the young lord. He knew he was unable to
deceive him, but he was still a little conflicted: “Lord Trentheim, my family’s bloodline has sworn to keep
this a secret—”
Brendel waved his hand irritably.
“Is it? Or perhaps it’s because your House Tutius has worked for the royal kings ever since King’s Erik
rule, and you’re unwilling to think otherwise? King Erik has also said that the Lionheart would return to
Aouine, if the oaths are upheld and glory returned to the kingdom. Regardless of who possessed the
sword or when it returns, the kingdom’s fate will be tied greatly with it because of King Erik’s oaths. That
is why the person who inherits King Erik’s will is qualified to hold the sword—”
He stopped and stared at the old man before him. The meaning in his eyes was clear.
[Yes, you’re with the Royal Faction, but your efforts are not supposed just to allow the authority of the
royal family to stand above the nobles. If you want the glory of the kingdom to return, you must walk the
road that King Erik took in the past. Only then will the flames of the Ancestral King ignite the kingdom
and bring new life to it—]
He was walking on the same path as the Princess Regent did in the game. She tried to bring Aouine back
to its former glory and failed, and this time he was going to do so with his own hands.
He had already walked through the road of darkness in the game; the burning royal palace and cities, the
kingdom overturned with its citizens slaughtered and the living suffering under an age of darkness.
1281
Now he was walking through the other road; an unknown, difficult path also dyed with blood and lives,
but there was a sliver of hope that lit the path.
Bosley hesitated for a long time as he lowered his head in thought. In the end, he chose to accept the road
Brendel offered.
“You’re right…… Regardless of who possesses the sword, this ancient legend will not be wrong. Is this
why you refused to join the Royal Faction? Perhaps we have fallen too far, and the road to Aouine’s glory
once again require bloodshed and flames, just like how King Erik led his citizens out of Kirrlutz.” He
nodded.
“Very well, Lord Trentheim. The White Lion’s Plate Armor is indeed invented by us. Our House’s lineage
is unknown to many, but we can be traced back all the way to King Erik’s rule. My ancestor was a
blacksmith in the army, and also an attendant of King Erik,” His voice turned slightly proud, “and
generation after generation, my House had also worked for the royal family. After King Erik’s rule, his
descendants eventually splintered, most notably to the Seifers and Corvados. Eventually, my House
turned to Corvado’s lineage and supported them till this day.”
Brendel nodded. He knew about Aouine’s history, and at the very least, Bosley was not lying.
“But there’s one secret that our House had kept guarded at all costs. King Erik led suffering citizens from
the Great Eagle Empire, Kirrlutz, and formed into Aouine that we know today. My ancestor was one of the
five retainers under him.” Bosley’s voice suddenly turned deeper: “They brought out the Lionheart from
Kirrlutz. Many rumors stated that the sword is one of Kirrlutz’s four Holy treasures, but most of them,
even the Kirrlutz’s citizens, probably don’t know that the four treasures were actually derived from one
body.”
Brendel’s eyes widened as he realized something.
“That is?” He pressed on.
“When the four treasures are combined as one, they would make up the Firestorm Staff. The more
commonly known name would be Dyrnwyn, King Gatel’s Sword of Flames. A Divine Weapon.”
Brendel felt his knees go weak and stuttered: “G-grandmaster Bosley, a Sage Slate and the Lionheart’s
resonance, is it likely to cause a Divine Resonance?”
“Impossible.” Bosley shook his head, “Even though the Lionheart is indeed a magic sword, it’s not a Divine
Weapon. The difference between the two cannot be compared.”
“T-then, how about another possibility? The Lionheart has accumulated power from King Erik’s oaths and
turned into a Divine Sword after centuries?”
1282
“My lord, what are you talking about? I know that you’re young and hold a lot of fantasies in your mind,
but you should refrain from overworking your imagination. If you see a Divine Weapon first-hand, you
will realize that how silly your thoughts are; these weapons can only be made by the Gods.” Bosley
nodded with confidence before he suddenly realized he might have insulted the youth.
This made him remember the events on how he offended Graudin, and he quickly lowered his head to
show his obeisance, with his heart was full of regret. But Brendel did not care about that, as he felt like his
vision was blacking out.
[Holy f—…… I was wondering why I had a Divine Resonance with the Lionheart, and what I did to get
such a good karmic event….. But to think my Divine Resonance was with Dyrnwyn!? A sword used against
the boss of bosses, the Dragon of Darkness! Damn, no one in the game managed to get the Lionheart, and
that’s why there’s no news on this Divine Weapon. Where and what exactly did I do to tie the weapon to
me? Just because I said some oath from King Erik? Surely there are countless gamers who did that in the
game!]
Brendel rubbed his forehead violently before he shook his head.
“Well, the topic ends here, Grandmaster Bosley. I don’t want any rumors leaking out,” he turned to the
guards behind him before going back to Bosley, “and I think you wouldn’t want anyone else to know that
the Lionheart has chosen me, right?”
Bosley looked at him in confusion. The Lionheart was a symbol of Aouine’s legitimacy. Because of King
Erik’s oaths, Brendel could proclaim himself as the legitimate king. When the Corvado royal family took
over the kingdom, they had also declared themselves as legitimate rulers by stating they had the sword,
but no one knew that it was already missing. If the truth leaked out, it would definitely affect the
standings of the royal family. The fact that the youth wanted to quash this point made it
incomprehensible to him.
[Perhaps he truly wants to support the princess?]
Even though he still did not fully believe in him, he nodded in the end as he did not want the reputation of
the Royal Family to be hurt. Regardless of whether the weapon ended in Brendel’s hands or how
legitimate he was in proclaiming king, he would never swear loyalty to him. He had dedicated his life to
the Corvado’s family and spent years in the Royal Faction battling against the opposition. Even if he failed
in the political battle, he was without regrets. The only hope he had was Brendel not reneging on his
words and helped out the princess.
If the crown prince had the support of the Seifers, then the princess would be the only legitimate
representation of the Corvados. (TL: The crown prince’s mother is from the Seifer’s family.)
1283
“My lord, I’m willing to create the White Lion’s Armor Plate for you, but I don’t think it’s enough. Even
though it’s the core aspect to create the royal army’s infantry, the training for the infantry……”
Brendel’s face was turned slightly away from the torches, so part of his face was hidden under the
darkness. He was smiling.
“The White Lion’s swordsmen, made famous by battling against Kirrlutz in Valhalla a few centuries back.
They were famous for having amazing speed and defense. And the secret to the armor…… It’s because it
borrowed the designs from the Half-plate of the Wind Empress. Although the combat tactics for them are
complicated, that doesn’t mean they cannot be replaced—” Brendel said.
“Y-you know how to employ the White Lion’s combat tactics?” Bosley was looking at him with his mouth
half-opened from Brendel’s insinuations.
“What’s the fuss about knowing the tactics that are unpopular? Also, when King Erik fled from Kirrlutz,
there was the support of the Elven Kingdom Osor. Did you truly believe that he was capable of fighting
Kirrlutz to a draw? If King Erik wanted to splinter off the Holy Cathedral of Flames as well, it might even
turn out to be an even bigger war, and bring the First Holy Crusade forward by a few centuries.” Brendel
laughed: “The Elven Queen wasn’t too generous though, regardless on both of the White Lion’s Plate
Armor or Combat Tactics, they are too weak in comparison to the original. If the original is a Tier 3, then
the modified version would be Tier 1…… two grades lower.”
Bosley had heard about these things when he learned the trade from his family as well, but listening to
the youth brought about a new sensation: “My lord…… Y-you mean?”
“The original version of the White Lion’s infantry came from the White-winged knights from the Wind
Elves. It’s an inferior version.” Brendel giggled: “Even though the White Lion’s Combat Tactics are one the
biggest secret’s in Aouine’s royal palace, it’s not even worth mentioning to me. I’ll give you a surprise if
you’re able to make a batch of the White Lion’s Armor Plate, Grandmaster Bosley.” Brendel patted
Bosley’s shoulders.
Even though he said that the White Lion’s plate armor was inferior, it was nearly impossible for him to
find anyone else who could make them in the southern region. It was Aouine’s kingdom secret after all.
“Surprise?” Bosley did not understand how Brendel was trying to make motivate him, and only replied
with suspicion.
“Of course.”
“I see,” he answered with a frown, “then, my lord, you know that the White Lion’s Plate armor is a type of
Magic Armor?”
1284
“You are referring to the special materials required to make one?”
“Yes.”
“Then what do you need?”
“As far as I know, Trentheim lacks a crystal mine that’s pure in mana content?”
1285
Brendel and his men left the jail after Bosley briefly told him about the materials he needed. The old man
was led away to wash himself before having a proper meal.
“At the final step to create the White Lion’s Plate armor, the Sigil of Wind is enchanted on the joints and
torso, raising agility and reducing the weight of the armor. We will either use the purple Moon Quartz, or
orange Mana Calcite. These two crystals contain very pure Mana and are used by witches and seers.
Grinoires, Arreck, Viero, and Randner’s are the current suppliers for them. They are found in caverns
eroded by water in hilly areas, but Trentheim doesn’t have any locations that fit these conditions.”
Brendel recalled Bosley’s words as he rode through Firburh’s streets. This was the first time he was
thinking about the population of the cities. Felaern was also riding beside him and informed him about
the information on Trentheim
“Graudin directly held these four areas— The city Firburh, mining town Schafflund, Port Gris and
Gareth’s Crossing. These are where most of the population is centered in, approximately eighty-thousand
in total. Firburh and the nearby vicinity have about thirty-thousand. If we include the villages, we would
have a hundred thousand.
Trentheim’s entire population is approximately three hundred thousand, and the peerage holding the
other lands is about a hundred and seventy.
There are two retainers who are loyal to Graudin, Lord Macsen and Lord Palas. The latter, nicknamed the
Tolerant Knight, is someone who’s knighted because of his skill in the sword, and is a Silver-ranked
swordsman. He’s also the only person who has Trentheim’s best army, comparable to the capital’s.”
Felaern said.
“Palas is given that name because he’s being compared to a tyrant like Graudin. He’s actually a strict and
conservative knight, and the reason why he’s trusted by Graudin is his loyalty towards the bastard,”
Brendel said, thinking about his first goal was to make the retainers under Graudin fear him, “That would
mean we’re going to face these two armies next. If we’re able to defeat them convincingly, we will be to
make Count Randner who’s hiding behind the scene even more cautious.”
Brendel suddenly stopped his horse. They were at a clear area that was high enough to oversee the
distant northern wilderness that led to high cliffs. The farms near the city were enjoying the rays of the
sun, and he could see the golden sheen coming from the ripe wheat. It was nearly time for harvest, and
the temperature was dropping quickly.
The nobles in the north were preparing for war and hoped to attack before winter set in. If they were
delayed, the war would drag to next spring, and neither the queen nor Kluge want that result. This was
1286
because the Dragonlion Fleet in the Aniras region presented itself as a significant threat by accessing the
sea, and could easily overturn the situation.
Seifer’s Black Mercenaries had entered Ampere Seale to convince the various conglomerates to let them
pass. The queen’s best speaker was there, and if he succeeded, then tens of thousands of Seifer’s heavy
infantry would sail through the seas and reach Vaadra’s borders directly.
Trentheim’s situation was also just as tense because of Brendel’s appearance. The scent of battles seemed
to spread through the air, bringing along a sliver of bloodlust.
“Have your scouts set out to Fort Minst?” Brendel asked.
“Yes. They will send word if Lord Macsen sets off with his army.” Felaern replied.
[Today’s the 17th. Lord Macsen should be receiving Graudin’s remnant mercenaries’ words by now. Fort
Minst is only a day’s journey from Firburh. I’m sure he has sent out his first batch of knights to gather his
soldiers, possibly going to get around two or three thousand men. Considering only twenty percent is
Iron-ranked and higher…… No, the odds are still against the approximate thousand mercenaries that I
have. If possible, I want the battle to take place in the northern hills…… The control I have on Firburh’s
information is something I should think about as well.]
But Brendel’s real headache came from the possible steps that Count Randner was possibly going to take.
Lord Macsen was nothing more than a distraction. Within a month, he had to repair his walls, tidy up the
finances and build the trust he had with the mercenaries. They were currently in the same boat he was in,
but if he was to think about the long-term future, it was impossible for them to stand closely together
with him unless he was worthy of their protection.
[None of the three mercenaries’ leader is going to be interested in having a beautiful dream. The
upcoming battle that I plan must convince them. Amandina has also said that it’s necessary to convince
people of my legitimacy as Firburh’s lord, and overwhelming victories ahead will make Count Randner
slow down his plans. With that, I have the chance to win the citizens over. They want not only a merciful
lord, but they also want one who can protect them.]
Brendel turned towards the citizens’ houses. Trentheim was near the Diesluna inland sea, so there was
ample rain brought from the wind. Most of the citizens had great sloping roofs and pipes that led the
rainwater down to the sewers. The red tiles contrasted with the painted green windows. But the citizens
who spotted him cast suspicious and guarded looks at him, observing the new illegitimate lord carefully.
Even though Brendel had ordered Amandina to redo the tax plans, abolished most of them and even
canceled all debts, many doubted how much weight it was going to carry. It was still a question whether
he was able to hold on to his position.
“Let’s go to the city gates,” Brendel said.
1287
When they reached their destination, they found Amandina and the three mercenaries’ leaders waiting
for them.
Cornelius bowed deeply upon seeing him. He had seen what the young lord was capable of when he
fought next to him. He was worried about Brendel’s resistance against Count Randner, or even use him as
sacrifices, but the more worried he was, the more respectful he appeared to be.
Jana lightly pursed her lips. Brendel’s current image made her feel a little surprised. The warm, friendly,
and even a little shy smile he had was the complete opposite of his snarl that was full of bloodlust he
showed yesterday.
Raban was the only one who looked on indifferently with a raised chest.
“Know the reason why I looked for you?” Brendel asked.
The three of them shook their heads.
“My lord,” Cornelius said, “go ahead and give us your orders. We will be sure to fulfill them.”
1288
When Cornelius lowered his head, Jana shook her head once, leaving her fiery red hair to flutter in the
wind and looked at him from the corners out of her eyes with dissatisfaction.
[You’re free to bend your knees, but don’t bring us into it.]
But even if they were unpleasant to listen to and she wanted to find fault with his words, she had to admit
they were Brendel’s subordinates and they ought to do what he wanted.
They understood today’s conclusion from the actions they made yesterday. The young man in front of
them was right, they had already offended the previous lord and the powers behind him, and they would
not dare to offend another. The only people they could blame were themselves for acting rashly after
Graudin’s insults and gave Brendel a chance to spur them into action.
She clicked her tongue lightly in annoyance before her eyes went back to Brendel. She was puzzled when
she heard his new tax policies for the city. Vaunte’s nobles did not need to have the people’s hearts
because the power they wielded was ironclad. If Brendel were strong enough to resist Count Randner, the
citizens would not dare to resist such a powerful lord, and if he did not, it was pointless for him to
administer the policies. Therefore, there was no meaning to his actions.
[Doesn’t he understand that he needs more money to set up a proper foothold in this city?]
If he was able to gather more funds, he could at least recruit more private soldiers to his army.
Brendel rubbed his forehead in thought as he looked at Cornelius and the other two commanders: “We’re
surveying the lands. Bring along around a hundred of your men each.”
Felaern blinked her eyes puzzledly. She knew that he was about to fight Graudin’s remnants and he
needed to win at all costs, but it sounded like he was about to bring the mercenaries to subjugate the
sawmills. The Subterrane dwellers lived in the harsh Underworld, and their average warrior was at least
an Iron-ranked fighter. Even if he was confident in winning, how was he going to avoid the loss of his
men?
Was it so important to regain the sawmills?
“Survey the lands?” Cornelius was confused at the answer.
“There are four sawmills and two quarries near Firburh. Today, our mission is to bring them under our
rule.” Brendel said.
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“My lord,” Jana immediately spoke up, “we know of the sawmills, but the Subterrane Dwellers are
occupying them. Are you telling us we are supposed to seize them back?”
Brendel merely looked at them without answering.
Cornelius and Jana’s expressions turned ugly. They had been here for quite some time and knew of the
creatures in the woods. They were especially fond of night battles; their strength was high and their
bodies robust. If they fought, they truly did not know how many of their men were going to be killed. Just
the night battle yesterday alone, had caused them to pay a considerable price, and this battle seemed like
it would be no less difficult.
Also, at this moment, it did not seem like it was a necessary battle when there was going to be the
retaliation from the nobles in Trentheim.
They felt like the command was unreasonable.
“…… My lord,” Cornelius raised his head up after considerable difficulty, “The Subterrane Dwellars……
They come from the Underworld, and any of their individuals can match any of my best men. If we are to
fight them, we will definitely be at a disadvantage. This…… isn’t a problem, but my advisor believes that
Lord Macsen, a nearby retainer of Graudin, would be gathering his forces and marching on us soon.”
His voice softened as he felt that Brendel would know what he was insinuating.
Amandina shook her head: “Certainly, Lord Macsen is Graudin’s retainer, but why does he want to attack
us?”
The three mercenaries looked at her with questioning eyes, wondering if she somehow fell and hurt her
head.
“Isn’t it clear enough, Lady Amandina,” Jana replied, “he’s Graudin’s retainer, and we killed Graudin—”
She paused for a moment and added: “Furthermore, there’s Count Randner behind him, if he doesn’t
move, that old bastard would probably pressure him—”
“You’re right. So our true enemy is actually Count Randner, and Lord Macsen is nothing more than a
pawn being used to test the waters,” she nodded and said without any expressions: “But do you think that
we are capable of fighting against the Count currently?”
The three looked at each other. This matter was something that worried them the most. Amandina did
not reveal the contents about the Druids and the princess’s letter, and they had no idea how Brendel was
going to handle the situation. It seemed possible that he might hand them over as sacrificial lambs. They
glanced at him nervously.
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Brendel was quietly musing to himself as he nodded inwardly to Amandina’s answer. She was starting to
catch up to his thoughts, and her growth was shockingly fast ever since the battle of Chablis.
If he was going to fight Count Randner, he had to expand big enough in a single month to cause significant
damage to both sides if it came down to war. Trentheim was currently a poor and indefensible location,
and it seemed like an impossible task.
Valhalla and the Druids were his trump cards, and the Exploding Crystals from Amandina were also a
source of strength.
Besides the time needed to acquire them, he needed resources. The most important thing was to restore
functionality around his city. Acquiring the sawmills and quarries were necessary to repair the walls,
build a workshop to create Exploding Crystals, training grounds for the militia and many other buildings.
Once he was done with all these, only then would Romaine be able to execute her financial plans.
He must finish the battles before the autumn harvest so that his territory would be on track to raise a
proper army. He could also finally start on the myriad things he needed to do for the political battles
ahead. It was a tight schedule.
“Amandina is my advisor, and her words can represent my own.” Brendel said, and Amandina’s
expression was slightly moved: “My family can ensure my safety in this war, but you lot are different. I’m
not one who abandons my followers, but I have my limits. If I lose in the war, you can imagine what your
fates would be. We’re traveling the same ship, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be choppy waves
coming at us all the time; there are opportunities and treasure. Compared to Graudin, I believe I’m a
generous lord. As long as you do not disappoint me, I will not disappoint you.” (TL: In case you don’t get
it, it’s a fake family.)
But the three mercenaries continued to look blankly at him, so he spoke again.
“As for the Subterrane Dwellers…… Do you know that the wizards from Karsuk’s Black Tower fought
against the Underworld in order to vie for resources? It was a war that lasted for a decade.”
Raban was quick to catch the point: “My lord, you have a strategy?”
“I always do,” Brendel answered, although it was a lie that the wizards fought against the Underworld.
While the three mercenaries set off to gather their men, Brendel ordered Felaern to get someone to find a
guide from the slums.
“My lord, what are your plans for gaining money?” Amandina asked after the mercenaries were gone. “If
you are not taxing the citizens, I assume you have another source for money?”
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Brendel pondered for a moment. He was quite aware as to how territories functioned in the game. Funds
came from various places, but the majority came from these: Trading, taxing, and money from mines.
Population and resources were important aspects of development. Trentheim produced silver and
processed lumber, but they had quite the lacking number of workshops, If it were not for the silver mine,
Graudin would be considered as poor as a beggar amongst most of the nobles.
“How many blacksmiths do we have in the city? How many pieces of armor do they produce in a month?”
Brendel turned to Felaern.
“There are less than twenty blacksmiths, and that includes the apprentices. The production’s limit is no
more than ten suits of armor, be it chain or leather. Also, their skill in magic and techniques are below the
normal standards.”
[…… This fucking piece of garbage. The entire Trentheim’s production line seemed like it has been
stagnant since fifty years ago. The whole Firburh, a population of thirty thousand and yet only this
number of blacksmiths are employed?]
Brendel cursed Graudin in his mind. He knew that very little of the silver mine’s profits actually went into
Graudin’s hands. Count Randner took the largest portion, while the royal family and the Holy Cathedral of
Flames took two more portions.
[When the civil war starts, and my hands are fast enough, I might be able to control the entire mining
process for two or three months. It’s just that I’m not sure how much it’s worth. I never did become a lord
in the game, and only the biggest guilds monopolized them and ran them like a company. But at the very
least I think I can get at least ten million Tor coins. I know the people around me are questioning my tax
policies. But how many coins can I tax in a year? Three hundred thousand? That’s small change. I’m
already opposing the nobles, and the last thing I want is to have the citizens opposing me too. It’s better
to gain their hearts and think about the long term.]
“I’ll talk about my thoughts in detail when we come back from the excursion, Amandina,” he said.
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Chapter 14 – The battle for the sawmills (1)
The man before Brendel had ragged clothes that were repeatedly repaired with different scraps of cloth.
He was found amongst the shacks at the southern Firburh and had previously worked in the sawmills.
The battles within the city had frightened many citizens, and he was uneasy about working for the
unfamiliar lord. But the lure of money and his woman’s persuasion finally made him agree to join as a
guide.
The young lord had promised to give him an entire gold coin. Even if he worked hard for a year, he might
not even be able to earn this much money. With this reward, he would be able to send his child to the
inner city and allow him to study as an apprentice in one of the workshops, and might even change his
family’s fate for the better.
“The woods in the south of Firburh is called the Direbear Forest,” He said carefully, as Brendel’s eyes
twitched a little when he thought of the level 65 monsters in the game. “and the name comes about
because there are a lot of wild bears in the forest. The four sawmills sit within the forest; three are in the
deeper parts and are currently occupied by the creatures, while the fourth was destroyed and abandoned
by the workers. Lord Graudin had sent his private armies to try and gain them back, but after two
humiliating defeats, the baron never mentioned this matter again.”
Brendel nodded. Things were just as he expected.
They had left Firburh for about an hour.
The wilderness gradually showed more trees the further they walked into the south. The expansive forest
seemed to veer off to the east like a giant shadow. The guide was at the forefront riding with another
mercenary on horseback, continuing to fill Brendel with the history of Graudin’s past. Very soon, they
entered the forest filled with black and red pine trees, disappearing into the shadows of the forest.
“Hey,” a girl’s voice suddenly interrupted the guide’s explanation: “are the creatures that strong?”
Brendel’s eyebrows raised upwards uncontrollably, while the corners of his lips twitched once. He did
not know when Romaine appeared. After they had set off for the city for some time, she was suddenly
frolicking about in front of his eyes.
[This girl is supposed to be checking the previous accounting books from the past lords and counting the
resources. Who’s the idiot who told her that I’m fighting against the Subterrane Dwellers?]
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“Of course, my lady,” the guide quickly answered in a loud voice: “I heard the city guards speaking about
them. They described them as incredibly ugly and monstrous. Though they don’t have eyes, they can
smell and sense sounds to differentiate their direction. They are swift and powerful, and average humans
have no chance against them. Even the former baron’s soldiers have to form groups of three to fight a
single creature.”
Romaine prodded her chin with a white finger, imagining the image of the creature with her mind, before
mumbling to herself: “Doesn’t that mean, they have a great advantage during the night?”
“Indeed, I believe they do.” Amandina looked at Romaine with troubled eyes.
She had trouble telling Brendel she was the one who actually leaked out the information. The sharp
merchant girl had innocently asked a few questions before she spotted clues from her mistake and knew
about their movements. Even now she did not know whether this [Lord’s fiancee] did it on purpose or it
was a coincidence. Either answer was a little unacceptable to her.
“Not only do they have the advantage in the night, in this dense forest where visibility is low, their
advantages are also much better than us. Unless we send out Iron-ranked scouts, it’s unlikely we’re going
to be able to discover them early,” Cornelius said, before turning to Brendel, “my lord, since we have
entered the forest, should we send the scouts out?”
[A normal Subterrane Dweller has 15 OZ of strength, and 10 OZ agility. That’s pretty close to a veteran
Iron-ranked fighter; any typical mercenary isn’t their match.]
“I only brought approximately three hundred mercenaries and left the remainder behind to defend the
city. I don’t want to split my forces anymore. Also, just think about it, who is more familiar with the forest,
the mercenaries or the Subterrane Dwellers?” He stared into the forest.
Amandina asked in surprise: “Of course it’s the Subterrane Dwellers, but my lord…… You mean you are
not going to send off scouts……” She had never seen any tactics without scouting in the books, but there
was a glint in her eyes as she asked: “Magic?”
“A close enough answer.” Brendel glanced at the ground as he summoned the card in his mind. The Wind
Spirit Spiders were climbing out one by one in a line from the ground ahead of them. The mercenaries
who saw them jumped up in fright, but a few of them had seen or heard of these things in action during
the battle with Madara. Since the mercenaries eventually knew the spiders was controlled by Brendel,
they quickly calmed down, but they looked at him with fear and respect.
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They were quickly reminded of the Gold-ranked wizard under him. In this era, any nobles who employed
these wizards are proof of high nobility. Even Duke Arreck or Duke Karsuk, or dukes with similar clout
only had two or three Gold-ranked wizards as their advisors.
But Brendel was a mere scion, and he had not only a Gold-ranked wizard but two additional Gold-ranked
fighters, Medissa and Scarlett. Even the lord himself was a Gold-ranked swordsman. The veteran
mercenaries who saw Medissa even guessed that she was a Silver Elf, and they had not appeared in this
land for centuries. The impact they had when they explained to their younger comrades was huge,
especially when there were rumors that he had a strong relationship with the Silver Elves.
The three mercenaries’ commanders felt they were increasingly unable to see where the mysteries
around him ended. But it was also the reason why they had the determination to stand together against
Count Randner who quite possibly would only the same number of high ranking fighters as Brendel.
Otherwise, they would rather escape into the Dark Forest because that option would have a better chance
of survival.
Brendel had heard the rumors as well, but he was certain that it was Amandina and Romaine who spread
them. The combination of a careful planner and peculiar thinker made interesting ideas. They even
worked well together during the Madara’s siege, and so he allowed them to continue without checking
them.
He quietly brought out the Holy Sword card. The next moment, Magic Circles appeared all over the area
and attached themselves to the spiders. The three commanders who saw Brendel’s actions immediately
paled. The mana released into the area around them was impossible to gauge, and it seemed like it could
even defeat a Gold-ranked existence if used appropriately.
They were certain he was a Gold-ranked swordsman, yet it seemed like he was also a Gold-ranked
wizard. It was unthinkable.
Brendel waved his hand and set the commands to kill all non-human bipeds, with were several
restrictions in play. The Subterrane Dwellers had their outposts nearby, and he needed to remove them.
Although it was unnecessary to ensure they were undiscovered all the way, he needed more time to set
things up.
The Wind Spirit Spiders began to fly across the area as streaks of light.
The Nightsong Tiger rode closer and asked: “My lord, what exactly is your plan for fighting this battle? If
the information is right, there are thousands of these creatures. They outnumber us many times, and
every individual has a fighting strength that surpasses our own army’s, and to tell the truth, I’m unable to
think of a way to fight them.”
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“Please don’t get the jitters before we fight,” Scarlett said from behind them, “Captain Nightsong.”
“Captain?” The large man suddenly laughed as he turned his head at the girl and Brendel: “It seems like
miss Scarlett has thought about it and is ready to join us?”
The young girl nodded without any care and glanced at Brendel as well: “I thought about it and since I
have no place to return to—”
“I apologize.” The Nightsong Tiger suddenly frowned when he heard her words.
“It’s fine. Let us hear our lord’s ideas. I’m also curious as to how we should fight this battle. When my
former commander led the Grey Wolves Mercenaries, the highest number of enemies we fought against
was twice our size, but it was a group of untrained bandits. It differs greatly from our situation now.”
“Yup,” Romaine was moving animatedly on her horse, making people wonder if she were going to fall off,
“Brendel, a night battle would be to our disadvantage since the creatures have good hearing and smell. I
think we should finish the fight against them as soon as possible.”
The three mercenaries’ commanders drew a little closer and raised their attention when they heard the
discussion. Brendel smiled when he saw their reactions. He did not choose to reassign their men because
they were still unfamiliar and wary with him. If he tried to force or hastily bring up the topic, he might
cause misunderstandings, and they would resist his orders. He ultimately chose to let them become
impatient and come to him instead.
Cornelius was the first commander to react and shake his head, while he observed Brendel’s reaction:
“Even though we have not fought against these creatures, but they are definitely not rabble judging how
they disgraced Graudin’s armies twice. My men might be slightly stronger than Graudin’s men by a little,
but I’m not ashamed to admit that we’re severely outmatched.”
“Then what should be done?” Romaine blinked her big round eyes and asked curiously.
“I believe my lord wants to remove their outposts,” Amandina watched the final spider disappear before
returning her gaze to Brendel, thinking for a while, “to gain enough time for us before they react? My lord,
are you thinking of assaulting one of the sawmills with as fast as possible, then lure the remaining
creatures to attack us?”
Brendel’s eyes had a hint of praise. It was indeed his idea to change from offense to defense.
“It’s a good plan,” Raban also praised Amandina’s answer, “but is it going to work?”
“The Subterrane Dwellers know where their advantages lie. If they lose in the daytime, then they will
attempt to gain it back in the night.” Brendel replied, “They might have the night advantage, but we can
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make it up with a defense from the sawmill. We are equal in this area. The rest would be on our
commanders’ capabilities, morale, and fighting strength.”
He appeared confident, but he thought he was not exactly a genius in his mind. He had a number of
strategies that were derived from the efforts of countless gamers, and this plan he was using was when
Kirrlutz fought against the Jurgen Underworld.
“But what if they don’t attack us?” Scarlett asked.
“Isn’t that fine?” The Nightsong Tiger laughed: “We will just attack in the day. But our numbers and
fighting capabilities are still a problem, my lord.”
Brendel nodded and ordered their guide to skip the abandoned sawmill and instead march directly to the
nearest occupied by the Subterrane Dwellers. He looked up at the sun which was slowly setting to the
west: “That is a problem, but I do have a solution if they stay behind their defenses.”
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It had been one hour since Brendel and his men entered the forest.
The bows’ strings could be heard through the wind, and very soon the mercenaries cheered loudly as
they dragged a few corpses from the bushes.
They were pale yellow creatures with their bodies protruding with large tumors. Their head was like a
large bald mass with smooth waxy skin. There was no nose or eyes and seemed to lack them, but under
their skin folds hid thousands of sensory organs to smell and listen with, enabling them to fare a hundred
times better in the darkness compared to a human. It was expected from a creature from the underworld.
When the mercenaries inspected them, they realized that their arrows had only caused skin-deep
damage, while the fatal injury was on each of their chests. It was a large hole that penetrated through
their body, with the edges on it burned black. A few mercenaries recognized the injury caused by the
‘Dragon Knights’. When Brendel rode over, the mercenaries parted and turned around, looking at him
with respect and fear.
Brendel studied the Subterrane Dwellers. Their mouths were open wide like sharks, and the interior was
filled with tiny jagged teeth. The blood that leaked out was green in color.
They were different from warm-blooded creatures and were actually a subtype of lizards. He would have
preferred coming back during winter to deal with them since their activities would be much smaller, but
time was of the essence. Still, the weather was cool enough to affect them. He bade the mercenaries to
turn them over, and observed their rigid claws holding onto their long spears.
“They are the lower caste amongst the Subterrane Dwellers.” The Nightsong said as he studied the bodies
as well: “It seems like they have put their elites in their inner defenses. The deeper we go in, the stronger
the resistance will be.”
Brendel nodded.
[But it is a good thing. Monsters that progressed from weak to strong like a traditional RPG means it’s a
natural caste system in the game. If it’s segmented like an army where there’s a captain leading the
outposts, it’s a full military organization. Since it’s not, we’re most likely dealing with a splintered tribe or
remnants which are gathered under a strong individual. This is a normal mob zone and not some
dungeon elites.]
He was apprehensive to find the situation as a planned invasion from a large tribe or even a full-on
invasion from an entire faction. There would be times where the Underworld’s citizens would hanker
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after the surface’s resources. Even though the underworld had even richer resources, it was even harsher
there.
“We might meet their warriors and elites called ‘Camlu’. The latter means ‘Warrior’ in their language, and
are something like a military officer. They are just one step below Silver-ranked fighters and are the
strongest fighters amongst the Subterrane Dwellers. However, I’m certain we can take them on without
any trouble.” He remarked to the three commanders near him.
The mercenaries combed the entire area and brought out over twenty corpses. Brendel calculated his XP
he received, and it was a match to the number of creatures killed. They were quickly killed under the
attacks from the Dragon Knights. Because the spiders utilized the flow of the wind, they were perfect
counters to the Subterrane Dwellers who had to rely on their sense of smell and hearing.
With the surrounding eyes eliminated one by one, Brendel and his men progressed smoothly into the
forest. Three hundred mercenaries did their best to move in silently, but a few carelessly trod onto dry
sticks and caused a loud snapping sound from time to time. They nervously snapped their heads to their
surroundings, but there were only unknown birds that beat their wings as hard as possible.
The wizards who were placed in the center found the situation to be intriguing. They were used to being
the first target of ambushes. Anyone would recognize their importance in a battlefield. Their defense
capabilities were low, and their high value made them the favorite targets of scouts. They were used to
injury and frequently stood between the lines of life and death, all while witnessing their comrades killed
in front of them because they defended them.
The only target that exceeded their importance was the commanding officer, but they were less
susceptible to ambushes because of their skill.
As the mercenaries continued to walk through the forest without incident and continued to make the
Subterrane Dwellers’ scouts disappear, they started feeling it was more like an exhibition trip. This could
only be the miracle of their lord.
Ever since the denizens of the Silver Bloodline imparted their mysterious techniques to the mortals, the
latter had formed a deep impression of respecting the powerful. They started remembering that Brendel
and Ciel frequently discuss matters together in the city and whispers started passing around.
Meetings between wizards were an exchange of information and power, and this was gradually called as
‘The meeting of the Golden Duo’.
But Brendel was quite different from the elegant image they had in their minds. He was repeatedly
grumbling in his mind, as he calculated the amount of EP he had to spend in maintaining the Holy Sword
card.
Even though the results from the spiders were impressive, the price to pay was 13 Earth EP for each
round of attacks he made. He checked his reserves and discovered his 32 EP had dwindled down to 7 EP.
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He frowned and immediately called for the guide to come over to him.
The guide came before him and realized Brendel was a little upset. He thought he had done something
wrong to incur his wrath and asked uneasily: “My lord, is there something you need?”
“How long more to our destination?” Brendel asked with a little impatience in his voice.
The spell could only last for another five minutes before he needed to pay the maintenance again. He was
going to give up on it and allow the Holy Sword card to return to his deck, planning to use it only when it
was necessary, preferably at night or early morning against the retaliation that would happen after the
upcoming battle.
The guide was visibly relieved upon hearing the reply: “Very soon, my lord. Once we cross this part of the
forest, we would be able to see it. This particular sawmill is constructed in the river to utilize a water
powered saw, and—”
His words were suddenly interrupted by a strange bird call. Brendel turned his head in front of him and
saw the mercenaries had stopped and laid on the ground. It was a warning from the furthest mercenaries
in front, and they continued to gesture with their hands.
They found the enemies.
He was slightly surprised. He had allowed the spiders to move autonomously, and if there was no
reaction or XP coming in, it meant that the Dragon Knights had encountered an obstacle that did not
allow them to kill in a single strike, and thus they obeyed his second order to hide.
He dismounted and walked over to the edge of the forest. The three mercenaries’ commanders, the
Nightsong Tiger, Amandina, Scarlett, and Romaine all dismounted and followed him. There was no
cautiousness in the merchant girl’s eyes, and were filled with curiosity instead.
The density of the trees was becoming thinner, and Brendel quickly reached the forest’s edge.
“My lord!” The mercenary stood at attention and said. He turned his head and saw his commander,
Cornelis, nodding to him.
Brendel studied the environment. It was a steep slope leading downwards to the river bank. The sawmill
was across the river with a few wooden houses nearby; it considerably large for its size, but it had
changed significantly from its original appearance.
The Subterrane Dwellers had turned it into a fortress.
They stacked boulders against the river’s direction and erected a tall wooden wall, along with a
watchtower. Within the fortress were countless large holes and soil packed into a corner. He counted the
holes and estimated approximately two hundred Subterrane Dwellers were living there.
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“They have quite the numbers. It’s a difficult battle.” Jana frowned, glancing at Brendel and worried that
he would make the order to force them to attack.
But Brendel did not answer. He studied the patrolling squadrons near the river. Each squadron was led
by a Subterrane Dweller with dark-red colored skin. They were Camlu, and launching an attack might
cause them to retreat to their fortress and waste their advantage of a sneak attack. He turned to
Amandina and the Nightsong Tiger: “What do you two think?”
“You can use our old method of dealing with them.” The Nightsong Tiger answered.
[Hold it, Nightsong Tiger, relay your method to me through our thoughts. This is also a test for the three
commanders I have.]
Brendel gave the slightest nod after the Nightsong Tiger explained in detail. He then cast his eyes on
Raban and Scarlett briefly.
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The Subterrane Dwellers in the sawmill quickly discovered a team of adventurers. They were comprised
of a few warriors, two crossbowmen, and one wizard. Regardless of whether it was in Aouine or Kirrlutz,
it was a common combination.
When the human team appeared, it was undoubtedly a provocation to the territorial Subterrane
Dwellers. A shrill whistle quickly rang out within the fortress. The massive wooden gate was raised
noisily with groans, and two groups of the Underworld creatures rushed out, following the river’s
coastline as their feet stomped through the water before they started wading across.
They divided into two and attempted the surround the adventurers. The crossbowmen fired two shots.
One missed, while the other struck one of the Subterrane Dweller’s chest, but it did not penetrate
through. The impact from the hit caused it take a step back, stirring the water lightly, but that was it. The
creature shook its head, raised its spear and continued following its group.
“Their hides are certainly thick,” Cornelius who was hiding in the bushes frowned as he saw the results,
“the rumors are true. Even a hundred of these creatures is trouble for us, let alone a thousand.”
“Their speed is shockingly fast. It’s nearly three hundred feet from the river, and yet they only took a few
seconds! Surely they are swifter than best riders!” Jana said in alarm.
“Swifter than the fastest riders? That is because you have not seen excellent cavalry, miss Jana.” Raban
gave a short laugh.
The female commander immediately shut her lips sourly and glared at him.
Brendel nodded to agree with Raban’s assessment. The creatures could be compared to a Tier 2 mounted
unit and were slightly slower than the best horses. But Vaunte’s mounted troops did not exclusively use
warhorses. Aouine’s strongest flying troops were called ‘Cruising Knights’, describing how quickly and
effortlessly they entered into the battlefield. They rode flying dragons and were considered elites
amongst the flying mounted troops.
“That’s enough.” Cornelius stopped their quarrel, “My lord, there are at least two hundred of these
creatures in the sawmill. Which a large number, there is no way our men can handle them.” He shook his
head, and his silver hair shimmered against the sunlight that peeked through the dense foliage: “Do you
have any solutions?”
His gaze seemed to hold an intentional meaning.
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Amandina scoffed lightly at the other side. She had seen through his thoughts. Indeed, if Brendel and
Scarlett were relied upon, a frontal assault would not be difficult. Two Gold-ranked versus a hundred
Iron-ranked was not much trouble at all. If the mercenaries helped in the process, they would be able to
forcefully conquer the sawmill, and it would take at most two hours.
But if he was to follow these sellswords at every step, what authority would he still have? Yet when she
looked at Brendel, he was calm and assured, and she knew that he must have a plan in mind.
Thus Amandina spoke in a cold voice: “Books about these creatures state that they have difficulty fighting
against a defensive structure. Their effectiveness is also limited in this area because they have difficulty
digging the land up as it’s near a river. No matter how fast or how thick their hides are, as long as we can
take down the sawmill and turn it into our defense, they would have no chance.”
Raban looked at Brendel in surprise: “They have this weakness? My lord, you knew about this place and
chose to attack because of this point?”
Brendel did not give away his thoughts, but he was suppressing the spasms that were on the corners of
his lips. That was because he really did not think about it.
It was quite common for sawmills to be near rivers. It was easier to transport by following the currents,
and it was quite common to use the water currents to generate power and use it to saw lumber. If it was
somewhere in the capital and there were no water-powered saws, they would use Magicite to power the
saws.
Even though he heard about the guide’s descriptions about the sawmills, he really had no idea what sort
of state the sawmills were in, just like how they did not expect to see them make a fortress out of the
sawmill.
“The solution is already taking place,” Brendel nodded, “but we have to see how many of these creatures
our baits are capable of drawing out.” The youth looked at his subordinates-in-name, “But everyone can
relax. This battle is not as difficult as you think; just treat it as a warm-up battle for your men.”
The mercenaries who overheard his words were taken aback. The numbers required to defeat the two
hundred odd dwellers required more than the three hundred mercenaries they had today. No matter how
they look at it, it was not a warm-up but a harsh battle.
“Just wait for it, you will see what I have prepared soon.” Brendel’s mind concentrated to prepare for
battle. His eyes went back to the river and watched the adventurers retreat at full speed back to the
forest. They were quick, but they were soon caught up at the slope to the forest.
The wizard in the team slammed onto the ground and roared a chant. Three large Magic Circles appeared
beneath their feet, causing sand and rocks to form together as a small fortress of five meters tall and
three meters wide at each side. It was complete with battlements and allowed the crossbowmen to
station between them.
1303
A spell to create a building out of nothing.
The mercenaries were surprised. It was close enough to be a Silver-ranked magic spell, although it could
not compare to the original legendary spell which created an entire city. Jana and Cornelius had glanced
at each other before they noticed Raban was smiling nonchalantly.
“Raban, he’s your man?” Cornelius lowered his voice and asked. Allowing such a wizard of the Third
Circle to go to the frontlines to become bait was unthinkable.
The commander of the Firebrand Mercenaries nodded without a care. “Matthew, he’s the best wizard in
my mercenaries,” he replied.
“You’re quite the risk taker,” Cornelius confirmed the truth, but he did not feel relaxed but rather, a sense
of danger. The middle-aged man who had a full head of silver hair took a long look at Raban, then at the
silent Brendel, and felt that his position was shaking.
The night where he fought alongside with the young lord should have left a good impression, but the
quiet veteran soldier beside him had forged an understanding with the youth before he even realized it.
[Damn it. When did they make some kind of arrangement?]
He cast his gaze back at the forest’s edge. The middle-aged wizard, Matthew, retreated to the center and
stayed behind the crossbowmen and warriors. He put his entire body weight on to the staff and breathed
heavily. The spell he cast apparently drained a large amount of stamina and energy.
The effectiveness of the small fortress was evident. The Subterrane Dwellers’ front limbs were short and
weak, and when they attacked, they relied greatly on their legs. They would leap forward with great
force, lunging towards their enemies while they held on to their spears.
They were unable to climb the walls because they were not meant to do so.
The walls were also high enough to cause them to have difficulty in judging the distance to jump over. If
they did manage to go over, the warriors quickly rushed forward and overwhelmed them one by one.
Within a single minute, four Subterrane Dwellers were cut down and kicked off from the fortress, causing
them to roll a few times off the coastline. The creatures started to retreat as they looked on with
confusion.
The two Camlu which were commanding at the back emitted shrill cries to surround the fortress and
coordinate the attacks.
“Defending from that position is too difficult…..” Jana’s eyebrows were knitted together in frustration. The
group of mercenaries were skilled and chosen by Brendel to be bait. Each of them was highly skilled Iron-
ranked fighters, but against thirty-odd Subterrane Dwellers, they would only last so long. When they get
overwhelmed…… there would be blood and carnage.
1304
Two rounds of attacks quickly came and went without the creatures having success, but she did not
expect the events that followed. The Camlu which forced their subordinates to attack suddenly shrilled
loudly and had them retreat a distance while surrounding it.
The mercenaries at the fortress stood at attention. Matthew had caught his breath and was ready to
participate in the battle.
“The Subterrane Dwellers are unwilling to pay the price to capture the fortress by force. They will
eventually overwhelm them, but they would have a considerable number of casualties. The Underworld
is a harsh place. The population and military might are precious commodities and not to be wasted. It’s
also why their individual strength is higher than the average human.” Brendel explained to the confused
mercenaries.
“I see. But their ability to attack fortified areas is weak. Could it be that these creatures don’t have the
experience of destroying fortified buildings, or build their own?” Cornelius asked while he shot a glance
at Brendel. As a mercenary who lived their lives in the battlefield, they would often look down on the
nobles and scholars who knew nothing of it, yet when they were able to apply unknown knowledge to the
battlefield, they could not but feel impressed.
Brendel nearly swallowed wrongly when he heard the question. Underworld races were incredible at
building fortified cities. The earliest Underworld fortress was created to prevent the invasion of evil
demons. The walls’ thickness and toughness would make most human fortresses like Bruglas appear
weak in comparison, which was a given since their craft came from the underground Dwarves.
And in contrast, the walls of a rural city like Firburh were woefully lacking.
“It’s not exactly like that,” he said, “these creatures are usually combined with Earth Spirit Bears to form
an army.”
1305
“You probably have not seen it before. They look a little like a bear that stands on both its feet at over two
meters covered in fur, and hold some form of blood relationship with the surface’s Earth Spirits. They are
far stronger than their numerous distant relatives. It’s almost a subspecies which has powerful physical
strength. Their whelps can match a fully grown man.” Brendel explained slowly. “These bears wield a flail
and large shield on their hands, while the Subterrane Dwellers dig tunnels beneath them to bypass
fortified areas, they are quite the troublesome combination— Since they coexist together, there might be
Earth Spirit Bears.”
The people around Brendel were astonished and cast their gazes back at the Sawmill. The gate was once
again raised noisily as another group of Subterrane Dwellers walked out. There were heavy lumbering
footsteps that could be heard behind them. Three hulking creatures walked out, carrying huge shields
and flails that dragged behind them.
Even though Brendel described them as bears, they could hardly see the resemblance. Their bodies were
covered in long shaggy brown fur; their heads seemed like they sat flatly on their shoulders and had no
neck. However, everyone cast impressed eyes at Brendel’s near perfect depiction of the new creatures.
Jana stared at Brendel in silence, as though she wanted to find something any signs that revealed a truth
about him.
“I have seen these things before,” Raban suddenly stood up and said as he glared at the monsters that
made their way across the river, “I encountered them in Karsuk once. These things are so powerful that
they easily swiped away a dozen soldiers.” His expression changed deeply for the first time, “My lord, are
you certain that these creatures are also considered as a Tier 1 army like you said earlier?”
Brendel nodded, “The representation of the might of an army isn’t done by me. It was originally created
by the four different Holy Cathedrals. Their classifications not only look at the individual strength of a
single unit but also how effective they are in an army. These Earth Spirit Bears are not intelligent
creatures and are incompatible with any other Underworld creatures. These Subterrane Dwellers had
coexisted with them for a long time, and because of that, they are able to form a specific type of strategy
with them. Otherwise, these foolish creatures will probably be taken off the list.”
Raban nodded and did not speak any further. Brendel had told him earlier that his men would not be in
any danger even if the enemies sent out their entire forces at them. But the other mercenaries had no
idea what was happening, and could only watch nervously.
As the new reinforcements crossed over halfway, the two squadrons of Subterrane Dwellers that
surrounded the small fortress gave a small opening to allow the new reinforcements to join in the fight.
1306
There was an odd silence amongst the mercenaries in the forest, as they thought the team of mercenaries
on the small fortress were doomed and somehow used as sacrifices.
The shrill calls happened again as soon as their new reinforcements were in place to join the battle. They
rushed towards the fortress with blood-curdling roars, when they suddenly felt a sudden change in the
air.
The two crossbowmen suddenly laid down their crossbows and unsheathed their weapons from their
backs. Strange sigils were carved onto their blades, gleaming brightly under the sun.
“Magic swords!” Someone amongst the mercenaries in the forest shouted in surprise.
And they were not the more common low-grade Magic Swords made by alchemists, but a fully enchanted
blade that made the difference against an opponent of similar capabilities.
Whispers started spreading amongst them as they wondered who the two crossbowmen were from. A
few cast their gazes at the three commanders as they were the only ones who would possess such
precious weapons.
But the three commanders had the same question, although they all believed that none of them possessed
such weapons.
The surprise turned into gasps. Two lines of light swung across the walls. The Subterrane Dwellers that
managed to jump onto the walls were severed cleanly into two. Only the three mercenaries’ commanders
had that level of skill.
“Who are those two?” Jana turned her head back and asked: “Cornelius, are they your men?”
But Cornelius did not have the mood to answer her words. He finally recognized the pair of swords. The
two men were actually the two angels who followed Brendel that night. He could finally understand why
Raban agreed to allow his best wizard to become bait. If there were two flying angels who could escape
anytime with his men, was there anything to be worried about?
The Earth Spirit Bears closed in with large strides and swung their flails at the fortress’ walls. A
resounding crash split the walls open, causing fissures along the top. The angels then grabbed the
mercenaries and flew up into the air before landing onto the ground a certain distance away.
To the blind Subterrane Dwellers, it was as if they had jumped from the wall. They screamed excitedly
and rushed towards them.
But right at that moment, a loud horn rang out in the distance, and a group of fifty-odd riders came
rushing out led by the Nightsong Tiger, surprising the three commanders. Brendel had secretly prepared
a fourth group of mercenaries led by the Mercenaries of Lopes, with the exception of the Nightsong Tiger,
1307
a certain distance away from the main group of mercenaries in order to cover their rear when they
traveled to the sawmill.
“My lord, this is—” Raban suddenly realized what Brendel was doing. The youth was gradually increasing
the number of soldiers to lure the Subterrane Dwellers to come out of the fortress. If there were too many
attackers at a given time, they might be guarded and refuse to come out. But with each iteration of
reinforcements to threaten the Underworld creatures that were already on the field, they might actually
be provoked enough to send out their entire force!
“This is the Nightsong Tiger’s idea,” Brendel’s eyes glinted as he studied the river’s coastline, “the
Subterrane Dwellers have sent out their allies because they didn’t want to give up on taking down the
bait. Now that they are in danger they would send out their entire forces to minimize casualties. After all,
the population in the Underworld is too precious. Well, it’s not just the NPCs, sometimes the gamers will
make that kind of mistake as well…..”
He started giggling with a perverted smile when he saw the mercenaries of ‘Team Bait’ cheering when
they realized the reinforcements had arrived.
[Oops. That was sort of mean; I shouldn’t laugh at the baits’ reactions.]
When the Nightsong Tiger mentioned this idea, he immediately understood that it would work. It was no
different to how the gamers exploited the psychology of the Underworld’s denizens.
“NPCs, gamers?” Raban interrupted his thoughts with a question.
Brendel coughed and replied: “Don’t get distracted, it’s nearly time for us to take action. Look at the
sawmill.”
The three commanders twisted their heads at the same time. The sawmill’s gates were raised up. Indeed,
this time it was not a single gate, but three gates that were raised up from the fortress. Long streams of
Subterrane Dwellers seemed to appear from thin air as they swarmed out of the sawmill. Cornelius
immediately paled while he quickly counted and estimated there were over two hundred creatures. He
inhaled deeply and released a cold breath.
[Marsha above, surely these creatures wouldn’t leave the sawmill completely undefended, doesn’t that
mean there are over three hundred of these creatures? Luring the majority out is one thing, but even if
we make them lose the advantage of the fortified position, that doesn’t mean we can take them down,
we’re outnumbered!]
Brendel quietly watched the Subterrane Dwellers wade across the river. Their goal was definitely to
rescue their own, and judging from their speed; they did have the capability to do so. Brendel finally
stood up, ignoring the three mercenaries’ commanders unpleasant expressions.
1308
He snapped his fingers and caught the attention of the mercenaries around him. He gestured with his
hand, ‘Men, ready your crossbows, now!’
Everyone was momentarily taken aback. Witnessing the monsters in action had caused them to lack the
courage to do battle. In addition to that, they were confused about readying their weapons when half the
enemy was still on the coastline. Still, no one dared to disobey his orders, even if they did not
acknowledge him as the commander. Their comrades were still on the coastline, and their commanders
had pledged their loyalty to him.
They quickly took their crossbows off from their backs and drew back their strings to load them. They
had been warned to do it as silently as possible, and they took their time to do it. Each crossbow was
readied with a soft twang.
‘Aim.’ He relayed his next order.
His timing was perfect. The new batches of Subterrane Dwellers and Earth Spirit Bears had just reached
their destination, just when the mercenaries finished loading their projectiles. The three commanders
looked at him in incredulity. This was the first time they had seen Brendel commanding, and it was no
coincidence that he timed it accurately.
Brendel merely smiled inwardly at their reaction. Most of Aouine’s mercenaries roughly had the same
capabilities, and the scenario he had now proved that his timing was not off when he compared it to the
gaming.
Even if it was a group of Wind Spirit Riders on the other side, he could still have the mercenaries to get
the first strike.
At that moment, three hundred mercenaries readied their projectiles, be it wizards or gunners. Each one
of them tracked down their targets, but the enemies’ robust hides made them wonder if they were going
to be effective. They wondered if it was truly a warm-up like their commanders had told them.
Brendel waited for two more seconds and snapped his fingers.
‘Fire!’
1309
The bowstrings were released in a cacophony. Countless projectiles were fired and covered the ground
like a cloud casting shadows over it. The Subterrane Dwellers at the forefront felt like they crashed into a
wall. Projectiles littered across the smooth pebbles, and they stepped onto the bolts in confusion,
stumbling and falling over. Very quickly, they were turned into corpses as arrows continued to fill their
bodies.
The raining arrows completely ambushed the Subterrane Dwellers, and those at the frontlines retreated
in a panic. However, the creatures at the back continued to advance, and thus they collided and fell into
complete disarray.
[[That’s a great chance!]]
Jana and Raban immediately had this thought. They unsheathed their rapier and greatsword respectively,
ready to lead their men to charge into battle and finish them.
But Brendel’s sword swung downwards and cut across a line in front of their feet. The wind pressure cut
through the ground deeply, before it ended up in a tree and climbed upwards, causing branches and
leaves to be severed. Both of them held their breaths and gaped. They turned around involuntarily to look
at Brendel.
“My lord?” Raban asked.
“Prepare an attack formation at the river.” The Nightsong Tiger and his men were engaging the
Subterrane Dwellers on the river’s coast, charging straight into their tail.
“My lord, but…..” Jana gritted her white teeth and looked hatefully at the panicking monsters in the river.
“This is an opportunity.”
“Your opponents are not humans.” Brendel glanced at her and answered simply. He pointed his finger to
his ears. These creatures fought in the darkness their whole lives and relied on their hearing senses to
discern the creatures around them. They were much more responsive in handling unknown situations
better than humans.
This ambush might have caused them to be in complete chaos, but they were going to recover very
quickly. Their way of communication was emitting pitched frequencies, and it was far more effective
compared to humans who relied on flags and uniforms to discern direction and allies.
1310
[The Subterrane Dwellers recover much more quickly compared to other army types. The worst of them
all is Earth Spirits, once they lose their formation they can’t regroup. The group immune to panic or
confusion from ambushes is the undead. Only incredibly well-trained armies can take advantage of the
Subterrane Dwellers. You mercenaries are not.]
The only way to take advantage was to attack the moment they fell into chaos, but only an exceptionally
trained army would be able to do so.
The two commanders were still unconvinced, but Cornelius pulled out his longsword and walked in
between them. “We should listen to our lord,” he had instinctively realized something was different about
the Underworld creatures, “we lack the experience to fight these monsters.”
Brendel raised his eyebrow as he noted the ambition in Cornelius’s eyes. He did not care about the
reasons why they followed him, but as long as they did, they had to submit to him.
“It’s good enough if you understand that point, I don’t have enough time to explain it to you,” He lowered
his sword and said, “now execute my orders.” Once he was done, he merely turned his body towards the
river.
“Is my lord going to the frontlines?” Jana was still a little uneasy. She did not understand why he insisted
on having them fight the Subterrane Dwellers in a direct battle. Even a battalion of Aouine’s army
numbering five hundred, might not gain any advantage in fighting them, not to mention their smaller
numbers of mercenaries.
“I have selected my targets,” Brendel answered.
[Over there—]
The two angels were fighting against the three Earth Spirit Bears to a stalemate, while the Nightsong
Tiger held the first advantage by targeting their weakest link. Brendel did not waste any more time and
activated his Charge skill. He leaped into the air and flew across the ground like an arrow, and the second
step he took changed his direction and descended into the enemies’ midst like a meteor.
In the mercenaries’ eyes, the young lord seemed to turn into a black trail of light as his cloak fluttered
behind him, reaching the Nightsong Tiger’s army in the blink of an eye.
A few Subterrane Dwellers realized a disturbance in the air and raised their weapons, but Brendel was
already past them and went straight for one of the Earth Spirit Bears. The gigantic brute shook its furry
ears and turned around, swinging its flail straight at him. Under the influence of Charge, he witnessed the
attack in slow motion, dodging the attack by jumping up on its arm and ran straight to its shoulder.
1311
The movements were done in a smooth stroke, and when the mercenaries finally caught a glimpse of his
body, he was already half kneeling on its shoulders and was sending his longsword straight into its throat
with both hands. With a quick pull after the blade found its mark, a geyser of blood shot out and sprayed
across the ground.
The Earth Spirit Bear bellowed painfully as its body shook a few times before it collapsed heavily onto the
ground. Silence momentarily filled his surroundings as the Subterrane Dwellers realized what happened.
The mercenaries who watched the entire exchange stopped what they were doing and felt their blood
boil. They gasped heavily as they thought they were witnessing a legendary tale happening before their
eyes. They would never forget that moment—
Raban swung his greatsword into the ground and caused a loud crash, forcing the mercenaries to break
their eyes off. He lifted his weapon back up and ordered them with a yell: “Form up, advance with speed,
and don’t let the enemies get to the shore.”
But when he turned around, the Subterrane Dwellers had calmed down.
The ten-odd Camlu were repeatedly screaming, sending out commands to their subordinates. The chaos
that the creatures had earlier was gone, and they were back into formations, seemingly ready to advance
again.
It was less than half a minute.
Raban then realized Brendel’s decision to stop them was completely right. If they had charged down to
the river, they would probably face an organized army before they even reach their destination, while
their own mercenaries would not be in formation. Against these opponents that were stronger than them,
Raban did not even need to think and know what the result would be.
His eyes sought for the other two commanders and saw that they were having the same uneasy thoughts
while they maintained their own mercenaries’ formations as they started marching to the river’s bank.
[Who exactly is this youth? It seems like the wizard under him is a Highland Wizard, so he must be a
noble’s scion from Karsuk. Even if you compare him to the most promising nobles of Aouine, he won’t
lose out even a little.]
His stray thought only lasted for a moment, before he turned his attention towards the enemies. He
judged the battle ahead of him to be terrible odds. Even though the youth’s judgment had been right again
and again, he was beginning to feel that the Subterrane Dwellers were impossible to defeat.
1312
The mercenaries had no chance at all if he looked at the enemies’ morale and organized formations, as
well as each individual’s strength. In fact, he had no confidence that they would be able to handle the first
clash.
He raised his hand and signaled. The first group of the mercenary warriors raised their shields up and
marched forward. The row behind them were mercenaries that used lances and other weapons with long
reach. The ones that stayed behind at the top of the forest were marksmen who continued to reload and
fire.
The first bout of projectiles did not produce great results, and it was more of a question of how effective it
could be. It was almost nothing more than a psychological comfort.
As the mercenaries marched closer, they found the Subterrane Dwellers and Earth Spirit Bears
maintaining a constant and organized movement, as though it was a requiem of death. Raban’s men could
now feel what their commander was thinking about, and their expressions were infused with doubt and
the intention to retreat.
Their morale was plummeting.
They were no more than a hundred feet apart from each other when the archers and crossbowmen fired
their third volley of arrows. Raban could clearly see the weak arrows bouncing off the Earth Spirit Bear’s
hides, and how ineffective they were.
Fifty feet left, and Jana stood in front of her men. Even though she thought herself as one who did not
possess enough strength, she could at least deflect the initial damage to those who saw her as the head of
their family.
She felt considerable regret for the first time, wondering if she chose wrongly. When she peered at the
young lord, he had just killed off the second Earth Spirit Bear, but he did not turn back to take even a
single glance at the mercenaries facing the reinforcements. She could not help but think that he was just
like the other nobles who did not care whether they lived or died.
Twenty feet, and Cornelius could almost see the disgusting skin folds on the Subterrane Dwellers. His
head was full of cold perspiration, and he gripped his sword tightly.
Just moments before they clashed, the mercenaries could hardly be called as an army anymore; but so did
the creatures in front of them. They had clashed together in confusion, with the results completely out of
everyone’s expectations.
That was because the battlefield had lost all sound.
Everyone realized that fact.
1313

1314
When the warriors felt the Subterrane Dwellers crashed onto the raised shields with their weapons, not
even a single sound happened. It was almost a comical sight to have the warriors fly up into the air due to
the massive impact, then thrashing their arms wildly as they fell down towards the back rows. It was
complete silence.
Everyone stopped in confusion.
Jana was the first to turn around, her eyes darting around to find the cause, and she saw Brendel holding
up a radiating light in his hand towards their direction:
A massive Silence spell that covered sixty feet wide at their location, covering the entire battlefield they
were in.
The Subterrane Dwellers fell into complete chaos as they lost their senses to ‘see’ and losing their ability
to judge. Their first instinct was to retreat, or swing their spears threateningly around them, trying hard
to protect themselves. This chaos spread everywhere. They started treating each other like enemies, or
run around in random directions. Quite a few mercenaries were dragged into their frantic attempts to
fight, but the majority managed to escape the chaos and realized something a short moment of confusion:
Victory was right in front of them.
‘I understand now’, everyone thought of these words.
Brendel threw away the expended Soul Gem in his hand as his eyes went back to the third Earth Spirit
Bear. It was as though he had seen the conclusions of the battle a long time ago.
[I see, so these foolish bastards have this kind of weakness.] Cornelius and Raban thought of the same
thing as they looked at each other.
Cornelius quickly bade the Flagbearer next to him to change the flag’s color. A red flag with two swords
was raised into the air. There was no need for words since the meaning was clear: Attack.
The warriors dropped down their shields and took out their weapons. They were the defenders a
moment ago, but now they were leading the counterattack. It was as if an invisible wave swept through
the battlefield as they cleaved down their enemies with both hands.
The Subterrane Dwellers were completely unable to defend themselves from the organized attacks, and
in this ‘darkness’ they felt an instinctive fear and started retreating from the direction of the attacks.
1315
The Camlu were unable to stop the formation from breaking down. The entire surroundings around them
were being robbed away by the Silence spell like a black hole and preventing all aural feedback.
Even when the Subterrane Dwellers escaped from the spell’s effective area, they discovered that
everyone was escaping, and they had no desire to stay behind. Very soon, the Camlu and the Earth Spirit
Bears started retreating as well, causing a massive defeat.
In truth, the casualties were significantly less than one would think. At the mercenaries’ first charge, they
killed only twenty Subterrane Dwellers. They were felled near the river, and the water reached their
bodies.
The remainder of the Underworld creatures did not have any thoughts to check their losses and simply
obeyed their fear to run away. Once they reached areas where they could hear again, they began fleeing
as fast as they possibly could without any formation or organization. Many of them were trampled to
death by their own, leaving behind a road of corpses.
The mercenaries who followed them out of the effective area of the Silence spell, changed their formation
and chased after the stragglers that strayed away from the group. They truly did not think the entire
battle changed that easily.
It was just like what Brendel had said; this was nothing more than a warm-up battle.
At the other end of the forest, there were only thirty Subterrane Dwellers left. Brendel had slain all three
Earth Spirit Bears, and the remainder of the enemies had to deal the angels and twice their numbers. The
conclusion of the battle was foregone.
Brendel turned his eyes to the escaping Subterrane Dwellers at the other river’s bank and chanced upon
the mercenaries keeping a constant speed to chase after the scattering monsters. He snarled in
annoyance at their cautious attitudes. At this rate, they were going to allow the remaining Subterrane
Dwellers to retreat to the fortified sawmill.
Even though they appeared to be in dire straits, they did not use up their stamina to fight. Their injuries
were practically non-existent, and eight out of ten were still ready for battle. None of the Earth Spirit
Bears died either.
Allowing them to escape was a waste.
[There’s no choice, I’ll need to use that.]
Someone familiar was appearing from the direction of the Sawmill. A red ponytail fluttered strongly and
created a trail of red in the wind, as the rider charged at the retreating creatures on the summoned card,
Silver Colt.
1316
It was Scarlett.
She was tasked by Brendel to cut off the retreating enemies, and her spear was raised up threateningly
with an electrical arc trailing from it. She stopped before the hundred odd Subterrane Dwellers.
“Move away!” Jana was completely shocked, not knowing why the girl stopped in front of them. Their
numbers included the Earth Spirit Bears, and their instinct to survive would surely bring out their
aggression. Even a Gold-ranked fighter would have trouble facing them. In fact, if they gathered together
to put up a last-ditch effort to fight back, it would mean their victory would be wasted.
But Scarlett did not move from the spot as though she did not hear.
The next instant, countless green lights appeared in the forest near her, and Jana swallowed her curses
that were at the tip of her mouth. She knew how powerful they were.
The spiders were directly commanded by Brendel, and they began their assault, shooting beams of Light
Energy unerringly at each Subterrane Dweller. Each laser that fired at them was the full strength of a
Silver-ranked fighter’s attack, and the enemies were unable to defend themselves.
Brendel used the attacks sparingly to conserve his EP by using a lower number of spiders. He ushered the
retreating groups of Subterrane Dwellers to the right and did not attack them. This prevented them from
retreating into the sawmill, and they scampered off into the forest in fear.
Scarlett did not move from her spot and merely sent off waves of thick bloodlust. The remaining
creatures that somehow escaped the spiders’ attacks did not dare to run past her and fled to the forest.
Scarlett did not attack. She merely waited till the last Underworld creature disappeared into the forest
and waited for the mercenaries to join up with her. She then pulled the reins and turned the Silver Colt
around.
The Subterrane Dwellers within the sawmill realized that none of the of their allies were coming back and
hurriedly closed the wooden gates. Scarlett smiled with a hint of challenge in her eyes, and she swung her
weapon against it.
An explosive sound echoed in the vicinity, with the gate hurling high up into the air before they shattered
into pieces and rained onto the ground.
“That’s really troublesome,” Amandina frowned to herself and grumbled, “If she destroyed the door, we
still need to get people to repair it. Why can’t she think more about it.”
1317
Amandina walked out of the forest when the battle was over. She was almost not bothered by the corpses
around her, most likely because she was used to it.
“Let her do it.” Brendel laughed, his eyes capturing the trails of golden light flying towards him. He had
gained approximately ten thousand XP and was able to advance his Mercenary profession by a tenth.
Amandina did not continue her complaints after hearing his words and watched Scarlett lead the
mercenaries into the sawmill. Their enemies were not their match, and the conclusion was drawn.
“It’s hard to imagine that these creatures would be so weak against specialized magic. They should
logically understand what their weaknesses are.” Amandina said quietly.
“That’s not true, miss Amandina.” The Nightsong Tiger rode over and dismounted as he spoke.
Amandina turned over and asked for the reason with her eyes.
“The Subterrane Dwellers are grouped with other units.” Brendel explained: “The Jurgen Underworld is
akin to a huge kingdom. Many different races gathered with each to form it. Not only do the Subterrane
Dwellers work together with Earth Bear Spirits, but there are also witches with eagle bodies, and dog-
headed bipeds as well. The Subterrane Dwellers do have their witch doctors, but the enemies we are
facing here is from a small tribe, and there might not even be one. It’s not strange for them not to be
capable of handling magic.”
“Their witch doctors are few?”
“One wizard out of every thousand humans. That ratio is actually pretty high on our side. The Subterrane
Dwellers have far less in their ratio.”
Amandina nodded and pondered for a while: “I didn’t expect the Underworld to be comprised of so many
races. It’s completely different from the books. The Subterrane Dwellers are mentioned prominently; I
thought the place below is a place where civilization doesn’t reach, and it’s a barbaric place. The world is
certainly interesting.”
[It’s normal to make this mistake since Kirrlutz is the one who writes all these books and promotes
humans as the superior race. From the gamer’s point of view, this world is incredibly vast.]
“If I compare these Subterrane Dwellers to the Madara’s skeletons, they are much more powerful. There
must be even more fearsome creatures below. To think there’s such a threat from the Underworld.”
Amandina said.
“One characteristic of the Underworld’s creatures is the individual’s might. This has something to do with
their environment,” Brendel said, before shaking his head and looked towards the sawmill with a sigh,
1318
“yet if you think that these creatures are powerful, that’s actually because Aouine is much too weak. If it
were Kirrlutz’s army, they would never say these words.”
1319
Chapter 20 – Expansion
=============== Tagiv’s POV =================
The Direbear Forest was somewhat considered as part of the Dark Forest, despite being close to
civilization with its small geographical area as the bears were highly aggressive. The four lumber mills in
this mountainous forest were approximately a day’s journey from each other.
The human leader of the mercenaries had taken the lumber mill located in the most western forest called
the Hooved Grass Lumbermill. The defeated Subterrane Dwellers brought back the news of the fortress
being conquered by humans, and eventually reached the ears of their Elders.
Tagiv, one of the thirteen High Nobles who became a Witch Doctor without training, had skin color that
was even darker than the elite warriors. The creature wore a coat woven from Terror Vulture’s long
feathers, won from the Underworld’s Dark Elves in a battle.
It sat on a throne covered with a large bear hide without any mood to groom the beautiful feathers.
Instead, its long fingers were restlessly stroking a Longstaff. The weapon in his hands was adorned with a
skull at the tip with Terror Vulture’s feathers.
Five years ago, Tagiv became the leader of this sub-tribe which splintered off from the main clan. Due to a
territorial fight, Tagiv had no choice but to bring its tribe away from the area. It was a habit of the
Subterrane Dwellers to move away from trouble. Tagiv eventually and its men discovered a path towards
the surface, as it was not a rare thing for the underworld to be connected to the surface.
Rumors had described the surface to be far from the description of paradise, but the Witch Doctor
decided to take a risk and led its tribe members to the surface world. It discovered that the human race
here was not as terrifying as it had imagined, and thus led its tribe to conquer the four lumber mills
within in the forest.
This act naturally caused the territory Lord, Graudin, to be in utter fury. He eventually sent out his men to
fight the creatures in the forest twice, but the unsightly human army comprised of undisciplined local
men and nobles’ private soldiers were not the match of the Subterrane Dwellers. In the end, the humans
did not win anything and were driven out.
Graudin ultimately cast down his pride and met Tagiv for negotiations. The Subterrane Dwellers did not
need the lumber from the forest, but he needed them. Trentheim provided the merchant city Ampere
Seale’s demand for lumber, and if there were any problems with the delivery, the first person who would
demand answers would be from his father, Count Randner.
1320
Even if there was a deficit in the yearly supply of lumber, Graudin had no choice but to find ways to
ensure Trentheim provided the minimum amount. The four lumber mills near Firburh supplied a
considerable figure, and he did not dare to abandon it lightly. Since he was unable to take them back by
force, he had no choice but to establish a transaction.
It was highly unthinkable that a lord had to buy his own commodity that was made from his land, but
Graudin at least had a silver mine in Trentheim to pay for it.
Silver was also a currency used in the underworld, and Tagiv required money to bolster his tribe. This
outcome was a secret agreement that would supposedly continue, except that Graudin met his death.
Tagiv was highly satisfied with the transaction. Despite the numerous victories against the humans and
taking down Graudin’s pride, the fact that its tribe was vastly outnumbered remained. Several thousands
of Iron-ranked fighters might sound like a terrifying force, but they were the entirety of the sub-tribe’s
population.
Tagiv was highly intelligent, and with the constant interactions with the humans, it had realized the
situation it was in in this surface world. Even though no army that could easily drive them away in
Trentheim, there was no easy advantage that it could get by staying within this land.
A population of seventy thousand lived around Firburh, and the region Trentheim had several times of
that. A strange race like themselves attacking the human cities was likely to gather a retaliation many
times stronger than what Graudin had done.
Tagiv understood that the kingdoms of the surface world were similar to the kingdoms in the
underworld. This land was merely part of something much bigger, and it was a little fearful and wary of
that fact.
Despite knowing that Graudin had a silver mine, it did not attempt to conquer it. As long as they
maintained a hold on the lumber mills, they would receive a constant flow of silver. It could expand its
tribe until it was ready to return to the underworld with hoarded silver to use for trade.
Within its heart, it still desired to go back. Even though Trentheim appeared like a bountiful place, it was
not the Subterrane Dwellers native territory.
After adjusting to a stable peace for months, the Subterrane Dwellers did not favor holding a hostile
behavior towards the humans and would rather remain an unknown existence.
But good things did not seem to last, and the creature felt that it had encountered a difficult trouble. The
news of the conquered lumber mill arrived in the afternoon, when the defeated Subterrane Dwellers
reported the humans had once again invaded the forest—
1321
This time not only did the humans took back one of their lumber mills, they even slaughtered more than a
hundred of their tribe members.
Tagiv was in a complete fury when it heard the news. It quickly gave an order to gather the tribe
members who could fight, but it calmed down soon after and started to gather more information about its
opponents. The Witch Doctor eventually summoned its trusted subordinates in order to hear more
opinions about their enemies.
An Elder Subterrane Dweller who had deep wrinkles in its hide, complete with white tattoos, stepped
forward with its weak and thin limbs.
This Elder was called ‘Horned Claw’, a rarity amongst Subterrane as the majority of them had no names,
and was bestowed by Tagiv; this name originated from a type of lizard bipeds; hunters known for their
efficient movements and cunning ways.
Tagiv gave this name to him for his wisdom and experience. Horned Claw had betrayed its rival tribe and
escaped from them, before surrendering to Tagiv.
It was a common thing for the Subterrane Dwellers to surrender to another tribe and they did not have
the notion of loyalty. Rather, they submitted to the strong. The Subterrane Dwellers did not look down on
Horned Claw and even regarded its words with considerable weight.
“According to the descriptions from our defeated tribe members, the humans most likely have a wizard,”
the elderly Subterrane Dweller said, “A Silence Spell. In the Underworld, the Dark Elves frequently used it
against us. It is unfortunate that we don’t have more Witch Doctors in our army, or we wouldn’t lose so
many of our tribe members.”
“How many men do they have?” Tagiv asked.
“Two to three hundred.”
“A mere army with only three hundred at most,” Tagiv said darkly, “the human named Graudin must be
tired of living. Does he think that I wouldn’t fight back if he sent out the mercenaries after us?”
It slammed its Longstaff onto the ground and said hatefully: “We will kill these damned mercenaries and
then take this useless lord’s head. Then I’ll also lead our army and occupy that silver mine in the south
too.”
“But if we do that we will most likely draw the humans’ ire.” Horned Claw said.
“That is fine. They require time to move their armies. When we take over the mine, we will grab as much
silver as possible and retreat to the Underworld. I want to see if they dare to pursue us.” Tagiv responded
with disdain.
1322
The other Elders also chimed in with their screeches, both agreements and dissents.
“But how should we fight the mercenaries?” One of them asked.
“I’ll lead the army myself. It’s merely magic that’s causing a disadvantage for us,” Tagiv stood up,
“Tonight, I want the humans responsible to be killed in order to pay for our tribe’s blood that was spilled
today!”
The chieftain’s screech echoed within the room, and the Elders lowered their heads without any
disagreement. The humans were indeed fools in their eyes.
Tagiv had intentionally led an army of a thousand Subterrane Dwellers at any given time. With the full
force of three thousand Subterrane Dwellers, it was enough to overturn Trentheim’s entire army even if
they gathered together. If Graudin knew about this truth, he might have made countermeasures by
seeking more forces, but since he did not, there was no possible way for him to gather a bigger army
quickly.
The Subterrane Dwellers scouts near Firburh had reported that there was no new influx of any new
armies, and there were only mercenaries that gathered there.
There were some strange movements of the undead attacking the city and nearby citizens going to the
city to defend it, but that was it. After a day from the undead’s attack, it seemed like Graudin had
persuaded the mercenaries to attack the Subterrane Dwellers.
[If this short human believes this insolent act would not be met with retaliation, he must be a complete
fool.]
Tagiv would never be able to guess that Graudin had paid the price for his arrogance. The human who
was currently standing before them was Brendel, and he knew them as well as they did themselves.
The battles ahead for these creatures were always in a different direction from the very start.
================= Brendel’s POV ==================
The battle within the Hooved Grass Lumbermill ended quickly. The remnants of the Subterrane Dwellers
within the makeshift fortress were the sick and elderly. They were completely unable to resist the enemy
that invaded them.
Still, the mercenaries paid the biggest price ever since the start of the battle. There were over thirty men
who were wounded and ten who were dead from this encounter.
1323
But Jana, Raban, and Cornelius were relaxed when the battle was over. They were leaders who had seen
enough death, and the small casualties were something beyond their expectations. No, perhaps it was
even a miracle. If Brendel did not make use of the Subterrane Dwellers weakness, even gaining victory
was wishful thinking, let alone paying this little price.
But this battle with the Subterrane Dwellers made them uneasy and was out of their expectations. They
had nothing to do with Graudin’s antics, but for they were ultimately bound together for strange reasons
and had to fight for their new young lord. They could not help but glance at each other, and they saw
nothing but their sardonic thoughts in each other’s eyes.
1324
Chapter 21 – Expansion (2)
============== Three Mercenary Commanders’ POV ==============
“This is absurd.” Jana wiped her fringe to the back of her head as she spoke emotionally, gazing upon the
mercenaries who were clearing the battlefield: “What exactly are we fighting for in this battle……”
She paused before sighing, “But the conclusion to this battle is acceptable, barely.”
Raban glanced at her once and nodded.
“That young man is quite the excellent noble. Ever since I left Karsuk’s armies, I have completely given up
on the nobles’ leadership, but he’s starting to make me change my mind. A mercenary becoming a noble’s
retainer isn’t a bad choice, but to have him forcibly controlling us through our weaknesses is causing us
to feel reluctant to do so.”
“Hah!” Cornelius scoffed coldly. The middle-aged man with silver hair looked back at both of them and
said: “Ask yourself this, are you certain that both of you would not act the same way if Graudin said he’s
interested in having you as his retainers? If Graudin didn’t act like a crazed madman and started killing
innocent people, I believe you would be interested in joining him. Regardless, this young lord of ours
have no real footing in this territory, and any one of us can clearly see that he’s borrowing our strength in
order to fulfill his goals…..”
He rubbed his gloves a few times, pondering deeply, “It’s suspicious on how he’s acting. He didn’t tell us
his plans on casting magic before we clashed with the damned creatures….. I won’t let him have his way if
he tries to sacrifice my men.”
Raban nodded and said, “This young man seems to be taking an independent stance amongst the nobles. I
see no indication of any other nobles allying with him. Graudin is still a lord appointed directly by the
king, and his death will spark a strong retaliation. No matter how highly I think of him, I too must be
responsible for my men.”
Jana made a light scornful noise after listening to the both of them and turned her head away. Her
motives were very different from the two in front of her. She established her own mercenary group in
order to resist the nobles. Despite doing so, she was disappointed because she had no choice but to work
with the filthy nobles.
1325
During her leadership, she guarded her only sister fiercely until she lost her. She was still feeling a little
lost and did not know what goals she still had left, but if there was one thing that was clear, it was that
she disagreed with Cornelius’s words.
The three of them stopped their discussion when the Nightsong Tiger and his riders entered the lumber
mill— The young lord was finally going here. The other mercenaries paused what they were doing and
looked over to them.
It was simple for the mercenaries to judge their leader’s abilities; was he able to lead them to victory?
Brendel had brought them to a miraculous victory against seemingly impossible odds twice. The
mysterious rumors around him had only deepened their convictions, and every one of them felt like this
was someone they could follow in their future.
The three mercenary leaders did not stop their subordinates from acknowledging him. Even though they
did not know what direction they were heading into after the battle in Firburh, leaving Brendel’s side
would mean they had to seek refuge in the Dark Forest.
Even though Count Randner was like a dark cloud gathering over their heads, they at least had a small
hope shining in their hearts by following Brendel.
If Brendel was capable of bringing victories under impossible odds, who could be certain of what the
future holds?
A seed of blind faith was growing in everyone’s heart.
Delighted yells started ringing out just like Cornelius predicted in his mind. The mercenaries generously
greeted their hero with the highest respect, and their lifestyle under constant battles had nurtured their
hot-blooded personalities.
But when the last rider rode into the makeshift fortress, the mercenaries became confused.
There was no sight of Brendel.
The people at the forefront were Amandina the Nightsong Tiger and, as well as the lively merchant girl
Romaine who behaved smugly after hearing the cheers.
“What is this?” Jana was the first to move over to them and demanded.
Amandina glanced at her. Despite the various exchanges between them, the veteran female mercenary
was still unable to intimidate the young noble lady.
1326
Amandina replied disinterestedly: “Our lord has orders. All of us are to set up a defense. The Subterrane
Dwellers are likely to attack us during midnight after they finished gathering their forces. The Silence
spell cannot be casted repeatedly, so he wants every wizard to use their magic generously to fortify the
surrounding walls. It must be done before the moon rises up to the Witch-king’s position.”
Jana had to take a moment to understand the answer. She furrowed her eyebrows deeply when she came
to a conclusion and wanted to ask for more answers. Before she did so, Raban came up and patted her
shoulders, hinting to her that she needed to calm down.
He raised his head to Amandina sitting straight up on the horse’s back: “Lady Advisor, when is our lord
going to return? The only person amongst us who knows the most about the Subterrane Dwellers’ habits
and strategies is him, and without his leadership, we are unlikely to defend this place past midnight.”
“It should suffice if I’m here. Our lord has said that he will bring us a complete victory if we survive the
night.”
“Survive the night?” Cornelius was next to voice his disagreement: “Easier said than done, Lady Advisor.
This lumber mill is the outermost area of the enemy’s territory, yet the number of creatures we faced was
over three hundred. I don’t believe they would just split up a third of their forces to guard this place,
especially for a race that’s in constant battles. Their numbers are far more than just a mere thousand.”
“Commander Cornelius, everything comes with a price, and regardless of the odds we need to hold this
place down,” Amandina said with an impassive expression.
Romaine chimed in with a smile: ” For a businessman, opportunities and dangers always come together.
My aunt had told me that the difference between one person and another, is that the clever people are
able of balancing boldness and cautiousness at the same time, and this little me is capable of being a
smart person.”
Cornelius did not speak again after listening to her words. Since he did not dispute it, he acknowledged
her words.
“What do you think?” Jana turned her head slightly and asked Raban.
“What else can we do? We can see that the young man doesn’t trust us — this is a test for our loyalty, and
he has left us with this choice. We have to make our decision to accept it or not,” Raban smiled a little,
“He’s quite the confident fellow, and is completely different from the other useless nobles.”
“What do you mean?” Jana looked blankly at him.
1327
“He’s telling us that our beliefs are wrong. We have always thought he needed us for our men, but the fact
that he’s not here means that it doesn’t matter whether he has us or not…… And has given us a chance to
decide if we still wish to serve under him.”
Jana stared at Amandina with remarkable intensity: “Arrogance. If we’re capable of defending through
the night, we will be able to gain victory over the damned creatures? Does he really think he’s going to
reproduce King Erik’s miracle?”
She was referring to how King Erik subdued the Highland citizens in the past. Raban shook his head
slightly as he had his own thoughts about that fact, but he did not say anything more.
================== Brendel’s POV =================
Night slowly descended. No one in the lumber mill knew where Brendel was. While the three mercenary
commanders were busy fortifying the lumber mill, Tagiv had split up his army into two forces and
advanced through the forest. Countless Subterrane Dwellers and Earth Spirit Bears meandered slowly
beside the mountain streams, looking like a gigantic grey snake that was moving slowly in the night.
There were a few Earth Spirit Riders — They were not from the Underworld but the surface, and had
allied with the creatures.
[Most of Vaunte’s main scouting forces are flying types. It’s a huge disadvantage for many Underworld
races as they are used to living in the small spaces, especially during the daytime when the sun easily
blinds them…… but they have allied with the creatures on the surface.]
In Brendel’s eyes, they were merely weak creatures that could be ignored in a direct confrontation, but
they were an obstacle if he wanted to fly over the enemies. He supported himself against a tree as he
spied on them from a mountain slope.
“They have so many soldiers?” Scarlett could not suppress her voice and gasped a little when she saw this
sight before her: “That’s more than a thousand. I knew the reports from Graudin’s men are untrue. That
fool didn’t even realize how many creatures he was facing.”
Brendel nodded. He and Scarlett had flown on the Silver Colt and followed the fleeing Subterrane
Dwellers. As the creatures relied on their hearing and smelling senses, they were unable to detect the
two. After waiting for a few hours, the enemy finally started to move. Brendel and Scarlett then moved
ahead to higher grounds to observe them better.
Brendel glanced at the sky. It was still early, and the creatures would probably reach the lumber mill
around midnight.
1328
“With such a large force, even Commander Makarov would find it impossible to win,” Scarlett looked at
the valley and frowned. She looked up at Brendel, “what can we do?”
“Hmm. It seems like there’s an outpost ahead of us.” Brendel said.
“What?” She looked back puzzledly at him.
“It’s about time for us to set out, but we won’t be able to fly into the air now. I didn’t expect the
Subterrane Dwellers to ally with the nearby Earth Spirits.”
“My lord, you mean to—” Scarlett’s eyes were tinged with a sliver of shock: “Isn’t this action too bold?”
“Don’t worry; this isn’t the first time I’m doing this.” Brendel grinned back: “But I do need your
assistance—”
Scarlett sighed. “Your orders, my lord.”
“Very well, as you wish…..” Brendel nodded after studying her expressions, “Scarlett.”
“What are your orders?” She bowed her head.
“….. There’s an old phrase back in my hometown, in order to capture the bandits, you must first capture
their leader. I order you to aid me in doing so.”
1329
The sky’s cotton-like clouds seemed like they were set aflame by the setting sun’s penetrating rays. The
near crimson sky extended to a great distance before it gradually turned to colors of violet and dark blue,
with patches of unlit clouds at the end.
The clouds were considerably free of any indication that they were going to rain and instead hinted of
good weather for the days ahead. While the trills and warbles of the birds could still be heard, they were
diminishing and became quieter than it was a few minutes ago.
Scarlett’s eyes were slightly tinted by the sunset as she stood at Brendel’s side. She looked over to
Mountain Graham’s northern direction; it extended towards Karanjar’s mountainous regions which
wrapped around Firburh and continued eastward to the Dark Forest.
It was rumored that the mountains were the source of the land’s wealth with countless treasures buried
beneath the ground. The silver mine in Trentheim was rumored to be just a small portion of what the
mountains held, and even that alone was enough to supply Graudin with money to spend.
While the natives treated the tallest peak of the mountains as something holy and regal, it appeared like
an enormous predator in her eyes. The jagged rocks that jutted out at the top caught the sun’s rays and
glinted brightly, but the dense foliage from the trees that grew out at sharp angles seemed to prevent
light from entering, and appeared like there were something mysterious lurking behind the shade.
The lumber mills in the forest were visible spots that stood out, and it seemed like there were few
Subterrane Dwellers in them. But the truth could not be further away. These creatures dug the ground
beneath it and created tunnels leading to exits all over the mountains. The small gaps in between
boulders might lead into a network of tunnels.
It was impossible for an army to reach the mountain valleys without being detected by the Subterrane
Dwellers’ strict guard.
She glanced back at Brendel. They had traveled a few hundred meters along the mountain after he told
her about the plan, but once they reached near the enemies’ outpost, he stopped her from advancing. She
initially thought that he was going to observe the situation, but he closed his eyes, sat down on the
ground and started munching on some dry rations.
She waited till he finished eating before she hurriedly urged her young lord to move off, but he scratched
his head unwillingly and told her to wait with a small smile. When she asked for the reason, he mumbled
about some unclear excuses that she did not understand.
1330
[This damned noble.]
The girl did not make any visible reactions, but the root of a nearby tree near her was cracked open as
she stood on top of it.
[If you already decided on your plan to capture the ringleader or assassinate it, why aren’t you acting on
it……]
She hated the feeling of wasting time and frowned deeply because of that. A stream of Subterrane
Dwellers suddenly appeared from one of the tunnels, and her eyes went to them. They were the second
batch of Subterrane Dwellers that appeared.
“The first army of Subterrane Dwellers we saw a while ago moved deeper into the forest without
stopping at the outpost. Are they going to going to wait for this second army or march straight to the
Hooved Grass Lumbermill? That first army has over a thousand of the damned creatures. If they are not
waiting for the second batch, will our mercenaries be able to hold on until midnight?” She asked with
suspicion.
“I have no idea, as for the mercenaries holding on……” Brendel’s answer was simple.
[How should I know? I’m not a genius. Knowing the Subterrane Dwellers’ habits doesn’t give me foresight
into how they are going to act.]
“…… My lord, didn’t you say we are going to move before the sun sets?”
Brendel’s mouth dropped down with surprise and said: “Did I say something like that?”
“You, just did less than an hour ago……”
“Uhh,” Brendel interrupted her, “that’s because I saw you looked really annoyed, so I wanted you to
relax.”
She whipped her head in his direction and bared her pearly white teeth at him.
“I’m sorry,” Brendel said with an apologetic smile.
She did not respond to his words, but she let it slide as he was still her lord. As a subordinate, she could
not question her lord’s intentions, and even if she had questions, she could only put them in her heart.
Brendel would usually explain his thoughts and actions most of the time, but it seemed like he was a little
strange today.
[…… It’s not that I don’t want to explain, but it’s something that I can’t tell you.]
1331

He sighed inwardly and tapped the Loxar’s Market card in his mind and paid 2 Reputation. 6 Wealth
immediately entered into his pool of resources. He had repeated this for three days and had his entire
Wealth increased to 98 points. Although, this terrible exchange of resources made him tremble a little
painfully.
“Even if we were to act now and search the tunnels, we wouldn’t be able to find their chieftain.” He
considered for a while and said, “The Subterrane Dwellers have most likely dug through the entire
mountain, and we wouldn’t be able to find him even if we search the whole year.”
“But we can’t afford to wait, right?” She grumbled.
“Don’t worry, since the enemies responded this quickly, it means they are confident of beating our Silence
spell. Judging from their numbers, the chieftain that rules over them is a Witch Doctor. It will come out to
fight against ‘our wizard’. ”
“When will that happen?”
“It depends on how cautious the enemies are. At the latest, it would be sometime after the moon is at its
peak.”
“…… Can our men hold the enemy’s vanguard off for so long?”
“I trust Amandina, and I told her my plans earlier. The only thing that matters is whether the mercenaries
are willing to stand with me. If they are unable to hold the place, they still have ways to preserve
themselves and escape. In truth, there’s no real importance whether we hold the Hooved Grass
Lumbermill or not. When we won today’s afternoon battle, our victory has already been decided.”
“Hmm, look forward to it. My goal isn’t something as simple as winning a victory against the enemies.”
=========== Mercenaries’ POVs ============
The moon was up in the sky and unhindered by clouds.
The night scenery around the Hooved Grass Lumbermill had an air of serenity, but Jana detected an
unusual scent in the air when she patrolled the fortified walls.
[It seems like the Subterrane Dwellers’ scouts are here.]
1332
She subconsciously combed back her fringe and tidied her hair, which had been blown into slight
disarray from the wind that was turning colder. She beckoned a few mercenaries below with her left
hand and instructed them to investigate the forest.
Her actions naturally caught the attention of the other mercenaries. Cornelius quietly glanced at her
before he turned his attention back to his men. They were digging a trench around the walls to prevent
any sneak attacks from the ground below. Raban was also silent as he sent a hand signal to his men and
had them to climb up the walls.
Amandina was secretly relieved at the mercenaries’ orderly and experienced responses. She took another
brief look at the defenses in the lumber mill and climbed up the wall with the Elven twin sisters’ aid. She
soon reached Jana’s position.
“Did you discover something?” Amandina asked.
Jana turned her head and was not surprised when she saw the noble young lady, but she looked away
rudely before speaking: “There’s something in the forest, perhaps the Subterrane Dwellers, perhaps it’s
just a beast. I have sent my men to check it out.”
“The creatures are already here? This quickly?” Amandina’s mind was shaken slightly, but it did not reach
her expressions.
“I said ‘perhaps’,” Jana emphasized on the last word.
“But if it’s true?” Amandina inhaled lightly and calmed herself: “Does this mean the Subterrane Dwellers’
response is fast? Are we able to judge how good organized their army is?”
Even though she was knowledgeable from reading books, she realized that her experience was still
lacking after she followed Brendel. She believed that she would learn much from the veteran mercenaries
and thus lowered her attitude and asked humbly. Jana turned back and looked at her again, finding that
the young lady was not as annoying for the first time.
[This little girl has a pretty good mental fortitude for her age—]
Jana had seen enough talented nobles, so she quickly accepted the new Amandina.
“There is little information on the battlefield that’s reliable. Things change all the time,” Jana shook her
head, her crimson hair shimmering in the torches’ flames, “it could be possible that it’s a Subterrane
Dweller that was left behind in order to check us, or perhaps they are the enemy’s scouts that have
reached us. The former would mean that their battle discipline is very high, and if it’s possible I wouldn’t
want to face this army; the latter would mean the enemy’s response and organization are exceptional,
and the battles ahead would be challenging…… And the reason for that is their scouts. The lumber mills
1333
are supposed to an entire day’s journey from each other. For the scouts to reach this place so quickly, it
would mean their physical attributes are astonishing, as well as their speed to gather their army.”
“Which possibility do you think it is?”
“Based on experience, I would think it’s the latter.”
“Experience, you say?”
“Miss Amandina, relying on experience is very important, especially when you are unable to confirm
something. Instinct honed from experience is more reliable than your knowledge—” Jana answered,
before loud clashes of weapons colliding each other suddenly filled the air. The mercenaries had
encountered Subterrane Dwellers and were fighting them off. “But our lord is even more impressive–”
“What?” Amandina looked blankly at her.
“The enemy is fighting back instead of fleeing, so it means they are enemy scouts. If that’s the case, it
would mean that the enemy’s main forces are nearby. Judging from the amount of time that the enemies’
main forces are going to take to reach here, the height of our battles will be at midnight, to even predict
the time taken for the enemies to reach us, that boy…… Ah, excuse me, I mean our lord truly knows the
enemies well.”
“That’s not all he predicted.” Amandina looked up at the moon as she said in a flat tone.
“Oh?”
1334
Amandina listened to the faint sounds of the birds flapping away within the distant forest and felt a little
shiver creeping up over her.
Jana stood beside her. Both stared silently ahead on top of the wooden walls, with the faint moonlight
barely lighting up the trees’ silhouette.
Who knew what dangers lurked in the darkness? They could imagine the Subterrane Dwellers emerging
from the forest, with their heavy footsteps crushing the dry branches with threatening snaps, burly
figures appearing before them and sieging the lumber mill —
When the Subterrane Dwellers indeed emerged, there were thirty of them pursuing the mercenaries who
had been sent out to investigate the forest. Jana had considered that point and sent out experienced
riders so they could at least escape from the enemies, or so she thought.
The creatures were swiftly moving across the ground, and the mercenaries were not able to shake them
off. If the humans somehow panicked and made a mistake by opening the fortress’s gate without dealing
with the pursuers properly, they would rush in and hold the gates until their main army arrived.
Jana immediately reacted and ordered her men to open the gate to allow the riders to enter the lumber
mill. She then yelled at the mercenaries on the wall.
“We’re hitting the Subterrane Dwellers, ready your crossbows now! Nock! Mark! Loose!” She roared.
The concentrated bolts struck the Subterrane Dwellers’ formation like an invisible whip, causing them to
stumble and lose their footing. But as expected, the damage done to them was suspect. Amandina saw the
fallen Subterrane Dwellers getting up once again, with only five or six casualties on their side.
She took in a cold breath. Even though she saw them in the afternoon, they were much further back and
were not as close as they were now. She realized how ineffective the crossbows were.
When the creatures found that the riders were already in the lumber mill, they retreated without taking
back their comrades’ corpses.
“They are definitely scouts,” Jana confirmed this point when she watched them retreat.
“They are probably the Subterrane Dwellers who guarded here this afternoon,” Amandina responded in a
quiet voice.
1335
“How do you know?”
“Their reactions to recover after they struck by the arrows was much faster compared to this afternoon.”
“It’s possible that the scouts know our tactics because those creatures told them what weapons were
used.” Jana raised her eyebrow. Amandina had asked a basic question earlier, yet her insight was good for
something that was harder to determine.
“Maybe so, but they also seemed like they know this area. The terrain is uneven in this area, and our
riders appeared to be slightly hindered when retreating, yet the Subterrane Dwellers had no such
problems.”
The two did not have time to discuss their arguments, as they spotted approximately a hundred-odd
Subterrane Dwellers walking out from one side of the forest. The creatures marched along the shore and
kept their distance from the lumber mill.
“What are they doing?” An inquisitive voice rang out behind the two women.
A face appeared between the two of them. Romaine’s round eyes were like a pair of glossy black gems,
and they blinked curiously at the long string of enemies before them.
“Surrounding this place,” Amandina’s brows were furrowed: “It seems like they are going to wait for
more to group up with them.”
“Are they slighting us? Hmph!” Jana was a little agitated as they moved into a snaking formation:
“Perhaps we should get let the Nightsong Tiger lead our mercenaries out and attack them?”
She thought that the enemies’ inferior numbers would make for a great advantage if they attacked them
now.
Amandina silently observed them with a little trepidation in her heart. They were sealing off possible
exits and surrounding the lumber mill slowly. She calmed her nerves and shook her head: “It’s useless.”
“Hmm?”
“Doesn’t this mean they won’t attack us anytime soon if they are surrounding us. Isn’t this what we’re
hoping for?”
“If we cut their strength down, we will have an easier time defending later,” Jana glanced at Amandina,
noting her calm exterior and impressing her, but she nodded: “But you’re right. We’re going to face
perhaps a thousand of these creatures, having a hundred more or hundred less has no difference.
1336
Honestly, I don’t have the confidence to take the enemies down in front of us completely despite
outnumbering them……”
Amandina shook her head inwardly as she thought about Brendel’s words in the afternoon. There were
three thousand Subterrane Dwellers, perhaps even more.
As she watched the creatures gather in greater numbers slowly, she reflected on Brendel’s prediction.
[Brendel said that it was possible for more than half of them to attack the lumber mill, but we should be
able to hold our position as they are unused to sieging in open ground. I hope he’s right.]
She felt more and more anxious about his given plan, but she was unable to recall Brendel ever making
any mistakes in his strategies.
================== Brendel’s POV ==============
When the moon was nearly at its highest, Brendel finally discovered his target. He narrowed his eyes and
saw several Earth Spirit Bears surrounding a skinny Subterrane Dweller, which quickly disappeared
amongst the army. He committed the estimated position in his mind.
It was just after midnight.
The Loxar’s Market card had reset. He tapped it again, entering 6 Wealth into his resources to reach 104.
Once he was done with that, he studied the dark mountain valley. The amount of Subterrane Dwellers
was staggering and split equally into three armies. Brendel guessed that more than half of them were
residing within the the lumber mill’s underground tunnels and only emerged after his attack. He frowned
when he looked at the number of long spears appearing like a wall of dense needles.
[The bad news is we have to search for our target in such a big army. Even if Scarlett and I hold Gold-
ranked capabilities, it’s highly unrealistic we can move about freely when there are over a thousand Iron-
ranked fighters in our way. The good news is that we’re not fighting in their underground tunnels.]
Brendel had fought against the Subterrane Dwellers with his allies back in the game. They went directly
for their chieftain by searching the tunnels, and the result was getting lost for a whole week. Scarlett
nearly repeated his old mistake by wanting to do the same thing.
He finally stood up and beckoned to her. She looked terribly bored as she tormented the grass in front of
her.
“Let’s go,” Brendel said.
“We’re finally moving?” She looked up in a daze and asked, with Brendel nodding back.
1337
The two slid down the slope quietly. The lush foliage seemed to cover their tracks, but the Subterrane
Dwellers quickly detected their light footsteps a hundred meters away as they did not rely on sight but
scents and sounds.
This sneak attack would have failed for any normal humans, but the duo could hardly be considered as
such.
While the creatures took a few seconds to understand there was something out there, Brendel and
Scarlett had closed the distance and appeared before several Earth Bear Spirits that were at the edge of
the valley. The lumbering creatures stared blankly at the two humans for a few seconds before they
bellowed, sending echoes throughout the valley—
A metallic grinding sound rang out as Brendel sliced the enemy’s morningstar whistling towards him into
two with his sword; he then shifted his head slightly as the weapon hurled harmlessly behind him.
The Earth Bear Spirit who attacked him discerned that its attack failed and understood its opponents’
strength and howled guttural noises. The information spread quickly amongst the surrounding creatures,
but they took time to comprehend the human’s power.
Brendel did not waste any time and drew a long horizontal line with his sword, unleashing his Arte. The
wind pressure escaped from his blade, and sliced across the battlefield like a long scythe, mowing the
Earth Bear Spirits first before it reached Subterrane Dwellers at the back. Blood spilled across the ground
like rain as the gigantic monsters were minced into half at their abdomens from the repeating slashes,
and the Subterrane Dwellers were blown away into the air before they crashed lifelessly onto the ground.
This single strike terrified the Underworld creatures. Even though the grading of power was different for
them, but a Gold-ranked fighter was enough to awe them. The Subterrane Dwellers immediately wailed
with fright and shock as they retreated backward like an ocean’s low-tide, although Brendel only heard
meaningless noises from them.
[This is even more exaggerated than the game……]
Brendel perceived this to be similar to the game’s Morale bar. He did not expect that his single attack to
have such a strong effect and it surprised him. But it was a good thing, and he immediately charged
straight into the area where the creatures retreated, with Scarlett following closely behind him.
At this moment, the Witch Doctor Tagiv finally recognized the source of trouble to be two humans. It
shook its race’s characteristically large head. It was angry and displeased at its subordinates in the
beginning before it realized something was off.
[Two mere humans causing such chaos in my army that I gathered painstakingly— W-wait, what kind of
speed is that! Those two are charging over to my direction!]
1338
The echolocation from the various noises around Tagiv made it possible for the Witch Doctor to discern
their location, and they had closed in dozens of meters to its position within mere seconds.
[This is a bad omen!]
Tagiv started to panic.
1339
============== Tagiv’s POV ==============
Although the battlefield was mired in chaos, the Subterrane Terrane Elite Warriors’ angry screeches
brought order to those who were frightened by Brendel’s attack.
Tagiv’s startled heart calmed down after much effort. The Underworld had circulated rumors about the
people on the Surface. Some had mentioned about their greed, but there were also legends and stories
about the Surface Empires’ might.
The Witch Doctor used to believe in these rumors, and regarded the Surface to be a dangerous and
destitute world. It then quickly changed its mind, because Trentheim’s humans gave him an impression
they were feeble. In its eyes, their army was weak and lacked discipline. The Subterrane Dwellers were
considered as a weak race in the Underworld, yet they easily defeated the ‘big army’ of the local baron
named Graudin.
At first, Tagiv thought that the humans were laying a trap and they pretended to be weak. Even after
Graudin came to meet it personally, it still wondered if the human noble was lying.
In the end, Tagiv was able to prove that this belief was unnecessary. The rumors about of a large empire
with an undefeatable army wielding flags with griffins woven onto them were nothing more than a story
that was meant to frighten children.
But it was true that the humans were greedy.
After the surprise, Tagiv’s careful attitude was replaced with arrogance. It began to expand brazenly in
the forest and even thought to occupy Graudin’s territory with the forest as a foothold. It eventually
remembered the humans had a large population and canceled his plan. Naturally, it did not change the
idea that they were weak.
Tagiv believed that the mercenaries were able to take a lumber mill was due to the human wizard taking
advantage of the Subterrane Dwellers’ weak point. Once it set out to lead the army, it would give the
humans a lesson they would not forget.
[These weak and greedy humans needed to see fists and fresh blood, or else they wouldn’t remember
their earlier lessons.]
1340
Tagiv hatefully regarded the Surface’s people as lowly beasts subconsciously.
When its army gave information about the two invaders, it was greatly shocked.
“The two humans are incredibly powerful, perhaps they have the strength of a Slavelord—” A nearby
Elite Warrior shrilled and told its chieftain.
On the surface, the types equivalent to a Slavelords was Minotaurs living in mazes or Golden Dwarves. All
of them were Gold-ranked fighters ranked somewhere in the middle.
Tagiv’s pores opened up, an innate characteristic for Subterrane Terrane dwellers when they are on
guard. The Slavelords were creatures that sat firmly in the position of the Fourth Tier of the underworld.
They were existences where the entire Subterrane Dwellers had to look up to.
[These two aren’t the rumored minotaurs wield dual-bladed axes or the Golden Dwarves who resides in
the Golden Hall but two supposedly weak humans? I see…… To think that there are strong existences
within the humans as well. But there are only two of you, and you dare to challenge an entire army?]
Tagiv’s mind quickly spun and regarded them as foolish creatures of the Surface who did not know
tactics. In the Underworld, tactics were seen as an art, and even though the chieftain had only learned a
little, it was enough to look down on the humans and regard them as barbarians.
Tagiv raised its flag quickly, getting its subordinates to surround them. Even if they were Slavelords, they
would not be able to resist its whole army.
============== Brendel’s POV =============
Brendel’s progress was considered smooth when the Subterrane Dwellers were in a panic. The Witch
Doctor’s position was too distinct because it wore a gigantic goat-like skull with feathers stuck onto it. It
was approximately a hundred meters away, but the Subterrane Dwellers were quickly filling up the space
between them.
The Subterrane Dwellers’ Elite Warriors were commanding the scattered creatures. They were much
larger, with purplish-red tumors growing on their skin, and mercilessly whipped them with their long
spears, forcing them to wake up from their panic and get back to their position.
The opening was closing as the Subterrane Dwellers were forced back to fight him.
He quickly found himself against the enemies’ grunts. They stood together in a line, shakily thrust their
weapons at him as if to test the waters, and it was naturally ineffective. He quickly swept away the spears
of poor quality and used a single strike to divide the wall of creatures into two again.
1341
The first row of Subterrane Dwellers that was nearest to him were blown away with a layer of frost, and
the defense line parted like melting snow.
Brendel moved forward again, but the Subterrane Dwellers were chased back by the elite warriors to
become cannon fodder to delay him. Due to the time gained by them, more of the creatures moved in with
a tactical formation, distancing him away from their leader.
“My lord,” Scarlett said, wanting to inform him the enemies were surrounding their rear.
Brendel did not need to look back to know that they were closing in like a tidal wave. The two of them
continued to advance by ten meters, but the resistance they encountered was starting to slow them.
Three Subterrane Dwellers charged in with high-pitched screams, their strong legs resembling powerful
warhorses, while concentrated their strength on the spears’ tips.
This attack was completely different from the previous attempts.
Brendel felt troubled after defending the new attacks twice. The chaotic screams and charges were
causing him to lose where Tagiv was moving to.
[He’s moving to the north or the northeast? ……Was it a mistake that I didn’t stick to my first plan and use
the Silver Colt and attack from above? No, I already shot that down because it’s much riskier facing an
enemy who can cast anti-air magic. I should consider think of another way……]
Brendel’s hands did not stop moving while he was reflecting on his plan. Scarlett was right behind him,
and both of them struck the enemies with lightning and ice, extending their attack range to three meters
in front of them. The third group of Subterrane Dwellers who attempted to surround them were crushed
by their attacks.
But both of them soon stopped to take a rest instead of advancing.
Brendel noted that he had killed at least forty Subterrane Dwellers, and with the addition of Scarlett’s
shared kills, he received an impressive amount of XP, except that his stamina was rapidly dropping.
Scarlett’s face was slightly red, and her forehead was perspiringly lightly. Her overall Power Rating was
even higher than Brendel’s by a tenth, but the latter had constantly fought against larger numbers in the
game, and lived a life where he charged in and out of the enemy lines; a gamer’s infinite lives allowed
them to test out all kinds of combat tactics, and Brendel conserved his stamina by using the most efficient
way of attacking.
[As expected of my lord.]
1342
His face was void of any signs of exhaustion, even taking on a nonchalant expression, and it caused her to
feel considerable admiration in her heart when she looked at him.
Brendel was carefully listening to the shrills around him. He swung his sword and prevented the
Subterrane Dwellers from filling in the empty space in front of him, while he pricked his ears for a certain
high-frequency wavelength.
A particularly antiquated language, similar to a variation of the dragon’s language that should not be
within a normal human’s listening range.
However, in this world, the higher perception one had, the more frequencies and noises one could hear.
Brendel’s perception was 20 OZ, and he quickly caught that unique sound. The highest-ranking Elite
Warriors within the Subterrane Dwellers were issuing orders to the lower ranking commanders with
their unique methods.
Even though he did not understand their language, he was certain that the enemies would fall into chaos
if he disrupted these hidden ‘command posts’. It was one of the most common tactics within the gamers
to aim for them.
He quickly locked down the sources and found at least three different voices. They were most likely
ordering the fourth attempt to surround them.
“Scarlett,” he immediately shouted, “create an opening over to where I’m pointing.”
Scarlett looked over to where he was pointing at; there was a huge group consisting over one hundred
Subterrane Dwellers that was forming a strong layered defense with no gaps.
It was evident that they realized Brendel’s intention.
However, their actions also made her realize that was something important behind them. She tossed her
ponytail hair to one side, and there was no need for more words; her spear swung onto the ground with a
lightning trail!
The blinding light immediately pierced through the front defenders, then spread out like a fan to hit the
person next to them. An explosive noise echoed into their ears.
The few front rows of defenders were burned into cinders from the intense heat while the rear was
paralyzed.
Brendel’s narrowed eyes managed to spot the burly Elite Warriors once the opening was created in the
wall of creatures. However, the two flanks were closing in and filling up the gaps of the wall, and there
was only a short moment before the chance disappeared.
1343
He immediately activated his Charge ability. His body blurred into a black line in an instant and separated
away from Scarlett for the first time.
The black line leaped above the Subterrane Dwellers’ shoulders and bypassed them. When they finally
reacted, they turned their heads and discovered that he had reached the highest-ranking Elite Warriors.
There were a total of six Camlu of the highest rank, and these purplish-red skinned creatures were smart
enough to scatter in different directions when they discovered Brendel had broken through the defenses.
But the latter used his utmost efforts to strike them down, combining both the Power Break and the
White Raven Sword Arte. A translucent distortion of eight meters swept through the air and cut through
their bodies. The Camlu staggered as if they were drunk before they collapsed to the ground in a heap
with their heads lopped off.
When Brendel turned around with his sword in hand, the Subterrane Dwellers retreated away from him
in utter fear.
1344
========== Tagiv’s POV =============
The ball of lightning exploded in the darkness like fireworks, and the combination of electricity and fire
immediately penetrated past the first three Subterrane Dwellers and expanded out like a fan.
A group of Subterrane Dwellers collapsed.
Tagiv jumped up in fright. It was not because Scarlett’s terrifying attack pressured him. He already knew
that power at a Slavelord’s level could increase many times with a concentrated blow. But what shook
him was the fact that the Subterrane Dwellers’ formations started to crumble.
[What’s happening?!]
The Underworld creature’s eyes darted around the battlefield and suddenly realized the sounds that
commanded the battlefield had stopped.
[I lost six Camlu. These two humans seemed to know our ways of commanding the battlefield—]
Tagiv’s heart suddenly pulsed faster, but he did not even have the time to mourn because the two humans
had started to intersect each other and were killing a path towards him.
Their speed was exceedingly fast, and the disorganized Subterrane Dwellers could not stop them, and
they closed in more than half the distance between them.
Tagiv naturally did not wait there for them to kill him and attempted to organize a defense by screaming
at the nearest Camlu. The elite warriors tried to follow his orders, but the two humans accurately
removed them. After several tries, the Witch Doctor gave up this meaningless attempt and furthermore it
did not have that many Camlu to spend.
Tagiv was finally starting to become anxious after losing half his elite warriors. Time did not allow it to
overthink. It glanced around; the Earth Spirit Bears were guarding him.
[It’s time for these giants to be useful here. Even though they are the most powerful forces in our tribe, I
don’t want to die meaninglessly to the two humans nearing me with every step.]
It made a gesture. It was a magic blessing that enhanced creatures to gain even more combat prowess,
with the price of temporarily stealing their sight. This spell raised the Earth Bear Spirits, which had the
peak strength of an Iron-ranked fighter, to gain the abilities of a Silver-ranked fighter.
1345
In truth, it was a subtype of Black Magic which did significant damage to the receiver. But Tagiv had no
idea what it was exactly, as the shamanic abilities it had were derived from bloodlines. It was the blessing
of the Cave Witch, and every Witch Doctor learned this as their first magic spell, without any regards to
its fairness.
Tagiv raised its three bony fingers, poured out ashes onto the ground, and cast the Blind Blessing spell.
This made the Earth Spirit Bears blind, but it did not affect their abilities because they had been trained
to fight without any sight, and they were mostly unaffected.
Every Underworld citizen understood that eyesight was unnecessary.
Finally, Tagiv pointed out to the humans and uttered a guttural scream. Its orders were simple; they were
to intercept the humans or at least block them, while it personally organized the Subterrane Dwellers.
The chieftain knew that the humans had limited stamina and had heard the woman’s breaths becoming
gradually heavier. It knew that they were fighting to see who could outlast each other. However, it
believed that victory would belong to the Subterrane Dwellers.
The experience that was gained from hundreds and perhaps reaching a thousand-odd battles, made the
Witch Doctor certain.
Tagiv listened to the Earth Spirit Bears’ lumbering footsteps as they set off, and ordered its other guards
to protect it while retreating. The level of its guards defending was almost laughable.
“These two accursed humans.” Tagiv spat out its words vehemently.
============ Brendel & Scarlett’s POV ==============
Scarlett felt she was exhausted and could no longer continue. She had never tried attacking an army all by
herself, and while the idea of a Gold-ranked fighter unleashing havoc in a group of Iron-ranked fighters
sounded girl, she realized that her stamina was dipping at an incredible rate.
She recalled that she had killed nearly a hundred or even more. At first, she broke through the creatures
like they were made out of paper, but as her stamina was slowly drained, she found that she was
experiencing a sliver of dull pain in her body.
The lightning arc that reached meters wide from her halberd was already reduced to the extent where it
merely reached her weapon length. She did not know how long she was going to last, and could only
observe the enemies that were coming from everywhere. She took in large gulps of air, glanced at
Brendel, and was impressed.
1346
He was still taking on a nonchalant expression; his Element Power caused the ground to freeze with a
layer of ice dust because of the low temperature. It still maintained its range ever since he used it, and the
Subterrane Dwellers that approached him were forced back after a moment in its field.
Scarlett gritted her teeth, unwilling to lose, and followed after him.
But she did not know that Brendel was just as exhausted. No matter how much stats one was able to
accumulate in the game, as long as that person did not attain a Perfect body, then he would never be able
to avoid fatigue. It was still true even one had mastered the usage of Element powers completely.
(TL: Gold-ranked, lvl 41-60. The rank above it is called “Realm of Extremes” 极之境界 lvl 80 or “Realm of
Elements” 要素之境 lvl 61-80. Perfect Body is level 81 and above.)
His expressions that he took on like he was unaffected and able to use his Element freely, was because of
a particular ability. With the increase of his level, the Unyielding talent had also increased in giving out
additional traits. When he inspected his Stats Windows to find out the cause, he discovered with
surprising delight—
‘As long as your stamina has not reached the Critical Exhaustion level, you would be able to use your
abilities as though you are at peak conditions.’
[This ability isn’t included in the Overall Power Rating, but the practical usage is beyond imagination. If I
don’t have this, then I will have to pace my stamina like the battles in my past…… But even though it
sounds good, once I complete the Perfect Body stage, it will become quite useless.]
He felt a little helpless when he thought about it.
Still, the fact that he was able to maintain his strength was truly advantageous. The only exception to the
rule of losing stamina was the races who possessed the Golden Lineage. Anyone else who battled
continuously would have their Overall Power Rating diminished slowly.
He casually cleaved through the air once again along with his Element Power, and it sent him one step
closer to the Critical Exhaustion line. When the dust finally settled, he had reached Tagiv’s large group of
Earth Spirit Bears.
[They’re clad in a dark red aura? Hmmm, that’s a blessing spell most commonly used by their Witch
Doctors. It looks like Tagiv’s pretty desperate, given that their Mana Pool isn’t a lot.]
His victory was practically sealed.
He could not help but sigh with relief, and he turned back his head slightly towards Scarlett.
1347
“Can you still go on?” He asked.
Scarlett smacked away a random Subterrane Dweller which had charged in blindly. She gasped for air
and could not even muster the thought to answer the question.
“We…… I…… How much longer must we advance, my lord?”
Her answer showed that she had reached her limits. When she looked up, she was shocked to find a
whole row Earth Spirit Bears marching towards them. They were like giant walls that blocked their path.
Her face paled, and she took a moment before she clenched her teeth. She took a deep breath: “My lord, I
believe you have an ability to accelerate?”
“Charge?” Brendel blinked blankly.
“Yes……”
“Why do you ask?”
“I, I’m just too tired. I’m afraid I have no more strength to continue moving forward……” Scarlett’s head
bobbed up and down as she breathed heavily, but when she looked up at Brendel, her eyes said that she
did not wish to lose. She clenched her teeth and said: “I’ll use the Seventh Chord to create an opening, and
my lord, you can accelerate past the Earth Spirit Bears……. They are called Earth Spirit Bears right?”
“What are you talking about, I wanted to ask you if you can give me a bit of time.” He shook his head.
“What?”
“I need thirty seconds.”
Her eyes were perplexed, but she ultimately nodded with resolution: “Of course I can.”
“Then I’ll leave it to you!” Brendel glanced at the ‘Wall of Earth Spirit Bears’, while Tagiv’s goat skull flag
was moving further away. But success was right before his eyes……
============ Tagiv’s POV ============
Tagiv was able to sense that Brendel and Scarlett had completely stopped, and thought that victory was
almost in his hands. Even if there were two ‘Slavelords’, they had to be careful in handling twenty Earth
Spirit Bears that had been enhanced with Blind Blessing.
Once the humans stopped moving, it would have enough time to command the frightened Subterrane
Dwellers to surround them. In that way, their efforts would be wasted.
1348
The Witch Doctor felt a little proud of his brilliance, but before he could order his Camlu to create a new
defense line, there was something that surprised him through his hearing senses.
Instinct honed from the countless wars it had was warning him. His mind worked quickly, and it raised its
head as it sensed sound waves coming from above. There were unwelcomed beings in the air.
[The sound of…… wings? But they are much bigger than the birds in the Surface. Wait, I suddenly
remember…… There’s a legend about Giant Eagles which served the Elves?]
It now knew something was causing the unique distortion by flying. The sound was soft and a hint of
chaotic beating, as though it was drumming the air and creating a whirlpool of wind.
Right at that moment, only Brendel and Scarlett and a few other creatures in Tagiv’s army could see that
two glowing angels with two radiant wings on their backs.
The Pristine Angels were descending from the sky and targeted Tagiv!
1349
=========== Amandina’s POV ============
Amandina’s hands were clasped tightly together in front of her chest as she silently watched the increase
of the shadowy figures in the forest. Since the new month, the temperature in the night had greatly
decreased, even though it was still quite a long way from Aouine’s first snow.
Everyone’s misty breath could be visibly seen, and there was a thin white mist that gathered around the
lumber mill. The mercenaries rubbed their hands together as they shivered a little anxiously in the silent
night.
Nearly every defender was up on the wooden walls. Despite Jana and Cornelius’ forceful objections to
leave some defenders at the gate, Amandina had rejected them because of Brendel’s plans.
“What is going to happen if they attack the gate instead? This is a dangerous move to make if we don’t
secure our backlines!” Jana shouted.
Amandina had the strangest idea while she listened to the female commander’s words.
[If Brendel deceives me and gets me killed I’ll haunt him his whole life.]
When she realized what she was doing, her body jolted in surprise, and she blushed slightly. She felt a
little warm and even gave a quiet laugh before she shook her head vigorously to get rid of that thought.
Jana glared at the noble young lady as she acted oddly, but she quickly received the latter’s reply.
“These are the direct orders from our lord,” Amandina said, and immediately destroyed Jana’s good
feelings that were built just minutes ago.
Jana trembled greatly from anger from the irresponsible reply and stormed away, yelling at her
subordinates. She muttered curses at the nobles under her breath, but if it were yesterday, she would
have done it right in Amandina’s face. In truth, she had subconsciously recognized Brendel’s leadership
and did not object to placing all their mercenaries on the wall.
[That youth must have his reasons for ordering us to defend the walls.]
Cornelius also stopped his objections when he heard Amandina’s answer. When he went off to command
his mercenaries, he spotted a faint smile on Raban’s dark face and was slightly surprised.
1350
“You already know?” He asked and was instinctively on his guard.
Raban seemed to see through that old fox’s mind. He rubbed his nose without reacting to Cornelius’s rude
tone with a smile.
“That girl is calmer than both of us. Do you really think she’s randomly ordering us around? The only one
who could overwrite her orders…… is probably that young lord of ours.” He said.
“You have quite the discerning eyes.” Cornelius scoffed.
Raban thought Cornelius was the same as him but did not mention it, as a veteran mercenary who noted
the number of Subterrane Dwellers at timed intervals had come up to him to give his report, and the
imposing commander quietly listened to his assessment.
There were nearly a thousand Subterrane Dwellers shifting about in the forest.
Everyone around Raban was on their guard when they listened in.
The stars were shimmering in the sky, while the moon which hung right beside them meant that it had
just past midnight. Before Amandina faced the commanders’ rebuttals, she had dealt with Romaine’s
endless bizarre questions, and now that it was quiet she stifled a yawn and was about to rub her tired
eyes.
That was when she heard a series of odd piercing sounds; the mercenaries who were already armed with
their crossbows suddenly launched their projectiles.
Amandina was startled, and her eyes darted around. She caught rows of Subterrane Dwellers marching
with appropriately placed Earth Spirit Bears raising their immense wooden shields, shielding them from
the raining bolts.
“Anyone spotted if they have siege weapons?”
“No!”
“I don’t see them!”
The question asked by the mercenaries was mostly directed at their scouts who had keener eyesight.
Everyone was relieved, but Amandina was immediately alert.
[My lord has once again predicted correctly!]
1351
“Be on your guard; they will definitely attack the wall! Be prepared to knock them off if they jump up!”
Amandina yelled to the surprised mercenaries who nodded after a moment.
The Subterrane Dwellers began to accelerate at around the mark of hundred and fifty meters. They first
appeared as if they were jogging, but the mercenaries discovered the distance the Underworld creatures
covered was alarmingly quick.
The three commanders ordered the mercenaries to cease firing and reload, then wait for their orders.
Hundred meters.
Fifty meters.
It was at that moment they gave the order to unleash the projectiles at their enemies. The hundred-odd
projectiles which fired at the same time caused a loud ringing in everyone’s ears, and the concentrated
firepower swept through the air like a sharp blade, striking against the Underworld creatures’
formations.
Their front few rows slowed their advance at the same time, as a few Subterrane Dwellers and Earth
Spirit Bears fell over; there was a clear crack to their army’s defense.
But everyone already knew how ineffective the crossbows were against the enemies. Before they were
able to reload their crossbows, the gap they had was quickly filled in by the Subterrane Dwellers. Very
soon, they reached the wooden walls.
The lumber mill’s walls were constructed with four layers of thick wood logs, and between the two layers
were mud packed tightly between them. The three commanders thought that the Subterrane Dwellers
utterly wasted these building materials, but when the Earth Spirit Bears slammed their wooden shields
onto the reinforced walls, they immediately regretted ever considering that thought.
The gigantic clumsy-looking creatures took large strides and swung with their body weight, sending their
shields crashing into the wall. Cracking sounds could be heard immediately, and certain sections tilted
backward. The fact that a third of the wood logs were entrenched into the soil only made the Earth Spirit
Bears’ assault appear even more impressive.
The mercenaries nearly lost their bearings when they heard the walls creaking repeatedly, but
Amandina’s repeated yells warned and woke them up— The Subterrane Dwellers were capable of
jumping up to the wall.
It was fortunate that they recovered quickly enough to knock down the leaping Subterrane Dwellers.
However, this was apparently not their only option, as one of the mercenaries suddenly bellowed:
“They’re digging a tunnel!”
1352
The Nightsong Tiger got Amandina to move further back in so that he could inspect the enemies’
movements. Indeed, they were digging under the Earth Spirit Bears’ raised shields. Their speed in
burrowing through the ground was shocking, and they were quite rightly reputed as ‘citizens of the soil’.
There was no oil in the lumber mill, and even rocks were scarce. The mercenaries tried throwing down
the largest wood logs they could find at them, but they were completely useless because of the Earth
Spirit Bears’ immense strength.
It was fortunate that there was a mercenary group who specifically worked in digging out multiple deep
holes some distance away from the walls. They were dug out according to Brendel’s instructions and
reached several meters deep. The battle continued into the thirty minutes mark, and the first batch of
Subterrane Dwellers who broke through the area quickly stumbled into the holes.
Because the creatures rushed out hurriedly, they were unable to read the area well and continued to fall
into the traps. When they tried to identify the situation they were in, the mercenaries were prepared and
were waiting for them. Dozens of spears stabbed into them, and no matter how outstanding their abilities
were, they were unable to fend the attacks off and ended up as pincushions.
After losing several tens of their men, the Subterrane Dwellers finally recognized that the attacks by the
underground tunnels were not working. They had no choice but to choose a more violent way to assault
the walls.
They began to stack on top of each other, and the mercenaries were shocked to discover they were
forming into ladders.
It was an effective strategy, and the only drawback was that the Earth Spirit Bears would not be able to
follow. Still, their wooden shields formed into a stable platform and allowed the Subterrane Dwellers to
scale the walls much easier.
“Nets!” Amandina’s eyebrows went up when she discovered their new form of attack.
Raban and Cornelius immediately echoed Amandina’s words, and the mercenaries carried ‘nets’ formed
by oil ropes out to the area. When the Subterrane Dwellers finished climbing over the wall, they found
that the nets were cast over them and inhibited their movements. It would be quite laughable to use them
against humans, but the Subterrane Dwellers were blind and had trouble identifying what had covered
them. As the mercenaries were able to prey on their hindered movements and hesitation, the Underworld
creatures immediately faced losses.
The three mercenary commanders were amazed at the effectiveness at countering the enemies. These
strategies were simple and efficient, and it did not appear what a noble or knight would consider using. It
was instead more similar to what a veteran mercenary would come up as an emergency solution, but the
person who came up with these plans was a youth who was just twenty.
1353
They would never know that the crystallizations of such ‘tactics’ were invented by gamers who
experienced countless battles.
The mercenaries were able to stop the Subterrane Dwellers from having a proper foothold with the
simple tool, but as the battle continued, the nets ultimately frayed and snapped, and the Subterrane
Dwellers finally broke through. It was at that point the mercenaries had their first casualty, and from that
point, the injuries and deaths of the humans quickly increased.
In a confrontation, the advantages of the Subterrane Dwellers’ combat prowess slowly became apparent.
The mercenaries continued to be pushed back slowly, and with the increase of the Subterrane Dwellers
numbers, they lost their advantage as defenders and were nearly forced off the wall. The Underworld
Creatures seemed like they were going to overrun the lumber mill. The sheer numbers they had simply
covered all weaknesses they had.
Cornelius and Raban’s forehead was full of cold perspiration, and they cast their gazes to Amandina at the
same time. The only way to overturn this critical juncture was most likely with her. If she did not have
any plans, then they could only rely on their own methods to end this battle.
The two commanders made the same decision at the same time.
1354
========== Brendel’s POV ============
The battle suddenly stopped in the valley, and the no one uttered a sound.
The only irregularity that broke the silence was the wings cutting through the air. Tagiv’s reactions were
swift. The spellcasters of the Underworld had to deal with Harpy Witches or sub-dragon types, and anti-
air spells were passed down from generation to generation; most of them were similar to the spell that
Tagiv was casting.
The Witch Doctor raised two hands, combining a thumb, forefinger and middle finger to form a triangle.
“Tasdam! (Domain of Stagnation)” Tagiv’s shriek accurately voiced out the two keywords. The Witch
Doctor’s anti-air spell was the usage of Rune Words. Legend depicted that these two Rune Words were
uniquely controlled by the Northern Wind Witch, before she lost them on the continent, ended up
spreading widely and allowing mortals to use them.
[The northern curse to wrestle the control of air away.]
Brendel recognized the Rune Words. Depending on the spellcaster’s abilities, the level of control would
be different. A low-level Witch Doctor like Tagiv would only be able to affect ten flying units, and he
would not be able to cast it a second time.
He glanced at the angels and indeed saw them being locked by some invisible curse. Their wings stopped
their movements, and they fell from the height of a few meters, crashing heavily onto the ground.
Dust flew all over the area.
“What!” Scarlett saw the same thing and shouted involuntarily. But she was directly struck by an Earth
Spirit Bear’s flail once her attention was divided.
“Don’t divide your attention. The angels are fine.” Brendel caught the staggering Scarlett. His expression
was evident; he did not care about the summoned angels. He casually turned his gaze at her wounds and
asked: “How are your injuries?”
Scarlett shook her head. Even after the Earth Spirit Bear’s increase of strength, it still would not be able to
do much damage to a Gold-ranked fighter, especially when she was a God’s Acolyte. Her recovery and
defensive abilities were one notch above the norm.
1355
Brendel nodded and helped her up and frowned at the wall of Earth Spirit Bears. Tagiv was probably
going to face a dire situation but they were no better off.
“We’re retreating.” He glanced at the enemies around him and said.
[Retreat? Do you really trust the angels so much?]
Scarlett blinked. They had spent a tremendous amount of effort to carve out a bloody path to the enemy
leader who was less than a hundred meters away, would it not be a complete waste of time if they retreat
from here? She could hardly believe that the angels would be able to subdue or kill Tagiv when they lost
their ability to fly.
“My lord?”
“Obey my order,” Brendel answered in a low growl.
Scarlett hesitated for a moment before she nodded.
At the other end, Tagiv was truly indeed in trouble, just like Brendel predicted.
As a Witch Doctor and a reigning chieftain, it had experienced many things, and encountering aerial
creatures in the Underworld was part of them. It felt slightly proud that it managed to bring down what
he thought as Giant Eagles. It had read in books that these Giant Eagles were much bigger and violent
compared to a Harpy Witch.
It knew that these aerial creatures had one common point, once they lost their abilities to fly, their
movements on the ground were almost non-threatening.
Tagiv even took a step forward so that it could experience the echolocation better and ‘see’ the Giant
Eagles for the very first time, with the notion of witnessing the two invaders’ troubled situation as well. It
could almost imagine that the clumsy eagles beating their wings helplessly.
It was evident that Tagiv had never heard of griffins or angels, or even the famous dragons.
This mistake was fatal and irrecoverable. If the Witch Doctor recalled the Earth Spirit Bears, there would
be a chance for them to block the angels’ path.
The first thing Tagiv heard was something different. The two ‘Giant Eagles’ that were knocked down
dashed towards its direction at inconceivable speed beyond his imagination.
1356
Tagiv then realized that it was in great trouble. There were only a few Camlu and Subterrane Dwellers
guarding him, and they were no match for the angels.
Soon enough, Tagiv ‘saw’ that its guards were defeated with a few strokes of their sword swings, and two
cold blades were placed on his necks. They were clearly not Giant Eagles but humanoid figures
possessing intelligence. It quickly realized their intentions, and it raised its head proudly to silence their
possible words.
“I…… will…… not surrender,” Tagiv spoke in Kirrlutz.
It had studied the language after it met up with Graudin, but the two angels’ lips never opened to answer
it.
The Subterrane Dwellers in the battlefield momentarily paused when Tagiv spoke. Even though it spoke
in a quiet voice, nearly all of them heard it. Brendel detected the change, and when he looked over at
Tagiv’s direction, he could no longer see the striking goat-skull that hovered in the air.
However, the Earth Spirit Bears did not stop moving as they were less intelligent to pick up the change.
Brendel and Scarlett had to keep retreating as the hulking creatures continued to attack them.
Brendel pulled Scarlett who was drenched in her perspiration to avoid a swinging flail, and carefully
swung a measured strike to prevent himself from reaching Critical Exhaustion, but also made sure it was
strong enough to force the hulking giants back.
However, he felt a bout of dizziness after his swing.
“My lord?” Scarlett was startled when she saw his body sway.
“I’m fine. We reached our destination.”
She took a long look at her surroundings. They were at the edge of the battlefield.
“What are we going to do now?” She asked with a little confusion. Even though the enemies’ leader was
downed, retreating here did not solve their problems. Even if Tagiv were killed here, the Subterrane
Dwellers at the lumber mill would continue their task. His plan did not seem like it was working.
Brendel whistled loudly in response. Very quickly, a streak of silver came dashing out from the dark
forest.
It was the Silver Colt.
============ Amandina’s POV ===========
1357
Amandina nodded at Cornelius and Raban’s gazes.
“Send your orders to your magicians to prepare their spells.” She said calmly.
Even though the nearest Subterrane Dwellers were mere meters away, she still kept her eyes on the
wall’s strongest area of contention between the mercenaries and the creatures.
“Wait!” Jana’s voice came from behind.
A few turned their heads back and saw her sword cutting down a Subterrane Dweller. She had been
commanding on the southern wall and had came back with difficulty by leaving a mountain of corpses
behind her.
Almost every spellcaster in the area came from her mercenaries, and she knew her men would be
effectively useless if they cast the spell. Jana was afraid that Amandina and the other two commanders
did not know that fact.
“Amongst the spellcasters, only a few of them are capable of using the Silence spell. If you’re going to pool
everyone’s mana to increase the spell’s Area of Effect, you’re going to use every bit. My point is, we only
have one chance to use it and our magicians are going to be useless, are you certain you want to use it
here?” She took in a deep breath and finished her words in one go.
“There are no other options. If we abandon the wall, this battle will be our immediate loss.” Cornelius
said.
“Taking the chance and driving them off here will allow us to gain more time.” Raban followed up.
“And what next?” Jana asked Amandina in a serious tone.
“Next—” Amandina looked up at the moon. It was already after midnight. She looked back calmly at her
and said: “There’s no next. The only thing left to do is to wait for our lord to bring back news of our
victory.”
The answer made everyone stare at her wide eyes.
1358
============= Amandina’s POV ===============
“They’re retreating,” Jana said.
Her face was painted heavily with blood, and she sat down tiredly opposite to Amandina. There were a
few flecks of blood on the latter’s pale face, and even though her black eyes still had vestiges of
apprehension, she had forcefully calmed herself down.
The Silence spell was not as effective as they had imagined. They thought it would bring about a miracle,
but they soon discovered that it was not the case. When the Subterrane Dwellers realized the spell had
affected them, most of them charged forward and nearly broke through their defensive line by
overwhelming them with numbers.
The mercenaries had lost their chance to drive the invaders off. It was at that critical juncture where
Raban led his men into a do-or-die charge, swept the enemies off the walls and stayed there as a final
stand.
The Subterrane Dwellers suffered significant casualties and understood that they could not continue and
started to retreat. Everyone’s heart was rapidly beating when they did so, and the mercenaries panted
heavily.
No one on their side went on to count the injured and the dead. It was meaningless. If there were no
miracle on the enemies’ next assault, it would be impossible to fend them off.
“They will come again.” Raban also sat down because his whole body was completely sore. After he
glanced up at the moon, he spoke again: “Their next attack would probably come before dawn at the
latest. There is definitely a second round of reinforcements.”
“Anyone have any ideas?” Cornelius asked.
No reply came.
Even Amandina who firmly believed in Brendel’s plans realized that the battle was much more dangerous
than she thought, and she did not have the confidence to encourage the mercenaries to believe in him.
After clearing her thoughts, she realized that the one that stuck out the most was whether she was going
to die in this place.
1359
After a moment of reflection, she calmed down again. If it were not for Brendel, she would have most
likely died alone in her old home that was dark and cold.
“We mercenaries are here to do the very best we can and then leave it up to fate,” Raban grinned, “we
have been through many life-and-death situations. The next time they attack again, we will open the gate
and lead our men to break out from this siege. Whether we’re going to die here or live to see another day,
will be on Mother Marsha’s decision to bless us or not.”
Cornelius gave a wry smile that served to mock himself. He shook his head and turned towards
Amandina:
“With this, lady Amandina, we have answered Lord Brendel’s orders, right?”
Amandina took a moment to think before she nodded: “I thank everyone here.”
“That’s not necessary.” Jana interrupted: “We’re just willing to believe in that bastard this once. Don’t
worry, even if he doesn’t appear, I won’t leave you two behind.”
Romaine was sitting nearby, and her hands were wrapped around her knees to fend off the cold. She
blinked her large, brown round eyes and nodded earnestly: “Thank you, you’re a nice person.” But she
smiled and continued: “But Brendel will definitely come. He has never exaggerated, ever. If he says he can
do it, then he will be able to do it.”
“You trust a lot in him, girl.” Jana paid attention to her for the first time.
“In truth,” Amandina said a moment of hesitation: “I also believe in his words—”
“It seems like our young lord has overflowing charisma; to be able to charm you two beautiful girls to this
extent,” Raban’s grin turned lopsided and teased them: “if I have the same capabilities like him I will be
able to die satisfied.”
Cornelius scoffed at his words. He was quite the playboy amongst the mercenaries, and if this brute
managed to charm the beautiful girls out there, then every other guy should just knock their heads
against a pillar and commit suicide.
Amandina lowered her head in silence and maintained a noble lady’s conduct against Raban’s crude
manners. But Romaine raised her pair of little eyebrows and waved her hands vigorously while blushing:
“Wrong, wrong, that’s not the reason I believe in Brendel!”
“Then what reason is it?” Jana asked curiously.
1360
Amandina also pricked up her ears. She had joined in later than Romaine did, and there seemed to be
many stories between the young lord and the latter. She had made past inquiries regarding his past, but
only heard stories right up to the time where he joined up with the Bronze Dragon, Leto.
She wanted to know how Brendel came to be, from the start of Madara’s invasion. Romaine was also from
the same village, and there was also an air of mystery about her. The only story that she heard from
Brendel was another girl named Freya, and the latter had left the group a while ago. She had no idea what
happened to her since he never explained.
“You don’t understand,” the merchant girl displayed a smug and mysterious smile subconsciously, her
eyes bright, “when Brendel led me out to escape from Bucce, his eyes had changed, and he became a
manly person. My aunt frequently told me that a manly person would always be responsible for their
promises, and I had to find a person like that who’s willing to protect me.”
“That’s…… your reason?” Jana looked exasperated.
Raban pondered thoughtfully on the actions that Brendel did and compared them to the things he
promised in the past. But Cornelius merely made a booing sound and spoke with a disgusted huff:
“From the time I have been traveling I have not seen a noble that I consider as a manly person. If any of
their sons actually have a real pair of balls, I’ll give them my thumbs up—”
Many mercenaries around him also agreed with his assessment. Amandina did not rebuke him for his
rudeness but quietly thought about Bucce. When she wanted to inquire further, a mercenary from the
other end of the wall stopped their conversation and brought out new information:
“Commanders, there seems to be movement within the forest. The scouts say that the Subterrane
Dwellers look like they are going to attack again.”
Everyone was unsettled at the enemies’ speed. The earlier warm atmosphere was gone and replaced with
a dark cold dread that enveloped everyone. The mercenaries were looking at each other with great
uncertainty. Even Amandina felt she was short of breath despite her earlier claim in believing Brendel.
The clouds in the sky happened to cover the moon as if to signify the hope that was extinguished in their
hearts.
============= Brendel’s POV ==============
Their captured leader had completely surprised all the Subterrane Dwellers.
1361
The Silver Colt easily leaped over the enemies, and once its hooves touched the ground, Scarlett lightly
landed beside Tagiv.
The Subterrane Dwellers at the edge of the battlefield were rushing over to their chieftain’s aid. One of
the angels stood in their paths and struck down the nearest Subterrane Dweller.
Scarlett frowned and felt the urgency to finish things quickly. She pointed her halberd in front of the
Witch Doctor—
“Get them to stop.”
“I…… die, you will, not live too,” Tagiv spoke in broken Kirrlutz.
She paused for a moment before she scoffed coldly and pretended to answer calmly: “Stop your
foolishness! Do not forget we have a flying horse,” she brought her weapon closer to its neck, “I’ll give you
one more chance, order them to stand down!”
Tagiv hesitated in his mind. It was afraid of death, but it felt that things were not as simple as they looked,
so it decided to gamble: “In that case, please send me off to meet with Lord Siaa—”
Siaa was a deity in the Subterrane Dwellers’ legends. It was depicted as a gargantuan lizard that lived in
the Realm of Earth Elements.
[What deity. That’s just a mythical subdragon, confirmed by gamers.]
“Don’t think that I don’t dare to kill you!” Scarlett’s ire was raised, and she kicked it forcefully, making it
bend over to the ground with both hands extended.
But this kick confirmed his suspicions. It became less afraid and patted his hands to remove the dust on
them: “I believe…… you can run away, but, your companions in the forest…… might not be safe?”
“You—” Scarlett’s words were silenced. She did not expect the Witch Doctor to confirm what she was
thinking. She could not admit to it, but she had no idea what she could do.
“Which faction do you belong to?” Brendel took over the conversation and looked down at Tagiv from
above: “Toland or Dragontongue city?”
His words immediately incited a reaction from Tagiv who quickly shut his lips. Even though it had no
eyes, it involuntarily raised its head up towards him. If there was a description of its expression, then that
would be as if it had encountered a poisonous snake.
1362
Tagiv belonged to a faction which was the sworn enemy of Toland city. It was clear that the youth knew
the Underworld well, and it suddenly felt like its advantages were extracted out of it. It had no choice but
to take a second look the two humans again that it thought as unintelligent.
This was the first time a human had the right to negotiate with it.
[Where did this male human come from? If he knows about Toland and Dragontongue city, does he have
any relationship with our accursed rivals? But he should be aware that we don’t have strong ties to our
tribes once we are separated from the main group. It’s a common thing in the Underworld so why would
he pursue this line?]
1363
The Subterrane Dwellers were not unintelligent creatures and stopped their aggressive actions because
they detected a change in their leader’s attitude. Even though Tagiv had not ordered them to cease
talking, they understood their rash actions might cause them to lose their chieftain. The two angels were
also a factor, of course.
The more time Tagiv took to think, the more satisfied Brendel was.
He wanted to shock the Witch Doctor to make sure it was not conceited. The cities Toland and
Dragontongue were common areas that led to the surface near Trentheim. Thus he guessed the
Subterrane Dwellers came from this two places. While this knowledge came naturally to him, the people
in this world would probably view it as a secret.
After breaking down Tagiv’s pride, he continued to threaten it with a harsh tone: “The humans do not
welcome you Underworld creatures!”
“I did not wish….. to intervene, in your world.” Tagiv had to temper his tone.
It was not exactly a lie. Even though it once had the ambitious plan to take advantage of the weak
humans, it canceled it because of their numbers. Aouine had a population of millions, and this
information was beyond its imagination.
The fact that the weak leader named Graudin actually governed hundred of thousands of citizens and still
considered as a small lord made Tagiv greatly surprised. In its homeworld, only a mighty leader like a
Slavelord which had a powerful military might would be able to hold that many citizens. The Toland and
Dragontongue cities were also examples.
“Is that true?” Brendel refused to acknowledge his words: “But it seems like you, great chieftain, are
acting differently from your words. The woods that you occupy are lands that the humans have occupied
since the Age of Divinity—”
He said it as though it was fact but quickly realized there were issues with his statements. He corrected
himself:
“No, I’ll change my wording. These four lumber mills are part of my wealth, and I don’t intend to even
lend it to you for one minute, let alone accepting your occupying of them.”
“Your wealth?” Tagiv repeated the words blankly. It had met Graudin a few times, and it did not believe
that the youth was the actual owner of Trentheim, Count Randner.
1364
“Yes, they are mine…… for now,” Brendel nodded.
“Then, what exactly, is it you want?” Tagiv’s head moved towards the angel’s sword and Scarlett’s
halberd, seeing them through echolocation.
“I’ll give you two choices. One, go back where you come from.”
Tagiv shook its head, the feathers all over his body shaking. A branch tribe which lost a battle would
mean certain death for the chieftain…… Unless it was willing to surrender to its sworn rival. It rejected
this possibility a long time ago.
“The second choice?” It asked.
“It seems like you and your tribe members have lost a battle in the Underworld if you’re unwilling to go
back….. Even if you go back and become successful in the future, you would be working for others. If that
is the case, why not switch over to a new point of view? How about this; why not become my citizens? I
know your rules, and you pledge loyalty to me, I can promise to let your tribe continue to go about
without my interference.”
Tagiv had guessed what the youth was thinking but refused to believe that it would happen. He actually
wanted it to become subordinates and sell out its entire tribe to him. Even though the youth truly
understood how the Underworld function, getting the Subterrane Dwellers to surrender was remarkably
hilarious.
What exactly did he have in him to demand its whole tribe to swear loyalty to him?
Both options were just as bad as each other. Tagiv looked down on humans, but surrendering to a rival
tribe was beyond frustrating.
[But it’s possible that this human doesn’t really intend to let us go back. If I say no, these blades might end
up cutting me to pieces.]
The Witch Doctor hesitated for a long time, and Brendel continued to wait. Scarlett was silent and her
expression was even gloomier compared to the two people in front of her. She was worried. If this
damned creature said no, then what would her lord do?
He had no other way to stop the battle at the lumber mill, and the Subterrane Dwellers would continue
attacking Amandina and the others. Even if they killed every single one of them, it would be too late to
save the others. She exhaled lightly and had sweat on her palms when she realized this fact.
Brendel’s hand had never left his sword’s hilt. Tagiv’s guess was not wrong. If it said no, then it would go
through an unthinkable fate.
1365
He was not as worried as Scarlett, because he intended to force or trick Tagiv into accepting a new
proposal if it refused. The hundred Wealth in his mind was already set and ready to be used. Tagiv would
become a card if it rejected him.
Even though it was a different way of solving things, the tribe would still submit under him. He needed
this force as a secretive backup. Regardless of Lord Macsen or Lord Palas, they would not be of any threat
to him if he had the Subterrane Dwellers.
(TL: Both are Count Randner’s men in Trentheim possessing an army each.)
The strength of three thousand Iron-ranked fighters would leave Trentheim with a voice in the political
arena, and Count Randner would never be able to predict this outcome.
His heart started beating faster. The thorny road extended in front of him had become crystal clear for
the first time. It was the first time he felt such a strong ability to change the future ever since he arrived in
this world.
After a few more minutes, the chieftain finally lifted its head up shakily. The feathers around its body
trembled as though they had made a huge decision and it opened its mouth.
A chilly wind blew across the entire forest, causing the pine trees to rustle loudly, overpowering the
words that would change Trentheim and Aouine’s history.
The youth’s expression became softer, and he nodded.
“It’s good that you decided—”
And his second sentence was: “Because you would find that you have gained much more than what you
have lost.”
The mercenaries who participated in the lumber mill’s battles did not understand how they won the
night.
Days soon passed, and Firburh gradually went back to a certain hushed and stable state like before. A
week-long battle was finished in a dramatic single day.
The Subterrane Dwellers had the complete advantage in terms of numbers and geography, yet not only
did they retreat, they even gave up their occupied lumber mills and surrendered their territory.
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At such a near-miraculous result, the mercenaries had completely changed their view on Brendel. In their
hearts, he had become a mysterious figure who could achieve anything. Even though the mercenaries’
commanders had their questions, they ultimately chose to submit to him without any conditions.
Brendel did not immediately rearrange their armies. The first thing he did was to have the Viridien
village stay in the lumber mills, and produce timber for Firburh, and hasten the date to repair the walls.
The next thing he did was to enforce the tax exemption and create new ways to revitalize Firburh’s
destitute farms. The citizens could not believe what they were seeing. Instead of acquiring taxes, the lord
was actually spending money on the lands.
He smirked when he thought that the citizens were probably betting on how long he would stay as the
city’s lord. The table he was sitting in was filled with papers containing reports on Graudin’s wealth.
Perhaps only the gods would know how much time the former lord spent on Trentheim’s affairs.
He continued to work on the paperwork before him with a smile.
TL stuff to talk about: Chapter end.
First about patreon.
I’m finally f*@#ing done with the environmental drawing (probably could do more things on it but urgh).
I’m having serious trouble keeping up with my translations/drawing thanks to my gastric issues the past
two months, and I think I need to postpone another month. My doctor appt is coming up in a day, and I’ll
ask what kind of tests can be done.
Unfortunately this time I’ll only TL the basic 6 TAS chapters for October because I haven’t finished my
planned stuff for Sep.
Secondly, more enjoyable for me and maybe you guys.
I’ll be playing Danganronpa at 6 pm +0 GMT Sep 26, approximately 25 hours from now. I’ll try to play
every day for 2-3 hours around this time, feel free to join me (I definitely need help because I suck at
puzzles.).
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Chapter 30 – Expansion.
The morning’s daylight broke through the clouds, but there were still remnants of the cold air from
yesterday’s night, and white mist could be seen from the men and horses’ mouths. Winter was coming to
Trentheim.
A group consisting of humans and horses passed through the mountain valley. Their surroundings were
filled with greenery, but the scenery from afar was almost ink-black, almost as if it was painted with dark
palettes. Somewhere past the fog were mountains filled with verdant green foliage, creating a strong
contrast between the mountain peaks and valleys.
There were a total of thirty-odd men, each fully covered with armor and weapons. However, they were
not from Aouine’s formal armies but mercenaries.
In Trentheim, the only places where Aouine’s formal armies were at: The Palas Region, or Graham’s
northern mountains where Graudin’s most elite knights were stationed.
After the men passed through the valley, they entered a small clearing within the forest. Another group of
men was guarding a bunch of crestfallen youths. When the latter noticed the incoming group, they raised
their heads and saw the group’s leader, a middle-aged noble.
All but one looked at him restlessly; the youth who was the exception amongst the group looked slightly
frustrated.
The middle-aged noble, Lord Macsen, was riding on his favorite horse. It was a stout black horse with a
smooth mane and a purebred from the north and had accompanied him through thick and thin. Even
though it was already aged and no longer as quick as before, he was still affectionate to it.
(TL: I just want to point out one thing, Lord Macsen’s real name is Samuel, but since he’s in charge of the
Macsen region, he’s called Lord Macsen.)
He bade his horse up to move up to the youths and glared at them without speaking.
A few days ago, he received the report of a rebellion in Firburh. This cautious noble did not march
straight to his lord as it was forbidden for retainers to bring their private soldiers without orders. Only
when he was certain that the news was accurate that he ordered his knights to march.
The Macsen region was close to Firburh, and an army could reach there by nightfall if they started in the
day. He gathered his army overnight and left the next morning, and entered Port Gris. The scouts who
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went ahead had reported that it was not occupied, and the towns nearby had not heard any news from
Firburh. Even after traveling for another ten miles, there were still no signs of any rebellion.
Lord Macsen was not surprised. The news he received stated that there were only a few groups of
mercenaries that participated in the uprising in Firburh. He believed these mercenaries to be no different
from lawless bandits who did whatever they wanted and probably left the city after looting it.
He even thought that he was too paranoid for checking the port. Only people who wanted to occupy the
city would control the port; they were just a bunch of mercenaries who loved wealth and would not wait
in the city to be exterminated.
He was originally worried that Madara might be involved as the Undead’s army was still lurking
somewhere at the southern border, but once he saw enough reports, he was confident of the situation.
It was nothing more than a simple rebellion.
Lord Macsen was relieved at that moment. But his good mood did not last a long time after his confidant
gave frustrating news to him, and it was the cause of why he had to bring thirty of his men in this forest.
His youngest son, Carglise, was wearing a light brown cloak that hid most of his clothes, but it was clear
that he was bearing a longsword. Lord Macsen favored him the most out of his three sons because the
youth displayed quick wits and excellent swordsmanship. He had placed in much effort on him, but the
latter refused to accept his efforts and was constantly lazy and playful.
In the end, Lord Macsen sent him to the neighboring county, but not only did it not cure his attitude, he
even came back with a streak of ridiculous ideas after he received an education.
When he learned that Carglise had brought along his subordinates and servants, he went into a fury and
ordered his men to capture him.
“Speak,” Lord Macsen asked as he glared from above: “Why did you sneak out?”
“I’m too bored, father.” Carglise raised his head and was unaffected by his father’s dominating pressure.
“Hmph, didn’t you want to experience what war feels like? I’ll bring you along this once. But I want the
truth from you.”
“War? They’re just a bunch of civilians. How can this be considered a war?” The youth gave a faint smile
and said disdainfully, but his tone turned serious: “Very well, father, did you know that there are rumors
that princess Gryphine had gone back to her lands and are gathering her knights—”
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Lord Macsen took a pause. Even though he was also considered a noble, he was of a lowly rank and would
not even be factored in as a pawn in the political chessboard. He did, however, hear of the rumors in the
north.
“And why does it concern you?” He asked.
“Of course it does,” the youth said excitedly: “this would be a battle that decides the kingdom’s fate. I
decided to cast my lot in this moment of history, and serve the princess—”
Lord Macsen did not expect his son to have this ambition. He took a short while before he spoke again:
“Ridiculous. You have never left Trentheim. Do you know where the princess is? Or what’s happening in
the current political affairs?”
“I have my ways.” Carglise was full of confidence.
Lord Macsen had no answer. His son was smart, and he might really find a way. He shook his head and
ignored that thought: “I don’t care if you have your ways, you should be thinking of ways to convince
me—”
“Father, there will be times where you won’t be able to keep me from leaving, so why don’t you give me
your blessings to become someone of importance in Aouine? The titles that your generation have in
Trentheim are your accomplishments. To me, a true knight should gain their achievements through
wars—”
“Wars? Have you ever seen one?” Lord Macsen could not help but mock his son. He had followed Graudin
as a knight when he was young, and the wars he had made him a cynical and careful man. In front of his
son’s seemingly romantic notions of wars, he had nothing but scorn.
[Hold on— My son was taught by Lord Palas when I sent him over to the neighboring county. Even
though he doesn’t have a famous reputation, he’s a first-rate veteran in Trentheim.]
On Graham’s mountains, Lord Palas led his army and defended against other nobles’ attacks, and faced
constant battles against bandits and the occasional undead in the south. The occasional civil trouble in
Trentheim would be akin to docile lambs to him. Anyone in this region would recognize him as a strict
military man.
After thinking for a while, he recalled that his son had also fought over land disputes. In terms of leading a
battle, his son might be as good as him.
“Very well, I’ll give you a chance to show me that you can do it.”
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“What exactly?” The youth was thrilled.
“Become my assistant and show me your performance. If you’re capable of undertaking this position and
excel in it, I’ll let you leave.” Lord Macsen’s mind obviously thought otherwise, but he did not wish to
waste time arguing and wanted to deal with him after the upcoming battle is over.
[Maybe I should throw him to Lord Palas since he like wars so much.]
While there were rumors that he was on bad speaking terms with Lord Palas, it was actually untrue.
But the youth realized what his father was thinking, and he rolled his light blue eyes before he smiled
again: ” Father, these people are just a group of unruly civilians. Are you not making a mountain out a
molehill?”
“Oh? Does your confidence come from studying combat tactics under Lord Palas?” Lord Macsen suddenly
realized that it was a good idea to waste his son’s energy. He had heard of an unfounded rumor and
decided to goad him: “I’ve heard the leader of the rebels is a young man too. He’s around the same age as
you, but he’s actually leading the mercenaries despite the veterans amongst them. You, on the other hand,
are just boasting all the time. Now that I’m giving you a chance to prove yourself and you’re not taking
it?”
Lord Macsen was not truly concerned as to who led the rebels, but he wanted to tie his son down.
“A trick like this wouldn’t work on a knight, father,” Carglise said, but his interested expressions betrayed
him, “but fine, I’ll agree to your terms and see who this person is.”
Lord Macsen’s face was stoic, but he was laughing inside. However, his smugness was gradually turned
into another sigh.
[The young people are just too impulsive.]
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================= Carglise’s POV ===============
Lord Macsen went back to his camp to command his subordinates after he solved the sudden situation
that had cropped up.
He was thankful that he was fighting against an unruly mob. If the enemy’s leader led his army out to fight
an open battle, he would not be able to take time out to capture his reckless son and change his mind.
Once Lord Macsen turned his back, Carglise’s servants and subordinates surrounded him. They gave a
relieved sigh. They were around the same age as the youth and inquired inquisitively like children:
“Young master, are we going to war?”
Carglise nodded and smirked: “Of course we are. Our enemies are just a bunch of villagers in this
uprising. How can they be stronger than Aouine’s formal army? Remember this; the future enemies might
be the kingdom’s true elites. As for this rebelling mob, we will have them become the first stepping stone
for our future—”
“But based on our Lord’s description, the enemy leader seems to be an incredible person!”
“Calm down, no matter how brilliant a commoner might be, they would be limited in their insight,”
Carglise scoffed, “also, it’s not as if I don’t understand what my father is trying to do here. Does he truly
believe I can’t tell he’s delaying me? His words are possibly false, and the enemy leader isn’t
accomplished at all. But that’s fine; once I refute everything my father said, I’ll be able to see what other
excuses he can come up with!”
He curled his lips into a cunning smile as he watched Lord Macsen’s body gradually disappear from the
forest.
=============== Brendel’s POV ============
Brendel continued to work in his room, but there was a commotion outside that became louder over time.
He frowned and finally stood up, went over to an arched window and looked down to the courtyard.
He quickly discovered the master craftsman Bosley, Amandina and the mercenary commanders arguing.
Medissa was trying to stop them from doing so, while Scarlett was lying against a tree with her halberd,
biting on a blade of grass and appeared to be uninterested in the quarrel.
“What’s going on?”
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He did not understand what they were arguing about, but after a moment of hesitation, he decided to
check it out for himself. It was not a good thing for his core subordinates to fight.
After he opened the door, a dark shadow charged into the room with two hands extended out with the
intention to push open the door. If his reactions were any slower, they would have collided. He jumped
backward while Felaern stopped herself and took several steps back. She calmed down before handing
out a piece of paper, and spoke in a crisp voice: “My lord! An urgent message!”
“What is it?” Brendel knitted his brows as he stared at the paper. He wondered what kind of unfortunate
day he was going to have as events seemed to start piling up. He took the piece of paper and closed the
door, while he studied the message’s content, before speaking in surprise: “Samuel’s troops have gone
past Port Gris?”
The name Samuel was Lord Macsen’s real name.
Before the battle with the Subterrane Dwellers, he had sent scouts near Port Gris. When Lord Macsen’s
army finished their journey over the river, the news had already reached Brendel’s hands.
“Yes, my lord.” Felaern nodded.
“Based on the previous reports, he must have gathered his soldiers yesterday. This is much faster than
what Ciel had predicted. This fellow isn’t simple—” Brendel could not help but praise him.
Ciel had great insight to Aouine’s politics and understood the nobles’ deployment speed the best amongst
his advisors. Based on his judgment, Lord Macsen would not ignore the rules, and even delay his
approach as the majority of the nobles were cowards or reluctant to send out their army. But it seemed
like Lord Macsen’s commanding abilities were much better than many low-ranking nobles.
The only ‘noble’ who would ignore the rules was Brendel who came from another world, naturally.
“How many men do they have?” Brendel asked.
“A few hundred, but the numbers don’t exceed a thousand,” Felaern answered with her usual stoic
expression, “but Cornelius’s scouts did not venture too far past Port Gris, so they don’t know if there are
going to be reinforcements.”
“No, that’s all the men he has,” Brendel shook his head and smiled wryly, “Samuel is just a retainer, how
many men would he have? But to gather only a few hundred men instead of borrowing more, it seems
like he’s looking down on us……”
“I would rather have everyone look down on us, instead of the odd idea of wanting to fight more enemies,
my lord.” She looked at him and refuted him.
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Brendel smiled in response and was about to drop the topic before he suddenly thought of something.
“Come to think of it; I remember there are several areas in the river towards Mountain Graham that are
shallow. Surely the scouts would be able to avoid the enemies’ eyes from there and check whether there
are reinforcements, right?”
“Yes, but they would be risking their lives.”
“This is why the mercenaries are no match for a formal army. Ahh, but I’m not referring to you.”
“The Mercenaries of Lopes are not that different either.” She replied.
“Well, leaving that aside, what’s going on down there in the courtyard?”
“I don’t know—” Felaern shook her head. She had seen the quarrel as well when she walked into the
building, but she had a disinterested disposition and did not care about things unrelated to her.
Brendel nodded and did not ask further. He left the room and walked down the spiral staircase as she
followed behind him, reflecting on the state of his army.
Even though the mercenaries worked for money, they did not act as involved compared to actual soldiers.
They saw wars as transactions and only accomplished as much as the money paid to them.
The majority of the mercenaries tend to only follow their orders and were mostly used to pad the army’s
numbers. Graudin was an exception who abused his position to use them and bully the citizens into
submission. Very few nobles would treat them as their main force, even if their quality and experience
were excellent.
In a real war, discipline was the most important aspect. This was also the reason as to why Brendel did
not regroup his mercenaries. The veteran mercenaries’ undisciplined characteristics were very difficult
to change, so he decided to integrate them all into The Amber Sword Mercenaries, and allowed them to
what they do best on their own in a war. (TL: In case you can’t remember, Brendel rescued mercenaries
from way back, Leto and the others, are The Amber Sword Mercenaries.)
As for the make-up of his formal army, he would recruit the natives and take a few men with
extraordinary potential from the mercenaries, and did not plan to place the mercenaries in important
positions. Currently, the ideas on his armies were very rough, and he had just started building a corner of
the blueprints he had in his mind.
In his eyes, he was in a complicated position.
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[The pressure that I’m facing isn’t small. Samuel has already set out with his soldiers, and I’m still nothing
more than a pilgrim on his journey. Putting aside Randner’s forces that would dwarf my own multiple
times, even Palas and the cavalry under him would be enough to cause me trouble—]
At this moment, he was unable to put eyes in the north, but he was certain that ‘Merciful Knight Palas’
had received news of Graudin’s defeat and was preparing to gather his forces. Knowing that man’s loyalty
to Graudin, he was certain that his army would move at the quickest possible time to reach him.
[I’m not completely worried about Palas commanding Graudin’s most elite riders, but it’s a pity to defeat
them. They are Trentheim’s true soldiers who trained for battle since they were young. If only I could use
them……]
He obviously knew that it was wishful thinking, and after a moment he crushed the paper into a ball and
put it into the bag on his belt. He understood that building up his army had to be done step by step, and
there was no point thinking about it.
[Well, I’m not surprised at Samuel sending out his army, but my battle with the Subterrane Dwellers
wasn’t pointless. The river extends to the Firburh’s forest, but Tagiv and his men have already controlled
that area.]
Brendel did not need to overthink about Lord Macsen’s fate. A few hundred private soldiers and a handful
of knights going up against thousands of Subterrane Dwellers and his own mercenaries as
reinforcements. It was easy to know what the results were going to be.
Brendel and Felaern walked out of the entrance hall and into the courtyard. The area had been cleaned up
the previous time where he made a mess by unleashing a Sword Arte, and even the benches and tables
were changed.
The quarreling noises were becoming clearer, and words could be picked out.
Brendel first saw Romaine sitting down at one end of the long table with her body hunched over it; she
was wearing a strange pair of glasses, with both elbows were pressed against a big pile of parchments
and seemed to be copying something—
The arguments did not get her attention, but when she heard the footsteps behind her, she abruptly
turned around. When she saw the young man, she immediately got up and yelled: “Brendel!”
Brendel gave an exasperated sigh and picked off the glasses from the girl’s narrow nasal bridge: “What
are you doing exactly with this look?”
“Accounting.” She lifted her chin up and answered as if it was the most natural thing.
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Brendel’s eyes went wide in a moment of comprehension before nodding. Graudin’s private wealth and
trophies were naturally taken over by ‘Lord Brendel’ when the latter took over Firburh, and there was
still money left over after paying the mercenaries and investing in the city
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The wealth Graudin left behind was handled quite messily. Brendel had left the management of it entirely
to Amandina, which she then allowed Romaine to use the wealth to invest in Trentheim’s businesses as
well as restoration to the city.
Soon after, Ciel, the three commanders, and the grandmaster craftsman Bosley were given a certain level
of rights to use the wealth as well.
Brendel arranged it in this manner purely to enjoy the convenience of not having to deal with it after
attempting to do so initially. Even though he accepted the responsibilities as a guild leader for a certain
time in the game, it was under the system’s assistance to log in the members’ contributions and basic
calculations for budgets.
Now that he lacked this function, he realized the amount of administrative work was overwhelming him,
and quickly discovered that it was becoming a chaotic mess. After several attempts to put together a
budget, he found many issues that made it unable to work.
He soon threw it to Amandina who also had trouble handling it on her own.
In the end, it was Romaine who went up to Amandina and suggested that she would take control of the
entire budget by herself by logging in the data and stabilizing the entire system.
It was the first time Brendel realized Romaine’s prototype system worked.
When he glanced at her accounting methods, he realized that he did not understand the majority of it.
When he inquired about it, she replied that it was taught by her aunt. The symbols looked familiar, so he
asked Ciel if the latter knew anything about Romaine’s method, and he received the reply that it was
probably the secret language between witches.
Brendel nodded and did not mind the secretive nature. The people he could rely the most on, leaving his
summons aside, were Freya and Romaine.
After studying it for a little longer, he finally looked at the people quarreling a short distance away. It had
been persisting for quite some time; Jana’s voice was the loudest, Cornelius seemed to be arguing for his
cause while Bosley was trying to drown out Jana, and Amandina interjected from time to time. But the
person who spoke the most was Medissa who attempted to dissuade them from fighting. It seemed like
no one was going to convince each other.
“What are they arguing about?” He asked.
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Romaine immediately shook her head happily, imitating Amandina’s disapproving voice: “Only the ones
involved know how valuable resources are, my lord—”
Brendel’s brow raised up and felt like he had guessed what the core issues were.
Amandina had a disapproving frown on her forehead while she looked at the people in front of her. Even
though she maintained her basic manners, she was truly annoyed inside.
She definitely supported her lord in his decision to get his own army. She also knew that Jana, Cornelius,
Raban and the Nightsong Tiger had their missions from Brendel, and that Jana was recruiting citizens
within Firburh to create the initial structure for a private army.
But the problem was not in that area.
There were a total of fifteen thousand citizens within the city. The autumn harvest was just over, and the
total amount of grains were just enough to keep the population going for the next year. In other words,
there was no guarantee that there would be surplus food for the mercenaries and they had to rely on
trade.
Yet Trentheim was most likely about to face many battles. The food needed to sustain these soldiers was
nearly twice the amount.
Considering that the city was also undergoing development, the workers would similarly require more
food. Finally, the Subterrane Dwellers also wanted access to food. Graudin had provided them partially by
starving the citizens within the city, but they could not do the same thing.
With all these things into considerations, the amount of food required was quite substantial.
If he wanted to go one step further and control the entire Firburh, the deficits would become even more
apparent. For this year alone, Amandina knew that the grains in the south were in a shortage.
It was partially due to this year’s unstable weather, but the real reason was Madara’s invasion.
Even if she wanted to purchase grains, she was going to have another problem. The invasion in the south
by Madara was over, but a great war in the north was about to happen soon. Dark clouds were gathering
all over Aouine. (TL: Civil war in the north.)
The outcomes from consecutive wars meant that the prices of food were going to be more stable than
gold. Their prices would go high up, and it would not just be a little.
The devious merchants in Ampere Seale, the largest trading harbor in Aouine, knew what was going to
happen. They would not lower their prices out of pity but drive the prices up as much as they possibly
could.
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Purchasing grains at this point of time was difficult.
Amandina had rubbed her forehead many times in frustration over this matter, but she was unable to
think of a solution. She had factored in the silver mine in the Schafflund region, which was also part of
Trentheim’s territory, but this was a military matter and could only suggest Brendel to capture it. If he
denied this suggestion, she could only think about the resources she had at her fingers to solve this issue.
Furthermore, Lord Macsen and Lord Palas’s armies were reaching Firburh, and her lord was unlikely to
leave this place. Because of that, even the self-centered Romaine obediently delayed her plans to
implement her business strategies.
Jana had come to Amandina in order to arrange the recruitment of a private army, but doing so at this
point would mean that the latter needed to provide nearly double the funds because of the issue of
obtaining enough food for them.
Amandina did not want to imagine the consequences of doing so.
She convinced the female commander to put this issue aside with great difficulty, or at the very least, wait
till the citizens felt safe in the city.
Then Bosley came along and sought money as well.
The reason he had was that Brendel wanted him to establish a workshop. Before he could think about
making Magic Armor, he would first require a large workforce and assets. Forget about whether
Trentheim mined metal ores; even training craftsmen apprentices needed a large sum of money.
Because Bosley was originally a royal craftsman, he never had to consider the issue of money, and
naturally demanded it when he realized that he lacked the funds.
Cornelius was the next to join in, also with the issue of money. He was not there for the recruitment of
soldiers, but the remuneration for the mercenaries’ expended equipment. The mercenaries in Firburh
right now could be seen in-name only, as they were more like Brendel’s private soldiers.
Since these mercenaries were without a normal income, the equipment they expended had to be
replenished and their lord Brendel naturally had to take responsibility. He had silently agreed that he had
a hiring relationship with them.
But Cornelius also understood they were in the same boat and Brendel was currently lacking in funds, so
he did not even mention their wages.
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The mercenaries were going to be embroiled in constant battles, and it was an urgent situation to
replenish armors, weapons, and ammunitions. He had to come and demand money from her.
Amandina was quickly overwhelmed. The little money she had right now was simply insufficient, but
before she could think of a solution, the three people in front of her started arguing because they could
not find a common point to agree on.
The arguments generally went along the lines of ‘your matters can be delayed, my stuff is more important
so you can get lost’, and Amandina initially tried to dissuade them, but after a while, she angrily joined in
the battle.
Medissa who passed by them hastily went over to stop them from fighting. Scarlett who accompanied the
little Elven princess felt that it had nothing to do with her and merely sat from afar and watched them
quarrel, feeling nothing but boredom.
The arguments were reaching boiling temperatures.
Bosley had been in the Royal Faction for some time, and his oratory skills were quite formidable, having
barbed sarcasm in every sentence, and caused Jana to nearly drown in his litany of sneering words. Her
face was visibly flushed with furious anger and was about to shout him down when she suddenly stared
behind him with a grimace and instead said:
“My lord.”
The others paused, then turned around and greeted Brendel: “My lord!”
Brendel put on a poker face and scoffed through his nose: “It seems like there’s an ongoing party?”
Everyone lowered their heads, but Bosley merely tilted his head and thought for a while. After a moment,
he also did the same and said:
“My lord, based on your words, we should have a common goal and enemy, so I won’t cause trouble for
you. However, as everyone knows, a war is a contest between wealth. It seems like your situation isn’t an
optimistic one—”
Brendel did not answer him. He understood this point well. An average person would feel that Graudin’s
wealth was massive, but it was clearly lacking if he wanted to use it to build the city. As an example, the
amount of money spent on fixing the wall was huge……
Amandina had to spend twice the money to get the craftsmen to work for him. It was quite unthinkable
because a normal lord would have forced their citizens to work for free.
1380
[It’s the same old story of instilling citizens’ trust in me. Cornelius and Raban had recommended using
force to make the citizens work for free, but Jana and Amandina objected to it. Romaine also objected, but
her views were on the future economic reasons. I chose not to do so because I don’t want to stoop to
Graudin’s level. But this problem has to be solved somehow……]
1381
“……. Lord Macsen’s army has reached Port Gris.” Brendel said.
Everyone was taken aback and were unable to react. Brendel did not request Bosley to leave when he
informed his subordinates, but the latter bowed slightly and said:
“Since this topic is unrelated to me, this old man shall take his leave,” he said and acted accordingly to the
nobles’ etiquette by placing his left hand over his chest, “although, my lord, I’ll be waiting to hear good
news from you.”
Bosley then left the courtyard with leisurely footsteps.
“What’s going on?” Jana glared at Bosley’s back and saw him disappear behind a wall while she asked. She
then turned around to face Brendel: “We hadn’t received news that of any army departing.”
“The scouts sent news directly to the Nightsong Tiger,” Brendel explained, and he introduced the young
Wild Elf girl next to him: “This is Felaern, I believe you have seen her before. I’ll let her speak.”
Everyone’s gaze fell onto her, but she continued to wear a stoic expression, raising her chin a little as she
repeated the information that she told Brendel.
Their faces took on odd expressions when they heard Lord Macsen only brought seven hundred-odd
soldiers over the river. The enemy’s army was comprised of mostly private soldiers recruited from
farmers, a portion of it mercenaries, and a small handful of knights.
“Wait, this idiot lord, surely he’s not eager to send himself to his death right?” Jana flipped a few strands
of her long red hair back behind her neck, shaking her head without comprehension: “We can take him
down easily in a single swoop if he brought so little men.”
“Is it possible that it’s some form of trap?” Cornelius asked cautiously.
“No, I think it’s because Lord Macsen believes that the mercenaries wouldn’t be so bold, to the point that
they would stay here,” Brendel explained his thoughts to them, “Graudin’s most loyal knights were killed
by us long ago, and the remaining private soldiers he had were shady adventurers and questionable
mercenaries. When they were driven away by us, do you think they would escape to Lord Macsen or Lord
Palas to report Firburh’s situation?”
The mercenaries were silent. It was not exactly an honorable thing to abandon their lords, especially in
this era. It was possible for the deserters to be sent to the gallows so no one would do something so
disadvantageous.
1382
“Which is why the news Lord Macsen and Lord Palas received came from other sources. For example, the
news came from the Firburh’s refugees.” He continued to explain.
“We locked down the surrounding areas around Firburh to prevent Graudin’s soldiers from running away
that particular night,” Amandina added after Brendel’s words, “and your men were sent to the various
chokepoints within ten miles of the city. You know it best whether Lord Macsen’s scouts managed to
infiltrate the city.”
Jana and Cornelius exchanged glances. Their mercenaries were highly experienced, and while they were
not great soldiers, they were excellent hunters. They did not believe a small noble like Lord Macsen had
scouts capable of entering the city or gather accurate information about their forces.
It was evident that he was arrogant enough to set off with their troops with such limited information, and
it seemed like he did not view these ‘rebelling commoners’ as a threat.
Brendel scratched his forehead. Jana and Cornelius were standing at attention ever since he appeared
before them. His mind was a little surprised but realized that ever since he recruited Tagiv and its men,
the mercenary commanders seemed to understand their positions under him were weak.
He had displayed enough strength to make them cut off any useless thoughts like how they had to submit
to Brendel to avoid Count Randner’s revenge, and were now contemplating what positions they could get
under him. Even Jana who did not like fighting for influence had to think about her men.
[I see, this is what they are thinking about…… When these two commanders heard that Lord Macsen only
had seven hundred men, they were ready to join in because there are thousands of Subterrane Dwellers
as our allies. That means it’s easy to attain victory and they are willing to vie for achievements.]
In truth, Raban had come before him to hand over his men for direct control even before the battle for the
lumber mills. But Brendel did not do so as he thought this would cause the Jana and Cornelius to become
uneasy in their positions.
He thought for a while before he replied: “Cornelius, prepare your men and meet up with Raban; tell him
about Lord Macsen’s arrival. Then you’re to find a way to go around Lord Macsen and get to his rear to
cut off his retreat path. If it’s possible, capture every one alive, especially Lord Macsen. I have use for
him—”
Brendel rubbed his chin as he pondered momentarily: “…….. Of course, I’ll defer things to your judgment
if a situation crops up.”
Cornelius’s eyes lit up slightly as though a burden had been lifted off his back. He glanced at Jana and
answered gravely: “As you wish, my lord.”
1383
When he finished his words, he acted like a real knight by tidying up the position of his sword and saluted
to Brendel. He then turned away and left the courtyard, with his satisfied footsteps hitting the stone
pavement.
Jana could not help but glower at him, but she did not say anything in the end. Medissa and Amandina
were relieved to find the arguments were over, although the latter knew that her troubles were not over.
The problem with the budget allocation was still unsolved, and delaying it was not a solution.
“My lord, are you not going to the frontlines?” Amandina asked while she gathered the documents she
had brought along.
“There’s nothing to look at,” Brendel shook his head. He did not think there would be any unforeseen
situations and allowing the Nightsong Tiger and the other two mercenary commanders lead their own
men would be more effective than him doing so.
He was a warrior who led charges straight into the battlefield and certainly not a commander. Being a
city’s lord was already hard enough to cause him a headache, and he wanted to be lazy whenever he
could. If he had time, he would rather solve the more pressing issues.
“How much money do we still have left?” He said.
“Approximately 350,0000 Tor coins, including the valuable objects that Graudin has. But considering the
issue of time, the current amount of coins we can use is less than a third,” Amandina’s expression became
solemn and replied, “also, the question of food is right up our noses. Trentheim’s current food production
is equivalent to its expenditure. We don’t have surplus food for our men and don’t forget, Ser Leto is
bringing along a few thousand refugees.”
Brendel did not forget about that point and nodded as an acknowledgment.
“When it comes to trading, it’s not as simple as it looks. First of all, we don’t have any ships—” Amandina
continued.
“But there should be ships in Port Gris, right?” Medissa whispered to her. Although she was not familiar
with Aouine’s territory, she had studied Trentheim’s geography to handle any future battles.
“Leaving aside the issue of us not controlling Port Gris, this particular harbor is mostly used for fishing.
While there’s a few merchants ship using it, the biggest problem we have is whether they are willing to
work for us. If they do, we’re going to fork out another large sum of money. But we can’t afford to spend
our current funds on this because we are likely to spend half of what we have in the upcoming battles. To
be honest, I’m not sure how long our situation is going to last because Count Randner will never let us
have it easy.”
Amandina sighed at this point before she continued:
1384
“Finally, we control Firburh, but that’s only in name. The majority of the city isn’t willing to work with us,
and our situation is truly in a terrible state. Right now, I’m more inclined to hide with the Dark Forest. No
matter how brilliant you are, we can’t do anything without money, my lord.”
She then cast a resentful glare at Brendel: “As for the promised building for my Magicite Research, it’s
fine, I can continue to wait for it, but it seems like Bosley isn’t interested in waiting……”
Brendel smiled wryly at her words, as they were the exact opposite of ‘fine’. She was right, to solve
Trentheim’s lack of food, he needed to find a way to trade, and the lack of money was the core for most of
his problems.
[The first thing I need to solve is the issue of money. Romaine made a profit in Bruglas and left it to Leto’s
daughter. If she didn’t encounter any issues, I could probably get around a few hundred thousand Tor
coins. But Count Randner is in the way because he’s blocking Grinoires and Trentheim. Then my first idea
would be…… the silver mine in Schafflund.]
1385
Schafflund’s source of silver came from the base of Graham’s mountains which contained an enormous
amount of silver ore. The mine vein extended towards Karanjar’s mountains and the Dark Forest.
Schafflund’s silver mine was just a small portion of what the Dark Forest had to offer, but it still allowed
Aouine to benefit greatly.
“Amandina, tell me what you know about Schafflund,” Brendel said.
The young noble girl’s eyes brightened up slightly, and she immediately answered: “Schafflund is the
most important source of income in Trentheim since its beginning. During the Year of Dwelling Beasts,
the previous Lord Trentheim built a fortress to harvest and transport silver, but it slowly formed into the
town that we know of today.”
“Year of the Dwelling Beasts,” Brendel recalled in his mind, “that’s thirty years ago?”
Amandina nodded and said:
“The highest ranking officers there are comprised of an adjutant and secretary officer. Neither of them
answers to Graudin but directly to Count Randner, and this is why Graudin is unable to take much of it,
despite the silver mine producing nearly fifteen tons of silver every year. Also, the creatures in the Dark
Forest make it impossible to extend the harvesting area of silver ore, and Trentheim continues to remain
poor.”
“Graudin is utterly useless as a city’s lord,” Brendel was pitying that pitiful worm a little, and he smiled a
little, “but this means I’m going to take away Count Randner’s cheese.”
Amandina smiled at his remarks: “Have you not moved it already, my lord?”
Brendel laughed. He turned around and saw Jana’s gaze on him, keenly noticing a streak of anxiety in her
eyes despite her restrained expressions.
When Jana saw the other two commanders who joined Brendel at the same time as her receiving his
orders, she did not want her men to sit and do nothing. If they had nothing to show Brendel, then they
might be sold out for being useless.
Even though the young lord appeared to be friendly, she had encountered many nobles and had to
maintain the necessary amount to despise and suspect these bastards, simply because she knew how
despicable they could be if they turned against her.
1386
“My lord, please allow me to conquer Schafflund! I know the situation there, the mine only has a mere
hundred-odd soldiers defending it,” She used a slightly raspy voice to plead her case, and placed her hand
over her chest, “it is more than enough for my men and I to capture it.”
“But Palas is too close to Schafflund. I’m afraid that other Lord is watching the situation closely, even if we
do occupy it, we wouldn’t be able to control it.”
Jana was silent.
“Are we not able to follow up with that thought? Can’t we use the Subterrane dwellers, or are we unable
to trust them?” Amandina asked.
“We want Schafflund to work properly; the workers will be affected if Lord Palas harasses the place,”
Brendel explained after thinking for a moment.
[Hmm, well, Tagiv had sworn upon his deity, and the Subterrane Dwellers wouldn’t dare to break their
oaths, so it’s okay to trust them, but it’s not a good choice…..]
“How much food are we lacking?” He asked.
“Seventeen thousand bushels,” Amandina said.
Brendel felt difficulty to adjust to this world’s system as the game used metric measurements.
[One bushel of wheat is roughly 27 kg, and rounding it up would be approximately 500000 kg. That’s a
pretty big number.]
“If we count our men and the partial allocation of food to the Subterrane Dwellers, how long we can last
based on the current wheat in the city?”
Amandina frowned slightly: “Based on the data, that would be two months. But there are a few other
sources of food that have not been entered yet, though we would still not last for more than three
months.”
“This means we have a window of two months,” Brendel said.
Amandina nodded.
Brendel thought for a while: “Then it’s fine, continue to recruit soldiers from the citizens. If Bosley wants
a plot of land, human resources, or money, just give it to him. Do the same for the other three mercenary
commanders, but I’ll have to set the Magicite Workshop aside for now.”
1387
Amandina nodded again. She deliberately chose to mention it, but she understood that Trentheim did not
produce Amber Gemstones so it was more of a grumble.
“Romaine’s business plans have to be set aside as well,” he continued.
He could hear Romaine’s voice behind him, “Of course, right now there’s no point in implementing these
plans.”
It seemed like she was not feeling sad.
“Finally, make sure that we are capable of fighting for the upcoming battles, you can use your judgments
to cut out any other expenditures. Of course, you do know that the only true request that I have, is not to
let everyone here chased off into the Dark Forest.”
His last sentence made all the girls grin.
But Amandina still felt it would be nice to move off to the Dark Forest when she thought of all the things
she had to do now.
“My lord, does this mean you have a solution for our finances?” She asked.
“Well, it’s still the silver mine.” Brendel gave a hearty laugh, “there’s no reason not to move such a large
piece of cheese when it’s right beside us, right?”
“But……?”
Medissa suddenly understood why, and her silver eyes widened with comprehension, “My lord, you mean
to say we should take a different approach to Schafflund?”
Brendel praised her with his eyes: “Yes, I want you and Scarlett to come along with me to visit Count
Randner’s subordinates. Miss Jana, you can come along too—”
Jana immediately replied: “Do I need to bring my men?”
“Of course, but there’s no need to be too many,” Brendel deliberated for a moment, “twenty to thirty men
would suffice.”
Jana nodded silently, but she was feeling quite conflicted inside. He was younger than her, but every time
she spoke with him she felt that she became a head shorter and had to look up to him. Clearly, it was not
his noble status, but a unique air about him that allowed him to remain utterly unfazed by anyone.
She could not help but think that even if this young man met up with the king, the latter would feel the
same way. Even though this thought was a little ridiculous, Jana’s instincts told her she was right.
1388
In any case, receiving this order made her relieved. She politely took her leave and immediately went to
gather her men.
“Do I need to go as well?” Amandina asked after the female commander left. It was apparent to see she
was unwilling to go. She was starting to feel tired of seeing battle after battle, as well as running
everywhere.
“It’s best if you stay behind and help me come up with a plan,” Brendel could see how unwilling she was
and said.
“What of it?”
“Rebuild the entire Firburh city somewhere else into a fortress.”
“What?” Amandina’s eyes were completely round.
Brendel knew that she would be shocked, but it was a necessary plan for him. If princess Gryphine
refused to enter an arranged marriage with Lord Arreck, then this rewritten history meant that the Royal
Faction’s armies would lose in battle once the northern lords and crown prince’s coalition army fought
them.
When that happened, he hoped the newly rebuilt Firburh would become the final bastion of defense
against their terrible might. It would preserve Aouine’s southern territory, especially Valhalla, which was
his trump card to tilt the chessboard.
Firburh’s position was also an excellent spot. It faced the sea in the west, and had a silver mine in the east,
and was a natural commercial hub between the rest of Trentheim and Valhalla.
[Aouine’s future capital for me has to be Valhalla. Firburh needs to become an impregnable fortress to
defend it, but this spot isn’t going to work. I already instructed Tagiv and his men to find a suitable place
somewhere in the north and make sure there’s enough space and geographical suitability for defense and
offense. The north of River Gris is hills that have gentle angled slopes, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find
somewhere suitable.]
These creatures were not used to attacking cities, but they were brilliant city builders in the Jurgen
Underworld.
He stopped his thoughts when he saw Amandina’s confused expressions: “There’s no need to be shocked.
This matter cannot be done within a day or two. We have one or two more years so we can make this a
long-term project.”
1389
It was a little challenging to build a complete fortress with all the facilities of a town in a year or two, but
the basic necessities could be set up. Naturally, this building speed was only possible with magic, unlike
Earth.
“What do I need to do?” Amandina inhaled deeply when she saw that Brendel was serious. It was not a
small project to build a city, and the amount of knowledge to build one was just too much. It was the first
time that she felt she was not going to be able to do a good job.
“It’s not a hard problem. You can just take a look around this city and think back on what you saw in
Bruglas. Ponder on how the past architects build the cities and think about what we need.”
Brendel once again emphasized that the New Firburh had to be a fortress.
“Ciel will also aid you in this matter. Even though he’s a wizard by profession, I’m sure that he has studied
widely in many areas and shouldn’t be a problem for him when it comes to simple planning.”
“Ciel will help me?”
Brendel nodded. “…… Of course, if there are any noteworthy craftsmen good in building structures, you
can recruit them.”
He did not have much confidence in his words. The famous city builders did not really exist in this era,
and even if they did, they would not gather in this impoverished city. This was not some fictional novel,
and Bosley was already an exception.
[The more I talk about this, the more ridiculous it sounds. This world isn’t a game where I can just spend
unlimited resources, and let the system go ‘ka-ching’ and build an entire ready-made fortress in the
middle of a forest. We’re building a real-life fortress after all……]
1390
[How does building something work in this era? Lime as mortar? The rocks aren’t going to cut and stack
themselves to form a wall, which means bricks have to be made from a kiln and then transferred to the
workplace. Human workers aren’t a simple set of data too. The money and food involved are going to be
black holes. It’s also a professional skill to allocate human resources effectively. It’ will be challenging to
ensure a hundred men outputting a hundred men’s worth. Heck, it’s easy to make it less than half if I did
it poorly.]
Even though Brendel had managed a small number of men in the past, he thought that the number of
workers would go up to thousands and even over ten thousand.
It was not like fighting a war where he could just send in his armies. He had to know what the workers
were supposed to do for their tasks.
[Maybe the Rolan Dwarven Craftsmen or underworld Great Earth Spirits, or the Wizard Craftsmen……
These dwarves live in the northern regions even further away than Osor. But that place is always
snowing in the mountains, and they don’t live in Aouine. Hmm, come to think of it the Kirin Dwarves are
distant relatives— No, I can’t use them, they are professionals in making wine, and not building cities.
The Great Earth Spirits are considered high-class citizens. On top of that and their building skills, they
have exceptional combat prowess and are regarded highly. Why would they come up to this poor place
and suffer?]
Lastly, Brendel thought of the Wizard Craftsmen. They were arrogant old men who were in the Silver
Alliance, but they were unlikely to be interested in him. Also, these men had incredibly keen senses who
might guess that he usurped the original Brendel’s body after talking to him.
In the end, he chose to take it one step at a time. He currently had no solution, but once his strength rose
in the future, he might be able to find a method to substitute things.
“Go ahead and do your best, I trust in your abilities.” He could only say these lines.
But these words made Amandina glow and she nodded earnestly.
“I think I heard you calling for me, my lord?” A youthful voice came from the outside.
Scarlett who was not too far away from a black pine tree subconsciously followed the voice and saw Ciel
wearing a dark cloak covering his entire body who walked into the courtyard.
1391
The young wizard had hardly appeared before anyone ever after the day Graudin was killed. He stayed in
a small cottage provided by the city’s guards and acted as though the worldly affairs had nothing to do
with him.
Ciel had explained to Brendel that he was testing out new magic spells. An apprentice wizard becoming a
master overnight needed to some time to get adjusted.
Brendel watched him stroll in with a face full of carefree ease and even appeared to be a little excited.
[This guy seems to be doing well these days. It’s certainly more interesting compared to the time he was
in the graveyard.]
“Why are you here?” Brendel asked, but he quickly saw that he was not alone and there was another
young man beside him.
Brendel recognized the young man to be the only person who survived amongst the unfortunate group of
adventurers, Alistair, who was a fledging wizard who used Chord Magic. Although, he did not understand
why Alistair would bother staying on under him. He eventually came to know that his companions were
all from noble families, and while they were not exactly influential, they were still well off.
[He’s still around, huh…… There’s actually no need to continue mingling with my mercenaries since his
origin is good. Amandina called us as righteous rebels, but we’re more like bandits, to put it mildly. And
the only difference between real bandits and us is that Amandina, Ciel and I understand the rules of the
nobles’ game.]
Ciel came up with a small smile and respectfully bowed all the way to his waist before Brendel. Any
outsiders would have been shocked to see a wizard so respectful to a noble, but Ciel did not miss a beat
and greeted Brendel.
This meant that Alistair was now staring at them with odd, astonished expressions. He shifted his eyes at
Ciel, then at Brendel. Even though Brendel was a Gold-ranked swordsman, Ciel also had the same rank,
and the position for the latter was regarded with higher importance.
Amandina did not seem to be surprised anymore and merely fiddled with the documents she had.
Medissa did not understand the etiquette in this era, while Scarlett had no idea what a Gold-ranked
wizard really meant.
“I’m here for the money.” Ciel answered with a smile before he acted like an elderly gold-ranked wizard
and scratched his head, causing Scarlett’s eyebrows to twitch a little: “But I’m also here to give out
money.”
“Give out money?” Brendel parroted his words with a peculiar look.
1392
“I think I’ll talk about the reasons why I need money, since I know my lord likes to take in the bad news
first,” Ciel quickly stole the chance to speak his agenda, “the things that you asked me the previous time, I
thought for a while and there should be no problem.”
Brendel quickly understood what Ciel was talking about.
Ciel had now become a leading figure amongst all the casters in the city. If he were to shape up the other
wizards in the mercenaries, it might be possible for him to establish a Wizard’s Association like the
Tower of Stars and Moons.
Although his situation looked quite pitiful now, the future that he envisioned was quite optimistic; it
would not be as good enough to go up against the Silver Alliance, but they would not be weaker than the
Black Tower’s wizards.
Brendel had asked this question a little earlier because Ciel studied under the Black Tower’s wizards and
there might be some taboos. There was a certain degree of discretion when it came to their knowledge,
and a war nearly happened when they splintered off from the Silver Alliance. He finally received an
affirmative reply from Ciel now, but he was quite surprised by Ciel wanting to give out money.
[What’s this guy playing at now?]
“I think we should talk about the good news first,” Brendel said.
“My lord, have you forgotten what you item you had given me?” Ciel reminded him with a smile.
“What is it?” Brendel was still uncertain, and he saw Ciel taking out a painting from the Magic Item Bag on
his waist.
“Marsha above, the portrait of the Coruscating Darkness Princess!”
Amandina dropped all her documents and shouted with wide eyes, then turned suspicious: “Is this a
fake?”
Judging from her lord and Ciel’s true nature, that might be a possible answer. But Brendel shook his head.
“This is the real thing.” He said, recognizing it from Fortress Riedon. It was something he stole and was
quite a devious act back then, but right now it seemed that the decision to do so was brilliant.
The painting of Lamona, the Elven princess of Coruscating Darkness, was highly sought after and not
impossible to sell it for several million. Even though this money was not much to Brendel, it was enough
to solve their immediate problems.
Brendel immediately thought of Ampere Seale because there was no appropriate market in Firburh.
1393
[I need someone to head to Ampere Seale, the opportunities there are favorable due to investors betting
their whole fortune on the complicated political structure. There’s also a need to establish some form of
relationship with them as this city’s lord. A civil war is about to break out, and Ampere Seale would
certainly be in a raucous state right about now.]
Brendel smiled confidently as plans started formulating.
1394
Chapter 36 – Princess Nun
=============== Princess POV ==============
“Ampere Seale?” Magadal said.
She was sitting on a tall chair and looked at her close friend, Gryphine, with shock. The latter was also
sitting down on an identical chair, with her long silver strands of hair collapsing gently onto her dress,
her lithe body sculpted like a doll.
The half-elven princess with silver eyes seemed to be filled with patience and mercy, appearing to be
meek, but she was well known for her unyielding personality amongst the nobles.
She carried a short silver sword outlined with emeralds carved into runic patterns on her belt; it seemed
like it was only decorative, but Magadal was absolutely certain that Gryphine was capable of easily
subduing a male adult, and perhaps that was still an understatement.
Gryphine was famed for possessing exceptional swordsmanship, and even a formal knight was not her
match.
Both of Magadal’s hands were placed on both her knees while she sat elegantly. She was also a princess
from the Manticore Duchy and had known Gryphine when they were young.
Magadal was a little envious of the latter who naturally showed off her assertive side, and every action
seemed to show how she acted for herself.
In comparison, Magadal had grown up under strict upbringing for nobles. Even though she was widely
learned, outsiders treated her a gentle and quiet noble lady that was the very model of an aristocrat’s
daughter.
But she hated this praise. She wanted to pursue a life of freedom, although she did not know exactly how
it felt like, and her responsible nature meant that she had to accept her fate. The Manticore Duchy was
only a small kingdom from the north of Aouine, and a girl of her status had her fate already decided from
the beginning.
“Why do you want me to go to Ampere Seale, is it because of the war?”
The half-elven princess nodded.
1395
Sudden roars and cheers came outside the balcony; the knights were having a competition in the
courtyard. But the voices quickly died down and did not affect their conversation for long.
“Has the situation became this tense?” Magadal lowered her voice.
“What do you make of the situation? My older brother has moved faster than what I imagined. Many
dukes have joined him and they have formed a coalition army. Even though that old fox Arreck is still
hesitating, I think he would make his decision very soon.” Gryphine spoke unhurriedly, as though it had
nothing to do with her.
“Perhaps the situation is still able to change?”
“It’s not as simple as you think. Arreck is an ambitious person and either he chooses to stand with my
beloved brother, or he stands with us,” Gryphine paused for a moment before she said wistfully, “I don’t
mind a marriage with him, but I’m afraid it would hurt Haruze.” (TL: Haruze is Gryphine’s younger
brother.)
Magadal did not speak further and looked silently at Gryphine. She knew Gryphine well and understood
that the latter would not topple because of this problem.
Otherwise, Gryphine would not be recognized as Aouine’s brilliant star.
“In truth, I’m more worried about Count Randner,” the half-elven girl said, “Arreck might be the dark
clouds gathering over the northern skies, bringing about violent storms and lightning, but if the wind is
right, he might not be our enemies and instead become our allies. The count, however, might bring out a
dagger behind our backs.”
A flash of amusement streaked across Magadal’s brown eyes, and she abruptly spoke: “I have heard of
something recently; you might be interested in it.”
“Go ahead.”
The Manticore Duchy’s princess brought her body a little closer: “I have a letter written in sealed magic
from a friend in Randner’s territory. The Count seems to be in some sort kind of trouble because there’s a
rebellion in his territory. I think he doesn’t have the time to care about things outside his territory.”
“Your friend is from the Cathedral?” Gryphine asked solemnly.
Magadal nodded lightly.
1396
Gryphine took a serious look at her close friend. Even though the later did not have Elven blood, she was
regarded to be just as beautiful. She had a different air about her, with her soft golden locks reflecting the
light around her to give her a saintly sheen, accentuating her gentle and tranquil appearance.
Magadal was called the ‘Frowning Angel’, and she was so beautiful that Gryphine could not help but recall
an ancient fable about a human queen who captivated everyone. But the queen’s ending was an unhappy
one, and Gryphine knitted her eyebrows for an instant before she discarded her stray thoughts.
Magadal was extremely pious and had excellent terms with the Cathedral of Holy Flames. She even had
personal friendships with the Cathedral’s local bishops in various territories, yet this was also the reason
why she was ridiculed by some nobles and called as the ‘Princess Nun’.
Even the Cathedral’s High Priest had praised her devout faith, which in turn assisted her to go relatively
untroubled despite her beauty. Between nobility and faith, people would be inclined to pursue the
former, but the latter made them feel awe and distance themselves away from her.
“Do you remember the joke when we studied etiquette back then? In Aouine, a lord wouldn’t be a true
lord until they settle one or two uprisings.” Gryphine asked.
Magadal gave a faint smile in response, Gryphine was most likely thinking about the peaceful days.
“It’s roughly the same anywhere,” Magadal replied.
“Yes, while I hope Count Randner gets his hands tied down by this rebellion, we can’t put our hopes as to
what happens to him because there are things that we can do right now.”
“What would you like me to do?”
“I’m afraid that the merchants would be swayed by the profits offered by the nobles in the north. I hope
that you can use your relationship with the Holy Cathedral and convince the merchants in Ampere Seale
to deny lending their harbors to the coalition army to travel south. The Cathedral of Flames have the
ability to protect the harbor, so the merchants don’t need to worry on that. ”
“I do know of a local bishop in Ampere Seale; I can try persuading him,” Magadal recalled for a moment
before speaking, “but when do you want me to go?”
“There’s no need to hurry. Once you leave my territory, I believe the dukes will immediately receive the
news of your departure. My request is dangerous, so I want you to think about this carefully. You are my
close friend and I don’t wish to trouble you—”
“Precisely because we’re close friends, that I want to help you.”
“Thank you.”
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Another round of shouting and hurrah rang out again from the courtyard, and Gryphine looked towards
the balcony. Someone had won again, and a glint appeared in her eyes.
“Let me pick a few of my people to guard you. They can ensure your safety and accomplish this task
alongside.”
“Then, I want Ser Maynild,” Magadal showed off a rare cunning side of her, which she would only do so in
front of Gryphine, “if she’s there with me, I’ll have some to chat with and relieve my boredom.”
Gryphine smiled in response: “You’re certainly taking advantage of me for going after my best knight so
quickly. Very well, if that’s the case I can only let her go with much pain in my heart— but you do need to
care of Maynild’s whims; her temper is much worse than mine.”
“Naturally.” Magadal blinked several times.
In truth, the three of them were close friends who knew each other well. Even though Maynild had an
indifferent personality, she was not one to vent her temper.
Another round of delightful roars came again and lasted for a long time. The two girls understood that the
final match amongst the knights was about to take place.
Gryphine stood up, her attention taken away by the cheers: “Let’s take a look and see which talented
youths have the fortune to travel with you—”
Magadal stood up as well and nodded.
============== Freya’s POV ============
Freya’s hands were full of perspiration, and her heart was pounding intensely. If the crowd got closer to
her, they would be able to see clearly that her face was like a ripe apple and was gasping deeply for air.
Her sweat was dripping off her sharp chin, and her uniform was already soaked long ago. The consecutive
matches that she had were making her feel that her stamina was about to run out.
The number of opponents she had defeated had gotten the audience’s attention. As the newest member
amongst the competitors this year, her performance could be seen as outstanding.
And in the other arenas, Bennett and three other newcomers formed the brightest existences this term.
(TL: Bennett used to be Bretton, and I changed it because the name is too close to Brendel. He was a rival
of the old Brendel and quite near the start of the series, in case you can’t remember.)
She wiped away her perspiration from her chin. She would certainly be considered the least prominent
out of the five.
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Bennett had defeated a reserved knight with just three strikes. When Freya saw his match, she realized
that the once immature and rash youth was becoming more level-headed, and his skill in the sword was
improving by leaps and bounds.
Freya could almost imagine his talent shining brilliantly through his sword, and he had found where he
was supposed to belong to. This was the best stage for him.
And in comparison, she felt a little lost.
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Chapter 37 – Freya’s swordsmanship
============== Freya’s POV ============
Freya knew that she did not have superior talent in the sword. After the events in Bucce, she had tried
closing the gap between her and the other squires in the academy with her obstinate personality, by
putting in more effort than the others to inch her way closer.
But it was not as simple as she hoped for.
As the days passed by, she gradually realized that effort alone was not able to bridge the gap between the
talented and untalented. There were many people who were more capable than she was, and she was
part of the crowd who were insignificant. Her little pride as the best swordsman in Bucce disappeared
completely when she realized she was dwarfed by the brilliance by the top knights in the academy.
In front of her was a senior apprentice knight; a Silver-ranked swordsman like Bennett. The rules of the
competition limited the usage of strength, and the combatants were to duel each other with the
knowledge of their swordsmanship; if this were not the case, she would have been defeated long ago—
However, this was precisely why she felt her sword which was held with both hands tremble a little, at
the thought that she was fighting against someone superior.
Her frowning opponent was carefully circling her. The stubborn defense from her had caused him to
suffer a little disadvantage.
Ever since the creation of this yearly tournament in the Royal Knights Academy, there was a rule which
stated matches were conducted again as soon as they were over, which practically gave participants no
time to rest. Everyone had to pay the price for spending too much stamina in a single battle.
The person who made this rule did it so these knights would understand that the enemies in a battlefield
would give a ‘fair’ rule. They needed to conserve their stamina so they could survive longer.
The reason for building the Royal Knights Academy was to sire the best military personnel. In this
current era of peace, the knights who graduated were then sent off to be groomed by high ranking
officers. Those who showed excellent skills might even be accepted to become the royal family’s knights.
This was how a commoner could become a noble overnight.
The tournament’s format utilized a points system and a single elimination system. The aspiring squires
would duel each other and gain corresponding points to their years in the academy by being victorious;
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the victors would continue to proceed to duel with each other until the final victor emerged, and would
then attain the highest honor in the academy, the ‘Champion Knight’.
And after the Champion Knight was crowned, the squires of respective years in this academy would be
picked out based on the points to be named as the best knight amongst their own.
These winners would literally be perceived as nobles.
Even though the rules were unfair, it accurately captured the reality on a battlefield. The first person who
created this academy once claimed that luck was part of one’s strength and the most reliable attribute to
save them from dire situations.
Perhaps this was the most appropriate description for Freya. She managed to arrive at where she was
despite surrounded by thousands of undead and even reached the pinnacle of an Iron-ranked fighter at
her age.
She felt she was outmatched by her opponent both in skill and stamina. She could barely keep up with the
opponent’s attempt to find a weakness by circling her.
It would be a miracle if she somehow won.
Her opponent also realized her current status. After making sure she was at the end of her rope, he
decisively attacked with a lunge where her right guard was the weakest.
[…… Won’t make it in time!]
She could hardly think to react, partly because of her fatigue, but her body reacted even before she was
able to piece her thoughts together, mirroring a familiar figure’s stance and defense against the undead
Knight Ebdon.
The next moment she felt the enemy’s blade running through her left forearm, causing it to burn
painfully, but her opponent looked back in confusion as he was pushed slightly off-balance; she stepped
to the side and struck down at his thrust by the narrowest of margin near the base of her sword.
This had allowed her to knock his blade to the ground, where she followed up by stepping on it and drove
her sword’s pommel to his face. It dazed and made him lose his hold over the sword, and he staggered
back several steps. Freya then kicked him in the chest without missing a beat and knocked him down
onto his back. When he got up shakily, Freya’s sword was on his neck.
“What is the name of this swordsmanship?” He asked as he glanced at the dripping blood from the girl’s
hand; it was a little glaring.
“…….” Freya did not answer.
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In truth, she was still a little confused as to what happened. Her opponent’s thrust somehow resembled a
single moment between Brendel and Ebdon’s duel, and she copied Brendel’s diverse techniques to deal
with it.
Ebdon’s terrifying swordsmanship seemed to corner Brendel’s simple defensive stance and parries every
given moment when she watched the fight, but now that she had used it for herself, she realized how
practical his defensive techniques were.
[…… If Brendel were the one defending, he would never get himself injured. Now that I recall the duel
between that undead knight and him, I finally understand just how incredible it was.]
“I lost.” The senior apprentice knight sitting on the floor raised his hands after a dazed moment.
Freya watched a female knight with black hair on her shoulders walk over to the tournament area. She
was the acting judge and looked at both of them with her usual cold expressions.
“I’ve heard that you fought in battles?” Maynild asked, and her tone was cold as well.
Freya noticed a sliver of deep suspicion in her black eyes; Maynild seemed to wear a mask on her face,
but at this moment it was lifted just a little. She was a bit puzzled at Maynild’s reaction but nodded at her
question. No one opposed her in this school, yet.
“You fought against Madara’s undead?” Maynild asked.
“Yes,” Freya said.
“Are you still able to use that technique again?”
Freya hesitated as fatigue was quickly catching up to her, and the bleeding on her arm hurt. Maynild also
noticed her situation, so she spoke again:
“That technique you used earlier has Aouine’s Miliary Swordsmanship’s shadow in it, but it’s different
from what the instructors teach here. You were trained in Bucce as a militia?”
Freya nodded again.
“I can’t think of any region in Aouine which would teach differently to their militia or even their formal
guards. These straightforward techniques for the sake of killing feels like someone had modified Aouine’s
Military Swordsmanship to be even more practical in wars.” Maynild frowned and stared at Freya deeply:
“You came from Bucce? Do you know someone in the White Mane Army?”
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Freya was confused as to why Maynild who somewhat looked out for her, was demanding answers to
strange questions in this place right now.
She naturally shook her head.
But she was no longer that girl who came from the rural area Bucce. The few months of training had
increased her insight, and when she recalled Brendel’s usage of his varied techniques, she realized that
was a common point amongst them. They were all concise.
Every single action he made did not seem to contain any wasteful movements at all, and it was as if his
techniques were all used for the sake of victory. Freya thought on the effects that it would bring onto the
battlefield, and was able to understand why Maynild said they were made for killing.
Brendel’s movements were clean and swift every time he charged into battles. It was indeed a mystery
why he was so good with the sword. The training he had as a militia would not explain his skills.
[…… Does talent really explain Brendel’s abilities?]
She suddenly realized Maynild was still staring at her. She jolted and wanted to shrink away, but the
latter finally spoke:
“But the core seems to have deviated from Aouine’s Miltary Swordsmanship.”
Freya was even more confused.
“Are you hiding anything?” Maynild asked.
Freya shook her head, her ponytail swinging hard.
“I have seen these techniques before……” Maynild’s expression was a little strange as she muttered to
herself.
Freya watched Maynild leave for the other tournament area after throwing that sentence, but she
gradually paled as she thought of a possibility—
[She knows Brendel?]
=============== Princess Gryphine’s POV ==============
“Who is that?” Magadal asked.
“What?” The half-elven princess turned back.
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“That squire who won earlier,” Magadal watched the crowd from above as she spoke, “I saw Maynild
speaking to her down there.”
Gryphine followed her gaze and recognized her quickly.
“That’s Everton’s daughter,” she sighed, “but it seems like she has not inherited his father’s talent. Even
though she’s quite good, she’s not the best amongst this year’s batch, and if you compare her to her
father, the difference would be even more apparent.”
“That’s because the quality of this year’s batch is outstanding.” Even though Magadal did not know much
about swordsmanship, she was observant and had seen enough to judge: “Bennett and two other talented
youths. I have heard you speak about them more than once.”
“Yes, it seems that Mother Marsha still blesses Aouine,” Gryphine answered with a small smile, “I intend
to pick the squires with the highest points from the respective years. Oberbeck and I agree that we need
to groom this year’s intake, and it’s my idea to allow them to leave here and train.”
“Then that youth Bennett has caught your eye?” Magadal looked up and turned to her: “He does seem to
be very reliable; youths like him in the nobles’ circle are rare—”
“Indeed,” Gryphine’s eyes glinted, ” but I know of one more. He is the one who showed me the noble
lineage from our ancestors has not dried out yet, and that this ancient kingdom still has hope.”
“I rarely hear such high praise of another person from you.”
Gryphine did not answer. The person she was thinking of was the very same person Oberbeck spoke of.
She had confirmed that he had not accompanied Freya to attend the academy.
[This person is mysterious. I’m not sure where he is right now and what he’s doing, but I have a feeling
that he would appear before us very soon. As to how he would reappear…..]
Gryphine smiled inwardly and dispelled her strange thoughts.
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Chapter 38 The lord, the youth, and the hunter
=============== Raban / The Nightsong Tiger’s POV ============
The edge of River Gris was slowly becoming brighter as the sun rose.
The Nightsong Tiger and Raban were hiding amongst the dense foliage of the forest, silently staring at the
noble’s boisterous army from afar as they continued their march into a used path. It was not a strange
thing; even soldiers from Aouine’s formal armies were not disciplined enough to curb chattering.
The Nightsong Tiger and Raban’s mercenaries were obviously different, mainly because they were
attempting to ambush them and had to be silent. Hundreds of mercenaries were lined near River Gris’s
edge and waited for Lord Macsen’s last soldier to enter the ideal spot for their ambush.
Their crossbows and longbows were already aimed at their chosen targets.
“Even though their scouts don’t seem like much,” the Nightsong Tiger said as he watched their enemies,
“they reacted quite well, and merely lacked a little experience in a real battle.”
Raban glanced at the man next to him. No one knew what The Nightsong Tiger’s real name was, and
Raban had never heard of a tiger species with Nightsong in it.
[Lacked a little experience? You’re the only person who would say that!]
He had seen much as a former Karsuk’s cavalry commander, and Lord Macsen’s scouts were good enough
to be placed in any of Aouine’s regular armies, but the Nightsong Tiger and his men simply overwhelmed
them with sheer skill.
The Mercenaries of Lopes charged towards the enemies’ scouts swiftly, leaping onto the horses and killed
them in a single stroke from behind. They even discarded the bodies without startling the horses. Even
now, these murdered men were still warm to the touch as they slumbered forever on the forest ground.
The level of coordination they had made Raban feel they were not mercenaries. The fact that the
Nightsong Tiger was considered as a low-ranking subordinate and not treated as a retainer made him
wonder what Brendel’s real identity was.
His crude appearance belied his intelligence, as he saw more subtleties and recognized Brendel’s
capabilities earlier than Cornelius and Jana did. At the same time, he was curious as to why the latter had
to come to this impoverished and rural area.
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He accurately discerned Brendel’s great ambition, which was why he surrendered to Brendel early.
He had gone through many difficulties to create a group of mercenary of his own because he did not want
to be a common man. He hoped to look for someone who he could serve, but the people he judged worthy
did not cast a glance at him, and those who did were bastards like Graudin.
It was until Brendel came along to give him this chance and they struck a chord with each other.
Raban continued to ponder over Brendel’s identity while Lord Macsen’s army advanced in the forest—
============= Lord Macsen’s POV ==========
Lord Macsen had slowed his speed down ever since he passed through River Gris. It seemed like the
rebelling citizens were not present, but his careful personality made him cautious.
He continued to let his men proceed slowly and be alert of any strange movements, but the slow march
had caused them to chat even louder due to boredom. Even if he restrained his private soldiers and
mercenaries by telling them to cease their noises, it would only work for a while, and it caused him to be
in a slightly foul mood.
However, he was satisfied when he saw his knights who were clad in full armor beside him. They were
his old subordinates, seasoned warriors who accompanied him since he was a young man, and
maintained vigilance by surveying their surroundings with their hands holding their swords lightly at all
times.
The squires who rode on top of the gigantic Dragon Beast at the back of the army carrying the various
flags even appeared to be more disciplined than the hired soldiers and mercenaries.
As Lord Macsen thought about the upcoming battle with a grimace, he was soon distracted by the sounds
of a galloping horse.
Somewhere in the back were fifty soldiers who had been distributed to his son. He thought his son would
suffer from undisciplined men. However, when he looked behind, he discovered they were far more
subdued than he expected.
[What new tricks did this brat think of this time?]
Lord Macsen’s eyes sought out for his son, and the corner of his eyes twitched when he saw Carglise
urging his horse towards him, accompanied by several soldiers.
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Carglise reined in his horse’s speed once he got close to his father. He rode on the horse with an
outstanding knight’s upright back, as if he was a sharp blade that pointed upwards. He combed his
slightly disheveled hair and expelled the air in his lungs with a huff.
“Father.”
“What do you want now?”
The youth gave a meek smile and asked: “How long has it been since the last time our scouts returned?”
Lord Macsen paused for a moment, and suddenly realized that it was a problem. However, he was not
keen to admit it and responded with a somewhat displeased tone: “Does it concern you? They are just a
little late. Perhaps they have traveled a little too far ahead because they are a little too spirited—”
Carglise’s eyes narrowed and glanced at the forest ahead.
“Well, I somehow doubt that,” he said.
“What are trying to say, you damned brat?” Lord Macsen said.
Carglise let out a laughing snort and stared at his father with a teasing expression.
“Everyone claims that Lord Macsen is a cautious person, but it seems like that’s not the—” He realized
that his father’s face was becoming darker and darker, and the youth inwardly exclaimed in alarm before
he changed his tune quickly: “But you’re a little too bold, father. There’s a clear problem with the scouts’
delayed return, and yet you still allowed the army to advance into the forest.”
Even though Carglise spoke up, he was not exactly worried. His opponents were comprised of citizens
and perhaps a few mercenaries after all. He did not believe they would be superior to his father’s private
soldiers.
“A veteran like myself getting taught by an upstart like you?” Lord Macsen’s retort came with a snap:
“When I had my first battle, you weren’t even born yet!”
“Yes, yes, father. Please stop the army for now.”
Lord Macsen glanced at his surroundings and also became a little worried. It was a stage that he could
come down from without embarrassment, so he raised his hands and ordered his adjutant to relay his
orders.
After a brief moment of chaotic disorder, the army stopped.
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But the moment the chatter died down, Carglise immediately discovered a problem. He quickly raised his
head up and surveyed the trees, frowning deeply.
He was not only the person who discovered the oddity, as the knights similarly realized the same thing.
The forest was completely silent.
“Retreat.” His expression was grave as he stared into the forest ahead.
=============== Raban / The Nightsong Tiger’s POV ============
Raban similarly frowned. The noble’s army was just a short distance away from the ambush area. If they
continued to march in a little more, he would be able to lead his mercenaries to gain a preemptive strike,
but their current position would only allow for a stalemate instead of an advantage.
He stared at them and noted down every single detail he could spot. In the end, he chose to wait a little
longer. During his stint amongst the Karsuk’s cavalry, the most important trait he learned was being calm,
and it had allowed him to see the situation clearly and lead to a victory.
But this time he was wrong.
The Nightsong Tiger had sensed the unusual atmosphere in the air. After that young rider entered the
main army, the entire army stopped their march, and he suspected that the enemies had discovered their
mercenaries.
Regardless of what the enemy realized, he knew that he had to make an immediate judgment.
The Subterrane Dwellers were in place approximately a hundred meters away, armed with heavy
crossbows. Tagiv had wanted to get these weapons ever since they fought with Graudin, but the latter
was not foolish enough to give away military provisions to his enemies.
Naturally, it was different when they entered Brendel’s army.
A hundred meters was a little far for humans to charge in, and even Iron-ranked fighters needed a few
seconds to traverse on open ground, not to mention in a forest. The Subterrane Dwellers were a different
story, though.
“Send out the signal—” The Nightsong Tiger made his decision and gave the order.
“Wait,” Raban did not understand, “they are still too far away for the crossbows to reach them.”
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“We have absolute numbers and strength. The ambush is nothing more than a strategy to conserve our
men, but if the enemies realized we are here, then things might take a different turn. Remember the
crucial point for this battle; our lord wants to capture Lord Macsen.”
Raban took a moment to realize it was indeed so.
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Chapter 39 – Town Schafflund
============ Carglise’s POV ==========
“Prepare to retreat!” Carglise’s voice was raised.
“What?” Lord Macsen could hardly believe what his ears were hearing. The brat actually ordered his men
to retreat in front of him: “You damn brat, this old man isn’t dead yet, so don’t think you can order my
men!”
Even if his son was cautious, retreating out of the forest was a little too much. Furthermore, how was he
going to deal with the loss of his pride?
“My lord, I’m afraid the young master is right.” But one of the knights also chose to speak up with a
solemn expression: “It’s best that we retreat, at least a little—”
“What’s happening? What are y—” Lord Macsen’s mind was going blank. His subordinates would not joke
with him, and this time he was starting to panic a little.
Before he could finish his words, there was a visible signal made from a magic spell that rose up to the
sky, followed by frightening bestial screams!
Carglise’s eyes widened in shock as he saw countless enemies swarming towards them.
[T-this rebellion can’t possibly consist of just disgruntled civilians and mercenaries!]
================ Brendel’s POV ================
Brendel and his men passed through the dark green peaks and ridges of Mountain Graham and stood at
the highest point to observe the extending scenery. A scenic view of red and green spread across the
coiling valleys. They had reached close to their destination before it was afternoon.
He took in the beautiful season for several minutes with astonishment.
“That place is Town Schafflund,” Jana said, referring to the houses with bright red roofs sitting near the
forest, with the highest population density in its center.
A town that slumbered deeply within the mountains.
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Ciel had given Brendel an entirely new line of thinking after he discussed the potential revenue that could
be gained from the trading hub, Ampere Seale. The painting from Fortress Riedon was just a part of what
could be obtained. Brendel also had Tamar, a future grandmaster alchemist, and combined with Brendel’s
knowledge of the future, it was not difficult for him to profit from Ampere Seale.
However, Schafflund was also something that could significantly benefit him in the long run, so he
decided not to change his plans.
“It’s beautiful,” Scarlett said to herself when she looked at the scenery.
The shrubs behind her rustled as the other mercenaries walked out. There were twenty-seven of them,
each with steady hands and long endurance, and their eyes surveyed their surroundings with vigilance.
These elite mercenaries were picked from Jana’s mercenaries and the smaller groups of sellswords, and
even the weakest amongst them was a peak Iron-ranked fighter.
Brendel was initially quite surprised to see such a group. If they were trained a little more, they could
become skilled warriors no weaker than Aouine’s knights.
But all the mercenaries knew that they were unable to match Brendel’s close subordinates. The two girls
beside him were Gold-ranked fighters, and the two angels that followed behind him were genuine Silver-
ranked warriors.
Brendel made the angels keep their wings folded to keep a low profile. Summoning and unsummoning
them wasted too many Light EP. He did not have an effective means of replenishing his light EP, so he
paid 1 Light EP every day to keep them outside. If he needed to retrieve a card in the graveyard, he could
unsummon them and cast them again anytime; or if only five Light EP were left, he would unsummon
them to ensure he could at least cast the angels.
He had spent his 100 Wealth after the battle at the lumber mill to unseal the Fire Element Earth Card
‘Ashen Volcano’, and the Wind Element Earth Card ‘The Nest of Storms’.
Right now in his created dimensional world within his mind, sat an inactive volcano and a hurricane that
spun continuously. The final land card in the album was the Fire Element Land Card, Karudu’s
Wilderness.
With the Wind Element Land Card, it would not be a problem to summon the Wind Spirit Spiders, while
the Fire Element Land Card allowed him to target the next card in the album:
– Fire Djinn
– (The Blazing Inferno X)
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– 15 Fire Elemental Points
– Living Element: Djinn, Level 36 Creature
– Tapping the card will cause Fire Djinn to deal an enormous amount of damage to target enemy. Shuffle
this card back into the deck after tapping.
– Pay 2 Fire Elemental Points every day when the Giant Fire Spirit is on the battlefield.
– ‘The Fire Djinn always terrifies its enemies on the scorching lands.’
– Unlocking this card requires 50 Fire Elemental Points.
This card appealed to Brendel because it did not require Wealth to unseal it; his foremost priority was to
unlock cards that gave out resources. It was still a little too much for Brendel now as he only had a total of
37 Fire EP available in his Mana Pool, but if he trained by casting more Fire Spells, then his mana pool for
the Fire Element would increase gradually.
The spells he picked when he increased his Elementalist levels were all fire-based spells too, like Fire
arrows or Control Fire.
He was targeting another card as well:
– Silver Swallow-tailed Flag
– (Alliance of Light VII)
– 12 Earth or Water Elemental Points
– Artifact / Fantasy-ranked rarity
– When Silver Swallow-tailed Flag is on the battlefield, all creatures’ maintenance cost is decreased by 1.
If any Cards have multiple maintenance costs, choose the Element you wish to decrease.
– Tap a target card that produces Wealth and doubles it.
– ‘Glittering flow of silver.’
– Unlocking this card requires 100 Wealth
This card has caused Brendel to crave for it for a long time and even made him hesitate whether to unlock
the land cards later, but Ciel’s suggestion made him change his mind. The source of a Planeswalker’s
powers still come from Land Cards.
“What should we do next, my lord?” Scarlett carried her heavy halberd over her small shoulder.
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Jana spoke before Brendel could: “Town Schafflund is built because of the silver mine and most of the
residents work there. It’s quite affluent because of that, and many merchant shops and a few inns have
been set up.”
“There are inns in this remote place?”
“It’s not strange at all. Schafflund is the deepest town in the eastern Graham mountain, and there are
quite a lot of adventurers who visit this town. Rumors also state there are silver veins in boulders found
in the forest. Many come here in hopes of striking it rich.”
“Silver veins?” Romaine came from behind and asked: “Is there something like that?”
Everyone turned around and saw the merchant girl crawl out from a bush. She even held the corners of
her dress to prevent it from getting caught by the branches.
But she did not secretly follow Brendel this time; it was him who wanted her to come along. There were
going to be accounting notes about the silver mine, and Romaine was probably the only person who
understood them besides Amandina.
“Some were rumored to become rich because they found the silver veins, but it’s rare. The majority of the
people go back empty-handed.” Jana said.
“Why do so many bother to come here when the success rate is so low?” Scarlett did not understand.
“Because the only thing people sees is the success that people had,” Brendel said as he observed the town.
“My lord is right. Some of them spent their money by gambling them away after they discovered the silver
veins.” Jana nodded.
“Things that are attained easily are discarded just as easily,” Medissa said as she spoke of a Silver Elf
adage.
Many agreed with her words, but Romaine had a different opinion on the silver veins: “I find it hard to
believe. My aunt regularly says that things that are too conspicuous invite trouble. How is it possible that
the other nobles wouldn’t take notice of this? I think even Count Randner’s men would be interested in
it!”
“Strangely enough the people who did not find any silver mining veins did not enter the forest again. It’s
also one of the mysteries of this forest.” Jana shook her head.
“Huh?” Romaine’s eyes widened, apparently curious as to why they did not continue searching.
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Scarlett shook her head and scoffed: “Mysteries? This rumor is more likely to be false! The people who
got rich probably discovered something else and pretended otherwise!”
“That’s possible,” Brendel’s mind did think of a possibility, but he brought the topic back to their real
goals, “but we should start talking about our plans. Jana, you’re most familiar with this area amongst us,
go ahead and speak your thoughts.”
“My lord, the mining area is approximately two miles to Schafflund’s eastern-north. Every morning, the
workers would pass through a dedicated path to enter the silver mines and work. The path is guarded by
several watchtowers, and there is light cavalry patrolling as well. We won’t be able to enter the area
without concealing ourselves.”
“Is there only a single path? What are the chances of sneaking in from the sides with our men’s skills?”
“It’s not impossible,” Jana thought for a while, “but I heard the commander of the guards is a Gold-ranked
swordsman.”
Brendel nodded. It would be strange without that this place did not have one. He knew the strongest
defender of a silver mine in the game was a Sword Saint who had completely mastered his Element
Power.
“Very well. Entering the town shouldn’t be a difficult problem. Since we have quite the number of men,
we need to divide ourselves into small groups to avoid suspicion. Everyone needs to make sure to bring
keep your funds with you at all times and stay in different inns,” He glanced at the sky as he spoke, “we
will gather in the evening. Have all of you memorized your signs?”
Everyone nodded.
“Then move out.”
TL: Just in case anyone is wondering, that’s the end of Carglise and Macsen’s POV. Both are captured and
house arrest.
1414
Chapter 40 – Silver mines (1)
There was an inn located in central Schafflund and the owner a normal middle-aged man. However, the
ale sold there had exceptional taste and thus attracted many recurring customers.
Most of them were locals who worked in the silver mines six days every week and returned every Sunday
to rest, with a terrible body odor worked up from perspiration. They had loud, boorish voices, ignored
what others thought of them, and leered at the waitresses.
If any barkeep girl flirted with them, they would definitely be booed at.
A few young men sat in one corner and stole glances at the noisy drinkers while discussing their affairs.
Their parents were workers at the mine, and so were they. But these youths’ restless and brash
personalities made them unwilling to resign themselves to spend their whole lives in this manner, and
were currently discussing with each other to leave this town and see the outside world.
They had spent their entire lives within the town, and the furthest they went to was the forest, and the
ideas they had of other regions came from the adventurers that came into the inns.
When they were finally prepared to leave Schafflund, they arranged the time to meet up and depart.
However, they heard a cold scoff emitted through the nose near them. The young men’s startled heads
whipped quickly to the opposite table in guilt and saw an aging dwarf.
He had a large nose and long braided beard that reached to his waist. Metal clasps were wrapped around
his stocky arms, his legs short but thick and powerful. His skin color did not belong to a mountain dwarf’s
ruddy complexion but a pale grey color.
The youths’ expressions immediately contorted. The old dwarf’s name was Odum; they did not know
where he came from, but he was rumored to be skilled in mining and was hired to be a foreman.
His temper was atrocious, personality stubborn, and was inflexible; he never humored anyone. He
seemed to have troubles of his own, and many had seen him drinking by his lonesome self— Dwarves
love to drink, but they rarely do so on their own, and certainly unlikely to put a snarling grimace while
ignoring everyone.
That was not the end of his unfavorable impression. He was also arrogant and looked down on everyone,
even speaking badly about his superiors. He was bad-tempered enough to even insult the king, so they
saw him as an eccentric person and ignored his actions.
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The youths who saw him instantly cried bitterly in their hearts. One of them who had better social sense
immediately spoke in a friendly tone: “Foreman Odum, we didn’t see you—”
The old dwarf glared at them: “Why, did I disturb you?”
“No, no, not at all. Would you allow us to treat you to a few rounds……”
“I don’t give a shit about your treat, but I’ll remind you young’uns that the world outside is harder than
you think. Be careful not to get knocked in the head on your way out.” Odum snorted from his nose.
The youths were relieved and stuttered a few parting words in response. They nudged each other and
quickly left the front door.
When they were finally out of the inn, they could not help but curse their luck for encountering the old
dwarf. It was fortunate that he was in bad terms with the majority of the people in the town. Many of
them would be rebuked if their parents found out.
Odum shook his head when he saw the youths leave. The world was a harsh place, but he did not bother
himself with a bunch of hot-blooded youths. He was about to lift his flagon of ale, but the appearances of a
group comprising of three men and women caught his eyes.
In fact, most of the people in the hall had their eyes lit up when Brendel pushed the doors open.
A bunch of beautiful lasses—
Medissa was a pure blooded Silver Elf from the royal family and was remarkably beautiful. Even though
her body had not fully matured, her somewhat delicate appearance was more appealing.
Romaine and Scarlett were just as eye-catching. The merchant girl had a unique air about her that made
people look at her twice, especially with her inquisitive dark eyes darting everywhere, while her hands
were placed squarely on her leather bag in front of her belt.
Scarlet’s wary crimson eyes combined with her large halberd had the same effect. When she walked into
the inn’s hall, her eyebrows were slightly knitted and lifted up a little, warning everyone not to approach.
But the reason why the bar was rowdy was due to Jana. Some men whistled loudly as they leered at the
female mercenary commander’s ample chest and sexy body.
The latter did not mind the noise but sneered coldly in response.
Brendel had seen typical scenarios in games and stories about the inns; adventures would discuss their
plans, while the loutish customers would raise their voices as they had drinking games, with the
waitresses flirting laughs.
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[It will be perfect if there’s a bard.]
He was quite fascinated by this sight and smiled.
The inn’s owner closed in on them. He looked like an ordinary middle-aged man, but it seemed like he
was able to recognize the relationship between Brendel and the others.
While the inn’s men looked at the group with their lower bodies, the middle-aged man studied the two
handsome men a few steps behind Brendel but shifted his gaze away after a few seconds to the youth.
As the owner of this inn, he learned how to read people after seeing so many people come and go. He was
able to recognize him amongst the others because Brendel’s confidence as a modern-age person was
similar to descendants of high-ranking nobles who had received good upbringing.
[This must be a scion of an important noble!]
He thought as he squeezed out a smile and used a polite tone subconsciously: “What does everyone
need?”
Brendel looked at the menu and pointed at the most expensive wine. He was uninterested in the choices
but merely chose to keep up an appearance.
The other ladies, with the exception of Medissa, chose a fruit wine that tasted mildly sweet and sour.
Heroic Spirits did not need to eat, and Medissa merely sat quietly at their sides. Scarlett noticed this and
whispered: “You can’t eat?”
Medissa paused for a moment and shook her head: “It’s not necessary for me.”
“Then it’s best to try something. It will be a little conspicuous if you don’t order.” Scarlett said as she
combed through her ponytail.
“Not so,” Romaine’s voice cut in as she spoke earnestly, “a real lady wouldn’t eat or drink in this chaotic
and noisy place!”
Scarlett watched the merchant girl drink her flagon of fruit wine with satisfaction. She rolled her eyes as
she said with a huff: “Aren’t you drinking?”
“But I’m not a lady!” Romaine’s said with widened eyes.
Medissa giggled as she listened to their conversation.
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The middle-aged owner confirmed his thoughts when he saw the two men standing silently behind
Brendel without ordering anything. The girls were the youth’s companions, and the men were his
subordinates.
He glanced at everyone and asked with a sensitivity belonging to a businessman: “I assume everyone isn’t
a local?”
Scarlett stopped speaking and raised her eyebrow cautiously. Brendel knew there was nothing to hide.
The innkeeper might not hold power in this town, but he probably knew enough locals to see through any
lies they could come up with, so he nodded:
“We’re here to test our luck.”
But he did not give the truth either.
The owner thought Brendel was a young noble seeking fun and adventures. It was not uncommon.
“Do you mean to go out to the forest? Do you need a guide?” He asked.
Since Brendel had ordered the most expensive wine, he was quite happy to aid him.
Brendel glanced at the wine in his hand. The service was quite considerate, probably because of how
expensive it was. This place was an information hub, and the owner typically sold it as a side business,
but as the information was taken from third parties, it was not checked for falsehoods.
He had to remove the useless bits by himself. The only thing good about it was the price of the
information was included with the drinks.
“I don’t need a guide, but I want to know more about the forest.” He shook his head and said.
“The town’s surroundings are safe, but if you go deep into the forest, you might encounter beasts and
possibly monsters. Also, the mines are in the north, if you travel there, you might encounter the patrolling
guards. It won’t be good for you to meet them because they might capture you for being suspicious—”
The owner paused in the middle of his explanation, then quickly added as though he was afraid the youth
might abuse his status:
“While this place is within Trentheim, the owner of the silver mines is Count Randner.”
“I see.”
Brendel sipped the wine that was brought to him, and a burning sensation went down his throat before it
burst up to his nose, almost causing him to cough. He frowned because he nearly made a fool out of
1418
himself, especially when he was not a good drinker. After dispelling the taste in his mouth, he decided not
to touch it anymore.
“What other areas must I avoid?” He asked.
“Not heading north would be fine.” The owner said.
“But how is it possible for us to find the silver veins if we’re not close to the mines?” Brendel pretended to
look troubled.
The owner thought he was right in predicting what Brendel came for.
1419
Chapter 41 – Silver mine (2)
“I don’t have firm information about the silver veins in the forest,” the owner lowered his body and
whispered, “but if you do not lack money you can approach the well-known local adventurers here, they
have entered the forest many times and even drew maps of the nearby areas.”
“How useful are these maps?”
“Priceless.”
Brendel nodded and asked information regarding the town’s workers and the patrolling time of the
soldiers near the mines. He thought he made his group look like they were out for adventuring, but the
innkeeper saw them as naive scions of nobles who were out for fun.
Neither cared about their misunderstandings, and the conversation continued until a dwarf nearly
crashed onto Brendel as he stumbled close towards him.
“Excuse me,” Odum looked at the youth and barely recognized him as the person who came in earlier. His
eyes were almost accusatory, as though Brendel was at fault, and shook his head in disapproval.
Brendel’s mouth nearly dropped. The path was wide enough for the old dwarf to walk by, but the latter
made him sound like his chair was blocking his way. He did not want to have a scene, so he pulled his
chair in after a moment of hesitation, but suddenly whirled his head back to the dwarf again.
Odum’s face was red from the alcohol and Brendel thought he was a common Mountain Dwarf, but the
color of his arms was light grey.
The youth’s heart skipped a beat.
[A Rune Dwarf?]
He felt like he was somehow asleep and wanted to pinch the dwarf’s face to confirm whether he was
sleeping, or if the latter was real.
The Rune Dwarves in Vaunte’s history was not as prominent as the Silver Elves, and they come from the
Jurgen Underworld just like the Subterrane Dwellers, but their status was unique because they were from
the Silver Lineage that disappeared from history a long time ago.
It was believed that the Rune Dwarves had died out during the Era of Chaos, but rumors indicated that
the race survived because there was another city in the Underworld cut off by the Mercury Sea.
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Either way, Brendel did not think he had the chance to see a living Rune Dwarf, mostly recognizable by
their skin color as no other dwarves had the same color.
These Rune Dwarves were the builders of the Steel Plains, and their architectural skills were considered
on par with the Wizard Craftsmen, though the Rune Dwarves were dissatisfied with the evaluation.
Unfortunately, they would never be able to truly compete because the dwarves’ buildings were located in
the Underworld and the Wizard Craftsmen’ buildings on the surface.
Brendel calmed himself after a short pause.
[It might be possible he’s from a bloodline that drifted outside the Underworld. Every race has their own
adventurers no matter what kind of traits they have. Though these drifters might not have their cultural
heritage, and some of them don’t even know what race they belong to.]
Perhaps no one in the town recognized this old dwarf for who he truly was.
Brendel continued to ponder as Odum staggered shakily past him, and his eyes followed the latter’s back
out of the inn’s door.
[There’s no point to talk with a drunken dwarf right now; he seems like he’s a worker here as well, so I
don’t think he will be disappearing anytime soon.]
Brendel did not follow him in the end. His goal was to take control of the silver mines, and there would be
a chance to interact with him later. He turned towards the innkeeper and said:
“Who’s that?”
“That old man? His name is Odum. He has stayed here for a quite some time,” the innkeeper did not know
why the youth was interested in the dull-looking dwarf, “he’s currently working in the mines.”
“As a miner?”
“He works as one of the foremen.”
“Does he have any special traits like being knowledgeable in construction?” Brendel pressed on.
“…… Hmm, I don’t think I’ve heard anyone say that before,” the innkeeper shook his head.
“I see, I thought the dwarves are all specialists in building something,” Brendel laughed and lied
intentionally.
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“That would be the dwarves in the north.”
Brendel nodded and thanked him for the information and the innkeeper left to tend to his other
customers.
“Is there something special about that dwarf?” Jana asked.
“No, nothing of importance. Let’s discuss the information we have from the innkeeper.”
“What do you make of his information?” Jana’s eyes had a streak of anxiety in them. She was the next
person to Brendel to be concerned about this matter’s success.
“We had originally thought that the workers return every day from the mines, but as you heard from the
innkeeper, they work six full days there and only return to the town on Sunday. That’s not good at all.”
“The people in charge of the mines seem to be quite strict.”
“Yes, and our chances to sneak in becomes smaller.”
“Why do we need to sneak in?” Scarlett asked as she did not understand.
“Controlling the silver mines isn’t hard as long as we can capture that Gold-ranked swordsman
commander. It shouldn’t be hard since Scarlett, Medissa and I are Gold-ranked ourselves. The hundred-
odd guards won’t be a match for us, but doing it silently without attracting the attention of Lord Palas
would be difficult. You should know how much of a commotion between Gold-ranked fighters is, and if
any guard realizes the silver mine is under attack, they will make sure to seek help from Lord Palas, and it
won’t take more than a few days to know that Schafflund is taken.”
“Perhaps we can cut off their paths ahead of time by putting the mercenaries in their paths,” Romaine
suggested.
“Lord Palas is indirectly in-charge of the silver mines’ safety, and if there’s no news from Schafflund for a
long time, he would be suspicious.” Brendel shook his head: “We need to control this place and make it
look like it’s running as usual, then transport the silver to Firburh.”
The silver would then be moved to a mint to manufacture coins. This was not much of a secret in Firburh
as Graudin had his private mint hidden in a manor within the city.
This was naturally an act of treason liable to hanging, but Brendel’s favorite phrase easily stated his
thoughts— A person on a death row would not mind if the noose on his neck were one or two ropes.
“Is it possible to lure him out and take him down? Surely that commander can’t stay in the mines all the
time.” Medissa suggested with her soft voice.
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“It’s certainly possible, but what if he doesn’t come out for a whole month, does it mean we have to wait
just as long?” Brendel shook his head again and said: “This is why we should take the initiative, and at the
very least, we should enter the mines and observe their movements. We might even pick up on how they
communicate with the Palas region.”
“Then what should we do now, my lord?” Jana asked.
“Stop, don’t address me with that title,” Brendel glanced at his surroundings cautiously, “there are two
pieces of good news from the innkeeper. First is the possibility of the adventurers mapping the silver
mines. I feel this is highly possible since good adventurers probably make maps all the time.”
“You’re not wrong, my…… young master,” Jana changed her words in time when Brendel’s eyes darted to
her who had trouble using this title, “sometimes, the adventurers would even work with the local bandits.
The nobles tend to ignore them since they won’t be able to cause any problems.”
“What’s the second good news?” Romaine asked.
“This information is subtle to pick up on, but the adventurers occasionally go to the mining area and work
there. Not all the adventurers manage to earn money here.”
Jana was surprised and asked: “Count Randner is willing to allow these troublesome people into the
mines?”
“Why wouldn’t they? The mines need workers. I’m certain that the adventurers are not allowed to bring
in weapons when they enter the mines, and they are not allowed to bring even one piece of rock out
when they leave. They exchange the silver ores in the mines for food and money, so what kind of trouble
would they be able to cause? And the final reason…… It’s Count Randner’s territory. Who else would
cause trouble other than us?” Brendel listed his reasons one by one.
“Then can’t we go sneak in by this method?” Scarlett’s eyes lit up.
“Well, yes and no, the women can’t, while the men can. The silver mines can’t allow women to work or
else there will be chaos,” Brendel said with a bemused expression.
The girls looked at each other and understood how easy it was to gain information on the guards’
movements with this plan.
“Therefore,” Brendel said as he observed them, “it’s best I infiltrate the silver mines on my own.”
1423
Chapter 42 – Silver Mine (3)
The gates of the silver mines were bustling with people. Regardless of whether they were workers or
adventurers, they were watched by a squadron of cavalry and proceeded towards to the mines in an
orderly manner. They were also formed into three lines to speed up their entry.
Brendel glanced at the map on his hand, and silently memorized the locations and symbols on it before he
rolled the parchment up and put it away in his bag. He looked up at the group ahead. Twenty mercenaries
had successfully sneaked in a while ago. The cavalry that was guarding the entrance were not vigilant.
It was probably because Schafflund had enjoyed peace for too long. Even though there were occasional
groups of Trentheim’s bandits that troubled the town, these desperados rarely approached the mining
areas. One reason was the intimidating name of Count Randner, and another was because the loss
outweighed the gains.
His eyes briefly darted to the lush green forest. His female subordinates had most likely entered the area
already. Even Jana who was the weakest of the lot had the strength of a Silver-ranked fighter. Bypassing
the watchtower’s guards should not be difficult.
Romaine stayed behind in the town with two Pristine Angels protecting her, so he was not too worried.
“Next!” One of the cavalry guards yelled with a thick native accent.
Brendel realized it was his turn and quickly lowered his head and walked forward. He thought he would
at least be checked by them, but the rider in front of him with a silver pointed helmet merely swept his
eyes on the people in front of him, and let them pass when he saw they had no weapons.
[If this is the case I might as well have the girls disguise as men and let them sneak in. Judging from the
way how this place is guarded, that Gold-ranked swordsman’s vigilance probably isn’t high—]
He shook his head in disapproval. Still, it was good news.
Once he was past the gates, the observations on them were even more relaxed. Brendel surveyed the
surroundings and quickly saw the disguised mercenaries. In truth, their disguise was really nothing more
than not taking their weapons. Naturally, Brendel was not rash enough to carelessly group up with them.
Twenty adventurers in a group were definitely suspicious no matter how one looked at it. Since they had
their own methods of contacting each other, there was no hurry.
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[I’ve done all sorts of missions in the game, but this is the first time I’m disguising myself and entering
deeply into a territory full of enemies. I’m feeling a little anxious and excited at the same time….. Hmm,
then again a Gold-ranked fighter is enough to travel through Vaunte—]
His mind was more settled when he remembered this detail. It was still the first year of the game, and a
Gold-ranked fighter was a considerable force to be reckoned with. In this year, one could count the
number of Gold-ranked fighters below the age of twenty with their fingers.
He then continued to observe and memorize his surroundings as he progressed, while marveling at the
beautiful scenery. The path between the town and the silver mines was a long snaking path that passed
through the mountain’s forest, and there were sporadic clearings that allowed him to see the valleys
below him, as well as the distant Graham Mountain which was made up of a series of smaller mountains
extending towards Trentheim.
It was like a watercolor painting where blue mountains lined vividly towards the horizon, and the trees
were like black specks sprayed onto them, forming into a canvas that pleased the eyes greatly.
He finally tore his eyes off the landscape to look at his hands after a long while and reflected on his
journey in a daze.
[I’ve been using the sword so much that my hands have calluses. I feel like I’ve been traveling for so long,
yet it has been only a few months. The unknown kid in Bucce has gained companions and subordinates
and is relied on for his strength. I even have my own territory just like I envisioned, and I’m controlling
the known future step by step….. until this old kingdom’s fate is changed]
He had successfully turned the ship that had sailed towards the darkness towards the path of light just a
little, and thought that the female upperclassman who introduced him to the game would be delighted to
hear it.
A unique building structure broke off his thoughts. When Brendel looked at it, he saw a watchtower in
front of him surrounded by foliage. When he checked ahead, there were more watchtowers similarly
guarded by soldiers with shiny armor.
[Unlike the cavalry’s relaxed attitude, the defense here is strict. Based on the map and the positions of
these watchtowers, it seems like the adventurers didn’t lie to me.]
The map cost him three thousand Tor coins, but it seemed like it was worth the price.
Suddenly, someone bumped into Brendel’s back while he was concentrating on the watchtowers. When
he looked back, he saw a young man. The latter was surprised to find Brendel to be of similar age to him;
when the young man knocked into him, he felt he had smashed against a mountain, and the feedback
nearly caused him to fall over.
1425
The young man staggered a few steps before he steadied himself. He patted his chest and breathed in
deeply, and it was easy to see his startled expression. He looked back at Brendel, and that emotion soon
changed to an apologetic one.
“I’m sorry,” the youth seemed to realize his mistake and apologized.
Brendel observed the youth’s attire; he was wearing a common adventurer’s outfit. The type of leather
armor he was wearing did not offer any real defense, and the only good point about it was that it looked
pretty decent.
“Well, since you apologized then you should return my things,” Brendel replied after a pause.
It was common to see pickpockets in the game, but it was the first time he encountered it in this world.
The difference between then and now was his skill level. He could not catch them in the past because he
lacked the skill to do so, but now he was a true Gold-ranked fighter.
The young man’s face turned into shock before he smiled upon hearing Brendel’s words.
“You found out? That’s amazing!” The young man’s smile showed pearly white teeth, and he did not argue
when his actions were revealed, and generously took a bag of coins out from his clothes.
It was Brendel’s bag of money.
“That’s fine,” Brendel received the bag and said, “your hands need to be gentler when you steal, also,” he
gravely added another line, “you should pick a better target!”
“Are you an adventurer? You don’t look like it! You’re an outsider, right? But it looks like you know our
rules very well?” The young man nodded hard before he asked curiously. “But I agree that I need to pick
better targets. It’s just that I didn’t expect you to be so amazing at your age. Your reaction is even faster
than Maher! That guy always like to brag, oh, right, where are you from, brother?”
Brendel was not interested in knowing who Maher was, and also a little unused to someone using such a
familiar tone with him.
“I’ve been to many places, but the rules of the Thieves Guilds are roughly the same. Since you returned
my money, I won’t make a scene out of this. I’m going to give my respect to these guilds….. since their
type is obnoxiously troublesome.”
Brendel’s words came from experience, and only experienced adventurers who traveled throughout the
continent would know what he was talking about.
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The young man did not mind and was even delighted as though Brendel had praised him, but he showed
a curious look: “You said you traveled to many places? But you don’t look any older than me; it can’t be
true, right?”
Brendel merely smirked and shook his head as he continued to walk.
But this action made the young man even more interested in him and he followed him at his side.
“My name is Jocah, what’s yours?”
This question did not gain a response from Brendel, but Jocah did not mind, placed both his hands behind
his head and continued to ask with interest: “Are things you said true? Do we really resemble a Thieves
Guild? What does a real Thieves Guild look like?”
Brendel glanced at him and replied: “The things you do are pretty much what they would do.”
Jocah raised his eyebrow at Brendel’s evasive answer: “I heard there’s going to be a war in Firburh, is that
true?”
Brendel felt slightly gloomy as the boy next to him kept asking questions.
[Do you really think I’m an information vault?]
He decided to ask questions of his own: “Aren’t you a native? Why are you interested in the outside
world?”
But this time the boy beside him gave a mysterious chuckle and said: “Ah, well, nothing really, I’m just
curious. I shouldn’t bother you anymore. I’ll chat with you if there’s time in the future—”
After he threw down this sentence, he disappeared in the crowd behind them.
Brendel’s perception was high enough to discern shrewdly where Jocah went to; the latter met up with a
group of people of his age, and Brendel focused in on their conversation.
“It’s a failure, that guy is quite amazing!” Jocah said.
“Hah, how amazing can that person be when he’s not older than any of us. I can even steal from the
veteran adventurers’ pockets in the town, are you sure it’s not because you are shit at it, Jocah?” A new
voice said in mocking laughter.
“Why, Maher, please go ahead and show it to me.” Jocah retorted.
“Tsk, he’s already alert, that’s quite the devious plan you have there for goading me—”
1427
“But that person is really quite interesting; he seemed to have traveled to many places. Even though he’s
an outsider, he seems to understand our rules quite well, I’m surprised.”
“Hmph,” a new voice that sounded slightly refined interrupted Jocah, “you mean the rules that Maher
stole from a drunk and made them our own? It’s not strange that someone else would know about these
rules.”
Maher’s face turned red: “Cut your bullshit, doesn’t it mean that man is knowledgeable? Why not go up to
him and sell the things you’re talking about all day? Perhaps he might take a fancy to them!”
Maher emphasized on the word ‘sell’, making it sound like he was mocking the third voice.
“I can’t be bothered with an oafish brute like you; you can’t recognize the good stuff at all!”
“That’s enough. I already told you not to cause trouble.” This time it was a fourth voice— which belonged
to a female voice.
[What, a girl really managed to sneak in? She doesn’t sound like an adult too.]
Brendel was taken slightly aback and sneered at the gate’s cavalry guards before he continued listening.
“I saw that person yesterday at the Forest Trout Inn along with a few other women. They don’t look like
adventurers no matter how much I look at them. I saw that man order the most expensive wine from
John, and he doesn’t look like he lacks money at all. He’s definitely up to no good for coming here.”
Brendel’s brows knitted slightly and cursed his luck. It was a spontaneous decision to fish for information
before he sneaked into the mines, and he did not think it would end up as a mistake. Who would know
that there was someone to overhear their conversation and spot him again in the mines so quickly?
“Should we report him?” The girl continued.
Brendel’s heart tightened.
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The youth with a refined voice disagreed with the girl.
“Shhh, stop talking about it. What that young man wants to do isn’t any of our business. Just pretend that
you know nothing about what you saw. This isn’t a simple matter and he might have other companions.
None of us wants to get our throats cut, right?”
The group fell into silence after his persuasion.
“…… Very well,” Maher finally said, “then it’s decided. Since we’re going to leave after this, we won’t want
to get into unnecessary trouble.”
The others nodded.
Brendel turned his head to look at them. He did not expect there was someone with good common sense
amongst them, so he wanted to see who the person was, but the group had turned around and walked
away.
[That’s a little interesting.]
Brendel mused to himself. He continued to walk a mile to the silver mines without taking very long. When
he entered the area, he clearly felt the increase of security to the point where it could be considered strict.
The silver mines sat in the middle of the looping mountains, and the thinner veins of silver deposits had
been completely mined, causing the mountain walls to form into a depression and made into an artificial
valley
[I wonder what kind of minerals these dark red boulders have in them. Hmm, these buildings on the
surrounding mountain peaks are clearly watchtowers. They make this terrain very troublesome to
capture. Also, there’s no hidden space to lure the Gold-ranked swordsman out here. It’s literally
impossible to catch him here…… I need to change my plans a little.]
He continued to study the environment. The ground was considerably flat and extended towards the
horizon, but he was unable to find the entrance to the silver mines. What he saw next was a heavily
guarded building which looked somewhat like a fortress.
[Randner’s Gold-ranked commander and his administrative officer must be in this building.]
Workers were moving about in the mines amidst the piled rocks, soil, and carts. Most of them were
walking orderly in a queue, and there were only a few adventurers who looked perplexed as they were
here for the first time, just like Brendel.
1429
But he did not feel tense and calmly followed the workers in silence. The soldiers would not leave this
group of adventurers alone, and he was certain they would be ordered.
He was right.
A group of patrolling riders soon appeared from the valley’s side and rode towards the adventurers who
were milling about. These riders wore bright army uniforms that represented they worked for nobles and
roared at the top of their voices, apparently uninterested in wasting time: “Queue up over there, take
your number tags and tools!”
Once they threw down their instructions, they immediately went towards the incoming adventurers at
the valley’s entrance.
Brendel glanced at the direction where the riders had pointed to. The administrative workers were
handing out tools and wooden tags with numbers written on them, which were forbidden to damage or
lose them. If anyone lost them, they would be heavily punished. In this medieval-like era, Vaunte did not
promote humanitarianism. One could have a reasonable or unreasonable cause to kill someone, and it
would not be a big deal.
Even the officer even in the mining area had the authority to hang someone to death, as long as he
suspected that person was stealing Count Randner’s precious ores.
Brendel did not care about that. His concern was the camps he was going to be allocated to. The workers
naturally stayed within the valley, and no matter how stingy the officers were, they would build at least
build camps for the workers, no matter how terribly built they were.
[I can’t help but sigh at the thoughts of staying in awful smelling huts. Thankfully the body of a Gold-
ranked fighter tolerates things better despite the increase in perception.]
In the game, these camps were usually thatched huts that had awful odors that a person from modern
Earth would find it intolerable. Brendel was worried that he would keel over if he entered it.
[Bloody fucking hell.]
His worries became a reality.
Brendel’s nose wrinkled as the smell of shit and piss mixed with thick body sweat wafted into his nasal
glans, and he covered his mouth in order to suppress the urge to retch. He frowned deeply as he stood in
front of a shaky hut that looked more like a hastily constructed shed, and glanced back and forth at it and
his number tag several times, but he eventually realized that he was going to sleep there. He suddenly
realized the girls had made a wise decision for not sneaking into the camp, and he was the foolish one for
choosing to do so.
1430
He hesitated for a while and turned back to look at the camping area. There were many sheds in the
valley. His mercenaries were scattered all over the place, but he was certain that they would not be
affected in communicating with each other.
The other good news was that three mercenaries were also allocated to the same area. He had found their
signs outside the hut in front of him.
But whether he received good or bad news, he had to face the most important question in front of him. He
agonized internally for a while before he walked into the dimly lit area, with an expression that was no
less pained than a falsely accused prisoner walking to the gallows.
Before he entered the area, he shook his hand slightly, and an undetectable flow of air placed a few
pebbles on the ground into the shape of a triangle. At his current level, the White Raven Sword Arte
allowed him to control the wind to a certain degree.
[This is a pretty useful technique. Maybe if I have time, I can try going to the palace and get the
advancement scroll for it. It’s a bit of a shot in the dark though. Hmm, but princess Gryphine is most likely
proficient in it, maybe I can fulfill some conditions to get her to teach me? How should I tackle this
problem……]
Despite his attempt to distract his mind, he could not help but cover his nose a little as he entered the
shed, which had turned silent upon his entry.
“Tsk, a noble’s spoilt brat.” The voice was nearly undetectable to an ordinary human, but Brendel heard it
clearly.
He glanced at the direction of the voice and was instantly surprised. Jocah was sitting down on a straw
mat and was looking at him with a smile, while the other youths in the group were beside him.
The oldest amongst them was taller and more built, nearly reaching Brendel’s height.
[This must be Maher.]
Brendel was certain the voice came from him. His eyes shifted to the slight movement from the latter’s
hands on his shirt. He could guess that the object behind the thin fabric was either a dagger or short
sword.
[These useless guards at the checkpoint…… As for this Maher person, you have some guts, but apparently,
you’re asking to be killed.]
His eyes shifted to the side after he evaluated him. There was a lanky boy who looked malnourished, his
face appearing almost gaunt. However, his eyes were unlike Maher’s wary looks or Jocah’s sheepish
surprise, but of intent observation.
1431
Brendel wanted to rub his forehead. He had been in battles constantly for the past few months, killed and
slaughtered undead and humans alike, led thousands of soldiers and mercenaries, and even became a
Gold-ranked fighter.
Even if he tried to hide his identity, there were traits that he was unable to hide. In the end, he decided to
observe that youth as well, but there was nothing interesting about the latter, other than a grey bag
which was filled to the brim at his feet.
After a few more seconds, he turned to the disguised girl. Despite the dimly lit place, Brendel could see
freckles on her as though she was under sunlight. She was thin and not exactly pretty, but her features
were prominent.
There were three other young men near them beside the people he had some slight impression with, and
they seemed like they belonged to the same group as well. But his thought quickly shifted to a furious
complaint—
[Eight people squeezed together like packed tuna in a can. This damned hut is even smaller than my
university’s dorm room…… You bunch of miserly pieces of shit-eating nobles!]
1432
The room was quiet after Brendel entered, but he did not mind the situation and walked between the
small gaps available before sitting down on the only empty bed. Everyone’s eyes followed him, especially
Maher who continued to frown as he stared at Brendel.
[Why are they on their guards? Do I look terrifying? Or is it because there’s another reason?]
Brendel shook his head inwardly. For some reason, their muscles were stiff, and their hearts pounded
loudly. However, he did not want to remove their anxiety. While they had agreed not to report his strange
behavior, but who knew if their minds changed? It would be better to observe their movements.
The strange tension continued to the evening because of his presence.
Due to the number of workers pouring into the silver mines when they returned, the work usually started
on the second morning, which gave Brendel much time to familiarize himself with the mines.
He had passed on the frightening meal offered for dinner. There was no possibility of identifying what
was cooked in the pot, and the green-like paste looked like it was some kind of witch’s potion as it carried
a rotten stench to it. Brendel nearly emptied the contents of his stomach, not to mention eating it.
He was secretly thankful for Jana’s reminder to bring sufficient dry rations. At the same time, he
wondered if she had done similar related work to foresee the necessity of carrying his own food.
He stealthily confirmed several locations in the other camping areas after touring the valley once before
returning to the place he was assigned to. He immediately saw the slightly malnourished youth when he
entered the place.
The other young men in the group had gone out for their meals, with the exception of the girl who was
also sitting beside the malnourished youth.
“Are you not going to go for your meal?” Brendel asked, wondering if their relationships with the group
were bad. It was common in some groups after all, but the youth shook his head.
“I don’t eat dinner.” The young man replied. He did not seem like he was afraid of Brendel like the other
youths were.
[Don’t eating dinner? Perhaps he’s a follower of the Temple of Silver Lily?]
1433
In his memories, only the suffering believers who lived in poverty had this strange habit. The reason the
believers did not take the evening meal was to pay tribute to the King of Fire, Gatel, at his worst period in
his life. The humans led by him in that era desperately tried to escape the assault from the Miirna by
going into the wilderness, and countless people starved to deaths as a result.
The youth nodded to Brendel’s question.
[The Temple of Silver Lily branches off from the Holy Cathedral of Fire. It’s quite common in Arreck, but
the typical believers don’t fast, and the ones who do are apprentices taught in the religion’s ways.]
“Did you learn their ways as an apprentice?” Brendel asked.
“Yes, and no. I had studied the doctrine alongside with an apprentice, but I have not entered the Temple
as one.”
“Does that mean you can read if you studied with the apprentice?”
The youth nodded. Brendel thought he was quite impressive. Freya recognized a few words because she
was fortunate enough to encounter Captain Marden.
Many old veterans could not write and read, but his own grandfather was another exception, and his
family was sufficiently well-off for him to be educated, while Romaine was taught by her aunt. It would be
a joke if she did not learn how to read as a witch’s descendant.
But in this world, there were not many literate commoners.
“If that’s the case, why have you come here? Even though the Temple of Silver Lily doesn’t receive many
donations, it’s a legitimate religion recognized by the Holy Cathedral of Flames.” Brendel sat down and
asked curiously.
“I don’t know if I belong to the Temple. The priest who taught me has passed away.”
Brendel’s curiosity only lasted for a moment.
[I see. Without a formal introduction from a ranked personnel, he can only be considered as an ordinary
believer.]
His thoughts quickly went back to his operation. He had roughly understood the terrain within the silver
mines, but he felt the situation was becoming more and more troublesome.
1434
The Gold-ranked swordsman rarely appeared within the mines and mostly stayed within the army
building. Sneaking into there was still doable, but capturing him there without being found out was
nearly impossible.
He was currently unable to come up with a plan, but since he already planned to stay for a week, he could
only wait and see if an opportunity came up. While he was thinking, the malnourished youth suddenly
started coughing severely.
The latter felt Brendel’s gaze on him and said with a slightly apologetic smile: “I’m a little ill. If you feel
uncomfortable, you can sit a little further away.”
Brendel was not worried. He had nearly 100 OZ worth of Physique and was literally invulnerable to
sickness. He shook his head and retrieved a waterskin bag from his bag as he knew that the water within
the mines was not for human consumption. The barrels that contained water was starting to smell foul.
“I have clean water here. Go ahead and drink it,” he said.
“Thank you.” The girl with a few freckles on her face accepted the waterskin bag under with the approval
of her companion and looked at Brendel like he was an exotic animal.
[Why is she looking at me like that now? It’s just water…..]
Brendel naturally did not mind something so trivial when he came from a world where the necessities of
life were freely available. But the backward world of Vaunte went with a different principle; the lowest
social class mostly believed that the weak were prey to the strong. Not many would extend their hands to
the weak.
But this act won a favorable impression from the two. It was clear that the ill-looking youth felt much
better after drinking several mouthfuls of water. The silence continued for a while before the girl broke
the silence between them.
“Mister, I heard that you’re quite amazing?”
Brendel blinked. The question sounded really strange. Still, he had not considered this question properly.
Was he amazing or not? He compared himself earnestly with his former self at level 130, before shaking
his head: “Hardly so……”
“‘Hardly so’ still means you’re impressive. I heard that the adventurer’s ranks are something about a
metal rank, I assume mister is someone like that?” She asked.
“It’s Iron-ranked.” The youth beside her corrected.
1435
Brendel glanced at them, unsure why they were interested. But the distribution of ranks was not a secret,
and many commoners knew about it.
“I still lack by a hair’s breadth to reach that level,” Brendel said. He felt that someone of his age having an
Iron-ranked status was too conspicuous. The Iron-ranked mercenaries under him were nearly thirty to
forty years old.
The lower his profile was, the better it was for him in this camp, so he randomly replied.
“Mister, are all the mercenaries like you? At that…… Iron-ranked level?” The girl asked again.
“Of course not. I think your friend knows that adventurers possessing an Iron-rank are considered to be
skilled. But why do you ask?”
Brendel was not lying. Hardly anyone would want to become an adventurer if their skills were higher
than an Iron-rank. The rare exception was those who liked to travel everywhere like a nomad.
“We want to take a look at the outside world.” This time it was the youth who answered.
“To go on adventures?”
“Yes.”
Brendel did not think it was a good decision, but he did not persuade them. From a certain point of view,
this mining job truthfully looked like it was an awful one. Furthermore, he was also young enough to
understand why they would feel this way.
[Hmm. That Maher fellow isn’t here now, and it seems like the two in front of me are less wary. Isn’t this a
good time to get information from them? They have been in here longer than I am.]
“I heard rumors about the silver mines’ tunnels. Do they lead to the Jurgen Underworld?”
“I don’t know what that Jurgen Underworld is, mister,” the youth shook his head, “but there are tunnels
which lead further down. The rumors say that no one has ever walked till the end of it, and people had
gotten lost because of that.”
Brendel nodded inwardly. It seemed like Tagiv’s provided information was not wrong. He suddenly had a
hazy idea to kill two birds with one stone, so he continued to ask: “That sounds very interesting, are there
any related legends about them?”
The two people in front exchanged furtive glances, but it did not escape Brendel’s eyes. Since the two
people in front of him knew he had other intentions in his mind, he started to lead them into a direction
where it seemed like he came for the strange rumors like an adventurer.
1436
“Of course there is,” the youth said and slowly nodded.
“Would you like to listen, mister?” The girl asked.
“Of course,” Brendel answered with a smile, “I can give you money for any interesting information you
heard about the mines in detail……”
1437
The morning at Graham’s mountain was a sky painted with desaturated purple and scant blue, and thin
rays of light shot out from the horizon to pour onto the dense mountain forest— It was a picturesque
view of vivid shapes.
But the time when workers went to work was even earlier than the break of dawn. Whistles sounded out
when it was still dark.
The shimmering light from oil lamps lit up the shadows. Brendel and the others were called out of their
camps to gather at the valley. He eyed the cross-like mining pick in his hand drowsily while he walked in
the slightly chilled air due to the sun’s absence.
The coarsely made mining pick was about four feet long. It had undoubtedly served many users, as the
wooden surface had been completely worn down till it was smooth, and the edges of the metallic blades
were dull.
[I can’t believe I’m mining again.]
He had mined metal veins throughout the game in ancient ruins for quite a long time. He carefully
inspected the rocks to extract ores and crystals from them and sold them at the market. Although he
thought that it was an irksome and dull task now, he had endless motivation and fun back then to equip
his character step-by-step, and it satisfied his mind immensely.
But he quickly came to the thought that it was done in a fake world and started to mock himself. When he
was done thinking about the past, he looked up and carefully observed the crowd in front of him. He
quickly discovered Jana, Scarlett and Medissa’s presence. They had evidently noticed the marks and
clothes he left behind in the forest and were now disguised amongst the workers.
They wore bandanas for easy recognition, though the headdress was uncommon amongst the Highland
folks, and their dirty clothes were bought from the group of youths in the hut. It was quite convenient to
have them, but the greatest benefit he got was the information from the malnourished youth called
Cohen. The fact that the tunnels linked to the Jurgen Underworld gave him a particular thought about the
game’s information, and he decided to check it out and execute his plan at the same time.
[Whether or not this plan works will depend on tonight’s situation.]
1438
He did not think that the chance to lure out the enemy’s Gold-ranked Swordsman would come so quickly.
While he was deep into his thoughts, someone elbowed him from behind. He turned around vigilantly,
but he discovered it was Jocah.
“Hey, you need to be careful. If you’re late you’re going to get whipped,” Jocah whispered.
Brendel’s first thought was to check his money bag. When he found it was intact, he glanced back and saw
Cohen nodding towards him from afar. The latter had sent Jocah to remind him.
It seemed like the group of youths had lessened their wariness towards him, despite having only a day’s
interaction. Brendel felt that Cohen was helping him because the latter did not want to owe him
gratitude, but was surprised that the sickly young man had such influence amongst them.
“Where should I go to mine?” Brendel whispered back to Jocah.
Jocah now knew Brendel’s reason for coming here was something else, so he did not find the question
strange.
“You should follow us if you don’t know where to go, I know the better mining areas.”
“Thanks.”
“This isn’t a free service,” Jocah raised his hand and rubbed his fingers together, “you have the money
right?”
“Of course.” Brendel gave a faint smile.
Once they entered the mines, Brendel discovered different tunnels distributed in the slightly flat ground.
Oil lamps were lined appropriately to ensure the minimum amount of light to walk through safely. The
workers who entered started scattering and went into different tunnels. He chanced upon the girls again
as they silently integrated themselves into the crowd and disappeared.
Jocah continued to walk quickly, with Brendel following closely behind.
“The tunnel which Cohen mentioned is in the deepest pit of the mines. We’re going to a different section
to mine for ores, although it’s still quite far away,” Jocah said.
“I see.” Brendel nodded.
[…… The chance to reach a huge ‘Nest’ that’s in between the Jurgen Underworld and the surface. It’s
something worth using despite the risks.]
1439
The snaking tunnels seemed to venture out to even more tunnels, and anyone who was lost would find it
hard to exit the place. It was also one of the barriers between the Jurgen Underworld and the surface. The
Nest was also another reason why there’s a barrier between them. With so many monsters living in there,
it would be a death trap.
But Brendel wanted to make use of the monsters to lure the enemy’s commander into the tunnels. The
workers would get out of the mines to safety, while he and his men would stay behind. It was a good plan.
Jocah finally led Brendel out to an open area, and they got onto a lift that descended deeply. They then
continued walking for ten-odd minutes in a tunnel with a low ceiling after the lift stopped.
[H-how’s he keeping up with me? He’s definitely not a newcomer!]
The surprised youth thought Brendel would be unused to the sudden changes in the tunnel and was even
prepared to slow down. If one were careless, they would knock against the ceiling easily and get injured.
But Brendel seemed like he had done it for several decades. The way he moved through smoothly and
unhindered through the cracks was something that Jocah had never seen before, even amongst the
veteran workers.
In the end, it was Brendel who led the progress, and he shortened the time to less than half what Jocah
usually took to reach his destination.
The latter did not know how he managed to keep up with Brendel’s speed, but he was panting with his
whole body drenched with perspiration, partly because of the stuffy heat within the tunnels. He had not
felt this way since he started out as an apprentice a long time ago.
The air in the underground was quite thin, so flames were not used. Instead, Brendel took out a light
crystal that was given to him. In order to save costs, the crystal’s quality that was handed out was one of
the worst in the market, costing no more than a few Tor coins. Although the light given out was just
slightly brighter than a firefly, it still managed to light up the uneven outlines on the surrounding walls.
He nodded inwardly. Jocah’s group had indeed picked a good spot. There was a faint purple sheen on
some of the nearby boulders. It was not the silver ore that the workers were looking for, but Brendel was
certain that there were Mana crystals within the rocks.
It was not uncommon. A typical mine usually had different types of Magic Energy accompanying it. Based
on his long experience in mining, he was certain there was a rich vein of highly prized raw materials
behind the boulders.
Footsteps could be heard. Brendel turned back and discovered it was Maher’s group who arrived, and
they were surprised to find Jocah and Brendel.
1440

“Jocah, the two of you arrived this quickly?” Maher asked.
Jocah was still catching his breath, so he glanced at Brendel before nodding to Maher.
“The place you picked isn’t bad,” Brendel said. His gaze stopped at the youths for a moment before it went
back to the walls.
“Hmph,” Maher scoffed lightly, “you can tell?”
“A faint purple sheen on the boulders means that it’s likely to have Cold Iron nearby. It’s a rare
component.” Brendel narrowed his eyes when he saw weaving patterns on some of the walls and asked:
“Have you ever mined out slightly blue quartz with diagonal patterns?”
“Quartz with patterns? What the hell is that?” Maher looked back blankly.
“It’s also called Azure Quartz.”
“That sounds like a fake crystal. Why would a silver mine have it?” Maher shook his head with distaste
and said: “If you are looking for that, I can tell you that you came to the wrong place.”
“It’s not an ornamental crystal. It’s a type of Moonstone, one that reacts to moonlight and gives out a
Mana signature. Low-grade Azure Quartz crystals are worthless, but the highest grade is called Mystic
Eye Gems.”
Brendel closed his eyes for a moment, and decided to leave out the part that the Mystic Eye Gems were
used as the source of Mana for Magic Rings, then pointed with his finger.
“In any case, you’re digging the wrong place. If you mine in this direction, you might be able to find veins
of Cold Iron.”
“How do you know all these things? And why tell us?” Maher said as he exchanged looks with the other
youths. He would not have trusted Brendel a few days ago, but it was different now, and it seemed like
the latter did not have any reasons to lie.
Brendel merely told them spontaneously as an experienced miner and did not deceive them.
“What’s Cold Iron used for?” The girl behind Cohen asked.
“…… It’s a valuable ore that’s mixed into a weapon as an alloy,” Brendel said slowly, “and raises the
effectiveness in injuring monsters. A sword made out of pure Cold Iron has twice the effectiveness of an
ordinary one, as an example.”
1441
[It’s fine to give them more information. It’s free of charge to me, and I can win them over, especially
when I still need their aid.]
“Kingdoms in Vaunte face monsters at any given time, so the demand for it is very high. These Cold Iron
ores only exist alongside with silver or copper mines, as well as a few crystal mines, and their demand is
high enough to cost as much as gold.”
Brendel’s explanation drew the youths’ attention. If they were able to mine out Cold Iron, secretly take a
portion of it and sell to a suitable buyer, they would be able to attain unimaginable wealth.
It was not their first stint to smuggle out precious ores. In truth, the mines’ supervisors knew such deeds
were ongoing, but since they reached their quota and the stealing attempts are few, they were lazy to
investigate.
1442
Chapter 46 – Silver Mines (7)
“I can’t guarantee that there would be Cold Iron ore if you continue mining in that direction, but there’s
definitely a rich vein of metal ores,” Brendel said.
Cohen nodded to Maher’s group. They moved over to Brendel’s indicated location and raised their mining
picks to the rocks. But Brendel did not have the intention to dig, and instead looked at a forked tunnel a
few meters away.
“Where does that place lead to?” He asked.
“That tunnel leads to the lowest level, but it’s abandoned because of the monsters that appeared after the
workers broke through to an undiscovered cavern. The soldiers drove them back with much difficulty
and the mining area was abandoned after that.” Cohen explained.
The members of his group gathered part of their ore and put them to his side. Due to his health, he was
unable to work, but it seemed like they did not mind.
Brendel rubbed his forehead thoughtfully for a moment. He then started walking towards the other end.
“Hold on,” Cohen called after him, “it’s best that you wait for a while before going there.”
“Why’s that?” Brendel stopped and asked.
“The foreman in charge of our level will inspect our location. It’s best that you wait for him to leave before
going elsewhere.”
“When is he coming?”
“Between five to thirty minutes.”
Brendel frowned: “Will he come again to inspect?”
“Yes, he comes over every few hours, but there’s no exact timing.”
“I see, thank you.”
[A few hours should be enough for me to execute my plan. Looks like getting on their good side paid off.]
1443
Brendel toyed with his mining pick by throwing it in the air a few times before he randomly knocked
twice on the wall. Under his Gold-ranked strength, the mining pick cut through the rocks as though they
were made of paper.
The group of youths who were watching him with curiosity was surprised with his strength, but as they
continued watching, they became stunned at his techniques; his mining pick seemed to cut off edges of
the silver veins, and the thin sheet of ore slid off the rocks like running water.
The pile of poor-quality silver ore quickly piled at his feet. He was initially a little interested at the
prospect of mining again, but he soon sat down in boredom and randomly poked at the silver ore. He
quickly gave up and simply watched Maher’s group work.
The youths dug quickly, and the walls were quickly taken down to reveal a change in color. Grey rocks
could be seen, and Brendel told them to stop and throw a piece over to him. Jocah did so, and Brendel
picked it up and inspected for a bit before he spoke again:
“There are Azure Quartz crystals in the rock, continue digging!”
“You mean they found it?” Cohen asked.
Brendel nodded, and the youths showed subtle excitement. They needed a large sum of money in order to
travel to the outside world, and it seemed like it was a chance for them to get rich. Their mining picks
increased in speed, and the constant metallic clinks filled everyone’s ears. The rocks were thrown away in
order to prevent themselves from tripping, and a few rolled over to Brendel’s feet. He curiously looked at
them before his eyes widened.
[The quality of the Azure Quartz is getting better. This level is only seen in crystal mines that have high
purity. Metal mines don’t typically have this grade!]
The sounds suddenly stopped, and Brendel’s gaze went up. The rocks parted to reveal a richly saturated
blue material— Cold Iron Ore. But what stopped the youths from moving were the glinting crystals in the
faint light.
[Mystic Eye Gems! And seventeen of them with the size of a thumb!]
Brendel looked stupidly at it for a moment as he stood up in a hurry. He had never heard or seen anyone
lucky enough in the game to find seventeen Mystic Eye Gems, let alone lower-grade Mana Crystals.
“Do you know how much Cold Iron is in here?”
The youths shook their heads in silence.
1444
“At least a ton. The rocks in this section are unusual. Cold Iron is something that’s affected by Mana, and I
don’t know why there’s so much Mana gathering at this spot. But it’s a fact since there are so many Mystic
Eye Gems here……”
Maher was the first to reply: “Let’s share equally.”
It was not a fair deal for the youths since there were seven of them and Brendel was only one. However,
Maher knew that Brendel was skilled in combat and was afraid that the latter might get greedy.
“No, I want them all. Just sell me your share,” Brendel patted his bag at the waist as he spoke excitedly, “I
can pay immediately.”
The uses of the Mystic Eye Gems were more than just the creation of Magic rings. They could also be
applied to the White Lion Plate Armor and even the legendary Wind Bow of the Golden Elves.
[Seventeen! That’s more than enough to make a hundred sets of armor! What a find!]
The youths looked at each other in silence, and Cohen took over the conversation: “How much are you
willing to pay?”
“I’m not going to lie to you. I can only offer a tenth of what the gems are worth because I don’t have
enough money, but I’m sure you will still be satisfied with the amount of money offered. You may
disagree with the money I’m offering because of what they are valued at, but these gems are poisonous
because of how much they are worth; you’re very likely to get killed trying to sell them.”
“Then how much are you willing to pay us?” The girl beside Cohen asked.
“Ten square gold coins.”
Loud gasps could be heard immediately. Ten square gold coins were approximately 25,000 Tor coins, and
it was the biggest sum of money the youths had ever heard.
“You’re willing to pay…… so much?” Jocah asked with a stutter.
“Of course, oh, and your commission is also included in it.”
Jocah gave an awkward laugh. He knew that Brendel was joking with him; he would at most charge him
15 Tor coins for leading the way.
Cohen thought carefully for a while before he nodded. His companions gently mined the crystals and
passed them to Brendel, who paid them readily. The youths who received the money counted them
repeatedly and even bit the coins with their teeth as though they did not believe they were made out of
real gold.
1445
Even if they worked collectively for ten years and stole the silver ore to sell, they would never earn the
sum of money they had in their hands.
“Brendel, are you going to buy the Cold Iron as well?” Cohen asked.
Brendel glanced at the metal vein. He certainly needed the material, but there was no need for him to
have it now. It was not as if the metal would be mined immediately, and if his plan went well the mine
would soon be his.
He shook his head. The youths sighed with disappointment at his response. It would be difficult for them
to sell the Cold Iron Ore.
Approximately thirty minutes later, the foreman that Cohen mentioned finally arrived. Brendel and the
youths had returned closer to the entrance because they wanted to hide the discovery of the Cold Iron.
The foreman seemed to know the youths as he greeted them and mistakenly treated Brendel as their
newest member, but they did not correct his mistake. Once the foreman left, Brendel finally received the
chance to investigate the forked tunnel.
He bid farewell to the youths and traveled the dark tunnel which seemed to have no end. The oppressive
silence that was void of life would have frightened an ordinary man, but Brendel was delighted because
of the thing he was about to do. Finally, he came out to a large area.
He stopped at a corridor that was blocked off by rocks. It was the spot where the soldiers had filled up in
order to prevent monsters from coming back. He extended his palm out, and a shining card appeared the
next moment:
The Wind Spirit Spiders.
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============= Cohen’s POV =================
“Just who is that fellow?” Maher said.
The youths began discussing amongst themselves after Brendel left. Maher had been against that dubious
person since yesterday, but the latter found a Cold Iron vein and used a large sum of money to make a
trade between them. He had to admit there were good points by dealing with him.
However, Jocah was a little worried. 25,000 Tor coins was not a small sum of money, and he felt the
entire situation was a little off. They had gotten money too easily. He could not help but look at Cohen.
The sickly youth was the most knowledgeable person amongst them, and he even knew magic.
Whenever they got injured in the mines or fought with someone, Cohen would treat them with a magic
spell. Even though it was not like the magic spells in bard tales where injuries could be healed in the blink
of an eye, it was more effective than using herbs.
Eventually, Cohen was quietly recognized as their leader, although Maher did not fully admit that fact. It
was mostly because the latter’s pride was a little beaten when he was taken off the leader’s seat.
“It’s none of our concern,” Cohen shook his head, “continue mining. The things that happened here do not
concern us.”
Suddenly, one of the youths who was still working yelled out, and everyone’s heart skipped a beat and
looked over to his direction. There were many strange tales in the dark mining pits. Even though they had
not heard of any workers speaking out on odd things recently, they were afraid to encounter something
that might hurt them.
The youth who yelled earlier ran towards them anxiously.
“Come over and take a look!” He shouted.
“What’s wrong?” Cohen asked.
“I-I have no idea, come over, and you will know what I mean—”
The youths exchanged glances puzzledly. When they crowded around the young man’s area where he was
working earlier, they were shocked to see a silver blade sticking out from the rocks.
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“Take a look at this,” that youth who alerted them brought up his mining pick only to discover that a
section of the edges had been sliced off smoothly like a polished mirror.
“It was caused by that?” Cohen frowned, not recognizing that the thing in the walls was a weapon.
That youth nodded.
“That’s a sword!” Maher was the first to identify it, “I’ve heard that other races are living underground,
and this must be one of the weapons they are using. Just how sharp is this blade!”
“No, wait, why would the weapons be stuck in the walls?”
“It must have been left behind by them. The creatures that came out from the pits proved they were able
to come up.”
“You idiot, that’s because the workers opened a tunnel to the caverns below! There wasn’t any tunnel
before we made one, and lastly, this sword is buried in the rocks!”
“Then maybe it happened a really long time ago, and a cave-in had buried the sword!”
Cohen stopped the youths from bickering: “That’s enough, let’s just dig it out first.”
“Dig it out? Why? Cohen, that’s useless to us, right? I’m a little worried about this. It will be difficult to
smuggle it out without detection. Let’s just leave it in there.” The girl said.
Cohen hesitated. He was a little intrigued by the appearance of the weapon, and Maher was probably
right in guessing the sword’s origin. At the same time, she was right. It would be difficult to bring the
sword out. However, he made up his mind when he glanced at the mining pick’s edges. The value of the
sword must be immense when it easily cut through it.
“Let’s get it out!” He said.
The young men gave a delighted agreement as their curiosity finally won over their fear of the unknown.
================ Brendel’s POV ==============
“It looks like the soldiers have sealed up the place well. There are no holes in the barricade.” Brendel said
to himself.
1448
He wanted to lure the monsters and instigate a fight between the Gold-ranked commander and them
before he and his group joined in the battle at the very end, but it seemed like it was unlikely now. Still, it
was not much of an issue since his original plan was to capture the commander with his own men.
He directed the Wind Spirit Spiders and sent them upwards into different groups. He knew that the
workers would soon panic and bring the news to the valley. Since the mines suffered casualties from the
previous attack, there was no way that the administration would ignore the monsters.
He did not go back to where he came from and instead chose another route to go back to the higher
levels. Under his 20 OZ Perception, he was able to see through the tunnels as though he was walking
under daylight. He entered a tunnel where the spiders had gone through without hurrying. The area was
silent and empty as the workers had already fled in panic.
Very soon, he reached the lift and activated the controls, and the crude machinery began to bring him a
level up. When it stopped, he got off and walked to the gathering site where the silver ore was
transported to the surface. The place was almost like an artificial cavern, and part of its ground was
covered with wooden tracks for the silver ore’s transportation.
He raised the crystal in his hand up to get a clearer view of the ceilings. The walls were supported with
large wooden beams and had placeholders for torches.
[It seems like the workers had taken the torches away when they fled the area.]
He continued to search the walls carefully and finally discovered a subtle mark on it pointing to a nearby
tunnel. He entered it and came to a crosspoint.
Suddenly, a sword thrust behind him from a blind spot like a venomous snake. His hair fluttered from the
gale of air and alerted him. He dodged to the right while his head turned back, and his eyes were filled
with vigilance. Very soon, the sword’s hilt came into his eyes, and he formed his fingers into a claw and
gripped onto somewhere between the attacker’s sword hand and wrist with incredible speed, twisting it
fully.
A light gasp of pain revealed that it was a woman’s voice, and the sword was twisted out of her grasp
before it landed onto the ground with a soft clang.
“My lord……” Jana recognized it was Brendel and her green eyes grimaced at the vice-like grip, “I’m sorry,
I didn’t know it was you!”
She knew that Brendel was a Gold-ranked fighter, but she did not expect him to be this amazing!
1449
In truth, Cornelius was the sole mercenary commander who had witnessed Brendel’s abilities with his
own eyes, and the other two only knew of his skill by reputation. Jana felt like her entire body was locked
down when Brendel grabbed her wrist, and she felt like there were broken bones.
[I’m a Silver-ranked fighter, and I’m disabled with just a single move? Is there such a big difference
between a Silver-ranked and a Gold-ranked fighter?]
“It’s fine, but didn’t I tell you not to use your weapon against the workers? And where’s Scarlett and
Medissa?” Brendel asked as he released her wrist.
“I apologize, my lord. The workers suddenly disappeared in a rush, and your footsteps were disciplined
enough for me to think that you were a strong enemy guard. As for Medissa and Scarlett, they are in the
other mining sectors. My lord, why have you called for us with the spiders?” Jana said as she rubbed the
bruises on her wrist.
“It’s difficult to lure out the commander to the outside. We need to change our plan.” Brendel sent out an
aimed shot of wind at the sword and caused the dropped sword to bounce up onto his hand: “I received
information that the silver mines had encountered a serious incident approximately ten years ago. The
workers had accidentally dug a path into the Jurgen Underworld, and the monsters there ended up
invading the mines. I have a new plan based on that—”
Brendel left a mark pointing back to the open area he was in earlier.
“In any case, let us wait for them in the place where the workers gather the ore for transportation. I think
we will be able to meet up with the two before the guards come.”
Medissa and Scarlett soon arrived at where Brendel was.
“You wish to lure the commander out with this plan, my lord?” Medissa said when she entered the
gathering site. She had easily made a conclusion when Brendel told her to convene with him through his
mind.
“Yes. Based on the information I have, the guard commander’s name is Kodan. He was the one who led
the guards personally to drive the monsters back during the attack a decade ago. It’s very likely that he
would do the same thing again.” Brendel said.
“This place looks like a good place to battle, but will it hold with four Gold-ranks fighting here?” Scarlett
said.
“We can try and capture him as quickly as possible,” Medissa said.
“It’s going to be a little tough,” Brendel frowned as he considered the possibility. “Our opponent isn’t
some random person who recently became a Gold-ranked fighter. He’s likely to be a Grandmaster
1450
Swordsman, but there isn’t a better way. In any case…… Let us wait for him. Jana, make sure you’re
waiting for us back there. You wouldn’t want to come near us.”
=============== Perkins / Kodan’s POV =============
Voices were circulating in the administrative building as soon as the morning sun rose. The rumors first
started in the deeper mining sections. The workers found monsters appearing out from nowhere, and the
news quickly spread to the foremen who immediately requested for a squadron of soldiers to investigate
the situation.
But none of them returned—
When the foremen realized the soldiers were missing, they scrambled to put up a report. Perkins
received it on his desk in less than thirty minutes. This thirty-odd years old energetic administrative
officer, who was still considered young by Vaunte’s standards, finally realized the severity of this issue.
One of the reasons why he was able to come to the silver mines and work for Count Randner was because
of the latter’s recognition of him, and another was because he had connections. He was the nephew of
Count Randner’s wife and thus easily gained his position. Once he finished dedicating his time to this
temporary post, he would be ushered into the council of advisors working for the Count.
The silver mines were of great importance to the Count, and if he would be one of the trusted retainers if
he succeeded in handling the silver mines without nay mistakes. This was why he governed this site with
a great passion and was completely satisfied at getting the position of his dreams.
It was going well for him, and the incident where the workers broke through a cavern of monsters was a
decade before his time, at least until this morning.
[Giant spiders sighted in the lower pits? A squadron of soldiers completely missing? Possibly because the
workers dug through a tunnel leading to the Jurgen Underworld!? Fuck! Fuck! This is a serious incident
beyond imagination!]
He felt cold perspiration coming out from his body. He could not imagine what would happen if there
were invaders from the underworld. He was in a position where Count Rander kept an eye on, and he was
unlucky enough to possibly encounter the worst situation.
Losing the silver mines.
Perkins sank into his seat like jelly. If he lost the mine, he might be executed by Count Randner—
When Kodan pushed the door open, he saw Perkins in a miserable state. This old man had entered the
Gold-ranked status thirty years ago and was one of Count Randner’s most trusted men.
The Grandmaster Swordsman was unable to suppress the waves of disdain in his heart when he saw
Perkins’s spineless expression, especially when he came to his position through nepotism.
1451
[This boy is even more worthless than I thought.]
Kodan coughed once and woke Perkins from his stupor. When the latter saw Kodan, his grey eyes lit up in
joy. The old man was different from him. Even though Perkins’ position was technically higher than
Kodan because he was in charge of sending off the gold, Count Rander recognized the latter as his right
hand with complete trust. The old man did not use connections like he did, which meant he had gotten to
his position through sheer capabilities.
The young man took on an even more respectful tone and expression than usual because of the situation,
completely hiding away his darker thoughts of cursing the old man because the latter constantly looked
down on him.
“Ser Kodan, you’re here, we’re in big trouble!” Perkins spoke as though he was a drowning man clinging
on to the last hope for safety.
“What sort of trouble?” Kodan shook his white hair in contempt.
But Perkins did not dare to get angry and explained the report in detail. Kodan had already gotten hold of
some information along the way and understood things to a certain extent, but he was seething with fury
when the young man described the situation.
[You damned bastard. You suppressed the rumors from reaching my ears and sent my men off to the pits
without telling me. Now that the situation has gotten worse you’re looking for my help?]
However, the situation was grave enough for him to restrain his anger and he replied with cold
indifference:
“I see. Then what are you going to do, my lord?”
Perkins felt a lump in his throat. He knew that Kodan was trying to show his displeasure through this
opportunity. But he also knew that he was in the wrong, so he gave an apologetic smile and tried to think
of something:
“Well….. we don’t know what the real situation is in the pits, and I’m afraid that the workers might be
panicking and disorderly, so I want to send in the guards to maintain….. order……”
He gulped as he saw the old man’s expression getting darker and darker: “Perhaps, at least enough men
to…..”
Kodan scoffed coldly.
“Your idea is shit. It’s utterly worthless. If you send all the guards in, wouldn’t the workers know that
there’s something wrong with the pits? They would go crazy and immediately panic. Furthermore, there
are over a thousand workers in the mine, and you want to maintain order with less than a hundred
guards? Administrative Officer Perkins, perhaps you’re not thinking hard enough with your brain?”
1452
Perkins’s dignity was almost shredded to pieces, but his skin was thick enough for him to ask: “T-then
what do we do?”
“I’ll bring in a few men and take a look,” Kodan rubbed his sword’s sheath and said, “the monsters in the
pit below are troublesome, but they won’t be able to trap me. We will discuss our options once I find out
how serious the problem is.”
“Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!” Perkins exclaimed with a placating tone. Even though the situation
was not over, he was relieved to know that Kodan was going to settle it himself.
1453
Chapter 48 – Silver Mines (9)
[It’s strange. A large amount of Cold Iron. Mystic Eye Gems. It’s somehow familiar to me, but I’m certain I
have never seen them together in the game before.]
Brendel was currently sitting on a pile of silver ore at the gathering site.
He had ambushed a squadron of guards with the aid of his Wind Spirit Spiders earlier. By using the White
Raven Sword Arte, he extinguished their torches, ambushed them and knocked everyone out with a blow
to their heads.
He took their swords and attached them behind his back on his belt before he called the girls to move the
guards elsewhere in the tunnel. They then waited for the enemy commander’s next move. Medissa stood
quietly with her eyes closed and looked like she was meditating, while Scarlett polished her halberd’s
blade.
But Brendel was thinking back on the discovery of the Azure Quartz.
[If it’s not within the game, then perhaps…… Yes, that’s it, a forum post. I remember there’s a post about
someone getting a quest in Trentheim. He discovered a vein of Cold Iron and two different types of
strange materials. Eventually, one was identified as the Mystic Eye Gem, but the other had no conclusion
during that time. I think it was a silver ball, but I don’t remember—]
His eyes suddenly widened at the notion of a silver ball.
[A Legacy of the Silver Lineage?]
The forum post that Brendel recalled was considerably early in the game, and more people eventually
understood the purpose of the silver ball in the future.
In Kirrlutz’s ancient poems, the era before Mother Marsha’s creation of the world was known as the ‘Era
of Eternal Night’. Within its lore, she was living in a world that every Golden and Silver Lineage lived in.
It was unclear whether Mother Marsha was created by higher Divine Entities in the Era of Eternal Night,
or she was the highest Divine Power, but one thing was clear; she shed her first tear and brought the
earliest Golden and Silver Lineage out of darkness. The Sages were born and fought against the creatures
of Chaos and Darkness, and Mother Marsha established the Laws of Vaunte.
Gamers who played the game ended up breaking the fourth wall to fill up the missing lore. Mother
Marsha was a mouthpiece for the ‘Divine Entities’, or simply the people who made the game.
1454
Vaunte’s formation took a long time. The earliest Golden and Silver Lineage sought refuge in different
supposed Sanctuaries to avoid the Twilight Dragon’s assault against them, but they were discovered time
after time by the Twilight Dragon. Finally, they made their strongest stand in the Tower of Babel but
ultimately lost.
Many different races disappeared that day, and it signified the start of the Era of Chaos.
But these sanctuaries remained, and Brendel had been to one when he led the refugees of Fortress
Riedon out of Madara’s siege. He even got a Golden Apple from there, a type of Legacy item from the
Golden Lineage.
[There are three different types of Sanctuaries. The first is half-physical, half-phantasmal, either hiding
within time or space, like the Homeland of the Fairies that I’ve been to. The Second is fully phantasmal,
like the tallest point of the world, Babel, the last Sanctuary that’s supposedly impregnable. And the third
is a physical Sanctuary.
The Silver Lineage mostly used them, which were the most damaged from the wars. The Steel Plains were
completely done in, and the Rune Dwarves were nearly wiped out. One of the Sanctuaries that remained
is Heaven’s Gate within the Kingdom of Knights and had become a holy symbol. And one other is the
Sealed Kingdom, Valhalla.]
But Brendel had doubts about his hypothesis.
[The possibility of this silver mine as a Sanctuary…… I should go back and check the Cold Iron again.]
Time continued to pass, and they waited until they were a little restless. Brendel suddenly stood up.
“The Gold-ranked commander has arrived,” He said, and drew in a deep breath, “and there are ten guards
with him. Let’s get into the position that we have discussed earlier.”
Scarlett nodded and went over to Brendel and hid behind the carts. Jana stood behind near one of the exit
tunnels, while Medissa positioned herself in the center of the gathering site, with her back facing the
entrance.
Soon enough, footsteps could be heard amidst over a few talking men.
Kodan had led his men into the tunnels. He was feeling puzzled as he did not discover any creatures on
the first and second level. When he descended into the third level, he finally found a giant spider
scurrying away towards the gathering site. It was quickly destroyed, and they proceeded towards the
room after he warned his men to move cautiously.
But when they entered the area, they were astounded.
1455

There was a woman there. She turned around slowly when they came into talking distance.
To be more accurate, it was a girl not even the age of twenty, with silver hair and silver eyes, along with a
pair of sharp, pointy ears.
The guards could only recognize that she was an Elf, but Kodan was trained as a knight. Not only did he
learned etiquette from the noble families, but he had also studied geography and history to a great extent.
That was why he was able to recognize she was a legendary Silver Elf.
His eyes widened in shock. He thought his eyes were failing him, or that he was looking at a spirit. The
Silver Elves had disappeared several centuries ago, but one was right here before his very eyes.
But despite his surprise, he did not drop his guard. He left two of his men at the entrance with a signal,
while he brought the others closer to her.
“Who are you? Why have you come to Count Randner’s silver—?” Kodan asked in a gruff voice.
But before he could finish his questions, he suddenly turned around to discover two youths charging out
from the carts, and they knocked out his two guards in a flash.
The grandmaster swordsman quickly understood. He threw away his thoughts about the Silver Elves; it
was clear that the cause of the monster incidents was because of the culprits here!
“How much did Jara pay you?” Kodan’s eyebrows flared up, and his next question came.
Brendel blinked blankly at the sudden question.
“Who’s that?” Scarlett asked in confusion.
“Hmph,” Kodan pulled out his sword, and Brendel and the girls reacted by readying their own weapons,
“since you’re not my old rival’s men, then you must be the Count’s enemy! Regardless of who sent you,
prepare to die—”
His orders echoed loudly in the area, and the guards drew out their weapons. Kodan might appear to be
an old man with a head full of white hair, but anyone would be awestruck by his killing intent!
[Kodan is amongst Count Randner’s thirteen most trusted knights, and while there were a few others
who were stronger than him, he’s the only veteran soldier who participated in the November War. I
should assume he’s within in the top five knights. Rumor has it that he entered the Gold-ranked status
thirty years ago. I should treat him like he’s close to breaking through the rank!]
1456
Brendel did not waste any more time and brought his Element Power out.
Kodan had looked at the youths in disdain when they readied out their weapons, but when he saw the
youth’s release his aura, the air turned colder, and a layer of frost started to spread out from his feet.
Kodan’s eyes widened instantly.
[An Element Power, he’s a Gold-ranked Swordsman at his age?]
But his surprise did not end there. Scarlett had reacted as well, and visible electricity gathered on her
halberd and arms, causing hissing and spitting sounds to vibrate in the air. When he glanced back at
Medissa, there was a white spectral energy concentrated on her body, causing her beauty to take on an
ethereal breath, almost like she appeared from a dream.
He started to tense up.
[Three Gold-ranked opponents! Who would bother to send out three prodigies to pick a bone with me?
And all of them look like they are just twenty years old. No matter where you put them, they would be
treated with importance, and not used as assassins and thrown into this shit hole!]
Kodan took a step back subconsciously. He was not showing off his weak side, but he needed to think
about how to protect himself when he was surrounded by three Gold-ranked fighters.
Brendel flinched when Kodan moved. Against a Grandmaster Swordsman, he did not dare to hold back,
and his first move was a fully powered White Raven Swords Arte as an involuntary reaction.
The air split into countless razor winds, and they traveled across through the air towards Kodan and his
men in a crescent arc. Shrill whistles followed closely as the thin blades struck the guards, instantly
hacking them into gruesome pieces with blood splattering across the ground, while Kodan had jumped
into the air and avoided the attack.
Several tremendous bangs followed next as the shockwave from Brendel’s attack struck against the walls
and wooden pillars, and the fragments of stone and wood rained down.
Jana stared at the attack in disbelief and thought Brendel was closer to a monster than a human.
Kodan’s counterattack came as his jump brought him closer to Brendel, with his sword in a position to
cleave the youth into two. Brendel immediately kicked the ground and swerved to his left, while Scarlett
swung her halberd as well in a large, exaggerated arc. Kodan’s rippling muscles tensed up as he
unleashed his blade from above.
The two blades collided violently, causing the metallic screams to echo in everyone’s ears. Scarlett
wobbled backward a few steps and nearly toppled over to the ground Although she was a God Acolyte
1457
and her stats was higher than a normal Gold-ranked fighter, she still lost out in terms of strength and
technique.
Kodan was sent hurtling back through the air from Scarlett’s attack, and Medissa did not miss the
opportunity and moved closer to thrust her spear at him. Despite his unsteady landing, he managed to
duck and dodge the Silver Elf’s swift strikes. His body was nimble and flexible as though he was a young
man, and his aged wrinkles and white hair looked like they were lies.
The old soldier who survived the November War naturally used Aouine’s Swordsmanship, but he had
incorporated his own style and elevated it to even greater heights.
His attack was a mere straightforward slash, but there was an oppressive, bloodthirsty feeling to it.
Medissa guarded with her spear placed vertically to receive it, and her boots left a grinding mark across
the ground as she was pushed back with her hands trembling.
Brendel suddenly felt he had misjudged the difficulty of capturing him. Be it Conrad, Tirste, or even any
Gold-ranked swordsman that he had seen in the game; they were no match for this elderly man’s skill.
Even Iamas back then did not give as much pressure as Kodan did right now. The swordsmanship and
seemingly undefeatable aura reminded him of one person.
The Pale Knight Ebdon.
[Analyze!]
He roared in his mind and threw his sword at Kodan who ran towards him. There was no way he would
be able to match the old man’s skill in with Aouine’s Swordsmanship, and he decided to even up the odds
by using the system.
Kodan was momentarily confused when Brendel abandoned his sword, but he struck it away, then
jumped slightly when the sword snapped into two. The youth drew another sword from his back, and
that was when Kodan suddenly realized six or seven swords were hanging behind from his belt. His
sword was clearly unable to handle the technique he used earlier, which was why he had to prepare that
many blades.
[This must be the biggest joke I have ever seen. A Gold-ranked swordsman without a proper sword he
can use?]
The old man scoffed and flickered his weapon at Brendel, aiming at his wrists, and the latter bent his
knees into a low guard and parried the incoming blade by sending it upwards with his own. The two
men’s swords went back and forth in a tight metallic chorus, each attacking and defending alternatively.
Brendel finally experienced Kodan’s swordsmanship fully. The old man was even more formidable than
Ebdon was, and every time their blades met, there was a striking fear in his heart despite the fact that he
used to be a level 130 gamer.
1458
Kodan was surprised at Brendel’s aggressive strikes. The youth seemed like he had entirely given up his
defenses to injure him. Kodan wanted to take advantage of his weaknesses, but that ordinary steel blade
seemed to find its way to riposte at the very last second.
[This isn’t Aouine’s swordsmanship! Kirrlutz, no, this isn’t exactly right as well—]
However, that limit was soon reached as he eventually overwhelmed the youth in a flurry of blows and
managed to kick him to the sides. He began to run to the entrance. There was no point in staying on. Once
he managed to escape, he could send for help.
Scarlett had recovered and tried to bar his way, but he swung his sword in a mighty arc—
“Get lost!” He bellowed, and the girl staggered back several steps after deflecting his sword.
Kodan was briefly shocked as he had used his full strength in that swing; he expected her to be at least
driven back to the walls.
Brendel was burning inside with worry. He could not allow the old man to escape. He immediately
activated the Charge skill and aimed at Kodan’s legs, but the latter’s Perception was high enough to
recognize the danger and turned back to deflect his sword.
[So fast!]
Kodan’s eyes widened at Brendel’s speed but quickly realized that the attack was a feint, and it had
become a thrust to his chest. He hastily drew back his sword to defend against it, but that was also a feint.
Finally, Brendel drew out another sword and swung at him in a horizontal slash at his arms, and Kodan
was forced to dodge to his right.
Brendel’s relentless aggression caused the old man to be in a fury. The latter used his skill in Aouine’s
Swordsmanship to the utmost limits, and rage fueled his blade’s trajectory.
This time, Brendel felt Kodan’s attack was not from a single sword, but a wall that could not be avoided
and gave a feeling that he was about to be doomed, despite the single white line from the system’s aid.
The youth gritted his teeth and parried the meteor-like attack with the two blades with the use of Power
Break.
The sword smashed away the two swords and caused them to shatter into pieces, while a shockwave
struck against the walls and created a huge gash that was the length of ten-odd meters. Brendel’s legs
quivered, and his hands felt numb, but he quickly took out another sword.
“My lord, please move away, I’m going to use my Element Power!” Scarlett yelled.
Electricity flowed freely all over her body and weapon, and Kodan gave up on retreating to the entrance,
and instead ran to the carts that were full of silver ore. He grabbed one and easily flung one at Scarlett.
1459
“Seventh Chord— Resounding Thunderclap!”
Bright light filled the area, temporarily blinding everyone. The cart that was hurled over to her seemed to
continue in its destination before it hovered a few meters, and the violent tempest of compressed air sent
it back to Kodan. Slag rained across the area as the lightning superheated the metals, and the old man hid
behind the carts to protect himself.
Medissa leaped across the room and lunged her spear into the cart Kodan hid at.
“Vortex Strike!” She roared.
Kodan barely reacted in time and swung his sword to divert the spear’s path, dragging the cart along with
the spear. Brendel sprinted across and jumped up into the air.
“Power Break!” He forced every bit of his strength into the blade at Kodan’s other arm and snarled into
his face.
As expected, Kodan had lost his center of gravity after defending against Brendel’s strike that was aided
with momentum and left him open. Brendel sank his elbow into Kodan’s abdomen, and the old man
grunted in pain. He wanted to continue striking him, but countless lines appeared in his vision, and he
hurriedly retreated to a distance.
Kodan’s Element Power activated and caused the surrounding objects around him to forcefully scatter.
“Stop!” The Grandmaster Swordsman shouted.
1460
=========== Jocah’s group POV ============
The entire mine experienced repeated light tremors when Brendel and the girls fought Kodan.
Jocah felt sand falling onto his shoulders. He touched it with his hands and looked up.
“What’s going on? Did somewhere in the mine collapse?” He said worriedly and looked at his group
members, “Do you all feel that?”
Maher and the other men were busy with their mining picks. They were almost done in revealing the
weapon. Because it was too sharp, they had no choice but to work around it, and the shiny metal
gradually showed itself.
However, they were shocked to find that it that the blade lost its shape when the rocks were broken off
and had turned into some kind of silver sphere when more than half of it was finally exposed to the air.
“How’s this possible?” One of them tapped the strange object with his mining pick, and it was
immediately chipped. “It retains its sharpness when it’s agitated, but if you gently trace it, it’s not
affected.”
The girl suddenly shivered.
“I feel a little cold,” she said, looking at her surroundings restlessly as though there was something hiding
there, “I feel like the temperature has gone down.”
Cohen’s attention was on the silver ball. He inspected it and discovered that was a sheen of light golden
color on the surface. He had seen it before in one of the books from his former teacher— Mithril.
His pupils dilated. The price of the Cold Iron was like a piece of rock compared to the sphere in his hands,
but he quickly regained his composure. Mithril could be infused with magic, and it was probably the
reason why the mining pick was cut, although it remained to be seen if the ball was made entirely out of
it.
“This isn’t the first time we felt tremors in the mine. Compared to the past, we’re experiencing some light
ones. There’s no need to make a big deal of it and frighten yourself. But we’re definitely rich now. Even if
we don’t travel the world, we can still experience the lives that we want to—” Cohen said.
“Hey, look at this!” Maher suddenly interrupted him and caused everyone to look back at the wall.
Maher’s pick struck off a large piece of rock and revealed a smooth sheet of black metal.
1461
“This isn’t naturally formed, take a look. There are words on it!” Someone shouted.
Everyone concentrated and indeed saw rows of finely written words on it. But the words had become
illegible over time. Cohen felt it with his hand and heat drew away from his palm. He turned his hand
over and discovered it had turned dark.
“Black Iron rust. This metal is iron.” (TL: Black iron rust forms under low oxygen.)
“What do the words mean?”
Cohen was unable to answer him. He had learned quite a bit from his teacher, but he failed to guess what
the strange things they found were. Still, the discovery made him excited and tense.
Even the other members were able to guess they had dug up something priceless.
“Alright, let us get this piece of metal out,” Maher immediately said. He was one who prized action over
talking.
“Hold on, do you know what this is in the first place? Perhaps it’s worthless? Furthermore, this sheet of
metal is so big that it’s impossible for us to bring it out.”
That statement swayed Maher’s decision. He stopped and cast his glance at Cohen.
“Let’s get that silver ball out first,” Cohen said.
The black iron wall did not offer anything else of worth, so he lost his interest, and decided to get the
items that were priceless first.
But when the ball was free from its rock prison, the mine suddenly shook. It was different from the light
tremors earlier, and it was as though the whole place shook.
Everyone lost their footing and collapsed onto the ground.
“Something’s wrong, that silver ball is shining!” One of them shouted amidst the frightened screams.
1462
Chapter 50 – King of the underground (1)
“Stop!” Kodan shouted.
He realized there was something wrong at the gathering site. Not a few seconds after his yell, the place
suddenly shook violently.
Brendel, Medissa and Scarlett’s expressions immediately changed. Thunderous splitting sounds followed
as the walls repeatedly cracked until it reached the ceiling. Dust and pebbles quickly rained on their
heads.
“Leave this room now!” Brendel’s yell woke everyone up from their shock. He had naturally assumed that
the area collapsed because of their fight.
He quickly retreated to one of the exit tunnels, but Scarlett’s urgent voice rang out behind him:
“My lord, watch—”
But before her words were finished, Schafflund’s mine shook again, and a large piece of the ceiling
collapsed under the tremors. The light to the room dimmed immediately as the exits were blocked by the
falling rocks.
[Fuck!]
It was impossible to dodge the rocks, and Brendel cursed in his mind before everything turned black.
The terrifying vibrations extended all the way to the surface. Perkins who was near the entrance lost his
footing and rolled down the steps. He got up unsteadily with a bleeding forehead with much difficulty.
The rumbling sounds did not stop, and he paled as dust fell over his head. He quickly climbed back out
and saw a chaotic scene unfolding before his eyes. Many of the workers were down on the ground
because they fell over, but even more were fleeing the valley.
[Did an earthquake happen? Is Mother Marsha angry?]
He started to shiver.
============ Princess Gryphine’s POV ===========
1463
There was a scent of bleakness in Vlada’s autumn. Princess Gryphine’s silver eyes glinted as it reflected
the moonlight. She stood on the balcony and watched the thick ink-like mist cover the forest’s crowns.
Some of the trees’ leaves had completely fallen.
The sobering cold was a contrast to the warm room. A robust fire was consuming the wood in the
fireplace, sending occasional ashes that landed on the bricks outside.
Gryphine was wearing a red robe interlaced with white threads over her nightgown. Although she was
barefooted, she was standing on a white fur carpet. Her silver hair rested a little untidily on her
shoulders, and she yawned once before turning back into her room.
She threw her robe onto her table, causing several parchments to fly off lightly, and she laughed a little
before changing into her formal attire.
Oberbeck would have scolded her for not watching her conduct if he saw her. He was currently busy with
the documents on his desk. It had been three days since the knights’ tournaments, and Maynild had
delivered the results in person.
She was standing in front of him, wearing a black knight uniform, which contrasted against her exposed
hands and neck; many would gladly ogle at her.
They did not speak and time continued to pass.
Finally, the silence was broken when Gryphine entered the room after knocking on the door. She
appeared to be slightly listless because she had just woken up, but she brought her eyes up to look at her
two retainers.
“My apologies, Ser Oberbeck, Ser Maynild, I’m a little late.” She said.
“You should watch yourself. Work and rest go hand in hand,” Maynild said.
Oberbeck glanced at Maynild. The knight wore her usual taciturn expression, but her concern for the
princess far surpassed what a retainer would have for their lord.
“What’s this report about?” Princess Gryphine took over the papers that Oberbeck reached out to her. She
briefly read it, frowned, and placed her hand over a crystal ball the size of a fist on the table.
The crystal immediately glowed, and its surface showed a series of moving images.
1464
It was a record of the tournament for the knights, and Gryphine recognized the girl in the scene, Freya.
She was slightly surprised and replayed it again.
“Is there something wrong?” She looked up to Maynild.
“Her swordsmanship,” Maynild replied.
“There’s a little problem with the girl’s swordsmanship,” Oberbeck said almost at the same time.
“She’s Duke Everton’s daughter, what problem could she have?”
Maynild nodded to acknowledge her question. She took a bell from the table and shook it. After the
ringing ceased, the door opened and a young knight wearing a chest plate and a red robe with white
thread, not unlike the one that Gryphine wore earlier, entered and greeted Maynild and the princess:
“Your highness. Captain Maynild, what are your orders?”
“Attack me.” She gave a simple command.
The knight was slightly taken aback, but he did not question her orders. He took a step back and pulled
out his sword. As a personal knight of the royal family, he had met the requirements of a Gold-ranked
swordsman. His actions were clean and smooth and showed a clear understanding of Aouine’s
swordsmanship.
Maynild took a single step back to avoid the range of his sword’s thrust, while she swung her sword
together with its sheath and struck her opponent’s sword downwards. Once his sword was deflected
away, she immediately kicked the side of his right knee with the same leg that withdrew a step, pulled out
her blade and thrust it at his throat, stopping at mere inches.
“Maynild, your skill has improved again.” The half-Elven princess’s eyes brightened.
The knight who was half kneeling on the ground was not frustrated at all. He grabbed Maynild’s offered
hand after she sheathed her sword and got up, and said with a lowered head: “I’ve disappointed you!”
Maynild was Gryphine’s knight commander. Although her position did not fall under the same system,
she could command the royal family’s knights, and it would not be wrong to say she was their
commander too. Most of the young knights were impressed and admired her skills. Those who were
jealous spread her infamy as someone who had nothing but swords in her mind.
Maynild nodded and said nothing else.
“This is a new military swordsmanship created to finish a battle quickly.”
1465
Gryphine thought for a while and nodded: “Yes, I can see the differences between the old and new.”
“The new method is supposed to improve on the original to make it more practical instead of relying on
standard forms of attacks. In its core, it relies on using the simplest methods to cause the opponents to
lose combat prowess.” Oberbeck said as he pointed at his neck, arms, knees, and the abdomen area.
“The method targets vulnerable spots like the joints in order to strike through the weak points of an
armor, but it’s unlikely for someone to develop it without spending a lot of time in the battlefield.” He
continued.
Gryphine thought for a while and once again watched the images on the crystal. She noticed several
similarities between Maynild and Freya.
“The counterattacks and attacks?”
“Ser Maynild and I have studied it carefully. The counterattacks that she made against her opponents
were unrefined, but it is clear that the essence of the newly developed military swordsmanship we’re
preparing to propose is distilled in her actions!”
Gryphine first furrowed her brows at Oberbeck’s subtle insinuations, before she displayed an interested
expression.
“You mean to say it’s impossible for her to develop a swordsmanship like this because you need an
extraordinary amount of experience in fighting. She clearly did not spend years on the battlefield and was
only a militia. The amount of time that she spent fighting against Madara was at most only a few weeks
long.”
“Yes,” Oberbeck nodded, “But there’s another possibility.”
“Let me guess, a veteran? Captain Marden?”
“No, I investigated the old guard captain. He is competent and experienced the November War in the past,
but his swordsmanship sticks closely to the original method.”
“…… Indeed. His protege Bannett didn’t display this new swordsmanship in the tournament.”
Gryphine briefly considered the possibility that Freya was a genius, but there was no indication that she
showed off her skill at any given time. Everyone had followed her progress from the start, and the
possibility was so small that Oberbeck and Maynild did not mention it.
“Who could have taught her?” She was a little troubled: “There are not many people she knows.”
“But there is, your highness, and that person has always been in our sight.”
1466
“You mean to say it’s him?” She made a strange face as she immediately realized the answer.
Oberbeck nodded.
“But he’s just as young as Freya. Did someone teach him…… Were you able to uncover more information
about him?” She tilted her head, and her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
[…… Wait, why am I feeling this way? Am I really so curious about him?]
“No. Unless we return to Bucce.”
“Is there no information to be gotten from the people who fled from Bucce?”
“They are not acquainted with him,” Maynild cut into the conversation, “I have privately asked Bannett
and sent out men to ask the refugees from Bucce, but they said they don’t know.”
“Bannett said he doesn’t know and not that he’s unclear about it?”
“Yes.” Maynild also found it questionable, but no other information was gotten.
“Let’s put it aside for the time being,” Gryphine sat down and combed her hair with her fingers before
tying it with a silver ribbon, “let’s go back to Freya’s swordsmanship. Are we able to get any useful
information about it?
“That girl is unable to teach us anything. Ser Maynild observed her for a while, but her understanding of
that young man’s swordsmanship is fuzzy at best.” Oberbeck shook his head.
“It’s pointless unless we can find that person, right?”
“Yes.”
“Maynild, are you really unable to glean anything from Freya— that man’s swordsmanship? You’re a
genius in our kingdom after all.”
Maynild seemed to be pondering on something, and it took a while before she finally responded: “I’ll try
my best, but you shouldn’t expect too much from me. I’m not a fighter after all.”
“I don’t understand what you mean by that.”
“Without a certain amount of experience in the battlefield, it would be hard to figure out the essence of
the swordsmanship.”
“I see….. Oberbeck, please arrange to have a few veterans from the November War discuss with Maynild
when she returns from the trip to Ampere Seale. Maynild, spare some time on this matter during your
trip. I expect great things from the new Military Swordsmanship.”
1467
“Yes, your highness.” Both of them said.
1468
Occasional sounds of pebbles dropping on the ground could be heard.
Brendel’s eyelids flitted once before they opened feebly to see complete darkness. There were no signs of
the others.
He spat out the dust in his mouth, and his consciousness started to return. He subconsciously called out
his Stats Window and relaxed a little when he saw the green fonts appearing in mid-air.
The system indicated there were no broken bones or internal injuries, and he merely suffered some
bruises, scratches and a minor concussion.
[I worry a little too much. The resilient body of a Gold-ranker isn’t something to joke about.]
However, no matter how high his perception was, he was unable to see anything if there was no light. He
wanted to try and reach for his Light Crystal, but he soon realized there was a large boulder pinning
down his body. It was at that moment that he remembered he was knocked out because the ceiling had
dropped on him and caused him to faint.
[If I’m a normal human being, I would have been killed immediately, but I’m going to suffocate to death at
this rate…..]
He took in a deep breath and pushed against the boulders on him and immediately caused the smaller
rocks on it to fall off. He stopped for a moment and tried again, adding Power Break into his hands, and
finally removed the debris that was on him.
Once he was free, he stood up and dusted himself off while subconsciously wiping his sweat off, before he
realized that he did not work really hard enough to sweat. He took out the Light Crystal and saw blood
covering his hand under the weak light.
[Damn it. There’s blood……]
For a moment, Brendel recalled the time when he came into this world. He was definitely skewered by
the skeletons when he saved Romaine, but how did he survive?
He initially thought it was Freya who bandaged him and managed to stop the bleeding but was that it? His
HP went below negative points, and only a potion would be able to let him survive. It should not be
possible for a bandage to work and he would just die from the loss of blood.
1469
He shook his head puzzledly and studied his surroundings for a while, discovering that one of the exits
was not completely sealed off. The torches on the walls were extinguished, and the surroundings had
significantly changed, making him unable to differentiate the directions.
He was about to check the exit when he heard a pained groan behind him.
[Ah, right, I should check for the others.]
He turned back and started searching for the source of the voice, and indeed saw Scarlett lying still under
a pile of broken rocks. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her pointed face was as pale a sheet of paper. Her
eyelashes were trembling, and she showed off a weak and quiet side that he had never seen before.
But he did not have time to appreciate this alluring side of hers because of the dripping blood from her
forehead.
[This is an abnormal sign. A God Acolyte’s body is far stronger than a human being, and she shouldn’t
receive an injury to her skin— Oh no.]
He suddenly thought of a terrible possibility and carefully walked over the unsteady ground and knelt
beside her. He felt her forehead and was alarmed to find her skin scorching hot. He pulled back his hand
and brought the Light Crystal nearer to her face. There was a subtle black tattoo on her forehead that was
slowly but visibly growing along her cheeks.
This proved that Scarlett’s body was fighting against the corruption of the Blood of Gods. Each time she
lost consciousness, it would be a harsh test for her. He took out his waterskin and poured it over her face,
and took out a stone that was split into two.
It was the item that had been smeared with the Blood of Gods and could be used to control Scarlett, but
he broke it into two to slow down the process.
He placed the two fragments on her forehead.
“Scarlett?” He said, “Wake up!”
The girl’s eyelids fluttered before they opened, revealing the supposed whites of her eyes dyed in a
terrifying mix of black and red colors, but they quickly returned to normalcy.
A pair of burning amber eyes that seemed to boil with willpower and life.
“Scarlett?”
1470
“Commander Makarov? Eke?” She looked at Brendel in confusion and spoke in a weak voice.
“It’s me.” Brendel kept the stone fragments away and said.
“…… My lord?” She said after a moment of hesitation, and she closed her eyes again, faintly remembering
that she had a nightmare.
She saw herself buried deeply in a red tree that resembled the color of blood. Tree branches coiled
around her and the tendrils sank into her skin, draining away her blood constantly, but she was unable to
move.
It was not the first time she had this dream, but it was particularly vivid this time. She was slightly uneasy
and became conscious of the fact that it might have something to do with the Blood of Gods in her.
“Yes, how are you feeling? Can you still go on?” Brendel asked a little worriedly when he saw Scarlett
closing her eyes.
When she moved a little, she instantly cried out in pain, as the injury on her leg sent warning signals to
her mind. She lowered her head and found there was a long gash across her thigh, and blood had dyed
her robes in red.
Her heart skipped a beat. Logically one would be injured from the falling rocks, but she should not receive
such an extensive injury. As a Gold-ranked fighter, her resilience and healing strength was different from
an ordinary person. She was also a God Acolyte, making it even more unlikely.
It was strange. She tried sitting up hastily, but the pain immediately caused her to hiss in pain and laid
down again. She took in large gulps of air, and she had cold sweat forming on her forehead. Her pain was
quickly replaced by dread.
[What happened to my strength?]
Brendel had told her that her source of power was because she had become a God Acolyte, but her feeble
arms made her feel like she was weaker than a child. It was the same feeling back when she was young
and had gotten sick.
She tried to put strength into her fingers, but it was clear that it was gone. Her eyes quickly became
unfocused, and she was at a loss as she realized the gravity of the situation.
She had lost all meaning to her life when Makarov disbanded the Grey Wolves Mercenaries, which was
replaced with a sense of despair that choked her. She was then captured by someone despicable and
turned into an accursed God Acolyte.
1471
It was Brendel who brought her out from the despair, and he accepted the majority of the Grey Wolves
Mercenaries. It gave her an excuse to continue pressing on with her life.
Eventually, she climbed out from the pits of her despair with much difficulty and adapted to a new life.
She was even a little fond of accompanying Brendel who treated her with importance even if was because
she had power. It was unlike the past where Makarov had only eyes for Eke and Buga, while she was
nothing more than an unimportant member who could be sacrificed at any time.
Her existence was needed by Brendel and the old Grey Wolves Mercenaries, and she was satisfied,
regardless of how short it was.
[Mother Marsha, why are you so cruel? I have just gotten used to all these things, and you take away
everything from me yet again? I’m no different from an ordinary person, no, I’m even weaker than one.]
She was afraid.
“What’s wrong?” Brendel asked her again when he saw her strange silence: “Does it hurt?”
[A noble doesn’t need a useless retainer. Amandina and Romaine are smart people who can help my lord
handle administrative work. But what about me? A wild girl who knows nothing other than fighting?]
“My lord…… I-I lost my power.” She finally whispered.
Brendel looked blankly at her. He did not understand her answer and thought it might be due to her
blood loss that caused her to feel weakened. But it was still a strange reply.
[What does this mean? Does she want me to help her up? If it’s little Romaine I can kind of understand,
but the girl in front of me is pretty independent…..]
Brendel’s eyes sharpened. It was an odd situation. He quickly took a step back to get out of her attacking
range and observed her carefully.
Perhaps she was faking her expressions in order to get a chance to attack him. But he knew the signs of a
God Acolyte well, and no matter how much he observed, it did not seem like the Blood of Gods controlled
her.
“What?” He finally said with a little confusion.
But Scarlett’s mind was filled with Makarov’s cruel voice that day, a figure whom she treated like a father
and teacher, where he abandoned her in front of Brendel, and completely missed the latter’s actions in
front of her.
She could only repeat herself while holding back her feelings of hopelessness:
1472
“My lord, I’ve lost my power, and I’m afraid I can’t follow you anymore……”
1473
Chapter 52 – King of the Underground (3)
Brendel once again paused in a blank.
[What kind of ploy is this?]
But he finally realized what she meant and tested her with an additional question: “You mean to say
you’re lost your abilities as a Gold-ranked fighter?”
Scarlett’s eyes momentarily widened before she closed them a defeated expression and nodded slowly.
“Oh, I see.” Brendel nodded like it was a natural thing.
This time Scarlett was confused. She had imagined Brendel’s reactions multiple times and was worried to
hear his voice turn cold just like Makarov did in the past. But she did not expect his reaction to sound like
he had solved a difficult puzzle!
“Ah, excuse me,” Brendel apologized sincerely.
He knew bad things were happening to Scarlett. There were signs of the Blood of goods speeding up, and
when she recovered her strength again, she might become a true God Acolyte. But there was no way he
could tell it directly to her face.
“Can you stand up? Here, let me help you up.” He consoled her and extended a hand.
Scarlett looked at the hand in front of her in a daze before she nodded.
Brendel’s voice was soft, warm, and even a little sympathetic, but it was because of these words that she
felt like her defenses to her heart were being cut away.
Tears spilled out from the corners of her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Brendel became flustered when he saw her tears.
The young girl continued to cry silently before she suddenly woke up from her daze. She sniffed through
her nose to stop her emotions and wiped away her tears weakly. When she realized how she acted, her
face immediately flushed red.
“Nothing, it’s b-because it’s too painful…… My lord.” Scarlett turned her head away and answered a little
unwillingly.
1474

Brendel cried inwardly at once.
[Your excuse is just awful…… Do you think you look like you’re crying because you’re in pain? You might
as well say that you’re flustered because you’re trying to hide your pain!]
He was not a fool and was vaguely aware what the girl was thinking about. Even though he did not know
what she thought of the people in her past, her silence was unable to mask the fact that she was trying to
escape reality. She had not accepted her situation and was still stuck in her memories, and regarded the
world with fear and distrust. In the end, she had no choice but to confront her circumstances, and was
immediately swallowed up by isolation.
“Can you stand up?” He said again.
Scarlett nodded weakly and attempted several times to get up to her feet. But even with his assistance,
the immense pain caused her to whimper and kneel down.
Brendel felt sorry for her. She was clenching her teeth and tearing up at the pain. It was not as if he had
never seen a woman cry, but she was much tougher than the noble ladies in the game who teared up
easily.
“Here, let me carry you. There’s no need to keep on trying.” He said. He was still a man after all.
They could not stay here for long. Even though he did not know what was Medissa and Kodan’s situation,
but their mission would fail if the old man returned to the surface. He had to fight for every second.
“How can I do…… that?” Scarlett was completely stunned.
Which Lord or commander would do this? But she quickly corrected herself. Makarov would do it for Eke
because the latter was the son of a duke.
[Perhaps Makarov saw me as someone who’s even less important than Redi because I was an Iron-ranker
back then. Damn it! I feel disappointed—]
Once she thought of the detestable youth with white hair, she felt sick in her stomach. There were no
tears shed when Brendel ordered his death.
[But why is this young lord willing to bother with me? I’m not popular with the remaining Grey Wolves
Mercenaries like Sanford is, and I don’t think I’m pretty enough to catch his eyes….. His fiancee is much
better looking than me. And I have never seen him even seeking the pleasures of the flesh from anyone.
His actions stop at teasing his fiance…… Right now, I’m nothing but a burden right now.]
1475
“…… There’s no need to waste your time with me, my lord. You need to get Kodan right now, and once
you do, you can come and rescue me,” she shook her head vigorously, before she said with some
hesitation, “I’m a mercenary, and I won’t feel too scared. If you would kindly leave me with a l-light
crystal……”
Brendel sighed inwardly with exasperation. It was clear that Scarlett was feeling scared. It was still an
unknown problem whether he was able to find his way out, and even if he did, he would have to take
several hours. But the biggest problem was not leaving a defenseless girl behind; it was the danger that
Scarlett might turn into a God Acolyte once he left her.
“You’re bleeding too much. It would be dangerous for you if you still here.” He did not reveal the truth to
her and dodged the subject.
“That’s fine; perhaps this is Mother Marsha’s will. There’s no need for you to keep holding on to a
burden—” She paused for a moment, smiled a little, and her voice became softer: “But I should thank you,
my lord. The fact that you didn’t abandon me is enough….. I can’t be selfish, right?”
Brendel stared at Scarlett’s misty, seemingly hollow eyes.
[Makarov must have really hurt her by sending the Grey Wolves Mercenaries to their deaths and refusing
to acknowledge her. She’s a pitiable person, but I don’t have a solution for her curse. ]
“…… Everlasting regret.” His words came out like a soft sigh of lament.
He closed his eyes and dove in his memories of the game for a full minute, while Scarlett looked restlessly
in confusion at him before he opened them:
“Perhaps you think that if you live in Aouine’s time of peace, you wouldn’t need to go through with this
melancholic fate— But is there a moment where Aouine is truly peaceful?
This continent is constantly at war and chapters are written in history books like epic poems. The flames
from the wars burn cities to the ground, countless bones are piled up, and the bloodshed is like a river
that flows endlessly. People band together to become stronger in order to survive, but at the same time
they have to pursue pragmatism.
Eventually, bonds are weakened and the warm feelings between people disappear. Society is left with
nothing but ice-like cruelty and machine-like efficiency.
Civilians rebel all the time because of the useless nobles governing the kingdom, but their resistance is
unable to pull down their authority. Why? Because the thing that matters is power.
The strong rules and the weak ought to die.
1476
Your story is not the only example on this continent. There are thousands of you and thousands of Sifrids,
and many people on this continent are more unfortunate than you are.
I don’t have the power to change their fates, because I cannot change the natural rule where the mighty
rules over everything. This world is much harsher than the fairy tale that I know of called Earth.
However, I think I might be able to lend a hand to the person who is in need in front of me.
So why are you not asking me for help?”
He wished to save the people that he was familiar with in the world. The princess, the Goddess of War,
the many, many people who sacrificed their lives for this kingdom. He desired to rewrite history.
“…… I—” Scarlett was still hesitating, but the light was returning to her eyes, and Brendel noted it.
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m a selfish person. My self-serving wish is to save this kingdom. I cannot tell if it’s
going to hurt people, and I might even hurt even more innocents than the nobles you see right now.
Perhaps the innocent citizens of this kingdom, or from Kirrlutz, or the nations to the far north.
However, I don’t want to see tragedy befalling on the people I know in front of me because I don’t think I
can ignore my heart…… If a hand is not enough, you can have my back and let me carry you.”
Brendel added his last sentence as Scarlett glanced at the injury on her thigh, but she was still hesitating
even though she looked ready to accept his aid.
“No, wait, are you refusing because of…… Don’t worry; I’m not going to take advantage of you.” Brendel
was already tearing up because he was cringing inwardly from the speech he made. Maybe she was
refusing because she did not want to be carried in the first place.
“Ehhh?! No, it’s just that—” Scarlett felt the blood rushing to her cheeks and shook her head repeatedly.
“Then there’s nothing else to be said.” Brendel was growling with impatience and shame, and he scooped
her up with both hands, ignoring her frightened squeaks.
She did not expect Brendel to be so forceful. She shrank in his arms as her blush extended to her ears, and
became silent.
[H-he said he wouldn’t take advantage of me…… I-isn’t this the legendary ‘bridal carry’?]
She had dreamt of Eke carrying her to the cathedral someday more than once back with the mercenaries,
but it quickly became a fantasy with the appearance of Yula. But she never expected someone to carry
her, although it was a little odd because she was being carried around in a dark tunnel.
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She brought her head to rest on Brendel’s chest. Even though her heart was beating fast, she felt a sense
of safety.
[He’s different from Eke, and makes me feel like I’m safe and I can trust in him. I’m sure Miss Amandina
and Romaine feels the same way…..]
She finally understood why the number of people around him continued to increase in the past few
months. His connections and abilities were indeed outstanding, but it would not explain why the people
around him would choose him over the other nobles.
[Maybe Mother Marsha hasn’t completely abandoned me. I’m lucky enough to meet a lord like him.]
She still felt a little sad about losing her powers. She was not a smart person and finding her powers again
would not be an easy task. She shook off her thoughts and decided to take one day at a time. Brendel’s
actions had calmed her down.
But his current thoughts were secretly pondering on her lifespan, which could be a matter of a few days
or even just a few hours.
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Brendel continued to carry Scarlett through the dark tunnels, and the latter held the Light Crystal which
barely lit the pathway.
The mine did not collapse at just the gathering site. Rocks and boulders have nearly blocked off their
path, and more often than not, they discovered that certain areas were completely sealed off.
Brendel had considered clearing obstacles with brute force, but in order to prevent a second collapse in
the mine, he chose to find another way around them.
Scarlett could feel Brendel’s strong heartbeat, and she felt her own heart beating fast in response. She felt
she should say something to end the awkward silence, but was unable to find the words because of the
situation that had happened without warning.
After feeling her slightly flushed face for a while, she finally managed to speak: “Is it really okay to bring
me along?”
“……A good commander doesn’t abandon his subordinates,” Brendel said, quoting his female
upperclassman in the past.
“……Do you think the others are safe?”
“I don’t know, but they should be fine.”
Brendel shook his head. He had not discovered any signs of Jana. He summoned Medissa’s card in his
mind and tried to call out for her, but she did not answer. Since the card did not turn grey, it would mean
that she was not sent into the graveyard yet.
He recalled that Medissa was closer to Kodan than either of them during the final moment when the
ceiling collapsed. Perhaps she was knocked out, and Kodan had escaped. She was not a match for him
alone.
“Are you still in pain?”
“N-no,” Scarlett quickly changed the topic, “but I find there’s something odd earlier.”
“What is it?”
“The earthquake happened after Kodan suddenly shouted for us to stop, and I don’t think that our attacks
are on a scale that would damage the other tunnels. At most it would just affect the room, right?”
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Brendel pondered silently. He was also suspecting this point. Even though it was a dangerous thing to
have four Gold-rankers battling it out in a closed room, the origin of the cracks seemed to be unrelated to
the damage caused by them.
[If this place is really a Sanctuary…… No, I should investigate how extensive the damage is first.]
Brendel continued to move in the dark tunnel, ducking high and low because of the fallen debris. At the
third dead end, he finally concluded that there was no way up from the passageways available. The only
option was to use the lift and head downwards to the pits.
That area was a complicated maze of tunnels that led to various sections of the fourth level, and from
there, he might be able to get past the dead ends and reach the third level. Jocah had informed him the
lifts in other areas accessed higher levels from other points too.
The lift’s noisy descent stopped with a shudder upon hitting the ground. Brendel observed the area and
realized that there was also signs of the mine collapsing, but the walls were much sturdier so the damage
was less compared to the above level.
[There’s no doubt about it. A Mana Resonance from an artifact. And the source is likely from Jocah’s group
unearthing something powerful. But what kind of item is it to make such a strong commotion?]
“My lord?” Scarlett interrupted his thoughts.
“Yes?”
“Please let me down. I think I can try walking now.” Her voice was a faint whisper.
Brendel lowered his head to check her wounds. The body of a God Acolyte certainly lived up to its name.
Even though she lost her powers, her ability to recover from injuries was much stronger than normal
people. The injury on her thigh had stopped bleeding and was starting to form scabs.
“Are you sure you’re fine?” He asked.
But the girl insisted on getting down, and he ultimately let her feet touch the ground. She grimaced lightly
for a moment when she stood up, but after a shaky test, she gradually became stable. Even though she
was a little slow, but she was mostly able to walk on her own.
Upon discovering this point, she felt a little happy and smiled at him.
“My lord!” She exclaimed with a small smile.
The youth blinked at her rare smile that came without any reservations, and the latter quickly realized
her mistake and turned her head away.
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He thought she was quite pretty when she smiled, but there was no way he would tell her that unless he
wanted to get hated. Their footsteps grated against the pebbles as they made their way silently into the
tunnels.
“Hmm?” Brendel muttered to himself as he suddenly spotted a mass of white color somewhere in the
darkness.
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“What is it, my lord?” Scarlett asked from behind.
“There’s something in front of us,” Brendel’s voice was reduced to a whisper.
Scarlett’s eyesight was currently no different from an ordinary person, and it was difficult for her to see
far ahead with the weak light provided by the crystal.
Brendel pulled out his sword and led the girl slowly ahead and realized that it was a person, seemingly a
worker in this mine. He carefully studied him, but there was no visible injury.
“He’s still alive,” Scarlett took a glance and immediately judged so.
Brendel agreed. He had also seen the shallow rise and fall of the worker’s chest. The latter seemed to be
merely unconscious. He tried shouting at him, but the middle-aged man did not wake up, so he took his
waterskin bag and poured a little on his face.
Considering that they might be stuck in the underground and the water they had on them was limited, he
refrained from pouring too much of it. He was about to slap the worker’s face, but it seemed like the
worker’s eyelids twitched and opened soon enough.
His rousing was not pleasant, and the moment he saw the two people in front of him, he retreated to the
walls and knocked himself against them.
Brendel hurriedly said after seeing his panicked reactions: “We work here as well, there’s no need to be
frightened.”
The worker stared at them for a while before he calmed down. He studied them carefully and asked:
“You’re from the administration? Foremen? Or the guards?”
Scarlett’s disguise as a man held because of the darkness, but he could see the outline of their weapons.
Only the three groups would be allowed to have weapons, but it was more likely that they were guards.
“We’re from the guards,” Brendel nodded and answered, knowing that the workers knew almost every
foreman.
That man seemed relieved to find that there was help, but he quickly tensed up.
“Did you encounter monsters too?” His gaze went to their injuries.
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Brendel exchanged glances with Scarlett.
[Monsters? The only monsters are my summoned spiders……]
But he thought that the situation was not so simple.
“What type of monsters did you encounter?” He frowned and asked.
“Statues, monstrous creatures in the form of statues, Marsha above!”
“Creatures in the form of statues?” Scarlett repeated his words curiously.
“There’s no need to worry. We’re here to help you. Take your time and think back to the time when you
encountered the creatures. Is it a humanoid or beast-like creature?” Brendel asked.
[There are many types of creatures made of stone. The Wizard Craftsmen from Galbu, Gargoyle Sentinels,
and War Puppets, but considering the environment here, Earth Elementals are also a possibility.]
“They are like beasts, but made out of rocks! Please believe me! I swear I didn’t mistake them for
something else!”
“A beast form? Are there wings?”
“No!” His reply was firm.
Brendel rubbed his forehead. He had not heard of a living rock monster. Even though there were plenty of
strange creatures in the continent, most of them had particular traits. Monsters made from rocks or soil
were usually artificial life forms made by Wizard Craftsmen, and the other type was Elementals, although
the latter was unlikely because they did not resemble beasts.
[Non-flying animated statues rarely come in the form of beasts. And Elementals mostly come in the form
of worms.]
But the worker was looking at them puzzledly for some reason, and Brendel quickly moved on to his next
question: “Is there anyone else besides you?”
The workers usually worked in groups, and as expected, the middle-aged man in front of Brendel
swallowed as he remembered the incident that happened earlier, and nodded quickly:
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“Yes, I came in a group, but we were separated when we encountered the monsters,” he took a quick
glance at the deeper parts of the tunnels, and continued with some uncertainty, “but I’m not sure where
they are now, or whether they are alive…… I think the monsters went after them.”
He seemed thankful to be alive, and at the same time, he was still feeling a little afraid.
“Oh, that’s right, Marhann was also here.” He suddenly recalled something.
“Who?” Brendel asked.
“You don’t know him?” The worker was surprised. “He’s the foreman in charge of our level. I heard that
he used to be in the army and his swordsmanship is amazing. When the earthquake started, he said he
would go to the pits to take a look. Not long after he went in, the monsters started appearing.”
The corners of Brendel’s mouth twitched. He nearly outed himself when he randomly asked a question,
but it was lucky that the worker was not alert because he thought ‘his allies’ were rescuing him.
Scarlett, on the other hand, frowned when she heard the answer. “Didn’t the tunnels start to collapse
immediately after the earthquake? Furthermore, what made him think of going to the pits?”
Brendel immediately caught on to the problem when he listened to Scarlett’s reply: “That’s right, isn’t it
better to find a safe place to avoid the collapse at that time?”
“No, no,” the worker shook his hand, “the tremors were not that strong in the beginning, and the walls are
much thicker here, and there wasn’t much of a collapse in this area. Also, the key point is that it
originated from the south of the tunnels here. It seems like you were not in our level when it happened,
otherwise you would have known that.”
Brendel suddenly sighed when he heard the surprising information.
[That seals the deal. Jocah’s group had dug out something from this mine and caused a Mana Resonance.
It looks like they are likely to be dead since the point originated from their side.]
“It doesn’t sound like an earthquake, my lord,” Scarlett whispered to Brendel.
Brendel nodded. He decided to investigate Jocah’s location.
Even though the Legacy of the Silver Lineage was not as rare as the Golden Apple, it was still a unique
item. But the quest probably was not going to be easy, judging from the power of the Mana Resonance.
He suddenly turned around and placed a finger on his lips and said: “Both of you, stop talking.”
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The tunnels turned quiet, and only the worker’s heavy breathing could be heard. Very quickly, they heard
rumbling noises coming from the south, as though there were things moving across the ground.
“They’re back!” The worker suddenly whispered with urgency and immediately paled.
Brendel readied his sword. He was a little suspicious in his mind. Even though it seemed many things
were coming towards them, they did not sound like they were something dangerous.
Very soon, the first creature emerged from the darkness. It was a greyish-white panther that elegantly
trotted across the ground, glaring at Brendel with a pair of gemlike eyes.
No— The eyes were actually a pair of gems.
The cat-like creature seemed like it was carved out of stone and had a pair of grey colored gems as eyes,
but Brendel finally knew what it was.
[That’s not a stone creature but soil molded with Earth Element Mana into a creature. It can take on any
form that the summoner wants. Does this mean there’s an Elementalist doing this, or some other defense
mechanism activating and summoning these creatures?]
Brendel thought the second possibility was more likely, and it meant that the Legacy item or Sanctuary
was possibly sentient. Either way, it meant there was a Fantasy-ranked item. Brendel’s heart soared and
his eyes nearly teared up.
It was the first time where he could get his hands on a high-level equipment.
More creatures poured out from the dark tunnel, easily more than a dozen, and their eyes glinted
dangerously in front of the Light Crystal. Eventually, twenty of them surrounded them in a semi-circle.
There was no sign of anxiety on Brendel’s face, and he took a step forward: “Stay back a little, Scarlett.”
“Understood.” The red-haired girl caught the worker who was trying to crawl away to flee the area and
dragged him back to where they were.
It was safer for them to stay where Brendel was at. She did not move forward to help him because she
would instead interfere with his movements, given her current state.
But she was not worried. Her judgment remained even though she lost her power, and she could see that
the panthers were hardly a threat to Brendel.
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The worker saw things differently. He tried to resist Scarlett’s pull and started shrieking: “Let me go……
And both of you should run too! These things are incredibly tough, and blades can’t cut through them!”
He saw his partners smash their mining picks repeatedly on the creatures, but even when they used their
full strength, they left only slight impressions on their bodies.
And when these creatures attacked, their claws easily smashed a person’s body to a pulp. It was a
nightmarish scene that he could still recall viscera splattering onto the walls and ground.
But his words quickly died in his throat.
Brendel swung his sword seemingly in a light, elegant stroke through thin air, yet the panther that was
still a distance away from him was sliced into two. That was still not the end, as its split body smashed
against the wall, and shattered into pieces.
The worker was completely flabbergasted.
“You…… You……” He pointed at Brendel, glancing back and forth at Scarlett and the youth, and continued
to stutter without managing to say a full sentence.
“Stop making noise!” Scarlett’s slapped his hand down. But when she looked back at Brendel she was
shocked to find out that his swordsmanship seemed to have become even sharper than before.
Brendel realized the same thing too. His ability to utilize the sword had become even easier. He quickly
brought out the Stats Window and discovered there was a +2 next to his Military Swordsmanship stat.
(TL: When he fought his grandfather back then, he gained +1.)
He was certain that he had gained the additional rank after fighting Kodan, and probably missed the
system alert after he lost consciousness because of the falling rocks.
This gain surprised and delighted him at the same time. Even though there were cases where fighting
high-level NPC swordsmen increased the level of swordsmanship, they were incredibly rare. The
increment of a swordsmanship gain was usually because of the accomplishment of a mission, and there
had to be strict conditions before one gained it.
[I thought the reason why I managed to gain +1 back then was that a story-like quest progression
between the old Brendel and his grandfather happened. I have never gotten an increment like this in the
game from fighting NPCs, and that’s over a hundred years worth of in-game time. But now I feel it’s
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because the system recognizes the fact that I’m able to understand the grandmasters’ skill in MIlitary
Swordsmanship—]
Another rock panther leaped towards him, interrupting his thought. He got irritated with the annoying
gnats bothering him, so he charged into their midst and began cutting them apart. Each time he swung his
sword, multiple pieces of rocks were sent flying away.
============ Romaine’s POV ==============
The town had felt the impact when the earthquake happened in Schafflund’s mines. The people on the
streets felt the ground quiver, and shop owners held on their goods to prevent them from falling to the
ground, but they only had two hands and cursed loudly when the ones they could not protect crashed
onto the floor.
Residents who had relatives working in the mine panicked as the news spread to every corner in the
town.
Romaine had been staying quietly in her room since the beginning of Brendel’s absence because he had
bought her different sets of clothes, and she had been testing them out. One of the more striking dresses
looked somewhat like a maid’s uniform, which Brendel had bought because of an ulterior motive.
Even though the real motive was a little immoral, Romaine was quite fond of it. Brendel would have given
two thumbs up if he was around Romaine.
She had been checking herself out against the mirror when the earthquake started, and in a rare moment
of clumsiness, knocked her head on the mirror’s frame, causing a bump to appear on her head.
She rubbed her injury as she saw stars in her eyes, but quickly steadied herself and got out of the room in
curiosity. She went straight to the angels outside, but they stated they did not know what was happening.
In the end, the merchant girl went to the innkeeper and received accurate news.
There was an earthquake in the mines. She thought about things in detail and became worried soon. She
made an earnest decision after a moment:
“I want to find Brendel,” she said to the angels in a serious tone, “come along with me.”
“Miss Romaine, Lord Brendel will never agree to this,” but the angel replied so.
“Lord Brendel’s orders are for Miss Romaine to stay here in this inn without going anywhere before he
comes back, without any exceptions.” The second angel was even more direct.
“To add on to my partner’s words, we are still here without any changes to our orders, which means Lord
Brendel is fine.” The angel who replied to her first persuaded her.
1487

“Even though Brendel is fine right now, that is precisely why we need to help him because he might be
trapped in the mines!”
If Brendel knew Romaine was going to talk about him with her unlucky tongue, he would have rubbed
her temples with rotating fists. Unfortunately, he was not there, so Romaine was overly enthusiastic.
Her thoughts were indeed rejected by the two angels who shook their heads at the same time. In a way,
they thought she had a career in writing tales for the bards.
But Romaine was not dejected from being rejected. Not long after Romaine returned to her room, they
heard yells and screams coming from within. The angels quickly rushed in because they had to check for
danger.
Little Romaine was rolling around in her bed under a blanket like a child throwing a tantrum. Once she
felt like they had entered the room, she revealed her head from the blanket as if to peek at them, and
inflated her cheeks.
“I. Want. To. Go. To. The. Mines!” She said with teary eyes, with the subtle threat of ‘or else I will make a
scene’.
The angels glanced at each other with a slight shrug of their shoulders and closed the doors after they left.
After this situation repeated several times, they gradually ignored her antics.
“I can see why Lord Brendel told us to ignore weird situations. From the looks of it, the advice is logical.”
The first angel said to his partner after Romaine’s last attempt happened to be on the floor.
“Yes, he knows Miss Romaine well.” The second angel nodded.
The two concluded that Brendel was very fond of Romaine.
Unfortunately for them, when she realized that Brendel’s evil subordinates finally ignored her actions,
she hurriedly changed her clothes and revealed a cunning fox-like smile while she executed her plan.
She wore a common-looking adventurer’s shirt, and a loose pair of pants that were not unlike pumpkins
with a pair pointed leather-skin boots. The combination was quite ridiculous, but because of her
inquisitive looks, it made her look surprisingly adorable.
She packed her strange collection of items into her bag and started tying her bedsheet to the window. She
even turned around to the door and made a funny face before she climbed out.
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Despite her detailed plan, she had missed out on one detail. She was prepared to sneak down to the back
of the inn as she swung from the bedsheet, but suddenly realized that it was not long enough—
She continued to swing in mid-air while her sweat on her forehead shimmered: “I-it seems like I have
gotten into a little bit of trouble……”
Odum was passing by the back alley as he had always done to enjoy his afternoon beer. He happened to
raise his head up and saw this particular scene.
At first, he thought he was still asleep and widened his eyes, but quickly confirmed that a girl with a
ridiculous outfit was dangling from above by holding on to a bedsheet.
The dwarf lowered his head and started to think if it was a day of celebration and people were doing
crazy things. But he could not remember if it was the summer festival or the harvest festival. He quickly
lamented the deterioration of memories when people got old, but eventually recalled that the previous
festival was a few weeks ago, and the next one was two months later.
He thought that he had gone to the wrong alley or he somehow triggered a magic spell when he entered
it.
But he quickly whirled his head to check for the inn’s landmarks and was certain that he was in the right
place, and there was indeed a possibility that a girl was hanging from above. He supported his lower jaw
and asked:
“Lass, what are you doing?” He asked.
“Excuse me, old mister, but it looks like this bedsheet is too short—” Came the reply.
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Odum spent a significant amount of effort in receiving the girl hanging in mid-air. The fat old dwarf’s face
was bunched up together, and his thick bushy brows were nearly knitted together while grumbling into
her ears that she was too bold and completely ignored danger, and caused him as an old man to have so
much trouble and worry.
But in the end, he asked her out of concern: “Lass, are you injured anywhere?”
“Ah!” Romaine stood back on the ground, patted her chest and said happily: “That was dangerous!”
But he could hardly see that she thought she was in danger, rather, her face was flushed with excitement.
[Oh, so you know the meaning of d—]
The dwarf’s thoughts died in his mind when the merchant girl followed up eagerly: “That was
interesting!”
“Lass, the way you’re thinking is too dangerous! What’s going to happen if I didn’t come?” The dwarf’s
expression became strict, and his thick accent immediately revealed itself.
“But old mister, you came,” Romaine said.
Odum scratched his head, thinking that his current line of argument was probably not good enough to
convince her, so he tried again: “That’s a huge coincidence that I’m there. What’s going to happen if I’m
not? Furthermore, lass, you’re giving this old man a huge amount of trouble, and the biggest problem is
that you interfered with my time to drink—”
“My aunt says that drinking so much is bad for health!” Romaine interrupted.
The dwarf immediately felt a headache coming on. The girl’s thought process was different from ordinary
people.
He started to wonder if rescuing the girl was a wrong decision. Perhaps he should have pretended to see
nothing from the start and head off to drink his beer instead. Maybe he should not even raise his head up.
He put up a hand to stop her.
“We’re not discussing this problem! And do you think a dwarf who doesn’t drink can be called a dwarf?
Lass, your aunt is……” Odum paused for a moment, feeling that it was not right to talk behind someone’s
1490
back, especially when the person in question was a female. “In any case, this is this, and that is that. Look,
a normal person wouldn’t tie their bedsheet from the window and dangle in mid-air behind the inn,
right?” The dwarf began to lecture her, although he started to think there was something wrong with his
words.
But when he pondered about it, he was unable to find out where the problem was so he shook his head
and stopped thinking. The only thought had left was that his precious time to drink in the afternoon was
leaving him.
Because the girl started talking again.
“You’re right,” Romaine nodded after a moment of thinking, “but I’m forced to do it because I need to go
to the mines!”
Odum did not realize that his attention was gradually pulled away by the girl in front of him, and he
looked at her in stunned silence.
“…… What is your business with the mine? Women aren’t allowed in there.”
“That’s because the person I like is in there and there had been an earthquake in the mines. I’m really
worried. Oh! Old mister, can you bring me there?” She looked at the dwarf and suddenly blinked in
realization.
“You don’t know how to go to the mines?” Odum’s beady eyes flared open.
“I think so.” She had never considered this problem. It was clear that she made the mistake of acting first
before thinking again, and was quickly throwing the incident that happened a moment ago out of her
mind.
But Odum started laughing so hard that he pounded his fist repeatedly into an open palm: “That’s funny,
that’s really funny! You wanted to go to the mines so badly that you climbed out of the window to get
there faster, without realizing how to get there in the first place. There’s a limit to make such a careless
plan, lass, and even the most impulsive Mountain Dwarf wouldn’t make such a mistake. No, even the
dumbest beastman would have a proper plan before they hunt!”
“But the beastmen have an adage called ‘Uimassnemont’; the capable hunter might not be smart!”
Romaine said the difficult word with a stutter.
“That’s their excuse for being stupid,” the dwarf shook his head, “wait, who taught you that word?”
“My aunt.”
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“No, no, what am I doing!” Odum found himself being led around by the girl. “What I’m trying to say from
the start is that you can’t be too impulsive, and that has nothing to do with beastmen being smart or
not—”
He rubbed his beard before he frowned. “Hold on, did you say there’s an earthquake in the mines?”
“Yes.”
“Then why don’t I know about it?” He stared at her.
Romaine looked back at him with blinking eyes. The dwarf became aware that he had said something
silly. If the earthquake had happened an hour ago, he was probably napping.
In truth, he should be in the mines working, but it was not the first time he did not work and drank
instead. He had helped the young noble, Perkins, with his personal problem not too long ago and won his
trust.
The latter did not mind whether the dwarf went to the mine and worked since there was not going to be
much of a difference if he did. Soon after, Odum frequently skipped work and drank in the inn as a
dwarf’s pastime.
But Romaine’s words immediately sobered him up.
He knew about a secret within the mines and had been waiting for a long time. He was originally
disappointed with the knowledge that the workers dug into a monster’s nest a decade ago and the
administration had refused to extend any deeper into the mines.
He tried convincing Perkins to reopen the fifth level, but the latter refused to do so, not because of the
workers’ safety, but for the reason that he did not want to cause trouble for himself. He could only stay in
the village with disappointment, and after a while, his passion died down.
But his heart started beating faster at this moment.
“Very well, lass, I’ll bring you to the mines, but you must agree—” He said.
“I understand!” Romaine immediately agreed with no hesitation.
“I haven’t finished my words yet!”
“Yes! It’s fine, old mister, I’ll agree with the random things you say since it wouldn’t matter sooner or
later!”
“You’re really honest…… But that’s kinda charming too.” He sighed.
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Odum began to think about the women back in his hometown when he looked at Romaine. He had grown
up in the Golden Dwarf village. The village was not as interesting or diversified when compared to the
humans, and even their beer brewing skills lost out to the humans.
However, their people were much more passionate compared to the humans. While this human girl in
front of him was a complete handful, he liked her personality and made him happier than he was in years.
Though he instinctively realized that there would be trouble if he allowed the girl free rein.
“In any case, there are three important things you must agree if I’m to bring you there. Do you
understand, lass?” He said as he began walking.
Romaine nodded, but she quickly had a new question as she followed him. “Didn’t you say that women
are not allowed in the mines?”
“Don’t interrupt me!” Odum frowned. He could not bring Romaine directly into the mines. It was also
unlikely for him to enter the place because of the procedures during times of crisis. But he had prepared
for a long time, and it was finally going to be of use.
A secret passageway to the mines’ inner sector.
Since he was a foreman, he could pretend that he was trapped there when the earthquake happened. The
girl was a little more troublesome to hide, but that was just a matter of disguising her.
“Okay. But old mister, are you a Mountain Dwarf? And are mountain dwarves impulsive?” Romaine asked.
“Of course I’m not one. Those impulsive fellows have nothing to do with me. I’m a……” Odum stopped and
coughed loudly. “Don’t interrupt me!”
“Okay!”
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============= Brendel’s POV ==============
The battle that Brendel had almost did not give him any loot, and the experience he gained was a pittance.
Before he started searching amongst the rubble, he had told the worker to stay behind for a moment
while he and Scarlett investigated the creatures.
[Killing Iron-ranked creatures and below hardly nets any XP at my level. This is the same XP reduction in
the game.]
The single loot he found amongst the rubble was an ogre ring. It raised the wearer’s strength and was
rated accordingly as a prefix for equipment. The lowest rated Strength Ring was a ‘Ghoul Ring’, and the
highest rated Strength Ring was ‘Colossal Dragon Ring’.
The Ogre Ring that he had gotten was a 20 OZ ring, which far surpassed his expectations for a loot drop.
The odds were a 1/1000 chance for a level 15 creature to drop a magical equipment like this. The best
item that a level 15 creature could drop was a 25 OZ defensive item, but the odds were even higher at
1/10000, which any gamer would not perceive as a possibility to get it realistically.
[But to get such an item when my luck is pretty much shitty at all times…..]
He could not help but glance at Scarlett. Was she some kind of luck idol?
He inspected the ring and saw that it raised the wearer’s strength by 5%. Because of the implanted
Spectral Knight’s crystal and Power Break, his strength was close to a hundred in stats. It could raise
approximately five strength points.
But when he looked at his index fingers and thumbs, he saw that he was already wearing the Ring of the
Wind Empress, the Flame Ring, the Warrior Ring, and the Minor Serpent Ring. Brendel thought for a
moment and decided to throw the Ogre Ring to Scarlett.
(TL: Minor Serpent Ring is dropped off from some mob, adds 0.1 OZ to dexterity.)
“That’s a ring that raises your strength by approximately five percent.” He said.
Scarlett caught the ring with a little confusion in her mind: “…… B-but I don’t have any combat abilities.”
“…… That’s a temporary thing. You can recover your strength very soon.” Brendel said.
1494
“Is that really true?” Her amber eyes lit up immediately. She wore the ring on her thumb, and her careful
expressions looked like she was guarding an invaluable treasure.
Brendel’s hands clenched into fists, and was momentarily silent before he nodded in the end.
“When have I ever lied? Of course, it’s real.”
She immediately showed a dazzling smile of delight, but her keen observation detected a subtle change in
Brendel’s face, and her smile faltered.
“The reason why I will recover is that I will turn into a complete God Acolyte?”
His white lie was exposed very quickly, and he slowly nodded.
“That’s fine. I’m not afraid of turning into a monster. I’m more afraid of losing my strength since I can’t
fight for you any longer.”
There was a short moment of silence between the two.
In the end, he told the worker that the search was over and it was safe to move on.
He discovered a few bodies further into the tunnel, and the worker tearfully identified them as his co-
workers.
He asked the worker to wait at the third level for help, but the latter considered for a moment before
refusing and insisted on going along with him.
The display of Brendel’s strength had made the worker steel his heart to go along with the two. It was
definitely safer for him.
Brendel had no choice but to allow him to follow.
“There’s no need to be so careful with it. It’s a minor magic artifact that isn’t worth much.” He said when
he saw Scarlett fiddling with the Ogre Ring now and then.
“Y-you’re right. But as a gift, it takes on a different meaning.” Scarlett said.
Brendel blinked several times in response to her answer.
She changed the topic before he could reply: “My lord, do you think that the earthquake is related to the
monsters?”
1495
“Yes.”
“The earthquake caused the monsters to emerge from the pits?”
“No, I’m afraid it’s the opposite.”
“The opposite? How can that be? I don’t think these weak monsters are capable of causing an
earthquake.” She was surprised.
“Weak?” Brendel shook his head. That was just the beginning. If this quest involved Legacy items from the
quest, then the things they were going to encounter would be something else entirely.
But he quickly cut off his words as he had found another body at the tunnel’s turn.
“T-that’s foreman Marhann!” The worker’s voice was high from fright.
Brendel glanced at his surroundings and discovered there were two destroyed Rock Panthers near to the
left of the tunnel. There were clear marks of swords cutting through their bodies. Marhann was at least an
Iron-ranked swordsman based on his judgment.
He thought the foreman fought against the beasts and ultimately lost, but when he inspected his body, he
discovered the wound on his neck to be a clean strike, which meant he was killed in a single blow.
[The attacker’s abilities clearly outclass the victim. This mean there are even stronger monsters around.]
Scarlett came to the same conclusion. Her expression became solemn, but she remained quiet.
The worker was trembling on the ground from fear. The foreman was someone reliable and rumored to
be a great swordsman, and the fact that he got killed made the worker feel like he could die anytime. He
lost control of his emotions and started yelling and crying.
Brendel had no choice but to restrain him to prevent him from attracting more monsters. They continued
advancing to the north when the worker calmed down.
Based on the familiar weaves and turns, he was certain that he was close to the place where he separated
from Cohen and the others.
But their path was once again blocked by two groups of Rock Panthers. He cut all of them down but
quickly realized that the concentration of monsters was starting to increase as though they had endless
numbers.
1496
Scarlett seemed to realize the same thing, and she reminded him in a whisper: “We have to kill our way
out now, my lord, this place isn’t safe.”
“Yes, I agree that this place isn’t safe.” Brendel nodded.
However, his plan was a little different from hers. He knew that an ordinary man would not be able to
flee, and soldiers or mercenaries would choose to do the same as Scarlett.
But he was a gamer.
An endless amount of creatures that one could grind in the game was unusual. He calmly and quickly
searched for the leader that was hiding amongst these low-level creatures.
[There!]
He quickly spotted a smaller cat-like creature made of shiny black obsidian moving in the darkness. Even
though it was just a second, Brendel had already recognized that the creature had to be at least five levels
higher than the Rock Panthers based on its material.
The youth quickly cleaved the surrounding enemies in a large arc and pursued after it. But what
surprised him was the swift reaction of the creature. Before he was able to swing his sword, that black
panther had disappeared into the shadows.
[That creature’s speed has surpassed what it should have at its level!]
Brendel wanted to activate his Charge skill, but he lost his target as it seemingly disappeared into thin air.
The Rock Panthers also started retreating like a falling tide, and he stopped chasing them in
astonishment.
All the creatures had disappeared after a few seconds.
He certainly did not think it was because of his bloodlust or oppressive might that ‘frightened’ them
away. These creatures were non-living and acted upon their instructions.
The area became open.
“What was that?” Scarlett managed to catch a glimpse of the black creature when Brendel chased after it.
“The leader. Although to be more accurate, the summoner’s eyes. Regardless of what kind of summoner
they are: An elf, necromancer, or beast tamer, in order to control a large army, they need to control a
creature that’s intelligent enough for them to use. I’m not sure how big this army is, but if that obsidian
panther is the strongest creature amongst them, it’s still fine.”
1497
“If it’s not?” She asked.
“We’re in trouble,” Brendel said and walked a little faster than before.
Scarlett felt the events that happened so far were bizarre. Even though it seemed like Brendel knew what
was going on, she did not like the feeling of a trap.
“My lord, let us return to the third level. Aren’t our goals supposed to be capturing the guard commander
and controling the mines? Why are we wasting time with these creatures?” She whispered.
“At first my goals are to do just that, but now it’s a little different.”
“What’s different?” She asked in wonder.
“It’s…… complicated.”
A Legacy item from the Silver Lineage had more value than the silver mines. He would never do
something stupid like switching the Golden Apple with gold mines. But he did not explain himself and
continued to walk deeper to where Cohen’s mining spot was.
He stopped after a few steps.
“Hmm.” He uttered lightly to himself.
“What’s wrong?” Scarlett asked from behind.
“Take a look at this.” He walked to the cornering turn.
Scarlett limped her way over with her halberd as a crutch and discovered that the tunnel widening into a
fairly big space. However, she was surprised to see the place in shambles.
It was as if a violent tempest had occurred there. Under the weak light from the crystal, she could see
there were fragments of Rock Panthers intermixed with a few glaring obsidian shards.
Brendel looked deeper into the tunnel, pulled out his sword, and said: “It seems like someone is ahead of
us. And that someone is powerful.”
1498
The underground world was seemingly shrouded in endless darkness. The long tunnels were mostly
silent, with the exception of the rare dripping sound of water onto the ground.
Medissa had to rest after driving away large batches of uninvited creatures that came from the deeper
levels. Even though she was a spirit, it did not mean her Soul Fire could continuously output energy.
There was a limit that how active an undead could be.
But there was no need for her to require the use of external sources of light. Her eyes glowed in the
darkness from her Soul Fire and allowed her to see far into the tunnels.
The Elven princess did not sit down. She was currently standing up against the wall while holding on to
her spear. Countless shards of Rock Panther filled the area around her, as well as the path she had taken
earlier. After a moment of silence, she faced towards the end of a forked corner and asked:
“Is there a lift in that direction?”
The only person who was breathing came from the other end of the tunnel. She was not alone in the
darkness.
“Yes.” A voice answered her.
Medissa did not reply. She suddenly gripped her lance and readied herself in a combat stance. But she
soon had delight on her face and shouted:
“My lord!”
The people who came were Brendel and Scarlett, the latter holding up a Light Crystal to light the area.
They did not appear too surprised to see Medissa. Ultimately, there were only three possible people who
had enough power.
Medissa, Kodan, or the culprits behind the attacks.
But they paused as the light revealed someone else in the tunnel.
“Medissa,” Brendel said, “how did he…..?”
1499
He looked at the silent Kodan sitting on the ground and immediately felt a little confused. The fearsome
old man looked thoroughly battered. His forehead, face, and his bluish-grey uniform were full of blood
stains. Even his greyish-white hair was a mess.
“Ser Kodan was injured earlier.” Medissa said.
She pointed out subtly and left out information. But she was certain that Brendel understood what she
was had in mind.
But the old man scoffed: “Just spit it out. I have become your prisoner. It seems that this little girl still
believes I have some use and temporarily sealed a truce between both us.” He tilted his head and looked
at Brendel: “But she’s real respectful towards you, boy, saying that the decision is left to her ‘lord’. Go
ahead and make it. Do you want to kill or torture me?”
The truth in his mind was something different. He was cursing the Elven girl’s cunning actions. When the
mine collapsed, anybody’s instinct ought to be surviving, even for Gold-ranked fighters.
But he would never have known that Medissa was not a ‘living’ person. Her first action was not to retreat
but to continue attacking him when the rocks collapsed around them. It was an action equivalent to
suicide, and even someone as composed as Kodan received a shock.
Even though his abilities were far superior to hers, he did not have the mood to fight anymore when he
realized the place was collapsing and was unprepared to defend himself. In the end, she managed to hurt
him badly, and if it were not her, he would have died in a grievance with the rocks burying him as a Gold-
ranker.
Though he was filled with disgruntled and stifled emotions, he was secretly impressed with her boldness.
If it was him, he might not have the guts to do the same thing she did. As a veteran soldier, he had no
words when he was defeated on the battlefield, regardless of the reason.
If he knew that Medissa was a spirit, he would surely regret his decision to take his enemies lightly.
Brendel nodded slightly, before asking: “A truce?”
“Ser Kodan promised to bring me along to find both of you and leave the mines. He’s familiar with this
place, enough to know which tunnels lead to the lifts. He even created a tunnel of our own without
triggering another collapse. Just a while ago, he told me about a lift that leads up to the main loading area
in the third level. There are many tunnels in there that lead to the surface for transportation, so it
shouldn’t be blocked.” Medissa explained carefully.
She smiled a little: “If it were not for Ser Kodan, I wouldn’t be able to find my way so quickly.”
1500
Brendel guessed that it was the lift that he had taken down with Cohen when he first came in. He had
seen a loading area with three different rails that led upwards. He nodded and glanced at Kodan again:
“What is his condition for the truce?”
“I think I’ll let Ser Kodan speak for himself.”
Kodan eyed Brendel again: “Boy, I know what you’re planning. I have nothing to say much to say as a
prisoner. You can go ahead and take over this place. If you’re lucky, you can get away with it for three
months, if not, a month. Palas wouldn’t discover anything wrong during this period. As for my condition,
it’s simple. I don’t want to end up like Graudin.”
Brendel’s heart skipped a beat.
[How does he know?]
There was no way to hide the fact that Firburh had a rebellion, but none of the city’s citizens knew what
happened to Graudin.
It was hardly surprising that an uprising would happen in that city, yet no one declared that the former
lord died in the battle. Thus many believed that Graudin had fled the place through a secret tunnel that
fateful night. Only Brendel’s mercenary leaders received his personal confirmation that Graudin had truly
died.
[If the outside world received news of Graudin’s death, then the nature of Firburh’s rebellion would be
different. Lord Palas will set out with his men right away, and Count Randner will not give Trentheim’s
remaining nobles any more time to ‘resolve this situation by themselves’. If that old fox discovers that
this territory is in danger of leaving his hands, he would probably bring his armies down in less than two
weeks.]
The script that Brendel had in mind was Count Randner sending in his incompetent sons to solve the
issue of his territory. That should happen as long as that cunning old fox was uncertain of his son’s life.
A rebellion started by commoners was not something that nobles feared, especially when many retainers
were loyal to Graudin. Time would pass, and the situation would slowly resolve itself without needing
Count Randner’s interference.
However, if Graudin died, then this little group of rebellers would be challenging the nobles to the highest
degree, even if that was not their intention.
Brendel had planned for the nobles to eventually realize this fact after Lord Macsen and Lord Palas’s
defeat in the future.
1501
He should have at least one or two more months, in theory.
Kodan seemed to have seen through his thoughts, and he gave a mysterious smile: “Don’t worry. These
are just outside rumors, but the fact that you have appeared here made me realize it wasn’t a simple
uprising done by Firburh’s citizens.”
He then shook his head: “But I’m not sure if you’re crazy, or I’ve gone mad. Aouine had not seen a
rebellion since the ‘Year of the Lute’.”
‘Year of the Lute ‘ was mostly recognized for the demise of Hesse the First, who was also known as the
‘King of Roads’.
He was the most infamous king in Aouine’s history; a member of the royal family who came from the
Seifer family. He established his own private army and stole from all merchants who passed through
Aouine, regardless of whether they were natives or from other kingdoms.
The greedy king publicly announced that all the wealth transported through the kingdom belonged to
him, and merchants had to give two-thirds of their goods to him. His tyrannical behavior ultimately
angered everyone, and within three years he was chased off the throne.
In the end, he was the only king who died at the hands of commoners.
It was the darkest period of Aouine and was many times worse than the current Madara’s invasion.
Everyone knew how badly the citizens were suffering under his rule. The term ‘uprising’ was rarely
found in the continent’s history, and that year in Aouine was described perfectly with this word.
Perhaps this was the fate of all kingdoms regarding luck and power.
The Corvado family eventually established themselves as the rules of Aouine for many years despite
having unfavorable odds, yet Princess Gryphine would fail to reform Aouine despite having more
supporters than her ancestors.
Ultimately, Madara defeated Aouine with the odds against them too.
Brendel pondered for a while before he shook his head: “Your promise means very little. We might be
able to get along here, but once we leave the surface, how do we ensure that you’re not going to run away
and inform your superiors?”
He could make Tagiv swear to its gods, but humans were a bunch of faithless people. Even though they
would frequently bring up Marsha on their lips, they mostly treated it as a sham.
Kodan merely shrugged with open palms: “This old man is heavily injured. Even if I want to run, I can’t.”
1502
1503
Brendel made a curt laugh: “You might not flee now, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t do so in the
future. You, Ser Kodan, haven’t lost your skill at all; my normal mercenaries or guards can’t stop you once
you recover—”
He could not possibly leave behind two Gold-ranked fighters just to watch one person in the silver mines.
His new territory was about to meet its hardest moments, and his forces were weakened because Scarlett
had lost her strength. While his knowledge of the world could possibly get him all the talent he wanted in
the future, he had to be prudent right now.
Kodan’s hand held onto his sword before he released it again. He felt that the youth was interested in the
truce, otherwise the latter would not spend so much time talking.
“Then what do you intend to do?” He asked with a stoic expression.
“Hmm…… What’s the administrative officer’s name?”
Kodan looked blankly at Brendel, unable to catch up with the youth’s train of thoughts. He did not know
why the topic went to that noble, but he still answered: “Perkins.”
“Perkins from the House of Kewell?”
“You know him?” Kodan’s eyes narrowed. His instinct told him that the youth was likely to be a noble as
well, or he would not be able to guess Perkin’s identity so easily. Even a veteran military officer like
himself did not necessarily recognize nobles from the other regions.
Truthfully, Brendel knew more about the younger generation of nobles than the older generation. In the
game, the older nobles gradually handed their powers to the younger generation or even passed away,
and players had to work with the young nobles.
[Perkins is supposed to be the lord of the Silman’s territory. I didn’t expect him to be the administrative
officer here. This must be the start of his career where he gains Randner’s trust. I even got missions from
him too. Sorry, but it seems like I’m going to ruin your bright future because of my actions.]
“I heard that he sticks to the rules,” Brendel said carefully.
“This evaluation is indeed pleasing to the nobles’ ears,” Kodan’s eyebrows raised up, “but he really is a
coward with middling capabilities.”
1504
The old man was still seething over the loss of his men because of Perkin’s foolish actions, and he mocked
the latter without reservation.
“You nobles really love your pretty conversations.” He gave a seemingly taunting look at Brendel.
But the youth did not care about the old man’s probing question. He continued to ponder in his mind.
[Kodan’s evaluation of Perkins matches what I know of him. The noble will surely suppress the
commotion in the mines for the sake of his future, and would never notify Lord Palas about the supposed
monsters too. Since that’s the case…… we have ample time to search the mines instead, if the old
swordmaster doesn’t cause a problem.]
He glanced at Kodan and suddenly thought of a new idea. He was reluctant to let a Gold-ranked
swordsman go back to Randner’s hands, but it was somewhat of a problem to recruit him just like that.
Judging from Kodan’s words and actions, he did not seem like he was completely loyal to Randner, or he
would not be setting up a deal for a truce.
[This old man looks like he retains some form of knightly behavior. Persuading him to surrender would
be difficult, especially when I have no clout…… But.]
“Ser Kodan, why don’t you come back with us to Firburh? A duration of one to six months, and I’ll let you
go back.” He said.
Leaving two Gold-ranked fighters at the silver mines was impossible, but having them watch him at
Firburh was naturally fine.
“Six months?” Kodan’s eyes narrowed: “If I’m not at the mines for an extended period of time, it will be
suspicious. Are you not afraid that your actions will divulge the fact that you’re stealing Count Randner’s
silver?”
[This wily old bastard.]
“That’s not a problem at all. Didn’t you get injured in the earthquake? I think Perkins will understand that
you need some time to recuperate.” Brendel’s response was almost immediate as he had already thought
ahead, even emphasizing on certain words.
Kodan tutted with a disdainful expression. He was certain that Perkins would ‘understand’, and even if he
did not, the youth in front of him would make him do so. He could imagine Brendel physically threatening
Perkins, and that the noble would agree to his demands in tears.
“It seems you have you have already made up your mind, but how would I know that you will fulfill your
promise to let me leave?” He asked.
1505

“Why do I need to promise anything?”
Kodan’s mouth opened, but words failed him. He glared at Brendel.
“I wouldn’t do anything to you or put you in a difficult spot as long as you accept my invitation. There’s no
meaning to pointless sacrifices, right? You’re a veteran who survived the November War, and you know
how precious life is. The winners in war are the ones who survived.”
The old man scoffed: “You seemed to know the war well. Did your elders participated in that war too?”
Brendel did not answer and merely looked back. Kodan’s eyes glanced at the rings on Brendel’s hands,
suddenly turning quiet, before he spoke again:
“It seems like you intend to stay here in Trentheim for a long time, but I have to warn you, Count Randner
will never allow his territory to slip out of his grasp, even if it’s this impoverished land. Are you prepared
to receive a ruler’s wrath?”
With the exception of the Corvado Royal Family’s territories, Aouine was controlled by thirteen ‘rulers’.
They were comprised of six Dukes, two Marquises, and five special Counts. Their power was comparable
to the royal family’s, and the citizens called them the ‘rulers below the throne’.
The three strongest ‘rulers’ were Duke Arreck, Duke Viero, and Duke Seifer, while most of the other
‘rulers’ were somewhat close in strength. Count Randner was not amongst the top power, but he was not
the weakest either.
Kodan felt that Brendel and his men were like ants challenging a giant, and they would be crushed any
given time against Count Randner’s might.
Brendel laughed and shook his head when he heard Kodan’s reply.
“There are two things where you got it wrong. Number one, I know what Count Randner’s going to do.
Number two, Trentheim is not as poor as you think.”
“Having confidence is a good thing, but arrogance is a different matter, young man.” Kodan’s eyes
thoroughly searched Brendel’s demeanor.
“I agree with your words completely.”
“Very well. Regardless of what you think, I still want your assurance that I can leave after six months.”
“Can you promise that you won’t return to Count Randner’s side?”
1506
“I’m sorry, but that isn’t something I can promise.” Kodan’s tone was adamant.
Brendel looked at him with considerable admiration, but he did not refuse this time. “I’ll give you that
promise. I’m quite sure that things between and me will be settled in three months anyway.”
The old man looked at him with some surprise and shock, but Brendel merely smiled and did not give an
explanation.
Medissa had rested enough when the deal was made. Her Soul Fire once again burned with brilliance, and
the group continued on their path.
Brendel glanced at the worker behind them. When the latter realized that Brendel and Medissa were not
miners or guards, but in fact rebels who wanted to go against Count Randner, he nearly ran away in
fright. However, he quickly calmed down and considered the immediate future. If he ran away, the
monsters in the mine would kill him instantly, so he decided to follow them in the end.
A quick glance at Scarlett immediately made her understand; she pretended to be aggressive and
threatened the worker, and ultimately the latter could only agree to tearfully bring his family to Firburh.
Brendel soon got to know that the worker had learned how to make silver trinkets and offered him the
chance to learn from a blacksmith. It was much safer than working in a mine and the benefits were much
better. While the worker was still a little uneasy, he was a little expectant of the future.
Suddenly, Brendel’s footsteps slowed down. It was not monsters or another human being that stopped
him, but there was a black door that appeared not too far in the distance.
And it sealed off the entire pathway.
Medissa and Scarlett looked at Kodan at the same time. He had said the path led to a lift. However, the old
man’s expression showed that he was filled with disbelief.
“This is?” He muttered.
“Aren’t we supposed to ask you this question?” Her weak voice was filled with suspicion.
“No, no, it doesn’t make any sense.” Kodan’s eyebrows were knitted together. He turned to Medissa and
asked: “Young lady, can you help me over to take a closer look?”
Medissa turned to Brendel with questioning eyes, and the latter nodded. He had been through here as
well and knew that Kodan was not lying. There was no door when he passed by earlier. He had an idea as
to what it was, but he needed to be certain.
1507
Medissa lent her arm to Kodan, and both of them made their way to the cold, gigantic door, and the latter
touched it cautiously.
“How can this be…… How is it possible?” Kodan said.
1508
“My lord?” Scarlett whispered to Brendel while she looked a little distrustfully at Kodan.
“Just wait for a little while,” Brendel said.
He was certain that the door was not there previously, and it was likely that it had to something to do
with the monsters.
“There are words on the door!” Kodan suddenly raised his voice.
The rest of them went closer to take a look at it and saw unknown letters carved into the heavy steel gate.
Brendel studied the angular letters for a moment before he spoke:
“These are Dwarven words.”
“Dwarven words?” Kodan turned back and looked at Brendel with a frown: “But why would it appear
here? Mountain Dwarves live in Trentheim, but they don’t live in caverns or mines.”
“Are there no Grey Dwarves or Iron Dwarves here?” Medissa asked.
The Grey Dwarves branched out from the Mountain Dwarves, while the Iron Dwarves branched out from
the Rune Dwarves, and both variants lived underground.
But Brendel shook his head. Their language was derived from the Dark Elves, and the words were
completely different. The letters on the door were far older, and from a certain point of view, could be
viewed as the true heritage of the dwarves.
“If they are not the right Dwarves, which Dwarven branch carved these words onto the gate?” Medissa
asked.
Brendel thought of three possibilities, as it was likely that the gate was related to the Silver Lineage.
[Fire Dwarves, Tempest Dwarves, and the Rune Dwarves. These three Dwarven races were present
during that era. Fire Dwarves are out of the question because they live in a place that is strong in the Fire
Element. It’s one of the last two—]
1509
Before he could finish his thoughts, Scarlett struck the gate with her spear. There was a light ringing that
came as the response, but when she took a closer look, the gate that was as smooth as a mirror did not
even have a scratch on it. Its hardness was beyond imagination.
“My lord, do you know what is written on the door?” She asked with a frown.
“I don’t know.” Brendel shook his head.
“Kid, didn’t you say that the words are Dwarven?” Kodan asked somewhat exasperatedly, “Why are you
telling us you don’t know?”
“I only know what the words look like.” Brendel rolled his eyes.
The system in the game automatically translated the languages, but it was not functioning in this world.
He could only stare helplessly at the words. He walked over to the gate and inspected it by prodding and
touching with his fingers.
“But I suspect that it’s a type of Barrier.” He continued.
“A barrier? A magic or illusion spell?” Kodan raised one of his eyebrows: “Are there other people besides
you?”
“No, this isn’t a magic spell. The spells of magicians utilize the Laws of this world that are created by a
higher power. But these barriers could be considered as Laws themselves—”
Kodan did not understand what Brendel was talking about, but Medissa’s eyes widened.
“A Legacy left behind from the ancient eras? My lord, you mean to say that there’s a Sanctuary behind this
door?”
“Not a Sanctuary, but a smaller version— A Haven,” Brendel said. The entrance to a Sanctuary was not as
small the one in front of them. Just like when he had entered the ‘Homeland of the Fairies’, where two
gigantic statues stood at the entrance—
It would make sense if a Haven was created underground to store the Heritage from the Silver Lineage.
He closed his eyes and placed his hand back on the cold door, and recalled the first time he entered a
Sanctuary. Hundreds to thousands of years worth of history were probably behind this door.
“Medissa, do you know where the Sanctuary to the Silver Elves is?”
1510
The young Elven Princess blinked a few times before she shook her head: “I don’t know. I have never
been to our sacred lands. When the War of the Holy Saints started, the Silver Elves have already left the
Sanctuary for more than ten generations. The legends back then stated that we can no longer find our
way back—”
“I don’t think that’s correct. The Silver Elves have most likely returned to your Sanctuary. Do you have a
name for the place?”
“It was coined as the Holy Silver Valley.”
Brendel nodded, but Scarlett was a little confused.
“My lord, I don’t think it’s the right time to discuss this right now. Should we not find ways to open the
door?”
“I’m opening it right now.”
“What?”
“A Barrier that could be seen as the Laws of this world; it’s a symbolic door that represents the entrance
of a place. The meaning of ‘entrance’ is to enter the place. If your wish is to go to the other side of the
tunnel, then you will never open this door.”
“Enter? What place are we entering?”
“You will know in a moment.”
Brendel’s eyes were still closed, but his thoughts about the past had changed into one word, ‘Enter’.
Suddenly darkness engulfed everyone, but before they could raise their panicked voices, the light
returned once again—
Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that it was brighter than before.
It was as if they had returned to the surface, where the sunlight reached everywhere. Their eyes
narrowed in slight pain from the surroundings as they were used to the darkness just moments ago.
Scarlett and the worker hid their eyes away, but the others forcefully opened their eyes to look at the
surroundings and immediately shouted in surprise.
Sudden roaring cheers emerged around them like tidal waves pouring into their ears. They were
gradually able to get used to the blinding lights and yells, finally seeing clearly what the surroundings
were like.
1511
They had been in a dark tunnel blocked by a steel gate just moments ago, but now they were in an empty
field lit by countless fire braziers.
But after a few moments, they realized it was not an empty field but a huge coliseum. They were standing
in the middle of the field, while the audience on the seatings were cheering constantly.
There were no empty seats, and for some reason, multiple sources of bright light came from the stands
and prevented from the audience’s faces from being visible.
[The audience is made with an illusionary spell….. This place is a semi-physical dimension hidden in the
gaps of space in the real world, but it’s not as complicated as the Homeland of the Fairies which also
affects time. Still, the noise and light are really annoying. Just who exactly is that bastard who purposely
designed it in such bad taste?]
“My lord, what exactly is this place?” Scarlett’s voice was trembling slightly, but she had was calm enough
to ask a question, unlike the worker who fell backward in terror.
Medissa and Kodan were silent, but they were on their guard as their hands were ready on their
weapons.
“The Coliseum of Destiny,” Brendel said.
“Coliseum of Destiny? What is that?” Kodan asked.
“See that sword?” Brendel raised his hand and pointed at a certain location.
Everyone else followed his finger. There was a sword embedded in a boulder located near them. The
black heavy-looking longsword reflected a dull gleam, and its design was quite unique. The length of the
weapon was a longsword, but the width was as wide as a palm, looking like a combination of a
greatsword and a longsword.
“What is that sword?” Kodan’s eyebrows jolted a little. As a grandmaster swordsman, he was able to see
that it was an excellent weapon.
“I recognize it,” Medissa said in awe, “the Sword of Earth, Halran Gaia, This is the Legacy item of the Rune
Dwarves.”
“Indeed, this is the sword, Halran Gaia. Legend states that it’s connected to the ground, and when it’s used
it is able to cause the ground to shake and even make avalanches happen. A Fantasy-ranked sword.”
Brendel said.
1512
[Another name that the gamers called it was the Earthquake Sword. Each time the weapon is swung, it
allows the user to cast an Earthquake spell……]
The spell was an AOE attack that could be cast in a frontal direction, and almost had the same area of his
White Raven Sword Arte. Even though it needed Mana, the efficiency in conversion was definitely worth
it.
It was truly a divine weapon for a profession like Magic Swordsman. Even Brendel’s fingers were itching
when he saw the sword.
[There’s even the additional trait of ‘Guidance’. Since the name has an ‘Earth’ in it, it could ‘guide’ that
particular element….. I see, so the Rock Panthers we saw came from this sword.]
“Halran Gaia…… That Halran Gaia that was used by that Giant, Migael?”
“Yes. The most doted son of the Earth Mother, and known as the Crownless king of the Earth. The sword
is his symbol to rule the lands.” Brendel recited the legend he knew of, and his heart fluttered a little.
He drew in a deep breath and looked at everyone with grave eyes before he continued:
“Everyone who comes here has the chance to challenge the series of tests to obtain that sword. However,
that doesn’t mean there isn’t a price. If you fail in the challenge, you will become a rock statue and never
leave. This is where the name ‘Coliseum of Destiny’ comes in. You either win in glory, or lose in death.”
Brendel was feeling a slight headache. The Coliseum of Destiny was posted in the forums sometime after
the discovered quest in the Silver Mines and was rated to be one of the harder Legacy Quests. Right when
he was still agonizing over the quest, Kodan suddenly asked:
“How difficult is the challenge?” Even though the grandmaster swordsman did not understand what the
place was, he considered himself to be skilled and a Gold-ranker like himself would not act like the
worker who was still shocked into silence.
“It’s nearly impossible,” Medissa said, “this place is created in between fantasy and reality with the Laws
of this world. There is no limit to the difficulty.”
Scarlett’s expression changed upon hearing that.
“What about those who can’t duel? Do we have to?” She asked.
Medissa shook her head: “There’s no way to avoid this. Everyone has to duel in this place at least once
before they gain the permission to leave.”
“Everyone?” Kodan keenly caught on to the keyword.
1513
“Yes. Everyone has to fight their own battles. The only exception is that you’re an Iron-ranked fighter and
below, and you can fight in twos.”
Scarlett’s face paled upon hearing that answer: “What…… if the person…… fails?”
She had no strength right now, and passing the challenge was almost impossible for her.
“You will be temporarily imprisoned. Once the Barrier disappears, you will become a statue
permanently,” Brendel interrupted, “however, if someone is willing to challenge the test again and
succeed, they would have the chance to save their comrade. There’s no need to worry, Scarlett.”
“My lord……” Scarlett naturally understood what Brendel was saying, and she looked at him with
complicated eyes.
1514
Chapter 61 – King of the underground
Just as everyone was whispering amongst themselves, a sudden thunderous voice interrupted everyone.
“Welcome to the Cathedral of Heroes, mortals!”
The voice was cold and dignified, as though it was filled with a mysterious power.
“Thou will challenge the destiny that belongs to thine; perhaps thou are just here to fight for thy survival,
or maybe thou would become the king that rules the Mother Earth—”
“Now, ye lowly challengers, step out and let us see the moment where destiny is born.”
The voice echoed through the huge coliseum as though there were countless thunders, and shockwaves
struck at everyone and caused them to pale. Medissa and Scarlett glanced at Brendel as he observed the
entire battlefield.
He was pondering on the possible challenges he might face.
[There are different types of monster that one can face in here, but it’s dependent on the surroundings. If
it’s Trentheim, then there aren’t really any famous figures around here, so it will most likely be a strong
land or air monster. If it’s the upgraded version where it summons gods……]
He was secretly relieved that he did not have to fight enemies that came from legends, even if they were a
lesser version. Those monsters truly made him feel goosebumps.
“We will have our duels one at a time. Let me arrange the order,” Brendel looked at the red-haired girl,
“Scarlett, go ahead and group up with that worker. Both of you currently don’t have the strength of an
Iron-ranked fighter, so you can be rescued as a group.”
Medissa had been confused by Scarlett’s actions for a while and was looking puzzledly at her.
“My lord, what’s wrong with Scarlett?”
“I’ll explain to you later. Ser Kodan, please go next after them.” Brendel said.
“What?” Kodan’s eyebrow was arched so high that Brendel took a second glance at him. “Are you worried
that I can’t pass the challenge too?”
Brendel shrugged and looked at Medissa and spoke in his mind.
1515

“Medissa, we will go in together.”
“Is that allowed?”
“You’re summoned by me, so we should at least try and see if the rules allow it.”
Brendel thought the challenge would be much easier if he could fight with Medissa as a group. But before
he could revel in his thoughts, the surroundings suddenly changed and mechanical rumblings could be
heard. Fences were raised up near the walls and revealed a row of cages, while a large stage was elevated
just a few meters away from them.
Kodan frowned when he saw people in the cages.
“My lord!” Someone stood up and shouted anxiously from the cage when she saw the people in the field:
“Medissa, Scarlett, I’m here!”
Brendel’s expression turned into a grimace when he looked to the direction of the voice. Jana was in one
of the cages, and there were two other cages that held Cohen and his companions.
“Mister Brendel, can you help us?” Jocah shouted.
[Damn it…..]
Brendel was silent as he was in a dilemma. It was not that he did not want to rescue them, but if he
attempted to do so, he would have to go through at least five challenges to save all of them. If he
calculated the increase in difficulty, the final challenge would most likely be equivalent to a Gold-ranked
saint.
It was not something he could gamble on.
[The highest creation from a Rune Dwarf is a living puppet that has two different types of Element
Powers and stands at the peak of a Gold-ranker. This is far more superior than the Wizards Craftsmen’s
Diamond Golem. The former is like a Magic Swordsman, while the latter is an ordinary brawler. This fact
goes to show that the Rune Dwarves are better than them in this aspect and something that they are
insanely proud of. Challenging it would be foolish.]
Brendel knew that it was difficult for Medissa and himself to engage an existence that had reached the
pinnacle of a Gold-ranker. It might be doable if he combined the Wind Spirit Spiders and rushed in as a
group, but that hope was still small.
He could only remain silent.
1516
“Go ahead, Scarlett. There’s no need to force yourself, just proclaim that you surrender in the stage once
your opponent appears!”
“But what about commander Jana…….” Scarlett’s voice was lowered when she saw Brendel’s hesitation.
“I’ll definitely save her. Go.”
She nodded, one hand holding tightly to her halberd, and the other dragging the worker who had already
fainted once he heard that he had to go into a duel.
The crowd around them immediately exploded into applause and wild cheers. Brendel listened carefully
and realized that the audience was constantly yelling ‘Glory! Glory! Glory!’. Even though he knew that that
was nothing than a fake scene, he could not help but feel slightly tense in his mind.
“Does this place make you afraid, Medissa?” He glanced in the Elven girl’s direction.
“My lord, I’m an undead and we are not affected by fear,” Medissa replied with a smile.
Brendel immediately felt his face burn up for forgetting that simple fact. Thus he stopped talking and
watched the gate in the walls opposite of them slowly open.
A frightening monster suddenly leaped out from there, with numerous chains flailing violently behind it.
The beast quickly descended to the center stage, ready to attack the red-haired girl, but the chains
suddenly reached the limits of their length and jerked the monster back like a whip. An explosive crash
happened and a dust cloud covered the field, but the beast once again reappeared in an instant and
strained itself against the shaking chains while uttering low guttural growls.
“What creature is that?” Kodan stared at the monster and asked.
Brendel watched the monster’s three heads snarl and snapped at each other in frustration. It was over
four meters tall and there were occasional roars emitted from its throat like peals of thunder. Very
quickly, the coliseum was filled with a sulfur odor.
“It’s a Cerberus,” Medissa replied.
“The monsters of the sulfur rivers which followed the Dragon of Darkness once upon a time,” the Elven
princess whispered, “I have fought against them in the battlefield before; they were truly troublesome
foes—”
“What battlefield?” Kodan looked a little puzzledly at the Elven girl, wondering what sort of place she had
to be in to fight this monstrosity.
Medissa turned her back to Kodan with a smile: “The War of the Holy Saints—”
1517
Kodan’s mouth and eyes widened in shock. He instinctively felt that Medissa was joking, and instantly
appeared like a cunning little girl.
“It’s fortunate that it’s not an Elite Hound Lord guarding the entrance of Hell. It should be fine if you’re
careful since it only has the strength of a strong Silver-ranked fighter, but make sure you avoid its Breath
Attacks.” Brendel also faced Kodan and said.
“Boy, are you teaching me what to do?” Kodan immediately realized that Brendel was instructing him.
“My only wish that I don’t have to rescue one more person.”
“Hmph! That’s because you haven’t seen my real capabilities, brat,” The old man stroked his sword, “you
should worry more about yourself.”
Kodan was almost in a huff when he spoke. He felt that he was down on his luck. Getting ambushed, then
injured by Medissa, nearly dying because of the sudden earthquake which caused boulders to bury him. It
was shameful for a veteran Gold-ranker like himself to fall for such petty tricks.
However, even if he was injured now, handling a Silver-ranked monster was not a problem for him. Even
if it was a Gold-ranked creature, they typically had low intelligence and did not possess many techniques.
He was going to vent his frustration on these grunts.
He even eyed Brendel: “Do you want me to rescue someone from the cages, boy?”
“There’s no need to. I’ll rescue them on my own,” Brendel quickly shook his head.
[This old man really don’t know how dangerous this event is. The Coliseum of Destiny raises the
challenge every single time. It’s a Cerberus now, and the next challenge would most likely be the
equivalent of a Mountain Giant.]
Kodan scoffed lightly, almost as if he was displeased with Brendel’s opinion of him.
“What’s your name, boy?” He suddenly said.
Brendel had his mind filled with the situation in front of him and answered out of reflex: “Sop……
Brendel.”
He managed to stop himself from making a mistake and glared at him: “Why do you ask, Ser Kodan? Do
you want to seek revenge by finding out my name?”
But the old man did not reply with sarcasm or condescension. He merely repeated the name twice.
1518
“Brendel? Brendel……” He suddenly mysteriously laughed out once and regarded Brendel with a bizarre
expression.
Brendel’s hand went to his sword instinctively. If this old man suddenly went crazy in this place, it would
absolutely spell disaster.
Just as Brendel was on his guard, there was a change in the stage. Scarlett had slapped the worker awake
and got him to surrender, and she did the same. Before the Cerberus freed itself from the chains, they
were both sent to a nearby cage in a flash of white light.
“Scarlett!” Jana was shocked to find the young girl locked up like her. The latter had fiery red hair just like
her, and she was reminded of her younger sister.
“What’s wrong? Why didn’t you fight?” She asked with concern.
“I’m sorry. I’m injured.” Scarlett said with a disappointed expression.
Jana frowned sadly. “Those workers were trapped in the cages and asked for my help when I came to this
place, so I asked that mysterious voice a few questions. Every challenge that one clears would allow an
imprisoned companion or group in the cage to be released, but the difficulty increases every time.
Unfortunately, I failed on my very first attempt—”
She sighed and said softly: “It’s a question as to whether that young noble is willing to rescue us. Nobles
wouldn’t risk their lives for this pile of horseshit……”
When she thought about this point, she sat down in slight despair at a corner. She was more concerned
about her mercenaries rather than her own life. If she fell here, Cornelius and Raban would surely take
advantage of them.
However, Scarlett did not reply Jana while the latter worried about her fate. She merely looked at Brendel
and somehow felt that he would rescue both of them, surely.
At this point in time, Brendel watched Kodan march with large strides toward the stage.
The old man’s face was stoic as he brandished his sword with a single hand. There was no fear in his eyes
as he glared at the creature. Just before he reached the final step to the stage, he suddenly turned around
and said:
“Tsk. The arrogant brat from Torbus’s lineage, I’ll let you see what real swordsmanship look like,
otherwise there would be no end to your arrogance.”
Brendel blanked out upon hearing his words.
That was because Torbus was his grandfather’s given name.
1519
TL: In case I ever forget…… Said grandfather’s name is Torbus Darius Cadirosso, and Brendel is well,
Brendel Cadirosso.
1520
Brendel momentarily lost himself in panic, before he realized that Kodan was also a veteran soldier who
experienced the November War. It would not be strange that the latter knew his grandfather.
However, Kodan was from a family of knights, and his grandfather was a commoner, so how did he know
about his grandfather?
(TL: Brendel’s grandfather is most likely someone of importance. Unreliable narrator Brendel, in case
anyone is wondering.)
But he temporarily suppressed his suspicion as the battle in the stage had begun. The Cerberus seemed to
be highly dissatisfied with the loss of its prey. It howled angrily and struggled against its chains when
Kodan stepped onto the stage.
When the chains the size of an arm broke apart, loud snapping sounds echoed throughout the place. The
Cerberus excitedly rushed toward Kodan.
[This damned dog!]
He immediately drew out his sword and hurled his sheath at the gigantic beast. One of its head snapped
at the projectile and tossed it away, while its body dragged the broken chains across the ground with
grating noises.
The old man’s eyelids flickered slightly, and his eyes reflected the figure of the three-headed demon dog
as it pounced towards him from the air. He took a single step back and went into a stance, holding his
sword’s hilt with both hands.
“Scram!” He roared angrily.
A visible shockwave suddenly exploded into all directions from his figure, and the hound from hell was
suddenly flung away from the tempest unleashed by the old man.
The creature that was hurled back could be compared to the Wind Bullet’s speed. Its body sailed through
the air a hundred meters away.
An immense impact could be felt and heard as the Cerberus collided against the wall. Countless bricks fell
onto the ground and a dust cloud formed.
1521
[What the hell! How the bloody hell did the Sword Eruption technique get boosted so much by his core
Swordsmanship skill?]
Brendel could not help but scream in his head. It was a common technique where a user in the sword
could attain, but he was utterly shocked to see Kodan managing to send the creature back a hundred
meters.
In the game, every technique was boosted by different qualities. The White Raven Sword Arte and Frontal
Assault that Brendel possessed were enhanced by his core Military swordsmanship, while his Power
Break and Charge technique were magnified by his stats, namely Power, Physique, and Agility.
The higher one’s swordsmanship’s rank was and the stronger one’s stats were, the more powerful their
skills became. But Brendel had never seen or heard of the Sword Eruption skill sending a large enemy like
the Cerberus hundreds of meters away at a Gold-ranked level.
It was not as if he could not do it, but he was at nearly at a level close to ninety when he did so.
But the Cerberus proved to be resilient and was not injured badly. It stood up and the three large heads
shook away the pile of broken fragments. Sand and dust poured down like rain, making it look disheveled
and shaken.
Brendel felt it was a pity. If the Cerberus had attacked Kodan from the ground and not from the air, the
damage will be far greater.
But Kodan did not miss this opportunity. He quickly darted across the field, each step crossing over
dozens of meters. Even though he did not have the Charge skill, his figure still appeared like it was a blur.
Just as the monster started baring its fangs at Kodan, his blade was already above its head.
There was no time for the creature to dodge or even be afraid.
A tremendous blast filled the coliseum. Kodan’s blade completely sank into the creature’s middle head
with a perfect arc. Black blood spilled around its neck, and he gracefully retreated before even a single
drop of blood reached him.
The Cerberus’s legs skidded as the impact forcefully slammed it back onto the ground. But the aggressive
beast did not give up and the remaining heads each spewed a column of fiery flames at Kodan.
The old man was already on his guard against the flames and had retreated back to where the stage was,
but he did not expect the pillars of flames to have enough range to reach him. Scorching heat blasted
across the ground, and he rolled on his back without stopping.
Despite his quick reactions, his clothes, eyebrows, hair, and beard were all partially burned.
1522

Kodan stood up and bellowed with fury as his proudly grown beard for years had disappeared. He
lowered his legs till they were nearly touching to the ground before he launched himself towards the
creature like a projectile.
From the spectator’s point of view, Kodan’s fist was so small that it could hardly be seen, but the impact
that struck one of the Cerberus’s chin instantly reached their ears.
Loud cracking bones immediately disconcerted the youths in the cages and made them flinch.
It was almost comical, but the creature was actually lifted up in the air, while a shockwave of distorted air
erupted from Kodan’s punch. Its body veered uncontrollably towards the left, yet before it reached the
ground, the old man had leaped into the air and landed on the final remaining uninjured head. His blade
dipped into its snout and he began sprinting across its body, and the weapon seemed to cut shallowly
over its skin.
However, once he pranced off the creature’s rear, its body split into two and a squall of blood drenching
the ground before the two halves crashed onto the ground.
For a moment, the coliseum was silent—
“Incredible……” Jana took in a cold breath as she spoke, and her green eyes dilated with shock.
She was not the only person. The youths in the other cages were completely stupefied with their mouths
open, but they were unable to utter any sound. The strength of a Gold-ranked fighter was just as flashy as
it was fearsome.
“He wouldn’t have gotten caught in that creature’s attack earlier if he wasn’t injured,” Scarlett gripped the
steel bars and observed quietly.
Jana nodded to acknowledge Scarlett’s insight as the latter was a Gold-ranker. She knew that she could
hardly understand anything that Kodan had done at her level.
At the same time, Jocah was whispering to the sickly-looking youth: “Cohen, do you think they will save
us?”
“It’s hard to say,” Cohen shook his head.
“I doubt it,” Maher’s expression was filled with complicated emotions, “why would he save us when we
have no relation to him? Besides, this isn’t a game and lives are on the line.”
“What’s going to happen to us?” Jocah asked.
1523
“I don’t know.” Cohen shook his head again.
“Are we going to be imprisoned here forever?” A few youths started crying.
“Can’t you think of something?” Jocah started to feel impatient. He did not want to stay in this ghastly
place any longer.
“I’ll try,” Cohen’s eyes never left the stage.
“Who are you going to ask for help?”
“Of course we should ask the guard commander to help us. I’ve heard people talking in the inn about how
he’s undefeated in Trentheim!” One of the youths said.
Their eyes gradually turned towards Cohen, but he stopped replying.
Brendel was not surprised at Kodan’s victory and was actually astonished at how injured the latter was.
[Why did the old man need to spend so much effort to deal with a three-headed pooch?]
“How did you injure him?” He turned his head slightly to Medissa.
“Seismic Blast.” Came the light reply.
The youth rubbed the cold sweat off his palm and wondered what kind of freakish constitution Kodan
had to survive that particular technique.
But Medissa quickly added: “But it was not a perfect hit. He managed to dodge the majority and was
swept away by the air currents. He was then knocked down by a huge boulder. When I started chasing
him after he got up, he quickly surrendered…….”
“It seems like he doesn’t want to fight,” Brendel suddenly thought about the moment where Kodan
suddenly yelled and requested to stop fighting.
[How did he recognize me? Even though the basis of my Military Swordsmanship probably came from……
my grandfather, but the swordsmanship I displayed earlier is from the gamers.]
While he was still pondering over it, the Cerberus’s body turned into white particles of light and
disappeared. Kodan had requested to duel yet again without waiting for Brendel’s instructions, and the
gate opposite to them was once again raised. This time it was a dwarf who was fully clad in armor.
As the lumbering footsteps reached everyone’s ears, Medissa suddenly spoke: “My lord, I know this man.”
1524
Brendel inspected the dwarf’s appearance. The latter wore a barbarian helmet which had four horns, and
he carried a warhammer the size of his body. A symbol of a flaming fist could be seen on his weapon.
“I recognize him too. Lord Varian. He’s a famous Grey Dwarf who became a slave of the Rune Dwarves in
his early years. But the person you’re seeing right now is a faker and not the real deal. I believe that living
puppet has the strength of someone who had just become a Gold-ranked fighter. Kodan is in considerable
trouble if he’s hurt this badly.”
Medissa looked curiously at Brendel. Even though she knew he was a Planeswalker, that did not explain
why he knew so many things that he should not know.
The Rune Dwarves had died out centuries ago and their history was hardly known. Only Galbu’s oldest
wizards who poured their time deeply into research till they wore spectacles and had ashen white
beards, would know about the Silver Elves and Rune Dwarves’ secrets.
The weapon clashes between Kodan and Varian caused her to cease her thoughts and she paid attention
to the fight.
Varian was not as agile as Kodan, but his heavy armor was like a fortress and made it difficult for the
latter to present any immediate threat to him. The warhammer he used was a famous weapon called
‘Flames of Fury’, and each time it was swung, it caused a fire to shoot out some twenty meters around
himself. Kodan had retreated and advanced several times, and in the end, his beard and eyebrows had
shrunk till they were nearly caught on fire.
The battle continued to intensify, and the youths in the cages felt like their hearts were in their throats.
They believed that the grandmaster swordsman was their only hope, yet it looked like it was a bitter duel
and their confidence was shaken.
This was only the second battle.
Each duelist had their own wealth of experience. Varian dueled in the Rune Dwarves’ coliseum in his
prime, and had an excellent weapon and a suit of well-forged armor. Kodan was a veteran knight who had
survived the November War and emerged from a sea of blood.
But in the end, it was Kodan who managed to force Varian to the walls with his superior swordsmanship.
The dwarf’s vital points were struck again and again, and although his attacks were stopped by the
armor, the dull impacts were gradually transmitted to the dwarf’s organs.
Varian roared in fury and spun his warhammer, completely abandoning his defenses in order to reach his
opponent. A fiery blaze trailed behind his weapon and it descended towards Kodan like a meteor.
1525
“I can’t take this anymore!” The girl beside Cohen screamed in distress.
Scarlett’s eyes were filled with a little doubt at the scene unfolding before her.
Kodan did not retreat but pressed his attacks even harder. Grinding steel formally met for the first time
as his sword violently crashed against Varian’s warhammer. Metallic screams and fiery sparks flew
around them, and everyone narrowed their eyes and covered their ears.
Very quickly, the youths were shocked and excited to find that Kodan had knocked away Varian’s
weapons with brutish strength. They thought it did not make sense that a heavy hammer in an overhead
swing would be knocked away by a longsword.
Brendel’s heart jolted.
He had suspected Kodan was hiding his true strength to lure the dwarf to compete in strength. But what
truly shocked him was Kodan’s following attack. Only Medissa and he saw a blue streak of light shine on
the old man’s finger.
[Wind bullet!? Even though these fake rings could be found anywhere it’s too much of a coincidence,
right?]
Brendel subconsciously looked at the Ring of the Wind Empress on his thumb.
He lost sight of the battle and missed Kodan closing in with an open palm. The old man lifted away
Varian’s helmet and thrust his sword into the dwarf’s throat. When Brendel looked at the scene again,
Varian had already disappeared in a flash of white light.
However, Kodan did not go uninjured. In order to succeed running through the dwarf with his sword, he
had to suffer a punch from the latter.
Varian’s gloves were full of metallic edges. Not only did his punch damaged Kodan’s lungs, but it also
ripped off the latter’s muscles and broke several ribs.
The old man’s body was finally at its limits and he could no longer hold on. He dug his sword into the
ground and had to pant for a long while before he stood up straight again.
“Well done, mortal. You are allowed to select one of the cages and free the people in it, if you wish.” The
mysterious voice boomed from the surroundings.
1526
“I can only open one of your cages,” The old man huffed as he raised his voice to the group of youths, and
he pointed at Jocah’s cage, “Jocah and the others in your cage. Get out. I want to hear how you involved in
this mess later on.”
The people in Jocah’s cage were silent as the door swung open. The youths were separated into two
groups and caught at different timings. It seemed like Kodan only rescued them in order to investigate
the cause of this situation, and he did not intend to take on another challenge.
But everyone also knew that the old man no longer had the capability of continuing to do so.
Although Maher and Cohen frequently quarreled with each other, the youths had a tight bond. They felt
that it was difficult to accept this decision and simply stood there in confusion. However, they ultimately
knew they were powerless against their fate.
“All of you should get out of the cage first. There’s no telling if the door will close again.” Cohen’s face did
not show any signs of panic.
“But—” Jocah said.
“It’s good that at least some of us escaped. I’ll try to think of a solution for the rest.”
“What solution do you have?”
“None yet.”
Kodan did not pay attention to the youths any longer. He had seen Jocah and Maher before but recognized
the group as a bunch of irresponsible scoundrels in the town, and simply did not think highly of them.
“Mortal, do you wish to continue challenging your destiny?” The voice rumbled again.
“No!”
The old man refused the challenge and limped off the stage, while he shouted at Brendel: “The boy from
Torbus’s family, what do you think?”
Brendel merely shrugged in response.
Kodan tossed his weapon over to him: “Take this. I’ll lend you this sword since it’s your turn. Let me see
how good the stubborn fool’s descendent is!”
He took a closer look at Brendel as he limped past the latter and muttered: “……. His son?”
1527
He shook his head quickly: “But you look like you’re just twenty years old, so a grandson then. You
actually became a Gold-ranked swordsman at your age. From this point alone, you’re no less talented
than that bastard is. A lion’s cub is still a lion.”
The old man sighed, seemingly lamenting over the fact that he did not have a successor.
Brendel nearly dropped the sword he received.
[Hold on! Is grandfather a Gold-ranked swordsman at my age? Doesn’t this mean he’s a Blessed if he
reached the Gold-ranked status at the age of twenty?]
The information was a little unacceptable to him. It was an incredible thing for someone to become a
Gold-ranked swordsman at twenty.
Brendel rubbed his forehead. The former Brendel had never asked about the origin of his grandfather,
but in his memories, his grandfather was someone who moved to Bruglas at some point in his life.
Later on, his grandfather bought a plot of land in Bucce and built a mill on the outskirts of Bruglas.
Even though the former Brendel was born with nothing much, he lived a life of considerable comfort.
Otherwise, an ordinary youth would have to find work or become an apprentice after militia training, and
he would not have lived alone in Bucce without worrying about money.
[Come to think of it, grandmother did not seem like a commoner’s daughter. She knew many things about
the kingdom and was literate. But my mother definitely came from a noble’s family. I’ve wondered why a
noble would marry a commoner for a while now. No matter how wealthy he is, the union of different
social circles has a strong stigma.]
Brendel searched through the former soul’s memories but eventually realized that the latter had never
bothered finding out about his family’s status. He frowned a little and asked Kodan:
“You know him?”
“I’ve been with that stubborn fellow for a period of time. I was just as young as you are when I met him. I
had just left my hometown, and even though I come from a family of knights, I was really just a wild brat.
But your grandfather graduated from an academy of knights meant for nobles, and he was the real deal.
I’m not afraid of being laughed at, but I was his subordinate for a while—”
Kodan wanted to continue speaking, but the voice above them interrupted loudly:
“The next challenger!”
Kodan eyed the sky.
1528
Brendel put away his thoughts as well. He had an eidetic memory and met all kinds of people in the game,
but there were only so many people that he kept in his mind after decades—
He felt that the relationship between Kodan and his grandfather was not as simple as he claimed.
Especially when he looked at Kodan’s ring which was identical to his own.
[I did wonder why a commoner would have the Ring of the Wind Empress, even if it’s just a replica. When
I asked the cripple in Bruglas, he claimed that it was a knight who gave the oil painting to my
grandfather…… Well, these questions can be asked later. As long as this old man is my hands, there are
plenty of chances. It seems like my grandfather has a colorful history.]
“Let’s go, Medissa.” He said in his mind.
Both of them walked to the stage at the same time.
Cohen’s face stiffened when he saw both of them enter the stage. Kodan looked puzzledly at them and
called out to them from behind:
“You’re going together?”
But Brendel and Medissa did not answer as they became focused. The two walked up to the center of the
stage and waited quietly.
Kodan suddenly realized that the Element power the Elven girl used was Soul Energy. And yet there was
only a single existence that would use Soul Energy as their Element Power.
[Undead!]
The grandmaster swordsman realized why Medissa went after him instead of seeking cover. There was
no need for her to fear death. The second word that came to him was ‘necromancer’, but it was obviously
an incorrect answer.
[A Gold-ranked Necromancer can’t summon an undead with the same strength. And that boy’s eyes did
not have any flecks of purple or green in them. Wait, didn’t the girl say that she fought in the War of the
Holy Saints?]
“A Heroic Spirit!” Kodan suddenly muttered to himself in astonishment.
[Is the boy an apprenticing Sacred Knight of Flames from the Cathedral of Fire?]
1529
Kodan’s thoughts went to the strongest force in the Cathedral of Fire. They were amongst the strongest
forces in the continent, and every Sacred Knight of Flames was accompanied by a Heroic Spirit from the
War of the Holy Saints. In the History of Blue, King Gatel had two hundred and thirty-two knights, and
there were never more than two hundred Sacred Knights of Flames.
[What am I thinking….. There were no Silver Elves in amongst King Gatel’s knights.]
But he corrected himself again, He continued to wonder in confusion.
“…… It’s all over.” Jocah suddenly sighed.
“Shut up, Jocah. What do you mean it’s all over? The battle hasn’t started.” Maher tutted unhappily at his
comrade’s words.
“Have you forgotten?” He looked back sadly at him. “Cohen asked the announcer questions earlier, and
people who are stronger than Iron-rankers will not be allowed to enter the stage together. What do you
think this means when these both of them entered together?”
Maher’s words disappeared in his mind. This meant that Brendel and the girl was someone without any
abilities! The youths who were freed glanced at the other caged youths. Cohen’s expressions were blank,
but the others were dyed with despair.
“Damn it, I didn’t think this bastard was this useless!” Maher quickly puffed with anger: “He only looks
like he’s strong on the surface. To think that I actually believed that he’s a capable fighter!”
“Didn’t you constantly say that you didn’t think he’s any good?” One of the youths said, and naturally
received Maher’s furious glare.
TL: Since this is infrequently brought up, I’m going to have a refresher course on ‘talentz’ again. I had to
spend hours searching on this to make sure I’m not (that) wrong, sigh. Might have mistakes in the way
early chapters -_-.
Blessed – People who are highly gifted but isn’t ‘chosen’ by the gods. Reaches high levels of skillz. Tirste, a
guy who belongs to the Unifying Guild, is a Blessed (Gold-ranked swordsman who hasn’t unsealed his
Element Power), and had kicked Brendel’s butt. Eke is also in this category.
Chosen – People who are favored by the gods. They typically have significant flaws in their body. The
exception to this is the King of Fire, Gatel. Can happen anytime and have a sudden increase of powerz. I
think Yula is the only Chosen mentioned in Brendel’s era till now. I’m not sure if I TLed Sifrid as a Blessed
or Chosen, but Chosen is most likely wrong.
1530
Brendel suddenly recalled that he needed to familiarize himself with Kodan’s sword and swung it several
times. He found that it was sturdy and light, but it was just a common Magic Sword.
[A pretty low-end magic weapon. I’ve used something similar in regards to the size and length, though I
don’t remember its name since it was a temporary thing.]
The ground was scarred lightly with from the wind, and dust danced about with each swing. Kodan’s
eyelids were slightly lifted up.
“That technique really is the White Raven Sword Arte. But it’s never taught outside the royal family, so
how did the kid learn it?” He rubbed the remainder of his beard thoughtfully and muttered to himself.
This same action also incited a debate amongst the youths—
“What is he doing?” Maher watched Brendel’s sword glinting against the light while it was swung in
beautiful arcs.
“Maybe he’s creating some kind of smokescreen?” Jocah said uncertainly: “Perhaps he’s trying to score a
victory over the enemy by creating a chance. Fighting a battle requires one to use his brains, got that,
Maher?”
“Oh? And how would he see his enemies in the smoke?”
Jocah’s mouth opened for a while before he rolled his eyes with a huff: “Then it must be some kind of
special technique. Why would he create trouble for himself? Just think about it a little and it will be all
clear—”
But Cohen was certain of a different answer after observing Brendel carefully. “He’s familiarizing himself
with the sword.”
A few other youths chattered in response after hearing his remark.
“He’s doing that?”
“But is it really fine to change to a new sword at the last minute?”
“Commander Kodan gave his personal sword to him, and it’s strange that he’s carrying so many swords
behind him. I think all his swords are of low quality.”
1531
Even though they did not know much about wielding a sword, they were certain that it would affect his
performance.
At that moment, Brendel had stopped his actions and appeared ready.
Medissa did not bring her unicorn with her because they were there on a mission, but she was just as
skilled on the ground. She brought her lance upright on the ground and stood beside her young lord.
While the youths briefly wondered if the Elven girl had any capability to fight when she did her own
noticeable actions, Kodan glanced at her posture and gave a thoughtful hum to show he was impressed
with her skill.
The gate opposite of the challengers was once again raised, and the monster that appeared was the very
same Cerberus that died earlier. Three large heads growled repeatedly as the monster’s claws dug deep
into the ground. Six bloodshot eyes glanced at their surroundings and sought out the enemies before
them.
Its appearance caused a small commotion as nobody expected that the creature would return again.
This time it appeared to have learned from its previous experience. It waited till the chains were broken
off before shaking its whole body to remove the chains completely, then sniffed the air cautiously and
slowly approached both humans before circling them.
But Kodan sensed a hidden scene happening. His nose was raised slightly as he complained with a
disgruntled expression.
“The boy doesn’t know how to control his killing intent. It feels like he’s everywhere, though the little girl
is masking her presence quite well compared to him.”
His frown became deeper and deeper: “But there’s something mixed into his killing intent…… Element
Power? What kind of Element Power is this, strange……”
The air was rapidly becoming colder and colder, and frost started appearing on the ground and walls. A
mist came out from everyone’s breath and the air suddenly seemed to stop moving, as though there was
something pulling it down.
Even the youths that were a hundred meters away felt like they were stuck in quicksand.
Brendel regarded the three pairs of blood-red eyes in front of him calmly. Soon enough, the monstrous
dog felt like its body had a mountain weighing down on it, and its paws were somehow chained tightly. It
was tough to even take a single step, not to mention attacking.
1532
Its three heads were shaking as though they were resisting a mighty power that was invisible. It had no
choice but to sink down to the ground because of the incredible strength weighing down on it.
“What?” Kodan was taken aback.
Two words were never clearer in Brendel’s mind. ‘Stasis’ and ‘Stability’.
Right now, his passive Element power was turning into an active one.
He felt he had once again grasped the Laws of his Element Power during the fight with Kabias, and was
now able to wield it freely any time he wanted.
But he knew that it was still something that could not be grasped yet. A Gold-ranker would not be able to
master the Element Power completely because they were not powerful enough to handle it.
Everyone watched the five-meters tall monster lay down in front of Brendel, as though it was bowing to
its king.
And the youth stood there motionlessly with a glare, seemingly accepting its submission. The people
around him were shocked.
[What ability is this? The Authority of Kings?]
Kodan’s mouth and eyes were wide with shock.
“Medissa, attack,” Brendel said these two words lightly.
Unlike the others, there was a tremendous force struggling against him in his body as he desperately
brought out the power of the Laws. Outside in the real world, he felt all the power in the world would be
there for him to use if he just lifted a finger,
The Elven princess advanced in a silver line. Her lance extended behind her, with the tip of her blade
reflecting the light as though it was the signal of death. The straight line was turned into a perfect arc
before it lunged towards the monster.
At the final moment, the Cerberus managed to shrug off Brendel’s Element Power, and leaped into the air
with all its strength, while its heads moved away to avoid Medissa’s thrust infused with Element Power.
Unfortunately, Brendel twisted the Laws in his mind and forcefully brought the monster down as though
its jump was an illusion.
Medissa’s attack found its target, and a large shockwave completely blew the monster’s heads off in a
shower of blood and bones. The corpse fell to the ground in a loud crash.
1533
A single strike that completely surpassed Kodan’s attack.
The youths were completely astounded by the girl, not knowing what Brendel did.
[An Element power that affects space and time?!]
However, Kodan felt like his jaw had completely fallen to the ground, and had to rub his chin to feel that it
was still there.
Brendel also thought he had gotten close to the truth of his Element Power. He looked at his hand, a little
unsure. He had locked on to a certain space and froze time, and made his Element power manifest as an
active power, though he was still unsure whether he could use his abilities at will.
“My lord?” Medissa went back to him and asked in surprise. The impact she felt from striking the three-
headed dog made her feel like she was piercing something strange.
“I can’t really explain what happened just yet,” Brendel replied, thinking for a moment.
After a minute, the thunderous voice came again from the air:
“Mortal, do you wish to continue challenging your destiny?”
“Let’s move on to the next challenge first,” Brendel said a little excitedly and restlessly, “Yes, I wish to
continue.”
Varian soon appeared once again.
“Let me try it this time,” Brendel said hurriedly.
He was leaving the state of controlling the Laws quickly, and needed to experiment as soon as possible to
confirm the suspicions in his mind. Medissa nodded as she looked at him, understanding his intentions.
Brendel brought his sword out with his right arm, pointing it to the ground, and walked forward with
large strides.
The cold killing intent once again assaulted its new opponent.
Varian’s flashy appearance of brandishing his warhammer into the air to rouse the audience stopped in
mid-air. The dwarf’s supposed composure that was supposed to pressure his opponents quickly faltered;
he readied himself into a stance and regarded Brendel a little gravely.
He scoffed lightly with his beady eyes staring under his barbarian helmet, but anyone could see like that
he was like a wild beast which had detected a danger to its life—
1534
“Is he really that scary? He might be good with the sword but he’s just too young!” Jocah observed
Brendel carefully as he mumbled to himself.
He had thought him to be as skilled as the guard riders in the mines. No matter how much he thought
about it, he could not imagine Brendel would make a dwarf equipped like a steel fortress to feel nervous.
It was especially so when he recalled Brendel’s carefree attitude.
“Eh?!” He exclaimed.
But he quickly realized he was completely wrong. Brendel suddenly disappeared and appeared right in
front of Varian, as though he had instantly teleported.
There was a shockwave of dust and afterimages that trailed behind the young swordsman, so the youths
knew that he moved with an incredible speed that exceeded even Kodan’s earlier charge at the Cerberus.
Varian did not react mentally in time, but his wealth of fighting experience made his arms move his
warhammer through sheer instinct and roared desperately to deflect Brendel’s attack.
However, at that moment, it appeared as though his arms were pulled back to its location before they
reached their destination.
Brendel’s blade seemed to pass through his defenses like an illusion, shimmering as though it was
present and yet not, with the sword slipping into the gap between the dwarf’s armor and helmet as a
conclusion.
The dwarf’s eyes bulged, and he sputtered out blood lightly from his lips.
When the afterimages fully materialized into reality, Brendel had a single hand blocking his warhammer,
while his sword was lodged firmly into the dwarf’s throat. Once he drew out his blade, the dwarf with the
heavy fortress of steel collapsed heavily onto the ground, and blood slowly pooled around him.
He then flicked the blood off his sword with an outwards swing before he walked back.
TL: ‘Statis’ was suggested by one of the commenters a long time ago. I used ‘Frozen’ in the previous TL, I
think.
1535
The cheers from the seatings stopped. There was only deafening silence.
Jocah uttered a few gurgling noises and turned around to look at Maher, who also did the same thing to
look back at him. Both had disbelief in their eyes.
[[Just who exactly is this man?!]]
No matter how unskilled they were, they easily understood Brendel could not be someone simple.
And at that moment Brendel felt like a tidal wave was crashing in his mind. This was the second time he
entered into an indescribable state, and it was only a few weeks after Firburh’s city battle—
The definition of the third keyword of his Element Power seemed to manifest itself in his mind, but there
was a paper-thin barrier that prevented him from accessing it.
When he reached out to it, the state of that illusion cracked from a sudden rush of loud cheers, and he
found himself back at the coliseum feeling slightly exhausted.
Brendel blinked a few times before he sighed. It was still too early for him. If his levels were higher, he
might be able to enter the barrier and move on to the second stage of the Element power.
However, this did not mean that reaching the maximum level of a Gold-ranked status would allow the
person to use an Element power.
Understanding the Laws of the Element powers were critical to reaching a higher state, and there were
many examples of talented people forever stuck as Gold-rankers despite reaching the status early.
[Sometimes people who are too smart might not be able to see the world for what it is, and having a zen-
like mind instead is better. Though luck sometimes plays a part too. If I really can’t break the barrier, I’ll
just use the Ancient Glyphs made by those powerful wizards.]
There was always a way for Brendel unlike the people in this world.
He was certain that his Element power was related to space and time, because of his ability to invoke
‘Stasis’ and ‘Stability. He glanced at the borrowed sword and took a double take, as there was a
shimmering aura around it, along with green words floating across his retina.
– Element Power (Stage 1):
1536
– +20% Accuracy
– +100% Speed
– +10% Cold damage
[Just like I thought. The Element power has been unsealed from its hidden state, and the difference
between low and high ranking Element powers is clear as day. ]
Brendel recalled that a Lightning-based Element power added 20% speed and 30% Lightning damage,
and there was a huge difference in comparing it with his current Element Power.
The gamers in the early game were unable to get any Element powers above the ‘Nature’ variations, and
were only able to raise the ranking through advancement quests.
The only people capable of that were big guild leaders or pay-to-win gamers.
Brendel really wanted to calm himself by downing himself in a tub of cold water when he realized that his
NPC status avoided this issue.
“Open her cage.” He pointed at Jana’s cage when he finally reached Medissa’s side and spoke towards the
sky without waiting for the announcer’s question.
“My lord, have you discovered something?” The Elven girl greeted him.
As one who had lived during the War of the Holy Saints, she did not think it was unusual for any young
adult to reach a Gold-ranked status regardless of any race. However, she was someone who had
experienced the state of unsealing her Element power and asked with concern.
Brendel did not reply but lifted his sword to let her take a look.
“This is……!” Medissa was shocked: “A Time Element Power!”
“What’s wrong?” Brendel raised his eyebrow, as he accurately captured the surprise in her voice: “Isn’t it
a common Element Power during your time?”
[It should be a common thing, is it not? Even though it was a rare thing in the game, there were at least a
dozen gamers who attained a space-time related Element Power.]
1537
His understanding of the War of the Holy Saints was an era filled with exceptional talents, and even
someone like Tuman was found everywhere. (TL: Tuman is a Planeswalker and called the Elemental
Emperor during his era.)
“What?” Medissa’s eyes widened in incomprehension: “Even during those years the only person who had
it was the leader of the Silver Alliance’s Wizards, Arkasi. He was the creator of the Tower of Stars and
Moon, also known as the Last Sage, who had the Time Element Power.”
The Elven girl paused for a moment before she added: “And if I was to go back any earlier, the only other
person who had this would be the Dragon of Darkness himself.”
“Hah?” Brendel felt like he needed to dab away the perspiration on his forehead.
Even though he understood the game’s background pretty well, it was still not as detailed as knowing
what skills they had. Medissa’s explanation took him by surprise.
[I see. So the game is still a game. The fact that a hundred-odd gamers possessing the rarest of Element
Powers— Ha, ha ha……]
Jana felt a little strange when she saw the cage’s door open. She thought Brendel would rescue Scarlett
first, but the youth did not bother looking at their direction after releasing her, which meant that it made
no difference as to who were saved first.
“Mortal, do you wish to continue challenging your destiny?” The announcer spoke again, interrupting
Brendel’s thoughts.
“Yes, I will continue to do so,” Brendel gave his reply.
The youths woke up from their stupor and realized that the youth had the capabilities to rescue them. In
fact, he had completely exceeded their expectations. Maher could not believe that a young man around
the same age as him was stronger than the commander of the guards, and it was not just a little.
Very quickly, the gate was raised, and every pair of eyes stared into the darkness. The sounds of orderly
horses’ trottings could be heard within the shadows, and everyone waited with bated breath.
Brendel narrowed his eyes when he finally saw the first revealed enemy.
It was a knight, but to be more precise, it was a metal doll riding on a puppet horse. Its left hand wielded a
round shield, while its right hand carried a lance, while it was surrounded by four different types of sigils
floating and revolving around it.
“Type IV Hunter Knight,” Brendel said.
1538
“An invention by the Hazell kingdom. Be careful, this thing possesses the peak strength of a Silver-
ranker.”
The Hazell kingdom was located in central Vaunte, somewhere to the west of Kirrlutz, and the borders
between the two kingdoms were separated by mountains that extended all the way to the clouds.
Their citizens were said to have come from another continent, and not descendants of the sages from the
War of the Holy Saints. They believe in the powers of Magic Artificing and held the largest forces of
gunners and cannoneers.
There were even tanks and aircrafts amidst their armies.
Kirrlutz frequently warred with Hazell, and despite possessing military might many times more than
Aouine, it was unable to gain any advantages over them, which showed how formidable their country
was.
The youths watched as thirty metal knights rode out.
“There are so many!” One of them said.
“Isn’t this unfair?” Jocah had completely forgotten about the fact that Brendel had brought Medissa in,
which was against the rules.
“This is despicable. They’re fighting with numbers!” Maher ground his teeth as he hissed through them.
“Fighting with numbers?” Brendel managed to hear the youths’ complaints.
The third challenge was thirty times harder than the first if he looked at the numbers, or maybe even
more if they had some kind of tactical formation. He looked at the edges of the walls and smiled inwardly
before he looked back and pointed at a metallic creature’s lance:
“Be careful of their weapons. There are actually guns installed in them—”
“Guns?” Medissa did not understand.
Brendel suddenly realized that the technology of Magic Artificing was two to three hundred centuries
ago, and he quickly explained: “Think of it as a type of crossbow with powerful penetration. It won’t do
much harm to Gold-ranked fighters, but it would hurt if we get hit. Make sure you protect your eyes and
throat.”
Medissa nodded.
1539
“Also, their four colored sigils hovering around their bodies are activated one at a time. Red represents a
line of fire towards their enemies; make sure you pay attention to that as it’s a long-ranged attack. Blue
means it’s guarded with a magic ice shield. Green represents an acceleration of speed, while yellow
means that it will encase itself in a layer of rock.”
“Understood.” She found it easy to understand Brendel’s explanation but was also curious about the
intricate designs of the Hazells. Even though Galbu’s Wizard Craftsmen had powerful designs to their
constructs, they did not have such refined details. “Do they use tactics, my lord?”
Both of them had just entered the Gold-ranked status. Handling ten peak Silver-ranked units would be
their limit. Even though their extensive battle experience made them far stronger than the normal Gold-
ranked fighters, they would definitely find it difficult to face them head-on.
But Brendel shook his head: “Just protect yourself and leave the rest to me.”
Medissa paused in surprise, but Brendel raised his hand and snapped his fingers, and suddenly the light
around the coliseum dimmed a little.
Everyone else looked up subconsciously before their bodies stiffened.
Two hundred Wind Spirit Spiders carrying a shining sword on their backs suddenly appeared from
magical formations. They glided in the air elegantly, and this scene caused the cheering from the audience
to stop.
“Fighting with numbers—” Brendel said, “that’s my line.”
1540
“What are those things?” One of the youths said.
The youths had their mouths agape as they stared at the spiders without blinking, almost as if they were
afraid of missing a detail.
Countless Holy Swords were hovering on top of the Wind Spirit Spiders which had assembled into a
gigantic diamond shape.
They resembled a constellation.
The Type IV Hunter Knights naturally saw the same thing as they raised their heads. Each prism crystal
lens detected and regarded them as an immense threat, and all the constructs made the same response.
Their guns unfurled together from the lances, and thirty-odd mechanical constructs aimed at Brendel’s
body with red lasers at the same time.
“Watch out!” Someone shouted from the direction of the cages.
The revolution of gears and cogs could be heard spinning vigorously with a high-pitched whine.
“Ptyoona!” Medissa shouted in ancient Elven.
Bullets fired at the youth and caused the dust in the air to agitate wildly. Medissa’s reaction against this
attack was to raise her lance and command her Element Power to surge out of her, which extended into a
gigantic pair of wings made of Soul Fire.
All the enemies’ bullets smashed into hexagonal-shaped crystal-like barriers when they approached the
flames. Half the stage was filled with vivid showers of sparks for a brief moment, and the constant high-
pitch metallic clinks made many to cover their ears.
The Type IV Hunter Knights changed their target to Medissa, but Brendel made his move and pointed his
finger at the very edge of their group.
Buzzing noises could be heard from the sky as the Holy Swords flared up in a blazing heat. Rotating magic
formations appeared on the Wind Spirit Spiders before they were drowned out by the light generated by
the Holy Swords.
1541
The spectators tried imagining what would happen next when the counter-attack came, but the
spectacular display still surprised them. It was a scene where most of them would not forget for the rest
of their lives.
The Type IV Hunter Knights’ reacted by halting their attacks and their yellow sigils rotated to their front.
They started huddling together in a group. The sandy soil beneath them rumbled and rocks protruded
from the ground, encasing them in rocks.
Countless pillars of light soon struck the fortress. Fiery heat seemed to vaporize the moisture in the
coliseum, and the youths thought that the coliseum was in danger of becoming destroyed.
Kodan suddenly remembered a Kirrlutz’s famous quote to describe the war in their historical text, the
Poem of Grey:
“We saw columns of clouds split open, and the sky turned blood-red as though burning steel was in the
air, and golden pillars of light rained down from to the earth and purged the living creatures with a sea of
fire.”
The old man had survived the November War and seen wizards display their destructive might against an
entire army, and he thought he would never have to see such a sight again. This scene once again brought
out the nightmarish events that were buried within his heart.
He did not realize it himself, but his eyes dilated and darted everywhere, and his breathing became
ragged as he tried to reach out for his sword.
He failed to do so.
The grandmaster swordsman was startled and a sheen of cold perspiration covered him before he
realized where he was. Still, the shock remained in his mind and he looked on in slight confusion. The
destructive firepower seemed like it was capable only from an Archmage.
Brendel snapped his fingers.
The pillars of light started converging to a single point with a terrifying buzz and began drilling through
the rocks that were covered with layers of magic.
These barriers deflected part of the firepower, but one could see that the rocks were turning into molten
liquid.
The youths were rendered speechless. Just when they thought they had seen the limits of a battle, there
was a new standard.
1542
A rain of fiery destruction against the layered barriers of magic defense.
Jocah froze at where he was standing while Maher retreated in fright as soon as the beams of destruction
moved in their direction. The latter crashed onto the cage’s steel bars, and he jumped up like a startled
rabbit. When he realized what he bumped into, he found his forehead full of cold sweat.
Cohen’s skin color was saturated with a golden hue while he continued to observe. Both his hands firmly
held on to each other without moving a muscle. Unlike the others who were attracted by the beautiful
magic, his eyes were on Brendel.
“This is……” Jana watched the display of magic in awe.
She finally knew how insignificant her mercenaries were to Brendel. It could not be more laughable for
them to persist in believing that they were something worth of value.
There was completely no reason for this young man to appear in such an impoverished territory. With his
strength, he could have gotten any position he wanted and be awarded plots of lands that were far better
than Trentheim.
It was a laughing joke. Why he would choose to get Graudin’s territory with his strength, to the point
where he would fight against Count Randner and Aouine’s upper echelons—
Jana found that she could not find any reason that would explain it.
But she finally remembered something. That fateful night where Graudin got his retributions, was when
Brendel rode to the city with resolute eyes, bringing along a little girl.
Jana suddenly recalled the Poem of Grey describing a heroic knight who led an army against impossible
odds. Several centuries ago, this quote was also used on the Ancestral King, Erik—
[The emissary sent by the Gods to gather everyone under a single flag. Fate changed as they rode as
one—]
The Type IV Hunter Knights’ defensive magic lasted for a short while, but every pillar of light fired into a
single spot and the barriers were finally penetrated through.
It caused the rocks to turn into ashes and vapor quickly. Molten steel poured out from the hole and onto
the ground, while loud cracking sounds could be heard as glass was gradually formed on the floor from
the extreme heat.
The pillars of light moved faster and faster to destroy the remaining enemies on the battlefield. In less
than a minute, they were all destroyed and the pillars of light stopped firing.
1543
Smouldering embers clogged the coliseum with a nasty choking gas. The fortress of rock was completely
pierced through and none of the Type IV Hunter Knights survived and was turned into metal scrap under
their created grave.
Even Medissa felt surprised at Brendel’s magic despite her experience in the War of the Holy Saints and
glanced at the array of Holy Swords above her head.
“Did we just win the challenge, my lord?” Her pleasant voice asked.
“What do you think?” Brendel replied with some exasperation.
The Elven girl seemed like she still wanted to see more.
If he was not a Planeswalker, these thirty-odd metal constructs would really present a problem to him.
He sighed slightly as he lowered his hand. Controlling the battlefield without a problem felt good. It was a
slight pity that the Holy Swords did not have enough firepower. Three converging pillars of light nearly
failed to pierce through the constructs’ Silver-ranked defenses.
The coliseum became silent as though Brendel’s actions had presented itself as a problem.
[…… Shit. Did I overdo it? It’s possible for the Coliseum of Destiny to set a personal difficulty. In the game,
this place is actually a shitty Fantasy-ranked dungeon that allows gamers to challenge themselves.]
But after a moment of silence, a voice suddenly appeared in his mind, and words started spreading across
his retinas.
– You may choose to redeem an additional reward for successfully completing three challenges.
Brendel rubbed his forehead in delight as he remembered his experience in the game.
The core reward of this Coliseum of destiny was certainly the Sword of Earth. If he wanted to get the
sword, he needed to attempt two more challenges.
There was an additional rule when one decided to challenge.
From the third challenge onwards, every additional challenge would net him a reward, and it would
become better and better. There was also no limit to how many times one was allowed challenge, and the
gamers who attempted it stated that doing it over thirty times would eventually net them rewards that
were even better than the core rewards.
But it was obvious that he did not dare to attempt it.
1544
– If you do, you will not be able to release the prisoners in the cages.
[Of course, I acc— …… Eh?]
He finally remembered more details about the rewards. If he took the additional reward he would not be
able to free Scarlett this round.
[Damn…… it.]
Brendel’s mind worked furiously.
He glanced at the longsword embedded in a boulder. Ever since he lost the Thorn of Light, he wanted to
find a weapon that he could use, and did not want to give up on this opportunity in gaining one here. The
battles ahead in Firburh were unavoidable and there was no telling how difficult it would be.
If he wanted Halran Gaia, he would need to fight three more battles. He would be able to pick the next
two additional rewards and free Scarlett along with the core reward.
But choosing the additional rewards meant that he had to give up on saving the youths.
[If I choose to rescue them here, what’s going to happen in the battles ahead in Firburh and Valhalla? How
am I going to protect my mercenaries and soldiers without sufficient preparation?]
He was at a crossroad of no return.
He closed his eyes and clutched his wrists, cursing at his weakness.
In the end, he chose to abandon the youths.
[I wish to redeem the additional rewards.]
– Are you certain you wish to redeem your reward?
[Yes.]
– Please choose your status.
Brendel blinked once. He had never encountered this in the game.
– Normal status
– Planeswalker status.
“Eh?” Brendel was stunned.
1545
He had never seen a game that would change the rewards based on a profession. Sometimes rewards
could be chosen but they were predetermined. He hesitated for a while when he saw the choices, but he
chose the Planeswalker.
The words changed again.
1546
A screen was displayed before him. On it was a roulette, and from the numerical description, Brendel
found there were one hundred and seventy ‘normal’ bronze cards, with forty ‘rare’ silver cards. However,
it appeared that the rare cards were currently greyed out, possibly because he did not have the
qualifications to unlock it yet.
“My lord?” Medissa’s voice suddenly went to his ears.
“Give me a few minutes,” Brendel said and pondered for a while.
His eyes went back to the cards. He looked and read them one by one in detail, before stopping at two
cards that seemed to have the best quality.
– The Altar of Dripping Blood
– (The Wolf’s Den III)
– 25 EP, 200 Mana
– Barrier Nest
– You can sacrifice 5 Grey creatures to summon the Earth Dragon Voltaire into play (Sub-dragon, level 50
Boss)
– This card will enter the Graveyard if Voltaire dies or if the Altar’s barrier is destroyed.
– When Voltaire is on the battlefield, sacrifice a Grey creature every day or the card enters the graveyard.
– ‘There is a low rumbling roar nearby within the cave.’
– The Plains of Gems
– (Wondrous Scenery VI)
– Special Plains card
– Tap the card, deposit 2 Light EP to your Elemental Pool.
1547
– Tap the card, pay 2 Light EP, add 20 Wealth.
– ‘No one knows what nature offers beneath the grass.’
The second card held Brendel’s attention over the first. Regardless of Wealth or EP, they were resources
that he needed badly, especially the latter, as he did not have proper means to replenish Light EP.
“Scarlett,” the dispirited youth shout through a tight jaw, “wait there for a while, I’ll free you after two
battles.”
He had been spending his resources conservatively, and getting a Land card that could continuously
allow him to cast other cards, was much better than the opposite. The wealth gain on it was just as
important too.
[Golden Battle Flag, Sun Blade, and Pristine Angel are all cards that need 5 Light EP to activate, and the
last one even requires me to pay 1 Light EP to maintain it. I can’t really be called a Planeswalker if I can’t
use my cards…… Display Planeswalker Cards.]
– Treasure Cards: Eternity Orb, Golden Battle Flag, Holy Sword, Silver Colt.
– Creature Cards: Highland Squire, Mercenaries of Lopes, Pristine Angel, Wind Spirit Spiders, Unicorn
Knight
– Resource Card: Rich Gold Mine
– Magic Cards: Magic Control, Sun Blade, Sprint Drive
– Land Cards: Garden of the Holy Tree, Rougen’s Swamp, Loxar’s market, Nest of Storms, Ashen Volcano
– Event Card: Bitter Ordeal (Used)
[I’ve already used the Bitter Ordeal card on Ciel, so it’s greyed out. Based on Ciel’s explanation, a deck of
cards needs at least forty cards before it can be used in a realistic combat without issues. I’m not even
halfway there. Rather than a Planeswalker, I’m more like an apprentice or something. Display EP and
Wealth income.]
– Garden of the Holy Tree, 1 Water EP/day
– Rougen’s Swamp, 1 Dark EP/day, tap card to produce an additional 1 Dark EP.
– Loxar’s market, 1 Earth EP/day, 2 Wealth/day. Pay 2 reputation, tap, and gain an additional 6
Wealth/day.
– Nest of Storms, 2 Wind EP/day.
1548
– Ashen Volcano, 2 Nature EP/day, 1 Fire EP/day.
– Rich Gold Mine, 4 Wealth per day.
– Elementalist profession, 1 EP of all types/week.
[I’m not tapping the Garden of the Holy Tree because the Rich Gold Mine needs an untapped land. Hmm.
Ciel had mentioned that nature cards have the best summons too. Sooner or later, I would want to get
these cards. Display EP expenditure.]
– Unicorn Knight, 6 Wealth/day, 1 Dark EP/day
– Mercenaries of Lopes, 2 Wealth/day
– Highland Squire, 1 Earth EP/day
– Pristine Angel, 1 Light EP/day
[Maintaining my summons means that I don’t have a way to use any other cards related to their EP.
Casting the Wind Spirit Spiders only requires my mana and a little Wind EP, but the Earth EP required to
sustain the Holy Swords means that I have to save it for at least half a month. In fact, I’m actually
resummoning Ciel every day to avoid paying his maintenance.]
And it was not without drawbacks.
Brendel had to alternate tapping his land cards and recasting to gain resources and save Earth EP. Most
importantly, he was unable to get 1 reputation per day if Ciel was not maintained on the battlefield.
This profession could not be treated as his trump card if it was unstable all the time.
He felt the profession’s immense potential, but to get it working he needed more cards. After thinking it
through for a while he could not help but mutter:
“The system of this profession is a little intriguing.”
He tossed the rewarded ball onto the screen, and it spun round in the roulette, and his eyes followed the
ball closely. After a few seconds, the ball slowed down and missed the Plains of Gems, and landed
somewhere to the north instead.
Everyone frowned with anxiety as they watched Brendel stay motionless. The latter’s eyes seemed to
gaze off into empty space, yet there was nothing they could see in his line of sight.
[Stop! Stop!]
1549
Brendel yelled for the ball to stop at the next best card in his mind, the Altar of Dripping Blood, but it
landed a few slots away instead.
– Fire Claw Spearmen
– (The Flame Tribe II)
– Costs 15 Fire EP
– Fire Lizardmen Warriors, level 27 Creatures
– Place a company of battle-thirsty Fire Claw Spearmen into the battlefield.
– Pay 5 Wealth/day when Fire Claw Spearmen is on the battlefield
– ‘There is the smell of enemies amidst the flames.’
[Oh fuck off!]
Brendel cried with disappointment in his mind, but he at least had the senses to not show it to the world.
The window disappeared, and a red card appeared in the air before it landed right on his hand.
The illustration of the card was a group of lizardmen warriors, though their appearances were quite
different from Vaunte’s normal Lizardmen. They had bright red scales much thicker than normal
Lizardmen, and each wore a suit of golden armor that was plain in its design, while their backs carried a
battle spear the length of their bodies.
But what caught Brendel’s attention was the gold diamond-like eyes. The creatures in Vaunte which had
golden irises meant they had the blood of dragons flowing through them, with their blood purity
comparable to a sub-dragon species.
Although their low levels meant they were just short of the Silver-ranked status, their lineage was quite
unique and must have flourished at some point.
[This explains the battle-thirsty trait. Dragons have it and morale is instead increased if they are injured
or if they take the initiative to attack.]
It was not a perfect ratio, but a +1 Morale meant an approximate increase of 10% in stats.
It was quite the buff, though Brendel was a little annoyed at getting a Creature card and not a Resource
card. In addition, the Fire Claw Spearmen needed 15 Fire EP, and its maintenance was close to the
Unicorn Knight.
1550
No matter how many times he looked at the Fire Claw Spearman card, it could not compare to Medissa.
But he ultimately nodded a little when he saw the word ‘squadron’. Aouine typically defined a company of
men to be a hundred, while Madara set it at eighty. He was not certain how many Lizardmen there would
be, but it was unlikely to be lower in numbers.
Brendel did not use the card and sent it straight into his deck.
This card materialization and disappearance happened before everyone’s eyes except Kodan because
Brendel’s back was facing him,
“My lord?” Medissa was summoned by Brendel and she recognized a Planeswalker’s card, but she did not
know why the card appeared from thin air.
“Ah, it’s just a reward from winning that battle. Let’s continue the challenge,” Brendel finally recovered
his senses.
“Are we still going to continue?” Medissa was surprised.
He nodded gravely in response.
“Yes, I wish to continue.” The youth proclaimed loudly as he gazed at the longsword.
The coliseum was momentarily silenced.
But unlike the previous times, the gate was not raised. The sand suddenly parted and was sucked as
though there was a hole in it. Before long, a gigantic cage was elevated past the ground, and the monster
within made everyone gulp—
It was a dragon.
1551
Brendel secretly wiped his palms when he realized it was not a dragon, but a subspecies of a dragon— A
drake.
The monster’s front legs towered over the challengers like a pair of tall towers. It was covered with blue-
green scales which were as shiny as polished metal and reflected the cold light from the coliseum. Each
scale was several inches thick and it looked like it was clad in a layer of steel-plated armor.
The special characteristics of this creature were its ugly, triangular-shaped head with spiked horns
shaped like they had been carved into sharp edges. Its deeply inset eyes were a light blue color, but its
irises had flecks of golden flames, showing clearly that its ancestors were pure-blooded dragons.
[Adra Drake, a type of wind dragon. It’s fortunate that it’s not a mature adult…..]
If Brendel was to compare the Cerberus against it, the former would be a puppy. The winged monster in
front of him was the top of the food chain in the Mountain of Calm Tempest, and the natives who lived
there called them the Tyrants of Wind.
There used to be a legend about these Adra Drakes in the game. They were supposedly descended from
the Sky Dragons during the era of the Dragon of Calamity, but the quests involving the creatures
ultimately led gamers to Kirrlutz’s royal historians who disputed this claim. The truth to them was
actually much closer to the Mountain Dwarves’ lore.
The Adra Drakes descended from Blue Dragons. The latter described as the fairies of the clouds, but one
would find the drakes very different in terms of temperament. They were aggressive predators carrying
the Wind Element in them, unlike their ancestors which carried the Ice Element within their body.
But regardless of whether this monster was a mature adult or not, it was still standing near the apex of a
Gold-ranker.
[…… Wait a minute. An Adra Drake uses the Wind Element, right? Isn’t this a bloody counter to the Wind
Spirit Spiders?!]
Brendel cursed the announcer, but he could only grudgingly accept the results. The Coliseum of Destiny
must have scanned the Wind Spirit Spiders and responded with a monster that had near immunity to it.
[But it seems like this damned place is able to see only the superficial contents. The attacks from the Holy
Sword are based on the Earth Element, and they are the best counters to Wind Element creatures.]
1552
His mind was filled with malicious revenge.
But the others had different thoughts. When they saw the creature which was tens of meters tall, making
it big enough for the people in the cages to look up at it, they could not help but draw in a cold breath.
Fear started to grip their hearts.
The youths who had never left Schafflund with close to no worldly experience was still able to recognize
for what it was.
It was a dragon.
Even though they did not know what difference there was between dragons, wyrms, drakes or wyverns,
they knew that they held villainous roles opposing heroes in bedtime stories.
Every one of them had heard about the legends regarding the Dragon of Darkness and the Dragon of
Twilight.
These creatures were the last of the Golden Lineage, and in their body flowed a mysterious and noble
bloodline.
Jana and Kodan had seen Aouine’s scouts in the past, which were called the ‘Winged Dragon scouts’. But
they suddenly realized their mounts were really winged lizards, and not truly related to the creature in
front of them.
The Adra Drake unfolded its wings and swung them at the cage holding it. The gigantic metal rods were
instantly pulverized into flat pieces.
“This…… is a dragon’s power.” Someone muttered.
Maher was the first to recover, or perhaps he was cruder in his personality. He tapped Cohen’s shoulders
roughly and whispered: “H-hey, he’s challenging again. Do you think he’s going to rescue you all?”
Cohen did not answer and felt his heart pounding in his throat.
Even though he knew that the monster’s target was not on them, he could not help but feel that a light
beating of its wings would create a gale strong enough to send everyone into the air— Then they would
be killed as they crashed violently into the ground.
Although it was not unreasonable for him to think that way, the truth was even if there were one hundred
Adra Drake, they would not be able to break the barriers—
1553
“Cohen?”
“Shut up!” Cohen snapped, getting angry for the first time. “Stop attracting attention when there’s a
monster out that’s capable swallowing us up in one bite!”
Maher scratched his head and backed away silently.
Even though the dragon had Cohen’s attention now, the scene where Brendel stared blankly into the air
had caused him to ponder something.
His hand reached into his pocket to find something.
Medissa quickly recovered her senses after the monster destroyed the cage imprisoning it.
“An Adra Drake.” She pursed her lips tightly and hissed through her teeth, and she subconsciously
gripped her silver lance tightly—
This was a creature that posed a huge threat to them.
“My lord, even though this beast’s body appears to be clumsy and heavy, its speed in the air is incredibly
swift and nimble—” The Elven princess warned Brendel in a whisper.
Before she had the chance to finish her sentence, the drake suddenly took off to the air with extended
wings. A faint green glow appeared on its body and it sailed through the air with incredible, leaving
behind a ghastly trail of green particles.
Before the youths had the chance to react, the gigantic monster had already charged into the midst of the
Wind Spirit Spiders. The Adra Drake was familiar with these weak critters as they also lived on the same
mountain, but the golden shining Holy Swords on them made it feel threatened.
Its instincts were not wrong.
And its initiated attack managed to destroy a large portion of the Holy Swords’ formation.
“Scatter and fire at will!” Brendel watched the collapse of its formation and immediately gave his order to
the spiders.
2 Earth EP was taken away from his Elemental Pool, and a huge golden net was weaved in the sky.
But what followed next made Brendel see something that he would never forget in his lifetime.
1554
The Adra Drake easily steered through the dense concentration of lasers like a slippery fish.
Approximately seventy percent of the Holy Swords’ attacks did not connect, while the remainder of that
struck the drake’s scales did not hurt it and was even used as momentum to sail through the air.
The speed of the dragon’s rotation appeared seemingly slow. Its wings allowed the pillars of light graze
the tips of its wings to help it shift left and right, dodging the majority the attacks.
Yet with its leisurely pace, it somehow allowed one to capture its movements.
That illusion quickly passed and the Adra drake was directly in front of another large field of Wind Spirit
Spiders.
[Its actions are so fast that they appear like the blades of a helicopter…… I didn’t get to see them in action
because I was at a high level and had killed them in a heartbeat. These creatures of the Wind Element are
just like what one would expect. They feel almost graceful.]
The Blue Dragons are known for dancing through dark clouds filled with lightning at an extraordinary
speed. The gamers in the past who had encountered these ancestral dragons compared them to the Adra
Drakes, and declared the latter as true descendants that lived up to the name of its ancestors.
[Alright, the time to dwell on the past is over. I’ll have a much easier time if it’s a Gold-ranker on the
ground, but it seems like there’s going to be a little bit more challenge here.]
“Medissa, summon your unicorn and engage it.” He said.
“Understood, my lord!”
The Elven princess leaped into the air in an elegant arc, and the spectral unicorn appeared through a
dimensional space to receive her.
Medissa landed comfortably on her steed and took the reins and continued flying. The unicorn trotted
through the air as though the air was made out of solid ground and started pursuing the Adra Drake. Even
though the gigantic creature was swift, the unicorn did not fall behind.
Brendel decided to observe the situation a little longer.
He took a moment to observe the unicorn’s flight. They were proud creatures with strong combat
prowess, and only the Silver Elves managed to use them as steeds.
The Unicorn Knights were the strongest combat units of the Silver Elves, and each mature unicorn was
even capable of using an Element Power. They were rated to be almost at level 60, the rough equivalent
of a peak Gold-ranked fighter.
1555
[There is some kind of Laws in play here that restricts the Unicorn strength. Only speed is left in
Medissa’s mount. The core aspect of the card is definitely Medissa, or I would see that unicorn exceeding
her abilities.]
The Adra Drake felt a threat approaching from its back. Even though Medissa was less powerful than it
was, exposing its back to her would have the same results to how Kodan left an opening to her earlier.
It gave up trying to destroy the Wind Spirit Spiders and turned around to battle with Medissa instead.
Both Adra Drake and Silver Elf crossed each other in flight.
Even though the Adra Drake was at a disadvantage because it lost the initiative, Medissa was the one who
got injured.
The Adra Drake had caught on to Medissa’s lance and attempted to claw at her, forcing her to steer
downwards. The dragon rotated a few times and smoothly took on the higher position without injuries.
Medissa did not escape unscathed. The critical attack by the monster was avoided, but the Wind Element
of into claws had left deep marks on her armor.
It was a unique point of Wind Element creatures. Galbu’s wizards craftsmen even copied a lesser version
of it and made a shield with a Wind Element spell weaved into it, allowing the shield to exude a unique
defense that would repel enemies from approaching.
The girl on the unicorn felt her cheeks and found blood covering her palm. She looked up with alarm and
caution.
1556
Chapter 69 – King of the Underworld (20)
The Wind Spirit Spiders spread out and shot out golden pillars of light yet again to form a magnificent
net.
Brendel’s Elemental Pool dwindled to 3 Earth EP, and he immediately tapped Loxar’s Market in his mind
to increase it by one.
The effectiveness of the Holy Swords was low. A single pillar of light could hardly pierce through the Adra
Dragon’s outer Wind Element defensive barrier, not to mention melting dragon scales that were several
inches.
But multiple convergences of concentrated beams did not succeed either, as it took time for the spiders to
rotate the Holy Sword, and the Adra Drake slipped through easily.
[There’s a flaw. The Wind Spirit Spiders’ levels are much too low. Their Agility, Perception, and
intelligence are all inadequate for them to make a precise strike on the Adra Drake. Numbers can cover
this weakness, but having half of what I started with isn’t enough. Shit, letting that creature have the first
strike is my mistake.]
The Wind Element that the Adra Drake had was boosting its Agility by at least 300%. Medissa could
barely engage its attention to stop it from targeting the Wind Spirit Spiders.
Brendel did not waste any more time and lowered himself into a stance, while his hand caught a card that
materialized out of thin air. He flung it into the air and leaped just like Medissa. A Magic Formation
appeared and the Silver Colt appeared.
“He also knows how to summon a horse!” Someone amongst the youth shouted.
Their eyes were glittering with excitement. The battle had surpassed legends and fairy tales that they
heard of. If the dragon was the most frightening thing they knew of, then Brendel and Medissa were the
strongest people they had seen in their lives.
Kodan was completely engrossed by the memorable scene before him as well.
The November War might have been bigger and darker where everyone fought to their last drop of blood,
but it could not compare to the elegant battle between the dragon and its challengers.
1557
There was a sense of mystical adventure; two heroes rose up to face an impossible opponent. The
grandmaster swordsman’s memories of his youthful self were evoked, and he rubbed his ring on his
thumb.
Brendel tapped the side of his steed’s head, and the mechanical creature shot towards the Adra Drake like
a meteor. The youth activated the Charge ability in the middle of its rush, and the boosted speed sent a
violent shockwave that made everyone cover their ears.
He aimed for the Adra Drake’s weakest spot, the stomach.
But the Adra Drake was perceptive enough to realize the second threat to it. It first swept away Medissa’s
attack with her lance with a wing, then spun around and attacked Brendel by whipping him with its tail.
A banshee-like wail broke through the air when its tail hurtled towards Brendel, and the latter pulled
away in response. He grabbed the steed’s stomach with his legs and laid flatly horizontal, allowing the
attack boosted with Wind Element to miss him completely. However, the sharp air currents from the
aftermath still managed to cut a few strands of Brendel’s hair.
It appeared that Brendel’s intention to attack the Adra Drake had failed, and he became the one who was
hunted.
The Adra Drake flew upwards with stunning speed before it turned around completely and charged
towards the youth in a flash of green lightning.
“No!” Scarlett shouted, surprising the youths and Jana beside her.
Her yell made several imprisoned people in the cages realize they were gripping the steel bars tightly.
It seemed like the aerial battle was a disadvantage for Brendel and Medissa. Jana looked up anxiously,
realizing that the dragon’s strength and size were beyond her imagination.
But Brendel did not think much of it.
It was a common trick for a dragon to charge at its prey after striking it with its tail and he moved on to
his next plan. He climbed back on to his steed and dove downwards while yelling out an order to Medissa:
“Prepare your strongest attack!”
Medissa glanced at Brendel and nodded. The latter raised his sword and gave the Wind Spirit Spiders
new orders. Multiple pillars of light converged into focal points that sought to block the path of Adra
Drake. As more and more beams fired at it, the light became so blindingly bright that it blocked the Adra
Drake’s vision.
1558

Finally, the gigantic monster gave up and allowed Brendel to gain some respite.
[2 Earth EP left. It’s time to hunt.]
Brendel patted the Silver Colt’s neck and it flew upwards once again, making their way past the beams of
light and carefully hid from the drake’s line of sight. Another card appeared in his hands while they did
so.
The Adra Drake suddenly realized that it had been goaded into attacking the youth and lost sight of
Medissa. Even though it merely stopped for just a moment, Medissa finally found a chance to slip into its
defenses after following it closely.
“Seismic Blast!” Medissa’s charge was a straight line that went straight for the beast.
The slender body of hers found explosive strength at this moment to dig deeply into the drake’s flesh, and
a bestial scream of pain shook the entire coliseum.
Even though it tried to dodge the attack at last moment, the spectral energy from her Element Power
caused a maelstrom and condensed its surroundings before it exploded with sheer intensity.
The lance easily pierced through its outer layer of magic defense and the impact from the blast shattered
its scales and reached directly into its back.
A shower of blue blood fell from the sky and rained onto the ground, with some of it directly converted
back into Wind Element because of the concentrated purity in its blood.
The Adra Drake nearly lost consciousness from the pain as it fell from the sky.
The Seismic Blast was an ancient technique of the Silver Elves that converted Element power into sheer
destruction, although its weakness was how slow the attack was. Even though the Adra Drake outclassed
Medissa in every way, the latter still managed to injure it greatly.
Brendel was ready as he passed through the light blue vapor; a card was raised in his hand:
“Display!” He shouted.
The illustration on the card was a group of charging cavalry. Once he let go of it, it floated into the air and
shone brightly.
– Sprint Drive has entered into play. The Planeswalker has paid 2 Earth EP.
1559
– The summoner has connected with the Unicorn Knight. Overall Power Rating, techniques, and stats will
be shared.
Brendel felt his strength double. He stood up on the Silver Colt and activated Power Break, readied
himself with a stance and swung his sword upwards to the dropping Adra Drake without sparing
anything in his body.
He lost his footing after his attack and fell out from the Silver Colt, but the mechanical beast’s body moved
nimbly and allowed him to sit back without any further incident.
His Sword Arte seemed to hang in the sky without being unleashed for a moment, before it was sent
towards the dragon with a deafening explosion.
It was no longer a simple distortion of air. Brendel had converted part of his Element Power with the
Seismic Blast technique and sent it into the White Raven Sword Arte. Nearly thirty meters of glowing
particles in an arc spread out and cut across the air, reaching over a hundred meters.
Confusion set in because the barrier started shaking even before the dragon was struck, as though time
and space had been reversed.
“How’s this possible! That stable control of his Element Power seemed like he had trained in it for years!
It’s completely different from his earlier fight against Varian!”
Kodan froze up like he was a statue. He did not know what kind of devilish magic Brendel had used, but
the increase in skill happened before his very eyes.
Who was capable of having a breakthrough in power in mere minutes? Was there any race out there in
Vaunte that could do so?
“…… Bloodline of a Golden Lineage?”
Kodan suddenly wondered if Brendel had come from a lineage that went all the way back to the ancient
eras.
Screams echoed throughout the coliseum. The attack from the youth’s sword had completely severed
both the Adra Drake’s wings, and another shower of blue rain fell from the sky. The Adra Drake was no
longer a child of the sky, and it descended quickly like a flightless bird.
Finally, it crashed heavily to the ground in an immense dust cloud with a dying shriek.
Everyone felt the ground shake. They were completely shocked. The intensity of the battle had surpassed
their imaginations, but the speed that the battle was finished with was the complete opposite of what
they had expected.
1560
Brendels and Medissa’s assaults on the Adra Drake took a mere thirty seconds.
The youths exhaled heavily. Part of their minds was still reveling in the earlier battle, and the remainder
of their thoughts were waiting expectantly on what Brendel was going to do next.
But they were disappointed yet again.
After the mysterious youth landed on to the ground, he did not look at them in the slightest, nor at Jana
and Scarlett. He simply stared into the distance.
Brendel had a better grasp on how the roulette worked, and he sent the ball in with accuracy.
He got the item that he wanted.
– Plain of Gems acquired.
He nodded with satisfaction and readied himself once again for the last battle. The challenge was most
likely going to be an army led by a commander.
“Prepare for our last battle, Medissa.”
“Yes, my lord.”
1561
Kodan looked at the youth with complicated feelings.
He entered the Gold-ranked status thirty years ago, yet the youth seemed to be blessed by the gods and
had reached the same level of control over his Element Power as him.
Even if the person was blessed with talent, they would never attain such mastery at such a young age. A
possibility was being favored by the Gods themselves, but they would be disabled in some form, so he
thought of something else.
“Young man, who’s your Guardian Spirit?” Kodan called out to him.
“What?” Brendel turned around and said puzzledly.
“Stop pretending, you clearly know what I’m talking about!” The old man was angry enough to shout:
“This is important, tell me quickly—”
“What are you talking about, what am I supposed to know?”
Brendel was truly confused. He thought that the grandmaster swordsman might ask if he was going to
save the youths up there, yet it was a strange question with unfamiliar terms. He watched the old man
walk up to the stage in annoyance, but an invisible barrier blocked him.
The thunderous voice once again reverberated throughout the coliseum and interrupted them:
“Yes,” Brendel said.
“Brat, answer me!” Kodan slammed on the barrier with his fist.
Brendel glanced at him and put a palm up to tell him to wait. The coliseum suddenly turned darker.
“The next match will be the Duel of Ordeals!” A voice announced over their heads.
Brendel’s expression immediately changed.
“Do you have any idea what the match is, my lord?” Medissa asked curiously when she saw his reaction.
1562
“…… It’s a type of extreme challenge. No matter how much strength you acquire, you will be turned into
an ordinary person. In this stage, you must use pure skill to defeat your enemies.”
“Skill? What’s the exact definition?” Medissa arched her eyebrow slightly.
Brendel tapped a finger on his blade: “Combat techniques.”
Medissa reflected on his words for a moment. It sounded like it was advantageous to them, but her lord
did not seem happy about it in the slightest. Considering the challenges earlier, it could not be something
simple.
“Do you know anything about the Duel of Ordeals, Cohen?” Maher asked gingerly.
“No.” Came the simple reply.
“What are they arguing about?” Jocah’s attention was on Kodan. He was worried whether all of them
could leave the place.
“I don’t know.”
“Why does he keep on challenging the duels without freeing us or his remaining companion?” Someone
asked.
“Maybe there are some rules we don’t know about? How is it possible to construct a place like this in the
mines? To build it only as a game to catch and release people?” Another youth said.
The other youths looked at the blurred faces of the audience and a few found his words somewhat
agreeable.
“Hmph. It’s not as if you don’t know how sick these nobles’ hobbies are. Perhaps they just want to have
perverse fun!”
“But look at this place! It’s a mine! Why would they set up their entertainment in this place? No matter
how much I think about it, this incident is because of the odd thing that we dug out earlier.”
“I agree as well! Besides, that was a dragon! How much money do they have to throw in to get ordinary
people like us to fight it? To be honest, I feel like this is a dream or something. Maybe this place isn’t real.”
One of them touched a steel bar from a cage and felt the heat in his fingers dissipate.
They were momentarily silent.
“His goal is that sword.” Cohen’s voice was not loud.
1563
The sickly young man had waited till the youths quieted down before he spoke, making his words feel
weighted. He had seen Brendel glance at the black broadsword several times and made a conclusion.
The others felt it was a logical deduction once he spoke.
“Does he not intend to save us?” One of the youths said.
“Why should he?” Came Cohen’s reply.
“Cohen?” Jocah looked at him.
In his mind, Cohen was someone who did not like speaking much, but he had a better idea of the world
and provided the best answers.
“Well, I can try persuading him.” Cohen’s voice was small, as though he was trying to convince himself.
“With what?” Maher asked with incomprehension.
“A trade.”
Maher’s eyes turned wide: “Are you thinking of using your worthless things to trade with him? Angering
him won’t do us any good!”
Cohen did not answer and merely looked back at him. However, his attention was drawn elsewhere very
quickly.
Sudden lines of golden words appeared in the air. Dwarven, Elven, Dragon, Ancient Kirrlutz and many
other languages. But what shocked Brendel was the existences of multiple familiar languages that should
never have appeared in this world.
[It…… can’t be! It can’t fucking be true! How can there be languages from Earth!]
The youth’s body trembled greatly and he gulped in utter confusion. Multiple possibilities exploded in his
mind.
Perhaps he was somehow lying unconscious on some hospital bed and was dreaming of this world? Or
perhaps this world was somehow connected to Earth in some strange ways? Or perhaps because of how
Earth created the game, another world would somehow be created?
Crazy theories spun in his mind and for a moment, the thought of possibly returning back to his original
world surfaced, causing his emotions to explode within him.
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“My lord?” But Medissa’s concerned voice brought him back to his senses.
“Yes……? Yes.” Brendel’s chaotic thoughts were quickly shut down by a greater desire.
He had stolen someone else’s identity, resolved to live as him, and swore to save the kingdom. His past
life had nothing to do with his current one any longer. He raised his head to look at the instructions again
as he wiped the corners of his eyes furiously with the back of his hand.
It was not the time to be affected by emotions, perhaps when everything was over he could reflect on it.
He read the familiar words in the air:
1) Limitation in Strength. (The duelists are limited to 10 OZ in strength.)
2) Limitation in techniques. (All techniques unrelated to weapons will be disabled.)
3) The challenger shall be given worthy opponents.
Jana drew in a cold breath as she read in the ancient Kirrlutz language which was not too different from
the modern version. Even though Brendel’s power astounded her, it was clearly different from training
with a weapon for years.
No matter how talented one might be, even if they became a Gold-ranker at a young age, they required
time to match someone who had talent and years to go along with it.
The people who were widely recognized were old white-haired duelists who had reached their eighties
or nineties. (TL: The humans in this world live over a hundred easily.)
“There’s no need to worry, Jana,” Scarlett’s voice came from behind. She seemed to see through the worry
in the mercenary commander’s heart and appeared confident, but in truth had placed her concern deeply
into her heart: “Lord Brendel’s swordsmanship is excellent—”
“I know he’s very skilled, but if the previous challenge was a dragon, then this opponent of his would be
even harder. Even if it’s just Aouine alone, there are many Sword Saints.”
Scarlett’s confident expression froze and she started to worry too.
Brendel’s thoughts were the same as Jana. He wondered what opponents he was going to face. Suddenly,
a new power washed over the stage, and he felt something in him got severed.
Medissa, the Wind Spirit Spiders, and the Silver Colt under him disappeared, and he landed on the ground
with both his feet.
[The Planeswalker’s energy has been cut off? Not only that, I feel like I’m being drained. It looks like my
stats are going down.]
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Brendel felt a numbing sensation on his scalp. He had originally hoped that this cheat-like ability was able
to bypass the rules, but it seemed like the Planeswalker profession was still considered part of the Laws
of this world.
But he did not rely too much on his Planeswalker identity, and was not truly affected inside. He took in a
light breath and adjusted his thoughts before staring at his surroundings cautiously.
Darkness washed over the coliseum next, and a second later, he found that he was on a dueling stage
made out of granite blocks cut to perfection.
His eyes searched the area, and discovered a familiar dark figure coming out from the shadows.
“Buga?”
“The Cross Sword, Buga.”
Kodan and Jana were able to recognize him. He had considerable fame with a unique stance and
swordsmanship, easily allowing both of them to identify him.
Kodan frowned deeply. He had met Buga when he was younger and knew of his potential in the sword,
but he was slightly relieved as Torbus’s lineage was surely as good as Buga if not better. The young man
was of his blood after all.
Jana sighed with relief as well. She had seen Buga on her way to Lantonrand and heard rumors of his skill
in the sword, but she believed that he was much easier to deal with when compared to famous
grandmaster swordsmen.
Before the two people had the chance to gauge who the winner would be, another shadow came forward.
Brendel cursed loudly in his mind.
[Damn it, Tirste? There’s one more. Shit, this time it’s Ebdon…… Who’s this last person?]
There was a fourth shadow that came out, but his face was still shrouded in darkness.
Brendel’s body reacted on its own by trembling a little without its owner noticing.
“That’s!” Kodan’s expression completely turned to one of shock.
“T-t-the Dragon of H-H-Hararth…….” Jana’s expression had also changed, and she felt like her throat had
been stuck with something when she saw the fourth person’s attire and longsword.
“Who’s that?” Scarlett’s brows furrowed together and asked in confusion.
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Jana turned her head and looked back with an expression of defeat and panic, but words refused to come
out.
But Brendel did not have the time to worry about who the fourth person was. He suddenly realized he
was in deep trouble.
It was one against four.
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================= Odum’s POV ===================
“Ouch!”
A girl’s yelp of pain echoed throughout a dark tunnel, and the dwarf who had just crawled out at the end
of it had to turn back his head again. He saw Romaine clutching her forehead with tearful eyes as she
tried to make her way out.
“What’s wrong?” The old dwarf patted the merchant girl’s left hand and saw that her pale forehead had a
red patch on it.
His eyes bulged and exclaimed with exasperation: “Why did you knock yourself again? Didn’t I tell you
that this tunnel was dug for my own personal use? It’s definitely going to be a low ceiling for you, so you
need to be careful about how you move about!”
“But you didn’t warn me again after that.” Little Romaine clutched her head, complaining and muttering
with a frown.
“Lass, this doesn’t need to be reminded all the time!” The dwarf sighed and lent a hand to pull her out
from the pits, “Alright, how is it, do you still feel pain, girl?”
“Of course it hurts!” Came the reply without any hesitation.
“Well, you must hold it in even if it hurts. If we dwarves stubbed our toe on a sheet of metal, we wouldn’t
even make a sound.” Odum went close to the forest’s edge as he spoke and looked down. The road to the
mines was just below them. “Alright, we’re pretty much in the Silver Mines now. Quickly now, wear your
bandana!”
But Romaine was apparently more interested in his earlier words.
“Is it really true?” She stared back with big round eyes as the dwarf made his way back to her: “Even if
you stubbed your toe, you wouldn’t make a sound?”
“Of course.” The old dwarf clearly saw that the little girl did not believe him. He glared and yelled angrily
at her: “Lass! I’m an old dwarf whose beard is longer than your hair. Do you think I’m lying!”
He watched Romaine flip open her bag and search it with great interest. Soon enough, she brought out a
flat object that was black in color.
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And his jaw soon unlodged itself and hung loosely.
“What is that?” Odum said with great suspicion.
“A metal plate!”
“What are you doing with it?”
“Testing if it’s true?” The merchant replied curiously with innocent eyes.
“Get! Why would a dwarf do such a ridiculous thing!” His expression immediately changed: “Lass, why do
you even have this thing in your bag to begin with!”
Her reaction made him blink in an odd manner.
The merchant girl was tilting her head with a large smile, with her long finger moving across her face
repeatedly as she spoke smugly: “Shame on you, you’re bragging! My aunt didn’t lie to me. She said
dwarves love to brag!”
“What did you say!” Odum’s temper flared up and he raised his fist. But he suddenly remembered that she
was a young girl and he had lived a long life. He could not possibly make beat her up or her aunt, for that
matter. In the end, he coughed and reluctantly let it go. “Let me tell you, little girl, only witches would
make that claim!”
Odum did not know he had hit the nail on the head.
He thought for a moment and decided he had to at least maintain his dignity: “The reason for not trying is
there’s no need to. Also, we’re in the mines and we sneaked in here. It would be bad if we get discovered
just because we made a bunch of noises!”
“Really?”
“Of course! Lass, do you think a dwarf in my position would lie to you? I’m different from those cunning
humans!”
But before he could finish his words, he heard a yell that came from the forest:
“Who’s inside there?”
1569
The old dwarf’s words were silenced. He turned his head back stiffly to peek out from the bushes and
instantly discovered a group of patrolling riders. He did not know when they appeared exactly, but
evidently, the loud exchange between Romaine and himself had caused them to be discovered.
“Oh, this is bad.” Odum frowned and placed a finger to his lips: “Don’t speak, got it?”
He emphasized his words as he was afraid that she would cause trouble.
But the girl nodded obediently like she understood, though she stared at her surroundings looking a little
excited.
The two trespassers whispered amongst themselves, but that did not mean that the people out there had
failed to overhear their mumblings.
“The people who are inside the forest, stop hiding and come out right now. We definitely saw you.” The
commander signaled to his men. They untied their guns below their saddle and took them out, and he
waved his own threateningly: “If you don’t come out, we’re going to attack.”
Romaine immediately cast her gaze back at the dwarf. Even though she had a weak sense of social
interactions, she traveled enough with Brendel to know the knights were not giving out empty threats.
‘What should we do next?’ — said her eyes.
The dwarf did not need her reminder. He immediately stood up from the bushes in a hurry and raised his
hands: “Captain Mordel, it’s me, don’t shoot!”
The captain of the riders was slightly taken by surprise but he quickly lowered his gun: “Odum, so it’s
you, old fellow. You’re sneaking in again. Well, Lord Perkins is asking for you,” he suddenly glanced at
Romaine and asked puzzledly, “who’s this?”
“….. She’s one of my relatives.” The old dwarf’s skin was nearly not thick enough to spit out this lie
without blushing, but he had no choice to give a shoddy excuse for this unexpected encounter. “What
does Perkins want me for?”
“Your relative?” The riders immediately ‘understood’ and some of them even made fun of him, “oh, I
didn’t know you had a daughter—”
“Cut out your prattling!” Mordel quickly interrupted his men. “Something has happened to the mines, and
Ser Kodan has gone in to check it. Lord Perkins wants you to help out—”
There was clearly not much respect in the riders’ tone when it came to Perkins.
Odum snorted through his nose.
1570
“What exactly happened in the mines?”
“It seems like someone has dug into the pits again. Monsters came out and injured the miners. I have to
thank Mother Marsha later. Today’s not my duty to guard the mines—” Mordel clearly did not have the
disposition of a military officer, and appeared to be even relieved. “And the events are just like what you
have probably experienced. There’s an earthquake, and it’s a real mess inside the mines.”
The dwarf’s heart skipped a beat when he heard the heart of the mines were dug through again. But the
news of the earthquakes and monsters made him turn his focus on that aspect. “An earthquake? Are the
tunnels preserved? Hmm, the emergency tunnels A4, A12, B3, are they still usable? And how about the
lifts?”
Odum knew the mines like the back of his hand. He immediately asked about the stable tunnels that
would lead to the fifth level.
“I’m not sure,” Mordel shook his head, “I don’t dare to go in right now. You can try asking information
about it from the guards there, but old fellow, you can’t be serious about going in. You must think
carefully. There are monsters below, and there’s no need to work so hard by putting your on the line for
that ‘Lord Perkins’, right?”
“Hmph. What would you know?” The dwarf answered grumpily.
“Fine, fine, then I wish that you will croak faster, old man,” he leered at Romaine, “Don’t worry, I’ll help
take care of your relative—”
“Fuck off!” Odum roared in fury.
The riders laughed and started moving away.
The dwarf turned back to Romaine with apologetic grumblings, but he quickly lost his ability to maintain
his dignity. Romaine was looking at him with curiosity and repressed laughter.
“Well, it’s not really very important—” Romaine nodded earnestly, “I won’t laugh or look down on you for
bragging about how respected you are on the way here!”
Odum was immediately rooted to the spot and felt like his reputation was ruined.
1571
Brendel nearly allowed his sword his sword to clatter on the ground when he finally realized who the
fourth person was.
Torbus Cadirosso, his grandfather.
The former Brendel did not have fond memories of his grandfather when the latter trained him during his
childhood.
A certain fragment floated before Brendel’s eyes.
The taciturn old man forced the boy to measure the distance with every single thrust and was not
allowed to make a mistake. If the boy was off with his attack, then his grandfather would parry against his
attack and wound him with welts that lasted for days.
Brendel closed his eyes to reflect on his state of mind when he felt certain sections on his skin crawl.
When he opened them a second later, the sensation was gone.
[These are people who had defeated me in one way or another. Buga was the last person I fought who
used his Element Power and forced my loss. Tirste nearly killed me with his thrust. Ebdon proved to be
stronger against me when I fought against at my level. Finally, my grandfather whom the former Brendel
had never won. But this is a challenge in skill where all our stats are equal…..]
Brendel sifted through the fragmented memories of his grandfather and his former self.
[An orthodox swordsmanship. Straightforward offense and defense. My grandfather doesn’t seem to be
very impressive. In terms of swordsmanship, Ebdon probably has the best swordsmanship, since he
retains his knowledge of his past life. Buga is troublesome because of his two-step attacks that are just
filled with power and speed. Tirste’s swordsmanship is mostly based on fencing.]
Tirste, who had an oddly seductive appearance for a man, relied on his Gold-ranked stats to overwhelm
the opponents with quick thrusts. The Duel of Ordeals limited him the most since his swordsmanship
relied on stats to make it work.
Brendel glanced at each of his opponents while they slowly surrounded him in a circle. He decided to go
after Tirste as it was annoying to deal with thrusts, but the situation was still unfavorable since he had to
fight against numbers.
1572
Once the Coliseum of Destiny accepted a challenge, there would be no possible way to stop it other than
losing and surrendering.
Although the youths at the walls were not able to read what the rules were, they realized the difficulty of
the challenge went up each time. It might be possible that the opponents were strong enough to resist
Brendel’s strange power. Some of them clasped their hands tightly and hoped they were wrong.
Kodan stood there in momentary shock. Even if he went inside to substitute Brendel, he felt that he
would not be able to do anything. Torbus’s skill in the sword would easily defeat him every single time.
[I’m not sure if he’s the real or it’s just an illusion. But if he’s real, I hope he goes easy on his grandson.]
“Watch out!” One of the youths yelled out.
Tirste made the first move. Even though his speed could not be seen as quick, the path of attack he had
chosen was in Brendel’s blind spot.
The warning was well-timed.
Brendel’s head shifted slightly to allow his line of sight to reach Tirste’s position and swung his sword
behind his back, causing the latter’s thrust to veer off its target.
[As expected, Tirste’s fencing swordsmanship isn’t impressive. Around the skill of a level 40.]
The initial exchange between their swords made Brendel feel that the latter’s threat was lower than he
expected.
His other three opponents started moving once Tirste attacked. Brendel leaped back and knocked into
Tirste as hard as he could while continuing to face them.
The viscount stumbled a few steps and Brendel elbowed his abdomen as hard as he could. The impact
sent him sprawling onto the floor, but before he could give the finishing blow with his sword, Ebdon
swooped into Brendel’s front with burning white flames in his eyes, while Buga approached squarely
from his back.
[These bastards really know how to work together,]
Brendel cursed in his mind.
1573
He dared not to engage them from the front and back as it would spell certain death. He hurriedly
avoided Ebdon’s overhead slash, kicked off the ground, and rolled across it to distance himself away from
the two incoming men.
The Pale Knight immediately followed up with a technique. Two slashes that came in the form of a
vertical and horizontal direction were released to Brendel’s direction.
[It’s one of Madara’s Arte, Cross Strike!]
Brendel pushed himself off the ground and leaped into the air with a somersault, avoiding the well-
known technique that was easily fatal to many in the early game. Madara’s military swordsmanship
pursued close combat with speed and strength, but Cross Strike was one of the rare ranged attacked it
had.
Ebdon’s technique sent a small storm of dust into the air, and Brendel narrowed his eyes a little when he
landed on one knee. But before he was able to stand, Ebdon’s sword traveled a straight line to his neck.
Brendel gritted his teeth and received the attack with his blade. Steel clashed together, but Brendel
managed to subtly angled his sword and pushed Ebdon back. But his counterattack was stopped short
when a heavy greatsword appeared from the left in his eyes—
Buga’s greatsword went Brendel retreat yet again.
Ebdon did not miss the opportunity and once again went on the offensive. His two opponents tightened
the space where Brendel could retreat in just a few moves. Since his blade could only parry another at
any given time, it made most of the people feel that he was going to get cut down at any given time.
And that moment came. Ebdon and Buga’s attacks came together at the same time where Brendel had no
space to evade. Screams leaked out of several people’s voices, but Brendel pulled one of the stolen guards’
swords and parried both incoming blades.
Unfortunately, the strength of his left hand was not the same as his right.
Buga’s greatsword changed direction, but before it did so, it managed to slice across Brendel’s face, and
the latter sucked in the dusty air with a hiss. He immediately cursed in his mind.
[Fuck, why can’t you pick somewhere else instead of my face!]
The youth’s body quickly turned around with the aid of Buga’s attack. He first pried open Ebdon’s
defenses with Frontal Assault with his left sword and unleashed Power Break on the other.
The Pale Knight was sent flying back; his sword was blown away and became embedded in the ground.
1574
[Pity. I can’t chase him because Charge isn’t based on a sword technique. It’s dangerous to chase Ebdon
without it.]
Brendel’s mind remained clear. An ordinary person might have chosen to rush out and try to strike
Ebdon while it was down, but the first directive of Madara’s Military Swordsmanship was to exchange
blow for blow if it was unavoidable. An undead was dead, after all, so why would they bother to defend
themselves?
As expected, Ebdon immediately went for its sword, instead of fleeing to allow the others to cover for
him. Brendel took one step towards the undead general before stopping.
This action made the latter believe the youth’s attack was coming, and it went further into a defenseless
stance to allow rotational strength to be added to his blade.
Brendel took another step.
A powerful roundabout swing that hit nothing because Ebdon misjudged his opponent’s distance.
But Ebdon’s military swordsmanship hid a trap in its attack.
The opening that it showed to Brendel afters its wide swing was even bigger than before, If he took the
bait, its blade would be swung once again. And with Brendel’s third step, it thought that it had the youth
right where he wanted.
Brendel soared to the sky.
The swing of Ebdon’s blade cut nothing but empty air.
Tirste had gotten up a few moments ago and rushed to Ebdon’s side to help it, but Brendel flung his
sword at him with Power Break in mid-air, and the projectile forced Tirste to guard against it. His
advance was stalled and his fingers trembled after deflecting the sword away.
Ebdon’s counterattack had completely left itself open. Buga was on the other side and could no longer tie
Brendel down.
Brendel sailed through the air in an elegant arc and thrust Kodan’s sword—
Time seemed to slow down when people realize that Brendel’s attack was going to pierce through his
target.
Everyone watched with bated breaths. This battle was different from the past yet again. Unlike the duel
against Varian, Brendel’s dazzling skill in the sword was seen for the very first time. Even though it was
1575
not as grand as the battle against the Type IV hunter Knights or the dragon, they still felt as though they
were intoxicated.
The youths did not really understand the level of skill presented before them, but they could see that
Brendel had completely overturned a supposedly impossible situation and gained the upper-hand once
again. This was even crazier than the stories in the inns, where the protagonist in front of them would
keep on winning against the odds—
But the script did not progress as they thought it would.
Brendel’s eyes saw his grandfather stay rooted in the very same spot since the beginning of the battle. He
did not understand why the latter did not move, but there was no possible way that Ebdon could be saved
now.
Reality betrayed his convictions.
A terrifying wail broke across the air like a whip and Brendel felt his hair standing up in terror. He could
certainly pierce through Ebdon’s throat, but if he did so, the wind blade from his grandfather would cut
him into half.
The youth immediately turned his body and launched his own White Raven Sword Arte. An explosive
blast of wind immediately hurled him across the stage, and he crashed into the ground, rolling across it
several times uncontrollably before stopping himself by digging his sword into the ground. His fingers
were numb and throbbed painfully—
[I lost in technique?]
Brendel was shocked.
While it was true that he could not unleash the full potential of the White Raven Sword Arte in his
position, he knew that he would lose even if he had his feet planted on the ground.
The youths uttered cries of pity when they saw Brendel knocked away in mid-air, not knowing his plight.
“This is strange, why is Brendel so much weaker than he used to be?” Jana suddenly realized the strange
phenomenon.
“Torbus and that brat are far too weak. What’s going on?” Kodan frowned deeply, also nothing the
limitations that the Coliseum of Destiny had implemented.
Brendel’s opponents slowly surrounded him again. But this time they were cautious enough to stop and
observe for signs of a weakness first. The youth hurriedly arranged his thoughts.
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[The Coliseum of Destiny created my opponents based on the skill what they had shown in the past. It’s
not unlike that Golden Demonic Tree. Buga and Tirste did not use their full extent of their skill when I
encountered them, so they definitely don’t reflect their counterpart in reality. But my grandfather—]
Brendel was momentarily confused.
He could not remember much about him, but the level of his grandfather’s skill exceeded even Kodan,
who was the strongest swordsman he had seen so far. Did the Coliseum of Destiny dig into some
subconscious memories that he did not know of?
The youth believed he would find out the truth once he crossed swords formally with his grandfather. But
he was still disappointed that his efforts were fruitless at the very end of the attack and even lost part of
his stamina.
1577
The second round commenced with Torbus leading the attack and Brendel immediately shied away. The
position he was in did not allow him to fight against four opponents.
His target was Tirste yet again, and he unleashed his full extent of his military swordsmanship against
him. The tip of his blade wavered at different vital points, making it difficult for Tirste to know where the
blade was going to go next.
Brendel’s sword went for Tirste’s fingers, and the latter was barely able to deflect the attack in time. But
the youth’s deflected sword seemed to correct itself into another path of attack and succeeded in
wounding Tirste’s left leg.
The androgynous man staggered backward, but Brendel did not follow up and retreated instead, as
Torbus had come in with a straightforward slash from the sides.
Rushed footsteps shuffled across the floor as three blades tried to cut the youth in three different
directions, and he soon suffered another wound.
Metal clashed desperately with each other as Brendel tried his best to whittle his opponents one at a
time, while completely avoiding a match with his grandfather. However, his three other opponents
seemed to pick up on what he was doing and were content to let Torbus take the charge and lead them.
Brendel seemed to look like he was doing fine to most of his spectators, but the truth could not be further
away.
His grandfather did not show that earlier attack, and fought with incredibly simple strikes and thrusts.
That was when Brendel knew that he was not entering into a match of skill, but one of attrition.
His grandfather was spending a minuscule of stamina to exchange for Brendel’s desperate defense,
forcing the latter to exert a considerable amount of energy, and this plan was working because of the two
to three different points of attack from his other opponents which he needed to defend against.
And it was getting only harder.
The coordination of the three swordsmen was getting better and better. He knew that the illusionary
equilibrium between them would be shattered once he made a mistake.
[It’s fortunate that I got an increase in my military swordsmanship against Kodan earlier, otherwise, I
would have been cut down several times……]
1578
In the previous fight against Kodan, Brendel had forcefully incorporated his knowledge of Kirrlutz’s
swordsmanship from the game into his core Aouine’s military swordsmanship from the system.
Kodan’s usage of Aouine’s military swordsmanship was powerful strikes that linked from one point to
another, allowing for endless variations to keep on attacking.
But Brendel’s usage of Aouine’s military swordsmanship was based on the gamers, where attacking was
based on feints and counters that could be repeated again and again with incredible efficiency. In
addition to this style, he added in Kirrlutz’s Flash Strikes which were aggressive and lightning fast.
This pattern had caused Kodan to hesitate in his attacks, and he was now using it once more against his
opponents.
But it was primarily because of Brendel’s incredibly extensive knowledge of the different types of
swordsmanship that saved him.
His eyes were concentrating so hard on his opponents that he picked up even the slightest movements of
their muscles, and his body responded to the amount of information that was fed to his mind.
Each move from his opponents could be identified and dealt with accordingly, and the exchange of
defense and offense continued.
Seconds turned to minutes.
Despite his utmost efforts, the wounds that Brendel suffered were starting to pile up. The noose was
tightening around Brendel’s neck as he was forced closer and closer to the barrier’s edge.
Brendel’s body and mind were screaming with pain. His breath became shallow and the corners of his
eyes were darkening. His thoughts became sluggish, but his counters against his opponents still
happened.
Each time Buga, Tirste, and Ebdon attacked, he was able to send back a flurry of attack and feints instead
of purely guarding against them.
The unification of the gamers’ use of Aouine and Kirrlutz’s swordsmanship was happening right before
his eyes, turning the efforts of the gamers’ research into reality.
[No, it has exceeded the previous world because there are elements of the military swordsmanship from
this system that I’m using as well—]
Brendel’s mind suddenly sharpened when he realized he was undergoing a metamorphosis.
1579
He took a step back as he deflected Tirste thrust to send it to Ebdon’s incoming sword, then parried
Buga’s greatsword with Power Break to force the gigantic weapon down so that his grandfather’s attack
faltered slightly, then borrowed the strength of his grandfather’s affected slash to take another step back.
The White Raven Sword Arte struck against the floor and sent dust flying into Ebdon’s helmet and
Tirste’s eyes, momentarily blinding them. The inferior Flash Strikes technique that he emulated was swift
enough to pierce through Buga’s defenses and caused him to bleed.
[While the system doesn’t recognize my efforts officially, it seems that I’m capable of executing the
techniques to a certain extent with my stats and Military Swordsmanship rank.]
He was not the only person who noticed his change.
Kodan was able to perceive it as well, and he could not help but be jealous of Brendel’s talent that seemed
to increase to no end in sight. If he was the one fighting on the stage, he thought that he would not be able
to last more than three rounds of attacks from the four opponents.
The way how Brendel managed to defend against their attacks appeared as though he had fought against
them hundreds or even thousands of times before.
It made no sense to Kodan, but he could only attribute it to Brendel’s talent. And the fact that he merged
Kirrlutz and Aouine’s swordsmanship made it truly unbelievable.
[This isn’t any of the sword styles taught by the Guardian Spirits…… This boy, is it true that he doesn’t
know what that term means? How can this be!]
Kodan’s questions continued to pop out one after another. The legacy item of Torbus was in Brendel’s
hands, Yet it seemed like he had no idea what it was.
And even without the aid of the Guardian Spirit, he still managed to become a Gold-ranked swordsman.
[Is this the meaning of talent?]
Brendel went all out against his opponents.
In a moment of folly, Tirste had made a mistake and allowed Brendel to disarm and kick him away. Buga
received a punch to his throat and allowed Brendel to get him off-balance. He was then flung to the other
side of the stage.
His grandfather directed his blade to him in an overhead chop, but Brendel managed to defend against it
by taking out another sword with his left hand, and intercepted it with the aid of Power Break, while his
right hand struck out the White Sword Raven Arte against Ebdon, forcing him to retreat to the side as far
as he possibly could to avoid the wind slash.
1580
[Time to duel!]
Brendel roared in his mind.
There was no doubt he had to take down his grandfather first. Every time he launched a fatal attack on
the other three opponents, his grandfather would obstruct it and nearly caused him to receive a fatal
attack instead.
The youth discarded his left hand’s sword and went back to a single weapon. Time seemed to slow down
as he unleashed the full extent of his techniques against his current opponent.
And he discovered that his grandfather’s swordsmanship changed.
The simplistic thrusts, slashes, strikes, and chops suddenly took on an additional trait.
Endless.
An endless array of defensive lines. A perfect sphere where no attacks could penetrate through his
grandfather’s defenses. If Brendel was able to activate his Analyze skill, he was certain that he would see
how exquisitely precise his grandfather’s use of Aouine’s military swordsmanship was. Each feint that
Brendel made was useless because his grandfather’s blade seemingly mirrored his own, always ready,
always there to impede whatever attacks that he had planned in mind.
Kirrlutz’s swordsmanship was almost laughable. It was utterly useless. Even though the tempest-like
attacks from Brendel seemed like he was forcing his grandfather back, he knew that the latter was
purposely retreating in order to conserve stamina. A single step and a shift in body posture to let an
immature thrust go past effortlessly.
Each time Brendel took a step forward made him feel like he was getting caught in a trap. The techniques
of the gamers were somehow getting analyzed in full by his grandfather, and each time their blades met,
he could not help but feel that a counterattack would come.
Cold perspiration had already drenched all over his body from the intense pressure.
He had no choice.
He admitted that his grandfather’s knowledge of Aouine’s military swordsmanship exceeded the
collective research of the gamers in the past world.
The exchange between them continued till Brendel went past half the stage. His grandfather finally made
his counterattack as though he was satisfied that the youth’s swordsmanship could no longer present a
threat to him.
1581
An explosive clash of metals echoed throughout the Coliseum.
[Again….. It’s my loss.]
Brendel nearly dropped his sword from the impact and staggered backward, while his grandfather stood
at where he was. He had put in everything to make a contest of power. The result was having his fingers
feeling nothing.
He stared wordlessly at Torbus. He still had not given up.
[Would deception work? Should I try and create an opening to let my grandfather make a mistake?]
There was a chance since he had the ability, Unyielding Will. A bait that might entice even the latter. But
Brendel’s instincts told him that it was highly unrealistic.
At this moment, Kodan shouted out to him.
“Boy!”
Brendel’s exhaustion was at its peak. He could barely recognize that it was someone from the outside
calling out to him, but he did not understand why the old man would want to distract him, and was a little
annoyed.
[Are you trying to get rid of me at this time by distracting me?]
“Where’s your Guardian Spirit?” Kodan yelled.
“This again?” Brendel muttered to himself.
Kodan realized that Brendel truly had no idea what he was talking about, and corrected his words.
“Your ring, use your ring!”
[Ring of the Wind Empress? But skills and items unrelated to sword techniques are sealed.]
The youth did not bother to reply.
The old man was taken aback when he saw Brendel’s displeasure. He suddenly understood the problem.
“Boy! Wait, I’m not asking you to use it. Express your desire to the ring and wish on it with all your heart!
That ring contains a secret! Your grandfather has used it in the past in the same way!”
Brendel finally looked back at Kodan with surprise.
Kodan jumped a little when he saw Torbus moving. “Watch out!”
1582
Brendel suddenly felt death creeping up to him. The sudden distraction had momentarily caused him to
lose his concentration—
1583
Brendel’s head immediately snapped back, but his reaction to his grandfather’s longsword was slow. It
was an unerring thrust imbued with a technique similar to Power Break, no, a technique that was
superior to it. It felt as if the blade’s sharpness had already reached his heart before it even reached him.
Brendel’s heart palpitated. Blood rushed to his head, and he faintly put in the idea to swing his blade
upwards to try and divert the attack as much as possible, while his body sunk a little to evade the sword’s
path. But the fatal thrust seemed to follow his heart like a magic spell.
It was too late. Brendel felt the metallic feedback from his sword, yet Torbus’s sword was not deterred in
the slightest in its path. Cold steel reached pricked his skin and broke through.
[I…… failed? But I haven’t succeeded in the things that I needed to do yet—]
Brendel’s cry of lament echoed in his mind. The amount of effort that he put in for months and had risked
his life repeatedly to save the kingdom was all for naught. Frustration assailed his heart and he could not
help but tear up.
Pain flared through his flesh as his opponent’s blade continued to reach for his heart. It was all over.
Brendel’s thoughts could not help but think back on the people he had encountered in this world.
A second passed.
Brendel had taken a step back when he felt the impact from the blade. And he was immediately
bewildered. How could he possibly be pushed back like he was being struck by a blunt weapon? When he
glanced at the trembling blade in his chest, he was shocked to find blue light emitting from the wound.
An unknown power was pushing the foreign body out of his chest with force.
An explosion rang out.
Brendel and Torbus hurled dramatically away from each other.
Screams and yells rang out from the coliseum when they saw the youth getting run through with a blade,
then confusion set in when they saw a blue light forming into the shape of a human figure, standing
between him and his grandfather.
Very quickly, they saw that it a translucent woman who had long hair going past her shoulders. She wore
an Elven longsword on her sword belt while fully clad with plate mail armor.
1584
Kodan blinked several times when he saw Brendel’s Guardian Spirit. He thought the Guardian Spirit was
going to be Torbus’s former Guardian Spirit.
[Certainly, there are females amongst the Twenty Four Knights, but I really did not think the one who
answered him would be a female knight.]
Kodan was shaking his head inwardly. His own Guardian Spirit was the Wind Destroyer, Suorat, while
Torbus had the Grey Swordsman, Grice. The female knights amongst the Guardian Spirits had their own
swordsmanships as well, but surely they were unsuitable for males.
In addition to that, there was even a female knight whose main weapon was a bow and not a sword.
When he took a second look, Kodan thought it was probably not the female archer, as the description of
her appearance was a ponytail along with a long cloak.
But one thing was clear. This was truly Brendel’s first encounter with his Guardian Spirit given his
stunned expressions.
[If this boy managed to climb to this level of skill without unsealing his Guardian Spirit, then how far
would his limits be in the future!]
Kodan was unable to gauge.
But unlike what the spectators were seeing, Brendel was experiencing something entirely different. Time
had slowed down in his vision. Noises ceased and he was in an isolated space.
It was similar to the first time when he encountered Tuman.
He did understand, however, that the Ring of the Wind Empress had something to do with his situation.
[How’s this possible? Even the Planeswalker’s abilities were shut down, so how did the ring work in this
duel? …… Unless the Laws of the ring are similar to the Coliseum of Destiny, and it became a loophole.]
“Boy, this is the second time that I have saved you.”
A beautiful voice wormed inside Brendel’s ears from behind. It was filled with an elegant, aristocratic-like
tone. Brendel could only imagine nothing but a woman filled with exquisite charm.
“Who’re you?” Brendel was shocked, whirling around to find a stunning woman with Elven features on
her face.
He didn’t know there was a third soul in his body ever since he teleported to this parallel world.
1585
“I’ll explain these things to you later. This isolated space cannot last. Your improvement is certainly
incredible, but it’s still not enough to deal with these enemies. Let me use your body.”
Brendel jumped a little upon hearing that. There were spirits and ghosts possessing bodies in the game,
and he retreated hastily. But the Elven woman beckoned to him and his body, or soul, walked towards
her while ignoring his commands to stay away from her.
He found himself merging with the spirit.
And he was back into reality. The woman who suddenly appeared on the stage had disappeared. His
opponents looked around in confusion, but they did not stand idly and cautiously surrounded him.
“Don’t be afraid,” the female voice in his head spoke, “concentrate and observe the ring in your hand.”
Brendel’s mind spun quickly.
[The real Ring of the Wind Empress? Osor’s Divine Artifact, The Wind Empress’s Lament? How’s that
possible, and how did my grandfather have a ring that’s at least a Fantasy rank?]
The true Ring of the Wind Empress that the gamers found was an artifact that allowed one to implement
an Aura of Wind Element. It bestowed the ability to control the Wind Element Power temporarily and
went past the simple spell of a Wind Bullet from the replicated rings.
Yet a spirit or soul suddenly appeared out from nowhere from this supposedly fake ring in his hand. It
was as if the gamers had it wrong, and the fake replica was actually the real deal.
“Boy, stop getting surprised,” the female voice urged, “quickly get used to it and focus. I can only manifest
in my state for a short while. This isn’t the proper way to activate the Holy Seal.”
“The Holy Seal?”
“The reason for our manifestation is to pass our legacy to the ones worthy of succeeding it. But you’re in
danger and require my assistance, so I’m forcibly breaking the Laws of the Holy Seal and manifesting
myself before you. I need you to unseal the ring so that I can lend my knowledge to your body and mind
through it. I’ll explain the matters concerning this to you in the future—”
Brendel was still confused, but understood the danger he was in and quickly studied the Ring of the Wind
Empress.
A brilliant flash of light poured out from the ring—
Brendel suddenly stood up and roared, and a dominating aura filled the stage. It stopped his opponents
from advancing any further.
1586
Knowledge poured into his mind and his body became lighter. One thing immediately came to his mind as
familiar techniques came rushing back to him—
[I have returned as the warrior in the game.]
– Ring of the Wind Empress (Unsealed)
– +1 Agility
– Magic spell: Wind Bullet
– Holy Seal activation: Guardian Spirit has been released.
– Possessed state.
– Shared techniques are available.
Green words appeared in his retina.
[…… Guardian Spirit? That’s a term I have never heard before in the game.]
Two terms caught the youth’s attention. ‘Guardian Spirit’ and ‘Shared techniques’.
Brendel easily understood the first term.
Was he possessed by a spirit? Or ghost? Or soul?
It usually indicated some kind of debuff, and gamers understood that warning well enough.
The second term was familiar as well. This term was typically reserved for wizards in the game where
large ritual spells were cast. Many people to ‘gain’ that spell through the main caster. It was the same
thing when he used Medissa’s techniques just a few minutes ago.
He suddenly became curious about the description in his Stats Window and opened it. He once again
froze in shock.
He still held his old titles: Commoner, Militia, Mercenary, Elementalist, Scholar. There were skills as well
attached to the various professions as well.
But there were three new professions.
– Swordsman
– Sword Saint
1587
– Knight of the Seal.
[The first two professions are easy to understand. The former is a basic profession for a player, while the
Sword Saint is a popular Advanced profession. I have never seen the third profession before, but the thing
that surprised me the most…… Is the number of techniques and swordsmanships shared.]
There were ten-odd swordsmanships that were added to his stats window. Brendel certainly knew these
them, but he did not expect this strange woman to be so skilled. There were less than twenty people in
this era with her strength in the entire continent.
“Are you a Wind Elf?” He asked, thinking that she came from the distant past.
“Shhh,” the woman said, and Brendel felt an enjoyable sensation on his lips, as though she had placed a
finger there, “the noble me shall answer your questions later. Pay attention, your enemies are about to
approach.”
Brendel glanced at his surroundings. His four enemies had once again surrounded him.
“Here, let me help you out—” The woman said.
But Brendel refused immediately.
“No.” The youth flatly denied her.
“Hmm?” The female Elf was surprised.
“This is my duel.”
The system had restored his body and mind to be similar to his former body in the game. Once he had
these skills, he was confident that he would not be any weaker than anyone here. Even if he was back in
the War of the Holy Saints, he would still be considered one of the strong.
“Boy!” Kodan yelled out again.
He knew what had happened when he saw Brendel shouting earlier. His Guardian Spirit had also done
the same thing of merging together with him when he was young, and the amount of information
transmitted to him nearly incapacitated him because of the pain. His Guardian Spirit had to unmerge with
him in order to keep him conscious, and he assumed that Brendel went through the same thing.
And in the past, he had to deal with his danger with an incomplete understanding of the techniques that
was forced into his mind.
“Knowing the techniques is different from executing them! Perhaps I can give you some pointers on using
the techniques given to you! Tell me, do you recognize any of the swordsmanships?”
1588
But he would never be to guess that Brendel was already capable of using the techniques available, and
that he had even surpassed the techniques that were given by the system. In addition to that, the system
handled the information overload and he was completely unaffected by the merging.
1589
His grandfather took the lead to attack again, with the other three following close behind. It was the same
strategy that they used earlier, and Brendel recognized that his stamina was getting low.
The youth decided on his swordsmanship.
He took out another sword from his back and fell into a familiar stance. It was a swordsmanship that his
friend in the previous world was gifted in. He had put in considerable effort into it, but the skill ultimately
clashed with his class and gave up on using it.
[Two selves. The first self shall perceive his surroundings and make the decisions, and the second self
shall handle the body’s power and control.]
A delicate balance was created from a near-meditative state.
“Duel wielding?! Boy! What are you doing? There’s no one who’s capable of executing a new
swordsmanship just like that—”
Torbus was the first to attack.
[A slice to sever the jugular. Parry with the right sword, counter-thrust with the left sword.]
Brendel’s machine-like efficiency nearly reached Torbus’s level of control.
His grandfather retreated against his counter.
Then Tirste approached from the youth’s right, while Ebdon moved in from the opposite direction.
[Tirste’s attack is a feint. Ebdon’s is using Madara’s overhead strike. Step into Ebdon’s space to take
initiative.]
The youth lunged at Ebdon, forcing him to change into a defensive posture in a hurry.
[Parry against Buga’s greatsword, then use Power Break and deflect it to Tirste.]
A loud metallic grind happened as he superbly changed the angle of Buga’s two-handed attack, and
stopped Tirste from approaching
1590
Kodan’s eyes nearly popped up of their sockets. If they were not properly affixed to his head, they would
be rolling about on the ground. He recognized the Wind Elves’ swordsmanship.
The Sword Dance of Wind.
[H-he’s using the swordsmanship like he has been practicing for years— No, there’s no hesitation in his
moves at all. It feels like he has combat experience with the swordsmanship! What kind of talent is this!]
“Boy!” A female Elf’s surprised voice echoed in Brendel’s head again.
She had been with Brendel ever since he left Bucce. He had never displayed any signs of knowing Elven
swordsmanship, yet his skill in it appeared like he had been using it for years.
“What is it?” Brendel’s mind was clear enough to even squeeze in a reply to her, as though he was
watching the duel from the sidelines.
“Your talent in the sword is truly enviable. I think that person is the only one who can match you.” A soft
sigh escaped her throat, and it nearly crashed his perfect state of mind when he listened to it with a
hundred percent focus.
He did not know who that person was but made a guess that it could have been King Gatel. The latter was
considered the best talent during the era of War of the Saints. Even if there were countless prodigies back
then, he still stood out amongst them.
Confusion set amongst his opponents with the exception of his grandfather.
The old man rushed into Brendel’s space with a defensive approach meant to wear him down, and the
youth felt a cold dread in his head when he saw the other three opponents realized the strategy.
Not only was his grandfather’s skill outrageous, he was fighting with the ability to command.
[Just who exactly was my grandfather? Damn it, the others are coming back again.]
A storm of blades struck at Torbus, while he suppressed his other three opponents. The reversal between
Brendel and his opponents had already shocked the spectators. It was especially potent amongst the
youths, who believed Brendel to be the equivalent of a God of War.
“As expected of the former owner of the ring. His skill is impressive.” The female Elf said with admiration.
Brendel did not reply as his mind went into overdrive to find a weakness. Unlike the people watching
from the outside who saw him suppressing everyone, he knew that his grandfather’s defense was like an
impenetrable fortress. Even if he was at his peak condition to use the Sword Dance of Wind, he was not
certain that he could win.
1591
In addition to that, the moment he tried going after the other opponents, his grandfather would rescue
them out of danger with incredible accuracy.
[There’s no choice. I have to switch back to a single longsword.]
Brendel did not wish to use the second swordsmanship he had reserved as a trump card because it would
certainly drain all his stamina. There was no telling what would happen after this match because Medissa
had been dismissed, and Scarlett lost her strength. What would happen if Kodan tried to take advantage
of the situation?
He stopped his offense and retreated quickly. His opponents did not rush to pursue him.
The swordsmanship that he intended to use was the very same one that his previous avatar had used at
level 130. The amount of time he had spent using it in the game exceeded all others.
This particular swordsmanship was passed down in history from the War of the Holy Saints and spread
to the north, finding its way to a particular kingdom.
Brendel sheathed his left sword back into his belt and readied his other sword into an aggressive
position. His legs nearly touched the ground as his body wound itself tightly.
[The symbol of the Kingdom of Knights, and gamers had further improved it — The Swordsmanship of
Charging Tempest!]
At that moment, it seemed like Brendel had cheated and activated the Sun Knight’s Charge skill.
Tirste was surprised to see the youth suddenly appear before him. Torbus was in front leading them, not
to mention that Brendel was supposedly a great distance away.
Buga and Ebdon opponents were not able to see how Brendel did it too.
Torbus could only look back in surprise, but when he did so, he discovered that Brendel had already
pierced through Tirste’s throat.
“Boy, that doesn’t appear to be my swordsmanship.” The Elven woman looked upon the scene with
astonishment.
“I adopted and improved it,” Brendel said shamelessly.
Torbus caught glimpses of a sprint from Brendel that removed all semblance of defense or offense, and
his center of gravity was so low that he might as well be running on fours. The latter did not waste any
time and darted across the field to reach Ebdon next.
1592

But before the youth could reach him, he found Torbus in his path. An explosive clash of steel happened
between them and both took several steps back.
“Don’t!” His grandfather’s expression changed and he spoke for the first time.
This was the first time Brendel heard him speak, and the old man’s surprised face quickly disappeared
from his view.
It was because he had leaped into the air to avoid Buga’s greatsword from behind. His grandfather’s
warning to the middle-aged swordsman was too late as the youth decapitated him from mid-air.
Ebdon was next to be cut down from the beast-like charge and it disappeared into a pile of black smoke.
Torbus had given up on defending the undead knight and merely stood there to wait for Brendel to get
ready.
The youth was panting heavily and perspiration was pouring down his face. His muscles were trembling
and straining with pain.
The Swordsmanship of Charging Tempest was different from the Sun Knight’s Charge technique. The
former relied on pure physical prowess, while the latter was a technique that had a waiting time before it
could be used again.
His grandfather nodded to him, as though to signify they were ready to start their final duel. Brendel
lowered his sword towards the ground and readied himself to sprint again.
Six consecutive flashes struck Torbus’s defenses in different directions, with each attack from Brendel
getting stronger, and the old soldier who survived the November War realized that the youth’s offense
had become great enough to distort his defense.
He would eventually be defeated if he just continued to defend. Waiting for the latter’s stamina to run out
was not an option anymore.
The seventh exchange would be the last.
Both of them concluded that thought.
Brendel did not hold anything back and used every bit of his stamina for his final attack. His grandfather’s
stance was nearly broken from the previous lunge, and he was certain that it would end in the next
attack.
The distance closed rapidly between the two.
1593
A sudden impulse struck Brendel.
Nearly a century worth of experience in the game was warning him that he was going to be killed. In his
mind, he could see a sudden change in stance where Torbus would sacrifice his arm or his life to get in a
strike.
It was all over for the youth.
The Elven woman had sensed the very same thing and concluded it as such, and she instantly regretted
allowing Brendel to continue dueling when he insisted on it.
But there was a reason why the gamers were able to surpass the NPCs. Their ingenuity was able to lead
the techniques used in the game to greater heights.
The Charging Tempest Swordsmanship was originally developed for swordswomen in the past to use
both power and speed. Multiple refinements were made to make sure that the body was allowed to
remain balanced when it was used.
But gamers disregarded the notion of having it balanced all the time and instead overloaded it with speed
and power.
The reason why Brendel was able to turn so easily despite that the increase in speed was having a pivot
point. He had flicked his sword against the ground to control that balance every time it was required.
When he saw his grandfather’s change in stance, he immediately drew up his left sword and thrust it into
the ground, allowing him to suddenly brake and instead soar into the air.
Torbus swung his sword in a clean line that should have cleaved Brendel into two.
Brendel’s body spun multiple times in the air before he swung his sword in an overhead strike.
His grandfather had changed into an attacking stance and was thus not able to retain his unique defense
where he was ready for every attack. He barely managed to meet Brendel’s blade in time, but found that
his sword was pushed aside from the youth’s momentum.
Brendel’s blade emerged from the other end of the old man’s chest.
“How artful……” His eyes met Brendel’s gaze as he spoke. “Well done, young man.”
Torbus vanished in a pile of black smoke after his last words.
1594
“Currently, the only lift working is in sector a03, but mister Odum, are you certain you want to go down?”
A worker said as his gaze shifted between Odum and Romaine.
He was leading Odum and the girl deep into the mining tunnels, and behind them were ten-odd soldiers.
Perkins had been completely frightened out of his wits because Kodan was gone for hours. When Odum
appeared and requested to venture into the mines, he nearly jumped up in joy as the dwarf was the
noble’s final hope to solve this situation.
As for the strange appearance of Romaine?
Perkins did not even realize a girl had appeared beside the dwarf, and even if he did, why would he
interfere with his savior’s choice? Who was going to care if the dwarf was willing to bring his daughter
into the mines?
Upon hearing the worker’s question, the dwarf snorted through his nose.
“That’s a stupid question. Why else would I come here?”
He glanced at the trembling soldiers behind him; they were obviously frightened from the mine’s rumors.
“You can go back if you don’t wish to follow us.”
The soldiers were relieved to hear that, but someone amongst them asked: “What if Lord Perkins
questions us about it?”
“And what has that to do with me?” The dwarf growled.
Bringing these soldiers down was a problem for him since it interfered with his goals, but it was also true
that he did not want to go down without any guards. There were many people who claimed they
encountered monsters, and he might meet the damned creatures along the way. Even though he was
capable of using a weapon, he was not particularly good at it.
“…… Just find an excuse, or is there not one amongst you lot who knows how to lie? I’m not going to
expose you—” The dwarf continued after a moment of hesitation.
The soldiers finally nodded: “It’s very thoughtful of you to think of our safety, mister Odum.”
1595
The group quickly reached the lift.
Romaine looked around curiously. If it were not for the fact that there were so many people, she might
have fiddled with all the mechanisms in front of her. Just as she was hesitating, the dwarf prodded her
and got her to enter the lift.
The worker who led them did not follow: “Mister Odum, I won’t be going any further. Please stay safe.”
“Naturally I’m going alone without the other miners or guards. You humans are really cowards.”
The guards’ expression contorted, but the worker responded with a little embarrassment on his face: “I
assume the lifts for all the sectors are the same and there’s no need for me to teach you how to operate
this particular lift, right?”
“You do know that you’re talking to a supervisor?” The dwarf rolled his eyes and operated the levers and
the machinery started moving. It slowly descended and left the worker and soldiers behind, which then
picked up speed and the walls quickly flew past the two passengers. The air was becoming warmer as
well.
Romaine soon woke up from her docile state when there were no outsiders. She gingerly reached out to
the walls flying past her eyes with her hand. Odum immediately smacked her hand down and glared at
her.
“Lass, do you want to lose your hand?” He roared.
“I’m sorry!” Romaine apologized in an instant.
At that moment, the lift suddenly slammed against solid ground and both of them became unsteady on
their feet. Odum lifted the torch and found the exit led to a narrow tunnel that was filled with stale air. He
thought for a while, shook his head and extinguished the flames.
[…… Damn it. I forgot to bring along a Light Crystal. Even though I can take the lift back up and get from
them but that’s too shameful. A supervisor forgetting to bring the necessary items?]
Since he was capable of seeing things in low light, he decided to continue.
“It’s really dark,” Romaine said, her big eyes reflecting the incredibly weak light emitted from the
minerals in the wall.
“Shhh! Just follow me!” Odum said.
1596
“Why did you extinguish the torch?”
“Because we’re deep underground and air is precious here.”
“How about a Light Crystal?”
“I don’t have that—”
“But it’s so dark.”
“There’s no helping it!”
“But I really want to have a light source.”
“Oh will you just shu—” The dwarf’s words died in his throat. The area in front of him was softly
illuminated all of a sudden. He blinked a few times and almost thought he was dreaming. He turned
around with his beady eyes opened to the widest he could make them, and saw Romaine raising a
glowing hand up.
“H…… How did you do that?” Odum stuttered once.
“I don’t know, my hand just lit up, how interesting!” Romaine turned her palm back and forth.
“You don’t know?” The dwarf felt she was pulling his leg.
“That’s right,” Romaine nodded obediently, “I just want a light and my hand just lit up. Amazing, right?”
“This is the first time?”
“Yup.”
The dwarf tiptoed and touched Romaine’s forehead.
“Nothing, how strange,” Odum shook his head, “…… I’ve heard stories about special humans shunned by
wizards and witches because their blood carries mana in them— Did your family ever do the same thing
like you are doing now?”
Romaine thought for a while: “Brendel says that my aunt’s a witch.”
“A witch,” Odum’s eyes became even bigger, “that’s impossible! Witches and that special…… cannot
coexist. Unless she’s not your real aunt, are you adopted?”
1597
Romaine was cross. “My aunt is my aunt!”
Odum raised an eyebrow at her angry retort.
[That’s true. What does someone’s else family has to do with a dwarf like myself?]
He suddenly felt that he had more and more bad habits coming out ever since he met this girl. He
scratched his head: “Very well, it’s good that we have a light source, follow me closely. Don’t lose yourself
in this place alone. It’s not a game.”
“Understood.” Romaine nodded.
But this meek behavior only lasted for a few seconds as she pointed at something. “Odum, what’s that?”
The dwarf turned to follow her finger subconsciously and was taken aback by what he saw—
1598
The invisible barrier disappeared the moment Torbus was defeated.
Kodan lost his balance and nearly had his face planted against the ground, but he did not forget his skills
at the last moment and managed to push himself up with a single hand, cursing audibly. He completely
forgot to ask Brendel how the latter got Torbus’s ring due to this distraction.
At the same time, Medissa reappeared where she was earlier and blinked in confusion.
Brendel was feeling vexed.
He was not certain whether his phantom grandfather had ever praised his past self. A warm joy seemed
to spread out in his body, but part of him was still thinking about Aouine’s swordsmanship used against
him earlier.
[If this was a match that did not cap our stats, if that swordsmanship was a little faster…… More than
anything, that strangely defensive style seemed like that phantom was limited in many ways. That is
surely not the limits of my grandfather]
He was hardly satisfied at his victory over the illusions because he felt that the future ahead of him was
becoming uncertain. Was there going to be a duel in the future where he could not win even if he
regained his former strength?
He stood there reveling for a moment as his emotions spun like a maelstrom, staring blankly ahead with
his sword held tightly in his hand. After a long while, he finally noticed green words flashing in the corner
of his vision, and shook his head, waking up from the daze.
A woman’s voice rang out in Brendel’s head as soon as he was done thinking, as though she had been
waiting for him.
“It seems that it’s not a coincidence that you’re able to call out to me. Surely the word genius is
insufficient to describe your talent in the sword.”
Her voice was just as pleasant as before, tickling his ears and made him want to listen to more of it.
“Can you tell me who you are now?” Brendel asked with a slight frown.
The woman parted from his body again and presented herself before him. When Brendel looked at her
again, he could not help but feel that her regal presence had a strong contrast to her mature beauty.
It was oddly alluring, and he even forgot to breathe for just a moment.
1599
Her ornate trinkets around her head resembled the designs on a certain character in the War of the Holy
Saints; it was just that the particular character wore a veil and he did not recognize her the first time he
saw her.
“Orthlyss—” She began to speak.
“Wait, Are you one of the twenty-four……” Brendel interrupted when he suddenly realized who she really
was.
He had suspected her to be a Heroic Spirit from an ancient era, but it took on a different meaning if she
was one of the twenty-four knights of the Wind Empress, Osor.
“Interrupting me, boy?” Orthlyss pushed her finger against his lower lip with a smile in her eyes, “Yes, I’m
one of the Wind Empress’s knight. You can call me by my nickname, Lyss.”
Brendel blinked a few times as he looked at her features.
[The Elves who became the Wind Empress’s direct knights were naturally the most prominent heroes of
that ancient era. Unfortunately, they all perished in the battles against the Dragon of Darkness. In fact,
Orthlyss’s the origin of the profession ‘Knight of Keen Blades’. The youngest and the last knight who was
still alive in the Battle of the Grey Marsh, and the favorite disciple of the Divine Archer Suoya. In order to
allow the King of Fire to advance, she died defending her route.]
The Wind Elves were just as famous as the Silver Elves, and when Brendel converted Orthlyss’s age into
human years, she was no older than a sixteen-year-old.
[But she looks…… Does age increase when one becomes a Heroic Spirit? Why does she look so mature?]
“Why do you—” Brendel said, but quickly paused while he stared curiously at her and decided to ask
something different: “Earlier, you said that it was the second time you saved me?”
“Have you forgotten the fire in Bucce, boy?”
The faint scars on Brendel’s body started burning as he recalled the event where the skeletons stabbed
him with their swords. He then shuffled uncomfortably when he remembered his first fight against
Ebdon, and the moment when his grandfather’s sword pierced through him.
[This makes it the third time I nearly died. I even thought that night was due to the skill ‘Unyielding’.]
He secretly let out a sigh in his mind.
“Thank you,” he said.
“There’s no need to thank me, boy. The noble me is your Guardian Spirit. Saving me is helping myself. I
don’t want to sleep for centuries again.” She replied with a smile.
1600
1601
“I had thought all the Wind Empress’s knights slumbered into their final rest, but to think that you have
become Heroic Spirits,” Brendel said after a moment, “……. can you tell me what a Guardian Spirit is?”
Heroic Spirits did not come from unfulfilled wishes or through sheer willpower.
It was through a complicated process held in sacred places, and an example was the Crimson Palace that
was currently controlled by the Cathedral of Flames. The building was housing the Heroic Spirits from the
War of the Saints and they nurtured the people who were anointed to become the Sacred Knights of
Flames.
For a ring to be able to summon and link to the Wind Empress’s knights, it could only be said that the
Ring of the Wind Empress was equivalent to a Divine Artifact.
“Guardian Spirits are actually Heroic Spirits carrying the name of the Wind Empress. Our Empress had
twenty-four rings made and we sealed our souls into the rings. The other knights and I entered a contract
with Mother Marsha to allow our souls to stay here in this world and nurture the next generation of
heroes; youths who have potential like yourself. During our era, powerful souls were exceedingly
important, because these souls became the best army to stop the Dragon of Darkness—”
“An army comprised of Heroic Spirits?”
“Yes. Be it the Wind Empress or the King of Fire, their abilities to create a Heroic Spirit came from the
knowledge of the Dragons. The sages in our era also gained knowledge from the Dragons. It was a truly
desperate war. You would understand how brutal it was if you were born in that era.”
Thoughts of the Silver Elves surfaced in Brendel’s mind. They were Heroic Spirits who willingly stayed
behind to fight against the Darkness, along with Mother Marsha’s blessings.
[But there really isn’t a mention of the Guardian Spirits or other Heroic Spirits from other races in the
game. It’s unlikely that only the Elves and Humans have Heroic Spirits. What about the other races?]
“What happened to the other Heroic Spirits from other races after the war is over? Did the contract with
Mother Marsha somehow end after the various races established their kingdoms?”
“Unfortunately, I don’t know what their fates were.”
Brendel expected an answer like this. Orthlyss was killed in battle before the war ended, and it was a
normal thing that she did not know what happened to them.
“Now that the war has ended, do you….. regret being sealed in this ring for all eternity?”
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Orthlyss looked at him for a long time before giving out a sigh.
“There was no choice.” Each word was stated softly and slowly.
There was another long pause.
“If no one was willing to make sacrifices, then the Dragon of Darkness will never be defeated. And for the
generations ahead of us, if there ever comes a time where evil surfaces, when will the flames of wars be
extinguished if heroes are not made? We chose to seal ourselves so that civilization can continue.”
He listened to all her words attentively in silence. The ancestors of the past were truly sages compared to
the nobles in this era. Yet the wisdom and sacrifices offered by them to offer peace led to a moral decay
after the various races lived in comfort.
“Ser Orthlyss,” Brendel’s tone was much more respectful than before as he changed to a new topic, “is it
possible for me to retain some of the skills like before?”
“…… I don’t understand how you were capable of using the swordsmanships as though you’ve been
training for years.” She shook her head as she watched Brendel clear his throat. “It’s the first time I’ve
seen this. Do you mean to say that you have forgotten how to use them when I separated from you?”
“Erm……”
“In any case, it was a temporary solution to merge my body with you. I can, however, teach you the
swordsmanships like I’m supposed to. Reaching for the moon in a single day is supposed to be
impossible, boy.”
Brendel stole a glimpse at Kodan.
[A Guardian Spirit’s task is to cultivate a person’s talent as much as possible. A talented person with the
aid of the strongest knights in the War of the Holy Saints as a teacher. Certainly, their growth would be
incredible. Kodan’s certainly outstanding as a Gold-ranked Swordsman, but considering that my
grandfather displayed enough skill to threaten me even at my best, it’s clear who is better—]
Brendel suddenly narrowed his eyes, and the Elven woman immediately did the same, even raising her
head upwards as if to look down on him.
“The ring holds a limited amount of power. While it can be recharged over time, it’s not possible for me to
appear and save you all the time. Like I said, merging with you is a temporary thing. I know that I’m a
noble being, but I don’t have the power you’re craving for, boy.”
“Oh.” Brendel’s ears actually turned red. He was thinking that an incredibly high-level NPC was going to
escort him while he went after the various quests in his plans.
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“Do not forget this. The Guardian Spirits are only meant to pass down their knowledge. Four rings were
circulated to the humans, and the reason why your grandfather had one of them is because the Elves owe
your lineage a favor.”
“My lineage? What is the favor?”
But Orthlyss did not reply.
[Is there a familiarity bar somewhere like how it is in the game? Maybe if I raise my familiarity with her I
can squeeze an answer out?]
There was a considerable amount of freedom in the game where players could coax an answer out from
the AI, but for certain legendary NPCs, there were conditions and they had to be familiar enough with the
players.
Brendel toyed around with the idea before he pondered on the things that his grandfather hid from his
family. He caught Kodan and Medissa waiting patiently at one side in the corner of his eyes, and realized
he was still in the dueling ring.
The green words were still flashing in his eyes. It was probably because of this system that somehow
blocked the announcer from starting the next match.
[There are far too many things to think about. The sudden appearance of Earth’s languages; how this
system works to interfere with the Laws of this world and vice versa. But I’m going to be utterly shocked
if I ever get an answer from this place. The first thing I should do right now is to get the core reward, and
release S—]
“Mister!”
Someone from one of the cages called out to him just as he started to walk over to the Dwarven sword.
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Brendel turned around to meet Cohen’s eyes. He knew it was him who called out, but there was no real
possibility that he could continue dueling. The difficulty in the Coliseum of Destiny scaled each time and
the next round was most likely a match using Element Powers.
[Orthylss has already said that merging cannot be done again, and Medissa is a level 40+ character. I’m
almost certain that the next match will at least be a level 60 NPC appearing. Since it’s a contest of Element
Powers, even if we’re in our best conditions and I bring out all the Gold-rankers I have, it’s unlikely that
we will win.]
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can help you.” He said simply.
The truth was he had roughly guessed that the youths were the ones who had triggered this situation.
But it was him who led them to that mining spot. The fact that he failed to realize that there was
something strange in the silver mines ultimately caused numerous deaths to the workers. He even
dragged his subordinates into this mess.
There was a strange feeling in his mind when he denied the youths’ request, but he ignored it and was
prepared to go towards the sword again.
“Please wait, mister!” Cohen shouted after Brendel’s back. “Perhaps we can come to a deal! You can
choose to accept or refuse after hearing what I have to offer, please!”
Brendel hesitated for a moment and walked to the youths’ cages. Listening to Cohen’s final request with
sincerity was something that he could at least afford to do, but he did not know what the latter was able
to offer. The youths did not possess any abilities and were just mere workers. He even recalled that
Maher had said that the Cohen owned something strange and worthless.
But what that sickly-looking youth brought out surprised him.
Brendel’s expression changed to one of deep thought when he saw two Cards of Fates in Cohen’s hands.
He did not expect that the latter would be able to bring them out.
[I’ve benefitted greatly from the Planeswalker profession since it allowed me to handle situations that
were supposedly impossible.]
He thought there might be a chance, though it was also true that he was greedy for them as a gamer.
1605
He studied them through the system.
– Fire Claw Lord
– The Flame Tribe I
– Costs 20 Fire EP
– Fire Lizardmen Warriors, Level 33 Elite
– Battle-thirsty
– When Fire Claw Lord enters the battlefield, all Fire Claw members gain +1 Command
– Pay 1 Fire EP, all Fire Claw Spearmen gains the ability ‘Charge’
– Pay 1 Wealth and 1 Reputation per day when Fire Claw Lord is on the battlefield.
– ‘The Fire Claw Lord is the best commander amongst the Army of Hellfire.’
– Dwarven Treasure Vault
– (Visionary Artifact III)
– Costs 30 Will
– Artifact/Illusionary World
– Target a creature card (Dwarf or Kirrlutz Human). Target gains three appropriate equipment from
Dwarven Treasure Vault
– ‘The Dwarven Treasure Vault glitters with golden light.’
Brendel read the cards through the system and regarded the first card with disappointment. It was not at
a level where it would help in the next round, as the level 33 Elite creature was roughly the equivalent of
a fighter that had just entered the Gold-rank.
“My lord, that first card is silver in color. Look at the title, that is most likely the core card of the series!”
Medissa had followed him from behind and could not help but blurt out at the discovery.
Brendel was momentarily surprised and read the contents again.
1606
[‘The Flame Tribe I’. The ‘I’ usually means it’s the best card out of the ‘Fire Claw’ series. Considering the
fact that the card is silver in color, it also means that it’s a rare card to get as well. But even if I bring the
two Fire Claw cards out, it’s not likely to make a difference in the next match.]
“Do you know anything about the other card?” He asked.
“An equipment card…… You can try asking Ciel about it.” She said.
Brendel looked at her in surprise.
“We can communicate through such a long distance? Is there no limit between a Planeswalker and their
summons?”
“I don’t believe there is, my lord. Ciel and I are naturally able to hear you calling out to us, while the
Nightsong Tiger who’s the core representation of the Mercenaries of Lopes will be able to hear you.”
Brendel nodded and called to Ciel in his mind without wasting time.
“My lord, did you get something good again?” A youthful, relaxed voice rang out in Brendel’s head.
“How’s the situation at your side?”
“Haha, would you like to take a guess?” Ciel said, but after Brendel refused to reply, he coughed and
continued: “There’s a fellow over here who’s suspicious about your identity and requires you to educate
him.”
Brendel was puzzled over his answer, but he was currently in a considerably tricky situation so he
explained the card quickly to Ciel.
“My lord, is the back of the card silver in color?” Ciel said.
“No, it looks like a normal card.”
“A normal equipment card raises a summoned creature’s level by 5. Take a look at a creature’s card, my
lord. I believe you can see a number painted there. Since the card gives out three equipment, then it will
raise the target card’s level by 15.”
“…… Numbers and levels, hmm.”
“What’s wrong with that, my lord?”
1607
[Because the NPCs in the game don’t use numbers and levels to describe a creature’s strength. It’s the
first time that I realized this, but the fact that my system can accurately reflect a Planeswalker’s card even
though it has never appeared in the game……]
“No, nothing. I’m able to let you use this card, right?” Brendel said.
“I’m afraid not, my lord.”
“Why is that? It says ‘Kirrlutz human’.”
“I’m a Highland Wizard, and my lineage comes from the Silver Alliance. Even though our blood is mixed
with Aouine and Kirrlutz’s lineage, the rules state that we are Galbu’s descendants.”
“I see, so no one can use this card.”
“No, that isn’t true. The Mercenaries of Lopes can use this card.”
“Wait, what?” Brendel frowned: “Felaern and Dia are Wild Elves, and there are various mixed races that
are not from Kirrlutz, and there are no dwarves in the group either.”
“But the core of the group is the Nightsong Tiger and he’s a true citizen of the Lopes region. And that
region is part of Kirrlutz.”
“…… Is this true for any group summoned cards, where a core creature would represent the description
on the card?”
“Yes.”
“I see.”
[This card does seem better the Golden Battle Flag that I have. That card raises all my creatures level by
1, but what is the use of +1 level? In addition, I have to pay an extra 5 Light EP.]
Brendel’s mind rearranged the information he had. If he was allowed to bring in the Planeswalker’s cards
the next match and added everyone in the duel……
[Insufficient to win the next battle.]
He made this conclusion.
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“My lord,” Medissa spoke in his mind, “I don’t believe there’s only one copy in each series. If it’s
impossible, we should give up on the cards.”
Brendel rubbed his forehead thoughtfully.
[But the odds of getting the same card is really small. Once the chance to get it slips by, it’s gone.
Unfortunately, Medissa’s right. This is impossible.]
He suddenly noticed Jana, Scarlett, and Orthlyss staring strangely at him. It seemed like he was blanking
out almost every match and it would be shameful if he was seen as an airhead.
The way how Orthlyss spoke reminded him of his female senior, and he felt she would almost start
teasing him any time now.
But his eyes went back to Cohen instead of explaining himself.
“I’m sorry, but I have to refuse your proposal,” He said, and announced loudly to the ceiling, “Open her
cage!”
He pointed at Scarlett’s cage and declined the additional reward for winning the previous duel, but no
sooner than he did, an unexpected voice suddenly called out to him.
“Brendel, you’re here!” A crisp and pretty voice echoed throughout the stage.
His eyes widened and turned to the source of the voice subconsciously. His heart beat violently when he
saw a familiar face that was filled with surprise and delight, and he could not help but clench his teeth.
[…… Karma. This is karma for being greedy and not saving the youths and Scarlett straight away!]
He watched her run towards him in stunned silence as she clutched her large bag to prevent the contents
from spilling over.
“Brendel—” She ran straight to him without paying attention to the others, her eyes slightly red. “I was
really worried about you! My aunt isn’t around and I thought if something happened to you……
When she came closer, she lowered her head and suddenly shuffled her feet together: “I know I shouldn’t
leave the angels’ supervision and I’m going to get scolded again—”
She suddenly noticed Brendel’s expression when she glanced out of the corners of her eyes. His face was
a mixture of regret and bitter sorrow, and there seemed to be tears in his eyes. It was the first time she
saw such an expression on him.
D-did I do something wrong?” She stuttered.
“…… No, there’s nothing wrong. I’m the one who’s wrong.” He said with a broken voice.
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1610
Chapter 80 – The unexpected guests
Brendel finally understood what was wrong. The words he used against Makarov back then could now be
applied to him. Was he any different from them when he turned away from the youths? If he rescued
them instead of choosing the additional rewards, it might be possible for him to reserve the last chance to
free Romaine.
[What a hypocrite. What happened to that oath to be generous and benevolent, or to be brave and
unflinching?]
He cursed himself.
“Mortal, you have proven yourself. This is your reward—” The announcer’s deafening voice once again
rang out at that moment.
The longsword that was embedded in the boulder suddenly vibrated loudly. It seemed to shrug off the
invisible restrains on it and flew towards Brendel, making everyone gasp.
Brendel raised his hand and it flew straight into his palm, shaking unsteadily. The youth immediately felt
a power rising from within, making him feel connected to the earth beneath him. It was as though he
would never fall over as long as he stood upright.
The silent coliseum suddenly exploded with a chant:
“Z’roe! Z’roe! Z’roe!”
Everyone could hear that the waves of cheers were full of respect and harbored no ill intentions, though
they were slightly dazed by the volume.
Brendel felt like he was anointed as a king by holding the sword, and he quickly shook his head to shrug
off that feeling.
“Do you have any idea what Z’roe means?”
“That’s…… actually a name. It’s the ancestral king of the Rune Dwarves, but that name eventually took on
the meaning ‘Conqueror of the earth’.”
Brendel studied the blade and saw the words written on it. However, he was not surprised to find that it
was written in English. Everything that could happen had happened already.
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“Unfortunately, I don’t know what the words on the blade means.” Medissa also noticed the words.
“The owner of the sword shall rule the great earth.” Brendel said with a twitch in his eyes.
“My lord, you can read the words?” Medissa widened her eyes in shock. Even Orthlyss did the same.
Brendel rubbed his forehead as he noticed his mistake, and quickly made up a lie: “I studied the language
amongst certain old books from the Black Tower.”
Medissa nodded, but the Knight of Keen Blades narrowed her eyes with suspicion.
Odum had been staring and marvelling at the architecture once he entered the coliseum. He was
completely engrossed into the details and did not pay attention to anything else, until the ground
suddenly shook and the Dwarven longsword went into Brendel’s hands. His expression immediately
changed when he saw that happened.
[T-that’s the sword of Z’ore! So this is the treasure left behind in this place? But why did the sword go to a
human. Wait, that voice earlier said something but I didn’t pay attention!]
Green words were filling Brendel’s eyes. He had heard of the blade and knew that it was a level 45
Fantasy blade. The price of it was beyond imagination when it was released in the game.
– Halran Gaia
– Gold-ranked rarity (Fantasy)
– 34-42 (Bludgeoning/Slashing)
– +22 Strength, +17 Agility, +20 Phsyique
– Additional skillsets:
– Earthquake: The wielder is able to automatically release an Earth Spike to their target (Affected by
user’s Strength stats.)
– Elemental Lord: The wielder is able to summon 6 Obsidian Panthers to battle.
– Nest of Rocks: Pay X Grey Crystal and X Rock Panther will be generated. One Rock Panther will be
generated per day (10/300, automatic generation if crystals are paid.).
– Nest Upgrading is available to Obsidian Panthers:
– 1 x Black Mana Crystal,
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– 1 x Rock Key,
– 1 x Sage Slate,
– 6 x Amber Gemstones
[This is incredible. The stats on this is at least a third higher compared to similarly ranked swords. I’ve
heard rumors about the sword’s abilities but to think this is actually a portable Nest that can be
upgraded!]
The Ring of the Wind Empress was somewhat like a portable Nest as well, since it allowed a high-level
summon to appear. While the Halran Gaia was a lesser version, upgrading the ability would mean that he
could have three hundred Obsidian Panthers in a year, and each Obsidian Panther had the peak strength
of an Iron-ranked fighter.
Not only that, portable Nests were typically allowed to be upgraded twice in the game, but this sword
might be possibly unique enough for it to be upgraded multiple times.
Brendel’s troubles were nearly swept away by joy at this discovery, but he quickly regained his senses.
First of all, it did not solve the situation in front of him, and the second was how difficult it was to locate
the various items required.
He sighed again. Suddenly he caught a dwarf not far away from the sobering Romaine.
[Isn’t that the dwarf I saw in the inn? His name is…… Odum? Why is he here?]
“My lord, is it possible to let me try again?” Scarlett had gotten out of the cage and moved unsteadily to
the edge of the walls, seemingly ready to jump down from there. “I feel like some of my powers c—”
Jana suddenly pulled her away. She knew that Scarlett wanted to risk her life to save Romaine. However,
as Jana observed Scarlett’s frail body, it reminded her of her sister who had died at the hands of Graudin.
She did not want to let another noble take the life of the girl in front of her.
“Let me go, Jana.” Scarlett tried to shrug off Jana’s tight grip, taking the latter aback.
Jana stared at Scarlett’s fierce determination and slowly released her hand, and sadly watched the latter
go back to the edge of the walls.
But Brendel’s reply and solemn glare stopped Scarlett from jumping down. “There is no second attempt.”
[Even if there is a new attempt, how much power have you gotten back? A silver rank? Your peak
strength is a starting Gold-ranked fighter. You need to beat the Cerberus, a creature that Jana couldn’t
1613
defeat by herself, to gain the permission to leave, then fight Varian. A hopeless attempt piled on another
hopeless attempt.]
“Mortal, do you still wish to continue to challenge your destiny?” The announcer’s voice finally rang out.
Brendel looked at the fretting Romaine who somehow realized the severity of the situation.
“I wish to delay my challenge!” He said, and the coliseum turned silent.
[Have I gotten numb to the loss of lives? Why was it okay for me to abandon the youths up there?]
Romaine was the first person he met in this world. In his mind, his character had been largely preserved
by her innocence and silly antics even though he had to face countless bloodshed. She was also the person
that the past Brendel was most fond of and someone the latter would never give up on.
In a way, her presence was even more important than the Goddess of War.
Freya represented the unfulfilled dream and regret that he had, while Romaine was the person who
anchored him down to reality and made him feel less lonely in this senseless world. When he thought
about it, the reason why he did not seek out his ‘parents’ in this world was because he was
subconsciously denying his ties to this world.
[I can’t make another mistake here. If I don’t rescue Romaine, then I will never be myself ever again.]
“Your request is acknowledged, mortal,” The announcer’s voice finally spoke again, “a new mortal has
entered the dueling grounds, will you challenge your fate?”
“Wait! Please give us a few minutes!” Brendel shouted.
He began to feel that it was fine for him to be turned into a statue with Romaine even if he failed, because
he ended up doing what he wanted to.
“My apologies, Medissa,” Brendel shook his head and gave the brightest smile ever since he came here, “it
seems that you might have to wait here until the next Planeswalker comes along.”
“That would be unlikely, my lord. When I was recreated with the Laws of this world, I glimpsed upon the
world that you envisioned as a Warrior. Each Planeswalker has their own beliefs and thoughts, and the
same card would likely summon a different person instead—”
“…… I see.”
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“My lord?”
“Yes?”
“About Scarlett, have you realized that you’re the only person she believes in after the Grey Wolves
Mercenaries disbanded?”
“What?” Brendel looked at her with a frown: “I took in some members as well, right? And that Eke, if I’m
not wrong, she likes him.”
“Autn’sda’ttkares—” Came the reply.
[People are tied to one another……?]
Brendel silently recalled the Elven proverb used in the game.
The Elven girl continued: “When a person is treated with importance, that person will also treat them
with importance. The Elves believe there are very few true friends in a single generation, and we treasure
these relationships that rarely come by. I can feel my lord treating us with great importance, and Scarlett
feels it clearly. I was an illegitimate child, but I can feel your respect and civility towards me, and I
treasure it greatly—”
She smiled and nodded: “There’s no need to feel any guilt, my lord. I’m sincerely grateful to have met
you.”
1615
Chapter 81 – Difficulty
Maher and Jocah got upset when Brendel refused to accept Cohen’s offer, especially when the sickly
youth’s hands grasping the bars slid down as though he had given up. Even if they were freed and went
outside, it was a fact that they had caused this incident.
The conclusion was almost certain death for all of them even if they got out. If Cohen and the other youths
could not be freed, they intended to stay behind.
Maher was especially vindictive against Brendel. The latter was at least a noble, and probably someone of
considerable importance because of his combat skills. If it was not for him, they would not have been
imprisoned.
[If that bastard loses, it’s all worth it. Getting trapped with all of us is worth it to get back at him.]
Brendel was secretly thankful that the announcer gave him extra time. Perhaps winning the sword was
the reason. He turned towards Romaine and said:
“Romaine, we will leave the stage. When the announcer asks you the question again, raise your hand and
say that you’re giving up, do you understand?”
“Y-yes. Brendel, did I do something wrong?” Romaine asked again.
“…… No. I think that trying to do the right thing and failing is better than doing the wrong things to do the
right thing.”
Cohen suddenly shouted: “Mister Brendel, catch!”
Two cards left the sickly youth’s hands and were flung to Brendel’s direction. The latter turned around,
saw his actions and waved his hand. A wind carried the two cards and allowed the cards to land on his
hands.
“Are you crazy!” Maher looked at Cohen’s actions in disbelief.
But Cohen gave a satisfied smile at Brendel’s confused reaction and said:
“Mister Brendel, I don’t exactly know why you came here. Given your skills, I’m sure that you will be
highly regarded anywhere, even if you’re not a noble. Why would the silver mines interest you? It doesn’t
seem like you came here specifically for rare crystals or to challenge this strange place……”
1616
“But I believe you are destined for greatness.”
“I don’t know how the cards work, but I saw you taking and using them during the duels. I also noticed
that you blanked out during the third and fourth duel and received cards, but you did not do so in the
second duel.”
“That means this Coliseum did not award you any rewards on that round because if it did, you would
have at least told that rescued subordinate to wait for rescue, since you did so for your other subordinate
during the third round.”
“But I don’t think that you are in the wrong.”
“While you sought for power, you did not leave your subordinates behind and instead risked your life for
them.”
“We don’t serve you, nor did we attempt to save our lives by making a deal with you during the start.
Perhaps if I had acted sooner, there would be a different outcome.”
“However, if I have to guess why you had to come here, it’s something that has much more gain than just
mere trinkets……”
Brendel’s eyes widened when he realized Cohen was about to reveal his secret.
[T-this guy!]
“…… Perhaps you wish to find a way to gain control of the silver mines?” The sickly youth said.
Cohen’s words made everyone fall into a shocked silence, but he ignored them and continued: “I’m
intrigued by Trentheim’s new lord. As I’ve said before, I do not think you are wrong. No, on the contrary, I
think you’re on the path to be a wise lord, more so than the other nobles ruling these lands, and your
name will surely be written in history books and sung in bards’ tales.”
He suddenly went into a coughing fit, and the girl beside him patted his back and supported him.
“We’re certainly insignificant people…… and perhaps it’s too late for us to change our fates, but I can at
least try to change yours. And if you do escape, I shall be part of your legend.”
Brendel stared at Cohen in complete astonishment. He did not know how to gauge the young man in front
of him.
“I hate to disappoint you, but I might still fail the next challenge even with these cards,” he said.
1617
Jana and Scarlett held their breaths when they heard his answer.
“Boy, wait, are you……” Kodan suddenly realized Brendel was going to attempt the challenge again.
Cohen suddenly laughed. “It seems that my lord did not deny any of my words. No, Lord Brendel, since
you have already accepted the cards, I’m satisfied with whatever the results may be.”
The youths were completely dumbfounded by the chain of events.
They felt like it was the first time they truly knew Cohen, and they felt a little distant and worried about
him revealing such a secret. Brendel might choose to silence him even before this place turned them into
statues.
At the same time, they felt like they had to raise their heads up to look at him because he seemed to be
sitting in a place unreachable by them.
In fact, he seemed to be sitting in a place where he could look at that noble, Brendel, straight in the eyes.
It was unthinkable.
Brendel’s expression changed a few times.
[This person’s insight is unbelievable. Did he reveal my secret because he knew that Kodan and I entered
into a deal? Wait, perhaps this person is someone of importance—]
“What’s your full name?” He suddenly asked.
“Cohen Kvaern. My teacher gave me that surname.”
[You’re that Lord Kvaern!? ……I see, so this is the person who eventually reached the pinnacle of power. I
certainly remember that he lived in Trentheim when he was young. But how did he start gaining power?
By simply acquiring coldsteel in the mines? Or is there still something else that he found?]
The history in the game had Lord Kvaern replacing Lord Randner, and he took over the latter’s entire
territory. It was a legendary tale where he started from a commoner and eventually rose to the position
of a duke.
Brendel furiously went through his memories when he realized a small possibility.
[Did I create this mess and changed history? Or is this possibly part of the history that’s supposed to
happen?]
But the announcer’s voice finally rang out again, as though the coliseum was tired of waiting.
1618

“Mortals, will you challenge your fate?” The announcer’s voice rang out.
“Romaine, give up on the challenge.” Brendel had no choice but to stop his thoughts: “You’re Odum, right?
Go along with Romaine and give up, I’ll attempt the next challenge.”
“What did you say, boy?” Even though Odum’s voice was a little low because of his age, it was loud.
It was an insult to tell a dwarf to give up on a challenge, and no dwarf would back down from it because it
was a cowardly thing to do. It was especially so when he was a Rune Dwarf with the bloodline of a Silver
Lineage.
Not to mention that this was a sacred place where countless ancestors were watching him.
How could he back down right here?
“I might be old, but I will never back down! Especially when this place is the territory of us Rune
Dwarves, you impudent brat!” Odum roared.
Kodan immediately smirked upon hearing Odum’s words. He had never heard such fitting words in his
life, to the point that he saw the grumpy old man in a better light.
[Torbus’s grandson certainly has no manners, but—]
“Odum, why are you down here?” Kodan asked.
The old dwarf still had more complaints in his chest, but it quickly died down when he saw the Gold-
ranked Kodan in an injured state: “Commander Kodan, what happened to you?”
“That’s because your Rune Dwarves’ territory is a fine place indeed,” the old man raised a bushy brow
and replied with a huff, “come to think of it, are you not a Gold Dwarf? When did you become a Rune
Dwarf?”
“I merely stayed in the Gold Dwarves’ territory when I was young, I’m a full-blooded Rune Dwarf!” Odum
was furious to hear someone suspecting his bloodline.
“Fine, I’ll believe that you’re a citizen of the Silver Lineage, what are you doing down here?”
“I……” Odum suddenly blinked at Kodan’s sinister smile. It seemed like the latter had baited out his secret,
and the old dwarf tried to think of an excuse while he stuttered.
Surely he could not say that there was a rumored legend where a treasure vault buried here and as a real
Rune Dwarf, he had the authority to inherit it all? Leaving other greedy nobles aside, Count Randner
would turn him into a genuine dead Rune Dwarf first.
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“M-more importantly, why do you have Halran Gaia?” The dwarf tried to change the topic and turned
back to Brendel.
“You recognize this sword?” Brendel looked at the dwarf and asked with surprise.
Even though Odum said he was the last bloodline of the Rune Dwarves, Brendel had encountered too
many of such ‘last bloodlines’ in the game. The majority of them in the whole continent had already
forgotten about their Legacies.
In fact, one could trace the current citizens of the continent back to the Gold Lineage if they tried.
But the era of the Gold and Silver Lineage were already over, and so was the Era of Darkness. The current
Vaunte was a different thing compared to the past Vaunte where Gods and legendary figures were still
around.
“Ahem, of course, …… my lord,” Odum lowered his head slightly and spoke more respectfully when he
remembered that the youth was carrying Halran Gaia.
The corners of Kodan’s lips went up to reveal his teeth. He suddenly felt disgusted at the sudden change
of the dwarf’s attitude.
[Why is this old bastard changing his tune faster than that cowardly Perkins and sucking to the brat? I’ve
experienced his stubborn attitude before. Sure, that sword looks like a good sword, but is it really that
important?]
Kodan’s gaze went to the sword, and so did Brendel.
“Is this sword very important to you?” Brendel said.
He brought his sword a little closer to the dwarf, but he naturally had no intention to give it to him.
“Rather than it being rather important, it has something to do with a…… legend.” Odum was a little
disappointed in his heart.
There were many legends about the Rune Dwarves’ treasure vaults, but there was only one of the Halran
Gaia. If the sword appeared here it meant that the sword was the only ‘treasure’ here.
[This is really such a waste of time. I waited years to get my chance to get nothing. I’m just a minor branch
of the Rune Dwarves too. I didn’t even learn my ancestors’ architecture skills that rival Galbu’s Wizard
Craftsmen……]
1620
Chapter 82 – Legacy
There was an indescribable feeling deep inside Odum’s heart. The knowledge he had about the sword
was a certain prophecy. Perhaps the reason why he stayed here for so long without giving up was that the
place called out to him.
He stared at Brendel’s sword again, hesitating.
[If I tell the human that the Rune Dwarves are required to acknowledge the wielder of Halran Gaia as our
king and that the wielder would lead us to rebuild the kingdom, will he even believe it? But this is a
damned human and a stranger at that, and I’m supposed to acknowledge you as my king? My poor old
bones!]
“A legend?” Brendel said.
Odum gritted his teeth. He decided to weave a story and take his chances instead. He coughed loudly and
continued: “I’m afraid that the legend is only for the ears of the Rune Dwarves. But it seems that you are
interested in leaving this place, based on the earlier discussion?”
“Do you have a solution?”
“Yes, my lord,” the old dwarf initially thought of using ‘my liege’ or ‘your majesty’ when he realized the
youth carried Halran Gaia, but he felt the words were unacceptable to him, and probably everyone in this
place would be shocked out of their wits, “the solution is actually very simple—”
He paused and carefully pointed at the sword: “If you lend me the sword for just a while, I might be able
to let everyone leave easily.”
“What?”
Brendel was surprised. His puzzled eyes went to Medissa who looked back just as confused.
“Odum, what the hell are you trying to do. Let me tell you that this boy is even more skilled in the sword
than I am. If you try to pull off any strange tricks, be careful that your head gets cut off from your body.”
The old dwarf immediately thundered after he understood what Kodan was saying: “Everything I said is
the truth, you damned—”
He suddenly realized that the guard commander was still someone powerful. Even though he was a
stubborn person, he was at least not a fool: “This sacred place was constructed by us Rune Dwarves
1621
solely for the purpose of putting this sword here. Since Lord Brendel has already taken the sword, it
shouldn’t be a problem to leave here!”
“There’s such a rule?” Brendel asked.
He had never heard of such a function in the game.
“Of course. My lord, the Legacy items of the Silver Lineage are meant for their descendants. However, you
can be recognized as a person worthy of receiving the Legacy even if you’re from a different race,” The
dwarf’s tone was once again different towards Brendel: “though, as a Rune Dwarf, I should be able to
open this space if I wield that sword—”
Brendel glanced at Kodan, but the latter looked just as surprised as anyone else. Even though the old
guard commander had worked with Odum, his understanding of the dwarf was merely the knowledge of
how stubborn he was.
[There isn’t really a choice here. Even if this dwarf tries to pull off any tricks, the coliseum will deal with
it. Probably.]
There was also a worming suspicion in his mind about Cohen, the appearance of the dwarf, and the
gamers who completed the quest in the game.
It was only a short moment before he tossed the sword to the dwarf.
“Go ahead and try it,” he said, looking back at Cohen.
[It will be good if this works out for everyone.]
“Is there something you wish to say, my lord?” Cohen noticed his gaze and asked.
“It seems like you have a chance to leave your own name behind in songs and books.”
“Why are you so certain that he’s capable of releasing us?”
Cohen watched everyone leave the dueling grounds except for the dwarf who walked to the center, and
he asked puzzledly.
“It’s just that I believe in history,” Brendel said.
“History?” Cohen repeated the word, not understanding.
1622
But Brendel did not answer and merely watched the stage closely. The dwarf raised his sword and
waited.
“Mortal, do you wish to challenge your destiny?”
“Yes!” Odum said in a thunderous voice.
But the gates were not raised and the coliseum was instead filled with silence. After a moment, the
announcer’s voice came again: “I sense a familiar blood in you. Are you our descendant?”
“Yes, I’m a proud citizen of the mountains and boulders, the child of steel and fire, revered ancestors. For
hundreds and thousands of years, we have experienced difficulty in the wilderness, but we finally
managed to overcome all obstacles and come here to allow our souls to enjoy our deserved respite—”
“This is our homeland, and where we started from.”
The coliseum was momentarily silent, but the announcer’s voice bellowed:
“Respite? No, that moment has not yet arrived!” The voice echoed repeatedly, as though it was furious to
hear the dwarf’s answer, while the place shook and made everyone unsteady on their feet: “Descendants
of the Rune Dwarves! You have to continue to struggle against the Chaos and rebuild what we have lost
with your Champion, only till then will your souls be welcomed back to this sacred place!”
“And that moment has arrived, revered ancestors.”
“…… Is that so?”
The dwarf suddenly glanced back at Brendel with some hesitation and a little disbelief, but he raised the
longsword in his hand.
“Dazzmoteshremm!” The dwarf yelled.
Brendel did not understand what it meant, but Medissa explained to him with a frown.
“It’s ancient word of making an Oath. I think it’s part of the Holy Alliance’s Contract during the Era of
Chaos.”
[That contract from the Era of Chaos? That’s even older than the Era of Darkness’s.]
The lore in the game stated that every sentient creature in this world signed an alliance with Mother
Marsha as the witness to fight against the Twilight Dragon, and a Law bound the alliance together. This
was the era when the Gods still lived.
1623
It was considered ‘meaningless background details’ by Brendel since the supposed Gods did not have any
impact on the game.
There was another Holy Alliance’s Contract where the majority of the various civilizations fought against
the Dragon of Darkness after the Twilight Dragon, but it was much weaker compared to the original copy.
Brendel did not know what the details of both contracts were, only that they were both divine artifacts.
Soon after Odum said the word, the entire coliseum suddenly shook and everyone was blinded by light.
They felt like a seal was lifting, and knew that the dwarf was telling the truth.
However, Brendel saw something different in that rumbling space. It was as though he was
hallucinating—
A strange painting appeared before him.
A black moon atop of a black lake, and in the center of the lake was a tall tower……
The painting changed and turned into numerous black-clothed men walking on an endless wasteland……
Black words appeared in his eyes:
– XVI: The Tower
– The Fallen ‘Moon’ has stolen the light.
[This looks like the image I saw during Fortress Riedon’s escape…..!]
– XX: Judgement
– The light has been lost.
Words continued to be written in his eyes.
– XVII: The Star
– The Silver Lineage is lost on the grand earth, advancing (seeking) on the thorny path in the darkness
amidst ignorance.
Then the words vanished and he found himself back in the silver mines. He shook his head to clear his
mind and saw Medissa looking at him with concern. He nodded to indicate he was fine.
1624
When he glanced about, he saw Romaine approaching carefully bit by bit, as though she wanted to ask if
he was out of concern, but was also afraid that she would be caught by him. He found Romaine’s cat-like
walk to be funny.
“You know, we really need to thank someone.” He said to Medissa.
“Yes?” Medissa looked back in slight surprise.
“We need to thank Romaine for bringing us good luck,” the youth turned around with a solemn face and
his both hands pinched her cheeks with lightning speed: “right, little Romaine?”
“Ow! Ouch, hurts, it hurts, Brendel…… I-I won’t do it again……” Romaine’s face did not escape his grasp,
and she narrowed her eyes from the pain as tears nearly spilled out. She quickly admitted her fault: “I-I’m
sorry, really……”
Her eyebrows were almost bunched together. She wanted to retreat, but was afraid to pull back because
of the pain, and remained stuck in that position.
Brendel glanced at the dwarf before he looked at Romaine again: “Do you dare to run about again?”
“I, I won’t……” The girl’s eyes went to the left and right when she said that.
Brendel sighed inwardly. She was definitely not going to change. But he decided to bring her along
everywhere as long as they were traveling together. He was not going to be able to handle it if this
situation had to happen again.
He let go of his hands.
The light disappeared and they found themselves back in the darkness.
“Why is it dark again?” Romaine’s voice immediately rang out.
“It’s because we’re back in the silver mines,” Brendel replied simply.
[I have much to reflect on…… Earth’s languages, the fact that I chose not to save the youths, that the
system is affected by the Laws of this world, and the strange images when I left that place—]
Brendel’s thoughts suddenly went to Halran Gaia. Now that he and his companions were out of danger, he
could not help but get excited about having a new sword.
[But, well, I guess I can start thinking about the loot I gotten from that place first…… Let’s see, upgrading
the portable Nest: Tamar can make the Black Mana Crystals with a Black Crystal and Mana Fragments. A
Sage Slate can be bought at Ampere Seale, though the battles at Chablis really makes me want to stay
away from it. However, the Amber Gemstones are directly controlled by the kingdom, and a Rock Key is
even harder to obtain—]
1625
1626

1627
Volume 3 Chapter 83 – Ambush

TL: Tirste is one of the important members of the Unifying Guild and nearly killed Brendel during their
first encounter with each other.
================ Tirste’s POV ================
As the beginning of winter approached, the forest of the Patalone region became devoid of life and the
trees turned bare, but the creepy atmosphere made it seem as though monsters were lurking at each side
of the main road.
The sounds of galloping horses could be heard from afar; eleven knights soon appeared and parted the
thick milky mist and invaded the silent morning.
In order to maintain a certain speed, the riders allowed their mounts to run at a slower pace. Their
destination was still a hundred miles away and they had to preserve the stamina of their horses.
All the riders, except one who had a long black robe completely covering him, wore a full set of heavy
armor and were armed with swords and crossbows that occasionally peeked out from their cloaks. They
were highly alert and their eyes constantly darted around them.
There were wild beasts that still lurked in the forest.
The riders continued to advance and soon reached a small river. The river’s surface had not turned into
ice yet and the surface was glittering in the day’s light.
When they reached toward the bridge that crossed the river, the leader of the riders suddenly raised his
hand in vigilance and they pulled their reins to halt the horses.
The same leader cut through the air with the same hand to his left and right, indicating that there were
people ambushing the two areas. He turned his horse around and pulled out his sword that hung from his
waist.
The riders quickly assembled into a circular formation around the person with the black robes to protect
him. Their quick and orderly actions proved they were well-trained, and even the veteran scouts from
Aouine’s armies would not do better than them.
And with the actions of the riders, the forest also shuffled noisily. Cleverly hidden soldiers started
pouring out from the foliage. They wore decorated leather armor, which implied they were private
soldiers working under a noble. Each carried different weapons; axes, sword and shield, even crossbows.
1628
The people who ambushed them launched a forceful assault when they realized they had been made, but
the riders reacted more quickly and fired their crossbows at them.
The rider with the black robes was an exceptional marksman; he deftly equipped himself with the
crossbow hanging from his waist and shot bolts at the attackers as they emerged from the foliage,
reloading and firing with incredible speed.
The riders around him were skilled at shooting as well. Many of their bolts found their marks in the
enemies’ throats as the soldiers rushed toward the main road.
The remainder of the soldiers were smart enough to take cover behind boulders and advanced slowly,
waiting for the riders’ projectiles to run out.
After the momentary cat-and-mouse game they had, the riders ran out of ammunition, and the soldiers
rushed at them once again.
The riders suddenly took out hand axes and flung them into the midst of the attackers. Screams echoed
throughout the vicinity as some of the axes pierced across their faces but did not end their lives
immediately. Birds further away from the battle took to the air as the commotion frightened them.
While it was true that another row of the soldiers went down from the unexpected attack—
“Quickly, overwhelm them! They are out of projectiles!”
“There’s no way they can win against our numbers!”
The air that was filled the stench with rusted iron from the blood spatters only made the soldiers
bloodthirsty. The soldiers were nearly ten times the riders’ numbers and they were determined to finish
off their enemies, even if they had to suffocate the riders by piling on them.
Yet the riders who faced the soldiers remained calm, and the latter was perhaps further agitated by their
behavior. They started to hurl insults at them.
The soldiers soon realized their opponents were far more powerful than they could have ever imagined.
When the riders pulled out their swords, the battlefield took on a dramatic turn. The white mist swiveled
around them as they swung their swords at the impulsive ambushers.
The soldiers who stood behind their brethren were soaked in the blood and fat that rained across the
ground. Limbs and flesh decorated the feet of the riders; the body parts were somehow turned into a wall
that stopped the advance of the soldiers.
The latter had been told their enemies were knights, but they were not informed that each was an elite
Silver-ranked swordsman.
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The soldiers further at the back continued to push forward, but quickly realized they were facing
opponents who were like death reapers.
In just a few seconds, their morale was completely shattered. A third of their forces had been cut down as
soon as they approached the knights.
Once their heads cooled down, they realized how terrifying their enemies were and retreated faster than
when they charged at them—
The battle was soon over.
The leader of the knights stopped and took in a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the blood-soaked
ground and cold winter air. He raised his hand to stop his knights from pursuing them.
He had lost count of the number of times they were ambushed. Pursuing them was meaningless as there
were no targets of value. It was more important for them to finish their mission.
They dismounted to inspect the area and a few cleaned their swords by rubbing on the corpses’ clothes
before sheathing them.
No one spoke during the process and there were only the occasional stomps from the horses.
The leader of the knights swept the area with his dark grey eyes. He looked at the corpses but did not find
any specific insignia on them. Neither did he find any flags.
He pulled back his hood, revealing a middle-aged man, and signaled to the rider with the black robes to
indicate that it was safe. The latter also revealed himself by pulling back his hood.
The person wearing black robes was Viscount Tirste.
The youth’s face was considerably thinner than it was a month ago and had almost turned to a pallid
complexion, though his green eyes were still as bright as before.
“This is probably the last ambush.” The youth’s voice was shockingly low and forced, as though his throat
had been pierced several times to produce an incredibly hoarse tone.
He coughed once, almost as if to show how difficult it was for him to speak.
“Do you have any idea who has been attacking us?” The middle-aged man asked.
“Duke Arreck.”
“These are his men?” The middle-aged man was slightly taken aback. “Isn’t that bastard trying to play
nice with us?”
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“Nobles are two-faced knaves,” Tirste said with a shrug, “so you shouldn’t expect much from me either. I
will stab you in the back if there’s a chance.”
The middle-aged man laughed: “Well, that’s not surprising. But there’s no need to remind me of trust,
since my men are the only people I trust.”
“Hmph.”
Tirste did not bother to look at him again and was about pull his hood to cover himself once again.
However, his actions froze at that very moment.
There was a ray of green light within the forest, and his face contorted in alarm.
“Over there, watch out!” He roared and pointed into the forest with his sword.
The middle-aged man immediately turned around with his sword ready, only to find that a green light
striking his chest.
[What is this mag–]
His thoughts were cut off and his puzzled expression was forever turned into stone in that instant. Tirste
and the other knights watched the commander turn into a statue before their very eyes.
[That crazy monster has once again caught up with me!]
Tirste’s heart raced as he realized the nightmare that was torturing and haunting him, was once again
before him.
He wanted to lift the reins and urge his horse to run away, but it was as though his hands were filled with
lead and did not listen to his panicked commands.
There seemed to be a gigantic humanoid covered in a full suit of emerald-green armor ‘walking’ out from
the forest, but the distance between that monster and the knights was dwindling like magic.
The bizarre attack on their commander and manner of approach confused them.
Were they supposed to take out their swords and rush at it? But how were they supposed to fend off that
strange attack when they did not even get a glimpse of how it started? Even if they wanted to form a plan
to see if they could take revenge for their commander, they had to at least know what they were facing.
The knights pulled out their swords but did not know whether to attack or retreat.
The monster continued to move towards Tirste. The latter who was a Gold-ranked swordsman uttered a
weak voice that was more like a groan:
1631
“You……”
The monster was nearly in attacking range.
One of the knights finally could not handle the pressure, mounted his horse and charged towards the
strange humanoid with a brandished sword. But the attack made by the knight was stopped with a single
hand. The knight was then flung into the air along with his horse, breaking several pine trees in the
process before they smashed onto the ground without further movements.
The sudden display of strength shocked everyone, but the knights finally recovered their senses and also
charged towards the emerald monster with naked blades. However, that strange emerald armor that had
countless patterns and mottlings suddenly shone and created a barrier around him, stopping the blades
from even touching the armor.
It was Damascus Armor, plated armor that was forged with rare metals and infused with extremely
potent magic. It defended against magic spells and even isolated physical attacks.
Even when Aouine was at its strongest, there were only a few suits of armor made with the efforts of the
royal alchemists, wizards, and blacksmiths. Their numbers were scarce, and the people who owned them
were definitely influential.
The knights staggered and tried to guess the identity of the monster. Unfortunately, they did not realize
that their time was limited. Tirste had not warned them of what the monster was capable of, and the
knights were gradually turned into stone, be it their suits of armor or even Magic Swords.
A few discovered the strange phenomenon and immediately discarded their swords but it was useless. In
a few seconds, the knights were completely turned into rock statues.
Tirste felt his sanity crumbling when he saw this situation, but found that he was still able to piece
coherent thoughts together even when the emerald monster was before him. He desperately wanted it to
be a dream that he could wake up from.
Strangely enough, that monster merely raised his head and stared at him through a helmet. He did not
speak or attack and simply stood there without moving.
1632
Chapter 84 – Freya’s letter
=============== Tirste’s POV ============
Time seemed to slow down.
The young viscount felt cold perspiration all over his body, and he had to use every bit of effort to
squeeze out a question: “What…… exactly do you want?”
The Emerald Knight pointed at the bundle of cloth tightly wrapped around an object. His meaning was
clear; ‘I want the sword’.
“You allowed that sword to be brought out! Why do you want it back now!” Tirste roared, panting greatly.
This was the first time he felt he was toyed with in his whole life, and felt that the humiliation he received
was similar to a little girl being played with. He wanted the monster cut him down rather than to
continue this game, yet when he glanced at the statues, he subconsciously shivered—
The Emerald Knight did not react to his anger, nor was any emotion shown because of the helmet
covering his head. He pointed at the sword again, then at his chest.
‘I want the sword.’
[How am I supposed to explain myself to the members and elders of the Unifying Guild if I hand the
sword over? They even sent a group of elite knights to protect me, and I got them all killed. I even lost the
Lionheart! I’ll definitely be punished heavily—]
Tirste was recognized by the upper echelons of the Unifying Guild, but his awarded position would be
shaken for failing this task. While it was true that he was a ‘Blessed’, he was not the only one.
He glared with at the Emerald Knight with bloodshot eyes, but the only expression that he saw was his
own from the reflection of the helmet. He was certain that he would be turned into a statue if he refused.
[Why hasn’t this monster turned me into a statue? There’s no reason for him to leave me alive. He could
easily take over the Lionheart instead of giving me a choice to choose. Merely to toy with me? But that’s a
senseless reason.]
He hesitated for a long time and finally made a difficult decision. He undid the knots to the bag and tossed
it over to him.
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“Why haven’t you killed me?” Tirste asked at the same time.
The Emerald Knight received the sword with his hand. He did not seem to be concerned if he was
attacked by letting his guard down when he did so. Tirste’s hand almost went to his sword when he saw
the opportunity but pushed down the thoughts to do so.
Leaving the matter of the magic armor aside, the monster’s skill in the sword was beyond imagination
and he had personally experienced it for himself.
“You refused to bow down to fate, but you’re willing to do so for your masters?” The Emerald Knight
asked as his gaze behind the helmet penetrating through Tirste.
It was the first time Tirste heard him speak. The voice was affected by the helmet and it was difficult to
the discern the age of the knight, but it was certainly a man.
“Who exactly do you mean? The king and the nobles? Or the Unifying Guild?” Tirste was frowning out of
dissatisfaction.
He resigned himself and stopped thinking about the Unifying Guild’s punishment. Even if he had to die, he
wanted to find out why the monster was torturing him for the past month.
“There is no blame for wanting to go against the rules of society, but it is foolishness to be used by others
because of that—”
“Then the Unifying Guild? I’m just using them.”
“Weak.”
The Emerald Knight threw out his final word and turned around to leave. Tirste watched him walked to
the bridge in a matter of seconds before the latter threw the Lionheart into the icy waters of the lake.
[You madman!!!]
Tirste yelled in his mind as his eyes followed the sword, but he quickly calmed down.
It had nothing to do with him whether the monster was insane or not. But the word ‘weak’ resounded
within him. He smiled bitterly to himself as he wondered how he was going to receive the punishment
from the Unifying Guild.
His eyes sought the Emerald Knight again, but the latter was nowhere to be found and seemingly
vanished into thin air.
1634
================ Freya’s POV ==============
Freya, who had come from the Bucce village, felt that the days in the Royal Knights Academy were
passing faster than the places she had been in. It only seemed like yesterday when the withered leaves on
the ground below the bald trees dyed the academy’s scenery in a hue of gold and red.
She was currently sitting on the stone steps during the training’s break.
The girl rested her chin on her sword with both arms around it, and she stared out at the dark green
silhouette of the distant mountains in a daze. She finally realized that winter had come, and it had been
half a year since she arrived at this place.
Because of the great difficulty to adjust to the new environment, she hardly paid attention to her
surroundings. The trees’ leaves grew vigorously in summer, before they turned to form a sea of red in
autumn, and finally withered as winter approached.
The year ended in such a manner.
She lived each day as blandly as a devout priest. In order to become stronger, she had to give up on
pastimes. Every day was alternated between training and breaks as she desperately tried to reach her
goal of becoming stronger—
Was it for the sake of everyone in Bucce? Or to answer to that youth’s expectations of her?
Every time she recalled Brendel’s warm and concerned gaze, she could not help but feel her heart beating
a little faster, becoming tense enough to be breathless.
She felt ashamed for feeling that way from time to time, but she could not shake his image off.
“Brendel……”
She muttered his name, not noticing that there was someone before her. She immediately raised her head
up to meet a woman’s solemn gaze with black hair that reached her shoulders— Her face immediately
flushed red and she stood up with her hands moving about in a fluster.
“What’s wrong?” Maynild tilted her head and asked.
“N-nothing……” Freya lowered her head and denied subconsciously, feeling that even she would not
believe that answer.
[You idiot! Why can’t you make up a lie like that scoundrel who’s capable of doing it all the time!]
1635
But the serious female knight in front of Freya did not admonish and order her to be alert like she usually
did.
Instead, she patted Freya’s head, causing the latter to nearly turn around and flee in fright.
“Are you missing home?” Maynild took away her hand and asked in a low voice, her face expressionless
but her eyes caring.
“N…..” Freya started to shake her head but suddenly nodded. If she did not pretend that it was so, she
could hardly what she was really thinking about.
Maynild sighed at the weak lie and felt that she was able to guess what Freya was really thinking about,
but she did not question her and instead reached into the bag on her belt.
“There’s a letter for you,” she said.
“Brendel’s letter?” Freya blurted out, then blinked several times, before she cupped her lips with her
hand when she realized her mistake.
Maynild’s lips twisted upwards slightly. It was the first time Freya ever saw her smile.
“So that lucky person is called Brendel, hmm—”
“L…… what do you mean by lucky……” Freya’s head was lowered again, feeling her ears burst into flames.
Her voice was so small that she could hardly hear herself, but she received the letter carefully with both
hands.
The sounds of horses could suddenly be heard as they traveled through the main entrance. It was rare for
people to come into the academy during winter, and the two women turned their attention toward the
unexpected visitors.
A white horse carriage parted through the light morning mist and slowly entered the academy. It passed
by both of them and went deeper into the academy.
[That’s the direction of the princess’s residence. Not anyone can enter that place, and it’s tightly guarded
by the royal knights—]
“Who would these people be……” Freya asked when she realized where the carriage was going.
Maynild’s eyes paid attention to the symbol; it was a shield with vivid purple gillyflowers on it.
“Someone from the Lantonrand’s family, probably another person who can be considered lucky,” she said
after a moment, but her tone was a little unfriendly.
1636
“Who?”
“Nothing,” Maynild shook her head, causing her black hair to shimmer against the light, “you should focus
on yourself, Freya. But you’re improving very quickly so there’s no need to worry too much.”
“T-thanks.”
“…… Oh, and did that worthless man come to trouble you?”
Freya looked back puzzledly before realizing Maynild was talking about Sangany, the second son of an
Earl from somewhere.
Sangany had gathered a group of men to go after Freya with malicious intentions, but somehow Maynild
found out and personally went out to teach them a lesson. He was almost expelled because of this
incident.
However, the matter was ultimately put aside without any punishment on his side. While Freya did not
understand much about the nobles’ affairs, she knew there was political interference in regards to this
matter. Still, she was grateful to Maynild because she was just a commoner.
“No, there isn’t any trouble from him,” Freya said.
[Is there something that I should be worried about?]
She did not know why Maynild suddenly talked about him.
1637
Chapter 85 – The new owner of the silver mines
Maynild’s expression was serious.
“You should be a little more careful these few days. That bastard is acting up again recently, but this time
his actions are more covert and I’m unable to find evidence of his wrongdoings—”
Freya frowned and looked worriedly at her.
“There’s no need to worry yet,” Maynild’s black eyes were resolute and she drew in a light breath, “I’m
still here. Still, you should just be a little more careful.”
She glanced at the disappearing horse carriage as she cautioned Freya again. The sky to the north was a
little dark, as though it was an omen for a terrible storm.
[Is this storm going to come before the winter ends?]
She knew that there were people in the academy who were starting to feel uneasy.
This place was supposed to be a land that was a safe haven for all, but it was possible that it was actually
the center of a chaotic maelstrom. The peace it had now was nothing more than an illusion.
[The negotiation battle has begun in Ampere Seale and it will soon turn into a true war.]
“Do you think you can take on the responsibilities??” Maynild suddenly asked.
“I’m sorry……?” Freya said in confusion.
Freya’s startled expression made Maynild laugh and the latter covered her mouth slightly.
“No, nothing,” Maynild’s voice sounded like she found something amusing.
============== Brendel’s POV ================
Two weeks had passed since the strange earthquake in the Schafflund mines—
While the troubles in the north intensified and seemed like war about to break out any given moment, the
town’s citizens lived as though nothing had happened. Even though there were deaths in the silver mines,
1638
they were quickly forgotten by many. Only the injured and family members of the dead would remember
this unfortunate day.
Most people went about their usual schedule within a short week, forgetting all too easily.
On the surface, the silver mines seemed like it had not changed, continuing like it had been for the past
few decades. But things were different when one looked deeper.
Shortly after the people who were trapped in the coliseum escaped from the silver mines—
Brendel and Medissa went straight to Perkins’s office and forced him to surrender, which the noble did
readily. Jana was then ordered to lead twenty-odd Iron-ranked mercenaries to watch him constantly at
all times.
There was a good excuse to replace the injured and dead soldiers by enlisting them as such. However, this
solution would not last very long as Perkins explained that Count Randner would not let his silver mines
be employed with unknown soldiers.
The longest that Perkins could delay was two months, but it was enough for Brendel.
Kodan then announced to the workers and guards that he would transfer all his authority to Perkins and
rest to recuperate from his injuries.
In truth, his speech was composed by Brendel to mislead them.
Contrary to what Brendel knew of the noble, Perkins was cowardly and responded by working harder on
the documents before him in the days after the change in management, to the point where the
administrative personnel who was kept in the dark praised him.
They thought their superior had turned over a new leaf when all the responsibilities in the mine had
fallen onto his lap. Even Count Randner’s spies who were sent there to monitor him wrote positive
remarks about him for the past two weeks.
Naturally, each report by the spies was intercepted by Brendel to ensure that his secret was still safe.
When he showed them to Perkins, the latter actually cursed Randner for not trusting him.
Though, Perkins cautiously looked around him to ensure that none of Randner’s spies were around him.
Brendel shook his head when he saw Perkins’s actions.
In order to soothe the cowardly and ambitious noble, Brendel promised that he would not reveal this
conspiracy and that Perkins was free to find a solution on his own if the secret was ever revealed. The
latter soon started to find someone who resembled him and planned to act like he was imprisoned as a
last resort.
1639
Even though it seemed like a weak solution, Perkins was still relieved to possibly have a way to avoid
taking responsibility for the loss of the silver mines.
Kodan was escorted to Firburh shortly after he made his speech by Medissa and Scarlett. When the old
man saw Ciel, he understood there was no way he could escape. But he rejected Brendel’s further
attempts to recruit him and reminded the latter to keep his promise and release him when the time was
up.
Brendel who was staying at the inn in Schafflund, could only smile and shake his head when he saw the
report that came from Trentheim.
Even though there was definitely a relationship between his grandfather and Kodan, the latter did not
even mention a word about it after they left the mines.
Brendel was considerably interested to find out his grandfather’s secrets, but he was a patient person and
he had more important things to deal with.
He glanced at the lithe figure buried in a mountain of accounting documents near him. He had
reprimanded Romaine again when things settled down and thought that she would throw up a tantrum
by ignoring him, but she held on to his hands for the past few days like a precious treasure as though she
was afraid to lose him.
She was even working hard at the documents and cleared the numbers required for his administration in
Schafflund. She was now working on the flawed sections in the reports that Perkins and the past people
who governed his place, or more notably the amount of embezzled funds done by them.
He wondered if he was a little too hard on her, but there were moments where she slipped back to her
usual self, and he believed that it was only a matter of time before her antics started appearing again.
Brendel’s eyes went back to the report on the table, but his mind was thinking of something else.
He was immensely appreciative of Cohen’s intelligence, and the fact that the latter would rise to become a
duke proved he was someone worth going after. Unfortunately, to Brendel’s surprise, Cohen and the
youths rejected him and stated clearly that they would leave this place and follow their original plan to
see the world and make it on their own.
[It’s a pity, but since they’re still in town for the next few months, there might still be a chance to get them
to change their minds.]
Strangely enough, while he failed to recruit the people he wanted to have, there was someone else who
stuck around even though he had no interest in him.
1640
Odum, the dwarf who claimed to be the last bloodline of the Rune Dwarves, seemed to be appearing in
front of him almost as if he was doing it intentionally. The bad-tempered dwarf seemed to alternate
between respectful tones and angry shouting whenever he appeared.
The performance Odum had in the silver mines did make Brendel believe in his words, but the youth was
not exactly certain he wanted to see the dwarf.
It was because of Halran Gaia.
He was secretly worried that Odum’s goal was ultimately the sword.
[Even when I told him I’m not giving the sword back, he still lingers around with that crazy attitude……
Urgh. This mad fellow.]
He shook his head, stopped thinking about the dwarf, and continued to read the report.
The Nightsong Tiger was about to reach Schafflund in a few days in order to secretly transport the silver
ore in the warehouse.
Ciel had found Graudin’s private coin factory in one of the gardens within Firburh. Surprisingly, there
were still remnants of Graudin’s private soldiers who shut themselves by barring the entrance and even
claimed that they would fight to the very last man against the mercenaries.
This act naturally angered the mercenaries, and the captain leading them at that time wanted to fulfill the
private soldiers’ wishes by killing them all. His fiery temper was about to be unleashed on them, but Ciel
denied his request to attack.
‘Wait and see.’
It was only one sentence.
But a day after the wizard’s reply, the private soldiers who seemed keen to resist for all eternity came out
to surrender. The mercenaries were momentarily stunned by the wizard’s mysterious foresight, though
their marvel was somewhat lessened upon learning the truth.
It was quite simple.
The news of Lord Macsen’s utter defeat had spread throughout Trentheim—
1641
Chapter 86 – Omens of war
Approximately ten days ago on the battlefield near Firburh—
A faint scent of soot, smoke and burnt flesh permeated the air.
Even though it was winter, Brendel had given strict orders to the Nightsong Tiger to deal with the bodies
properly. A rampant plague was something that the youth did not want to risk, even if the weather was
cold enough to start snowing.
As time was a factor, the Nightsong Tiger split up the mercenaries into various groups to set up multiple
burning sites. Corpses were gathered and tossed into pyres to be burned, which poured trails of choking
black smoke upwards into the sky.
Lord Palas’s scouts entered the forest a few days later to investigate the news of Lord Macsen’s defeat.
Their heartbeats quickened when they found occasional armor fragments, shattered blades, and
darkened blood spatters left in the forest, proving that a fierce battle had taken place.
While they found burnt remains at the site, they were not certain whether they belonged to the rebelling
party or Lord Macsen’s men.
Since the rumors stated that the rebels had won a victory, they made their way to Lord Macsen’s region
instead of going to Firburh directly. While it might be true that the latter was defeated, they thought Lord
Macsen had escaped safely.
But to their utter shock, the region had been taken over by a group of mercenaries called the ‘The Amber
Sword’.
When the scouts questioned the local citizens, they learned that these mercenaries led Fortress Riedon’s
refugees out from a heavy siege comprised of multiple undead armies.
The mercenaries eventually went to Port Gris and out into the Wilderness, with the intention to search
for arable land and become Pioneers.
(TL reminder: Wilderness is the area not blessed by Goddess Marsha, and a Fire Seed allows her
protection to come through and prevent monsters from attacking. The people who set out to find new
land are called Pioneers.)
But no one knew when they turned around and moved to Lord Macsen’s territory instead.
1642
The scouts suddenly realized that things were not as simple as they seemed. The idea that it was just a
group of rebelling citizens who successfully took down Graudin was unlikely when there were so many
strange circumstances.
Lord Macsen was also nowhere to be found.
The scouts were close to the truth.
Brendel’s letter to Leto was to order them to set out from Port Gris and head toward to the direction of
the Wilderness, before changing their direction to Lord Macsen’s territory if the noble attacked Firburh.
Lord Macsen did not even know that his territory had been taken over when he was captured by the
Nightsong Tiger.
The scouts began to think that the leader of the rebels was someone who was highly capable.
Brendel on the other hand truly viewed the attack from Lord Macsen as nothing more than a ‘village
fight’. He had fought against huge battles with complicated tactics in the game, especially the ones against
Madara where he had to fight against overwhelming odds.
It was also why he dared to allow Raban and Cornelius to join the Nightsong Tiger in battle as a learning
experience.
Still, the youth understood that the next battle with Randner would be a bitter one.
The final destination the scouts infiltrated was the outskirts of Firburh.
“It seems like the rumors are true.” One of the scouts returned after speaking with the locals. “Someone
sighted the rebelling army returning with a number of prisoners. Judging from the information we
uncovered, Lord Macsen’s army was completely defeated, and all his men were either killed or captured.”
The scouts became silent.
Even though they already realized the conclusion when they first visited the place where the battle took
place, it was still something that made the hair on their skin stand.
The leader of the scouts, an old man who had been through many battles, received the other scouts’ gazes
for instructions.
1643
“It’s an unnatural thing. I’ve been a scout for decades, but this is the first time I’ve seen such an effective
ambush. The most important thing to do now is to return to Lord Palas with this news.” The old scout
thought for a while and said.
“I heard that Captain Carglise participated in this battle.” One of the scouts said. (TL: Carglise = Lord
Macsen’s son.)
Carglise had trained under Lord Palas and the latter taught everything he knew to the young man. Since
Lord Palas did not have children of his own, he saw Carglise as his own and the latter did not disappoint
him by having exemplary achievements in battles against Highland rebels. Lord Palas’s men also
regarded him highly.
Lord Palas also agreed to Carglise’s desire to serve Princess Gryphine. While the old knight was loyal to
Count Randner, he was more supportive of the Royal faction and hoped that his disciple would assist the
kingdom and restore it to its former glory.
“It’s strange that Captain Carglise got ambushed even if it’s a good one. When he led as the scouting
commander, he never fell for the traps from those cunning Highlanders set.” A young scout said.
The others nodded, except for the scouting leader:
“Now isn’t the time to think about this matter. I’m going to split us into two groups. The first group shall
return to Lord Palas and report to him, while the second will infiltrate Firburh and try our luck to
discover who our opponents really are.”
“Isn’t it risky to investigate this strange enemy at their base of operation?”
“What’s the point of scouting if we’re unable to gain any useful information at all? In any case, I’ll pick two
of you to come along with me, while the rest of you return back to Lord Palas.”
The rest of the scouts looked at each other in uncertainty. While they believe they would not encounter
any real danger because of their skills, they felt like they were walking on thin ice because of the
mysterious enemies.
=================== Ciel’s POV ================
As the scouts discussed amongst themselves, Raban and Cornelius first exchanged glances before they
turned around to look at Ciel.
The youth wore a conspicuous red robe and was sitting on a nearby boulder just a few meters away from
the scouts. Beside him was the leader of the Subterrane Dwellers, Tagiv, who looked at a little fearfully at
him.
1644
The young wizard’s magic had completely erased their presence. No matter how skillful a scout was, they
would never be able to detect their presence. In fact, they were so close to them that they were able to
listen to their conversation.
Raban was impressed with the scouts. They had chosen a remote area where there were little hiding
spots and were constantly paying attention to their surroundings. Their hands were always close to their
weapons and their strength seemed close to Silver-ranked fighters.
But he was even more shocked at Ciel’s magic. He came from Karsuk and had seen the mysterious
wizards from the Black Tower, and he was absolutely certain that this youth had the same air as them.
[I’ve heard rumors about Brendel being a Highland knight, I’ll believe that, but does it make sense that a
wizard from the Black Tower serving as a squire to a knight? Just who is that noble?]
“Those scouts are bold,” Cornelius said, bringing back Raban from his thoughts.
The scouts separated into two groups, one moving towards Firburh, the other heading back to the Palas
region. They quickly vanished into the main roads.
“Hah,” Ciel rubbed his forehead, his action resembling Brendel greatly.
His master was truly excellent. It was baffling to him that the young noble seemed to know everything,
and he idolized him so much that he started to imitate his actions in the recent days.
But he soon laughed at himself before speaking: “I didn’t expect that fellow Carglise to be so popular with
Palas’s men. He’s constantly demanding a duel between one of you. Are you not interested in accepting?”
Both Raban and Cornelius’s faces turned strange upon Ciel’s teasing.
During the ambush against Lord Macsen, the biggest problem they had was that youth, Carglise. His
combat abilities were truly remarkable. The Nightsong Tiger, Raban and Cornelius engaged him in a
three-way fight, yet the youth’s swordsmanship was brilliant enough to keep them at bay. If it was not the
fact where Lord Macsen was captured, it was actually possible for that youth to pave a bloody road for his
escape.
Fortunately, Carglise surrendered.
Lord Macsen and Carglise were put under house arrest and they were treated considerably well, but the
latter kept yelling for a rematch and demanded duels. The three mercenary commanders avoided the
place.
Ciel had told Brendel that someone needed to be taught a lesson; that was Carglise.
1645
“What are your thoughts on them?” Ciel shook his head with a smile after seeing the silence from both
men and changed the topic.
“…… Did our lord predict the scouts?” Cornelius asked as he looked at Ciel pointing to the scouts.
Tagiv was starting to be dissatisfied. It was the one who alerted the humans that the enemy scouts had
entered the area, yet was it was being ignored.
“Oh, right, the credit of discovering the scouts goes to Tagiv.” Ciel suddenly said and nodded to Tagiv,
spotting its discontent.
Tagiv immediately puffed up its chest.
“And?” Raban frowned and asked.
“We’re to capture the scouts heading to Firburh. As for the others, we’re to let them go.”
Cornelius and Raban exchanged glances.
[Letting them return will let Lord Palas be on his guard. He will prepare an army much bigger than Lord
Macsen.]
[What is our lord thinking?]
But Ciel raised his head to the sky and mused to himself thoughtfully. He had guessed what Brendel
wanted to do; it was going to be an all-out battle.
1646
Chapter 87 – The gathering storm (1)
================ Brendel’s POV ===============
The silver obtained from Schafflund restored some life to Firburh.
At the same time, the gains that Brendel received from the Rune Dwarves’ Haven were beyond his
expectations, and the youth believed that he had enough strength to take on a bigger challenge.
At this point in time, his eyes were cast to the north and he was prepared to give the nobles an
announcement—
A new force is on the rise.
[The letter to Gryphine should reach her any moment now, and so is the news of Lord Macsen’s defeat to
Lord Palas. Count Randner will get the news of the defeat in a few days.]
Beneath his palm were a few written pages assessing the number of troops that he had and the terrain
around Firburh.
[The things to consider next would be Randner’s reinforcements to Lord Palas. He might send in ten
thousand men from his own region, but he’s unlikely to send in Gold-ranked fighters since that would be
his core strength; what he really wants is to show his hand to the other nobles so he will present a large
army. There’s also the consideration that Madara worked with Graudin, so I should expect undead
enemies. In addition, when I look at the Palas region on the map —]
His eyes narrowed. There were densely populated areas consisting of Highland natives.
[The plan is certainly to have an all-out war, but there’s the possibility of my men being outnumbered ten
to one…… In conclusion, there’s a need to secure more men of my own. Delaying for a while would be
good here. Hmm, doable.]
His mind began to spin as he began formulating an overall strategy and the plans to support it.
In order to prove to himself to this old kingdom, he needed to have a complete victory in order to warn
his future enemies and gain the trust of his possible allies. It was also imperative that he did it as soon as
possible.
================== Gryphine’s POV =============
1647
Gryphine was sitting down on a comfortable chair with a high back that was decorated with laces before
a mahogany table covered with documents.
She wore a set of specially made army uniform that was silver in color. While it gave her a strict and
sharp look, it also brought out her lithe figure that could only belong to a soft and gentle girl.
Her thin but dense eyelashes were flickering quickly as she scanned through the two documents in front
of her; a letter and the day’s report on the important information—
Gryphine tapped the table’s surface thoughtfully as she blinked her silver eyes, and finally lifted up her
head. It was rare for her to put her full attention to read.
Maynild and Oberbeck were not there. It was another group of people, and she knew only one of them.
“Teacher.”
An elderly man who wore a scholar’s long robes bowed respectfully before the princess. He was the royal
court’s archmage Fleetwood, and he currently did not have the arrogance when he faced Brendel.
Gryphine was his best disciple and also a hope to revive the kingdom. Even though he was strict during
his lessons when he taught her, he was now respectful to her as a courtier.
“Your Highness.”
Gryphine smiled in return, and her eyes moved on to the others. Even though she did not know
personally, she was able to guess their identities.
The only young man in the group who had a rosy appearance and a little lost would be Eke.
Beside him was a middle-aged man. Even though he had a weather-beaten appearance, he still kept an air
of nobility to him. She recalled meeting him when she was very young, the cunning fox Makarov, and the
person who once led the royal faction.
The third person was a man who had a robust figure with hands full of calluses. She thought it was
certainly Buga.
The final person was undoubtedly the lord of the Matthiola region, Count Barre. Even though she had not
seen him before, she heard that he was a noble who did things in a unique way.
Her eyes paused on each of them for a few seconds, using the information she had gleaned from the
reports she received in the past and managed to guess all her guests’ identities with her own eyes.
1648
Fleetwood did not even need to introduce them.
[Today’s guests are quite famous. Duke Lantonrand’s son, the Cross Sword’s successor, the leader of the
former Royal Faction, and the next person to be called Cunning Fox after Makarov.]
Even though the Lantonrand region was small and situated beside Ampere Seale and the Arreck region,
Duke Lantonrand’s support was critically important to the princess. It was good that history of the past
Dukes of Lantonrand and Dukes of Arreck did not get along, and this generation’s dukes were sworn
enemies.
Her gaze landed on Eke for a while longer.
The young man’s face started to turn red when he felt her eyes. He still had not adjusted his identity—
perhaps anyone who turned from a nameless mercenary to the son of a duke would be stunned even
now.
Eke had not expected the princess to be this beautiful.
As a half-elf, she was touted as the brightest gem on Aouine’s crown. Her aloof elegance that came from
her Elven blood seemed to be mixed in with a human’s warmth, and anyone who met her for the first
time would easily be infatuated with her.
Even though she was young, she already possessed the potential for anyone to fall in love with her
appearance.
“Lord Eke, Lord Barre, Lord Makarov, and Ser Buga. I’m pleased to meet you, and I thank you for still
supporting the Corvado royal family.”
The group was quite surprised to see her point their identities out correctly.
Makarov was feeling slightly glad. The princess was just as excellent as the rumors had stated. Hope was
not transient as it appeared when the Corvado royal family had a successor like her.
He believed that talent was the most important thing, but loyalty and resources were equally as
important. The first prince was aggressive and impulsive, and Makarov disliked him. However, he was
feeling much more relieved with the princess.
But he suddenly recalled another youth and the oath that he made. He quickly shut his eyes and shook his
head inwardly, tossing out the memories of the past.
Count Barre, on the other hand, did not get moved by the princess’s polite attitude, neither was he
interested in it. The rumors about her capabilities would be grossly inaccurate if she did not have this
amount of insight.
1649
He instead glanced at the two reports on the table. She had been focusing it with strange intensity when
they came into the room. The strangest thing was how she looked at it and smiled at the same time, and
he was certain that she did not notice it herself.
Naturally, he did not point that fact out, nor was it his turn to speak. He turned his gaze to Fleetwood.
“There’s no need to be so polite, Your Highness. We should apologize for being late— There was
something that we encountered along the way,” Fleetwood bowed and raised his head, “may I ask what is
the situation to the north?”
“The dark clouds are filling the sky.”
Gryphine turned her head and looked past the window, describing the movements of the northern armies
of the various dukes.
“Their speakers have reached Ampere Seale and they are starting to convince the greedy merchants.”
“Are there no plans made to counter them?” Makarov asked.
Everyone’s eyes fell on him. After becoming a mercenary for a decade, he had become more practical and
cared less about the rules amongst the nobles. Under normal circumstances, it was not yet the turn for
him to speak.
But Gryphine’s silver eyes glinted. She was more appreciative of people who spoke up instead of holding
back.
“I’ve asked Princess Magadal to assist in this matter and she would be setting out soon. She has close ties
to the Cathedral of Flames and her contacts are many. There’s a chance to turn things around,” she said.
“Would it be the princess who’s very devout?” Fleetwood asked.
“Does she have proper guards? At this stage, our actions are closely watched to the point where they
might as well be transparent to the enemy. Once Princess Magadal leaves, she would most likely
encounter assassins.”
“Naturally. Maynild is the leader of the guards protecting her.”
Buga’s eyebrow was raised. Maynild was Lady Ida’s daughter and had family ties with Duke Lantonrand.
He had met her when she was still young, but her talent in the sword was already blossoming and he was
certain that she had become an excellent swordsman.
1650
He nodded slightly to Makarov’s questioning looks. The latter had also heard of her name, but he still
questioned the princess’s decision: “Even though Lady Ida’s daughter is an excellent swordsman, but she
is still someone who has not left the Academy. I believe that you need a more experienced leader.”
Gryphine nodded: “Which is why I waited for everyone to arrive here and delayed Magadal’s departure.”
Makarov’s eyes widened slightly at her answer and exchanged glances with the rest of the group. They
bowed their heads to the princess.
“We’re grateful for your trust and would be glad to escort Princess Magadal,” Fleetwood said.
The room turned silent.
There was still a secret contract to be settled between Duke Lantonrand and the Corvado royal family,
but the group felt that it should be the princess who should initiate this topic. While it was possible for
them to talk about pleasantries, no one had the mood to do so when the pressure from the north was so
great.
In the end, the princess spoke again with a small smile:
“Everyone should take a seat. Perhaps we can talk about things that are more relaxing. I’ve been hearing
bad news day after day. I believe Lord Eke was a mercenary for a few years? It is quite remarkable and
interesting even amongst the nobles.”
Her eyes also went to Makarov for a moment, bringing him into the topic.
Eke was suddenly taken aback as the attention focused on him. He started to stutter several words out
before the princess spared him.
“Ah, yes, and I also recalled that teacher Fleetwood said that you encountered some trouble. You have
always been on time when it comes to appointments, do you mind telling me what delayed you?” She
continued to ask.
Fleetwood nodded and said: “Yes, to tell the truth, this has to do with the Golden Apple!”
Gryphine’s felt her heart beat violently and her pupils dilated a little. While she still kept her expression,
as usual, Count Barre saw that minute reaction.
1651
“Brendel?” Gryphine repeated the name she just heard.
Her thin eyebrows finally shook a little and a streak of astonishment flashed across her silver irises for a
moment.
“That youth said his name is Brendel? Most people would hardly choose to reveal their name in that
situation.” She said with a frown, staring at her guests intently.
“Most people,” Count Barre interrupted, placing his hand on his chest and bowed: “would do so, but I
think he isn’t one. For him to have such a close relationship with the Silver Elves, I’m afraid he’s unlike
most people, Your Highness.”
Gryphine interlocked her fingers to make a single fist and rested her chin on it. She pondered a little
blankly.
[Golden Apple, Silver Elves, Dragon Magic, and Highland Knight…..]
“You said he’s a Silver-ranked Swordsman?” She said
“I believe so.” Makarov nodded.
“Twenty years old.” Gryphine’s mind was a chaotic mess as though a hurricane had gone through it.
Oberbeck clearly stated that he was an Iron-ranked swordsman. She suddenly turned to Eke who became
a little startled: “Isn’t that the same rank as Lord Eke?”
Buga nodded and replied: “That young man’s a true genius. But there’s one thing about his
swordsmanship that bothers me……”
“What is wrong with his swordsmanship?”
“There’s a familiar shadow to his swordsmanship, like…… someone I’ve seen before…..”
“Please speak freely, Ser Buga.”
“Sword Saint Darius.” (TL: Darius Torbus Cadirosso)
“Sword Saint Darius? But you just claimed that he used Aouine’s Swordsmanship in a revolutionary
manner. How can that be linked to the Sword Saint when he left this world a long time ago?”
1652

“His stance and movements. Although I believe his techniques have surpassed the original Aouine’s
swordsmanship, his foundations have the same origin as Darius—”
Gryphine’s heart skipped a beat when she heard the word “surpassed”.
“It’s indeed very rare to see a twenty-year-old swordsman reaching the Silver ranks.” Fleetwood chimed
in, and his eyes went to Eke.
The youth lowered his head with embarrassment.
Gryphine nodded inwardly. There was also a number of excellent youths that appeared from the recent
tournament.
[Sometimes I wonder if Mother Marsha still blesses our kingdom when there are so many talented youths
in this kingdom, but why is the situation so difficult right now?]
She felt a little tired but immediately forced herself to turn her attention back to the group with her will.
She took in a deep breath and her face even paled a little when she got to the crux of this topic:
“Grandmaster Fleetwood, you mentioned the Golden Apple. Is it true that it’s not Soulbound to him?” She
asked with a serious expression.
“Yes, this old man swears on the honor as a mage who has worked for the royal family for decades. I am
certain that it’s not Soulbound.”
The Golden Apple was said to be able to change a person’s destiny for the better. If she possessed the
Golden Apple, would it be possible for her timid little brother to become Aouine’s true king?
[But why did that youth not eat the apple yet? Could it be that it’s a fake? But my teacher wouldn’t be
wrong about this…… Perhaps the Golden Apple is the reason as to why the Silver Elves are so close to
him? No, that isn’t the end. A Highland Knight possessing Dragon Magic?]
There were legendary tales about Highland Knights, Silver Elves, and Dragons. Her heart started to beat
quickly and her eyes gleamed: “Is it possible to recruit him?”
The group of men turned silent. As someone who possessed the Golden Apple and had a relationship with
the Silver Elves, they were willing to recruit him.
But Fleetwood’s arrogance, Makarov’s greed, and the threat of Count Barre’s men had offended the youth.
Even Eke’s presence would be annoying to him, although he did not know that.
1653
Even though Brendel seemed to favor the Royal Faction, this was hardly a point that they could use.
“That would be difficult.” Makarov who was the most practical person amongst them answered instantly.
“I’m not too sure about that—” The princess suddenly smiled, almost bursting into laughter when she
thought about this matter: “If this is the same person that I know of.”
They looked puzzledly at her as she took the letter and stretched out her hand and prompted them to
read it.
Makarov received the letter and began to read out loud.
“On the seventeenth day of the Month of the Autumn’s Twilight, I address this letter to Her Highness,
Princess Gryphine Corvado Ordelis, from the city Firburh of the region Trentheim.
On the previous night, there was a movement of Madara’s undead army under the leadership of the ‘Black
Lord’ Incirsta that launched an unexpected attack on Firburh. This assault on the city led to thousands of
casualties, and in the battle, the previous Lord of Firburh, Baron Graudin, died in combat.
As a Pioneer Knight and the Lord of the Valhalla region, I had received Graudin’s warm reception during
my travels. As one who is duty-bound to protect the ideals of the kingdom as well as to pay respect to my
reception from Graudin, I took up the role of defending Firburh.
The undead was driven back after a night’s battle. However, in order to prevent the undead from
attacking again, your humble knight shall take up the reins of leadership for a temporary period. I will
handle the city’s defenses and administration, until the moment where Your Highness appoints the next
lord for this city—”
Makarov’s expression suddenly contorted for a second, but he recovered quickly with a cough and
continued to recite the letter’s contents:
“I hereby hold Count Randner responsible for the Madara’s invasion and demand actions taken for his
culpability in this matter. He had known that Incirsta’s undead army was at the southern borders and
allowed them to pass through our lands unchecked. In order to prove this matter, I have attached a
Recording Crystal detailing the battle.”
Makarov raised his head.
“The Recording Crystal is with me, please continue,” Gryphine said without batting an eyelid.
“There’s no more, Your Highness.”
“No, check again, there’s one more word.”
1654
Makarov’s eyes searched for that word and immediately widened upon finding it.
“Brendel.” He said with quivering brows.
A momentary silence filled the room, before he tried to make light of this incident: “I knew that Baron
Graudin was derelict in his duties, but this young man is much too bold and…..”
It was clear that the youth was the one who slew Graudin and blamed the undead. He even pointed his
finger at Count Randner.
“And……” Makarov thought for a moment but was unable to find a word for Brendel’s audacious behavior.
“Preposterous!” Fleetwood’s tone was sharp and cold: “This is a challenge to the kingdom. He has broken
the nobles’ rules!”
Gryphine’s throat stiffened when she heard the words “nobles’ rules”.
Count Barre wonder if it was contempt that caused her to have a supposed lump in her throat.
“….. What does everyone think of the truth on this matter?”
“I believe in Ser Brendel’s integrity.” Eke suddenly said with a clear voice, standing up and bowing
slightly: “I know him as a true knight.”
His sudden action surprised everyone.
1655
“Young man, you ought to know that people are quite capable of deceit,” Fleetwood said.
Makarov and Count Barre agreed when they heard this remark. The years of battles they had against
other nobles had made them realize anything was possible when people were involved. The princess did
not agree or disagree with her expression and merely watched the youth intently with her eyes.
“Grandmaster Fleetwood, Ser Brendel specifically came back to aid me when it was a life-and-death
situation. I can hardly believe a morally upright person would be capable of such deceit. But most
importantly, it was his oath that convinced me—”
The naivety on the youthful face disappeared as he locked eyes with each man in the room.
“The fact that the legendary Lionheart recognizes him is proof that his rebuke of us was right.”
“What?” Gryphine blurted.
Fleetwood had briefly mentioned about seeing the Divine Resonance during their journey to her, but Eke
somehow seemed to hint that it happened because of the mysterious youth. Her eyes turned to her
teacher curiously and the latter knew that the incident between Brendel and them could not be kept
under wraps any longer.
This secret was originally meant to be kept from the princess because it was an embarrassing encounter.
Fleetwood did not expect Eke to spill it out, and the questioning gaze from the princess meant that she
wanted an answer and would find out one way or another.
The grandmaster wizard nodded to Makarov, who sighed at the thought of explaining how he was
censured by a youth no older than twenty. He detailed the entire encounter to Gryphine.
“Your Highness, this isn’t something that we intentionally tried to hide,” Makarov added.
Gryphine nodded and said generously: “Different circumstances with different viewpoints can easily lead
to conflict. It’s understandable to avoid reporting certain things. This was taught to me by Fleetwood—”
Fleetwood immediately bowed his head. Gryphine was actually grumbling to him for keeping this a
secret. He felt alarmed and relieved at the same time; alarmed at his superior doubting him, and relieved
that she was merely hinting her displeasure to him.
This was ultimately a sign of their familiarity with each other.
1656
Makarov and Count Barre exchanged looks. They were also relieved as Gryphine showed that she would
not pursue this matter.
As subordinates of Duke Lantonrand, they were supposed to work for the Royal Faction since their
superior chose to stand with them. Hiding things from the princess could cause rifts and they needed to
avoid this at all cost, especially at such a critical juncture.
“I am curious. What exactly were the words Brendel said that caused a Divine Resonance?”
“He asked if we still remember the Ancestral King’s beliefs.” Makarov’s voice trembled a little.
The truth was that he was shaken by Brendel’s words.
[The youth said our defeat is fated even if we took the Golden Apple. The change that we can get from it
wouldn’t lead us to victory against Madara, and to hear him deny our blood and tears for the past decade
is truly infuriating — yet I’m unable to refute his words.]
“That is—” Gryphine suddenly recalled a certain story from Oberbeck.
A Highland Knight led a group of near defenseless refugees and cut through a path at Madara’s undead
armies. It sounded like it came out from a fairy tale that could only happen during the era of the Ancestral
King, when the fiery blood of the noble knights had not cooled yet.
The most exhilarating aspect of this story was that it happened in this era that she was born in.
This was why she could not help but keep the knight of this story in her mind.
“Do you still remember his exact words?” Gryphine said subconsciously.
“I—” Makarov’s mind started to blank out.
He recalled the youth’s burning eyes of righteous anger, as well as the moment that Scarlett suddenly
appeared. Count Barre detected the odd change in him and instead answered:
“Let me do it.”
“You have my gratitude, Count Barre.” Gryphine nodded slightly.
Count Barre’s expression became slightly solemn:
1657
“His exact words were: ‘I recall a story. During Aouine’s brightest era, the Knights of Aouine would carry
their horns and swallowtail flags. With their blades pointed forth, they would blow their horns and
charge forth—‘”
Makarov suddenly sighed and he took over: “The golden emblems from Corvado, Grinoires, and Arreck
were woven onto the swallowtail flags. The nobles in that era held on to their oaths— Do you still
remember that oath?”
Gryphine suddenly closed her eyelids a little, her hands clasped in front of her, and repeated about the
oath in her mind that she knew well.
[I swear upon this sword and stay true to this oath!]
“I swear upon this sword and stay true to this oath! I will lead my citizens away from wars and killings, to
distance ourselves from the arrogance and greed of the empire’s nobles; I will never repeat the mistakes
of the empire’s bloody history. I will ensure that the nobles will be faithful to the Knights’ code of being
fair and disciplined, brave and unflinching, generous and benevolent. I will enforce this oath to the end of
my life!”
When the final word was said, Gryphine’s heart was full of overwhelming emotions.
She could almost picture the youth saying the words clearly and loudly. Her heart pounded. She thought
no one would understand what she truly desired to achieve in her life. She hid her emotions behind a
mask and constantly did things that were against her beliefs to deal with the situation before her.
Yet when someone appeared with the same beliefs as her and was achieving it in spite of the obstacles……
Her mask shattered a little and she could not help but become stunned.
But what she did not know was that she had another self in another world.
In a game called The Amber Sword, Aouine was like a boat traveling through a dark stormy sea, and
Princess Gryphine had constantly worked to sail through it with her unshakeable will.
The dream was like a moth to a flame.
The Goddess of War, countless people within Aouine, and the gamers within the kingdom, gathering
together in order to fulfill the Regent Princess’s dream.
The dream where she could fulfill the Ancestral King’s promise to protect the kingdom and its citizens,
where the knights would vanquish the darkness and lead everyone to warmth and safety.
In the end, that dream was extinguished.
1658
However, the Gryphine of this world opened her eyes as if she woke up from a world that was filled with
darkness. Her fatigue was suddenly gone. Even though the dark clouds to the north were gathering and it
seemed like a storm was about to descend, she felt like she suddenly found something that would lead
her to her destination.
“That young man’s words are right, but only when dreams can be achieved in reality can they be called
practical. The difficulty of achieving them is not reduced just because we have the willpower to do so.”
Gryphine paused for a moment.
“He has sent us an invitation into his world. What exactly is his aim by sending us this letter? Please, feel
free to express your thoughts—“
1659
Chapter 90 – The Gathering Storm (4)
“He’s showing us goodwill.” Makarov concluded simply.
“Are you sure he’s not trying to make us his shield,” Fleetwood frowned and disagreed, “offering us
evidence of Count Randner’s wrongdoing and his territory? If we become allies of this youth, we’re
forcing Count Randner to join hands with Duke Arreck.”
Gryphine creased her brows.
Count Randner was not a reliable ally to the Royal Faction and was more like a knife to their backs if he
joined them. But it was also true that he had not stated where his support would be, and it would be
foolish for her to force him to join her older brother instead.
“Hmph. That scheming Count.” She said a little irritably.
“The situation’s a little interesting.” Count Barre laughed once.
That youth was daring enough to take the city but his action could hardly be seen as impulsive. By
delivering his letter at this particular time……
It was truly an excellent timing and definitely not a coincidence.
Brendel’s move was thrilling and dangerous as though he was walking on a thin wire.
Count Barre glanced at Makarov.
[I’m sure the Cunning Fox of the previous generation has already noticed this fact. But what does the
youth want from us exactly? If he wants actual support from us with this letter that’s not even a loyalty
pledge to our faction, isn’t he a little too naive? No, he can’t be this foolish if he sent out this letter.
Then…… he just wants to be acknowledged by the Royal Faction? But even if we do so, how is he going to
handle the aftermath when Count Randner marches in with his army?]
Mere accusation from this letter would not prevent Count Randner from sending his men to attack
Firburh—
Count Barre was extremely curious about this matter. If the youth were to succeed in defeating Count
Randner’s army…… He found that he was unable to imagine how things would end up if this scenario
happened.
1660
Makarov spoke after he thought for a while: “I believe that young man understands our position on Count
Randner.”
“You mean……” Gryphine pondered for a moment before her eyes turned to the letter again.
“Why did he send this letter?” Makarov nodded, “No, it’s not to insult our intelligence—”
His joking words made Count Barre and Gryphine chuckle, though Fleetwood lightly tutted.
“He’s really showing us goodwill,” Makarov repeated his conclusion again.
“I agree with Makarov’s words. The youth is showing us goodwill, but he does not intend to join us. He
also knows clearly what position he is in.” Count Barre said.
“Then what does he want?” Fleetwood’s silver eyebrows knitted in slight confusion. Even though he had
been in the royal court for years, he had spent his whole life on Magic techniques, and still lacked an
understanding fights between the nobles.
“Isn’t it clearly stated in the letter?”
His dislike for that youth was not as important as the Royal Faction’s interest, so he considered the
possibilities carefully. If the Royal Faction were to acknowledge his words and put pressure on Count
Randner…… Even though he did not have a good impression of the youth, this transaction seemed like it
was still very much in favor for them.
“He wants us to denounce Count Randner openly?” He said after a while.
“No, there’s no need to do so. The Royal Faction’s silence on this matter is enough. The youth’s target is
clearly Count Randner, and only him. We need not get involved in this.”
“But his actions have challenged all the nobles. No one dares to openly occupy a legitimate territory
awarded by the king to a noble. This is no precedent—”
“Which is why he’s trying to avoid the situation where everyone attacks him by sending us this letter. Did
he not state that he’s just temporarily taking over the territory until the princess appoints someone?”
Count Barre shook his head with a smile.
Makarov glanced at Count Barre, wondering why he was biased to that youth when he known to be
mostly neutral.
1661
“Unfortunately, this excuse would only work if people are truly convinced of it. An excuse and a false
accusation are two entirely different things. Your Highness, have you watched the contents of the
Recording Crystal?” He said.
“I did. There’s indeed an army of Madara’s undead, and it’s certainly not a small one,” Gryphine scoffed
lightly, “I don’t want to ask about the dirty acts between Count Randner and Madara’s undead, but just
how effective is this letter with the Recording Crystal?”
It was clear how disgusted she was when she spoke about Count Randner.
“It’s strong evidence, at least enough to question Count Randner on the failure to detect Madara’s
invasion.” Count Barre said, his admiration for the youth continuing to increase.
“So let us see what advantages we can gain from this. I believe that youth knows that we cannot give up
Count Randner as an ally, but there’s one point that made me very surprised.” Makarov said gravely,
causing everyone to pay attention and wait for his words.
“He’s probably trying to become a chess piece.”
“A chess piece?” Fleetwood was confused.
But Count Barre’s eyes immediately widened with delight, even he did not manage to see what Brendel
was trying to do: “Impressive! This is indeed a chess piece that forces Count Randner into a bad position!”
“Yes,” Makarov nodded, but contrary to Count Barre’s delight, he was feeling dread.
Leaving aside the part where Brendel clearly knew what the Royal Faction currently needed, his
knowledge of the current state of the entire kingdom had left Makarov highly alert.
“Count Randner will soon find out that we will be keeping our silence on this matter, and that this
Brendel had seemingly cast his lot with us…… The scheming Count will then ponder about the situation if
he chooses to side with Duke Arreck during this time—”
Makarov paused for a moment.
“And he will realize that he’s surrounded by his enemies.”
Count Barre quietly listened to Makarov’s thoughts. He could not help but check out the man’s white
sideburns. The latter was certainly living up as someone who once led the Royal Faction. He could not
help but admire the experience Makarov had.
1662
“Is there anything that the youth can get by becoming a chess piece?” Gryphine acknowledged Makarov’s
words by nodding: “We can throw him away at any given time if Count Randner pledges his loyalty to us.
Surely he understands this point.”
Fleetwood was taking everything in. He found that the youth was not as irksome as before when Makarov
explained his thoughts and said after some hesitation:
“It does seem like he’s standing on the Royal Faction’s side. Perhaps he’s willing to join us. But, the only
thing that we can do right now is to conceal this thing—”
Count Barre shook his head inwardly and glanced at the old Archmage. A scholar was indeed just a
scholar; they could never participate in politics.
“What the youth wants is very simple. He wants to play a game of balance. He’s a neutral party who
believes that Count Randner will not cast his lot with us—”
“An admirable gambler.” A voice rang out from outside the office. The knights outside opened the door
and allowed a noble wearing a mink coat to walk in.
The familiar face made Makarov pause slightly.
[This is…… Oberbeck? I remember him as a pretty capable youth when I was leading the Royal Faction.]
The youthful innocence of Oberbeck was gone, replaced by a sharp and firm air. He even had a new
nickname, the Wolf Lord.
Oberbeck glanced at Makarov, then bowed slightly to the princess.
“Your Highness,” he greeted Gryphine, then turned to Makarov, “Lord Makarov, it has been a while.”
Oberbeck’s position within the Royal Faction was currently considered higher than Makarov, but his
humble attitude made him feel pleased.
Makarov nodded back with a smile: “Lord Oberbeck.”
Oberbeck continued to exchange short greetings with the other men and caught up to the discussion that
had happened so far.
“Let’s continue with the discussion. I believe that Makarov and Barre’s analysis is logical, but I have
another thought as to what the youth wants—” He said
The room fell into a silence.
1663
Everyone’s eyes were on him. Gryphine was the only person who knew that Oberbeck understood
Brendel best amongst them.
“The people who do not even have the value as chess pieces are worthless, the people who become chess
pieces without even knowing are fools, but people who are like this young man and become chess pieces
on their own will, they are chess players.”
“Chess players?”
“Yes. Even if they only control a single chess piece, they are chess players. And on this chessboard, he’s
now standing on a place high enough to meet us. If he’s a chess piece, then we are chess pieces. The only
advantage we have over him is possessing more resources than he does.”
The others in the room were speechless.
“Oberbeck, you mean to say that he wants to get involved in this game as a player?” Even Gryphine felt
disbelief. She drew in a light breath: “If this is true, his real goals are to take advantage of us? This is
certainly quite displeasing.”
“Yes, and yet the only option we have is to accept it. His suggestion is still the most advantageous option
for us.”
“This sly fellow,” Fleetwood suddenly felt he should not participate this discussion as he listened to all the
complicated analysis on the letter. He rubbed his temples and asked tiredly: “Then what should we do
now?”
“We can choose any option as long as it doesn’t directly interfere with the parties involved in this matter,”
the Wolf Lord concluded mysteriously, “and after that, all that’s left for us to do is to watch that youth’s
brilliant performance against Count Randner.”
The group of men looked at Oberbeck with disbelief. Even Eke who was confident in Brendel’s abilities
became worried.
One was a youth who had no resources, the other was an experienced Count who had a large force.
Count Barre momentarily thought about the Silver Elves, but they stated they would not interfere with
Aouine’s internal politics. He did not understand where the youth’s confidence came from to participate
in this game.
But Gryphine knew why Oberbeck spoke in that manner. The report that came in almost at the same time
as the letter had a simple line:
‘Trentheim, Lord Macsen’s utter defeat.’
1664
1665
The Randner region was situated between Arreck and Vlada’s borders. The area was designated during
the rise of the kingdom’s beginning with strong military forces to prevent the Highland natives from
attacking the northern areas. Over time, the control of the south got stronger and became a true defensive
line against invaders.
Count Randner situated himself in Fortress Patalone. Even though it was not the biggest fortress, it had a
long history of a hundred and thirty years, and the construction method was influenced by Elven design
that resurged in popularity. It was currently deemed to be a rare work of art from that era.
It was the House of Randner’s biggest pride and showed how much they respected traditional values.
This respect had also won them considerable prestige from nobles of higher ranks.
Interestingly, the current Count Randner who had a ‘good reputation’ of being two-faced, benefitted just
as much as Fortress Patalone’s fame.
It was a few days after Lord Macsen’s defeat, and a few riders urged their exhausted horses toward
Fortress Patalone. The gatekeeper of the fortress was a veteran soldier who had guarded the fortress for
half his life, and it was the first time ever since the November War that he saw such urgency from the
riders.
The riders and their horses looked like they had been traveling without rest, and the gatekeeper quickly
realized that they were carrying armbands that signified an urgent report. The news of the unrest in the
north had also reached his ears, and he immediately ordered the guards to raise the gate.
The gate was raised halfway noisily, and the riders rushed in without even waiting to confirm their
identities and rode straight to the heart of the fortress.
The report from the scouts was quickly transferred to the chamberlain. There were three levels of
reports in regards to their urgency, and upon listening to the scouts’ explanation, he quickly stamped it
with the highest level of urgency and handed it to his aide who started running in order to send it to
Count Randner.
This level of urgency had not appeared for nearly a decade.
The chamberlain then quickly pulled a rope that rang a bell in Count Randner’s office. It was an
antiquated system that was replaced by magic, but Count Randner had a quirk of disliking magic and
would use machines whenever he could.
1666
It was well known within the nobles’ circle that he thought that magic was unreliable.
Count Randner was currently in his office. He wore a monocle, a fur coat with a silver ruff that matched
with his neatly trimmed beard, and a faint smile that held a sliver of warmth, though anyone who knew
him well would know that he was hiding his thoughts.
His hair had turned completely white and no one could guess how old he was, but they would never
underestimate him; he was known for amongst the higher echelons as a noble who participated in the
November War.
It was a war that left the kingdom greatly wounded and any survivors from that war were perceived as
skilled.
The person who sat in front of Count Randner and caused him to wear a smile was a Highland native in
the Randner region. These natives would hardly admit they were citizens of Aouine. The majority of
Highland natives were considered barbarians, but there were exceptions like the ones from the Karsuk
region and were instead highly regarded.
Two centuries ago, the Highland natives in Aouine were still considered as barbarians, but they were
gradually influenced by the kingdom’s civilization. However, there was one point that had not changed
yet. The Highland citizens still pursued their freedom, and the kingdom could never tolerate the danger of
letting become independent. Randner’s region was still fraught with small skirmishes every year.
There was of course exceptions, and a few groups of Highland Natives were willing to accept Aouine’s
rule. The guest Randner had was one such person, and came from the area that the Count governed
himself.
He came with a simple goal. He desired to have their taxes exempted.
Madara’s invasion had caused significant damage to the agriculture and production sectors. Even if the
heavy taxes were exempted, they would still find it hard to survive since they could not collect any
harvests.
The kingdom seemed like they could not see this point and instead increased their pressure on them to
pay their taxes.
Count Randner carefully listened to his guest speak about their circumstances. He always wore a smile,
but he did not express his opinion. Even though he seemed like an affable old man, his guest did not dare
to see him as one.
Just when his guest was about to plead for Count Randner’s understanding and state his request, the bell
rang.
1667
Count Randner’s expression changed. It was the first time since this afternoon where he was unable to
maintain a smile.
He could not remember how long he received this level of urgency.
“My apologies, but I have to leave for a while. Please wait.” He got up with a frown and nodded ruefully as
he spoke.
“Certainly, my lord,” the guest stood up in a panic and a little fearfully, not daring to show any signs of
dissatisfaction.
Count Randner left the study room and pushed open a door that led to an adjacent room. He saw that his
advisor and his right hand waiting for him. Since these were his trusted men, he did not bother to keep a
smile and instead changed into a dark expression: “What’s wrong?”
“It has something to do with Trentheim,” his advisor answered.
“It’s still that matter?” Count Randner received a silver-tipped pipe from a servant, sat down on a chair
and took in a deep breath before he continued to speak, “that useless fool still hasn’t solved that
rebellion? It has been half a month!”
The old noble said with some anger.
“There’s new information regarding this issue from Lord Palas.”
“Palas?”
Count Randner paused.
Even though Lord Palas was Graudin’s subordinate, he was once his subordinate and had also
participated in the November War. Even though he only participated near the end of the war, Count
Randner admired his abilities and began to groom him.
His loyalty could be trusted and Count Randner saw him as one of his most trusted subordinates.
Therefore he calmed down when he heard it was news from the old knight.
“What exactly did he write?”
The advisor did not answer and instead presented the report.
1668
Count Randner carefully read through the report. He stood up, paced a few times in silence, before his
sullen eyes glared at his advisor.
“That worthless piece of shit. His soldiers are useless swill as well…… When did this start?”
“Approximately fifteen days ago.”
“That’s right, fifteen fucking days! Trentheim is in such a huge mess and it took this long for the news to
reach me, what the fuck are you and the rest of Trentheim doing!” he threw the parchments into his
advisor’s face, causing them to scatter all over the room.
“My lord, this is unlikely a simple rebellion. No matter how much Lord Macsen underestimates them, he
shouldn’t be defeated by an army made of civilians. The fact that the news can be delayed so long is also
because of the enemy’s control.”
“I don’t need you to tell me that, you halfwit!” Count Randner roared in fury, but he quickly calmed down:
“…… The real enemies are definitely made up of mercenaries, but they are insects that buzz only if they
smell profits. This is clearly a ploy.”
The earlier reports stated that Graudin had offended the mercenaries, but Count Randner was certain
that the mercenaries would not go against his son as they would offend the entire nobility and even the
kingdom.
He sat down in his chair and tapped the emerald ring on his thumb. His advisor had been with him long
enough to recognize that the Count was thinking, and wisely shut his lips to wait for the old noble to
make his decision.
“I’m concerned with two things.” Count Randner said after a long pause: “One, is Graudin dead or alive?
Two, who is the mastermind behind this?”
The advisor did not speak. He knew there was more to come.
But at that moment, the front doors were pushed opened forcefully with a groaning sound and a tall man
walked in with large confident strides.
“Father.” The man’s loud voice reached Count Randner first before he could reach him physically.
Count Rander’s lips closed until his son stopped before him.
“Didn’t I tell you to knock on the doors before coming in?” He said coldly.
“You did say that the accomplished don’t care about the trivial things, father.”
1669
The man wore a black shirt with long sleeves that was covered by a coat with gold cuffs, along with a
longsword hanging from his belt. His features made him look like he was in his late twenties, but he was
past forty.
He was Count Randner’s second son, Andrei, and the only son who was not appointed with a land of his
own, as he had willingly given up to do so in order to assist his father.
“So you heard the news?” Count Randner was not offended by his son’s thoughts.
The urgent report must have caused a significant amount of panic, and he was not surprised if his son
knew about the contents of the letter.
“Well, I’ve heard that it was urgent. What happened exactly?” Andrei glanced at the people in the room,
then his eyes hovered over the parchments on the floor, before dropping down on the sofa comfortably.
“Your younger brother has gotten into trouble.”
“Really?”
“It sounds like you’re happy to hear that.” Count Randner’s eyebrow was raised and he sounded like his
temper was going to flare again.
“My apologies, father,” Andrei lifted up a cup to make a feeble attempt at disguising his emotions, but he
ultimately laughed and put it down, “I know I shouldn’t do it, but I just can’t control my emotions.”
Count Randner shook his head with resigned reluctance. He had done the same thing when he was young.
In the end, this was a small matter to him.
But a family squabble was different from someone else hurting his descendants. It was rare for nobles to
try and harm other nobles openly. Scheming was very different from murder, and the blood of a noble
was precious.
Count Randner was furious over this report and had decided to make it a blood feud, and he planned to
announce to the entire kingdom that his family was not to be trifled with.
“Firburh has been taken and there has been no news on your younger brother. I believe he’s most likely
dead. Also, Lord Macsen suffered a complete loss to the rebels.”
Andrei was shaking his head when he heard that his younger brother was missing after the rebellion at
Firburh. If Graudin was killed because of mere civilians, House Randner would be disgraced. If this news
got out to other nobles, Andrei felt like he would not be able to raise his head in front of others.
However, he sat up in surprise when he heard that Lord Macsen was defeated. Count Randner’s advisor
continued to explain the report in detail.
1670
[This isn’t a game anymore.]
Andrei was someone who could read between the lines. He immediately got up and said: “Father, there’s
something very wrong about this. Please allow me to gather our men and let me lead an army straight
away and exact revenge on the leader of this rebellion.”
But Count Randner shook his head with a little disappointment as he looked at his son.
“Do you know who’s the mastermind?”
Andrei knitted his brows, not understanding the question.
The experienced Count Randner pointed at his temple: “The sword in your hand can cut down your
enemies, but it can’t bring you towards victory. You should think again.”
“…… The biggest suspect is the one who benefits most from this incident.”
“Yes,” Count Randner nodded: “the kingdom will eventually split into three factions, but as of right now,
the Royal Faction is the most likely culprit behind this rebellion. The crafty little wench…… No, the people
around her are the ones who would propose a scheme like this. If they are trying to force me to make a
decision because of the situation in the north, they truly are underestimating our House too much.”
“But this might also be an attempt to cause tension between us and the Royal Faction, father.” Andrei did
not want his father to choose Duke Arreck’s faction.
Rather, he wanted to have an arranged marriage with the princess. With her aid, he could easily become
the head of House Randner.
There were also the rumors of the princess’s beauty and her fame as “the brightest gem on the kingdom’s
crown” that even reached the kingdom’s neighboring country, Kirrlutz, despite her young age.
But Andrei’s thoughts did not escape Count Randner’s eyes, and he glared at his son coldly: “You fool. Do
you really take me as someone who cannot see what you’re thinking because I’m outraged?”
“Father?”
“Your pathetic thoughts of lusting after the princess and the family’s position are clouding your
judgment.” Count Randner’s voice was severe: “Marrying the princess? Do you really think that’s
possible? She would think of choosing the Kirrlutz empire even before she considers our House! If you
can’t attain the things that you want, then stop thinking about it! House Randner cannot become overly
greedy, so only reach for the things that you can get, do you understand?”
He rapped the silver pipe onto the table: “Listen well, it doesn’t matter which side House Randner
supports, the most important thing is that this House retains its autonomous control over our region at
all times. This is the most important thing.”
1671
Andrei was momentarily stunned at his father’s words, but he quickly shrugged his shoulders:
“Understood. So what should we do now?”
Count Randner tapped the emerald ring on his thumb: “Since the Royal Faction killed my son, House
Randner will definitely pay this with blood. I’ll torture and slaughter every single mercenary in that city
as revenge. Then I’ll see what move that little wench and her men makes—”
“Oh?” Andrei got excited and patted his sword, ready to go into a battle.
“No, House Randner cannot send its members to quell a small rebellion like this. We will be lowering our
status if we did so.” Count Randner shook his head, displeased with his son’s eagerness: “The Royal
Faction and Duke Arreck are looking at us very closely, and we cannot allow ourselves to be
underestimated at this point of time.”
Andrei made an unsatisfied noise with his tongue. He unbuckled his sword irritably and threw it onto the
sofa, before plopping down lazily again: “Very well, father, you have made your point. However, even
though Lord Palas has a pretty good army under him, he isn’t very much stronger than Lord Macsen. I
doubt that old knight is capable of winning if we don’t send our men, since the report stated that Lord
Macsen was defeated completely.”
Count Randner nodded. Even though his second son’s actions were frustrating to him, he was outstanding
when it came to military affairs. His other sons were not as useless as Graudin, but they were still
middling.
“Continue,” he said.
“Let me think. You’re going to send some of our men along with the Highland natives. Ah, don’t tell me
you’re thinking of having Madara send in their undead soldiers too? While they do have military strength,
they are not humans. Lord Palas is a knight who’s quite rigid, and he might not be able to control them.
Besides, can you really trust that Incirsta who’s always putting that stupid grin? I heard that he’s only a
Baron in Madara’s ranks.”
“And would that be reasons for not trusting that undead?” Randner scoffed. He turned his gaze away from
his son and looked at his advisor: “Draft two letters for me.”
“Yes, my lord. What would you have me write?”
“The first letter is to be sent to Madara’s nobles. Tell them the thing they want is still in Firburh. They
must send out their forces if they want to complete the transaction with me. The second letter is to be
given to that messenger of the Highland natives. Tell them if they’re willing to participate in this war, I’ll
exempt them from taxes. I’ll even provide provisions for their armies they send out!”
1672
Chapter 92 – Brendel’s chief architect
Andrei scoffed lightly at Count Randner’s instructions, but he had to admit that it was a good move to use
Madara’s undead to kill their enemies.
Count Randner’s right-hand man was slightly startled. The exemption of tax and providing free
provisions would certainly spur a significant amount of desperate Highland natives to participate in the
battle, due to the damage caused by Madara’s invasions on their farmlands.
They would not refuse and simply could not refuse.
Furthermore, these barbarians were no strangers to battles.
With such strong incentives, the Highland natives participating in this battle would surely be more than
ten thousand, and this figure did not include Madara’s undead or Lord Palas army.
The scale of the army made him a little excited. His lord who always played down his strength had
decided to show his might to Princess Gryphine and Duke Arreck in this battle.
Aouine had not seen such a battle for a decade, maybe even two. A new generation of talented youths
might have appeared, but this did not mean the old Count had lost his vigor.
He glanced at both Count Randner and his son. Even the former’s eyebrows had turned white, but his
eyes were still sharp.
Everyone knew that once the two letters were sent out, no one would be able to stop the battle from
happening. While everyone was paying attention to the North’s impending battles, no one could have
expected that the beginning of the kingdom’s civil war to begin in its most southern borders.
Indeed, who could have expected a battle to take place over a destitute and remote place like Trentheim?
=============== Brendel’s POV =============
Brendel understood that he had made a move that caused ‘history’ to change. Once Lord Macsen’s defeat
was announced, it meant that he had placed himself on the upcoming civil war that would decide
Aouine’s fate.
As for the results, it would depend on the performance of each faction.
However, Brendel was currently not thinking about this problem.
1673
He was in a large horse carriage that departed from Schafflund and was heading back to Firburh, and was
instead staring vacantly out the window at the blue sky.
It was a bumpy ride due to the uneven roads on the hills.
He left behind all administrative works in the silver mines and left during a certain night. It was not
because he received news of Count Randner’s preparation to send out a huge army to crush the borders,
neither was it the delivered letter from the Regent Princess to Firburh.
It was for an entirely different reason.
He soon turned his gaze at the changing scenery outside the window and landed on the dwarf opposite of
him. The latter was staring at the youth with open eyes.
“Mister Odum,” the youth finally opened his lips first, “I want to know what you’re doing.”
“Huh……?” The dwarf showed a puzzled expression and blanked out for a few seconds, before he stuffed
his mouth with desserts: “Fhat Im woing?”
The dwarf welcomed himself to the specially made desserts by Felaern that filled a hidden compartment
in the carriage. He had eaten approximately half of it and was finishing the other half off.
Brendel looked at the massive amount of chewing with slight annoyance and felt that he had lost his
appetite. Perhaps this was the dwarf’s strategy to prevent him from eating the desserts.
At the very least, it was working.
“I don’t believe I invited you to travel along with me?” Brendel asked with some exasperation in his tone.
“Don’t you have a good job in the silver mines? I didn’t cause you to get dismissed so why are you
hovering around me every day—”
The youth paused for a while and thought. He sighed deeply and added: “For the past two or three
weeks—”
“Gough?” The dwarf choked and smacked his chest loudly and swallowed the tart he was having: “Erm,
well, you see! Lad, this is a good question……”
Brendel felt the sides of his lips spasm. If there was a chance, he would definitely kick the old dwarf down
the horse carriage. He replied coldly:
“Mister Odum, may I ask you to leave the carriage if you don’t have an answer?”
1674
“No, no, no!” The dwarf shook his small, fat hands, “Of course not, I’m definitely not leaving!”
“And the reason why you can’t leave?”
“Well….. Hmm, let me think,” Odum was troubled.
[I can’t say that I want to observe you for a while to see if you have the potential to become the King of
the Underground, and that all the Rune Dwarves would then need to follow you, right?]
He felt like he would be treated as insane if he said that. After pondering for a few more seconds, he
finally found a lousy excuse: “Lad, don’t you need people to work for you?”
Brendel felt he was to laugh out loud with sarcasm, but he spoke in an annoyed tone through his grinding
teeth: “Very well, old dwarf, what can you do?”
“I…… I can mine, yes, I’m skilled at mining. I-I have been taught by the Gold Dwarves, even though Rune
Dwarves are not famous for mining, but the Gold Dwarves are proficient—”
“Please, stop talking now,” Brendel shook his head, “since you’re so good at mining, why aren’t you
staying in the mines?”
The old dwarf stared back with big round eyes, opened and closed his mouth a few times before he
stuttered: “Well…… I mean, even though I’m good at mining, I actually want to switch professions……”
He said with a smile.
A very forced smile.
“Oh?” Brendel suddenly felt a little better. At least the dwarf seemed to know how strange his actions
were. “Then what do you want to do?”
The youth’s tone was both sarcastic and malicious.
Odum grabbed his hair. It was a difficult question.
[Urgh, this damned question has hit me in the guts. What else do I know other than mining? Are you
pulling my leg, lad? You’re making things hard for me on purpose. If this was anyone else but you, I’ll
punch them so hard that they see stars!]
After hesitating for a while, he finally said with much strain: “You know…… I know a little…… about
construction…….”
1675
He did not lie. At the very least, he knew a little about constructing structural supports in the mines. It
was his hobby too, and he could at least consider himself as someone who knew a little about building
something.
But his knowledge did not come from the Rune Dwarves and he did not inherit their famous skills. In the
end, he was still a miner.
But Brendel pricked his ears upon hearing that.
He obviously knew that the Rune Dwarves built grand structures in the underground, but he was not
certain whether Odum inherited their skills. Since the old dwarf said he had them, his mood started to
change, even throwing the gloom in his heart back to his mind.
“Did you say construction?” His voice was thirty percent higher.
Odum jolted and this eyes twitched a little at the youth’s sudden enthusiasm, and the lack of confidence in
his reply was even less: “J-just a little, I think……”
But the stubborn character of a dwarf suddenly boiled in him. He realized he could not make himself look
weak. He was a dwarf, and a Rune Dwarf, and in him flowed the blood of a Silver Lineage!
“Lad!” He coughed out loudly and cleared his voice: “There has to be a beginning somewhere for
everyone. Even though I said I know only a little about construction, I meant that my experience isn’t
enough. As you well know, I’ve worked in mines my whole life.”
His reply was full of holes and even Romaine would probably not believe him. Unfortunately, Brendel had
visited a ruined city made by Rune Dwarves in the game and was awed by the scale and design. It did not
help that Odum had performed that miracle with Halran Gaia as well.
He nodded as he felt that Odum was talking about not having a budget to construct grand cities:
“I understand. You mean that you’re lacking in funds. Don’t worry, I’ll give you enough money, so you can
build a city for me.”
“You want to build a city?” Odum yelled.
The old dwarf was so shocked that he started perspiring. A city was not like a simple building. He started
to imagine himself trying to build one with his current knowledge.
In the future, at some random place, an unsightly city that became a famous place, oops, it was actually an
infamous place.
It was teaching material for all dwarves. Odum could even hear a grumpy old voice speaking to a group of
young dwarves.
1676
“Alright, you lads, take a look at the braggart Odum’s infamous work! This foolish dwarf even forgot to
make the damned city gate—”
Odum shook his head and threw away the nasty thoughts out of his mind. Brendel’s eager eyes were
staring at him—
“How about it?” Brendel continued to speak to Odum with a tone that sounded like a devil trying to tempt
him: “A city that’s also an impregnable fortress, and once it’s built, your name shall be remembered
forever by everyone—”
Brendel seemed to believe his own words, and his eyes stared into the far-off distance:
“Hark, the Grandmaster Dwarven Builder Odum’s masterpiece, a city that withstood a thousand invasions
and the test of time. He brought back the glory of the Rune Dwarves that were known for their skill in
construction.”
Odum blinked a few times when he heard Brendel speaking about glory. Brendel’s confidence and
descriptions of the city’s image had made him forget that he was actually an amateur.
[Yes! Of course! I carry the blood of a Rune Dwarf, even if I’m worst builder amongst my race, I still
wouldn’t be that bad!]
He immediately strengthened his resolve and nodded forcefully.
“I look forward to your skill, mister Odum.” Brendel was also relieved.
[How silly of me. I should have asked him earlier whether he’s an architect. It’s lucky that he insisted on
joining me. It wouldn’t be a problem if I want to build a fortress now.]
Brendel felt like he had profited immensely, and so did Odum.
1677
Chapter 93 – Return to Firburh
“You’re Firburh’s lead architect now. If you need anything, go ahead and speak with a young woman
called Amandina, and if you want you can take over the duty of repairing the walls.
There are a few important people that you should know. My blacksmith, Grandmaster Bosley, and two of
the mercenary commanders working under me, Raban and Cornelius
If you have any questions you can ask them. It will take a while for me to gather enough funds and get you
builders, so I’ll let you know when to start building a city.”
Brendel pondered for a moment, before continuing:
“There’s a library in my manor. You’re free to enter it and see if there are any related books to the
Firburh’s construction, especially if you want to repair the walls. Firburh’s design has been changed
several times to make the heart of the city resemble something like a fortress. You might get interesting
notes from the past nobles and architects.”
Odum blinked a few times, suddenly realizing that the youth in front of him was the new “lord” of
Firburh. Even though he could care less about the fact of who was in charge of the city, he suddenly
realized the person in front of him was the leader of the rebels.
[The fact remains that I’m a dwarf without any real skills in construction. Also, it doesn’t look like this lad
has a lot of money. Doesn’t this mean I have to work with limited funds? If I screw this up…… I’m not even
given workers who know about construction too!]
What would happen if he failed to construct the fortress the youth wanted and squandered money
instead?
He imagined speaking to Brendel:
“Ah! My lord, no one will be able to break down this fortress!. That’s because there’s no gate at all! And it
fulfills the promise of being well-known too!”
If the youth was bold enough to murder a noble, he would definitely have no qualms about murdering
him for this failure. He started thinking of an escape route.
1678
[Hmmm, I don’t really care about this human kingdom, and I can go back to the Gold Dwarves as a
respectable veteran miner. I can probably try to escape anytime I want if I plan well…… Also, the Gold
Dwarves and humans are not truly on good terms. If I mishandled the construction, maybe I can brag
about it and make it seem like I swindled the humans. It will be recognized as an achievement amongst
the Gold Dwarves!]
Brendel’s expression suddenly turned dark as though he had read Odum’s mind. His eyes narrowed as
though he had sensed something incredibly displeasing, and the old dwarf suddenly remembered
Kodan’s words about the youth being someone who was even more powerful in combat compared to him.
Odum gulped and trembled once. He broke into a cold sweat.
But Brendel did not pay attention to Odum’s frightened behavior.
Ciel suddenly spoke to him in his mind, stating that Scarlett had taken a turn for the worst and she might
not live past the next day. He started to brood.
The journey was filled with uncomfortable silence for Odum, as Brendel reached out to Orthlyss to ask
about the Blood of Gods and ignored him.
[Ser Orthlyss? Have you recovered enough to speak to me?]
“Do you need me for something, boy?” Came the whisper in his ears.
Brendel was glad that the Heroic Spirit replied. She lived during the Era of the Holy Saints, and the forces
of the Darkness and Chaos were far stronger than what it was now. The Tree Shepherds and the Blood of
Gods were not things that were unfamiliar to Orthlyss.
“There are only two methods that I know of that will permanently cure her. One, invoking the strongest
Holy Words to weave the spell of Astral Healing. It’s a spell that nearly ignores the Laws of this world and
reverses cause and effect. This way, it would be possible to return Scarlett back to her former self before
she was implanted with the Blood of Gods. However, I only know of the Holy Saint, Farnezain, who was
capable of casting this spell.”
“I don’t think anyone is capable of casting this spell in this era,” Brendel said with a frown.
[Not even the gamers have this spell. It seems like only the ultimate NPC or World Boss would have.]
“The second method would be signing a contract with Mother Marsha. I believe that the effects will be
even better than using Astral Healing.”
“Do you mean that she has to meet with Mother Marsha? But she hasn’t appeared before anyone for
centuries.”
1679

“I see. It’s not exactly necessary to meet Mother Marsha directly; there are artifacts that allow one to meet
with her and sign a contract.”
“…… I have never heard of these artifacts before, and it sounds like it’s impossible to find one in such a
short period of time.”
“Then I’m sorry, boy, I don’t have any more ideas. Perhaps I can think of something else when I check
your friend’s condition.
After a few hours, the gate to Firburh was raised. The shiny black horse-carriage was driven into the city.
Because of the many mercenaries gathering at the gate with an air of slight excitement and solemn
discipline, everyone knew that the young lord had returned.
Since Kodan was sent back with Scarlett and Medissa a few days ago while Jana stayed behind in
Schafflund, the mercenaries in Firburh got to know that the youth captured the silver mines with only
thirty-odd mercenaries.
Was it not a miracle?
Even though they knew that their lord was capable, this deed had made it seem like he could do anything.
The mercenaries escorted him with to the base of the huge manor with much fervor and stopped there.
Odum alighted with an exhausted face and was about to be led away to a guest room before Brendel
called out to him.
The youth thought the old dwarf’s exhaustion was due to him being unused to riding in a horse carriage
and politely told him to rest well. He even apologized for suddenly not speaking halfway through the
journey and explained that one of his mercenaries had gotten very ill which caused him to be moody.
Odum’s ears turned slightly warm when he realized the real reason behind the youth’s attitude.
The old dwarf could hardly face Brendel’s eyes and wondered if he should tell him the truth. In the end,
he decided not to. It was not beneficial to either of them, and he was worried that Brendel might faint
from the shock.
The youth did not look too well too.
Also, Odum was even more afraid of the mercenaries around him who were looking at Brendel like he
was a saint. If he caused harm to their lord, he might get quartered right there. Even bravery had its
limits, and there was no need for him to be hacked into pieces even if he had to die.
He thanked Brendel for his kindness.
1680
When the youth reached his destination, he opened the door to a quiet scenery filled with green and red
colors. The past owners of Graudin’s manor had also planted evergreen trees around the manor so that
the place would be filled with some greenery throughout the seasons.
He did not change anything to the manor when he conquered the city. However, when he glanced at the
building in front of him, he realized that the curtains’ colors had been changed into a pale yellow, which
was a color that he was fond of.
[It must be Felaern’s doing. The manor feels like home.]
Even though he did not know how the older Wild Elf knew about the colors that he liked, he felt a little
happy to a meticulous arrangement like this, especially when he always felt a slightly disdainful feeling
from her like a disapproving secretary when she followed him around.
The word ‘home’ was far and distant to the youth, and he felt like it had nothing to do with him anymore.
The old house in Bucce was just a temporary stop or symbol that he would never be able to return to his
old world.
Perhaps there was a family in this world waiting for the original Brendel to go back, but the current
Brendel felt like he was unable to cross this invisible line. He knew that as long as he felt this way, he
would never be able to meet his family of this world.
He studied the quiet manor as he alighted. The guards stationed there were looking alert. The place was
orderly and clean, making him feel at peace. The youth closed his eyes and breathed in the winter air
deeply.
He could sense the hopeful gazes of everyone around him, and they made him realize he was indeed the
owner of this city. In order to save this kingdom, he had gotten all of them involved in his dream and
there was hardly any way out for them. If he were to lose the upcoming battle against Count Randner,
everyone would be killed.
But he was confident that his actions would not disappoint them at the very end.
He felt someone approaching him and opened his eyes, jumping a little when he found that it was Felaern
was standing before him with a stoic expression. She carried a thick book and stood straight with a
dignified posture; even the most professional etiquette teacher would not be able to point out a mistake.
The Nightsong Tiger ordered her to cater to his needs ever since the battle at Firburh, and she had done a
fantastic job as Brendel’s secretary and personal maid thus far.
[There’s really no need for her to do this job. Although—]
1681
Brendel briefly wondered if he could get her to wear a pair of spectacles and a tight dress to cosplay an
office lady worker, but he quickly shook off that thought.
“I like the manor’s change,” he thanked her.
The older Wild Elf regarded him with a pair of eyes that resembled a dead fish and the youth coughed,
wondering if she read what he was thinking. But she nodded a second later, probably satisfied with
Brendel’s words.
“A bath has been prepared for you,” she said.
He nodded and entered the manor while taking a few more glances at her as they walked in. As an
Elementalist himself, he could feel the change of power in her even without using his system.
After he emerged from the silver mines, he attached the Dwarven Treasure Vault card to the Mercenaries
of Lopes and raised their levels. Each of the Mercenaries of Lopes became top Silver-rankers, and their
abilities matched Aouine’s second-tier commanders.
The Nightsong Tiger’s skill in commanding an army was good as well, and the youth started to consider
making him the backbone of his armies.
[But there’s a problem with their identities. If anyone of them is struck down and revived later, what
would my men think? Even if they accept that the Mercenaries of Lopes are summons, the latter would
hardly inspire them to charge into dangerous battles when death hardly means a thing to Mercenaries of
Lopes.]
He rubbed his forehead. He could think about that point later.
“I’m skipping the bath, bring me over to Scarlett’s room right away.”
“Are you not going to rest just a little, my lord?” Even though her tone was flat, the contents of her words
showed her concern.
She knew that Brendel had traveled from Schafflund without resting at all. Judging from his appearance,
he had not been resting much when he was working in Schafflund as well.
Indeed, he only slept for four hours every day ever since he conquered the silver mines.
“No, it’s fine,” Brendel said anxiously.
He had dropped everything in Schafflund and rushed back to Firburh. While he was not sure whether he
could save the kingdom, he had to at least keep this promise that he made in the silver mines that he
would save her.
1682
1683
Chapter 94 – The girl’s thread of fate (1)
Ciel allocated Scarlett into one of the manor’s southwest room. The main color of her room was light
green, and past the windows was a spectacular display of faraway trees with a majestic orange-red color,
contrasted against an ink-like painting consisting of mountainous landscapes and the Dark Forest.
The young wizard was currently waiting outside her door as he had received news of his lord’s arrival.
Brendel appeared moments later along with Felaern, and his first question was:
“How is she?”
“She’s not doing very well. Romaine, Medissa, and Amandina are all in there—”
Brendel nodded and pushed the doors open. Scarlett’s room was not really a patient’s room as there were
no signs of any herbs or medicine. A light cold breeze came through the windows and he immediately
saw the scenery, making him nod inwardly to Ciel’s choice.
In the center was a canopy bed, and the valance was fluttering lightly against the wind. Scarlett was lying
in the center with a pale face and lightly closed eyes.
This was the first time Brendel had ever seen her braided hair come undone. Her soft red hair had a
wave-like sheen to it, and it covered her face partially. Her expression did not have her usual stubborn
scowl and was instead replaced with a face that was deeply asleep.
Unfortunately, it was a deep sleep that was plagued by nightmares.
Her facial muscles twitched involuntarily and she was frowning slightly as though she was in great pain.
Medissa and Amandina stood up at the same time and greeted him. Medissa nodded lightly, while
Amandina stared at him with worry.
Scarlett returned to Firburh without any issues but she suddenly collapsed a few days ago. Amandina
only knew that the silver mines were captured but she had no idea about happened exactly.
When she questioned Medissa, the latter merely frowned and explained that Scarlett did not want to
reveal the details. She further said that Brendel would be returning immediately and an explanation
could wait until then.
Amandina’s heart was sinking.
1684
The experience at Chablis with Felaern’s ‘death’ made her realize how pure-hearted she was. Even
though she tried to ensure that her heart was not affected by emotions in order to become a worthy
advisor, she could not help but shed silent tears.
Even though it was naive and foolish to hope that no one in this group would die, she did not want to give
up praying. Brendel even told her that there would be bloodshed over the nobles’ wars, and that victory
could only be gained upon the sacrifice the lives of thousands.
[To be cold in your thinking but not cold-blooded.]
She could not help but recall these words when she saw him. With her lord’s inexplicable capability,
perhaps Scarlett could still be saved.
Brendel returned their greetings. He quickly caught the sight of Romaine slumbering on Scarlett’s bed.
Her eyebrows were even dancing a little like she was fighting something bravely, though her drool on
Scarlett’s blanket made his eye twitch a little.
Still, the youth knew her personality well enough, he realized she must have exhausted herself to help
Scarlett, and he did not have the heart to scold her.
“What did Romaine do to be so tired?” He asked out of curiosity.
“She was telling Scarlett stories,” Medissa answered. “because her aunt told her stories whenever she got
sick, and she was cured when the story was finished”
“I see.”
Brendel nodded. Romaine’s aunt was most likely a witch, and she probably used Holy Words or
something similar to cure Romaine.
Unfortunately, while Romaine might have the potential to become a witch, she obviously was not one
right now and she could not imitate her aunt.
Brendel did not wake Romaine and instead observed Scarlett.
[It’s been only ten days, but she looks much thinner.]
Scarlett was so pale that her veins could be seen, and the patterns on her neck had spread all the way to
her face.
Brendel’s heart fell a little.
Ciel had done his best to delay the corruption from reaching her brain, but Brendel also made the same
judgment. There would not be a girl called Scarlett by tomorrow morning.
1685
[Judging from the severity of the patterns, the place where the Blood of Gods that was implanted on her
body is her heart. The person who implanted it is experienced; he first killed her, then revived her with
the Blood of Gods. If this is a spirit or something similar, I can destroy its will, but the Blood of Gods is
something that simply corrupts the body and mind by instinct and it won’t stop. And if I find a way to
destroy the Blood of Gods entirely, it’s also the thing that sustains her life.]
Amandina and Medissa watched Brendel’s expression closely and realized that he did not have the usual
confidence where he solved seemingly impossible situations.
“My lord?” Medissa could not help but ask.
“Let me take a look, bring your ring closer to her.” Orthlyss spoke in Brendel’s ears, pausing momentarily
as Brendel heeded her words, “the girl’s corruption has reached her mind. I think it won’t take more than
half a day before she’s completely gone. I’m sorry, boy, but I’m unable to think of a solution.”
“I see,” Brendel muttered to himself, “then there’s no choice but to use my method, though it’s quite
foolish.”
“You…… have a solution?” Orthlyss’s voice was surprised.
“I can delay the Blood of Gods from taking over her body.”
Orthlyss was dumbfounded. Even if she was in her real body, she could only extend the girl’s life by a day.
Perhaps if she was back in the Dwarven Haven, she could have borrowed the power of the Laws in that
area and extend her life, though it would still be limited.
But the youth actually said he was capable of extending her life?
1686
The people in the room, except Romaine, heard his words. Ciel had never seen Brendel so serious before.
“My lord, what does that mean? Are you able to save her?” Amandina blurted out.
“No, my solution only delays the inevitable. The Blood of Gods is not something that comes from the
mortal world. Any ordinary means would be greatly limited. You might not know this, but Scarlett is
already deceased before she was given the Blood of Gods. The Blood of Gods is the sole reason why she
has returned from the dead. One can say that reviving the dead is a taboo, but the Blood of Gods holds the
overwhelming power to overturn the Laws……”
“Do you mean to change her into a spirit like Medissa?” Amandina asked.
“…… No,” Brendel hesitated before answering, “I’m uncertain of how things will turn out if I do that. My
ability to turn a spirit into a card ultimately adheres to the Laws of this world, and the Blood of Gods is
something that’s outside these Laws. In addition to that, it’s incredibly unfair to be anchored to this world
for all eternity.”
Brendel glanced at Medissa, but the latter shook her head instantly.
“My lord, this was my decision to be turned into a card. I believe you should ask Scarlett directly. I think
she would not refuse.”
“….. Even so, I would not use it unless there are no other options. The Blood of Gods can still take over her
consciousness.”
Brendel had discussed this option with Ciel during his journey back to Firburh, and the latter shared the
same opinion.
“I believe Scarlett was merely an Iron-ranked fighter and became a Gold-rank after given the Blood of
Gods. While the Blood of Gods offers temporary life and strength, these two things are actually a by-
product of the power that consumes Scarlett’s soul. The power also strengthens her body so that it finally
becomes an avatar of the evil gods.”
“Is there no way to resist this power?” Amandina asked.
“If she’s alive while the Blood of Gods is used on her, she can resist it somewhat. But that itself is nearly
impossible because of the tremendous energy from the Blood of Gods. Even if she somehow manages to
overcome it, her body will be in shambles.”
1687
Amandina shivered. Even though she had heard rumors about how terrifying the Tree Shepherds were,
she merely regarded them as fables. In her eyes, they were merely robbers or bandits, and this was the
first time she understood that how evil they were.
Perhaps the Unifying Guild was just as frightening.
“Why are they doing these terrible deeds?!” She asked through clenched teeth.
“To go against civilization, or to bring back chaos. I don’t know.” Brendel shrugged. “In any case, the
Blood of Gods in Scarlett’s body is on the verge of consuming her soul entirely. The foolish solution I have
is to provide energy to her body in order to resist it. If this solution was used when she’s still alive,
perhaps she can overcome the Blood of Gods, but now, it’s merely delaying the inevitable.”
Ciel asked in a surprised voice: “But the Blood of Gods is capable of corrupting said energy quickly. Even
if you spend a year of Trentheim’s income, you can only delay it for a few days. What is it that you have
that could sustain her life, my lord?”
“Spend Trentheim’s income on what exactly?” Amandina asked.
“Well, Health Potions for an example,” Ciel said.
“We do have Health Potions.” Amandina said with a frown: “We found a few of them in Graudin’s
treasury. Even though I’ve set them aside to be used on a battlefield, I can bring them out now. How many
do you need?”
“A hundred bottles.”
“T-that many……” Amandina was taken aback.
“A day.”
Amandina was completely speechless; she finally understood Ciel’s surprise. Surely Brendel did not have
an endless supply of Health Potions on him.
“Then…… doesn’t it mean that there isn’t a solution,” she said.
Medissa was quietly taking in everything. She too had a certain understanding of the Blood of Gods, and
knew that this method was impossible to sustain. She did not why Brendel viewed it as a valid solution.
A cough suddenly came from the center of the room and attracted everyone’s attention. Scarlett slowly
opened her eyes. Her body was wet from cold sweat because of the nightmares that she had. She slowly
and feebly turned her head to the side.
[Who are these people……]
1688
She looked at them in confusion and blinked several times. She had woken up to hear them talking about
things that did not make sense to her. But after a moment, she finally realized they were talking about
her.
There was a young man in front of her looking worried.
This youth had once told her that he would never leave her behind. She had only known him for a few
months, yet he was there when she needed someone, while Makarov, whom she had known for more
than ten years both as a father figure and a teacher, said that she was nothing more than a sacrifice.
She could hardly move a finger. She laid in bed and her mind slipped in and of consciousness and felt like
she was going to be pulled back into that dark abyss once again to be haunted by shadowy creatures.
She knew clearly that it would not be very long where she would go back into Mother Marsha’s embrace.
She was not worried and even a little disinterested. It was about time, and she was tired of everything.
“How are you feeling?” His warm voice suddenly pulled her back to reality.
Suddenly she realized why she continued to hold on in her nightmares, even though she had already
forgotten what she waiting for.
Her eyes widened slightly when she finally recalled who the youth was. Tears started spilling out.
“My…… lord……” She blinked weakly, struggling to bring her voice out.
1689
Amandina glanced at the silent people around her before putting back her suspicious gaze back on
Brendel. Though she did not have Medissa’s eyes for people or knew what happened in Schafflund’s
mines, even a fool would be able to see how fond Scarlett was of Brendel.
The youth patted Scarlett’s head and the latter’s sweet smile moved him.
But her fragile body made her smile look like it was about to break anytime.
“Welcome back…… My lord.” She had not eaten for several days, and the only sustenance she had was
water. Her voice was nearly in a whisper.
“I’ve returned,” Brendel said.
“Have you settled the things in Schafflund?”
Brendel did not answer and merely smiled.
“Have you come back to see me, my lord?” There was a little hint of hesitation in her voice, but there was
had a trace of expectation in her eyes as well.
She suddenly shut her eyes and held her breath. The pain plaguing her suddenly struck her body again
and she could only wait for it to pass. No one dared to speak at that moment.
Soon Scarlett gasped a few times before her breath went back to normal. She turned to the other side and
stared at the scenery outside the window and asked softly:
“Can I be saved?”
“…… Yes.” Brendel nodded.
“Is that true?”
“Have I ever lied?”
Scarlett was taken aback for a moment. Had Brendel ever lied?
1690
“But I feel….. that you’re lying to me!” She sounded like she had given up and was even throwing a
tantrum to express her frustration. “I…… overheard your conversation.”
She stared at the leaves against the golden rays of the sun: “It’s not a practical solution. Even I feel it’s
pointless for me to continue dragging on.”
Her smile was ever so sweet.
“How can you say that!” Amandina interrupted her and took a step forward a little angrily, but she felt
sadness above all other emotions.
Brendel merely raised his hand. He nodded, though it was not to acknowledge Scarlett’s decision but to
affirm his decision to use his solution to save her.
“Do you have any other wishes?” He asked gently.
But the others thought otherwise and held their breaths when they saw Brendel’s nod. Scarlett’s eyes
went back to Brendel, almost in tears again.
Brendel said he would not leave her behind, but in the end, he still did. Even if it was something that
could not be helped, this only meant that the promises made to her would always end up as lies.
[Am I too greedy? Have I asked for something that is always impossible to achieve?]
She had tried her best to do everything she could to please others, but what she got in return was pain
that seemed to cut her heart into pieces.
The red-haired girl stared at Brendel with wet eyes and in the end asked with a resigned voice.
Why was she unable to save the ones she loved?
Why was there no one who could save her?
Why did she have to turn into a monster at the end of her life?
“My lord…… I…… Back in my hometown……” She paused several times before stating her final request
with a sob: “There’s a tradition……”
She tried to steady her emotions so that she could get her last request out to Brendel.
[You horrible, evil liar…… But why can’t I hate you?]
1691
“When someone is about to die, the people closest to them would kiss them on their forehead, and their
thoughts would be left behind…… And even if they are to depart to another world, they would not forget
the people closest to them……”
She struggled to get up: “My lord, can you become…… the person closest to me? Even just for this
moment, then you can……”
[End my life—]
She suddenly collapsed back onto the bed and muttered with confusion as the abyss pulled her back, her
gaze looking far away at something else: “Commander, Eke, Yula, all of you, why are you abandoning
me……”
Amandina could not help but turn her head away. She rubbed her eyes and sniffed hard, unable to hold
back her emotions. But Medissa and Ciel stared straight at Scarlett, determined to see this through.
“Close your eyes, Scarlett.” Brendel’s voice was gentle.
Scarlett was back in Chablis again. She could hear the rustling of leaves as the wind blew across the
landscape. It was where she grew up in. She remembered her beginning and ending in this illusion of
hers. In that moment, she remembered the laughter of the Grey Wolves Mercenaries around her.
She grew up with them, and their smiles were ever so vivid, especially Eke and the commander. It was a
time where she had no worries, but they were so very far away from her. When she tried running after
them, they were instead getting further and further away. When she called out to them, it was as if they
could not hear her.
But a familiar voice called out to her to close her eyes and the girl looked vacantly in front of her before
she obeyed. She wanted to open her eyes and reach out to them, but that familiar voice spoke again:
“Don’t move.”
And she continued to shut her eyes tightly.
Something cool pressed against her lips.
Suddenly her focus came back and she remembered the request she made. A shriek nearly escaped her
throat. She felt her ears, no, her entire face burn.
[H-how can he kiss me on the lips….. E-everyone’s watching!]
1692
Her heart beat violently as time continued to pass. Her mind felt like it was filled with rocks, and she was
about to die not from the corruption but from the burning shame.
And it seemed like he was getting bolder as the sensation went all over her lips.
She tried to blurt out angry words, but it was as though he had been waiting for that moment; the
moment she opened her lips, a wet sweetness invaded her mouth. Scarlett’s squirming actions
immediately froze.
[T-t-this pervert!!!]
“Pfff—” Someone tried to stifle a laughter.
It was the last straw. Scarlett’s hand immediately went up and smacked the offending person’s…… hand?
She suddenly realized what she was doing. Why did her mind suddenly become clear?
An indescribable sweetness.
Her pain had completely disappeared. She felt energy returning to her with every breath. A warm current
spread from her mouth, first to her throat, then to her entire body, pulling out her blurry thoughts from
the abyss she was in.
She opened her eyes. Amandina and Felaern’s bodies were turned away while trying to hold back their
laughter. However, Ciel and Medissa appeared to be utterly stunned, and their gazes were on Brendel’s
hand.
It was a shining golden apple, with a slice missing from it.
Brendel’s lips were slightly lifted in an incorrigible manner, while his eyes were slightly narrowed to
form an impish line. But when he saw Scarlett getting up with a stunned expression, he suddenly turned
solemn and brooding.
[The lifeforce provided by the golden apple will extend her life, but it doesn’t stop the corruption. Rather,
it will strengthen the Blood of Gods in her. The legend about the Golden Apple states that it can change
one’s destiny. I can only hope it changes her fate.]
This was the only solution he had.
[That little female dragon also said there’s something applied to this apple. Even though it’s unlikely to be
poison, I doubt it’s anything good either…… Wait— her face is really red. Is the Golden Apple really
poisoned?]
Even though he teased her as a joke, he did not expect her reaction to be so strong and thought that the
dragon really did something to the apple.
1693
“Do you feel there’s something wrong?!” He asked urgently.
However, it sounded like their lord was making fun of Scarlett, and this caused the two girls to break out
into uncontrollable laughter.
Scarlett wanted to find a block of cheese, smash her head into it and die right there to end the shame.
1694

1695

Scarlett was saved.
It was like a miracle—
The room’s atmosphere became boisterous and it took a long time before the joy abated. No one expected
Brendel to come up with a way to save Scarlett from such a dangerous situation.
However, it proved one thing. Their young mysterious lord was omnipotent!
Amandina had countless moments where she had this thought, and this time was no different. She pulled
back her gaze from the youth, feeling the burden on her shoulders lift.
Scarlett was looking at the golden apple that was on both her hands in a daze. When she felt Amandina’s
gaze on her, she smiled back weakly, and the latter sighed in her heart.
[This foolish girl!]
Amandina shook her head and that the girl in front of her could not be saved any longer. When Scarlett
hugged the Golden Apple like it was the greatest treasure in this world, Amandina knew that Scarlett was
going to find a way to pay Brendel back her whole life.
Just a few moments ago, Brendel handed the Golden Apple over to Scarlett while Ciel informed everyone
that it was the legendary Golden Apple. Scarlett acted like someone who got struck by lightning when she
heard that, and the Golden Apple fell out of her hands. If it was not for Brendel’s lightning reactions, this
would be the first Golden Apple that smashed to bits in history by dropping onto the ground.
In that moment, Amandina finally realized, just like how Medissa did, that this seemingly tough red-
haired girl had an abnormal reliance on other people, as though she was living her life based on other
people’s opinions.
The most sorrowful thing for her was that this world was one where most people had to rely on
themselves, and it was rare for a stranger to spare a thought for another person.
It was especially so for nobles similar to Makarov. They would never stop moving forward and only stop
for profits.
The efforts that Scarlett gave would never be rewarded. If the Grey Wolves Mercenaries and she could see
this point, they might feel a little better at Makarov’s betrayal.
Unfortunately, the Scarlett that Amandina knew was a weak but stubborn girl.
1696
The young noble lady glanced at Brendel, feeling fortunate that the lord she was pursuing was an
anomaly.
Generous, merciful, and full of humanity.
His every action seemed like it did not match the world of the nobles. Yet, if she was to say that he was
not one, she could not convince herself. Only a noble would know so much about that the politics of that
world and conduct himself with such dignity.
If she took every event that happened and put it on the table……. This youth was not only a noble but one
who had a powerful House backing him.
This was made evident by Kodan’s arrival as a prisoner.
Since she was the person temporarily in charge of Firburh’s affairs after Brendel was gone, she quickly
got to meet up with this old guard commander.
She had been studying on the important figureheads amongst the nobles in order to realize Brendel’s
future plans, and thus recognized him as one of Count Randner’s best knights.
Kodan was born in a lineage comprising of knights and had participated in the November War, and
served beside Count Randner for many years. When she spoke to him, she discovered that his attitude
towards Brendel was strange and it made her suspicious.
There was no doubt at all. He recognized Brendel —
When she asked Medissa, she found out that he knew Brendel’s grandfather and even served under him
for a period of time. With the bits and pieces of information she discovered that would not interest any
normal commoner, she put together a complete image.
Brendel was from a powerful House that had a long history but kept a low-profile.
[Sometimes I wonder if I’m blessed by the gods. I left my dark home in Bruglas and met with this strange
youth, and became his advisor just like that.]
At least from the time when she left her home, she had never truly regretted it and felt that she was
fortunate to meet him.
[Though, I must say that Golden Apple makes me feel a little jealous.]
It was something that came out from legendary tales and could change a person completely, to the point
where it affected an entire kingdom’s destiny.
Before Scarlett’s recovery happened, she had not even considered that this legend was true.
1697
However, the fact that he had this Golden Apple would mean that he could buy off any of the strongest
forces in the kingdom, and even become a duke regardless of whether it was the Aouine or Kirrlutz’s
kingdom. Even the pope of the Holy Cathedral of Fire would want it. As long as the youth wanted to, he
could exchange it for almost anything that he wanted.
That was how priceless it was.
And it was simply given away to a girl whom he had just met for less than a few months. Certainly,
Scarlett was a Gold-ranked fighter, but a Golden Apple’s value really had nothing in common with her
other than the word ‘gold’. In fact, the Golden Apple was the worth of at least a hundred Gold-ranked
fighters.
She did not understand why he did it.
But Brendel had a different perspective in regards to the fruit. The only thing he saw here was that he
should not have this item in the first place. Amandina believed there was a powerful House backing him,
but he obviously did not.
But even if he did have the power to retain the apple, he would never deal with Aouine’s rotten nobles or
make a deal with Kirrlutz who was looking for a chance to take over Aouine.
He was here to change Aouine’s fate, not become part of the kingdom’s problems.
The youth obviously knew how easy it was for him to live comfortably in this world, but that was not part
of his goals. It was especially so when he met people like Makarov and Graudin, and his belief only got
stronger with each passing day.
Therefore he did not really care about the Golden Apple.
If it could cure Scarlett, he did not mind giving away a hundred apples away to save her life.
But Scarlett also saw things differently from Brendel, and just like Amandina, understood the value of the
Golden Apple.
She heard that Makarov, Buga, and two other important nobles nearly started a battle against the Silver
Elves over this Golden Apple. The greed in their eyes could not be any clearer.
There was never any doubt that her former commander would choose this Golden Apple over her life a
hundred times.
Why would this youth just make such this decision so easily like it meant nothing to him?
She glanced at the people beside Brendel to seek an answer, and her eyes fell onto Medissa who was
discussing with Ciel—
1698
“My lord,” Medissa finally spoke, “I understand what you’re trying to do, by using the tremendous
Lifeforce from the Golden Apple, you seek to replenish her strength……but…….”
She frowned deeply: “If you do this, this is just like drinking poison to quench a thirst.”
“This is a choiceless solution since there is no other solution. By slowing her condition down, there might
be another answer. Still, using the Golden Apple in this manner, I’ll probably drive the people who want
this apple mad.” Brendel laughed.
Ciel nodded and also grinned while he glanced at Scarlett: “Indeed, to use this precious material for such
a matter.”
Scarlett lowered her head upon hearing Ciel’s words. She also started to feel that it was wasteful when
she thought about it. She got to eat the legendary Golden Apple for an incurable disease. It was
unthinkable.
Brendel immediately shot a murderous glare at Ciel, and the latter realized his mistake: “Miss Scarlett,
don’t overthink this, I’m not saying it’s wasteful, it’s just that the Golden Apple is priceless, and I think……
Ha ha, I suddenly remember something appropriate that’s an equivalent exchange—”
Everyone’s eyes were on him.
Ciel shrank a little, but he giggled: “Well, if this Golden Apple is used as my lord’s dowry for Scarlett’s
hand in marriage, then the debt would be offset, right?”
“Hand in marriage?” Scarlett blinked blankly.
“Well, you know, becoming our lord’s wif— ommph!!” Ciel said as he tried to dodge Brendel’s sword hilt,
but as a wizard, he would never be able to avoid Brendel’s attack at such a close range. He immediately
yelled out in pain as the sword’s hilt sank into his abdomen, causing him to fall over.
Brendel was furious over Ciel’s lips and had attacked him mercilessly, expecting that scoundrel to roll
about on the floor for several minutes in pain. Medissa glanced at the writhing wizard and showed a
rarely seen ‘you deserve it’ expression.
Scarlett finally understood what Ciel was talking about and her face flushed red.
Brendel was worried about what she was thinking and said: “There’s no need to heed what this idiot’s
words. If you want to pay back the investment of this Golden Apple, then make sure you live properly
from now onwards. Remember, you’re my most important combat strength amongst my subordinates.”
He took a deep breath: “I believe there’s going to be a huge battle in Trentheim very soon.”
Scarlett paused for a moment but nodded furiously without lifting her head back up.
1699
1700
Medissa discreetly pulled Brendel’s sleeve and spoke into his mind: “My lord, the Golden Apple can only
delay the danger temporarily. Do you have a real solution to this?”
Brendel paused for a moment and thought aloud.
[Ser Orthlyss, do you have a solution if we have a couple of years?]
“I did think of a solution when you pulled out that Golden Apple. The solution I had earlier was to destroy
the Blood of Gods, but why not try and overwhelm the Blood of Gods now with a mental fight now? The
apple gives out Lifeforce that strengthens the soul, and she is in a better position to fight back.” Orthlyss
replied.
Brendel pondered for a moment to himself.
[Indeed, the Golden Apple is the best item for Wizards and Elementalists because it enhances the Will
stats. But it’s not an easy task for a native of this world. There’s no cheat here where Scarlett can level up
with XP, and the Golden Apple would only delay things for a year or two. To be truly effective, she needs
to take on a Wizard or Elementalist profession and raise her level to the point where she can gain an
Element Power—]
Unlocking an Element Power in two years?
Brendel shook his head inwardly when he thought about it.
Still, it was a solution that was better than no solutions, and it was not as if there were no chances. There
were a few extreme methods that he knew of that could unlock an Element power derived from an
Elementalist.
Now that things had come to this point, he could only try.
For now, he kept these answers to his heart and threw down a few words that evaded giving a real
answer.
“Amandina, take care of Scarlett. The rest of us should leave so that she can rest.” Brendel said.
“Wait, let Romaine sleep a little more,” Scarlett said.
In the end, everyone except Amandina and Romaine left the room, with Brendel closing the door lightly.
1701
Even though Scarlett had recovered, her body was still weak and she needed to rest properly. Brendel
was also quite worried about little Romaine. She worked even longer hours than he did in Schafflund and
seemed to have accompanied night and day with Scarlett when she returned.
Brendel rubbed his forehead when he thought about the extra ingredients that little female dragon left
behind on the Golden Apple. He still had no idea what it was, but at least the matter about the fruit was
over and done with.
Felaern soon led him to his room where he took a bath and rested later.
When he woke up, he went to the study to check up on Firburh’s report and spotted Odum in the library.
“Mister Odum, have you found anything interesting?”
“Yes, there are some notes about a drainage system and garbage disposal for a city.”
Odum’s eyes were gleaming slightly.
The Gold Dwarves were famous for mining and digging tunnels. Since they lived underground, they did
not really think about hygiene, In fact, they rarely bathed their whole lives. They ate food that was in the
soil and the only pollution they cared about was about the water they drank.
However, amongst their complicated maze of tunnels, they had a unique tunnel system to handle garbage.
A city that had hundreds of thousands of people living in it would produce a large amount of rubbish
which would pollute water. If the polluted water and rubbish were not handled properly, they would lead
to plagues, which was why areas with low levels of civilization did not have large cities.
Odum discovered the direction he should go into.
The drainage system could be developed in the way how the Gold Dwarves handled rubbish, and if he
borrowed their methods, it might work out quite well.
As for the walls and gates, he had some architecture skills that he learned from the Mountain Dwarves. By
combining his knowledge along with the books and squeezing out his potential as a Rune Dwarf, it
seemed like things were not as complicated as they looked.
Brendel was considerably pleased as he exchanged words with him.
However, the people that he called into his study later were a different story.
1702
He reviewed the reports where the mercenaries fought against Lord Macsen, began thinking about the
mercenaries, and realized that he did not really have people around that excelled in leading like he
thought earlier. Other than his summons and himself, there was really no one else who could lead the war
against Count Randner.
“Why didn’t Ciel go along with the rest to at least oversee Lord Macsen’s battle? Did you feel that his
expertise is needed elsewhere? Or did you think that it’s enough that the Mercenaries of Lopes led the
rest of the mercenaries?” He questioned the commanders who led the battle.
Ciel and Amandina were also called in to listen.
“There are more casualties than your plans anticipated against Lord Macsen. Did you do a review about
why it was so?” Brendel continued. Silence answered him, and he rubbed his forehead:
“I’ve been leading the mercenaries against bigger odds ever since Firburh’s battle against the undead and
Graudin. Ever wondered why we succeeded? It’s because there are Gold-ranked fighters fighting in
crucial areas. I’m not saying that they should hold your hands in every single battle, but at least make
sure that they are there to ensure there are no loose ends. You had one for this battle, so why didn’t you
at least get him out there? It’s not as if there are reports of enemy armies appearing out of nowhere and
Ciel had to stay in the city to defend it.”
In truth, he did not realize he was asking for near perfection. Since he had fought for over a century of in-
game years against the nobles and emerged from a sea of corpses, it would not be wrong to say that his
experience outmatched against nearly everyone in the kingdom when it came to battles.
[Even though Amandina has strong analytical skills and a broad view of things, I still feel she needs more
experience. Yes, she placed most of the scouts correctly around Firburh that would anticipate other
enemy movements, but what’s the use if she lets Ciel sit in the city when there’s no need to?]
Amongst the various mercenaries, Amandina was perceived as an impeccable advisor. She was calm and
decisive, had her opinions with strong insight in regards to various policies and yet they were never
reckless. She could even foresee events that others could not.
There was even her extensive knowledge of monsters and the environment, as though she had insight
into everything. They felt like she could even match Ciel, a wizard from the Black Tower, on these aspects.
The mercenaries who got called to her meetings were usually confused when she spoke, yet it sounded
like her words made sense somehow. They wondered about her background.
Raban who had a better understanding of the nobles frequently looked at Amandina with an odd gaze. In
his eyes, Amandina was like the children who were specifically raised in extremely affluent families to be
1703
their children’s loyal companions. Because of his relatively crude background, he had often wondered if
she had to meet their lord’s ‘special’ needs.
This conjecture was not limited only to Raban. Many mercenaries had the same thought. Amandina’s
authority was far beyond what an advisor would have, and that level of trust could only have one
explanation.
Amandina was Brendel’s woman.
Sadly, Brendel was far too busy with his various thoughts to notice the small things like this. Since
Amandina ignored the rumors and did not mention it to him despite realizing what they were thinking, it
ultimately allowed this misunderstanding to continue.
Brendel continued to lecture Amandina with a dissatisfied tone on the things that she could have done
better. It did not mean that she was shunned, instead, the mercenaries believed that she was viewed with
importance.
The level of competency that their lord wanted made the mercenaries secretly shake their heads in
disbelief. Yet the youth’s words were full of logic and pointed out things that could lead to a serious
problem. Everyone could only redraw the line where the word ‘competent’ really pointed to.
A new aura started appearing on Brendel. Everyone thought that he was a scion of an extremely powerful
family and was sent out to rule a territory on his own for training.
Eventually, they were all dismissed and Brendel started to ponder about the commanders.
[Raban’s a former cavalry commander of Karsuk. He’s probably the only one who’s stable and disciplined,
and he does things better than Jana. But as a mere cavalry commander, his foresight isn’t good enough.
Jana is someone who spends too much time on details and can hardly see the bigger picture, but she can
be trusted.]
Brendel was satisfied with Jana’s actions in the mines and allowed her to stay in Schafflund to oversee
Perkin’s actions. He doubted that she would do anything that would betray him.
[As for Cornelius, he’s too much of a bootlicker. He does have the capability to lead, but unless I solidify
my position, I can’t really trust him with too much power since he might get ideas. Even though all of
them can become fine commanders, but there really isn’t enough time for them to grow stronger.]
He shook his head. Yes, he was asking for too much, but where was the talented personnel that he
needed?
1704
Chapter 99 – The guest from the Red Bronze Dragon Mercenaries (1)
“My lord.”
A few hours later, Ciel entered Brendel’s study room and called out to him. The latter was buried in
documents when he glanced up at Ciel before going back to reading.
“Speak, ” he said.
“There’s a new report. There’s movement in the Palas region.”
“From Amandina’s scouts?”
“No, it’s from the Red Bronze…… Ahh, no, the Amber Sword Mercenaries.”
“Did they sent their report from Lord Macsen’s territory?”
“Yes.”
“Oh?” Brendel was surprised.
This was the first time they had sent information on their own initiative. Even though he had gotten them
to attack Fortress Minst, he was not exactly certain how loyal they would be.
It was possible that some of them might have different ideas since they were former guards in Fortress
Riedon. Leto and his men were unlikely to betray him, but it was hard to tell with the others.
“Let me see the report,” he said.
Lord Macsen left his oldest son in charge of defending the fortress. In order to prevent his son from
abusing his power and perhaps harming his other brothers, he took the mercenaries and most of the
soldiers away with him, leaving behind a few soldiers who were neutral.
Unfortunately, this created a great chance for Leto and the others. The Amber Sword Mercenaries
successfully infiltrated the fortress and attacked in the middle of the night, causing the guards to be
captured as prisoners.
After Fortress Minst was controlled, Leto forced Lord Macsen’s oldest son to send letters out to the
various retainers in the region, including priests and the lower ranking aristocrats, invited them to a
‘banquet’ and captured them successfully.
1705

After this was done, Leto sent out his men to attack the nearby areas with lightning speed. Even though
the process was not a smooth one, the experienced commanders such as Mano, Batum, Gaspard, and
Taron, effectively led the mercenaries against the remaining soldiers of Lord Macsen’s subordinates to
victory.
[How surprising. Taron and Gaspard. The former is a commander within the White Mane Army, while the
latter is a guard commander in Fortress Riedon. It’s interesting that they still choose to stand on my side
instead of going back to the nobles. I can understand why Leto, Mano, and Batum chose to follow me, but
these two…..]
Brendel pondered for a moment. Would it better if he called the first two back to him so he could keep a
closer eye on them? How risky would it be for him if they chose to betray him in the upcoming battles?
In the end, he decided to leave it aside and focus on other things as he could not find an answer.
“Leto and his men did well!” Brendel praised them lavishly.
His only expectation was for the Amber Sword Mercenaries to capture Fortress Minst, but they surpassed
his expectations by capturing more than half of the Macsen region. While it was true that Lord Macsen
and his men did not govern his land well, it was also true that these mercenaries were great in
commanding.
[With this, we can redraw the defensive lines. The Macsen region controls important stretches of forests
and mountains where the Palas region can attack from. Controlling these areas means we can dictate
where the future battles can be.]
“The person who delivered the report is still here?” Brendel asked.
“Yes.”
“Who is it?”
Ciel suddenly revealed a slightly flippant smirk: “My lord, why not take a guess?”
Brendel shot a glance at him from the corners of his eyes. Ciel who was standing close to the table could
see that the youth’s hand was reaching for Halran Gaia’s sword hilt, and he gave a yell that resembled like
a strangled chicken:
“Nonono, I mean, there’s no need to guess. He’s waiting outside. I’ll have him sent in right away. Should I
get Felaern and Medissa in too?”
1706
Brendel nodded. Felaern would take notes while Medissa was there as his bodyguard.
He was slightly taken aback when he saw Gaspard entering the room. He had thought it would be Batum,
as the latter expressed much interest in following him.
Gaspard appeared shocked when he saw Brendel too. When he entered the room along with Ciel, Felaern,
and Medissa, but his attention was immediately drawn to Brendel instead of looking at the girls.
The youth’s appearance had become more mature compared to six months ago, and his seemingly
youthful and shy innocence seemed to have receded greatly. His cheekbones had become more
prominent, as if to show off his sharpened aura that seemed to penetrate Gaspard’s soul. The faded black
attire that he wore did not diminish the air of nobility around him.
The only thing that did not change, was his relentless gaze of steely confidence that he displayed during
Fortress Riedon siege.
The youth was playing with his sword by passing it to his left and right hands as he observed Gaspard
with a carefree smile. However, the mercenary felt goosebumps all over his skin. Luc Beson had a similar
feel to him.
Cold and decisive. These traits that could only come from the battlefield.
“My…… lord?” Gaspard spoke in hesitation.
But the longer he looked at Brendel, the more he felt that there was hardly a comparison with the
commander of Fortress Riedon. For a moment, his instinct was screaming at him to run away when their
eyes met. It was like there was a sharpened blade filled with bloodlust on his neck, yet when he blinked in
fright that feeling was gone.
[…… A Gold-ranked grandmaster swordsman?]
He gulped. It was just a fleeting moment, but the fact that he felt slight perspiration on his forehead
meant that his instinct was not wrong, and he was able to make this conclusion because he knew Luc
Beson as a top Silver-ranked swordsman.
The pressure that was given out by Brendel far surpassed the commander of the White Mane army in
Fortress Riedon.
After Brendel led the fight against the undead, Gaspard felt like he had benefitted greatly and improved
his skill quickly in the past few months. He was very close to reaching the standards of a Silver-ranked
fighter, and it would not be wrong to say that his improvement was the fastest amongst the mercenaries,
and arguably only Taron did better. He was originally not Leto’s match, but now he was able to fight the
latter to a draw.
1707
[This truly means that it was not a fluke when he fought against that undead general. But it only had been
six months…… No, at most he’s a Silver-ranked swordsman?]
Brendel nodded in response to Gaspard’s greeting.
“I didn’t think that it would be you,” the youth said honestly, “it must have been tough to fight against the
nobles.”
It was only then that the former guard remembered that Brendel led the charge against the undead.
“My lord,” Gaspard bowed his head sincerely.
The Red Bronze Dragon Mercenaries acknowledged Brendel when the youth led the charge against the
undead, but as time went by, some of them had forgotten the emotions they felt at that time. When
Brendel asked them to take over Lord Macsen’s territory, there were many who were against it and an
internal conflict happened.
It was sheer insanity to attack the nobles.
But Gaspard, Taron, and Batum stood firmly on Brendel’s side. While Gaspard did not know what the rest
of them were thinking exactly, he had his own thoughts.
He was once Fortress Riedon’s guard commander in charge of security, and because of the nobles behind
him, he was allowed to act lawlessly. Every commoner had to address him respectfully. He was not a fool;
he knew that their deference to him was to mask the fear and hatred within them. At that time, he did not
care much about it, because in his eyes the only thing that mattered most in this world was power and
authority.
These were the attributes that were needed in order to rule the masses.
It was only until the moment where Brendel led the refugees and defeated Madara’s undead which was
far stronger than the nobles, that he realized there was something else that could move others and give
everything that they had.
The youth called it ‘ideals’.
1708
Chapter 100 – The guest from the Red Bronze Dragon Mercenaries (1)
Many things were going through Gaspard’s head when he saw Brendel again.
He had once hesitated in Bruglas over the decision to join the Amber Sword Mercenaries, but he chose
not to go back to become a city guard. Still, even after his decision, he wavered as he traveled along with
Leto and the others. They escorted various groups of refugees on their way to Trentheim, fought against
bandits, and had a lifestyle that was much harder than when he lived in Fortress Riedon.
He did not know why he persisted.
But he did understand that the refugees who traveled with the mercenaries, who even hated him in the
past, now greeted him with respect.
Their greetings did not change; it was Captain Gaspard.
There was something different now.
He realized that he could no longer throw away his current life or go back to what he used to be.
Somehow along the way without him knowing, there was a word called ‘responsibility’ that was growing
in his heart.
It was the reason why he supported Brendel regardless of his thoughts, along with Taron and Batum.
[I’m not supporting this youth governing this city, but the youth who changed me. If someone like him
possesses this much charisma to change someone like me, then he definitely has the ability to lead the
people under him to a better place.]
Truthfully, even though he supported the youth, he was actually internally conflicted about the orders
from him. As someone who had served the nobles for some time, he understood the rules of their games.
The order that Brendel gave was going against the entire kingdom.
“My lord….. You said that you would be inheriting a land, but you didn’t tell us that you would be
inheriting it in this manner.” He said.
“Hmm. Well.” Brendel stood up and came closer to Gaspard while stroking his chin. He understood what
the latter was insinuating, but he did not expect him to think that deeply.
Surely he could not tell him that it was just something that he came up as a whim?
1709
The youth secretly exhaled with relief. If Amandina was there, she would have glared at him without
leaving a place for him to hide as this was a sore point.
“There’s a place that I’m going to inherit, and this incident was a little accident. Graudin crossed the line
by interfering with me, and I had to deal with him. However, I’ll get that place.” Brendel nodded with an
embarrassed smile while he started to change the topic.
Gaspard eyed the youth.
“But what about Count Randner? I don’t think that he would let this affront slide,” he said.
“It’s the reason why I wanted to see you. Was it the elderly Leto who had you come over?”
“Yes, my lord.”
Brendel’s respectful tone when he mentioned Leto made Gaspard relieved. The youth had not sent any
further instructions or even anyone to Fortress Minst and simply left Leto on his own.
This gesture confused some of the mercenaries, including Gaspard, but he now knew that it was Brendel’s
trust in Leto’s foresight. The people who did not understand Brendel’s intentions were worried about
Count Randner’s retaliation and started making plans to flee and hide within the forests before moving
elsewhere. They were mercenaries after all, and they treated death lightly.
Except that his initial guess was right. Brendel truly did not remember that he still had the Amber Sword
Mercenaries because he was completely buried in work in Schafflund. Occupying the Macsen region was a
preparation for the battle against Count Randner, and he could care less about attacking other regions
within Trentheim since these aristocrats were poor.
Brendel tapped the table behind him with his fingers, and he started to frown.
“My lord?” Gaspard said puzzledly.
“The war is coming a little faster than I thought—” Brendel said.
“What?”
“The report you delivered. Lord Palas in the history books is supposed to be someone who’s steady and
experienced. He already has the knowledge of Lord Macsen’s defeat, so he should slow down and become
more careful…..”
1710
“Lord Palas in history books,” Ciel repeated somewhere close to him in a serious manner. He was already
used to the strange word choices from his lord.
Brendel shot an irritated glare at Ciel, and the latter quickly shrank back.
“Instead, the number of his knights have increased. This means that he has already received the
instructions of Count Randner. It’s a sign of the next battle that is to come.”
“What?” Gaspard raised his voice in alarm. He knew that Count Randner would seek revenge, but he did
not expect it to come so quickly. He had not even made mental preparations.
“My lord?” Medissa raised her voice.
Brendel shook his head to indicate that there was no need to worry yet.
“What should we do?” But Gaspard became worried.
The advisors that he saw in Fortress Riedon were mostly comprised of the lower-ranking aristocrats. As
for people who were even more capable and higher in rank, he had only seen them from afar. Count
Randner’s military might was not any weaker than the other dukes.
It would not be wrong to say that Brendel and his men would be crushed like bugs, so why did the youth
speak like it had nothing to do with him? In fact, his attitude was like he was facing some country
bumpkin and not a Count with powerful military might.
“Are you afraid?” Brendel suddenly asked.
“Not really,” Gaspard hurriedly shook his head. Of course, it was a lie. How could he not be scared?
“Indeed, there’s no need to be scared. If we can win against Lord Macsen, then we can win against Count
Randner. Enemies are supposed to be treated with importance and not to be feared.
Gaspard nodded.
“Are we going to war? How much time do we have?” Felaern asked while she readied her book.
Brendel chewed his lips before answering: “His full army will come in a month, at the very latest, two
months. But Lord Palas won’t leave us alone during this period. It’s important that we are prepared for
skirmishes.”
Everyone was momentarily silent.
Medissa and Ciel knew that the upcoming battle would be the biggest trial for them and this land.
1711
Once Brendel became victorious, he would get the recognition of the Royal Faction, and once he did so,
the loyalty of the citizens in Firburh would become stable.
In this era, the entire continent perceived reputation and legitimacy as extremely important things. No
matter how much he tried to gain the loyalty of the citizens, it would never work if he did not have these
two points. The citizens might praise the person privately, but they would not stand together with him.
Brendel knew this point clearly.
[Again, it’s this question. In the best outcome, I might be able to gather one or two thousand soldiers,
including the mercenaries I have now. Tagiv’s forces might reach over three thousand, but it will never
put the fate of their entire tribe of my hands. Lending half of the Subterrane Dwellers to my aid is a great
sign of respect for me.]
Brendel thought for a while on how to deploy these men now that the lines of defense had changed.
Although Count Randner’s army might go up to twenty thousand men, it did not mean that the initial
skirmish would have that number.
Trentheim’s rebellion probably had little effect on Count Randner’s overall situation, but this was a
moment where Duke Arreck, as well as the Royal Faction, were pressuring the cunning old man. It was
enough to get tired from dealing with them, and it a fire was burning in his backyard, he would have his
hands full.
Lord Macsen’s utter defeat had sent off a warning signal.
His reputation must have gotten a beating for this rebellion to happen now.
[But a loss in reputation hardly means anything. Count Randner won’t ask for the other nobles for help
because of the two factions watching him. His pride won’t allow it. Since Graudin worked with Madara, I
won’t be surprised if Count Randner tries to borrow their strength again. Even before I came to Firburh,
Madara was already interested in Sifrid. Considering Incirsta’s personality, he won’t give up easily. If
Count Randner had an agreement with them, Madara will send out their army.]
“Any news of Madara’s movements?” Brendel turned to Ciel and asked.
“They are quite meek recently and seemed to have retreated out of Trentheim,” Ciel replied.
“Make sure you keep an eye on those damned bones. I suspect they were colluding with Count Randner
even before the initial war started.” Brendel sighed.
[Incirsta should actually thank me. If I didn’t eliminate Kabias, he would actually get fewer resources.]
1712
Brendel remembered Madara’s history quite well. Incirsta’s greatest trouble was from the Shadow Lords’
interference who did not trust him because of his inexperience. If Tarkus did not support him, then
Incirsta would have trouble standing out in the War of the Black Rose.
[I’m getting sidetracked. I’m naturally willing to bolster my defenses and wait for the opportunity to fight
back, but my opponent won’t give me this chance.]
(TL: 先为不可胜，待敌之可胜. The raws used these two sentences. It’s chopped up from Sun Tze’s 昔之
善战者，先为不可胜，以待敌之可胜: “The people who are good at war would create conditions so that
the enemies could not gain victory over them, and then they would wait till they find an opportunity to
defeat the enemies.”)
“The scouts that were sent to Aouine’s southern armies at the borders. Did they managed to find them?”
Brendel asked.
“Unfortunately, there is no news from the majority of them. The ones that sent back a reply gave useless
information.”
“I see. Although, by the word ‘silent’, you mean they ran away and fled elsewhere.” Brendel laughed.
[There goes the plan on getting the support of the southern armies to curb Madara’s forces. It seems like I
have to rely on my other plans…..]
1713
Chapter 101 – Trentheim and the young lord (1)
“Ciel, I want you to speak with Raban and Cornelius, and have them send out their most trusted men to
search for the southern armies. The majority of the people that we have sent out earlier and are most
likely gone.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“As for you, Gaspard. Tell Leto I have already started preparing for Count Randner’s counterattacks. He
should continue to monitor what Lord Palas is doing and inform me of any changes. I’ll leave everything
else to his judgment, but I won’t suggest him to attack any other regions other than Macsen. Oh, and one
more thing, if there are still refugees following you and if you have spare blacksmiths from the Macsen
region, send them over here.”
Brendel gave his instructions and thanked Gaspard before he dismissed everyone. He then sat back in his
chair and continued to study the reports.
The city walls and other areas that needed repairing were progressing in an organized manner, but it was
projected to be finished at the beginning of the next month, which was a week later than was estimated.
The resources spent on it were also much greater than projected, and the only people who benefitted
immediately were probably the workers when they received their compensation.
[It seems like the start of the project wasn’t smooth.]
He remarked to himself before moving on to the next page.
Nobody was willing to work for the young lord who took over Firburh ‘illegally’. Graudin’s presence still
lingered, and Count Randner’s infamy weighted down on their hearts like a mountain.
The policies that Amandina set up in a generous manner was immediately met with resistance. Dangling
resources in front of the citizens hardly convinced them and could not conquer the fear from the other
nobles, or perhaps it was because they feared retribution that might come in the future.
Based on her observations, if it were not for the mercenaries around Firburh, along with the fact that the
citizens who also held the same fear towards Brendel as a noble, a massive number of citizens would
have fled the city long ago.
1714
In the end, she realized where her mistake was and started to use forceful measures to correct it,
becoming like what a noble’s lackey would do.
She bade the soldiers follow her, came to the outskirts of the city during the morning, and forced the
citizens to gather at the city square. Tools were handed out to them and the mercenaries watched them
perform the tasks given to them.
Even though she tried to reduce bloodshed on her part, her actions still invited a riot. The people who
incited the riot were beaten severely, and the title ‘Lady Devil’ quickly spread throughout the masses.
But their attitudes started to change when this Lady Devil arranged an extravagant dinner for them.
Loaves of white bread that were rarely eaten by commoners and a pot of stewed meat soup—
Well, it was not exactly stewed meat soup. When it was poured into the bowls, there were only a few
pieces of shredded meat and the soup was almost as clear as water. One could see the bottom of the bowl,
and even Amandina frowned when she saw the lacking contents in the pot.
But it was not the mercenaries trying to be mean or miserly. They hunted in the forest and gotten quite a
few kills, however, it was hardly enough to feed hundreds of men.
Amandina was worried that the workers would grumble about the given meal, but it was proven that the
outcome was contrary to her expectations.
The citizens of Firburh were more like impoverished refugees who experienced a famine. Their eyes
became brighter than the starving wolves in the forests when they smelled the aroma of the soup.
They considered the loaves of white bread to be a delicacy, only bought or made during celebrations and
important days. As for acquiring meat, it depended on Graudin’s mood during the end of the year, where
the remaining scraps would be sold from his feasts.
It did not matter whether the soup was clear.
Amandina again found a mistake in the way on how she perceived things when she saw the workers
gorging themselves on the food.
When she lived in Bruglas, the food that she ate was just small slices of hard black rye bread every day,
and after she left with Brendel, she was actually highly pleased to return to having proper meals and
never looked back to her old life.
One could only imagine how much more desperate the citizens were to acquire food.
1715
With the response that she saw from the first dinner given to them, she was certain that their minds
would change with the right persuasion.
She declared that everyone could enjoy the food every day if they continued to work.
This promise caused a commotion amongst the workers. Even though they were doubtful about the
promise, the majority of them were interested to see if the promise was upheld. Though, even if they did
not want to, the mercenaries would put on fierce expressions and made their choices for them.
Their suspicions were eventually dismissed with each passing day. The Lady Devil’s promise was indeed
true. A loaf of white bread and a small bowl of ‘thick’ stewed soup was served every dinner.
This decision quickly diminished the sources of meat available in the city because the mercenaries did
not succeed in getting good hunts every day. Small amounts of cured meat made from sheep or pigs were
used to supplment the lack of meat. Livestock meant for Graudin and his men’s consumption were also
included.
The supplies eventually did not meet the required demands, and Felaern repeatedly grumbled about it to
Amandina. If this continued, Brendel would not have a decent meal when he came back from Schafflund.
This apparently succeeded in persuading Amandina. It was between her respected noble lord and the
citizens of this city who were strangers. She spent almost no time to decide on it.
However, she continued to enforce her promise. She had the mercenaries cut down on their training and
got them to hunt longer in the forest to make up for the lack of meat.
This action brought an unexpected positive effect. The workers apparently got news on how the Lady
Devil provided their meals.
She made the mercenaries hunt in the lord’s private hunting grounds.
This action moved the citizens, and there were even a few who secretly requested the mercenaries to tell
her that the loaves of white bread were good enough for them.
It was possible that the young lord of this city would punish this generous and trustworthy girl.
Amandina’s confidence was bolstered when she heard their gesture and told the workers that it was not
her, but the young lord who issued the instructions, so they had nothing to worry about.
This small explanation pushed all the credit to Brendel.
The youth’s action of suspending the taxes was quickly remembered, and he gained unquestionable
prestige overnight.
1716
Brendel still did not know about this matter, as the report in his hands only described the actions that
Amandina did.
Approximately ten days into the repairing the walls, the workers asked if Amandina needed more men to
repair the wall.
This was a signal to show that her actions had attracted more people. Not only that, the power held by the
nobles were starting to weaken against the trust in their new lord.
People were starting to waver.
However, despite the increase in manpower, the project was still delayed. They had a bad start and no
one was proficient in construction.
Grandmaster Bosley more or less limited the mistakes made, but he was obviously more suited to create
a magic armor over laying down rocks on the wall.
Brendel finished reading the report and went to Odum again.
The dwarf nodded as he listened to Brendel’s explanation, stated that he would check the site
immediately, and was soon escorted to the site.
Though he was not really reliable, he did learn a few things from the Mountain Dwarves and was able to
rectify unresolved issues. The repairs eventually progressed faster and were finished at the end of the
month, saving time from the estimated delay.
Amandina invited Brendel and his important confidants to take a look at the completed repairs. They
stood quietly and approached the city walls, which appeared in and out from the morning mist.
She sighed with relief, though she lightly frowned in the next moment and looked back at Brendel with an
apologetic expression:
“I apologize for wasting so much time, my lord—”
But Brendel’s eyes were full of praise when he looked back at her.
[This is a priceless treasure that I dug up from Bruglas. I haven’t realized it till now. I used to think I was
lucky to find someone who can create Magicite but she’s much more than that. This is even better than
finding gold coins on the floor!]
Amandina was a quiet girl, but she had her own principles, dreams, and beliefs. Brendel wondered what
sort of karma he had to get such an extraordinary manager to work for him wholeheartedly.
1717
He was worried about the progress of the city walls’ repairs dragging on from unforeseen circumstances.
Additional delays would lead to even more delays and the probable snowing would be an issue. Examples
would include an increased expenditure of food and risk of injuries.
Bosley and Odum’s performances were also satisfactory, though the latter seemingly appeared to be a
little timid all the time.
1718
“What do all of you think?” Brendel suddenly asked.
His question was mostly directed to Raban and Cornelius who were conversing quietly a slight distance
away. They were rubbing their hands a little with their breaths coming out in white mists. After Jana left,
the two of them became even friendlier than before as they continued to work with each other.
Truthfully, the two commanders had known each other even before they met Brendel so they had no
problems working with each other. They paused when they heard the question, but it was Romaine who
replied almost instantly after Brendel asked his question.
“I find that the repairs of the city walls look wonderful. What do you think?” The merchant girl said,
looking back at Brendel with big eyes as if she wanted to see if he agreed with her.
“It’s true,” Cornelius also said, “and it has surpassed my expectations. Even though it’s a little late to say
this, my mercenaries and I participated in the middle of the repairs. We’re not familiar with this type of
work, but Miss Amandina did a fantastic job directing us. While I wouldn’t say that it’s perfect, she
surprised me—”
Everyone loved being praised.
Amandina could not help but take a second look at the attractive middle-aged man. Even though she
looked like she was not pleased with his glib tongue, she could not help but agree with his assessment.
There were many issues in the beginning, and almost every small decision she made had some kind of
unforeseen consequences. But it was also because she had handled the numerous incidents that cropped
up that she became quick at resolving them.
“Indeed, it was surprising.” Raban did not use many words and got straight to the point.
Amandina secretly glanced at Brendel. In her heart, the youth’s opinions were more important than the
rest of them. It was the first time she felt her heart beating this fast and was worried that there he would
be dissatisfied.
Her eyes teared up when she saw Brendel’s unreserved praise in his eyes. She found her nose becoming
stuffy and felt that her hard work had paid off in the past month.
1719
She sniffled, turned her head away, and attempted to avoid crying in front of so many people, which
would most certainly be an embarrassment to herself. She was still Brendel’s advisor and the city’s
administrator; it would be unseemly if she cried like a little girl.
But she spotted Medissa passing a handkerchief discreetly to her when she turned her head, and she
received it gratefully. This subtle action made by the Elven girl was not detected by anyone with the
exception of Brendel, who shook his head with a wry smile.
“I apologize. What I really mean is this: ‘What do you think of that night?’” Brendel said.
Everyone else was momentarily silent as they thought back about that fateful night battle. They were hot-
blooded and bold during that short duration, but it took days or even weeks, to fathom what they had
done exactly.
Under Brendel’s encouragement, they participated in the battle to kill a lord recognized by the kingdom.
They would not have dared to think about it in the past, but to their disbelief, they had really murdered a
lord. Whether it was because they were goaded, encouraged, or even threatened into doing so.
There was nowhere to run now.
After that night, one month passed by in the blink of an eye, but they did not break down mentally like
they thought they would. Now that the wall was completed, it seemed like it was symbolizing something.
Perhaps under the youth’s leadership, they were no longer mere rebels, but people who were on the cusp
of a revolution. Why would they have any doubts about the final results when the youth was so
confident?
“You might not know this, but I really don’t think that much about the distant future. Perhaps you also
believe that I’m a noble who could care less about your lives but I don’t think that way at all—”
He spoke sincerely, but it was a question how many people believed in his ‘truth’.
“I came here to inherit a land further south of Trentheim that belongs to my ancestors,” Brendel lied
through his teeth with a hint of truth in it, “and I had not planned to kill a lord and take over his lands.
However, the education that I received told me that the existence of nobles ought to fulfill something
called ‘noblesse oblige’. We receive better education and privileges because we have the responsibility to
bring the citizens under us out of a difficult situation.”
Brendel took a pause as he pointed at everyone: “Authority and responsibility go hand in hand. King Erik
said this: Nobles define responsibilities. Power is responsibility; authority is responsibility!”
1720
Everyone looked silently at him in slight confusion. His words were pretty and engaging, but they did not
know what he was talking about.
Amandina had a strange expression in her eyes. She vaguely felt that the youth was pursuing King Erik’s
ideals and was trying to get back the honor that Aouine had lost.
This was the most mysterious aspect about him and it was the reason why she was attracted to him. It
was becoming almost fatal, as a fire lit in both her eyes.
Suddenly, it started snowing.
The snowflakes were very light at first and were almost undetectable. But when they landed on
everyone’s faces, they felt like cold rain was drizzling on them. Everyone lifted their heads.
“Before this,” Brendel stared at the sky. The dark clouds signified the impending battles: “I have not been
the lord of any land…… Neither do I have the experience of leading one. Amandina and all of you are the
same.”
He lifted both arms up, allowing the snow to gather on him:
“We are not so different. Each one of us is learning how to handle everything, be it on how to run a region
or to fight our enemies. We are all trying to learn how to walk and our first step might be difficult, but this
isn’t a problem.
The problem is whether each of you is brave enough to stay behind and face what is to come. Our actions
might look like they are insignificant, but they are shining as brilliantly as the first time when King Erik
led his citizens out from Kirrlutz.
His actions have been proven they could cut through the darkness and that you should not be ashamed to
pursue this dream!
This dream of ensuring that the citizens are not affected by the nobles’ greed and arrogance.
Regardless of whether you see this as an honor, or you’re here because you have made a promise to me,
or the responsibilities to the citizens as a noble, you must stand here.
I ask you this question.
How much longer do you want to run away from the plights of these citizens?”
1721
His palm gestured towards to the commoners who were watching from a short distance away from them.
His voice raised to a yell, expelling his breath into a mist, making him appear divine and mysterious.
“I ask all of you. If you were to become Aouine’s new nobles in the future, would you still remember the
things I said today? Would you still remember that nobles are the definition of responsibility?”
But no one answered him.
Raban could not believe his ears. He did not dare to think about the hidden meaning behind the youth’s
words. He glanced at the man next to him, but Cornelius reacted by staring blankly at Brendel.
The latter also knew what Brendel was trying to do.
He was saying:
‘From now onwards, you’re my retainers, and you would gather under my House through thick and thin,
regardless of good and bad times. You’re my knights and will act as my sword to expand my land.’
At that moment, Cornelius felt endless energy surging within his body. It was the first time his heart felt
like it was being set on fire after working as a mercenary for decades of great struggle.
The chance he had been waiting for was right in front of him.
Every mercenary thought the same way, except Scarlett who felt it was enough for her to follow Brendel.
Romaine did not need to think too much about his words either because she had already treated him like
he was her world.
His summons naturally did not react as they were already loyal to him.
But Amandina bit her lips.
She did not understand why this youth who had almost no foundations to speak of would be able to be so
charismatic with just confidence and dreams.
It was almost as though it was a power that captured everyone’s heart, and even when she saw through
the outlines of his real plans for the future, she was already sinking in his dream. She closed and opened
her mouth several times, but she did not find a response.
[Yes, he’s saying ‘become my retainers’, but that’s just part of it. He’s forcibly changing the rules of the
game. He wants to create new nobles to replace the old ones.]
1722
Chapter 103 – Trentheim and the Young Lord (3)
TL: Alistair is the wizard guy who had his companions killed by Graudin. He was a little cynical about
Brendel because he thought all nobles are the same, or at least until Brendel came back to kill Graudin.
============Alistair’s POV=============
The first year of the War of the Black Rose’s winter was colder than the past seasons. The moisture in the
air was frozen into powdery snow which fell from the dark grey sky.
Alistair laid in ambush amongst the shrubbery at the mountaintop overnight. He was still wearing his
dark green robes but he was almost frozen from the cold. Snowflakes fell on his face and he felt the chill
pierce through his skin.
[The first snow of this year.]
He used to overhear the conversations between Grandmaster Ciel and Lord Brendel back in Firburh. The
contents of the conversations were about the northern situation, the armies of the dukes, the princess’s
fate, how Madara invaded Aouine, even the activity in Kirrlutz…….
[The upcoming battle in the north is delayed long enough that it will only happen after this winter.]
Alistair came from a small family that was considered part of the gentry. His hometown was in Karsuk,
but it was situated in a remote area and his knowledge about society was limited; he merely watched
high nobles pass through the area.
While he lived a life better than most commoners, it became worse each year.
He knew that he had to change his own fate and went on an adventure. A wizard had taught him for a
period of time and hearing the stories from his teacher was a fatal attraction to the youth.
This chaotic world seemed to have opportunities everywhere.
Thus when his teacher passed away, he went on a journey that he had always dreamed of.
But his luck was not as good as he thought.
Two of the companions he encountered along the way who almost had the same background like him,
died in the middle of their adventure. He and his other members had no choice but to stay in Firburh and
decide whether to return to their homes or continue their journey.
1723
He never expected Graudin to kill all his other companions. It was as though only despair remained in his
future. He stayed behind, wanting to assassinate Graudin even if it cost his life.
But sometimes fate was simply just that fickle. He met the young noble, Brendel, and participated in that
battle and continued to serve under him until he was reassigned to become part of Ciel’s Wizardry Corp.
(TL: The original term I had was Wizard Army but someone in the patreon suggested Wizardry Corp.
Anyone else want to take a shot?)
As Ciel’s right hand, he naturally had the opportunity to listen to the discussions between Brendel and
Ciel.
That was the first time he thought Brendel as a true lord who ruled over Firburh. The latter’s insight
towards the events around him had shown him a whole new world. It was something that his teacher had
never taught him before.
From that moment onwards, he became a true supporter of Brendel. He knew that he had caught onto an
opportunity, or perhaps he had already reached the place that he was searching for.
He soon volunteered for the scouting mission that was deep in the Palas region.
Since the scouts needed a talented person familiar with magic, he naturally got into the team.
Ciel even complained to Brendel that he stole his right hand.
But Alistair did not regret his decision. Rather than staying silently beside Lord Brendel, he felt he should
catch his attention through physical actions. He was someone out for adventure, or he would not have left
his home to reach Firburh.
The youth stared at the sky for a long time, before he finally came back to his senses. He slowly reached
forward and looked down from his vantage point, taking care not to make a single sound to avoid the
attention of the guards. There were yellow tents set up in the forest with people milling about.
Suddenly there were soft shuffling noises behind him. That direction was supposed to be guarded by his
companions, and it should be them, but it was possible that it was something else.
Alistair immediately became tense.
“Cab…..bage….”
A strange password was uttered. Ciel was the one who instructed them to use it.
1724
Alistair relaxed. It was his companion. He turned around and asked: “Woo ham eye?”
“Melf.” (TL: DND reference. Melf is a Grey Elf and a fighter/wizard.)
That name was given to another wizard apprentice. Because that person was an orphan, he only had a
nickname, and Lord Brendel gave him that name.
[So it’s you, you lucky darned fellow. Hmph.]
Alistair could not help but think that way when he recognized who the person was.
“Alistair, how is it? Is the area below us the place where Palas’s knights set up their camps?” Melf came
over quietly like a cat with his back hunched over and whispered when he reached Alistair’s side: “But
Rat and the others said there aren’t any camps around other than this place—”
“These aren’t the Knights’ camps.” Alistair shook his head.
“It’s not?” Melf appeared stunned.
Alistair nodded as he tried to massage his frozen and slightly stiff legs: “They are Highland natives.”
“Highlanders? Huh. But are they not in bad terms with Lord Palas! Why are they here? Wait, are they
planning to attack the region at this point in time? That’s really helping us out!”
“No, it’s not that simple. There are many groups of Highland natives, and they might be coming for us
instead.”
“What? A-are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m much more familiar with them than you are. Alright, you should head off and pass the message
to the various scouting groups. My group is preparing to retreat. Our clothes won’t match the
surroundings if it’s starting to snow, and we will need to change our clothes before coming here again.”
Melf nodded and moved off.
=============== Brendel’s POV ==============
Amandina was distributing the workers’ wages at the southern gate, and each person would get only a
few copper coins. It was not a lot of money, but it symbolized something and was better than nothing. She
originally wanted to cut down on this expense, but Romaine said that it was part of revitalizing the
economy and asserted that the money must be given to them.
1725
In the end, Amandina was unable to convince Romaine and had to give up. However, in order to get back
at her, she forced the latter to stay behind and help out.
Brendel laughed a little when Romaine tried to slip away, only to be caught by Felaern who was sent out
by Amandina because she predicted it a long time ago.
Romaine put on a tearful expression but was unable to persuade Amandina, who had no exceptions when
it came to work. Brendel had already escaped the moment when the two girls argued in the beginning, so
Romaine could not hide behind his back as a final trump card.
He was the only exception to Amandina’s iron-clad administration and did not know if he was able to
resist Romaine’s teary eyes. Therefore, he hid in a corner to watch the merchant girl put on a bitter face
with great interest.
After a short while, Brendel left the southern gates along with Scarlett and Medissa. A mercenary came up
and greeted everyone.
[Hmm, I recognize you. You’re….. an Elementalist. Are you not working under Ciel?]
Brendel recalled that he asked Ciel to recruit people who had the talent for magic, and the latter went
around to choose from adventurers and mercenaries.
Third-rate Elementalists, conmen, fake witch doctors, apprenticing magicians to make up a so-called
army of spellcasters. The number of people who could truly use magic was few.
Since Ciel was a Gold-ranked wizard, he did not really have to put in an effort. Many voluntarily left the
mercenary groups they were in to join Ciel’s Wizardry Corp. Even though many mercenary commanders
complained, Ciel had Brendel’s support and he did not really encounter trouble.
Brendel wanted to set up an army made up of wizards because of how effective it could be used
strategically in a battle. This was proven in the later part of the game where the gamers first utilized the
concept before the NPCs started copying them. Even though Ciel grumbled about the majority of these
people were unworthy of being in the ‘Wizardry Corp’, Brendel did not care. At the very least, it was his
first specialized army.
Since there were talented people in them after all, they could be nurtured to become the backbone of a
Wizard Association. Unfortunately, his plan was not going well. Ciel had the capabilities of a Grandmaster,
but he did not have the experience of teaching. The so-called Wizardry Corp was still a sham.
But that did not mean the Wizardry Corp was useless. The wizards had varying degrees of experience, but
there was a single common point.
They all knew how to write and read.
1726
The Wizard Army had the part-time job of helping Brendel, Amandina, Nightsong Tiger, and Ciel’s tasks to
handle information and administrative work.
Currently, the person in front of Brendel belonged to Nightsong Tiger’s ‘Intelligence Network’.
“My lord, there’s urgent news from the ‘people in the north’. The report states that it has something to do
with the Highlanders—”
Brendel blinked a few times before he recalled that the Nightsong Tiger and Leto had sent out scouts to
investigate the Palas region, and the former was the one who planned the entire project to investigate the
news about Count Randner.
The Nightsong Tiger selected the better wizards from the Wizardry Corp and had them disguised as
adventurers while scouting the land.
However, Brendel was the one who suggested the usage of familiars. It was not a new idea, and there
were examples of wizards sending their familiars as messengers throughout the eras. However, it was
rare for a wizard to be used as a scout, and thus this method was not widely used.
Gamers witnessed the increase of talented wizards in the game years after the War of the Black Rose, and
the method became more and more popular. Eventually, there was a breakthrough in using magical
artifacts to communicate more reliably, but it was obviously not that year yet and Brendel thought of
using this ‘primitive’ method.
With this method, the time taken would approximately be a full day from the Palas region, which was
much faster than the normal duration of one week. However, there was a lack of wizards who had enough
stamina to act like a scout. Only three groups were formed, and information about the knights in the Palas
region was limited because of the insufficient scouting.
Brendel skimmed through the report.
[It seems like the nobles are still underestimating us. Well, their numbers prove that they are treating us
as a threat, but the way how they set up their defenses is a joke. Also, it seems like Lord Palas isn’t
controlling them very well.]
Lord Palas was a traditional Aouine general. He stuck to the rules and had a strong discipline, but his
attitude would most certainly draw the ire of Count Randner’s knights. The Highlanders were even less
interested in listening to his commands, and this allowed Brendel’s wizards to be able to infiltrate their
lax security.
Still, it was true that the nobles could not imagine to send wizards to the frontlines and act as scouts.
Even Amandina and Ciel were stunned when Brendel mentioned this method.
1727
1728
The insane strategy mentioned by Brendel was now proving to be an excellent one.
The wizards had the capabilities to cast illusive magic to aid the scouting party, and they were able to
send messages back far more quickly through their flying familiars than the previous scouts could.
The scout relayed Ciel’s message to Brendel as he unfolded the parchment:
“My lord, though you have proven that you’re right, I must remind you that this will only work in the
beginning of a war. If our opponents realize what we’re doing, the loss of even a wizard will be something
that we can’t bear.”
Brendel nodded to the scout’s words, but his expressions become graver as he read through the report,
his face appearing even darker than the grey clouds in the sky.
Scarlett and Medissa glanced at each other worriedly. They had rarely seen Brendel show such a solemn
expression and they wondered what the report mentioned.
“My lord?” Medissa whispered.
“The contents of the report is quite simple. A group of Highland natives appeared in the Palas region.”
Brendel said.
“Isn’t that quite normal? They are frequently seen fighting with Lord Palas, and it’s not just one or two
years, but decades.” Scarlett asked, her mind thinking that it was fortunate Lord Palas was going to
encounter trouble.
“No, this is an addition to the enemies that we’re going to face.” The youth gave a helpless smile.
“What? But why would they attack us?”
“There are many branches of Highlanders, and the report identified them as the ones coming from the
east of Mountain Graham. While they are subordinate to Count Randner’s rule, their autonomy to their
own lands is very strong. They hardly travel in large numbers, and certainly would not leave the land that
they rule—”
“And so……” Scarlett did not really understand military affairs, but she knew there was something odd
about them from Brendel’s tone.
1729
“I can hardly imagine they would be there to celebrate the upcoming festival. I have no idea what Count
Randner promised these stubborn people, but they are definitely here to attack us.”
“It’s not a problem. It’s the same regardless of whoever comes; we will defeat them.” Scarlett scoffed
lightly.
Brendel smiled at Scarlett’s attempt at boosting his confidence.
“Is it a big problem?” Medissa asked.
“Definitely. If Count Randner managed to persuade one group of Highlanders, I can assume that he’s
offering the same conditions to the other groups. It’s difficult to say how much pressure we will face.”
Brendel’s tone was light, but his mind was not very certain about the odds.
[I’ve predicted the Highlanders would help them. Now the question would be on the food supplied to
them. I have no idea how much food Lord Palas has in his region, or how much food Count Randner is
supplying. If I can….. I would want to delay this battle as long as possible to waste their food.]
“Should I get Miss Amandina, my lord?” Medissa asked.
“No, it’s not necessary,” Brendel rubbed his forehead, “but I’m more curious about the person who sent
out this report.”
“The report even included where the Highlanders came from. This is a clear insight into the situation at
hand. The things I just mentioned must have crossed this person’s mind.”
Brendel only knew so much because he had ‘lived’ in this world for decades. No one in his group was able
to predict that the Highlanders was a trap, and Ciel only understood this point after he explained it.
[I wonder if anyone else would be able to understand the meaning of this report if they read this…… Just
who is this scout?]
Brendel suddenly discovered that the Elementalist who delivered the report was still staring at him. It
was as though he was waiting to speak.
“Is there something else?” Brendel asked.
“Yes, my lord…..” That Elementalist’s expression looked a bit odd, and he was stuttering: “Actually, Ciel
had given me another additional letter. It’s addressed to you.”
1730
“What do you mean by additional letter?” Brendel frowned as he wondered what stunt that fellow was
pulling off now.
“Would you like to see it?”
“Of course,” Brendel snapped.
Since it was addressed to him, was there any reason not to read it? But he stared at the Elementalist in
front of him a little suspiciously. No matter how much he thought about it, his attitude was strange.
“Erm, my lord, would you mind turning your head away first?” But the Elementalist’s face became even
stranger.
[Turning my head? Is this a prank?]
Brendel did not react and saw that a spear-like shadow coming from his side. Scarlett had her halberd on
that Elementalist’s neck.
“Take it out!” Her voice said coldly.
That Elementalist was terrified and trembled with a bitter face before taking out a creature from his robe.
His familiar peeked out at them.
Brendel immediately identified what it was, and so did the others.
A duck. It was a duck.
Everyone around the Elementalist froze.
Brendel and his subordinates had years of experience, even centuries worth, that included an Elven
princess and a wizard from Black Tower, but it was the first time they saw a magic user with a duck as a
familiar.
Brendel looked at the duck with a pair of crossed eyes for a while, before he woke from his stupor and
nodded: “Very good, you’re stylish. Instead of picking a fairy-type creature like most Elementalists, you
picked a duck.”
“My lord,” the Elementalist made a sorrowful face, “that’s not my choice. I originally did not use a familiar.
This thing…… this thing is given to me by Grandmaster Ciel…… He said that using a duck as a familiar
would bring luck.”
1731
“Indeed, much luck,” Brendel put his palm to his face and shook his head when he thought about his
bizarre squire, as Medissa tried to stifle her laughter, “what’s your name?”
He finally paid attention to the person in front of him; the latter was about as old as Brendel was, and his
features were quite attractive. But after he pulled out his duck, Brendel found it hard to hold in his
laughter. Ciel must have pranked this person.
If the Elementalist did not become a comedy actor back in his world, it would be a waste of his
appearance.
“They call me Red Boar, my lord.” The Elementalist said.
“….. Right, and where did that name come from?” Brendel asked.
“It’s the name of a monster in my hometown.”
[Huh. Named after that level 30+ violent creature. Not many would want to hunt it.]
Brendel looked at the duck again and coughed. His voice had a tinge of laughter in it: “Well, how about
this. Follow me around. I happen to need an apprentice.”
“My lord, you need an apprentice? Are you a wizard?” The Elementalist was surprised.
“No, I’m an Elementalist. Anyway, cut the crap, just follow me.”
The messenger looked at him a little blankly. A high-ranking Elementalist could give off a feeling of
intimidation to someone weaker, but he did not feel anything from his young lord. There were two
possibilities; his lord was weaker or was around the same level like he was.
[But this is the legendary lord who’s capable of doing anything! I can only see him from afar several times
and only heard about how he defeated Graudin, made the Subterrane Dwellers submit, and captured
Schafflund’s mine with only thirty people! …… But isn’t he a Gold-ranked swordsman? When did he
become an Elementalist?]
The messenger became more and more puzzled.
Brendel waved him off. He needed an apprentice in order to prepare for another plan and it was a good
time to start it right away. The appearance of the Highlanders made him feel pressured.
“In any case, I’ll give you a proper name. From now onwards, follow me, and your name is
Mordenkainen.” (TL: DnD reference. Human wizard.)
1732
1733
Brendel opened the letter. The contents in it were empty save for a darkened spot on the corner. He
immediately understood what it was. He crumbled the letter and burned its corner with a spark of fire
that came from his hand.
He then tossed it away as it turned into ashes.
The druids had replied to him. This bit of good news made him feel relieved, but he did not immediately
make plans to meet them and instead spoke to his new assistant:
“Mordenkainen.”
“Huh? Y-yes, my lord, what is it that you need?” It took a moment before that young man realized Brendel
was calling for him.
“Find Tagiv and bring him to me.”
“Who is Tagiv?”
“Chieftain of the Subterrane Dwellers. He’s staying inside the inner city.” After the battle of Lord Macsen,
Brendel had it stay in Firburh.
Tagiv was quite happy about the youth’s action; Graudin was not as respectful.
Other humans would have thought that Brendel was holding it as a hostage, but Tagiv did not even
consider that possibility. It was pointless for the youth to do so since it swore an oath to its gods.
“Make sure he puts on a robe and minimize his exposure to the citizens,” Brendel said.
“Understood, my lord. But where would you like to meet up with him?” Mordenkainen hurriedly nodded.
Brendel got closer and whispered into Mordenkainen’s ears, who then nodded and looked at his lord to
make sure that there were no further instructions, before running off into the distance and disappeared
into the falling snow.
“Well, let’s move off to another place.” Brendel turned around to the girls and said with a genuine smile.
Scarlett found herself staring at Brendel’s smile, and suddenly realized that she was comparing him and
Eke. She felt the blood rushing to her ears and shook her head to clear it.
1734

“Where are we going….. My lord?” She asked in a quiet voice.
Medissa glanced at her, feeling another bout of laughter within her.
“A wonderful place,” Brendel said.
The snowfall became bigger, and soon there was a faint sheet of white that covered the streets. There
were not many people walking about. Instead, there were rows of houses that leaked out with warm
orange light.
The sight of the scenery around them made them feel calm.
It was the first time that Scarlett left the manor ever since she was sick. Coming back to life and starting
what she was doing before made her look at things with a lost look, and she trailed behind Medissa while
clutching her halberd tightly.
Medissa, on the other hand, was interested in the scenery before her. It was the first time that she had
been in a human city in winter, and she would occasionally ask Brendel the things that she could not
identify.
The three continued to walk till they heard a series of hammering against metal in front of them.
Medissa was the first to pick up the noise with her long ears, and after a momentary pause, recognized
the area to be Bosley’s workshop.
The workshop finally started operating after Brendel brought back Cold Iron and magic gemstones from
the mines a few weeks ago. This was originally Graudin’s private property, and Bosley bought the two
rows of houses beside it and expanded the workshop.
But having the workshop did not mean that it was operating smoothly. Brendel put up a notice to recruit
workers, and Bosley found the people who applied were a mixture of good and bad. The latter grumbled
several times, telling Brendel that he was not being supportive of his work because he did not care about
the quality of his men.
Fortunately, Gaspard relayed the youth’s instructions to Leto, who sent the blacksmiths and anyone who
was talented to Firburh. Certainly, it was beneficial to Leto in the long run since his mercenaries would
also be armed, but it was also a show of loyalty to Brendel.
When Brendel and the girls reached the workshop, they found fiery flames greeting them which
contrasted sharply against the morning darkness. A golden-red fire was stoked in the forge and covered
1735
the whole place with warmth. It was as though there was a line separating the cold and warmth, and
Brendel could feel that difference even when he stood outside.
“My lord?” A voice came from the workshop.
Bosley was thinking about the numerous issues in the workshop; teaching the idiots was much harder
than keeping track of the materials or making an armor. He was taking a break outside the building when
he spotted three familiar people.
“Grandmaster Bosley.” Brendel gave a smile when he saw him.
Naturally, he did not come to take a stroll and admire the scenery in Firburh. The news of Lord Palas’s
armies had spurred him to speed up his plans.
“What is it? Are you trying to check up on this old man’s progress, my lord?” Bosley asked in his gruff
voice.
“I wouldn’t dare,” Brendel shook his head before he grinned, “it’s just that I thought of an idea.”
“An idea?” Bosley looked curiously at him, but he quickly remembered the four people in front of him
were still waiting patiently: “Regardless of what idea you have, my lord, if you don’t mind the noise and
dirt in this place, you can come in.”
Brendel led his subordinates into the workshop. The first batch of armor was being produced. The youth
watched the blacksmiths and apprentices walking to and fro with sleeveless shirts. Since there was no
one wearing robes, it meant that Ciel’s men were not here.
[It seems like the first batch of armor produced isn’t the White Lion Armor.]
“The work on the Magic Armor hasn’t started yet?” He asked.
“My lord, didn’t you just say that you are not here to check up on our work?” Bosley looked back at him
with disapproval with a wry smile: “Years of inactivity have caused my skill to be rusty. The magic
gemstones that you brought back are too expensive to be used as practice. I intend to make an armor for
practice first.”
Bosley’s eyes darted around the workers before sighing: “Besides, these workers also need to practice.
They are very far away from being capable of making one.”
“That’s because you’re too demanding,” Brendel said.
Bosley was the royal blacksmith and known publicly as the best grandmaster. Even his assistants were
well-known. It was no wonder that these people were unable to get his attention.
1736
The best blacksmiths amongst them were just ordinary blacksmiths working in this area. Some of them
even lack the experience in crafting weapons, not to mention making a suit of armor, which was even
more complicated.
Tanners and tailors were also added to the workshop, and they were in charge of connecting the armor
pieces together to form a suit of armor.
The whole process was very slow, and each suit of armor required several days of man-hours.
In order to craft a suit of magic armor, the chest and the back of the armor were first drawn with Magic
Emblems with crushed Magicite, then placed into the forge where Magicite was added into the fuel. By
repeating the process of hammering and adding crushed Magicite repeatedly, the armor would finally be
completed.
Unfortunately, the forges were fitted with unstable old machines that frequently had problems.
“The machines that I used back then were still better than these two here. Their conditions are even
worse than the ailments of an old man like me.” Bosley said.
He had never felt such a challenging work in his life. There was almost nothing that Trentheim could
offer, and he did not think that Aouine had such a rural area that appeared like it was centuries ago.
The forges hardly converted Magicite to fuel. The city was like a rubbish dump rather than a place fit for
living. Outside the city walls was the Wilderness, and the agriculture produced here was stuck with
primitive techniques.
The era that the old blacksmith worked in was approximately ten years ago, and he stayed in one of the
richest city in Aouine. At that time, the land was aided with the assistance of magic. Apprenticing
Elementalists that studied in the nearby magic academy arranged the Elements in the air and changed the
climate in a small area, allowing something like a greenhouse effect and kept it from flooding.
But there was nothing here.
Machinery that ran on Magicite were used to speed up various tasks in agriculture and was considered to
be an industrial revolution. Kirrlutz stole the technology from the Hazell kingdom, and Aouine later got to
learn from it. (TL: Hazell is that country next to Kirrlutz with advanced machinery technology.)
This revolution in technology affected the November War and brought the second Holy War to the world,
which again advanced the research of Magicite as well as the techniques to utilize it. (TL: Somewhere in
the story it was mentioned that the second holy war lasted for decades, and I think it takes place after the
November War.)
1737
Bosley looked at the two gigantic forges in the center with a deep frown. The machines attached to them
were old technology built decades ago. This workshop was the most advanced area in the entire city. It
was as if the owner of the entire region was owned by someone who disliked magic and allowed the area
to remain outside of civilization.
But that was just Bosley’s biased outlook. Aouine’s southern borders were impoverished due to many
reasons, and it was not only Trentheim that was poor. The Grinoires region and the south of Karsuk’s
area were just as poor.
Aouine’s southern borders were next to the Wilderness, and thus they were at the edge of civilization.
Poor geographic locations and having monsters attacking all the time were the real reasons that Bucce
and Trentheim were poor areas. Even Bruglas was also affected because it had to supply Fortress Riedon
and Bucce with resources.
“You have to try and accept it, Grandmaster Bosley. Even though these two Magicite converters are
considered trash anywhere else, they are valuable treasure here.” Brendel said.
Amandina wanted to break them apart in order to study the internal components the first time the two
crumbling machines were found, but Bosley refused to let her do so with all his might.
His decision was considered wise since the two machines still aided his work greatly. No matter how
outdated they were, the production they had was still faster and better than the primitive usage of just
human hands.
Brendel did not want to think about the fact that Firburh was stuck in an era where it was the equivalent
of Earth’s medieval period. His plans needed a long adjustment time before they were fulfilled if it were
so.
1738
“Well then, my lord, you said you had a new idea?” Bosley took out a pipe and was about to light it when
he recalled that Brendel disliked the smell. He put it back after a moment of hesitation.
“Ah, you will see what I mean in a moment. What about that matter that I requested?” Brendel asked.
Bosley took a moment to think what the youth was talking about.
“You mean the suits of armor? We’ve crafted two hundred sets, and the workshop is going full-time on
them. However, our workers and the workshop’s size are still insufficient. I believe we need to have at
least a hundred men and above before fulfilling your demands on time.”
[Two hundred suits of armor, that’s slightly below my expectations. But finding additional experienced
workers and adding Magicite machines are impossible tasks right now.]
“I can try solving other problems if you have them, like the lack of certain materials, but Firburh is unable
to sustain a big workshop. Even if we have the Macsen region it’s still insufficient. There are not enough
machines—” Brendel said.
Another idea came into his mind. “If only we can make our own Elemental Forge.”
“Elemental Forge?” Bosley’s head snapped to Brendel’s direction.
He had used all kinds of furnaces in his work, and while he had not heard of that term before, he could
roughly guess what it was.
“An Elemental Forge can directly absorb the Elements in the air and add to the smelting process,” Brendel
explained.
It was a revolution in terms of forging techniques, but that was invented approximately twenty years
later by an Elementalist born in a noble family. In that generation, there was a strong outburst of Mana
throughout the continent, causing countless heroes and heroines to be born. There were numerous
inventions to utilize the Mana as well.
[Unfortunately, I’m not the type of player to create inventions in the game. If my senior was here, she
would be able to create one…… She’s an expert in this. Hmm. Was that inventor from Arreck or Vieiro?
Maybe I can get that person like Amandina.] TL lol
1739
“My lord, what exactly does it use for fuel? Charcoal? Or other types of specialized fuel like Magicite? By
infusing the Fire Element, would it mean that the fire produced will be very clean? It’s not just an
improvement by removing impurities in the flames because there’s an infusion of lements into the
metal?” Bosley’s eyes lit up and his face flushed red.
He could almost imagine what it meant just from the name.
“…… Yes, I saw it from an ancient book. I believe it’s a lost technique made by Galbu Wizards.” Brendel
lied through his teeth.
“Galbu’s techniques? My lord, but Galbu’s wizards use Mana Enchantment to forge items. They shouldn’t
be using forges. Did they change their methods in the past few eras?” Medissa frowned slightly and raised
an objection with her soft voice.
Brendel was momentarily stunned and realized that he made a mistake. He could craft random lies he
wanted in the past when Medissa was not around, but now that she was sticking to him closely as a
bodyguard, she saw through his lies easily since she was part of the Silver Alliance, just like the Galbu
Wizards.
He took a while to think about the history of the Silver Alliance before finding a lame excuse with much
difficulty:
“Oh. Then I’m not sure where it came from. I mean, I’m just someone who learned from the Black Tower’s
wizards.”
Medissa nodded and looked at Brendel curiously: “Since my lord brought this up, I did think of one
possibility. This sounds like what the Miirnas would do. The technique of Elemental Forging was lost long
ago before the War of the Holy Saints. I believe that the book you saw was Galbu Wizards’ record about
their old enemy’s techniques.”
Brendel’s lips jerked a few times when he heard his own lie getting fixed by Medissa. He nodded a few
times to acknowledge her words. Bosley said a little emotionally:
“My lord, do you know how to construct it?”
“…… I understand the principals behind it but constructing it might be difficult.”
“Perhaps we can try building one?” Bosley immediately brought out papers and writing tools.
The idea of a new furnace was too much of a lure for him. He patted his chest with excitement:
1740
“These old bones don’t have any other skills other than building things. I dare say that I’m unmatched in
the whole of Aouine. Please go ahead and tell me about it, perhaps we can really recreate it!”
“It’s not that simple. The concept is easy enough, but there are a few major obstacles. First, we need a
Mana Core and Mana Conductor to provide power. Second, we need to find a method to gather the
Elements in the air and separate the Fire Element. Third, conversion of the Fire Element into flames.
The first obstacle requires the technology of utilizing Magicite. The second obstacle requires an
Elementalist to research on the Magic Formations or handle it directly. The third obstacle requires an
alchemist to design it.
I believe you can resolve the design of the furnace, but are you able to resolve these three obstacles?”
Bosley opened his mouth but no words came out.
“The collection of the Elements in the air. It’s not a difficult problem.” Medissa said.
“What? You know how to solve it?” Bosley blurted in a loud voice and even gave a little jump. His voice
attracted the gazes of the blacksmiths and apprentices; he was slightly embarrassed but he could not hold
back his enthusiasm: “Quickly tell us, girl, this thing is too important to us—”
Brendel secretly disagreed.
[It’s just a furnace. Sure, it solves the problem of our lack of fuel, and it can smelt metal better, but
Trentheim doesn’t really produce any workable metal. How much can Cold Iron be gotten from
Schafflund before it runs out? The fastest I can expand the workshop is after I make a trip to Ampere
Seale.] (TL: Ampere Seale is the place with lots of markets in the north, if anyone can’t remember.)
But Brendel apparently did not expect his subtle dismissive expression to be caught by Bosley, and the
grandmaster chastised him gravely:
“My lord, do you really understand the worth of this furnace? Based on your explanation, it sounds like
the flames reach a higher temperature. Just based on this alone, I will be to remove more impurities. I
don’t know if you can imbue the weapons and armors with Elements, but the equipment we created can
be sold for more because of its quality. You can even sell a lesser version of the furnaces to the nobles,
and I can assure you that they will be bought even if you quote them a high amount, which you can
recruit more men into your army with the money gotten. Without a proper army, how can you protect
yourself, and how would you be able to help the princess when your own life is suspect? The tension in
the north is getting increasing every day. I don’t think Her Highness would be able to wait for you to get
ready.”
1741
Brendel felt a headache coming on when he heard Bosley’s nagging, but he immediately realized that the
grandmaster blacksmith was right. He was still debating over what goods he should bring to Ampere
Seale and it seemed like there was a good choice in front of him. He nodded and said:
“Please go ahead and tell your ideas to Grandmaster Bosley, Medissa.”
Medissa smiled and said: “The method is resolved through Magic Formations.”
“Magic Formations? But you can’t absorb the Elements and release only the Fire Element because the
related Magic Formations don’t stack. Bridging them together with the Fortification Magic Formation
won’t work because the Absorption Magic Formation is too restrictive in its conditions. Dividing the
Magic Formations also won’t work because you need to separate the Elements so that the Fire Element
can be released. Absorb, separate, release. You can only have two Magic Formations working at any given
time here.”
This time it was Brendel who brought up his questions. Even in the past, he had not heard of a method to
separate the Elements properly. The only exception was an Elementalist manually separating the Fire
Element. If a single furnace needed to be used for twenty-four hours to make something, then one would
need six or seven Elementalists, and these Elementalists had to be Iron-ranked and above. It made
Brendel how the Elemental Forge worked in the game.
In any case, this investment was a little too much if the forge needed Elementalists.
“My lord, you forget that I’m a silver Elf.” Medissa’s voice was very quiet.
Brendel looked at her with crooked lips. What did the Magic Formations have to do with a Silver Elf?
“Boy, I wanted to ask you for the longest time, is that little Silver Elf girl who’s always following you a
member of the royal family?” Orthlyss’s voice suddenly came up.
1742
“Yes, she’s considered royalty, what of it, Ser Orthlyss?” Brendel said in his mind.
“Nothing, it’s just that she appears familiar to my eyes. Hmm, indeed, she’s very familiar to someone I
know but it shouldn’t be her. Perhaps her descendant. But if she’s royalty, then your problem is as good
as solved.” Orthlyss said.
“But— How?”
“One of the Legacies that the Silver Elves provide is the technique of conducting Elements. The royal
members definitely know this technique.” Orthlyss said, and she became silent.
“…… I see,” Brendel nodded and looked at Medissa, “you mean to say that you possess the technique to
control the Elements?”
She nodded.
“Very well, this matter is solved. That’s one obstacle down. Let’s move on to the question of conversion of
Fire Element to flames. The majority of the alchemist’s Magic Formations formulas are instantaneous, but
the Fire Element needs to be released in a continuous, steady pulse. I’m not sure if the existing formulas
will be sufficient for what we need.” Brendel said.
“Is there no other way besides using an alchemist?” Bosley’s excited brows quickly sank down and said
with a little anguish: “But it doesn’t sound like it’s very difficult.”
“Of course it’s difficult. The level of stability required for the Magic Formation is extremely high. But it’s
not as if there are no alternate methods. The first is Fortification Magic Formation to stabilize and convert
it, but that will limit the output. The second method is finding a better material and combine it with an
alchemist’s Magic Formation. However, it will be expensive.”
Brendel thought for a while.
[A smaller furnace with Fortification Magic. A bigger furnace with a better material spent on it. That’s an
acceptable sacrifice.]
“Well, it’s fine. A substitute is better than none. I’ll have my alchemist, Tamar, research on the magic
formations and see if he comes up with a better alternative. Let’s move on to the final problem. A Mana
Core and Mana Conductor.”
1743
“I can do something…… about the Mana Core,” Bosley glanced at Brendel, and for the first time in the
discussion, he stuttered: “I have some contacts that I know in Seifer, Corvado, and Ampere Seale. I can ask
them to get a few Mana Cores for me, but Capital-sized cores will not be possible.”
“It’s enough if we can get some medium-sized ones!” Brendel answered.
Amandina had a few designs on machines that harnessed Magicite. It should be possible for her machines
to use Mana Cores. Mana Conductors were much rarer as they are controlled by the Royal Family and
powerful nobles.
But he was a little surprised at Bosley’s initiative. This was the first time the latter used his network,
which meant that this furnace toy was really tempting to him. What really delighted Brendel was the
Bosley’s revelation of such a wide network. If he could utilize it……
“Grandmaster Bosley, why don’t you ask your friends to bring over some people over? Are you not
lacking with manpower?” He tested the water.
The old man glared at him: “You want to drag more people on your sinking pirate ship? I don’t care about
other people, but stop thinking I will help you get my students or the Royal Faction’s members!”
“No, no, no, you’re wrong,” Brendel was not discouraged at all, and moved to persuade him: “The Royal
Faction or us, are we not on the same? We’re all trying to help the princess right?”
Bosley scoffed loudly. He did not trust the youth, but once he thought about the Lionheart resonating to
Brendel’s presence, he started to loosen up: “I’ve agreed to work for you, young man, but I have no power
to interfere with my students’ lives. It is especially more so for the Royal Faction.”
“But I’m not asking you to interfere with their decisions. You can invite them over and I’m not asking you
to force them too; they are just here to help us and they can leave whenever they like. We all need to be
flexible!” Brendel sighed with a little exaggeratedly and shook his head.
Brendel put his arm around Bosley and drew a wonderful image for him:
“This isn’t very different from the fact that we’re smuggling silver, right? We’re trying to restore Aouine
to its former glory, and I’ll definitely be paying them for their service. None of your students will suffer.
This is a win-win trade for both us and the princess—”
[Phew. A few years as a commander in the game and experience in a working industry really helped out
here. Really, if those godly CEOs come over, they might be able to create scams that would break a
kingdom, ah, no, a multi-national company? Hmm, maybe they could set up a religion that permeates
every kingdom!]
Brendel could not help but think they would be able to match the religions in this world.
1744

This action made the girls giggle when they saw Brendel’s expressions. He resembled a devil from hell,
persuading Bosley with his honeyed tongue and mischevious eyes.
Bosley finally looked as though he was convinced. He hesitated before speaking: “Very well, what does
my lord needs exactly?”
“What I need exactly? People! As many as you can get! Any race will do! Even young children are fine!”
Brendel blurted.
“What!? Young children? Y-you, want me to do human trafficking? Are you mad? Aouine outlaws human
trafficking—”
Bosley’s voice faltered off at the end. Aouine had plenty of black markets, and nobles were always doing
this dirty act. It was an open secret.
The Brendel that he knew was not someone like that. Even though he openly mocked the youth for being
idealistic, he did admire his character for staying on that path. It was befitting for his age, after all.
“What are you talking about, what do you mean by ‘human trafficking’? These two words sound so nasty.
Grandmaster Bosley, please don’t bring the horrendous habits of those old nobles to my land—” Brendel
showed an overly offended expression and shook his head with disapproval at Bosley.
Bosley nearly choked. He glared exasperatedly at Brendel.
[You are the one who said you wanted people. You even want young children! What other reasons do you
have if you want them!]
“Then what do you mean exactly, my lord?” Bosley looked at him with narrowed eyes.
“Let me give you an example. Do you know about the War of the Black Rose?”
“Hmm……?”
Brendel suddenly blinked a few times. He suddenly realized that the kingdom had not given a name to
Madara’s invasion yet. The War of the Black Rose did not exist. He coughed and smoothly changed his
contents.
“I’m referring to Madara’s invasion a few months ago.”
1745
“….. But what does a black rose have to do with Madara?”
Brendel had black lines on his head. Would the old man stop going off-topic?
“I heard that Madara is also called as the Black Rose of Brumand. Perhaps my lord is talking about this?”
Scarlett said.
Comprehension dawned on the old man and he nodded: “That makes sense. I believe the people who
write Aouine’s history would give that name as well. And what of it?”
Brendel coughed lightly:
“Ahem. The War of the Black Rose will appear to be the biggest war after the second Holy War, but that
isn’t true. Very soon, the Royal Crown will lose their power to rein in the nobles, and these nobles will
eventually go to war with each other. In fact, for the past twenty years there have been constant
skirmishes, and one day, a civil war will eventually happen……”
The young lord took a momentary pause and asked: “Do you know where the refugees are right now in
the Macsen region?”
“Hmm? I do know some of the refugees are working for me—” Bosley suddenly realized what Brendel
meant and he looked at him in surprise: “My lord, do you mean refugees?”
“Yes. The constant skirmishes between the nobles have caused a considerable amount of people to lose
their homes. These refugees had to become farmers or even fall into servitude. They have hardly any
clothes, no homes, no food, and no hope. Although I don’t have a clear number of the kingdom’s refugees,
I’m sure there are many people who are troubled with their current lives. Attracting them would be
simple. Sufficient meals and the direction to a better life would be able to get them to migrate to
Trentheim. All we need to do is to provide a safe passage.”
TL: The one who actually committed the crime…is YOU! No alibi, no justice, no dream, no hope! It’s time
to pay for your crimes! TAKE THAT!”
1746
Bosley’s initial surprise quickly abated.
“My lord, perhaps these refugees do exist, but the majority of them are sick and old. The strong workforce
that you want to have are of value to the nobles too, so you wouldn’t be able to get them. I’m afraid these
refugees would not be of much use to you.”
“Accepting and spending money on the sick and elderly proves that we are sincere in accepting everyone.
It also doesn’t mean there are no able people amongst the refugees. Some of the youths would want to
stay together with their families, and most of the nobles would not accept them because they have to feed
every mouth. The women are capable of farmwork, sewing, and many other things, while the young are
the future of this territory.”
Brendel had already made long-term plans for Aouine’s feature. Not many people did so in this
generation because of the civil war.
“In any case, I have considered these issues before and it’s not a big problem. The people we have will be
the future of this region. I’ll even give these foolish nobles a free lesson who can’t see this point.
Therefore, I’m requesting that you get as many people as you can to come to this region.”
“Fine, you have the population, but what about the food?”
Bosley was still not fully convinced, though he had to admit that Brendel’s methods captured the
populace’s heart very well as he continued to stay in Firburh.
Regardless of whether it was his own personal selfish reasons or for righteousness, he did not wish to see
the youth’s efforts come to a blinding halt. In his heart, he had often wondered when it was deep in the
night, was the youth really chosen by the Lionheart?
The latter’s actions caused everyone to support him, and at times he felt as though he saw a mythical
figure of the past.
The kind king who raised his sword to swear an oath under the flags and banners.
Indeed, Bosley could not believe that it was true.
“The food is a problem, but Grandmaster Bosley, when did you become so concerned about this issue?”
Brendel nodded and quickly eyed Bosley with a strange look.
1747
“I’m just asking out of curiosity.” The old blacksmith felt embarrassed.
“I see. Well, the plan, hmmm. It’s a really big problem, but when I think about the refugees losing their
homes, I really do feel pained, and it’s difficult for me to sleep and no matter hard it is, I have to keep on
persisting, right, Grandmaster Bosley?”
Brendel’s words were solemn and dignified, but his eyes were laughing like a little fox, teasing the old
man.
“You…..” The old man became angry: “Cut the crap, you damn scoundrel! Tell me your plan!”
The girls giggled again.
“Since we have the support of Schafflund’s silver mines, we won’t really have a problem for the time
being.”
“You can’t rely on buying the food supplies. Are you not afraid of the northern dukes’ embargo?”
“One, the merchants in Ampere Seale are all ‘merchants’.” Brendel put one finger up, and shot up another:
“Two, the northern fleet is still in the princess’s hands. Certainly, there’s a worst-case scenario, but
Trentheim isn’t really a barren land.”
Brendel had the druids in his hands, so why would he worry about farming? They were even better than
the Elementalist when it came to agriculture.
Even though it might be a little difficult to convince the druids who believe in being neutral, he had
already set up a trap for them to jump into. The contract that they signed earlier would mean that the
druids had to protect Firburh against all wars, and that included a war concerning the city’s food.
Brendel’s smile was really wide and twisted when he thought about it.
“I really don’t understand why you need so many people. Trentheim already has a strong population. If
you conquer this place, creating an army wouldn’t be difficult.”
Brendel merely rubbed his forehead.
Bosley would not understand that his ultimate end goal would be conquering the endless Wilderness. It
was not limited to just the kingdom’s area, or stopping at Valhalla, but to lead an army towards the
Wilderness and expand Aouine till it became a powerful empire.
This opportunity could only be found in the Wilderness.
1748
[Perhaps one day everyone would understand my reasons for doing this if I’m still alive.]
“Grandmaster Bosley, when have you become so interested in my territory? Are you interested in joining
my banner wholeheartedly?”
Bosley choked on his saliva and started coughing loudly. When he finally got his breath back, he hurriedly
spoke: “What are you thinking about, you rascal? I’m only worried that you’re going to lose everything in
this investment and drag my career— No, I mean you’re going to block the princess’s efforts from making
this kingdom strong again.”
“Why, that would be strange indeed. But if you’re not interested in joining me, why are you the one who
keeps on talking about unrelated topics?” Brendel found it a little amusing and asked.
“Are we not focusing on how to get the refugees over to this land? Why are we talking about food now?
Would you like to exchange jobs with Amandina?”
Bosley obviously knew that Brendel was making fun of him. Even though he had a good personality
amongst all the nobles in this generation, he was clearly lacking in respecting his elders, and he did not
seem like he would stop anytime soon.
“I’m not as shameless as my lord. For me to trying and steal the little girl’s job. We’re talking about the
Elemental Forge and you were the one who…… Forget it, I’m not going to explain myself anymore!”
Bosley suddenly realized if he continued to explain himself he was setting himself up instead.
He quickly sought to speak of something else: “Alright. I’ll get your request done. Let’s get back to the
issues at hand. The suits of armor you requested me to make, would you like to inspect them?”
“It would be good if we can,” Brendel nodded; he was interested to see the completed product, “but not
here. Is there a hidden room in this workshop? Or is there a place that would allow us to talk privately?”
“There is a place that’s closed off,” Bosley glared at him, “but what’s with all the secrecy? Are you up to no
good?”
Brendel snorted.
If the old man was honest, why would he have a secret room? He did not recall that he instructed him to
make such a place. But he did not dare to speak about it, lest the stubborn old man got angry and chased
all of them out. That would be a loss for him.
Bosley led the three of them across the sweltering workshop despite the snow and pushed open a door in
the south building.
1749
But Brendel quickly realized that he had mistaken Bosley’s words. The secret room was just as the latter
described. It was more like a warehouse or resting room for Bosley to use privately.
The room was not very big, approximately ten square meters in size with many boxes and barrels in it.
Bosley counted the boxes from the left, before getting a crowbar to open one of them and took out a
strange armor.
It could hardly be seen as an armor because it looked more like a failed product of an apprentice.
“Just look at this. Can anyone wear this? The metal extends all the way to the head. There’s no opening to
let the head come out, not even a neckline. The torso and backplate are sewn together too tightly. The
holes to let the arms and legs come out are different from a normal human being. And it’s heavy as well.”
Bosley nearly had to exert his entire body strength to bring the armor out. “I’m even willing to bet that
the knights would not be able to wear this armor even if it’s made normally. This is just too heavy!”
Bosley threw the armor onto the table while panting hard. The armor crashed onto the table with a
tremendous thud and he continued:
“Look at it. I assure you that I have followed your design completely without a single change. And I can
assure you that no normal person would be able to wear this. Really, I have no idea what you want to do
with this. And it’s not just one set. There are two hundred sets of this armor!”
Brendel grinned with delight as he studied the armor. He poked it several times and felt greatly satisfied.
Bosley’s craft was truly the best blacksmith in Aouine; indeed, the only person who was recognized as a
legendary blacksmith in the second War of the Black Rose.
Based on the armor’s craft, it had to be crafted by at least a level 60 Blacksmith. Ordinary NPC
blacksmiths were people who did not even exist in the eyes of the gamers who chose to get into non-
combat professions, but Bosley was an exception and was treated like a national treasure even twenty
years into the future from now.
It was no wonder Brendel was grinning from ear to ear when he looked at him.
“Are you even listening to me, you damned rascal?” Bosley scowled, his fury reaching new heights.
“Of course I am. I’m completely satisfied.” Brendel nodded.
“I can see you’re satisfied, but I’m asking you what this is for.” Bosley felt exhausted. He found that it was
an exhausting task to speak to Brendel; it was as if the youth was always thinking of something else.
“Don’t worry, you will get to know what it’s for in a few moments. I just don’t think that it’s better that I’m
not the one to tell you about it—”
1750
“What do you—?” Bosley was confused.
But someone knocked on the door right at that moment. The old man was rarely disturbed when he
entered this room to rest. His eyebrows bunched up together and he roared: “Who?”
“It’s me, Grandmaster Bosley.” The voice outside the door sounded as though the person shrank back.
“How the blazes would I know who you are, you fool!” Bosley became angrier when he saw the youth in
front of him looking like he was half-smiling: “Spit it out, what do you want, you better find a good reason
to convince me or I’ll be tossing you out of the workshop!”
“Erm…… I’m looking for Lord Brendel……”
The old man blinked a few times and cast a doubtful look at Brendel, who nodded.
“Come in!” Bosley then replied.
The door opened with Bosley’s reply. The person who was standing outside was indeed the youth
Mordenkainen. His duck familiar was not with him, but there was a strange looking person beside him.
A short body entirely covered by a long robe.
“A Dwarf?” Bosley muttered to himself.
1751
“No, you guessed wrong, Grandmaster Bosley,” Brendel said.
Mordenkainen closed the door behind him, while the mysterious guest tugged off its robe to revealed a
feather dress covering over its wrinkled skin.
Tagiv bowed deeply to Brendel.
“A Subterrane Dweller?” Bosley was stunned for a moment before he spoke with a shocked voice: “Wait,
my lord, do you mean—”
His mind spun quickly. Humans would not be able to use the armor at all, but it was a perfect fit for these
underground creatures.
“When did you enter into an alliance with the Subterrane Dwellers?”
“Didn’t we fight alongside with them against Lord Macsen a while ago?”
“But…… Just, how exactly did……” The old blacksmith was utterly confused.
Brendel locked down information concerning Lord Macsen, and the latter’s men were either captured or
killed in that battle. The information of the Subterrane Dwellers participation in that battle was not
revealed.
Since Bosley did not care about Brendel’s military affairs and put all his efforts into his workshop, he did
not know that there was a large army of Subterrane Dwellers under Brendel.
“My lord…… powerful.” Tagiv maintained its respectful attitude and answered in weak Kirrlutz.
“In other words, they have submitted to you?” Bosley turned to Brendel and asked.
Brendel nodded.
“Marsha above. How many of them submitted to you?” Bosley exclaimed. He stared at Brendel with a
shaken expression as the thought of a possibility surfaced. A palm with five fingers was raised: “…… Five
hundred?”
That was the number of armors that Brendel wanted.
1752

Brendel shook his head with a smile.
“My, my. Your thoughts are too simple like the others, Grandmaster Bosley. How would it be possible for
every member of the Subterrane Dwellers to use this armor? Surely they have the old and young with
them. The figure is much higher—”
[Even though Tagive is respectful to me, he would never place his whole tribe in my hands.]
He eyed Tagiv: “At least three thousand.”
Bosley stumbled, and hurriedly leaned against the table’s corner: “…… I see. It seems that these old bones
of mine cannot keep up with you youths any longer.”
Three thousand. How exactly did the young man in front of him defeat the Subterrane Dwellers? Not to
mention getting them to submit.
It was no wonder the younger mercenaries idolized him. Bosley originally sneered at them a little, but
now it looked like they were not doing it blindly.
“I got it. It appears that Lord Palas will be in big trouble.”
“Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Count Randner is going to be the one behind the next attack. That
cunning bastard will be more careful with us because of Lord Macsen’s failure.”
“You mean that Lord Palas will have reinforcements?”
“Isn’t that a guaranteed thing……?”
Bosley rubbed his chin: “So this is why you want to arm the Subterrane Dwellers.”
“Indeed,” Brendel patted the armor and turned towards the Subterrane Dweller, “Tagiv, come over and
test this out.”
“My lord, what is…… this? ” Tagiv could not see the armor, but it could hear that the thing Brendel was
holding was something metallic.
“Wear this and you will know.”
“But, I’m a…… witch doctor, my lord!” Tagiv’s hands went over the armor and exclaimed.
“It’s fine, I’m just letting you test it out. This is the gift that I’m giving to you. Are you going to refuse it?”
1753
“Gift?” Tagiv answered with a pause.
“Your tribe isn’t particularly strong in the Underworld right?”
Tagiv became silent. If they were strong enough, they would not be chased up to the surface. Compared to
living on the surface, they would very much prefer to go back where they come from. The numbers of
their tribe were considerably big, but they were still unable to find an Underworld Lord to protect them.
Rather, they were considered cannon fodder for others. Its ancestors had left the old and weak to its
command, and the genuine fighters that it had that were considered strong in the Underworld were few.
It nodded.
“There’s no problem at all. I always tell my subordinates this, if you can’t improve your personal skills
and techniques, then you can raise the equipment’s level that you wear.”
“Raising the level……. on equipment?” Tagiv repeated this sentence with some doubt.
“I intend to send five hundred suits of heavy armor to the Subterrane Dwellers. They are specially
designed for your race to wear.”
Tagiv was evidently surprised by the number as both its hands trembled and rattled the armor. Five
hundred suits of armor were also considered an enormous amount of wealth. An Underworld Lord would
not spend metal to equip a group of Subterrane Dwellers which were considered as cannon fodder.
“But…… the Subterrane Dwellers….. don’t wear armor!”
[What the hell? What do you mean you don’t wear armor! Didn’t your future lord and city-invader expert
Aila lead all of you wearing these suits of armor as the vanguard? The armor in your hands was designed
by your own darn race!]
It was indeed the original prototype that Aila designed. It was also ahead of its time by five years.
Brendel, unfortunately, did not get the recipes of the future variations. In the end, the youth said a little
irritably:
“Do you want to be treated as cannon fodder all the time? These suits of armor are specially designed for
you and once you wear them, history will be made—”
“Hold on!” Bosley suddenly interrupted: “My lord, what exactly did you say? Do you mean that this armor
has never existed before?”
“Yes?”
1754
Bosley looked at the youth in disbelief and appeared to be a little angry: “A new suit of armor that has
never been tested or even worn by these damned creatures, and you got me to make two hundred of
them!?”
It was almost at a bellow at the end of his words. He felt like Brendel was playing a joke on him.
Who had done this before in history? A new set of armor that had not even been tested and instead of
went into production? Did this idiot lord think that it was a toy?
If Brendel was rich enough to rival the entire kingdom’s revenue, he could still understand his action as a
wasteful noble’s behavior, but it was clear that he was just a new lord who had trouble maintaining his
own territory.
“The amount of metal spent to make these armor is almost all the available metal ores that Firburh has. I
even refused to let my workers go out and assist in the city repairs because of this project. Even that little
girl Amandina came to grumble about this issue more to me a few times !”
The more Bosley thought about it, the angrier he became. When he thought back at that moment when
Brendel said he was supporting the princess…… he wanted to smash the armor on his head. If everyone
around the princess was the same as this youth, then he suddenly doubted the future of this damned
kingdom.
[Marsha above. A royal blacksmith getting fooled by an idiot! No, this will not do. If he doesn’t give me an
explanation, I’ll show him my temper. And my temper is very bad!]
The old man glared at Brendel.
The youth did not change his expression, not even a little, though he was a little surprised at Bosley’s
anger. However, he could not help but snicker at his last sentence.
“Really, Grandmaster Bosley, is there a need to be so angry?” He shook his head.
“You can even laugh at this point?! You better give me an explanation, damn it! Otherwise, I’ll definitely
threaten you!”
“What sort of threat?” Brendel’s smile was befitting of his age. Innocent and sweet.
“I, I’ll go a strike!” Bosley stomped his foot.
“Okay, yes, please calm down a little. Grandmaster Bosley, you’re the head of the royal blacksmiths, can’t
you tell if this suit of armor works on Tagiv?”
“It’s exactly because I’m the head blacksmith that I’m telling you this is an irresponsible act!” Bosley
roared, but his eyes went to the armor on Tagiv’s body. He was quite familiar with the suits of armor
1755
because he made them with his own hands. Even with the first glance, he knew that Brendel’s design did
not have any problems.
It only looked like the size was a little too big on the Subterrane Dweller.
But Tagiv did mention he was a Witch Doctor, which meant that the warriors of the Subterrane Dwellers
would be bigger and stronger in size. The suits of armor should be a good fit for them. If there were
Subterrane Dwellers with burlier sizes, he could simply craft a few sets suited for them.
Bosley’s fury was quickly replaced with surprise. Based on the designs that Brendel gave, it appeared like
it had gone through at least several rounds of tests to make sure that the armor fit the Subterrane
Dwellers’ physiology. Even he would not able to make a suit of armor perfectly for them the first time.
Was this youth a genius blacksmith?
But he could not believe this notion, and instead asked with a huff: “You’re not the one who came up with
this thing, right?”
Brendel nodded. He was not shameless enough to steal someone else’s work: “It’s a friend of mine. He had
studied the Subterrane Dwellers quite well.”
Aila somehow became his friend at that moment and it sneezed in the Underworld.
“At least that makes more sense. You better stop giving me this kind of surprises in the future. Leave your
stunts to people of your age instead. My old heart can’t take this sort of torture.” Bosley stopped pursuing
this issue when Brendel satisfied his suspicions.
“Really, you’re exaggerating, why would I do this on purpose? You’re my greatest asset in this territory.”
Brendel said with a grin.
“I’m just working for you temporarily.” The old blacksmith reminded him with a mutter, but Brendel’s
pandering made him feel pleased.
Brendel merely rubbed his forehead at his response: “Well, how about it Tagiv, are you willing to accept
this gift?”
Tagiv hesitated. Its hands were going through every nook and cranny of the armor as Brendel and Bosley
spoke to each other. It had practically confirmed that the armor was indeed made for them.
It was quite tempting, but there were no free meals in this world after all. Tagiv finally asked: “What
are….. the conditions?”
Brendel nodded as he was greatly satisfied with Tagiv’s answer. It was obvious that he could not just give
away five hundred suits of armor. While they were considered to be allies, this ‘gift’ was not really a gift.
1756
“The conditions are simple,” Brendel said, then went beside Tagiv and whispered into its ears.
Tagiv paused momentarily and went into another bout of hesitation, but it finally nodded.
“It’s a…… deal.”
1757
============= Gryphine’s POV =============
The seventh day of December—
It was just after the first snowfall.
The harsh winter had sealed off the access from Arreck’s mountains to Ampere Seale’s countryside paths.
Each faction wasted two months of talks in the Port of Freedom without any success. The cold winter
ultimately caused the northern waters and the restless factions to be frozen. The fierce rumors of the civil
wars happening disappeared one by one.
But to the people who could see through everything, they understood that it was a false peace. The blades
of steel underneath this ethereal frozen world, were thirsting for blood and waiting patiently to erupt.
Gryphine knew clearly that once winter ended, it would not be water from the melted snow seeping into
the spring’s ground, but blood.
A hidden force was on the verge of breaking out under the snow-covered ground elsewhere.
Countless riders made their way through the forest.
Lord Palas led his knights through Macsen’s hills for the first time to make battle, but he did not know
that spies had delivered the reports of Lord Macsen’s defeat in Firburh to the various Counts and Dukes,
and they were watching Trentheim closely.
Every noble thought that the princess was taking a huge risk to usurp Firburh during such a sensitive
time, where even a spark would cause the civil war to break out. In truth, there was nothing that
Gryphine could do other than accept Brendel’s ‘kind’ intentions.
They felt intrigued by the situation and wondered what Count Randner’s next action would be, though no
one really cared or paid attention to the leader of Firburh’s rebels.
Gryphine could not help but shake the parchment in her hand with her fingers. The report stated that
Lord Palas’s army was moving towards Firburh.
“Ser Oberbeck, who do you think would win this battle?” She asked the Wolf Lord with a faint smile.
1758
Oberbeck bowed slightly: “Logic tells me that Count Randner will be victorious in this war, but my
intuition tells me otherwise.”
“What’s going to happen if Brendel wins?”
“Count Randner will not dare to move easily if his army is defeated.”
“What happens if he loses?”
“Duke Arreck would want to make Count Randner keep his neutral position, which suits the latter just
fine—”
“In other words, it will end up as an advantage for us no matter what?”
“Only if Your Highness recognize that Count Randner will never join hands with us!”
“Unfortunately, Makarov and my teacher Fleetwood are unable to see this point.” The girl with silver hair
used one hand to support her pale chin and sighed.
Oberbeck did not answer. In his eyes, Makarov and Fleetwood probably understood this point, but they
had their own considerations; a strange youth with an unknown background was less trustworthy than
Count Randner. Makarov also wanted Gryphine to be less involved with that youth.
These words could not be said openly, otherwise, doubt would grow in the Royal Faction’s people, but
Oberbeck believed that the princess would see this point sooner or later.
“What do you think?” Gryphinee’s thin eyebrows lifted slightly as she peered at her retainer: “Why is he
doing something so risky? Is it really because he holds goodwill towards the royal family?”
“That would be unlikely. My guess is that he’s an ambitious adventurer.”
Because of her birth, Gryphine did not trust a relationship if both parties did not profit from a beneficial
relationship with each other. She pondered on Oberbeck’s answer: “Ambition, you say……”
Her eyes went back to the numbers in the parchment. There was one thing that was clear, Count Randner
had a massive army marching towards Firburh.
================= Lord Palas’s POV ================
Lord Palas used a wrinkled hand that was full of calluses to lift up his mask. He expelled a breath of
condensed vapor as he looked at the faraway mountains shrouded in mist.
1759
The camps in the valley had been attacked yet again—
It was the sixth raid from the start of the week.
The elderly man’s eyebrows nearly met each other. His wrinkled face resembled a tree’s bark as he
frowned deeply. The figures of the knights behind him continued to walk out in turn, and their
expressions were just as grave as their commander.
They thought that the Macsen’s mountains would not compare against Mountain Graham’s treacherous
environment where they constantly fought in terms of danger.
— Surely, the rebels would not be as good as the Highlanders in their ambushes, and this war would
allow them to be more relaxed.
Such was their thoughts.
But before they encountered the rebels, they met even tougher foes.
“These damned Subterrane Dwellers!” One of the knights cursed.
The creatures’ targets were many. They did not just attack their army, but also their food supply and non-
combat workers. The mysterious attacks they received already made Lord Palas’s men anxious before
Count Randner’s army could join up with them. The attacks had extended to the Highlanders’ camps as
well, and it was the second time too.
The damage was not big, but Lord Palas was worried that his army’s destination was going to be delayed.
The Subterrane Dwellers’ speed in the forest was extraordinarily quick. They attacked from the flanks
and disappeared into the northern forest after causing a considerable amount of casualties.
The layout of these forests was unfamiliar and complex, and the cavalry could not be deployed easily as
sharp rocks seemed to be scattered in advance. There was also the snow which covered the ground and
made it look like it was the same everywhere.
It was impossible to pursue them.
“How many did we lose this time?”
“Not many, approximately a dozen or so, but there are many who are injured.”
“And how many dead for this week?”
1760
“Nearly a hundred soldiers from their attacks, but there’s a battle that happened and there were
significant casualties.”
“Why was there a battle?” Lord Palas turned around to his adjutant and asked.
A real battle against Firburh was still far away. Food supplies or other materials like ammunition and
sleeping tents supplied by transport workers were slower than expected. Even the Highlanders’ speed
was slow, and there was only about a tenth of the expected Highlanders who joined up with them.
But what surprised him was the battle that happened. He had never given the order to attack.
“It’s because of a private group of Highlanders who wanted to get revenge. They were ambushed after
entering Macsen, and there was only a handful that returned.”
“Those bloody fools. Just how many did we lose exactly?”
“…… Over three hundred.” The adjutant finally said.
“In merely two weeks—” Lord Palas shook his head, though the loss of these men was still acceptable to
him.
These creatures were a nuisance to him and were difficult to remove if they did not take the initiative to
attack them.
But it was clear that the rebels were making their last struggle after all.
Lord Palas had been gathering information for the past two months. The scouts managed to discover a
few private soldiers who worked for Graudin during the night of the rebellion, and they brought back
information of the mercenaries in Firburh. The private soldiers also provided some information about the
Subterrane Dwellers that appeared a few months ago.
Lord Palas believed they had a role in ambushing Lord Macsen.
[Given that it has been months after Graudin’s defeat, the number of mercenaries might have increased.
Perhaps more than a thousand mercenaries, and a few hundred Subterrane Dwellers. If I make progress
steadily, it’s a guaranteed victory.]
He would not allow himself to commit the mistake that Lord Macsen made. Although, given his cautious
nature, he probably would not have made this mistake if he was leading the first assault against Firburh.
His hand gripped his sword’s golden hilt.
Rumors of Carglise being captured by the rebels came back a few days ago, and Lord Palas was worried
about his student.
1761
The original plan of attacking Macsen’s fortress still needed approximately fifteen days of travel time.
Even if there was a thousand casualties or even a third of his army injured, it would not matter to him.
However, what worried him was not the number of casualties, but the morale of the army. Sometimes a
battle was decided by something else. Having the Highlanders devolve into a state of confusion would
mean that they would be completely out of his control.
It was definitely the enemy leader’s scheme to pressure him into an early battle.
And there were definitely traps waiting for him if he did so. The ambushed Highlanders were a good
example. He understood that he could not be impulsive here, but the various leaders of the Highlanders
were constantly badgering him about getting the Subterrane Dwellers gave him a headache.
These leaders were not exactly wrong either. The Subterrane Dwellers went deep into their camps and
burned part of their food supply. Lord Palas even wondered if Schafflund had a security problem. The
route that the Subterrane Dwellers took could only come from that region.
But the scouts who met up with Perkins reported everything was fine. Even the second batch of scouts
that he sent out came back with the message that Schafflund did not discover any oddities.
[This damned Perkins…… It’s as if the town is a giant sieve that allows anyone to go through.]
But he did not know that the scouts also used this town’s poor security to access the routes to Firburh.
“Let’s go back.” In the end, Lord Palas pushed down his aching desire to chop the Subterrane Dwellers to
pieces.
“My lord, what we are going to do with the Subterrane Dwellers if we go back?”
“Get the Highlanders to tighten their defensive lines, change the food supply routes and plan a different
camping spot for our warehouses. The enemies are lurking in the dark while we are out in the open. The
only option is to raise our guard.”
“But surely this is a waste of time? Why don’t we lead our current army and kill the creatures?”
“If you really think this way, then our enemies will be delighted.” Lord Palas’s voice turned cold:
“Madara’s undead, the Highlanders, Count Randner’s reinforcements, our weapons, and even our food are
all not here yet! If we lose this region, what do you think Count Randner will do to you and your family?”
“But my lord, we currently have a total of five thousand men. Even if the rebels came out to fight
alongside with the Subterrane Dwellers, they would not be our match.” His adjutant bowed respectfully.
“The stupid Lord Macsen had the same idea. Have you given a thought to how he ended up?”
1762
“Still, Count Randner expects us to show results as soon as possible. The fact that we have lost men even
before we fought and we did nothing about it would not be pleasing news to him.”
“…… No. It’s best that we delay fighting until March and beyond. It wouldn’t matter as much if we gain a
complete victory.” Palas shook his head adamantly.
Even though it was a slap to his face as well, it would not be a wise move to go after this minor
harassment. He was a cautious person, and the enemy leader seemed to have noticed this point as well
and thus harassed him with the Subterrane Dwellers to no end in sight.
Though the Subterrane Dwellers were brazenly attacking his men, he was confident that he would not be
lured out to attack in anger.
[The enemy leader is leading an army that’s like a trapped beast. As long as I continued to tie up his
options, there will not be a chance for him to win this. And this humiliation can be returned to him.]
“Three months? Marsha above, how much food would we need? My lord, Count Randner might punish us
for that!” His adjutant exclaimed.
“My lord, we will be flogged to death for wasting his food!” Another knight also chimed in, and a few
others agreed.
“It’s the opposite,” Lord Palas looked at his old subordinates, “the battlefield is not limited to Trentheim.
In any case, Count Randner would not interfere with us before this war ends. There are things that cannot
be gotten with just money. As long as we score a perfect victory at the end, Count Randner will be able to
sleep soundly at night and forgive us.”
Even though Lord Palas was a pure soldier, his experience in life enabled him to see the undercurrents of
Aouine’s politics.
“…… Understood, my lord.” The knights around him answered.
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Chapter 111 – Trentheim and the young lord
[I’m sure that old knight is thinking that he has seen through my goals. How unfortunate for him.]
Indeed, the old knight did not know what sort of existence was he was facing.
Perhaps it was due to Brendel’s system or his eidetic memory in his past life, but he was could remember
almost every lord in the past and future, and it did not matter whether they were insignificant or not.
He was familiar with them just like how he was familiar with his swordsmanship. From the start of
Madara’s war to the second era of the game, he had done enough quests to meet up with almost every
lord who had some kind of territory.
Lord Palas would definitely think over his strategies again if he knew Brendel was capable of reciting his
nickname when he was a child. But unlike the youth, there was no second chance for him.
Brendel was grinning broadly; the old knight actually retreated back into his lands instead of continuing
to advance to Macsen. After he finished reading the report from ‘Raven’, he tossed it back to the table.
Raven was the name given to the scouting wizards by him. It was quite fitting since most of them used
ravens as their familiars to send back the reports.
“That’s a pity.” Raban had also read the report and sighed with a little disappointment: “The old knight is
really cautious. We would have won half the victory if he tried attacking us—”
“Putting your hope on our enemies? This isn’t a good habit, commander Raban.” Amandina eyed from
Brendel’s side, her voice chilly.
The lead advisor under Brendel was increasing her authority with each passing day. Even though she was
saying it in a reproachful manner, Raban did not feel anything out of place, and she was even right to do
so.
Raban simply laughed for a few moments: “I only feel that it’s a little regrettable. We will face a difficult
battle in the next battle.”
“Not necessarily.” Brendel refuted.
Lord Palas might be cautious, but his very bones were steeped with an unyielding personality. Since
Brendel knew what sort of strategies the old knight loved employing, he could logically guess what moves
the latter would make next.
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This information was merely the confirmation of his traps working. No matter what decision Lord Palas
made, it would not go beyond his predictions.
On the other hand, Amandina looked at Brendel with astonishment, to the point where she was a little
lost.
Brendel had called her in to inform her of his plan before Tagiv left the city. The traps that Lord Palas
thought were everywhere, were actually located just around his army. If Lord Palas actually went out in
full force to chase Tagiv or attack Macsen, Brendel might actually find himself at a disadvantage.
But it proved that his ‘strategies’ were more like a prediction.
“But why would that be?” Raban did not understand.
“Lord Palas is someone who graduated from a royal academy which specializes in grooming
commanders. He also participated in the November War. Thus, he is one of the most orthodox
commanders trained in an orthodox academy. Do you know that this academy has a few lines written in
Kirrlutz in their entrance?
‘The objectives of a war are to attain your objectives and prevent your enemies from reaching their
objectives.’
This is the core directive of Aouine’s military strategies. All commanders who come from a military
school treat this sentence as their dictionary.”
Raban nodded first, with Cornelius and Medissa agreeing moments after they thought about it.
Since Raban came from a military background, he was familiar with this sentence. Cornelius had a few
decades in battlefields and he could understand the verity of this sentence. Medissa also had her own
understanding of the Silver Elves’ wisdom and agreed with it.
“The Subterrane Dwellers are moving out in full force to harass Lord Palas. It’s like telling him that we’re
like a trapped beast, so we want to seek a chance to defeat the enemies here before Count Randner’s
grand army arrives, right?” Amandina woke up from her stupor and asked.
“But isn’t that exactly the situation we are in right now?” Raban asked.
“Certainly,” Brendel nodded, “but are we going to be so foolish to tell their commander our situation and
let them deal a ‘crit’ on us?”
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He was sitting lazily in his chair and placed both his legs on the table, completely acting like a ruffian
rather than a lord. Amandina’s eyebrows were twitching badly, and Felaern’s scowl was even more
pronounced.
But the youth put on a smug look and added a certain jargon.
“Crit?”
“Well,” Brendel’s expression did not even change as he lied, “it’s an abbreviation for a critical hit. I found
it in an ancient journal which contains strategies about battlefields.”
Raban nodded with comprehension. Brendel continued speaking:
“But our strategy is still working. Our ‘supposed’ objective is to have a battle right now, but Lord Palas
naturally would not let us have our way due to Aouine’s military directive. However, I find it hard to
believe that he would just retreat without doing anything else. If he retreats so openly, he might be trying
to hide his real goal…..”
“Or it could be a trap for us, if we carelessly chase his army, he might be able to get us instead,” Raban
said.
“But what is his end goal?” Cornelius interrupted.
“He obviously wants Count Randner’s entire army to gather in his territory before launching an all-out
assault.” Raban had completely gone into Lord Palas’s perspective and answered again.
“So we should still send out troops to break them?”
“His retreat might be a cover to hide his intention to attack Macsen secretly—”
Different voices came quickly and overlapped each other.
“Regardless of whatever is lying in wait, there are only two choices,” Amandina spoke calmly and came to
a conclusion, “either we wait for their army to finish gathering, or we attack them right away without
hesitation.”
But Medissa immediately interrupted.
“The way how we deduce a military outcome isn’t so simple. This isn’t a game of rock-paper-scissors. We
need to understand what the military officer is thinking. Some things cannot be gauged easily. The
strength of the opponent’s army, their resources, their morale, even the weather and geographical
locations. Even having reinforcements coming to their aid is something to consider.”
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“Two choices, with so many factors; any variations on the two choices feel like it wouldn’t be easy to deal
with.”
Brendel listened to every opinion and finally spoke: “You forgot the most important thing, Lord Palas’s
personality.”
“But what exactly is your plan, my lord?” Raban asked the youth.
Based on Medissa’s explanation, was it not easy for Lord Palas’s scheme to work with all these factors?
And it seemed like the latter had made the best decision without them knowing.
They were already at a disadvantage and needed to resolve things before Count Randner’s army arrive.
Even if Lord Palas did not plan any schemes and merely retreated to his territory, they would still lose
once Count Randner’s army arrived.
But Brendel looked at them in utter disbelief: “Isn’t my plan working already? Each of you is beside me
and you don’t understand what I’m doing?”
“What?”
Everyone was shocked.
The youth’s smile was almost mischevious and he pointed his finger to the side of his head:
“Your thinking is limited. If I’m the one who tells you there are only two options, are you going to be stuck
with these two options?
I’m the one who’s surprised, since two of my commanders here have been through at least a few decades
of battles. Was there really no battle that took you by surprise and had a different outcome than what you
had expected? If you don’t think outside the box, you won’t be able to see any other options, let alone the
third option—”
Everyone was silenced, but Raban quickly asked with a frown:
“What is the third option?”
“Let’s talk about the first and second option. Since Lord Palas already retreated instead of meeting us
head-on with his entire army, his first option would be sending in a separate army to march to either
Firburh or Macsen, but we will be able to directly break our current problem if he tries this move. Of
course, I doubt he’s that foolish, and I think even Graudin wouldn’t make this silly mistake.
The second option, if he chooses to shut himself up in his territory, we do nothing and wait for his army
and we fight Count Randner’s full army. That would be quite dangerous for us.
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However, we can directly move to the third option that I want instead of waiting if he retreats—”
Brendel showed his palms: “What exactly do we lack? Time.”
“But what does time do for us, my lord?” Amandina had been frowning nearly all the time from the start
of the month.
Brendel reminded her in a serious tone when he spotted her furrowed brows: “Frowning all the time will
cause wrinkles, my lady.”
“I’ll get you to pay it back sooner or later, my lord.” Amandina rolled her eyes and glowered at him.
Brendel laughed heartily, as though it was a great accomplishment to get his advisor to relax even a little,
and explained:
“Don’t worry, time will eventually show you that it’s our ally. The third option….. is securing my inherited
land, and from there, our options will expand again.”
He was not exaggerating.
Since the druids had sent him a message, he knew that they most likely had Valhalla’s news. It was going
according to the history he knew of, and thus he made a number of arrangements, including Tagiv’s
harassment to delay the old knight from attacking the Macsen region.
The meaning of Valhalla was important to him, and he needed to ensure that he got that legendary land
before the Count Randner’s army arrived. As long as he got it, everything would not be a problem any
longer.
He could either retreat there if his army was defeated at Firburh, though he did not expect to lose as there
were the addition of the Druids in the upcoming battle too.
Everyone looked at him doubtfully, but they at least knew that their young lord did not boast.
But Raban still felt that it was still a little strange and asked: “But would that old knight discover signs
that he has fallen into your scheme?”
“And did any of you discover what exactly I’m planning?” Brendel asked him instead.
“B-but what happens if he tries to pick the first option again, and attack with his entire army?”
“Sometimes a decision decides everything. The outcome of a battle can turn with just a subtle detail,”
Brendel wagged his finger from side to side, “one of the worst trait a commander could have is to be
indecisive, and to change a decision repeatedly is even worse.
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In any case, Lord Palas has already retreated instead of attacking. Tagiv will constantly harass him all the
way. When he finally tries to pick the option of attacking us with his full army, he would have to deal with
the army’s sagging morale because he fled from a harassment instead of fighting. It’s too late for regrets
at this point in time.”
“Do you mean that he’s going to lose in either choice of attacking now or waiting for his reinforcements?”
“Just like you’re stuck with the two options that all of you are discussing, I’m also giving him the same
question supplied with the answers that you came up with. Why wouldn’t he lose? Sometimes you need
to think outside the box instead of trying to react to what your opponents’ goals are…..”
Brendel’s words trailed off. Everyone was looking at him with an odd expression as though he was a
devil. The youth rubbed his nose and felt embarrassed. This was not his strategy, but Incirsta’s during the
second War of the Black Rose. The Black Lord humiliated the old knight with the same strategy, and he
merely copied it.
“So what exactly should we do now?” Raban asked again.
“Just do your current tasks well,” Brendel answered, “and there’s a second issue that I want to talk to all
of you about. I’m going to leave Firburh for a trip that will last around a month or more.”
He leaned in with all his fingers crossed together like he was praying: “I don’t hope to return to this
territory with everything messed up.”
“My lord, you’re leaving again?” Amandina’s frown returned: “To Schafflund, or……?”
“It’s a secret.”
The youth raised a finger and placed on his lips.
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After informing his subordinates the details of his journey as well as other plans against Lord Palas,
Brendel started preparing for his plans to go into the Dark Forest.
But he did not immediately leave and instead waited for several days. When he was certain that Lord
Palas had withdrawn into his territory and tightened his defenses, he finally felt at ease to execute his
plans.
He went to the courtyard in his manor on the day he was supposed to leave—
“Your swordsmanship has improved yet again.”
Kodan picked up his sword that was on the ground and placed it back on the weapon rack in the corner.
Brendel was not certain whether the emotions in his eyes were envy, helplessness, or vulnerability, but
there was some kind of expectation in them.
Brendel did not act humbly but displayed a youth’s bashful smile.
Ever since the previous discussion, everyone immediately rushed out to prepare for his departure, but he
was apparently quite idle.
The duel he had against Kodan lasted for ten minutes and ended in his victory. The youth was not
surprised. After the duels in the silver mines, he raised Aouine’s Military swordsmanship to level 16
which was now greyed out. The maximum level that could be gotten from the system was 15, but
Orthlyss’s teachings had caused the system to give out a confirmation window to appear and allowed him
to raise it as an exception.
The total amount of TP spent was 11000, 2000 points each for raising from level 12 to 15, and 5000
points for going to 16.
[I can defeat Kodan because I’m seeing shared patterns in his moves gained from the level increase on my
Aouine’s swordsmanship, but—]
He did not manage to see anything that gave an insight into his grandfather’s skillset from the Military
swordsmanship, but there he felt like he was at the edge of grasping something new.
How was his grandfather able to see through the gamers’ techniques on Aouine’s swordsmanship or the
Kingdom of Knights’ swordsmanship? When he asked Orthlyss about it, she said she was not certain
1770
about it unless she fought against him directly, and merely taught things that were similar to what the
system gave.
[The level of my swordsmanship is 16+2. Does this ‘+2′ refer to attaining a Grandmaster swordsman’s
traits instead of increasing the swordsmanship directly?]
In any case, Brendel understood that he had reached the limits of what the system could offer for
Aouine’s Military Swordsmanship. If he wanted to go any further than level 16, he would have to train
every day and get a breakthrough by himself.
He went back and changed into a Kirrlutz traveler’s clothes which were black in color. They were derived
from the Tower clan’s warriors, and the clothes were made from some type of fur. It consisted of a thin
long-sleeved shirt, but it was puffed up like a gambeson at the arms, while the ends of the sleeves were
woven in a way that tapers at the wrist and made them fit tightly. The trousers were also loose at the legs.
The youth then wore a pair of wrist-guards and tall equestrian riding boots. He also carried a specially
made sword sheath that had double straps on them which allowed the sheath to be attached to the belt;
the blade of Halran Gaia was wide enough to look like a greatsword, but the length still adhered to a
longsword.
His meeting with the Druids recently was considered peaceful. Andellu, whom Brendel met during the
battle against Graudin had set out to the Loop of Trade Winds.
Instead, the elder that Brendel met was called Grey Raven.
The Grey Raven bird was the symbol of a tempest, and the name was likely to represent the druid’s
abilities. It at least insinuated that Grey Raven was good at the Druid’s wind magic spells. A druid who
possessed aerial magic was usually someone who enjoyed a high ranking position amongst the druids.
(TL: The term – Loop of 之环, Trade Winds 信风, is a direct translation here. Trade Winds is a specific
term, which you can find in wikipedia. This term 信风之环 only appears from this chapter onwards, while
the previous term way back was just 风之环. My translation on this was “That place you mentioned, is it
the pathway that faces the seasonal winds and loop around the Karanjar mountains?”, so I avoided giving
a name till now. This term is probably going to appear a lot.)
Thus Brendel believed that Grey Raven was a Druid of the Inner Circle.
There was a secretive group was known simply as the Druids’ Gathering who served as the
communicators of other Druids. This particular group’s symbol was a loop, and their Inner Circle was
called the House of Aerial Lords. Each member of the Inner Circle was a Grand Druid who could
communicate with other members through the seasonal winds from thousands of miles away.
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The only exception was during the spring, which was the Goddess Nia’s season. Each Druid would close
off all their communication magic, ensuring the Goddess would not be disturbed from blessing the lands.
The Grand Druid, Grey Raven, had indeed brought an unexpected news to him. The Druids had most
likely found Valhalla, but they had encountered into a small problem.
The Loop of Trade Winds seemed to have undergone a strange change, and the Laws within the Dark
Forest were altered. The Druids encountered fogs and violent gales, and even their proud magic and
techniques to navigate through the forest had lost their use.
“The trees within that area seemed to be rejecting us. If it were not for the fact that we did not have any
evil intentions, we might not even be able to walk out from that area.”
Brendel only needed to think for a while before he knew what trouble the druids encountered. The Month
of Mana was becoming stronger as the Great Wave approached; The Chaos within the Darkness was
becoming more restless, and the Dark Forest was being affected by all kinds of signs appearing. (TL:
Great Wave of [monsters].)
It was a difficult problem, and there were no particular tricks to solve it. The only solution was to force
their way in, and power was needed. Even though the Grand Druid also had the abilities of a Gold-ranker,
he and the other Druids knew too little about Valhalla. He had no choice but make a trip himself.
But it was also what he wanted.
[Half a month should do the trick, and I have a month’s worth of prepartions]
“It looks like I’m old. I’m not your match anymore.” Kodan said when he saw Brendel reappear in the
courtyard.
“Times have changed, Ser Kodan, the student has become the master. But how about it, why not—”
Brendel said as he approached Kodan who was wiping his sword and sheathed it after.
But voices suddenly interrupted them.
“Stop!”
“I want to see your commander, I know that he’s already back for several days!”
“Cut the crap, a prisoner should act like a prisoner, why the hell do you have so many demands!”
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Brendel looked over to the direction to the voices and realized they came from the direction of the guest
rooms.
“Would you noisy bunch of liars just shut up!? The bastard that I defeated the previous time promised
that I can meet up with your leader if I won! If you’re upset then get that fellow over here and I’ll defeat
him again!”
“Hah!” One of the soldiers yelled out: “Can’t you see that commander Cornelius went easy on you? If his
sword did not break during the duel, he would have defeated you.”
“Oh, then why not let him get a better sword and try fighting against me again?” The youthful voice
retorted with a sneering voice.
“You damned brat, you really need to be taught a lesson!” The soldiers were irritated.
But there were several howls of pain followed by a young man who wore a white shirt running out of the
bushes. His light golden hair was slightly disheveled, appearing to be flustered, and he held a sword
commonly used by a mercenary.
Brendel quickly studied him.
[Hmm. There’s no blood on the blade, so he didn’t hurt them too badly?]
The youth who appeared from the bushes blanked out when he saw Kodan and Brendel. However, he
noticed that Brendel had a sword on him and appeared to be the weaker fighter, so he subconsciously
treated him as one of the guards and rushed towards him without even speaking.
Brendel’s eyebrows went up a little, wondering why the guards allowed Carglise to leave his room, but
his thoughts were quickly stopped as the latter lunged at him with a readied sword.
Carglise’s target was his right arm, and it was apparent that he did not wish to hurt him.
[Fast! And his technique isn’t half-assed!]
Carglise’s sword arm did not even shake a little, proving that he showed a considerable amount of
training into his basic strikes.
Brendel originally planned to disarm him, but he changed his mind and wanted to test the full extent of
the opponent before him. He easily parried the incoming blow downwards and knocked his opponent’s
center of gravity off. Carglise staggered a little, but he recovered quickly and attacked by swinging his
blade up again.
Brendel’s eyes glinted.
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[Oh? That’s a pretty good recovery and attack. So this is the skill that broke Cornelius’s blade and forced
three mercenary commanders to a draw.]
He did not parry Carglise’s blade and instead swung his blade to meet Carglise’s blade at the same time
with an equivalent force.
Each attack was resolved as though Carglise had told Brendel in advance where he was going to attack,
and his eyes bulged a little when he realized the guard wearing an ordinary set of clothes was starting to
appear like he was a Grandmaster Swordsman.
[Impossible!]
The youth started to sacrifice his accuracy and instead went for speed, trying to stop his opponent from
meeting his blade. However, the supposed guard in front of him merely looked at him in amusement and
started striking at precise points against his blade, causing it to swing back at odd angles. Realizing that
his flow of attacks was being cut off on purpose, he quickly went into a wide stance with the aim of
swinging his blade with all the power he could muster.
Brendel kicked Carglise hard in his right knee, causing the latter to yelp and fall down in pain.
[Well, the basics are all there and there were pretty good moves, but there were a lot of openings too. At
least level 8 of Aouine’s Military Swordsmanship, if I go by the standards of the system? The attacks are
better than his defenses though, hmm.]
“I give up!” Carglise tossed his sword to the side and raised his arms while looking like a deflated balloon.
He completely recognized that the person in front of him was a master in the sword, and there was no
chance for him to win. Frustration crept over him and he regretted not escaping to a different direction.
His eyes went to the old man in the corner, wondering if he should rush over there instead. Out of
curiosity, he glanced at the old man’s hands and immediately shuddered; they were clearly full of calluses
and belonged to a swordsman. He recognized the fact that his defeat was inevitable.
“Who are you?” He looked at Brendel again and allowed the soldiers who finally caught up from behind.
They were particularly displeased with their prisoner for injuring them, and they were naturally not
gentle at all, causing him to bare his teeth in pain as they mishandled him.
It was fortunate he did not kill anyone, as the soldiers might have beaten him up even if Brendel was
there.
“Are you not afraid that you will be killed?” Brendel asked and peered at him with interest. He suddenly
had a new thought.
“Why would you kill me?” Carglise was not afraid at all and merely answered with a question: “There’s no
advantage in doing so anyway.”
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“Hmmm…… How about doing it as a warning to others?”
“Then go ahead and do it. If I blink I’m not a man of the Bantry family.” The youth puffed up his chest.
“So you’re not going to care about your father? That’s what a man should do?”
“What does being a man have anything to do with my father?” Carglise asked incredulously.
Brendel looked back speechlessly as he realized that the customs of this world were different, looked at
his soldiers and asked:
“So why didn’t you kill them?”
“Why is that each time you speak you need to bring out the word killing? I’m obviously much better than
them, and there’s no need to kill them so that I can escape. But if I meet someone of my skill, I’ll have to
put my life on the line to bring him down.” Carglise spoke honestly.
“But they are your enemy after all.”
“And I can’t kill them all?” Carglise rolled his eyes and shrugged to show that he did not care: “Plus if I
killed someone and get caught, the person who will be unlucky is still myself. Just look at me right now!”
Brendel found the fellow to be a little interesting: “You thought out things quite well. Very well, do you
still want to know who I am?”
“Didn’t I just ask who you are earlier?”
Brendel tilted his head and looked at the soldiers: “So, what should all of you call me?”
The soldiers immediately bowed their heads, placed one hand on their chest and bowed: “My lord—”
Carglise’s jaw dropped and his eyes widened comically. One could fit a few eggs in his mouth: “Y-
you’re……”
Brendel nodded with the most dignified expression he could muster, but he was laughing inside so hard
at Carglise’s looks that he could imagine himself smacking on a table:
“Yes, I’m that person you’ve been wanting to look for.”
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The soldiers hurriedly forced Carglise down when he tried to stand up, and their eyes looked at their lord
with words written in them:
“My lord, should we bring him away?”
[The second son of Lord Macsen. That stubborn old man has such an interesting boy.]
Brendel studied the youth in front of him and shook his head, changing his mind: “Release him.”
The soldiers were taken aback and they glanced at each other, chewing on the meaning of his command.
“Go on, release him,” Brendel repeated himself and nudged the soldiers.
The soldiers then released the thick ropes on Carglise’s wrists. The youth exposed his teeth in discomfort
and rubbed the area where the ropes bound him, frowning. Even though the soldiers did not beat him up,
they certainly were not gentle with him.
He glanced at the red impressions on his pale skin and made a sulky face. But he was more interested in
Brendel’s intentions and stood up to look at him with a pair of light grey eyes. After a moment of staring,
he asked: “Are you really……”
“Ah, you mean to say, the leader of the rebels?”
“I hope I didn’t offend you.” Carglise laughed awkwardly as the pitch of his voice went a few octaves
higher.
In truth, there was a series of explosions setting off in his mind. The person in front of him looked like he
was no older than him; not only did he defeat him soundly in swordsmanship, he was also in command of
an army that was bigger than his father’s.
The more Carglise looked at Brendel, the more he felt that the past ten years he had been living was
wasted. Lord Palas had told him more than once with a grave tone that staying in a small place like
Trentheim would ultimately limit his growth.
“I’m curious,” Carglise asked as he rubbed his wrists, “why are you releasing me?”
“Well,” Brendel put on a bright smile and turned into a salesman, “if I say I want you to work for me,
would you believe me?”
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“I don’t believe you. Why should I work for you?” Carglise’s head immediately shook left and right.
“Well now. How about if I tell you this? I’m the secret agent of the princess Gryphine Corvado Ordelis, and
my mission is to build a covert operational base to curb Count Randner. Do you believe me?”
This time it was not just Carglise’s eyes which threatened to pop out of their sockets, even Kodan lost his
footing and stared at Brendel.
Carglise’s next expression was one of complete disbelief and even looked at Brendel as though he was
insane.
But the old man’s eyes appeared as though he had come to some form of revelation. There was a certain
relationship between Brendel’s grandfather and the Corvados, and Brendel’s actions from the very
beginning he appeared in Trentheim seemed to have a grain of truth.
At least part of his words had no lie in them.
“This joke isn’t funny at all. But seeing you’re the lord here, I’ll reluctantly force myself to say that it’s a
passable joke.” Carglise said.
Brendel took out a silver brooch with a grin: “This is called the Silver Emblem. It happens to be the
symbol of the royal family’s knights.”
“…… How do I know you’re not lying?”
Kodan was somewhat skeptical as well. He had naturally heard of the Silver Emblem, but it was another
matter whether the thing in the youth’s hand was the real deal. Yet the more he thought about it, the
more he felt that Brendel had some kind of link to the Royal Faction.
The brooch was indeed real.
It was delivered together with the princess’s reply. The contents of the letter were quite simple; it mainly
described how the royal family admired a talented youth like him, but there was no other mention of any
requests or hints.
The letter was merely a proper, courteous diplomatic reply, and the entire letter had nothing useful in it.
Even if Brendel claimed that this letter that was written back to him by the princess, it had no material
use. But the youth treated it like a great treasure and kept it away carefully.
Amandina was incredibly confused, mumbled to herself about how stingy the royal family was, and only
an idiot like Brendel was unable to see how awful he was treated.
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Brendel obviously understood this point, but there was a great amount of regret in him for being helpless
in the princess’s final moments in the game. Each failure in the War of the Black Rose only led to the next
failure, and there was no one more bitter than the princess herself.
When this letter was presented to him on his table, it would be a lie if he said he did not feel anything.
“Fine. Let’s put aside the matter of the brooch’s authenticity and talk about something else. I heard that
you intend to bring a few of your servants to go to the north and answer the princess’s call to revive the
power of the Corvados?” Brendel said.
“It seems like you know much.”
“You’re much better than most of the youths that I see around here. Trentheim wouldn’t be able to
contain your potential,” Bendel said as he tried to recall the name of Carglise in the other world’s history,
but it was a blank.
Still, it was not a strange thing, there were quite a number of youths who did not shine in the end.
Perhaps it was because there was someone who was more talented than them, or they were simply
unlucky and died on their way to Vlada.
Bandits, monsters, evil disciples of cults, or even evil human lords who were like Graudin. The current era
in Aouine was a little dangerous.
“Why does it sound like that I’m being mocked when the words come from your lips?” Carglise frowned.
Brendel shook his head vigorously to deny it: “No, of course not. I’m serious. So, how about it? Do you
want to?”
“Want to what?” Carglise was perplexed.
“I’m lacking an adjutant.”
“Are you pulling my leg?”
“I already said I’m serious. I think you’re skilled enough to take up this position. The most important
thing is whether you have this wish—”
“Hold on,” Carglise interrupted, “I never said I’m interested in joining you.”
“Then are you going to stay in Trentheim forever and miss out on the opportunity where heroes rise up
in this era? In the end, you are satisfied to become a small lord in a backward territory with balding hair?”
1778
“You sound like you’re insulting my father on purpose.” Carglise frowned again. He felt like he was
becoming more of a guest rather than a prisoner: “But why should I trust you?”
“You can leave anytime if you don’t like it.”
“But I know that once I help you it wouldn’t be that easy to get off this pirate ship. Even if you want to
convince me, you should at least do so with a better reason. If you turn out to be a shyster, and you’re not
working for the crown, wouldn’t it be too stupid of me?”
And Brendel’s eyes were gleaming when he heard the reply.
[Ho ho ho, you’re asking me to give you a better reason? Sounds like there’s room for negotiations.]
Carglise sounded like he was guarded but was already starting to be persuaded. He was never one to be
stuck with rules, he did not want to live an ordinary life like his father did, even if he had to follow the
leader of the rebels and not the princess. There was also the fact that Brendel seemed like he could
succeed with his confidence and skill too.
“Well, if I say I want to grab Duke Arreck by the beard and beat him up violently on the ground, then get
revenge for Madara’s invasion, would these reasons be enough—”
Everyone froze. Even Kodan felt this answer came out from nowhere.
“W-who are you exactly? What did you say you want to do?” Carglise stuttered and tested to see if he
heard wrong.
“What do you mean? I already told you who I’m working for and what I want to do.” Brendel looked back
with a subtle expression.
Carglise blanked out for a long while before a fire started blazing in his eyes, and nodded vigorously:
“Your ideas are wonderful!”
Kodan’s eyes twitched a little as he stared at the two insane youths in front of him.
He felt that he was getting old.
He momentarily reminisced about the past when he was working with Torbus and other knights, also
unafraid of the world around him. They were even recognized as demons in the November War where
every enemy was afraid of their group.
But the era was different from the past.
The old swordsman glanced at Carglise who seemed to be completely convinced and ready to try it out.
1779
He hurriedly dragged Brendel over to the sides, and spoke to him in a hushed voice:
“Are you crazy, Brendel? Have you thought it through at all? That stubborn old fool Samuel will risk his
life if you kidnap his son.”
“Risk his life?” Brendel looked back with an incredulous expression and laughed: “That can only happen if
he escapes from the house arrest.”
“You don’t intend to let him out?” Kodan suddenly felt that this youth was a little insidious.
Stealing away Samuel’s son that he raised for decades, and imprisoning him? This was a little too much.
“Well, I’m open to the idea of letting him out as long as that person over there agrees to it.” Brendel
pointed at Carglise.
Kodan met Carglise’s eyes and immediately shook his head. If Samuel knew that his son joined hands
with a rebel, he might just beat him to death instead. His son obviously knew it as well, and he would
certainly agree with Brendel to delay the release of his father.
[The youths these days……]
“Really, there’s no need to worry. Lord Macsen will definitely be treated well. I look forward to Carglise’s
future; he’s going to be someone who achieves much.”
“….. The things that you said earlier, are they true?”
“What things?”
“Stop pretending,” the old man’s voice was harsh, “I’m talking about the princess.”
“False.”
“Oh fuck off!” Kodan sent a foot at Brendel, but the latter was ready for it.
“Ha ha ha, Grandmaster Kodan, even if this matter is real, it’s supposed to be a secret. How can I claim it
as true…..?”
Kodan’s mouth was agape. It was true that it would not be good for someone under the princess to admit
killing a noble who was appointed by the crown, but Brendel seemed like he did many dubious things as
well.
He should not believe everything the youth said.
Brendel nodded as he continued speaking: “In any case, Ser Kodan, are you interested in going on an
adventure?”
1780
“What?” Kodan looked at Brendel with strange eyes. What was the devious youth trying to do now?
1781
Chapter 114-1 – At the edge of the Dark Forest
Amandina and Scarlett traveled to an abandoned orchard near Firburh.
The abandoned orchard was renovated several months ago, with the crumbling walls fixed with wooden
logs made into an enclosed wall and extended the area of the original orchard’s size, making it bigger
than before. Trees were planted around the area, making it enough to hinder visibility to what was inside
the orchard.
In addition, there were hidden scouts placed at specific points. The corners of the wooden walls were
made into watchtowers, allowing quick access to alert the makeshift training camp of any situation.
This was the place Brendel chose to train the future White Lion Infantry secretly.
The orchard was divided into two sections. The south-eastern corner took a quarter of the orchard, and
provided the mercenaries and adventurers a place to sleep in. These men were specially chosen to
protect the first batch of White Lion Infantry, as well as maintaining order.
Brendel had considered adding them to form a new army, but it largely depended on whether Cornelius
was vested enough in training them.
The latter was currently in charge of training the White Lion Infantry.
Originally, he was a little displeased that Brendel transferred him out from the city, but after arriving to
the orchard and seeing what the new army meant, he realized that Brendel regarded him highly, and he
was not being shunned.
He immediately became enthusiastic about his task and arranged the army’s affairs orderly. Even though
his abilities to command on a battlefield was middling, he was talented in handling internal affairs few
could match due to his meticulous personality.
Amandina and Scarlett’s carriage went deep into the area and they found several mercenaries waiting for
them. When the girls descended from their carriage, they saw youths waiting and chattering amongst
themselves in the open ground near them.
Amandina walked quietly towards the shade of a nearby cedar tree. Scarlett, who was in charge of her
safety, stood silently beside her. Most of the trees around them were evergreens found in Trentheim, and
even in winter there would be dark green leaves that were covered in snow.
1782
Sixty youths were specially chosen from the natives in Firburh, and the mercenaries had them gather in
orderly rows on an empty plot of land.
Some of the youths had not seen much of the outside world because they were formerly craftsmen and
farmers. A few of them were descendents of the gentry in Firburh, while the rest were made up from
young adventurers and mercenaries. When the youths spotted the girls, they realized there was a young
noblewoman who had come to the orchard, and it caused a commotion to happen.
“Look, it’s the female aristocrat who repaired the walls!”
“Why is she here?”
“She’s the daughter of the lord, right?”
“What are you talking about, the lord is as young as she is!”
“Isn’t the lord who took over a middle-aged man?”
“No, that’s the lord’s commander.”
“I see, then she’s the lord’s fiancee?”
“That’s a logical deduction.”
The loud voices wormed into Amandina’s ears, and she was forced to listen quietly. Her eyes went to
Scarlett for a moment.
“…… What is it?” Scarlett returned her glance, her ponytail whirling behind her as her head moved
quickly..
“Nothing,” Amandina said, and averted her gaze.
The White Lion Infantry was one of her lord’s plans, which was started ever since Firburh was taken
over. However, creating a powerful army was far more difficult than just pouring resources into it.
Brendel intended to train this batch of youths to become the backbone of the White Lion Army, and
eventually allow them to reach the level of commanders.
They were going to be his personal knights.
All of them had one common point, they were no older than twenty, and some were only thirteen. They
were like blank pieces of paper, full of potential.
1783
They were highly curious and restless about their future. It had been only three days since they entered
the orchard and had only received simple training. The mercenaries had already roughed them up a little
to remind them of discipline.
The majority of them were still rash and naive, save for the few descendants of the gentry and the young
mercenaries who had been trained well. These exceptions stood there motionlessly, but they were alert
to their surroundings and did not get involved with the chatter.
Thus they easily entered Amandina’s eyes.
“Some of these young men seemed like they are trained. Who are they?” She asked.
“A few are descendants from the owners of the nearby lands. The others are young mercenaries.”
“The gentry? But why would their descendants come here?” Amandina thought it was strange.
“It seems like they snuck out of their homes.”
[Ah. So they are seeking excitement? I wonder if the mercenaries checked up on their background.]
But it was unlikely for them to be spies. It was incredibly risky for them because they would be entering
the Dark Forest, and there would be no way for them to report their activities.
As for those who joined Brendel’s faction purely for excitement, she hoped they would not regret their
decisions.
She took out a pocket watch— It was something that Brendel used a few months back when he led the
refugees out of Fortress Riedon. Even though it was not worth much, it was something that allowed him
to time the enemy’s movements accurately. She took great care of it and did not intend to change it.
She flipped open the cover.
[It’s nearly eleven.]
When she raised her head, she indeed saw a mercenary running towards her; he stopped before her,
placed a hand over his chest and bowed.
“The preparation is almost done, my lady.” He said.
Amandina nodded, and he bowed again and ran off. Her eyes shifted over to the four caravans that were a
short distance away. These caravans certainly could not compare to the nobles’ carriages. The latter were
led by four horses and they were built to look like artworks rather than a mode of transport. The former
was of much poorer quality and used by merchants or farmers to transport goods.
1784
The mercenaries obviously did not care how good the carriages were, and busily handed out number tags
to the youths.
It was a method that Brendel copied during his stint as a worker in Schafflund. These tags were also made
of wood, but inside them were magic imprinted by Tamar. A Crimson Crystal imbued with detection
magic would easily verify their authencity.
In order to prevent tampering, these Crimson Crystals that the mercenaries had would lose their
effectiveness after a while, and they must be replaced at fixed intervals. Brendel was the only person who
had a crystal to detect the identification permenently.
The youths got onto the caravans after they received their tags, and soon enough the orchard was
completely silent as though the noisy chattering was an illusion.
Amandina finally let out a relieved sigh.
“Alright, let’s send Brendel off.” She said to Scarlett. “Tell the other drivers to move out in separate
directions. Our lord’s movements are supposed to be a secret, so we should be careful as we possibly
can.”
The red-haired girl nodded, slightly impressed at the length to what Amandina was willing to do in order
to meet up with Brendel.
“Do you want to go with him?”
“What?”
“To the Dark Forest.”
Amandina jerked once, but she did not answer.
============ Brendel’s POV ==============
When Brendel left his horse carriage, he could feel the lazy sunlight on his back. The youth could not help
but stretch out his back like a cat. He turned around and looked at the Dark Forest; the sunlight pierced
through the black needle leaves and shone down in a dazzling manner to his eyes, and the grass received
the remainder of the thin light rays.
“I knew this wouldn’t be anything good, you little brat.” Grumbling came behind Brendel’s back.
Brendel turned around to see a gloomy Kodan jumping down from the carriage. The latter’s attire had
changed to a guard’s uniform when he left the city. He carried a longsword, dagger, short bow, and a
quiver filled with arrows. He looked more like an adventurer instead of a traveler enjoying a trip.
1785
The old man took in a deep breath. Even though the Dark Forest was a dangerous place the air was
unusually refreshing. The scent of the forest was invigorating despite the cold weather. Kodan looked at
the ground and saw that his boots were standing on a thick carpet of grass. It was as though the snow had
hardly affected the vitality of the vegetation.
He stomped the ground as hard as he could and the impact immediately caused creatures to scurry out.
“Centipedes, snakes, rats, and scorpions……” The old man shook as head as he spoke: “This is truly a
ghastly place.”
“I heard that you fought at the kingdom’s borders during the November War.”
“Don’t remind me of that experience.” Kodan glared ruefully at Brendel.
Kodan’s army were forced to retreat into the Dark Forest and fight there during the November War. That
was the only time when the commanders did not care about strategies at all; both factions fell into
bloodlust like two dying animals tearing at each other throat, but neither of them could deliver the
finishing blow.
The savage war exceeded everyone’s imagination. Hundreds of men who went out as companies, ended
up with only tens or even single-digit survivors. The battlefield covered over tens of miles, and corpses
could be spotted everywhere in the wild.
The stench of rotten blood and meat made the borders a living hell, especially when one compared the
small skirmishes that happened during that era.
Brendel understood and did not talk about it anymore.
Carglise was the third person who jumped down. He pulled Mordenkainen out from the carriage and
dragged him about.
“Let go of me!” The Elementalist yelled, and his duck familiar also quacked in protest, but there was no
way for him to oppose a swordsman with his strength, especially when it came to Carglise who’s also a
Silver-ranker.
Carglise ignored his yells, looked around with interest and breathed in deeply: “So this is the Dark
Forest?”
“Why, does the place disappoint you?” Kodan snapped.
“It resembles the forest in Mount Graham, yes.” Carglise looked curiously into the deeper sections of the
forest. The poor lighting made the area look like it was a dark oil painting.
“Hmph, I hope you don’t regret what you said.”
1786
“Regret? Well, at first I was regretting it a little, but now I’m not,” he shook his head before grinning at
Kodan, “entering the Dark Forest and treating it like an adventure, why didn’t I think about it before?”
[That’s because you’re just a little crazy brat, and you haven’t met this utterly insane brat who’s standing
next to you.]
Chapter 114 part 2 – At the edge of the Dark Forest (2)
Even though the old swordsman grumbled in his mind, he regarded Brendel carefully from the corner of
his eyes.
Brendel smirked a little when he caught Kodan’s admonishing stare. The reason why he sought Kodan
was quite simple. He wanted to use this opportunity on his adventure to train the youths. The Dark
Forest was filled with danger at every corner and it was the best place to train.
There was also the fact where it would be easier to impart his ideals to them by having the youths around
him.
The problem with this strategy was the unpredictable dangers within the Dark Forest. It was a difficult
task to protect these youths alone, and he could not spend all his time to do just that, so he needed more
people to help him.
Ciel, Medissa, and Scarlett were powerful Gold-rankers, while the Mercenaries of Lopes were Silver-
rankers. However, the current Firburh could hardly allow Brendel to bring out too many of his forces. If it
were not for the fact that Scarlett still could not leave his side for too long, he was not even willing to
choose to bring her along.
Therefore Brendel claimed that it was a short trip and used it as an excuse to bring Kodan along to help
him. Even though the latter grumbled about it, Brendel believed that he would still lend a hand in the end.
[Well, it looks like he only hesitated for a moment before he agreed. As long as I didn’t get him to openly
fight against Count Randner or become my subordinate, he’s quite willing to go on an adventure. Still, if
looks could kill……]
“Very well, where are the whelps that you needed to take care of?” Kodan said in a gruff voice.
“They are going to reach here soon enough,” Brendel replied.
He looked out to the Wilderness outside the Dark Forest, and soon spotted a black dot which rapidly
became bigger. The four carriages soon reached to where they were and stopped one by one.
The mercenaries hurriedly descended from the carriages when they recognized Brendel’s figure, bending
their bodies slightly as they greeted him:
“My lord!”
1787
“Is everyone here?” Brendel asked.
“Yes, my lord.”
“How about Scarlett?”
“Miss Scarlett is here along with Lady Amandina.”
Brendel looked up and his eyes landed on the final carriage that was black in color. Amandina and
Scarlett alighted from the carriage, but what surprised him was the two Wild Elf sisters in the carriage.
The younger sister Dia even waved at him.
“My lord!” She called out.
The Mercenaries of Lopes were busy with their missions for an extended period of time, and she had not
seen Brendel for a while. She seemed particularly excited.
“Why are they here?” Brendel walked over and nodded at the little girl, but his eyes went to Amandina
with this question.
Amandina seemed to have predicted Brendel’s question, but she suddenly glanced at the four carriages as
if to confirm something subconsciously, before she spoke: “Miss Felaern is here to take care of your
needs.”
[A maid serving at my side with all these people around me!?]
Brendel nearly choked on his saliva and looked at her in shock: “…… I don’t need a maid.”
The older Wild Elf sister’s face twitched several times, and the shadows around her eyes seemed to
darken. She glared at him and the meaning of her eyes could not be any clearer: “You’re being
disrespectful, my lord!”
“I…..” Brendel opened and closed his mouth several times like a fish. He really did not think about that
Felaern was a maid, but the way how she conducted herself truly overlapped the duties of that job. He
thought for a moment, but had no choice but change his words: “I mean, I don’t need someone to take
care of me. I’m not like a kid who needs to be spoon-fed or be dressed up—”
“But you’re the lord of Trentheim,” Amandina said in an earnest expression.
“But that’s a fake title, just like how I’m a fake noble in the past.”
“The past is certainly in the past,” Amandina raised an eyebrow, and her voice was a little reproachful,
“but now you’re the fake lord of Trentheim, every single fake word or deed has to be filled with the fake
acts of a noble. How can you not have a fake maid?”
1788
She turned her head away slightly to look at him in a meaningful way: “Or perhaps you prefer Lord Ciel to
take care of your daily life, my lord?”
Brendel was finally at a loss for words and trembled when he imagined that situation. He glanced at
Felaern. In truth, he had gotten used to Felaern back at Firburh who had been tasked by Amandina.
In the end, he raised both his hands to show that he submitted.
“This little girl isn’t bad,” Kodan observed Amandina from head to toe as he came up and spoke to
Brendel, “an aristocrat’s daughter who’s pretty and has decorum. That’s hard to come by. Your
grandfather would be satisfied.”
“What are you talking about?” Brendel said with a huff.
Sometimes an old man just wanted to see the world burn.
“What?” Kodan realized something and spoke with a beaming smile: “Are you dissatisfied? Then I’ll
introduce her to Carglise. Since he’s your adjutant and has the same kind of personality as you—”
Brendel coughed once and looked at Amandina: “Stop talking nonsense.”
“You’re a flirt but you don’t follow it through. You lose out to your grandfather on this point, boy.”
This time Kodan did not get angry at Brendel’s disrespect and patted his shoulders instead, looked like he
was triumphant and left his side as though there were springs in his boots. It was rare to find a weakness
in Brendel, and he showed off smugly.
Brendel rolled his eyes and looked back at Amandina, whose face took on a rare blush. She lowered her
head and said quietly: “Please prepare now, my lord, your time is limited.”
“Do you not intend to join us?” Brendel suddenly realized there was a second meaning in her choice of
words, but Kodan’s words suddenly made him conscious of Amandina and how she appeared to be a little
cute when she went against most of the time.
The girl nodded.
“It’s too dangerous for you to go back alone—”
“But Scarlett said she wants to go along with you, so she can’t escort me back…..” Amandina thought it
would be fine since the road between the Dark Forest and Firburh was not too far, and since the city’s
surroundings were controlled tightly by the mercenaries, she would be fine.
“What I mean is for you to come with us,” Brendel said.
“What?” Amandina blurted.
1789
Brendel rarely brought her out because she had hardly any physical abilities to speak off. Even though
she felt it was a tiny regret, she knew where her abilities should be used in and did not think much of it.
Now that Brendel suddenly brought up this request, it had gone out of her plans. She knew what kind of
place the Dark Forest was, and if she went along she would just be a burden.
“I…… It’s not a good thing, right?” Even though she refused, but there was a small voice that told her to
accept it. When she thought that she could go on an adventure with her lord just like the past days, the
girl who was usually calm hesitated.
But Brendel was not asking her out based on a whim. He got Scarlett to bring Amandina out safely
because he wanted Amandina to take over Valhalla’s administration. She would be his first adjutant in the
future, and maintaining a normal operation was integral to his plans. He needed her to be familiar with
this sleeping land.
Valhalla was an unusual land that would shock any mortals once it was awakened. The fastest way to get
the person to accept it was to activate it themselves and let them experience the process of its awakening.
There were many things he had to do and could not possibly stay in his lands for long.
“It’s fine, this is certainly part of my plans, but it doesn’t mean they can’t be replaced. The Dark Forest is
indeed a very dangerous place, so I’m leaving the choice to you.” Brendel said.
“But what about Miss Romaine?” Amandina frowned and hesitated once again: “If I’m not there, no one
will be able to rein her in.”
“Don’t worry, she won’t do anything crazy.”
“But…..” Amandina looked confused.
During the past few months in Firburh, there was hardly a day that went by without Romaine causing
some kind of trouble. She wondered how the self-proclaimed merchant girl survived her past life, and
even respected the latter’s aunt greatly for being able to keep her in check.
Her aunt must have been an extraordinary lady.
But Brendel believed differently. If he was missing in Romaine’s life, she would be more docile than
anyone else. The reason why she got trouble all the time was to attract his attention. Even though she was
airheaded at times, she was naturally wily like a fox, which made him feel that she was adorable.
“So how about it?” He asked.
“Of course I do,” Amandina gushed after an afterthought, but she quickly recovered herself with a cough,
“What I mean is, I’m not afraid of danger if it’s for you, my lord.”
1790
“Thank you,” Brendel replied with a small smile, but he immediately pointed at Dia who was curiously
studying the forest’s plants: “I can understand Felaern, but what is with the situation with her?”
[I can understand the choice with the older sister, but why the younger sister? Though it might be a good
thing if a second lucky babe searches the loot. I approve of this transaction!]
“She’s here upon Sir Tamar’s request,” Amandina said.
[Oh, come to think of it, the younger sister had been acting as an assistant to Tamar, but what request—]
“Ah, she’s here to collect materials for him?”
Amandina nodded: “But I’m not sure what kind of materials can be gotten in this place.”
Chapter 114 (3) – At the edge of the Dark Forest (3)
Brendel understood Tamar’s thoughts.
The Dark Forest was part of the Wilderness that had never been claimed. People hardly entered the place,
and the Laws within this area were affected by Chaos and would be reset at a fixed interval. Mysterious
things of shapes and sizes could be found in the forest, and the treasure beneath the earth’s surface was
unimaginable.
However, due to the increasing Mana within the forest, various creatures mutated and increased their
activities, and even the vegetation spouted with full of life. There were pockets of Mana that gathered in
great intensity; crystal quarries could be found near small streams of water, fountains that spouted small
flecks of gold ore.
Even though bards sang about such stories all the time, the Dark Forest made it likely for them to become
true. Brendel nodded and said:
“I see. It’s true that the Dark Forest is a place where civilization bans people from going there, but it’s also
a treasure vault in their eyes. After the second Holy War, many Houses had their powers greatly reduced
and they were no longer capable of funding the pioneering knights who entered the forest in great
numbers.
But the legends depicted in history is ultimately left behind. There are tales about how the river water
which had been basked in the moonlight was able to bring the dead back to life, or that the crimson soil
contains the blood of a Sage and made it possible for steel to become gold. There are rumors of a gigantic
dragon graveyard where the bones of the dragons could be found which are more precious than
diamonds. There are even hallucinogens of burning rare leaves that could bring about illusions of a
paradise.
1791
Indeed, it’s definitely the biggest kind of treasure for an Alchemist. If they get any one of these materials,
they could make a legendary artifact— though most of these daring Alchemists who ventured into this
forest usually ended up as meals for the beasts around here.
This is another truth; the Dark Forest is also a place where monsters dwell in the highest concentrations.”
Brendel explained to Amandina in detail, then rubbed his chin thoughtfully: “Grandmaster Tamar can
actually request me to get the materials directly instead of going through Dia. Though it’s also my mistake
for forgetting that the Dark Forest is a great treasure vault for any Alchemist.”
Amandina suddenly chuckled: “I suddenly understand why Grandmaster Tamar has his own thoughts
about this matter.”
“What does that mean?”
“Perhaps you should ask Dia.”
Felaern turned her head expressionlessly and called out to her sister: “Dia—”
“Yes?” The younger sister trotted over, but she kept her distance cautiously and meekly when she saw
Felaern’s disapproving eyes: “Is there something that needs to be done?”
“Our lord has questions for you.”
“My lord?” Dia looked at Brendel with puppy eyes. Compared to Felaern, she was much more willing to
approach him because he frequently told her interesting stories.
From this viewpoint, Felaern was quite a failure as an older sister.
“Dia, why did Grandmaster Tamar tell you to come along?” Brendel asked.
“To collect materials, my lord!”
[Isn’t this normal?]
Brendel glanced at Amandina, but the latter pointed her chin back at Dia as if to tell him to ask for the
details.
“What kind of materials?”
“Grandmaster Tamar said—” Dia tried to mimic Tamar’s personality, but after Felaern sent a murderous
glare at her, her behavior instantly turned respectful, though she spoke through pouted lips: “There are
Mana Crystals in the Dark Forest that are just below high-grade, so if it’s possible I should gather more of
it.
1792
This includes Moon Crystals and Gold crystals…… Mana plants like Blood-spotted roses, Whipvine-tail
flowers……
As for metal mines, it would be best if there are Adamantine mines, though Mithril would be just as good,
still, the best metal would be Orichalcum. Of course, It would be fine if it’s a lesser metal like Cold Iron…..
Legends state there’s a fountain of youth, Wings of an Archangel, the Poem of Dragons, the Heart of
Gold……”
“S-stop, stop, time out!” Brendel hastily stopped her when he found that she had no intention of stopping.
At first, the list sounded like it was reasonable, but the list was becoming more and more absurd. The
Fountain of youth was already a Legendary item. The last three items that Dia said even reached God-tier
rarity.
[This Tamar is really treating the Dark Forest like a Dwarven Treasure Vault. Do you really think you can
get these treasures once you enter the place? If it’s so easy, everyone would have rushed in here. Also, do
you really think these items won’t be protected by some crazy high-level mythical monsters? I can kind of
understand his thoughts, but even protecting ourselves in this place is kind of a luxury for us already, let
alone bringing out these items.]
Most areas of the Dark Forest were less dangerous and not as mysterious as the legends described, and it
was rare to find precious metals or unique plants. Tamar’s list was more of a dream.
Even if a powerful lord sent in their Gold-ranked fighters to the Dark Forest, they might not necessarily
return and instead get turned into a monster’s meal.
Brendel dared to venture into the Dark Forest only because he knew the place well. After all, he had an
endless supply of lives in his past world as a gamer to explore the place, and even had the compilation of
information gotten from other gamers.
Since he had Tamar’s requested list, he rearranged his thoughts.
[I was wondering how I should train this bunch of newbies, but Tamar’s list has given me a clear
direction. We will spend a greater half of the day to move towards the druids, then explore the vicinity
with the remaining time. Then we can split up into three groups, myself, Kodan, and Scarlett. Each group
will be rewarded based on their performance and the things they find. That way we would have
competition and allow them to bond with each other. A good plan, if I say so myself.]
Brendel made a rough plan and inspected the rowdy group of youths. A few moments later he heard
someone shouting in the group:
“Merial!”
1793
Brendel recognized Carglise’s voice, and he spotted the young man dragging Mordenkainen across the
ground with incredible speed.
“Carglise? W-why are you here?” Merial appeared a little confused and blinked several times blankly to
look at Carglise.
Merial had a rarely seen golden hair, long enough to go past his shoulders. His eyes were as blue as the
ocean and appeared to be someone from the north, but his attire was similar to Brendel— A suit of male
Kirrlutz traveling clothes. His body was lithe and his face soft, appearing to be an androgynous person.
His actions and response were so elegant that Brendel thought he was actually a noble’s daughter at the
first glance.
“I think I understand. You were defeated along with your father.” Merial took a moment to gather his
thoughts before he parted his lips slightly and spoke.
“Haha.” Carglise merely laughed as he looked at his old friend.
“I thought you didn’t come, but to think that Lord Macsen was defeated even with you around,” Merial’s
eyes were fretful and his brows were slightly pinched: “did you join them?”
“Yes,” Carglise nodded as though he did not care that he joined the rebels, “but what are you doing here?”
He was surprised to find his friend in this place.
“My squire and I were passing through the lands when we saw the four carriages, and the mercenaries
captured us because of that. We had to lie.” Merial’s face turned slightly red.
“More like you ran out secretly?” Carglise saw through his friend’s lie immediately.
“N-no.”
“Fine, fine, I know your secret so you can stop pretending. Don’t worry, I will protect you. But I must say
you’re in considerable danger,” Carglise pulled in close to him and whispered so that no one else could
hear him, “my lady, you’re entering the Dark Forest, are you prepared?”
Carglise’s expression was one of mischief.
“Don’t call me that!” Merial immediately glared back at him, before her eyes widened: “I’m entering the
Dark Forest?”
“Why else would do you think you would be here?” Carglise raised his head up to look at the forest before
looking back at her: “It seems like you don’t know this, and I also forgot to tell you, this is the edge of the
Dark Forest—”
1794
Merial paled and her body shook but Carglise supported her by grabbing her up: “What are you doing?
Isn’t it just a forest? Besides, I’m also here to protect you!”
He warned her and cast his eyes towards the mercenaries around them. Her actions might cause them to
realize that she was masquerading as a man.
“H-how can I enter the Dark Forest. You must help me, Carglise!” Merial was a little delirious.
“Well, I actually think that this is a chance.” Carglise disagreed.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Didn’t you say that you always wanted to escape from that damned father of yours? This is a chance!
Based on my judgment, my new lord isn’t likely to care what your father says—” Carglise’s evil laughter
came out as he felt his idea was pretty good.
“But what I can do in this place? The monsters within the Dark Forest are terrifying enough that even the
lords avoid it! We will perish if we enter!”
Carglise held his forehead and continued to speak in a low voice: “My lady, you’re the next stand-in
bishop, how can you be so timid—”
He suddenly looked around vigilantly and whispered next to Merial’s ear. At first, she appeared puzzled,
but her eyes quickly lit up and she nodded.
Brendel saw that Carglise and the boy next to him pull away from the crowd, and their voices became
smaller and smaller. He did not try to listen to their conversation as a courteous gesture. Even if the two
were to scheme something they would not be able to cause any huge trouble when they were in the Dark
Forest. Furthermore, he had the time to observe that person’s details all he wanted later.
[Given how familiar Carglise is with that boy, he must also be from a noble family. I am a little curious as
to how the mercenaries managed to recruit the gentry’s offspring though.]
Brendel was not arrogant enough to think that families of higher social status in Firburh would support
him, unless they were not interested in keeping their heads. Count Randner’s revenge would be more
than enough to keep them in check.
“Are they……” He turned around and cast a questioning look at Amandina.
“The scions from the noble families. I heard that their families live in the upper-class districts within
Firburh.”
“You mean there are more than a few who joined us?” Brendel felt that the situation was becoming
bizarre.
1795
Amandina nodded.
He did not want to have any people joining his group of knights with an unclear background. These
youths had a clean background, and perhaps the higher ranking people in Firburh would support him
eventually, but it was still something odd.
“How did they come to join us?” He asked.
“The mercenaries said they secretly came to join us because of your fame.”
“That’s interesting,” Brendel rubbed his cheeks and was unashamed of his brazen acts, “have I become so
famous?”
Amandina merely looked back with considerable disapproval.
1796
Chapter 115 – The treasure vault of alchemy
The journey seemed to begin with expectations and unease, and the youths felt like they were
unprepared, but they could not run away any more.
The Tower Clan from Kirrlutz had an adage: ‘The difficulty of a long journey can extinguish one’s strong
willpower’. These nomadic merchants who loved to travel with their vast products had a deep
understanding towards adventure.
On the very first day, Kodan recommended that Brendel camp outside the forest and set off after a night’s
rest.
However, Brendel thought that he needed to finish his goal quickly, and since he was more experienced
than the old swordsman, there was no need to waste.
In the blink of an eye, Brendel and his crew had already entered the Dark Forest for a week.
As they traveled deeper into the Dark Forest, they found it was like peering into of unlit layers of emerald
gems, covered under branches that appeared to be black in color. The density of the verdant leaves was
thick, and they leaked out sunlight which in turn made the environment appear shadowy-green. Speckles
of light would flitter in and out against the wind, making the leaves undulate. Occasional spiders would
dart across their webs when it happened.
Light intermixed with darkness, causing the area to feel like it was a surreal world of silence, save for the
shuffling boots across the ground, and the occasional rustling of leaves. It was almost evening, but
everyone found it nearly impossible to tell the time in this forest.
Brendel was holding on to a book; on it were words written with illuminating ink:
– Black Magician, Moonlit Grass, four-leaves Hop Clover, Witch’s Agony……
The Black Magician symbolized ‘mystery’ in the Witch’s secret language, and it was used to bring forth a
mediative mentality. A person with 3 levels in Alchemy would be able to make Breath of Serenity, and it
was the main ingredient for an Incense of Mediation.
The Incense of Mediation was highly popular in the game, and the related professions would achieve
faster results. They would be able to experience the ‘truth’ more easily if they were in a closed room filled
with the incense.
It allowed a better performance in incantations.
1797
If one was to express it in game terms, it was a 5% increase in XP.
With 7 levels in Alchemy, one would be able to gain access to the lowest tier 2 material called Mysterious
Extract from the Black Magician. This could be eaten directly and one could gain a permanent health
increase, but it would only work once.
The Moonlit Grass was also called Wizard’s flower. It was used to cultivate Mana. Eating it directly could
increase the Mana regen by 1 point. With a Level 5 Alchemist, one could extract it to attain pure Liquid
Mana and make a simple Mana Potion.
The four-leaves Hop Clover represented luck. It was quite rare to see it in Aouine’s territory but rather
common in the Dark Forest. There was a unique method amongst the gamers to extract Luck Essence
from the clover, but it needed 8 levels in alchemy. It could be used in almost any potions to raise the
chance of success, and even be used in all types of Alchemy needs, blacksmithing, and the creation of
Magic Formations.
The final item, Witch’s Agony, was a poison reagent. Nobles viewed it as an obvious type of poison
because of its smell, and it was worthless to them. However, this was not the proper usage. The evil cults
utilized the characteristics of this reagent, the Agony and Poison Elements, to summon creatures from the
underworld.
The Lord of Agony, or the Queen of Poison.
The Holy Cathedral of Fire strictly prohibited anyone from carrying it, but this did not prevent the evil
cults from attaining them. They would gladly purchase them at a high price, or even murder an owner in
order to possess this.
Brendel merely chucked all these materials away without a second thought or fear.
He had gotten all these items due to the efforts of the youths training under him. The first three days
were actually fruitless, and they constantly complained bitterly for wasting their time. Naturally, he did
not allow them to idle— As soon as someone was lazy or becoming incredibly negative, one of the
mercenaries would rough them up and mercilessly drive them forward.
Every day, the youths would be woken up by the mercenaries at the crack of dawn. A few of them were
unused to the cold and wet conditions of the forest and had difficulty in sleeping. But the training
schedule was still adhered to, and they had to drag their tired bodies to complete every day’s ‘homework’.
The contents of the training were not complicated. They had to march a certain distance every day, then
group themselves and face each other in combat. Swordsmanship and brawling techniques were taught
to them as well. The final task was to gather materials for Tamar, though it was disguised under the topic
of ‘survival training’. Still, this was a core training for them.
1798
With a week’s progress, the materials noted in Brendel’s book were becoming longer and longer. The
rarity of the discovered materials was also going up. This proved they were leaving outer areas of the
Dark Forest and was approaching nearer to its deeper sections.
He finished logging in the second team’s acquisition and logged in notes at the paper’s side with a quill.
Sixty youths were grouped into six groups, with each team assigned to a leader. The second group’s
leader was led by a youth called Mars. He was from Raban’s mercenary group and had the abilities of a
low Iron-ranked fighter. His attitude was serious and his organization skills were strong as well.
Though he was a little rigid in his thoughts.
[But it’s not exactly a flaw.]
Brendel then glanced at Carglise who was not far away. The latter was leaning against a tree wiping his
sword, a commander’s weapon in the Year 377. The sword was somewhat like a flamberge and was more
appropriate for a user with a dexterous style.
Brendel was very fond of this design, so he gave a sword to each member of the White Lion Infantry.
Grandmaster Bosley was the person who crafted the swords, so there was no need to worry about the
quality. The design was apparently successful; everyone who received it could not let the sword out of
their sight, even if they did not use swords before.
Brendel was surprised, but his reactions were very quick to act upon this situation. He raised the value of
these swords to a badge of honor. They became the symbol of the White Lion Infantry, and as long as each
man was in this army, the sword would accompany him for his lifetime and represent his belief in the
unit.
The youths once asked what belief it was, and Brendel answered them after a moment of thinking.
“Bravery, determination, and one who paves the way, symbolizing the sword of justice.”
This was widely accepted by the idealistic youths who were keen to become knights.
Brendel came back to his senses after thinking about the past events for a while. He flipped open to a new
page and wrote on the top right-hand corner as his quill moved lightly:
‘December 16th, clear weather
1799
The Dark Forest is even denser than before. Some of the areas that we passed by earlier did not even
have a ray of light in them. There are huge spiderwebs at the tree crowns, as well as flying insects the
sizes of our fists that are packed everywhere.
There are increasing discoveries of strange brambles found on different trees, like the Witch’s Agony.
This means that we’re nearly reaching the inner sections. We also discovered the presence of strong
creatures affected by Mana. Based on the tracks, they are most likely Black Wolves.
Perhaps one can call them as monsters. These monsters can be classified under several archetypes.
Violence, Shadow, Corruption, Malediction, Evil, Dream, Demigod.
The Black Wolves are classified under the Shadow Archetype.’
He stopped for a moment and the quill left the paper slightly.
[A level 25 creature—]
‘They are considered as a lesser monster amongst the various existences, possessing ink-black fur and
blood-red eyes, and their fangs are shaped like daggers. They are resistant to physical weapons because
Shadow-type creatures heal very quickly from their wounds. Conversely, their fangs can easily puncture
most armors, except for plate armor.
– Brendel, 7th day of the Dark Forest expedition’
He did not release this information to the youths, and the experienced mercenaries also had a tacit
understanding and chose to keep silent.
They wanted to see what the youths’ reactions were after a week’s worth of training upon encountering
these monsters, especially in regards to their combat training. There was no need to worry about danger,
since a Gold-ranked fighter would make these wolves appear like they are no different from an obedient
puppy.
After Brendel finished writing his journal entry, he observed his surroundings.
It was not a peaceful environment.
The six groups of youths were fighting against the Rock Panthers summoned by Halran Gaia, and there
were another six Obsidian Panthers lying down lazily on their paws nearby watching them. These
creatures seemed to be uninterested in their battle and even showed incomprehension. The humans
appeared as though they were having fun battling despite the fact that their own kind was holding back.
Their eyes followed them left and right, thinking that they would easily be able to bite off any of their
throats if they went to fight instead.
1800
The youths did not realize that these seemingly obedient large cats were interested in their necks, or they
might shake uncontrollably. But the current danger they felt were actually from Kodan and Scarlett.
Gaspard was also there as the leader of the mercenaries training them. The mercenaries actually had the
most hectic mission, as they had to command and protect the youths at the same time.
It was not the first occasion where the mercenaries discovered the youths choosing to set their sleeping
bags on damp ground. They waited till the latter slept before kicking them awake with their boots, then
lifted up their bags to show them the centipedes and snakes that were the sizes of their arms.
One would have to say that it was an effective move. Many were frightened and listened closely to the
mercenaries.
Gaspard was currently grading the groups of youths. The group with the lowest marks had to run three
miles in the Dark Forest. If they had to run on flat ground it might not mean much, but it was impossible
to run in the Dark Forest because of its dangers. Rather, they had to march out in the Dark Forest, but it
might take them the whole evening to finish traversing the distance. There was no way to count on their
companions to leave any food behind.
The three judges were a little distracted. Gaspard and Scarlett could see that the youths were performing
badly.
[A complete lack of strategy and a terrible mess of positioning themselves. They are far from ready.]
Kodan thought they were no better than children fighting with sticks.
Brendel also shook his head, but he knew that things required time. In fact, these newbies were much
better than the first time they fought the creatures because they did not even dare to fight. The
mercenaries back then had to kick them with their boots and forced them to advance. They eventually
became brave enough to hold against them, and this current battle had been going on for ten minutes.
The improvement was very fast. The Dark Forest was indeed a good place to train someone.
He watched the battle a while longer before his head turned to the other direction; the Druids’ camp was
there. The Druids who were supposed to meet up with Brendel only joined him on the second day due to
their independent nature.
There were seven of them, including Grey Raven.
[Even though they are strange people, they are worthy of respect. They brought out a hundred veteran
Druids and ten Elder Druids to help with my city’s defense and also promised to help out with
Trentheim’s farm work.]
Although he did not know how many Druids lived in the forest, at least three hundred Druids were
promised to permanently reside in Firburh, which meant there was a considerable number of Druids.
1801
This race was of an immense help to him as they aided greatly in defense. They planted thorny brambles
that solidified the walls and even carried a type of fruit that acted like grenades.
One could say that a hundred Druids were more effective than an entire army in a defense.
[But they are still wary of me. The Druids went to the city are all fnature-based , probably from the Circle
of Brambles, which is an outer Circle. There’s not even one Druid from the Circle of Beasts—]
Brendel smiled a little when he thought of that. Most would not be able to tell the differences. The Circle
of Flames, Circle of Tempest, and Circle of Beasts were the strongest offensive groups amongst the
Druids, but the Circles of Brambles were considerably effective in defense.
The Druids’ intentions were clear as day.
[Well, there’s no need to rush. Relationship points can be earned in the future.]
He packed away his journal and quill, then took out pale yellow leaves from the bag around his waist.
Moonlit Grass.
These were low-level materials within the Dark Forest but were appropriate for Brendel to train his side-
profession. When he received the letter from the Regent Princess, the system acknowledged him as a
Noble Lord instead of a commoner. He could not but help grumble in his mind about this fact when he
looked at the materials.
[A worthless title, unfortunately. It allows me to raise up my Alchemy to level 8, but my Elementalist

profession supersedes it and allows me to go up to level 10.]
The grade of the Moonlit Grass was perfect. The shape and luster of it were far beyond the same type
from other areas. Even though the Dark Forest was dangerous, it was indeed a treasure vault for an
Alchemist.
He concentrated slightly and a Magic Formation was formed with a color that was violently red. After
spending several days and hundreds of tries, wasting countless materials in his attempts, Brendel was
finally proficient in Blood Refinement Magic. It was a method that extracted the essence from a material
and even formed a few Alchemy items. He did not need to waste time drawing up a Magic Formation and
was simply required to let out a few drops of blood from his hand.
It was simple and convenient, and saved much time.
Though he was probably the only person who did this forbidden magic so openly, with the exception of
the great Evils who hid in the shadows.
The Blood Magic showed itself visibly and the Moonlit Grass started to smoke. It was slowly converted
into a transparent crystal orb.
1802
Mana Essence.
Putting ten of these orbs into water would make a Mana Potion. This refinement appeared like a simple
task, but it needed at least level 5 in Alchemy. Most commoners would never be able to cross this level. If
a commoner was able to surpass their limits, then their title would be changed to ‘Alchemist’s Disciple,’
allowing them to reach level 8. A true Alchemist would be able to reach level 15.
And if they were able to surpass level 15, then they would be recognized as a Grandmaster.
In the game, level 15 was also the limits where the game’s system allowed the use of TP. Once a gamer
reached level 15, they would find the buttons to be greyed out.
The hurdle with each increasing level was an exponential increase. The gamers had an analogy where
each increase from level 1 to 5 was 1 point of effectiveness, and crossing level 5 to 10 gave 2-3 points of
effectiveness. From level 10 to 15, one could be considered as a ‘Master’, and each level gave 5 points of
effectiveness. However, the difficulty at this stage was ten times harder compared to the levels before.
One could only imagine the difficulty of an NPC attaining a Grandmaster’s level. It was at the stage where
miracles could be created, and their names would be forever left in history. Gamers often joked that
reaching level thirty would be close to the existences of gods.
After Brendel was done with the extraction of the Moonlit Grass, he moved on to the four-leaved Hop
Clover to extract Luck Essence. But the extraction was of a higher difficulty, and he barely succeeded once
after failing six times, but he tutted after reading the words on his retina.
[…… Incomplete Luck Extract. It’s not even a complete success.]
Brendel forced the gaseous extract into an empty bottle. Suddenly he felt his hair standing up behind on
his back, and he turned around to see Felaern. She had been staring at him since his first attempt. Each
Luck Essence required ten four-leaved Hop Clovers, and searching for them required a considerable
amount of effort, even if they were quite common in the Dark Forest.
The Wild Elf was nearly unable to keep watching Brendel waste them.
“My lord, we have a saying, ‘We must learn to walk before we can run’—”
[Haha…… What a coincidence, we humans on Earth have the same saying. But I really can’t wait to raise
my levels and pour TP into it. I just spent everything on swordsmanship.]
Brendel could only sigh when he looked at his empty TP bar. He had no choice but to choose such a silly
method.
When Brendel received the ‘Incomplete Luck Essence’, he immediately saw his level bar increase
immediately and reached level 7. Since the materials in the Dark Forest were abundant, the method to
raise his Alchemist level was effective by using materials that surpassed his levels.
1803
With level 7 Alchemy, he was able to create higher level Mana potions and Magic formations. The potions
were naturally more effective, but the materials required were also more unique.
[There are a few recipes to improve the youths’ stats with the recipes I know. It’s even effective for me
since I can create a potion that adds 5 Fire Max EP.]
“If only I have the Dragon Blood Moss. It’s a pity I’m lacking this main ingredient.” He muttered to himself.
“What is that?” Felaern asked.
“They are legends stating that places where a large dragon is felled, would have its blood flow into
ancient lakes. Bright red moss would grow in abundance beside the lake, and they are known as Dragon
Blood Moss. This material can be used to make Potion of Dragon Strength.”
The Wild Elf understood. The Potion of Dragon Strength was as famous as a dragon’s notoriety. There
was a definite increase of power for a warrior. Giving a normal person this potion was the rough
equivalent of him training for two or three years.
In Brendel’s words, the potion permanently added 5 OZ worth of strength and physique, allowing a
normal person to reach an Iron-ranked fighter’s strength immediately.
This potion was exclusively reserved for raising an army, and the nobles fought to obtain this potion
whenever it appeared. Its price in the black market was very high, and each potion was about ten
thousand Tor coins.
[Ten thousand coins to make an iron-ranked soldier. It’s a waste of money, but considering the time limit,
it’s worth the price.]
Brendel did not intend to rely on this item to get rich. The Dragon Blood Moss did not grow abundantly in
Aouine and the Dark Forest. The Mana Wave was also about to happen. All potions and magical artifacts
were going to drop drastically in value. Meddling with the related transactions was purely causing
trouble for himself in the future.
He warned Romaine not to pay attention to the materials related to Magic, but it surprised him to know
that she had known about the Mana Wave. Still, she did not know anything about the upcoming Mana
Wave that was called as the ‘Waves of Calamity’, which was something that Aouine had never seen before.
If she did, then he really needed to ponder about her aunt’s identity.
“My lord, do you know how to create that potion?”
“I do. And I just reached level 7 in alchemy, otherwise, the rate of success would probably be low—”
Brendel finally turned back to the youths.
The latter had successfully fought back twelve Rock Panthers and were awarded a temporary respite. But
Scarlett and Kodan would be teaching them new things in a short while.
1804
Kodan was in charge of teaching the crucial points of Aouine’s Military Swordsmanship, while Scarlett
was more direct. She beat everyone in the two groups she was in charge and left them to experience
where they were lacking.
“Level 7 alchemy?” Felaern frowned, wondering if the students taught by wizards talk strangely, but she
refrained from expressing her opinions since he was her lord.
“I mean I have attained the required skills to create the potion.” Brendel corrected himself without
skipping a heartbeat.
“In my memories, there were not many who were capable enough to make the Potion of Dragon Strength
in Port Lopes. It even sells for three thousand coins of our currency. Mercenaries like us could only view
it from afar.”
Three thousand Lopes coins could exchange up to fifteen thousand Tor coins. Brendel marveled at the
amount.
“The adventures you had must be interesting.”
“Forgive me, my lord. I’m afraid that you might be disappointed to know that we are not exactly the true
entities that you’re looking for. Our bodies and memories are created by the Laws of the Planeswalker.”
Brendel looked back at the expressionless maid: “But your memories existed in the past, right? I don’t
think Medissa as a fake entity. You are just as real in my heart like your past.”
“I thank you for your words, my lord. Our adventures are not exactly interesting because our goal was to
earn money. While it is true we spend it to improve ourselves, what little money we earn is unable to buy
such extravagant items.”
“But the Potion of Dragon Strength isn’t really a rare potion,” Brendel said, though he understood that
what she said was true. The recipe of the Potion of Dragon Strength was worth at least three million Tor
coins.
The current era was actually a generation where Mana had dried up, but the time where it returned
would be soon.
“We had to buy weapons and sharpen it repeatedly to prevent them from wearing out. Our armor was
sewn back repeatedly. The lives of a mercenary are very hard, and we faced blood and death constantly
as though we were going through a surreal dream.”
Brendel was momentarily silent as he reflected on the events in his past life, both in the game and reality:
“Life isn’t easy for others as well. Whether they are born as a noble, a king, a merchant, just because they
lived in status or wealth doesn’t mean they are satisfied with their lives. Happiness is fleeting. There is no
one would who would feel satisfied their whole life. Pain and worry will always be around.”
1805
The two reflected on their endings and they had their own answers. No further words were exchanged.
Lumbering footsteps could be heard and Brendel turned to the source. The gigantic figure of the Fire
Claw Lizardman, Ropar, appeared in and out of the dense vegetation. The dark red skin had patches of
black mixed into it, appearing no different to the red tree bark around the area. It was a natural
camouflage.
When it finally appeared before Brendel, the youth was startled to find a wary expression intermixed
with a hint of inquiry: “Is there something, Ropar?”
Brendel summoned the Lizardman Lord on the second day. He had briefly thought about using it on the
city’s defenses, but it was hard to explain to the citizens, so he thought it was better to have it on his side.
He also summoned the Fire Claw Lancemen. It was the size of a medium platoon, a total of thirty
Lancemen. There were peak Iron-rankers, but Ropar provided the unique ability where all Fire Claw tribe
members have a +1 in command, turning them into Fire Claw Assault Lancemen.
The Fire Claw Lancemen were turned into level 32 creatures, entering the classification of a Silver-
ranker, getting close to the levels of the Mercenaries of Lopes who were attached with the Dwarven
Treasure Card.
These Lizardmen were in charge of outer security. Brendel had told them to let a beast or two to slip past
their defenses in order to test the youths.
The results were considered good thus far.
Ropar did not answer and looked at the young lord. It bent down at its waist and placed a cold rock into
Brendel’s hand. The creature was nearly two meters and a half tall, with its body’s width two-thirds of its
height. He could feel a pressure as though the Lizardman was going to pounce on him when it bent its
waist.
But the youth ignored it and stared at the flat sheet of rock instead.
It was almost like a crystal; the body was clear but there were grains across the rock which glowed dimly.
It seemed like it was absorbing light and became an impure black.
“Where did you discover this?” Brendel felt a jolt to his spine. This was not a crystal but a hydra’s scale—
‘In a lake.’ Ropar did not speak but drew on the ground with three fingers to let Brendel understand what
he meant. Amandina and Dia discovered the lake, and they were the ones who discovered the scale.
[The scale is evidence of a hydra nearby us.]
The history of hydras was that they descended from a gargantuan sea monster, evolved to have legs and
bred greatly on land before they were chased off to the Wilderness. There were many hydra variations,
1806
for example, the Dark Elves reared a Nine-headed Shadow Hydra as their Warbeast. In Karanjar’s
mountains and its nearby islands, the barbaric tribes that lived there worshipped the Five-headed
Ancient Hydra as a divine spirit.
A common three-headed hydra was equivalent to a Gold-ranker. If there were five heads their scales had
great toughness; nine heads would mean it had unsealed Element powers. The greatest number of heads
were twelve, and its body would have shed its mortal self and shaped towards perfection, the Bronze
Physique. (TL: Bronze Physique = level 80+, also google images ‘mtg hydra’ without quotes.)
Brendel immediately focused on the scale. The scales had the divine protection of its ancestor and was
rated as a precious Alchemy material. Even though the blood of a Hydra could not compare to a dragon’s,
but it was obviously much better than a moss. It could be used to make a Potion of Dragon Strength, and
the effectiveness was much higher.
He made his decision and stood up, clapping loudly to draw the attention of the people around him.
“We have work to do!”
1807
Chapter 116 – Five-headed Hydra
When Brendel tracked down the Hydra, he also discovered Amandina and Dia hiding in the bushes
hundreds of meters away to spy on the mythical creature.
Amandina had originally gone out to find Dia, who was moving everywhere senselessly to gather
materials for Tamar. She was guarded by the Fire Claw Lizardmen and they managed to find her near a
lake looking at the scale that was eventually passed to Brendel.
Amandina recognized the scale as she had encountered the description in the books that she read, and a
few of the books described the Hydras in great details.
She got the Fire Claw Lord, Ropar, to report to Brendel, while she got the others to track the serpent. Soon
enough, they discovered the huge creature. It was a five-headed Hydra, its body was sleek and elegant
against the areas of light and darkness. The detailed scales were ink-black, but there were several
sections seemed to have a green glow.
It was a Poison Hydra.
Its defense and strength were not as strong as its other relatives; it could not become a fog-like existence
like the Nine-headed Shadow Serpent, or manipulate Ice or Fire Elements like the other subspecies.
However, they were the hardest to deal with because their corrosive poison could shoot a hundred
meters in distance and melt Magic Alloy.
“All of you stay here and wait!” Brendel immediately ordered the excited youths who were ready to try
their mettle. “Kodan, Scarlett, Ropar, attack it from the back while I attract its attention and force it to use
its poison. The angle that it can attack from is only 180 degrees, so make sure you stay out of range.”
Brendel was the first to charge out.
“That’s too dangerous!” Kodan pulled out his sword and followed next. Brendel had promised to give him
a Potion of Dragon Strength for taking part in this battle.
“Leave it to me!” Brendel activated the specially crafted Wind Sigils by Tamar on his sword sheath, raising
his Agility tremendously.
He entered the Hydra’s guarded range a few seconds after he spoke, and the gigantic creature that was
tens of meters tall had its third head raised up. Its huge tapered mouth opened up and shot a geyser of
black poison from nearly a hundred meters away, but the youth had not forgotten how to fight this
creature.
1808
He frowned and immediately veered towards the sides, allowing the poison to fire past him while he
continued to advanced quickly. The hissing poison continued past him and splattered onto the ground.
Smoke immediately appeared as the poison corroded the foliage. The chemical reactions even caused the
liquid to burst into flames, while the surrounding plants visibly wilted at the speed where the naked eye
could even detect it.
The young men who were originally ignorant of the monster they were facing immediately paled and
even a few yelled out.
“Marsha above!”
Mordenkainen stared at Brendel who was now dodging the Hydra’s projectiles from the five heads in
disbelief. The latter’s movements were in a blur, but it was clear that he was avoiding the poison arrows
with ease.
He had heard of Brendel’s legendary exploits that seemed almost exaggerated, but he discovered that the
reality before him surpassed the stories. His jaw collapsed several times and went back up to clench his
teeth when it appeared dangerous.
“I-Incredible. Didn’t our lord say that we can be as strong as him one day? Is this really true?” The person
next to Mordenkainen suddenly spoke and jerked the nearest person’s sleeve, who happened to be
Merial. She pulled back a little.
“Oh. It’s you Merial. Did I pull too hard?”
“N-nothing,” Merial shook her head vehemently and replied, “our lord seems like he’s a Gold-ranked
swordsman, I think we would need decades of training to reach his level……”
“Decades, but our lord looks like he’s at most twenty years old!”
“Our lord is a genius, do you think you can compare to him?”
“Well that’s true, but isn’t it too long to train for decades?”
“You’re talking about a Gold-ranker.” One of the youths who was a former mercenary replied sarcastically
at once: “Do you think it’s lettuce from a field and you can get a large number just by planting them? You
have heard of the reserve knights from the Holy Cathedral, right? As long as you have the abilities of a
Gold-ranker, you can enter the Holy Knights’ reserves—”
Many held their breaths when they heard him speak about that position. It was a legendary status where
most would aspire to, and they were existences far beyond the likes of Graudin.
1809

Someone else added to the discussion: “You don’t even need to reach the Gold-rank, as long as can
become a Silver-rank, you can become knighted under any lord!”
Even if a knight was the lowest class of nobility, the title was full of enticement.
“Then is it possible for us to reach the Silver ranks?”
Carglise finally came back to his senses. He suddenly felt that Brendel must have been laughing
maliciously inside when he rushed at him with a sword. He was merely an Iron-ranker and dared to
challenge a grandmaster swordsman with the capabilities of a Gold-ranker.
Even though he was thick-skinned, he could not help but burn up a little. Still, he looked at the others and
answered: “We will definitely be able to enter the realms of a Silver-rank.”
“Why are you sure, Carglise?” Merial asked curiously: “A common man would find it hard to reach that
level, and you need a certain level of talent right?”
“Don’t you find that you’re improving really quickly?” Carglise asked.
Everyone stared at him. Did they really improve? Kodan called them fools where no man could hope to
compare, and Scarlett shook her head every time she saw them. Even their lord who seemed friendly and
approachable merely smiled at them without saying anything. These actions made them feel like they
were completely untalented.
But Carglise shook his head. He knew that they had no problems. In fact, he realized that his
swordsmanship that had not improved for a long time was starting to become better. He was even
surprised to find himself becoming stronger after entering the Dark Forest for a week. He was almost at
the stage where he could be called a Silver-rank.
“Do you know what swordsmanship the lord is teaching you every day?” He said, and most of them shook
their heads.
“Merial.”
Merial frowned: “It appears to be the Holy Cathedral of Fire’s swordsmanship.”
“Isn’t it forbidden to teach it outside the Holy Cathedral?” Someone called out, and suddenly there was
silence amongst them. A few of them looked at each other; it was quite a severe crime to teach the
techniques from the Holy Cathedral of Fire.
1810
Carglise did not care the Holy Cathedral as they would not pick the youths here to train them. The latter
could choose from a large number of talented youths who were blessed by the Gods.
He was a normal person at the end of the day.
He patted Merial lightly on her shoulders: “Do you understand why I feel like I have chosen the correct
decision?”
Merial blushed a little.
The others started pondering when they heard Carglise’s words.
While the youths were lost in their thoughts, Brendel was not as relaxed as they thought. Even though
there was no direct hit by the venom shot out from the five heads, there was a flashing warning in green
color on his retina:
– Poisoned.
Brendel had gone past the fifth round of attacks by the Hydra, and the monster finally needed a little time
to prepare for its next projectile. He quickly made a signal to Kodan, Scarlett, and Ropar to make their
moves while making a side turn in order to lure the monster, as well as staying away from the poisonous
cloud.
He swiftly checked his Stats Window to confirm his vitality.
It was still green.
Even though he was poisoned, his Physique was high enough to resist the venom since it was past a
hundred points. Any normal person would have died a hundred times if they passed through the
poisonous cloud.
But once he inspected the details, he found that the Resistance Bar was yellow at 87%, and it was
dropping. He calculated the time and estimated that he had less than ten minutes to resolve this issue, or
he would die from the poison.
[As expected from a high-level Gold-ranked monster. It’s not easy to deal with it.]
The time taken by the Hydra to spew its poison again was a minute and a half, and the attackers needed
to close in the distance. However, the Poison Hydras were intelligent enough to retreat and shoot its
projectiles while retreating.
Unfortunately, Brendel had drawn its attention long enough for his allies to sneak up behind it. When the
Hydra finally discovered them, it could only hiss angrily as it did not understand strategies.
1811
The time taken to get close to the huge monster only took thirty seconds. Brendel activated his Charge
skill, leaping to avoid the Hydra’s tail swipe that was like a steel whip. It was a classic move for dragons
and its subspecies. The tail had scales harder than metal and easily broke the ancient trees apart, sending
loud smashing sounds accompanied by tremors that could be felt miles away.
Brendel somersaulted and landed next to the Hydra’s front right leg, raising Halran Gaia as he did so.
Brendel raised Halran Gaia with both hands and tried to cleave the Hydra’s leg, which was more like a
rock pillar. Surprisingly, the monster’s dexterity was astonishingly fast despite its huge body. It drew in
its foot so quickly that Brendel could only cut through the air.
However, the powerful strike destroyed the ground beneath the Hydra and caused fissures to spring up
everywhere. The sword’s contact to the ground also caused a shockwave to spread out in a cone and the
Hydra became unbalanced; its body slanted towards the side.
But Brendel could not find an opportunity to continue to attack because the five heads of the Hydra
danced around the air like whips, trying to bite the youth, which forced him to retreat repeatedly, and he
ended a distance that was ten meters away.
His allies approached the Hydra’s back to find a chance to attack it, but Brendel immediately roared when
he realized there was a ripple of energy emanating from the Hydra: “Be careful of its Venom Shield!”
The three was momentarily stunned as they found a wall of green liquid appearing out of thin air before
them. Kodan and Scarlett had enough experience to stop themselves from advancing, but Kodan went one
step further and hurled his dagger into the wall to strike the Hydra’s body.
A soft hissing sound could be heard before the dagger even went through the liquid. It was quickly turned
into white smoke.
“Marsha above!” Kodan felt relieved in his heart that the warning came in time, but he started to wonder
how they could handle this damned creature.
However, Ropar did not seem to hear Brendel’s words and rushed straight into the wall of venomous
liquid, but it was not affected at all, though the dirt on its scales was burned away.
[Immunity to poison!]
Brendel’s eyes widened in surprise.
[W-well, a four-legged Hydra is considered somewhat to be like a lizard. Ropar and Hydra can kind of be
considered as the same type. It can be considered reasonable for some kind of suppression amongst the
same type.]
Ropar had broken into the Hydra’s defenses, surprising everyone. The huge monster was unable to turn
its heads around in time and Ropar swung its greatsword on the Hydra’s rear right leg. Flames wrapped
1812
around the greatsword as it severed the Hydra’s scales and sinew. Before the blood could spew out, the
heat turned it into gas and was spurted out in a red mist.
The Hydra raised all its heads and screamed at the same time. The deafening blast transmitted for miles,
frightening the nearby birds into taking flight.
The wall of venom rippled a few times and disappeared at the same time the Hydra got injured.
[[Now!]]
Kodan and Scarlett thought at the same time. They charged in together, but after taking a few steps they
felt a sinking feeling beneath their feet and the ground collapsed.
“What are these?” Scarlett felt her heart skip a beat. She saw countless green thorny vines breaking
through the ground as though they were alive, and they were darting towards her legs.
It was not just her. Kodan also faced the same situation.
Brendel’s reaction was to plant his sword into the ground to gain balance from the unsteady ground,
while he raised the other hand towards the sky—
The youths who were watching from saw a small Magic Formation appearing above Brendel. A card was
thrown into the air, causing tiny grains of green light to appear from the earth and rising up to rush into
the Magic Formation.
Over a hundred golden Holy Swords poured out from thin air and surrounded the Hydra with the blades
pointing at it.
The youths completely froze when they saw the scene. They had imagined the most beautiful
swordsmanship and terrifying magic from the singing bards and legendary tales, but they did not expect
to see such a sight coming from the young noble.
Carglise’s eyes appeared glazed as he stared dumbfoundedly at the majestic moment: “Merial, I feel like
I’m an idiot.”
Merial lowered ahead and replied softly with a red face: “Yes, you always have been one.”
The Hydra also felt the threatening swords. The fifteen pairs of eyes across its five heads stared at the
formation of swords. The vines swiftly changed directions and formed into a dense towering shield that
was ten meters long.
“Advance!” Brendel yelled at Kodan as he activated the card.
The golden swords of light fell like a meteor shower, drilling through the shield of vines and turning the
outer layer into ashes. Very quickly, the shield was filled with holes as the swords rained into the shield.
1813
Light poured out from the shield in all directions, and the green poisonous vines gradually turned into a
bubbling red liquid.
The Hydra’s poisoned vines created by its Element Power was pierced through by the swords, and the
pillars of light came into contact with the Hydra’s chest. The leather protected by the crystal-like scales
temporarily refracted the light, before it also turned red and the scales shattered into fragments. The
blood beneath its hide was expelled in a red mist. and the immense pain caused the Hydra to writhe on
the ground.
Kodan and the other two fighters did not stop to watch the scene. They avoided the hydra’s tail that was
thrashing around like a whip and tried their best to wound the monster.
The Hydra was certainly not as agile and quick as a Wind Wyvern, but its defenses were far superior to
the latter.
Scarlett used her full strength to create an Arc Lightning from her Element power, which traveled several
tens of meters across the monster’s scales, but most of the energy did not go through its hide and only
caused a small burn mark.
Kodan also tried using a shockwave to damage it, but the results were similar.
Ropar was unable to do a ranged attack and merely rushed in with its greatsword, but it became clear
that each blow damaged the Hydra. Kodan and Scarlett promptly discovered this fact and started copy
the Lizardman’s actions, stabbing and cutting the monster, instead of using their Element Powers or
techniques.
Even though the Hydra had astonishing regenerative abilities, it did not mean its blood could be
recovered as quickly. It started to become clumsy and the attacks from the five heads became slower
after the increasing loss of blood.
Brendel, who was still attracting the bulk of the monster’s attention, found it easier and easier to avoid
the attacks. Soon enough, he found an opportunity to get closer to the monster’s right chest.
A deep breath was taken in before the Halran Gaia was swung.
A combination of Power Break and White Rave Sword Arte.
Muscles worked under the direction of his level 16 Aouine’s Military Swordsmanship, and a white
maelstrom was formed from the shockwave—
One of the youths thought a huge dragon had smashed into the Hydra.
A vertical hurricane tore into the Hydra’s already injured chest, dragging away flesh and blood into the
air. It did not end there as Halran Gaia added on to the technique, turning the ground into mud that
1814
reached ten meters deep. The Hydra desperately tried to claw its way up, but it was dragged down by
gravity.
When the technique was over, the landscape had changed entirely. The single slash made by Brendel
caused layers of earth to shift as though there was a huge landslide. The dying Hydra was half buried
under the soil as blood continued to spill from its wounds.
Brendel took a few more glances before he sheathed his sword.
The forest was silent.
Brendel went over to Dia and Felaern, instructing them to clear the poisonous air with wind magic as he
imbibed an antidote potion. After it was done, he told the youths to investigate the surroundings for
treasure.
They were quite reluctant to go near the Hydra. The monster’s strength had surpassed their
understanding, and they could not believe how big it was when they approached it. It was difficult to
understand how a person could defeat this creature.
They debated amongst themselves fiercely, and there were those brave enough to poke the crystal-like
scales. Everything was unfamiliar to them.
Kodan was eventually sent along with them to find the Hydra’s nest. Monsters did not drop any
equipment, but perhaps there were things that could be used in its nest.
The next thing that Brendel did was to get Felaern to pry the scales down from its chest. The rule of
having a lucky babe looting something must never be changed, despite the lack of equipment drops.
The scales of a Hydra’s front chest were called Hydra’s Blessing. They were green in color, unlike its back
where the scales were as black as ink. Brendel knew that these unique scales could be used in many
places, and they were important Alchemy materials.
[A shame that I have to use my full strength to damage the Hydra. Only thirty scales are pulled out. At
most it’s enough to make a magic armor.]
He made plans for the materials gained.
1815
Chapter 117 – The nest (1)
Brendel filled up several full bottles of the Hydra’s blood.
As usual, Kodan split the youths up into six groups. The deeper they entered the Dark Forest, the more
they found the place to be unaffected by winter. Trentheim was undergoing a harsh season where
everything was barren because of the cold, yet the temperature in the Dark Forest was increasing the
more they traveled south.
The group led by Carglise discovered a cave next to a steep slope covered with green moss, which was
behind a hill approximately two miles away.
The group followed the slope all the way down to the valley, and discovered the cave under massive
boulders that were hundreds of meters tall. After the youths parted the overgrown vines that hung down
from the boulders, they discovered the putrid nest’s entrance.
Carglise obeyed Brendel’s orders not to search it; they reported back to him. The latter stopped tinkering
with the Alchemy tools on his hands and sent out a signal into the air to get the others to gather.
Soon enough, he and his men went through the thick vegetation and went down to the valley. The
formation of the land was indeed as reported by Carglise’s messenger. It seemed like the boulders were
actually sections of a cliff collapsing onto the ground, but that was probably at a few years ago. The white
boulders were covered with green vegetation.
The number of leaves in the valley was as much as one would expect in the summer. Not far away from
the cave was a waterfall going past the cliffs.
Brendel found Carglise and his men near the waterfall lake. Merial had twisted her leg when they entered
the valley, and she was sitting down on the rocks with a few men caring for her.
Brendel knew that Merial was a bishop at the first glance, but when he saw that she bared her lower leg,
he found it to be elegantly shaped and surprisingly white, though her foot was slightly swollen.
He did a double take before he went to Carglise and tapped his pauldron, whispering: “Is your friend
really a man?”
Carglise shook his head: “My lord, you should know that there is no gender amongst the chosen children
of the gods in the Flame Scriptures. As long as one wears the robes, there is no difference if there are
additional bumps anywhere.”
1816
Carglise gave a filthy smile, pointed at his chest and replied in a crude direct manner learned from the
military school.
Brendel coughed once and asked: “So you mean your friend is a woman?”
Carglise shrugged: “I didn’t say anything about gender, did I? The first time I saw Merial, well, she had
already worn the robes. If she’s not wearing her bishop uniform, then she would be wearing clothes for a
male. I think only her parents and her nanny knows about this secret. Her father wanted her to become a
member of the Church.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
Carglise laughed mysteriously before he replied: “My lord, let us search the cave.”
Brendel nodded, glancing at Merial one more time as she got up to follow the crowd, before he brought
his men into the valley and headed for the cave. He was at the forefront and parted the vines hanging
below the massive boulders. Lizards scampered away in fright as he walked through the cave.
The ceiling was approximately seventeen meters high. The waterfall was close to the cave, and there was
refracted light at the entrance, showing off the colors of a rainbow.
“It’s quite pretty,” Amandina could not help but utter a gasp when she saw the rainbow. had one of her
hand held by Brendel when they entered the cave. She felt at ease in her heart.
“Pretty is pretty, but the smell is a little awful.” Carglise was pinching his nose awkwardly with his fingers
through his gauntlets.
A horrible stench that could make someone sick to their stomach was wafting out towards everyone’s
noses. Eyes stared into the cave, but only darkness came back. No one knew how deep the cave was.
Brendel pulled out Halran Gaia and his men did the same, causing a series of metallic clangs to ring out.
Kodan moved towards the front as he lit up a torch instead of drawing up a sword. The ground was
uneven and there were loose rocks which had long shadows because of the light, seemingly pointing
towards the darkness.
“Look over there. Hmm, the geology of this place is really bizarre. It’s amazing how the Hydra was able to
find this place and build a nest.” Kodan pointed to the largest opening.
The walls were cracked near where Kodan was pointing and there was a huge pit leading deeper into the
earth.
1817
[The entrance to the Hydra nest? It seems like it was here before the massive boulders crashed down. If I
have to take a guess, this place was originally where the waterfall basin was. The water would have
eroded this place to form a large hole. What are the chances for an entrance to be made like this?]
The cave’s formation was indeed a little bizarre.
He raised his hand to get everyone to move over to the pit which was large enough for the Hydra to enter.
The vile stench was indeed coming from it. There were green spots on the walls; they were possibly
wilted moss which came about when water used to pour through the pit.
Though the group was standing beside the pit, they did not enter it immediately. Kodan brought the torch
to the hole, but he could only see darkness. It was difficult to tell how deep it was. Scarlett silently tossed
a large rock into the pit.
A large crashing sound echoed after several seconds.
The majority of the youths glanced at each other, wondering if they were going to be sent in.
Brendel tapped the pit’s stony entrance with his sword before speaking he spoke to Amandina: “I’ll go
down to take a look, the rest of you wait for me here.”
“My lord,” Carglise stood in his way, “I think it is best for us to go first.”
Brendel patted his shoulders and laughed: “When I’m going to use you as my runners I will definitely do
so, but your experience in this place cannot compare to me.”
He turned to Felaern with a radiant smile: “Felaern, you’re with me.”
The older Wild Elf sister blinked several times before she placed her hand on her chest: “Me?”
Her face was suffused with displeasure: “I’m an Elementalist, my lord.”
“That’s not a problem. You forgot that your task is to clean up the battlefield. Don’t worry, I’ll protect
you.”
“……”
Brendel had to agree that the lucky babe’s luck was still working as usual. The pit was over a hundred
meters deep, but Brendel saw something wonderful as soon as he landed on the cave’s ground.
1818
The depths of the pit was a vast space. It was clear that this was indeed the Hydra’s nest. There was a
mountain of decaying meat and bones, and at the corner was a bunch of dried tree branches. In the gaps
of the tree branches, he found a large quantity of armor and weapon fragments.
[Is that possibly—]
This ordinary metal was not of interest to him, but what truly drew his attention was a pair of metal
gloves slotted with fiery-red gems.
Felaern came floating down with a pair of Wings of Wind. She flitted the giant pair of wings that were
glowing green once before undoing her magic. She scanned her surroundings, but the pair of gloves also
caught her eyes when Brendel rushed over to it.
However, she did not make any inquiries about it. Based on her knowledge of her lord, he would tell her if
he wanted to.
Green words rolled out neatly in Brendel’s eyes the moment he picked up the golden metal gloves.
– Crimson blessing, Bahamut’s grasp
– Gloves
– +2 Armor Defense
– +5 Fire Shield Defense
– 10% Fire additional damage with each attack
– Grants the ability [Advanced Magic Formation]
Brendel praised the gods loudly in his mind. This was indeed the legendary gloves of alchemy. Even
though it’s just a Fantasy rating, the gamers called it the ‘The Godly Artifact of Fantasy’. It was a pun on
how it was the best item amongst the Fantasy-rated items, and also stated that it was even rarer to find
compared to a real Godly-rated item.
Obviously, it was just a pay-to-win item to certain gamers, but gaining this item legitimately was one out
of a million. Brendel could never believe that he would be able to get one just by going on his first
adventure. It was like picking up a million dollars lottery ticket that he had to fish out of a drain, at least
in comparison to killing a Hydra and gaining this item for his troubles.
He was about to wear the gloves when she heard Felaern whisper: “My lord, look over there.”
Felaern was pointing at a bunch of pearly-white balls which the size of a coconut. Brendel could hardly
believe his eyes when he saw twenty to thirty just at the tip of the nest. There had to be more inside.
1819
[Holy shit! I’m rich! Hydra eggs! Over a hundred!]
The value of the eggs could buy the entire Trentheim. Brendel’s heart started beating loudly. These eggs
were the rough equivalent of a treasure vault containing priceless treasures in his eyes. He stared blankly
at them before turning around to Felaern, took in a deep breath and spoke:
“Quick, get everyone down here. We need to get these eggs out of here!”
Chapter 117 – The Nest (2)
The youths who entered the pit by descending down the rope immediately shrieked:
“Urgh, this smell…..”
“I’m dying!”
“Gods above, this is really poison!”
“Silence!” Scarlett bellowed in an authoritative manner, but she frowned as well. The stench was
overwhelming.
If the Hydra they faced earlier was a person, it must be the most disgusting and laziest person. The nest
seemed like it was a giant pit of feces that would induce anyone to puke out their guts. It was not wrong
to say it was poison; Amandina who had the weakest constitution vomited a few times. If Merial did not
cast a purification spell on her, she would have fainted.
Kodan was the last person to descend to the pit. Since Brendel was wearing a pair of glowing gauntlets,
Kodan’s eyes went over to it, immediately discovering the crimson rubies slotted on them. The shape of
each individual link to the metal gauntlets could only be described as dignified.
“Is this the legendary Bahamut’s Grasp…..?”
Brendel was incredibly pleased and put on a beaming smile: “You guessed correctly, grandmaster Kodan.”
“Are these truly the legendary gauntlets which the hero, Sutherland, used before?” Kodan stared at the
gloves with all his attention drawn to them, repeating his question: “Not a fake or replica?”
Sutherland was one of the most famous Alchemists in history. However, that was not the reason why he
was well-known. It was because he was also a Dragon Knight. He was cherished by the Fire Dragon King,
Bahamut, and the songs about him and his dragon’s travels were still sung by bards even in this era.
But the most famous aspect about Sutherland was not his identity as a Dragon Knight or an Alchemist, it
was his gauntlets.
1820
These gauntlets were blessed by Bahamut and given to Sutherland as a symbol of their friendship. It was
also why they were called Bahamut’s Grasp.
“They are real.” Brendel clenched and unclenched his right fist, allowing the rivets to make a slightly
grating noise as the metal bits rubbed against each other.
“How do you know that it’s the real thing?” Kodan looked suspiciously at the gauntlets. He could not
believe that Brendel’s luck would be able to bend fate. Just randomly entering a cave would allow him to
obtain a legendary equipment that was used by a hero?
The legends about Sutherland were nearly three hundred years ago, and the gauntlets disappeared after
that. Did it disappear along with the hero, or had it been passed down to others? It was a question that no
one could answer.
It was impossible to find out how it ended here.
Everyone’s attention was on Brendel when they heard Kodan’s words, but the youth did not explain any
further. He merely grasped his sword’s hilt firmly before pulling it out.
Flames poured out from the gauntlets, covering his right hand and Halran Gaia. He raised his sword
above his head, illuminating the entire pit.
The youths stared at Brendel with slack jaws. Kodan’s eyes were also widened but he tried forcefully to
hold on to his viewpoint despite losing track of time for a while:
“There are many different types of enchantment that are similar to it…… Flame Favor, Fiery Grasp, it’s not
necessarily blessed by a dragon.”
Brendel swung his sword. The flames vibrated and created a sound that was like a dragon’s roar At the
end of his swing, they turned into a Dragon which rushed towards the wall. An explosion rang out, and
the walls shook as dust and sand rain down for a moment.
Kodan was completely convinced that it was the Crimson Favor after seeing the might of the flames. Only
the Favor of a dragon would create such firepower and shape.
Brendel extinguished the flames on his hand and returned Halran Gaia to his sheath: “But the dragon’s
flames are not the strongest feature of the Crimson Favor. Do you know what other identity Sutherland
has?”
“Of course,” Kodan’s mind was not composed yet when he realized that the legendary gauntlets were
before him, and he calmed himself before answering, “he’s an alchemist.”
“Indeed. The symbol of their friendship, the Crimson Favor, is said to be the perfect equipment for him.
However, the strongest spell in this gauntlets is not the flames, but something else—”
1821
Brendel took out a Hydra’s Blessed Scale. He turned over his hand to allow his palm to face up, and a
Magic Formation immediately lit up above it.
Every ruby on the gauntlets dazzled with light and the scale that was placed on his palm started to float.
In an instant the scale seemed to receive thousands of degrees in heat, softening in mid-air to become a
liquid before separating turning into drops of crystal that were green and red.
He continued to manipulate the Magic Formation and the crystal drops started to converge together to
slowly form into a crimson dagger.
The surface of the dagger started to cool down visibly with the naked eye. Ripples ran across it as it
gradually hardened, as though someone was hammering on its surface and causing it to vibrate. Finally,
the dagger was completely cooled down and the red metal turned into a black-green color.
Brendel grabbed the dagger’s hilt as it dropped neatly into his palm.
“See that?” The youth smiled and asked as though he did something praiseworthy.
Kodan could not help but draw in a deep breath despite the awful stench. He knew that it was Alchemy,
but the Alchemy that he knew was certainly not as miraculous as what Brendel did. In the continent,
Alchemy was a secret art circulated amongst the upper-class nobles, witches, and related professions.
Perhaps commoners might view it as a mysterious magic that could do anything, but in truth, Alchemy
was a strict technique that combined Mana and unique materials.
Witches could create different types of potions in a bubbling pot of green liquid, while Galbu’s wizard
craftsmen would use their knowledge to carve sigils on their weapons and armors, allowing their
equipment to take on powerful magic.
But each creation took time and detailed work, with the exception of simple materials that required
proprietary magic. The majority of the work done from Alchemy required a quiet location with a
complete set of tools.
Brendel had skipped every single step, even the need for a blacksmith, and created a dagger with his
materials.
“W-what is this…..” Kodan stared blankly at the dagger.
“An Advanced Magic Formation. To tell the truth, the Blood Magic Formation which is currently banned,
was actually researched from this technique. Galbu’s wizards have a complete set of data on it, but they
won’t be able to compare the Gauntlet’s Magic Formation— Hmm, with the Dragon’s divine blessing
added into this, the Advanced Magic Formation’s quality is actually increased.
1822
Usually, a typical Advanced Magic Formation can only create level 10 items and lower, and there’s also a
limit in producing magical artifacts because one can only enchant it on the surface. But these gauntlets is
capable of reproducing items to level 13 and below, and enchant the material’s body.”
Kodan did not understand what the levels meant, but he did understand the rules behind it. Brendel was
able to manipulate the material that was limited by the normal Advanced Magic Formation.
The old swordsman heard of the term ‘Magic Formation’ before, thus the mysterious aspect about
Brendel was greatly reduced.
“I understand the process roughly, but I actually think that the Dragon’s flames are more useful than this
Alchemy thing.”
[…… This old fool. What is the use of your eyes if you can’t see the value. This Alchemy thing is the
equivalent to Aouine’s revenue for an entire year. It costs seven billion Tor coins in the game!]
Brendel’s eyes of delight turned to annoyance. An NPC certainly had a different line of thinking compared
to a gamer. Which gamer would want to be stuck in a laboratory all day? This item was naturally a godly
artifact for them.
He briefly considered telling Kodan how much it really cost. The youth could not but feel a little pity for
his gauntlets and patted it, but his thoughts were pulled away from one of the youth’s voice.
“My lord, are these the monster’s eggs?”
Kodan felt like he had been struck by lightning. After entering the Dark Forest, he thought he would not
be able to be surprised any longer after killing off a Hydra and finding the Crimson Blessing, but to find
Poison Hydra’s eggs?
[Marsha Above, is this young man going to gain one of the strongest War Beasts around? Once they
mature, they would be standing on the top of a Gold-ranked class!]
He immediately turned around to search for them, “Eggs? Whe—”
He stopped speaking and clutched his forehead, wondering if he was dreaming. He could see a great
number of eggs placed into the Hydra’s nest, possibly more than a hundred.
“Eggs….. from that five-headed Hydra?” He asked Brendel to confirm it.
Brendel nodded. His reaction was just like Kodan’s when he saw them for the first time too. The value of
the eggs had more practical use to him right now compared to the gauntlets.
“You…… What do you intend to do with all these eggs?” Kodan turned his head back stiffly to Brendel.
Chapter 117 – The Nest (3)
1823
“How should I handle them?” Brendel repeated the question to himself.
This was indeed a question. The sudden wealth made him feel that it was unsafe no matter where they
were put. He had to lead his men further into to the forest to find Valhalla, but it was unsafe to leave the
eggs here.
“Boy, I suggest for you to send these eggs back to Firburh,” Kodan said with a slow and grave voice.
“No, I can’t do that.” Brendel considered carefully. Valhalla’s worth could not be gauged and was worth
more than the eggs.
Kodan stared incredulously at him: “Is there something else in the Dark Forest that has more value than
these eggs?”
“I thought about this for a while. It’s best to leave some men behind.”
“Leave people behind?” The old swordsman shook his head repeatedly: “Who? This is the Dark Forest.”
“It’s precisely because it’s the Dark Forest that no outsiders would come here. Weaker monsters won’t
approach this place because the Hydra’s nest foul smell makes it seem like the Hydra’s still here. The
strong monsters have their own territory and would not easily change their locations. Furthermore, this
is still the outer section of the Dark Forest. The Hydra is standing at the top of the food chain here.”
Kodan suddenly became alert: “Why are you explaining so much to me? Are you planning something?”
Brendel grinned.
Kodan said exasperatedly: “I have never recognized myself to be part of your group. Are you not afraid
that I would run away with these eggs? Certainly bringing all of them away isn’t possible, but I can simply
take one or two away.”
“Well now, Grandmaster Kodan, this is the Dark Forest. Is it possible for you to find your way out without
the Druids?” Brendel coughed.
The old man was immediately at a loss for words, and his eyebrows were raised: “What, are you
threatening me again?”
Brendel hurriedly shook his head: “Of course not, it’s just a joke. I actually plan to leave a group of Fire
Claw Lizardmen here. They should be sufficient to handle any beasts that come in by accident. Having
them stay here is just a precaution.”
“Hmph. That sounds much better. Don’t joke with me if you have nothing better to do, boy!” Kodan said.
However, he found himself slightly disappointed when Brendel said that. It proved that the youth did not
trust him.
1824
The two of them continued to talk until a commotion stopped their conversation. Brendel found one of
the youths rushing to him in a panic.
[This person is under Carglise’s group? Did they find something?]
Brendel had sent the youths to inspect the tunnels within the pit during his conversation with Kodan.
Since this pit was the former waterfall basin, the tunnels were originally rivers. He sent them out to
investigate if there were any other materials. If it was Firelight Moss, it might explain the scout’s
astonishment, since they could grow as far as a football field.
“M-my lord….. C-captain Carglise, wants you to take a look for yourself……” The person who reported to
Brendel said breathlessly.
Brendel and Kodan exchanged glances. What could that fellow Carglise be up to?
But Brendel nodded and gestured for the youth to bring them over.
The tunnel they entered was long and narrow, and one could see that the walls were smooth, proving
that water had once flowed through here.
He studied the walls carefully to ensure that there were no other signs of creatures living here. They did
not have any spider webs. While there were rodents and small creatures scuttering, they were not a
threat to them.
It would be quite dangerous if a Tentacle Horror suddenly attacked them in this enclosed area.
After walking through the tunnel for several minutes, a light appeared in front of him. There were only
four youths resting, and Brendel remembered that half of Carglise’s men were left behind to take care of
Merial.
When these youths saw Brendel, they stood up immediately to greet him:
“My lord!” Lord Macsen’s lawless son rubbed his hands, as though he found a difficult problem. “We
discovered something that we can’t handle.”
“Can’t handle? What’s the situation?”
“How should I explain it……” Carglise’s expression was incredibly odd: “I can’t explain it with words.”
Brendel wondered what this fearless youth had seen to make him look like the sky had crashed to the
earth.
[If he’s pulling my leg and there’s nothing here…… Ha ha ha…… I wonder what I should do with you.]
Though he secretly wondered if there was a football field of Firelight Moss.
1825
“In any case, my lord, let us go and have a look.” Carglise coughed and answered, moving to the side and
having his hand pointing towards the darkness.
Brendel nodded and headed for the tunnel’s exit. There was glowing light and he became was slightly
mystified. Did the material he was thinking about really grow here?
When he finally left the exit and came to a larger opening, he opened his mouth slightly and was instantly
spellbound. Or perhaps it would be more appropriate to describe him as being struck by a petrification
spell.
Dazzling glowing lights filled his eyes. It was a crystal mine.
And it was a crystal mine that he could not see an end to.
========= Ciel’s POV =========
It seemed like Brendel accurately predicted his enemy’s actions. The south of Trentheim was completely
peaceful ever since he left for the Dark Forest for a week, and there were no signs of a future battle
happening.
However, the north of Trentheim was experiencing things differently. Tagiv and his clan members
seemed like they had become addicted to their raids, and harassed Lord Palas’s men even more than
before. Even though they were sometimes ambushed by the latter, the armies of Lord Palas were
incredibly worn out by them.
While these men were busy dealing with Tagiv’s tribe, Firburh was considerably free of such hassles.
Romaine checked the accounts one more time before she became bored. Just like how Brendel had
predicted, she was remarkably disciplined and subdued, except that she went to a certain bar and sat in
there in the afternoon till it was sunset. Based on her explanation, it was a place where Brendel often
went and she wanted to take his place.
Everyone closed an eye when she did that; it was good enough as long as she did not break the city down.
Bosley did not care if she tore the city apart as long as his workshop was safe. He sat on the balcony of a
building near it and was taking out his pipe to smoke. However, no matter how much he tried to light it
up, none of the sparks went into the pipe.
When two or three sparks finally landed in the pipe, they went out. It was an unnatural event—
He raised his head and indeed discovered Ciel wearing a light purple robe and grinning from a short
distance away. He grumbled and complained under his breath:
“This damned wizard!”
1826
But he did not dare to utter his words out loud. He could argue with Brendel, but wizards were
mysterious people. Who knew if they cursed people in their sleep if they got insulted?
Bosley raised his head up and sighed: “Very well, Lord Ciel, what matter do you have to come and look for
these old bones? Or did you come here to make fun of a pitiful man like me?”
“No, no, of course not, I’m here to discuss something with you,” Ciel shook his head hastily.
“What matter is it?”
“My lord has given me an order.”
“Hmm?” Bosley knew that the young wizard might have a way to contact the young lord.
“I am talking about—” Ciel thought for a while, before deciding on a gentler tone to describe the chain of
events, otherwise the old man might be shocked to his death: “Grandmaster Bosley, what do you think of
the possibility of creating a path to the Dark Forest?”
“Opening a path?” Bosley looked puzzled at him for a while: “Ah, I understand, you want to get some
resources from the Dark Forest, right? That’s a little troublesome. Even if you invest in it there might not
be an income, there’s nothing good in the Dark Forest, and maintaining such a road would cost a lot……
I’m afraid that even Trentheim cannot afford it.”
“If it’s an order that must be accomplished even with deaths?”
“Has he gone crazy!” Bosley suddenly paused as he realized the Grandmaster Wizard in front of him was
Brendel’s squire and he quickly changed his tone: “That would depend on how deep the road is. I believe
a day or two’s journey should not be a big problem.”
“My lord says that he needs a safe path up to the distance of a week’s journey.”
“Impossible!” Bosley nearly jumped up.
1827
Chapter 118 – The end of the flourishing flowers
Even though Bosley claimed that the materials in the Dark were not useful, he knew it was simply untrue.
He did not have much knowledge in paving a road, but he understood the Dark Forest very well and knew
that it was too dangerous, despite the materials’ usefulness to his work.
“That would certainly be quite troubling.” Ciel shook his head as he spoke.
“What are you not saying?” Bosley suddenly felt the wizard was insinuating something.
“My lord….. He found a Greater Mana crystal mine in a tunnel that used to be a river…… But based on your
words, Grandmaster Bosley, it’s impossible to make it ours.”
“A Mana Crystal Mine!” The old man really jumped up this time: “Are you serious!”
“No, I mean to say it’s a Greater Mana crystal mine,” Ciel hurriedly corrected him: “But based on my lord’s
observation, there might be Starmetal and Cold Iron, with the possibility of other types of minerals.”
“An iron mine……” Bosley’s voice was cracking.
“Yes, iron too, I suppose, but you’re forgetting the Star Metal and Cold Iron.”
“H-how big is it?”
“My lord isn’t sure. They spend two days searching through the mines, but they are still unable to reach
the end. Since there isn’t much time to spare, he could only map how big the area is in the future.”
“Two days, and they still could not reach the end?” Bosley felt it was difficult to breathe. There were three
Gold-ranked fighters in his group, and they still could not reach the end? Just how big were the mines?
He suddenly thought of another thing, and he paled: “Is it an open quarry?”
“No, it’s underground.”
Bosley sighed with relief and felt it was a slight pity: “I thought you meant that they explored out in the
open for two days and could not reach the end of the mining area. Mining is a professional job. You mean
to say that our lord is mining in the place for two days and could not reach the end of the mining area?”
1828
“No, no, no,” Ciel shook his head: “it’s difficult to describe it, but it’s not wrong to describe it as a quarry.
The underground cave they are exploring right now used to be a river, and the area is completely filled
with minerals.”
“Is that truly so!”
Bosley’s hand opened up and the pipe that had accompanied him for years dropped off from the balcony,
shattering into pieces.
But he did not mind it at all and grabbed Ciel’s collar without caring that he was a wizard, shouting:
“You’re saying there’s a mining area that no one knows how big it is, has a Greater Mana Crystal mine, as
well as large quantities of rare metal for us to mine?”
“Shhhh, lower your voice, lower it.” Ciel hurriedly put a finger up his lips: “Surely you don’t want this
secret to be leaked out to Count Randner right?”
Bosley felt a cold dread and looked at his surroundings cautiously, but he immediately turned back at
Ciel: “Are you serious? That’s wonderful, the White Lion Armor won’t be a problem anymore!”
“Hold on,” Ciel pretended to look like he did not understand: “Grandmaster Bosley, the place is quite the
far distance away from Firburh. Based on your words, I’m afraid it’s going to take a long while before we
can mine that area.”
“Bullshit!” Bosley patted his chest with bloodshot eyes, gritting his teeth: “Leave it to me, even if these old
bones fall apart on this matter, I will make it a success! Marsha above, a mining area that’s already open
for us!”
“That won’t do at all, Grandmaster Bosley, if anything happens to you Lord Brendel would have my head,
especially if he knows I agreed.”
Bosley stared at him with a scoff: “Hmph, don’t worry about it. I won’t do it alone and I can’t do it alone
too. I’ll get my students to help me out, but this will take time.”
He apparently put in a great amount of determination to make use of his connections. The mining area
was certainly a fatal attraction to a master blacksmith like him.
“We can start by getting people to harvest some Mana crystals first. These things are worth much more
compared to silver. It would be easy if we have money.”
Grandmaster Bosley suddenly glared at Ciel from the corner of his eyes: “Hold on, did you set me up from
the start?”
1829
“What!” Ciel feigned surprise and had an innocent voice: “Of course not. I think that it’s a good idea but if
you didn’t agree, I was thinking of getting the Subterrane Dwellers to help out, it’s just that I’m not sure if
Tagiv is willing to help out.”
Bosley looked suspiciously at the fellow before him, increasingly believing that the damned wizard had
dug a trap and let him jump into it all by himself. The fact that he would get his students involved now
made him feel like he was going to faint, because he recalled to a certain moment where he refused to get
them involved to help Brendel,
Ciel did not notice Bosley’s regretful looks. He was busy thinking about how he could get Tagiv to hand
over more of his men to handle this task. It was not going to be easy to fulfill this order that his lord gave
him.
Creating a road to the Dark Forest.
It was a major effort which Aouine had not done for centuries.
=========== Brendel’s POV ============
While Bosley and Ciel were determined to carve a road by first getting the Subterrane Dwellers to reach
the Dark Forest, Brendel and his men continued their adventure without stopping.
Based on the calendar, December was the month that represented potential. Astrologists believed that
babies born in this month would possess great potential, but in the witches’ ancient prophecies, the word
‘potential’ referred to powers that were asleep.
The final month of the year was also the definition of waking up; It was lighting up the Fire of wisdom in
the darkness and an allusion to the civilization’s flames. It was the month that bid farewell to the year.
In most of the historic doctrines of the various religious groups, this was the largest festival for the next
year. The people would celebrate it, and the duration would last for seven days. However, for a
flourishing city like Ampere Seale, the celebration would extend for two months.
Brendel and his group certainly did not have much of a festive mood within the dark Wilderness, but
Felaern who went on adventurers most of her life, acted as the leader behind the scenes and distributed a
small ginger biscuit to everyone every day, including Ropar and his men to celebrate the final month.
The journey to reach the Loop of Trade Winds’s outer area finally ended during midnight. The youths
gathered around the campfire and sang their hometown folksongs, and their lyrics described the
yearning for past memories, as well as moving forward towards the future.
The songs reached everyone’s hearts, and the difficulty of traveling in the Dark Forest was turned into
memories as the campfire’s smoke rose up to the black skies.
1830
The youths felt themselves maturing in this journey.
The ginger biscuits were distributed to everyone again, and Brendel passed his own to Dia. The younger
Wild Elf sister seemed very fond of it. It was not a local delicacy in the Lopes region, and she ate it with
relish with crumbs still sticking to her lips. She smiled sweetly at Brendel as she held on to his biscuit in
her other hand.
“It seems like Dia is more fond of me,” Brendel said to Felaern who was standing behind him, who merely
looked at her younger sister without responding.
She also reserved her own ginger biscuit to give it to her younger sister. Even though she was strict, she
did look out for her.
“Felaern wouldn’t care to pick a fight with you.” Amandina also handed her biscuit over to Dia, smiling
while she spoke. They were in a clearing where they could see the sky, and she felt her relaxed, which
was a rare occasion. It was the last day of the year, and the events that happened were so numerous that
she could not remember all of them.
This was the Year of the Bustling Flowers and Summer Leaves.
Dia kept her biscuits in a pouch. There was already a small bundle, and she looked at them with shiny
eyes.
Scarlett who was leaning against a tree branch looked at the biscuit in her hand, thought for a moment,
and went over to place it in Dia’s hands.
“Thank you, Scarlett.” Dia said sweetly.
The red-haired girl patted her head in response.
Brendel did not reply to Amandina, or mind Felaern’s taciturn attitude and simply smiled. He looked up
at the night sky for a moment. There was no wind and the leaves did not rustle. The environment was
completely quiet save for the singing.
The brightest star was said to be Marsha’s, and he looked at it as the year passed by. He would always
remember how he came to this world in April and saw the same starry sky in Bucce. The events that
happened made him recall all the people that he encountered. They came and went in his mind, but the
people of Bucce stayed in his mind.
[The next year will be the Year of the Swords. The upcoming bloody civil war will soon feel the effects of
the Great Mana Wave. It’s not as chaotic as the future wars or the cause of Aouine’s demise, but this
kingdom’s foundations will start to shake.]
1831
The path of the stars changed and showed signs of swords. Thus the astrologists named the year as Year
of the Swords, and heroes were born as if to answer this destiny.
Swords represented conquest.
They were murderous weapons that caused people to bleed.
It was the year where Aouine’s tumultuous civil war started, and the year where gamers wrote their own
legends.
[This is the year that decides the future of Aouine. The time is near. Aouine either regains its former glory
or continue down its original path to the abyss.]
The young lord stood up and went over to look at the Loop of Trade Winds beneath him.
The landscape caused the circulation of the winds to form a massive loop, entering from the southern
forest of Mountain Karanjar, then passing through the islands until it went up to build a wall of clouds. It
was as if an ancient beast was lying right before him.
1832
Chapter 119 – Loop of Trade Wind (1)
=========== Aouine Military officer Nordas’s POV =========
Nordas had a dream. He was surrounded by waves of undead in the endless Wilderness. The skeletons
were dark yellow in color, with fiery eyes burning in their sockets, charging straight at him from the
darkness.
His allies fell one by one, his camp struck full of arrows, and there were corpses everywhere when he
looked around. Aouine’s battle flag was split in the middle as though it was bowed in defeat, not even
moving a little.
Heaven and Earth seemed to swallow him whole till the last moment—
And he woke up from his dream. He yelled loudly and sat upright on a soft reed bed. The early morning
within the Dark Forest brought about a hint of coldness, but when he felt his back he realized it was full of
perspiration and his pallid forehead was full of thin sweat beads.
He gasped for a while before he finally gained his composure, raised his head to find a ray of morning
light streaming through the small room’s window—
No, the room was the hollow interior of a giant tree, and the window was carved out by removing its
bark.
The room’s furniture was very simple and mostly made out of wood. In fact, several of them were carved
out of the tree with several vines hanging down above.
Nordas clutched his forehead, realizing that he was no longer on that battlefield. He was rescued by
strange men and sent to this place. It had been several months, but he still had these nightmares.
He took in a deep breath and stood up shakily, before realizing there were boisterous noises outside the
room. He was puzzled as the village had always been quiet.
[Did something happen? Or has the Festival of Revival started?]
Nordas walked towards the window and cast a curious gaze outside—
========== Brendel’s POV ============
1833
The Druids built a setThe Great Elder weighed Brendel’s words without speaking. Valhalla was an ancient
legend in the Loop of Trade Winds where warriors spent their eternal rest. It also contained one of the
primeval Fire Seeds. As long as the Fire Seed was lit up, the Laws of the Karanjar’s landscape would be
rebuilt, and become a blessed land that was likely to be as wide as the Kirrlutz empire.
The Blackthorn’s Druids guarded this secret for generations. They also wanted to enter the Loop of Trade
Winds to discover the truth behind the strange wind currents.
Valhalla was like a legend, there were signs of it appearing and disappearing, but the countless Druids
that went into the Karanjar mountains was unable to find anything. The only thing that they found thus
far was the ruins located in the center of the Loop of Trade Winds.
However, the Great Elder knew clearly that Andellu and the other Druids discovered only the outer
sections of the ruins. Entering the center of the ruins meant that they had to brave the violent tempest.
No one was able to enter it.
“Brendel, I believe that Grey Raven has already informed you of the changes in the Loop of Trade Winds?”
The youth nodded. The change in the Loop of Trade Winds came from the Mana Wave’s ebbing flow. It
had possibly gone longer than just a few days.
“He has downplayed the truth; the troubles that we encountered are far greater than we told you.” The
Grand Elder explained.
Brendel observed the eighteen Druids in the hall silently. All the high ranking Druids in this region were
present. If they had to seek an outsider for help, their troubles were certainly much bigger than he
thought.
However, he did not take advantage of the situation and quietly waited with a nod. His humble attitude
made the Great Elder believe he could be trusted.
“The Loop of Trade Winds originates from the Karanjar’s eastern peninsula, loops around the mountain,
and is the most spectacular natural sight. The white clouds would form a wall that extends to the
southern Aouine. Even Trentheim and Vlaada would be able to witness it.”
“, Grandmaster Tulman’s work—” Brendel was slightly surprised upon hearing that excerpt.
He had the impression that the Druids did not know about the worldly affairs, but they were
knowledgeable about them after all. People merely did not know about this fact.
1834
The Great Elder nodded: “You are well read. The Circle of Skies is a loose group and the Druids in it act on
various tasks. They have observed the Dark Forest for a very long time. As for us, the council of
Blackthorn, we have guarded the secret of the Loop of Trade Winds for generations.”
He looked past the trees’ crowns and stared at the wall of white clouds that reached tens of thousands
meters long. It extended endlessly while birds flew below it like black dots.
“The patch of Dark Forest located in Trentheim’s south has always been touted as ‘The Wilderness closest
to civilization’. Trentheim rarely receives the invasion of monsters, and it is equally rare to see a monster
straying at the forest’s edge.”
Brendel agreed with the assessment. The gamers would not enter the Dark Forest if it was overly
aggressive and excessively difficult. They would not have been able to enter the heart of the Karanjar
mountains as well.
“The reason for that stability is due to the Laws of the Loop of Trade Winds, isn’t it?”
The Druids were shocked when Brendel stated his conclusion.
Brendel ignored their shock: “It’s been a month since we entered the Dark Forest. There were two
lightning storms, a day of snow, elven sunny days, three days of extreme heat, and the rest were cloudy
days. There was a week where there were less than six hours of sun, while there was a day with no night.
These supernatural events happen more when one goes further into the Dark Forest…… And yet in this
illogical Wilderness, there’s a wind that’s unchanging and reaches the Karanjar Peninsula the entire year,
bringing along sufficient rainwater as well. Doesn’t it mean there are hidden Laws?”
The Great Elder’s staff dropped onto the ground with a clatter, but he did not bend his waist to pick it up
and merely stared at Brendel with a complicated expression: “…… You, do understand this place very
well.”
“Indeed, as you have guessed,” the Elder stopped for a moment before he continued: “We discovered that
the Laws from the Loop of Trade Winds stabilizes the Dark Forest, but the situation has changed
recently.”
“What exactly are the changes?”
“We used to be able to enter the Loop of Trade Winds, but it has become dangerous. There is strong
activity of monsters lurking everywhere in the forest, and the Ancient Trees are not giving us any
directions…… And in that location…… that location……”
The Grand Elder was struggling to find an appropriate description:
1835
“Seems to be shrouded in a huge fog. One cannot see or hear anything. The people who went outside the
settlement were attacked and became injured, but fortunately, there are no deaths.”
“I see, so this is why you are afraid that it’s a sign. The Laws around the Loop of Trade Winds are
weakening slowly, and once that happens, the stability of the Karanjar Peninsula would be gone. The
rampaging mana from the Mana Waves would sweep across the entire area, and even Trentheim would
be affected. The Druids’ work throughout the ages would be destroyed.”
Brendel’s words went straight to the point. The Great Elder’s expression was grave and he nodded.
The current Aouine had no ability to handle the creatures in the south. Once the change happens to the
Karanjar Peninsula, the entire Trentheim, and perhaps even the Randner region would be turned into
Wilderness.
Brendel compared the possibility against his memories in the game: “Indeed, your hypothesis isn’t
wrong. But this problem isn’t without a solution.”
“There’s a solution?” Andellu blurted. The Elders tried coming up with solutions for half a month without
success, and the youth had one when the information was just relayed to him?
[I-Is he lying?]
“I’m the one who finds it strange. If you know about the Mana Wave, why wouldn’t you know about the
link between the two?”
The Great Elder was surprised: “You mean to say that the Laws of the Loop of the Trade Winds are
weakened by the Mana Wave?”
“Isn’t it obvious that there’s a pattern where the Laws weaken when the Mana Waves come?”
“Hold on! The Mana Waves only happened in the last century, and even during the Month of the Demonic
Moon where the Mana is strongest, there has never been an event like this!”
Brendel finally realized what the problem was: “Ah, I take it that you don’t know what the Waves of
Calamity are?”
“What is that?”
“Multiple Mana Waves that happen approximately every thousand years. The previous Waves of Calamity
happened in the Era of Chaos, and it’s going to happen again soon. The Loop of Trade Winds is currently
affected by it.”
1836
The Druids’ expressions changed. Monsters became more aggressive during heightened concentrations of
Mana. What would happen if an incredible burst of Mana surged over the region?
“Did you say multiple?! I remembered that you have spoken of that term before, but we equated it with a
single Mana Wave. Is it possible that the term is chosen because of multiple Mana Waves happening all at
once? What a blunder, I didn’t think that it would be so serious!”
[This is indeed serious. There are no gamers here to handle this event.]
Brendel glanced at Andellu: “Have you not contacted the other members of your Circle? I’m sure there is a
headquarters located in your Holy Land. Wouldn’t they keep the doctrines of the past centuries? Is there
truly no one who knew about the Waves of Calamity?”
The Great Elder wondered if the youth had some kind of ties with the Druids; the latter knew too much
about the Druids:
“Allow me to explain. For the Druids to communicate with each other, we would rely on the wind to pass
on messages. We would require at least a season to send and receive a reply. Furthermore, the next
season is Spring, the season of the Goddess Nia. When we receive our reply, it would be summer.”
“I see,” Brendel nodded, “then let us get back to the topic of solving this issue. I’m afraid that I can’t wait
until summer.”
“Do you have a solution, Lord Brendel?” The Great Elder changed his tone, causing the youth to scratch
his head when he heard the usage of his title again.
“The single solution that I know of, is to ensure the Laws don’t change even if the Waves of Calamity
happen.”
“You mean……?”
“Valhalla.”
tlement outside the Loop of Trade Winds called The Green Tower. It was somewhat of a city since as
there were thousands of people. There was a large amount of Centaurs, Tree Elves, and a small number of
Senia.
The Druids spent a long time living with other races. They had planted a type of ancient tree that grew
exceedingly quick, and resided within the branches of magical giant trees.
The settlement was built upon these gigantic trees some thirty meters above the ground, and it was
connected by countless vine bridges reinforced by Mana. They were interwoven together to make them
sturdier than stone bridges, and wooden planks were placed on top to make them flat.
1837
The druids lived a simple life despite the creation of the unique city, but the centaurs loved a vibrant city,
and decorated the bridges with lamps and crystal lights, causing it to seem like it was ablaze even in the
night.
The settlement also had different levels, a place to allow the Druids to gather, as well as nests for the
Giant Eagles.
The Druids and the Giant Eagles had been allies for centuries and treated each other as partners.
Brendel followed the Grand Druid Grey Raven and slowly went up the Vine bridges. It was at that
moment where he saw the large flying beasts dancing in the air. The crowns of the giant trees were like
their clouds as the eagles passed through the green canopies.
The centaurs that passed by Brendel wore shiny armor and wearing Sentinel Helmets. They had lived
together with the Druids for a considerably long time too. They were a race that lived for combat, and
their physical feats were even stronger than the Subterrane Dwellers.
But in the Dark Forest, they had to rely on the Druids to survive.
Drayds, Senians, Furbolg, Pegasi, and Unicorns also lived within the settlement. As long as they
worshipped the Goddess Nia, they would be the Druids’ guests. (TL: Senia = lycanthropes, Fulborg = bear
monster)
But the Druids were not in charge of the city’s daily operations. The leader of the centaurs, Zegnar, was in
charge of the Green Tower’s defenses, while the daily operations were managed by a council consisting of
a Tree Elf, Senian, and Furbolg.
The Druids lived in the upper level, and they had their own council, Blackthorn, to handle their internal
affairs. Their main task was to observe the Loop of Trade Winds, as well as the Dark Forest’s movements.
The Druids’ residence was much simpler compared to the town area. The Grand Druids created a
courtyard where it was centered around six different trees, and there were six different branches leading
out to six different halls. The center of the courtyard had a statue of the Goddess Nia, while the west hall
from the courtyard was the location of Blackthorn.
Two Elder Treants, the size of approximately six meters tall, held up their upper bodies with their hands
while sleeping. They seemed to be the hall’s guards but did not fulfill their responsibilities. However,
when Brendel approached them, the left Treant opened an eye to peek at the Grand Druid Grey Raven,
before closing it again.
The other Treant snored, its voice long and rustling as though it was a song from the ancient forest.
Grey Raven nodded at the Treants before he turned back and spoke to Brendel and his followers: “Please
follow me into the hall.”
1838
The youths under Brendel had been allocated in the settlement, and there were Tree Elves who were
fond of guests to entertain them. Kodan and Ropar were there to keep these energetic men in check.
The people behind Brendel currently were Amandina and Scarlett. They had never seen such a unique
place, and even Amandina who controlled her emotions well glanced around curiously.
The Blackthorn’s hall did not have any difference with their normal architecture. It was simple and
crafted from nature. Other than a few statues of the Ancestral Druids and Divine Beasts, there was no
additional decoration.
The pillars looked exposed in the strong winds as the gigantic tree branches had been dug hollow and its
bark removed, but the Ancient Trees’ vitality was very robust and their growth was not affected; the
pillars extended upwards to grow into new tree branches and leaves.
Brendel looked at the people standing in a circle in the great hall waiting for him.
Andellu was the first Elder Druid that he saw. There was a total of seventeen Druids, including a few
elderly men. However, Brendel sensed two Druids who were like the Grey Raven.
[Three Grand Druids, including Andellu. They certainly think highly of me.]
He could not help but think that when he realized this fact, but his thoughts were quickly interrupted by a
small figure rushing out from the side room, her long green hair swaying behind her and she jumped
straight into his arms.
“Brother Brendel!” Sifrid buried her head against his chest and called his name in delight.
As the person chosen by the Goddess Nia, she had foreseen that he was going to leave Firburh to reach
this place one day. After a month’s worth of waiting, she finally got to meet him.
Brendel had to take a moment before he recognized the little girl. Sifrid had grown a little taller and the
color of her face had become rosy.
[The Druids must have treated her well.]
Unfortunately, that was a misunderstanding. The Druids did not know how to take care of people, and
they left Sifrid’s livelihood to be taken care by the Tree Elves. Since it was the request of the Grand
Druids, the Tree Elves who were friendly by nature made doubly sure that her needs were taken care of.
“I like people who keep their promises. I’m satisfied that you didn’t lie to me.” Brendel patted Sifrid’s
head and nodded to the Druids.
Sifrid understood that Brendel was here for official business, so she received her head pats and stood to
one side. Amandina took Sifrid’s hand and smiled at her, and she received a sweet smile in return.
1839
“Lord Brendel,” One of the Grand Druids spoke; he was the eldest amongst all the seventeen Druids.
He was leaning on a staff and wore a robe that was woven from long tree leaves. His hair and eyebrows
were greyish-white, and the severe wrinkles cut deeply on his face, but there was a pair of sharp eyes that
were full of spirit.
“Great Elder,” Brendel interrupted him politely, “although I’m a noble of Aouine, there is no meaning to
that title once I leave the humans. There is no need to call me lord. You are the elder here and I’m much
younger, so please call me Brendel.”
The Great Elder paused momentarily and his expressions softened as he nodded. But Andellu stood out
after observing for a while.
“Lord Brendel, I think it’s best that I relay the questions.”
Brendel nodded as he knew that the Druids wanted to return the respect, and did not object.
“The Great Elder wants to know how much truth there is when you claim that you know the Druids’
ancient Magic, as well as the secrets in the Dark Forest.”
[My, my, these Druids really don’t know how to interact with the guests. Instead of welcoming us and
letting us have seats with some refreshments, you’re going straight to business? It feels like you don’t
care about the guests at all. Though it’s not to say I dislike this style. Having to stay here for three days
and only discussing things after banquets, I probably won’t be able to enter the Loop of Trade Winds if I
don’t spend half a month on pleasantries.]
He did not have time to waste.
“…… I know a little about your Ancient Magic, but that doesn’t mean that I understand it, let alone being
familiar with it. As for the Dark Forest, I do know a fair number of secrets.”
“Then is the ruins in the Dark Forest truly Valhalla?” A tall Druid asked.
“No,” Brendel glanced at him, recognizing him as a Druid from the Circle of Beasts: “I said that Valhalla is
in the Loop of Trade Winds. I am not certain if the ruins that you found are truly one and the same.
Perhaps the ruins are merely ruins that are close to Valhalla.”
The Great Elder nodded. Brendel did not exaggerate or make a conclusion easily. This made him feel that
the youth could be believed a little. But he did not make speak and only exchanged glances with the other
Druids.
1840
Chapter 120 – The Green Tower’s market
============== Nordas’s POV ==============
The Tree Elves chanced upon the pale human who rarely left his abode come outside, and they greeted
him warmly and curiously:
“A good day to you, Nordas.”
“Today’s weather is quite good, you should take a walk!”
The women chattered next to his ears, causing him to feel a little overwhelmed. If it were in the past, he
would have felt overjoyed when these many pretty Elven girls surrounded him and spoke him with a
smile, but now he only felt that everything was unfamiliar to him.
The rays from the sun that pierced through the shade seemed to be especially glaring, and the young
officer could not help but raise his hand to block them. Locking himself up in his house for a long duration
had seemed to cause him to be unable to adjust to the outside environment.
“What is it, do you feel unwell?” A young female Tree Elf girl with concern.
“No,” he shook his head and forced a smile.
He looked at the settlement below him. The Tree Elves had allocated him an area that was in the north-
eastern direction. There was a flat platform which had several rooms built and the elves resided in there
too. It was in between three Ancient Trees, and the environment was quite pleasing.
Everyone was friendly with him, but Nordas always felt distant from them and felt that he did not belong
there.
“What’s going on?” He stared at the settlement below for a while. “Why is it so noisy?”
“I heard there are many outsiders who had come in.”
“Outsiders?”
“Humans, like you.”
“Oh, but there are also Lizardmen.” The Tree Elves chatted amongst themselves again.
1841

“Do you want to come along with us, Nordas?” Someone suggested.
The youth was a little interested, but one of the Elven guards came down and saw the youth. Her alluring
voice came after a slight pause: “Nordas, you finally came out?”
“Lady Calina,” Nordas recognized her as she was the one who showed him his room: “I heard that there
are outsiders who came in?”
“Yes, quite a few. Why, do you still want to leave? But there usually isn’t anyone who would leave the
Green Tower. The Druid Elders do occasionally go out to the outside world, but they won’t bring y—”
She suddenly realized something: “I understand, you want to see if those outsiders are your companions,
right?”
Nordas nodded.
“I heard it’s a human lord.”
“A human lord?” Nordas felt it was strange and asked: “Why would he come here? Don’t the Druids avoid
contact with the humans?”
“I don’t know,” Calina shook her head: “but it seems they are the Elders’ guests. There are a few
kingdoms. Kirrlutz, Galbu, oh, and your fellow countrymen from Aouine.”
“Aouine?” Nordas’s eyes widened in shock, and he was suddenly excited: “Calina, is it possible for you to
help me with a favor?”
“I know, you want me to bring you to them, right?”
The youth smiled with embarrassment.
“But what’s so good about the outside world,” the Elven guard shook her head and sighed: “very well,
come with me.”
“Nordas, are you leaving?” One of the Tree Elves asked.
He nodded as he could only think about his wife who might be waiting for him.
================= Brendel’s POV ================
1842
Brendel had just finished discussing with the Elder Druids. In order to resolve the troubles of the Loop of
Trade Winds, the best way would be to find where the Fire Seed was kept in Valhalla. According to
legend, once the Fire Seed was lit, the Dark Forest would gradually become a protected land, and
everything would be solved.
However, he still needed to wait for three more days, due to a need to investigate the area again as the
earlier scouts had been attacked. According to the descriptions from the Druids, he suspected that it was
a rare monster that attacked the Druids.
Even though he had fought against it a few times, he remembered the unique attacking patterns.
His thoughts were suddenly broken by Amandina’s sigh:
“That’s beautiful.”
Brendel turned around and saw her looking at an Elf playing a flute near a bridge. The music rhythm was
elegant and beautiful, easily drawing one in, and it made them wonder if the tune was about a tale or a
location.
The Green Tower in the game was known for its beautiful environments. The wall of clouds served as
their background, build in the middle of the sky. The settlement was a city built on trees, linked by vine
bridges and suffused with a taste of fantasy.
Ever since Brendel left the meeting in the Blackthorn’s hall, he promised Amandina and Scarlett to take a
stroll in this strange city. Amandina was incredibly excited on this day, and he rarely saw her so happy.
The three had come to a market called ‘The Centaur’s hooves’ in the city. The market was suspended in
mid-air. It was a structure completely made out of wood and there were three sections.
The four corners of the market were linked by vine bridges, but the market itself was suspended in the
air by magic.
There were quite a number of Tree Elves, but the main occupants were still centaurs. There were various
clothes, accessories, strange plants and fruits, magic materials, unique minerals, and a few artifacts
containing magic.
The Dark Forest had an abundance of materials, which was why there were many varied goods in the
market. The currency was not limited to gold and silver, but also an exchange of goods.
In truth, Gold and silver were also considered as a type of material.
Brendel, Amandina, Sifrid, and Scarlett gathered at the third level. There was an ongoing fight— The
centaurs were hotheaded and frequently fought with each other, but there were a dedicated dueling
1843
grounds to allow them to vent their anger. The Tree Elves occasionally had an archery competition, but
Brendel and the others did not have the luck to witness one.
After watching the centaurs’ duel, they went to a bar that was run by a Tree Elf and sampled a special
wine made from flower nectar. It tasted like a flower wine, but the aftereffects were powerful, and
Brendel realized he made a mistake. Amandina and Scarlett were not great at drinking, and they cheeks
were red after drinking a small mouthful.
Brendel hurriedly stopped them. There would be trouble if they get drunk in the bar because they could
not hold their liquor.
But Amandina looked like she still wanted to stay in the bar. She got to hear about a tree that produced
gems which looked like emeralds, but the transparency was greater. The best part about it was that it was
inexpensive.
She was moved in an instant, and she started to pester Brendel to bring them over to the shops with the
aid of the alcohol.
The youth shook his head when he saw her make a tantrum with a red face. The calm and intelligent
noble girl had such a terrible resistance to alcohol. But the suggestion had also made him feel like he had
been persuaded to check it out, and he knew that he could not resist it.
[It seems like the women in this world also have no resistant towards shiny things. I’m sure people in this
world said that they resemble dragons in this aspect.]
It was wise of him to bring out a few Mana Crystals out from the mine. Although these crystals were
considered not the best crystals out there, they were easily able to exchange for a large number of
accessories made with the trees’ gems.
When he presented a small piece of Mana Flame Agate before the centaur shopkeeper, the latter knew
that there was a big spender in front of him.
The tree gems would not sell for much, so the Centaur tried to inquire subtly whether the human lord
needed magical artifacts, while presenting the accessories that he made on his own.
Brendel found it a little hilarious. While he did know that he could buy many genuine magical materials in
the shop, it was rare to find anything worthwhile. Beguiling a bunch of newbies would be possible for the
shopkeeper, but a veteran like him would never fall for his tricks.
“Brendel, just let him take them out,” Amandina squinted with a red face and said in a small voice: “a-and
let us take a look whether he makes them better than you.”
Brendel found she was quite adorable acting this way, so he nodded: “Alright, let us take a look.”
1844
The white centaur immediately showed a delighted expression, if he was able to sell one or two magic
items, then there would be no need to sell anything else for the whole month.
He took out a pair of rings in a mystifying manner and said to Brendel: “My good man, these are rings I
bought from a witch. The rumor has it that they are imbued with the magic of love. If your two
companions wear them, they would love you for all eternity without changing their hearts.”
“W-what rubbish is this!” Amandina cupped Sifrid’s both ears, and spoke to the centaur in an upset tone:
“Take them away, he wouldn’t buy these despicable objects!”
Brendel shook his head with a smile.
[These rings are merely imbued with the ‘charm’ magic. If these rings were claimed to be imbued with the
magic of love, wouldn’t it mean that my ring is the divine artifact of the Wind E— Huh. The Ring of the
Wind Empress on my hand is the real deal. Though there are multiple copies of it.]
He coughed once and shook his head: “If you only have these things, I think it will be fine if we just buy a
few accessories with the tree gems.”
“Ahh, please wait,” the centaur immediately tried to halt them: “I do have something good right now, I’m
sure you would be pleased, human lord, you wouldn’t be able to buy it anywhere else.”
Brendel was slightly surprised: “Do you know me?”
The centaur gave a mysterious laugh: “Respectfully, human lord, I’ve conducted business for decades. I do
believe I know most of the people in the Green Tower, and I’ve seen quite a few human lords too.”
“I see, business must be difficult.”
The centaur immediately had the word awkward written on his face. He knew the truth about the rings
was definitely seen through by him. He could only smile bravely: “I promise you, human lord, that it
wouldn’t be of terrible quality this time.”
“Oh?”
“I truly bought this thing from a witch and she was an outsider, just like you who have come here.” The
centaur said as he brought out a box.
There was a rock fragment in the shape of a shield in the box, and Brendel’s heart skipped a beat when he
saw it.
The Rock Key.
Legend stated that it opened the doors between the continent and another dimension filled with the
Earth Element.
1845
In the game, its other use was to activate a city that was built in the Wilderness. It was similar to a Fire
Seed. The Fire Seed represented the Laws of Order, while the Rock Key created the fundamental
Elements.
This was how Mother Marsha formed the world and gave birth to its shape. The Laws bound the Mana,
while the Elements established the structure.
It was quite valuable in the game, and there were times where there simply were no stock to meet the
demand. It was also a core item used in a high-level quest that involved any Earth Element powers.
For example, the Sword of Earth, Halran Gaia, had such a quest to upgrade it.
[Even if one tried searching for it, their shoes would be torn to shreds without ever catching a glimpse of
it. Obtaining this item is based on ridiculous luck, not effort.]
The corner of Brendel’s eyes jolted once when he the shield-like rock piece.
“Boy, your luck is pretty good—” Orthlyss seemed to have felt Brendel’s rush of emotions and woke up
from her slumber.
He nodded, but there was no change in his expression, asking: “What is this?”
“The Rock Key. Legend states that it can connect our world to another world’s tunnel—” The centaur
shopkeeper replied.
Brendel interrupted him with feigned irritation: “Another world? What does that world have?”
“Erm…….” The centaur was immediately at a loss for words. He had accepted the transaction when the
witch told this rumor to him. That damned old woman even took away one of the best tree gems that he
had.
“I think it leads to a Plane where it’s related to the Earth Element?” He considered the terms that can be
used to explain another world.
“A Plane of the Earth Element?” Brendel acted like he did not understand and his face was completely
innocent: “Why would I want to go there?”
“Boy,” Orthlyss could not help but shake her head: “Your ability to bluff is as good as Eirelannt. She would
be very fond of you if she were to meet you.”
“Eirelannt, you say?” Brendel asked inwardly. (TL: Okay, even I don’t remember who’s this character.)
“Yes, we…..” Orthlyss suddenly coughed and corrected herself: “Gatel, Farnezain, and Sanorso, as well as
Eirelannt who was the oldest, well, they went on adventures when they were young, and it was also
mostly her who was the point of contact with the Lords and merchants.”
1846
“So you mean she’s the commander.”
“Something like that.”
While Brendel and Orthlyss were conversing with each other, the centaur seemed to be stuck in a rut.
Brendel did not seem as interested as the rings presented earlier to him, and it made him a little
depressed.
“If you please, Human lord, that witch had also told me that it is tremendously useful to an Elementalist.”
[That’s true. Using the Rock Key would open a path to a different world filled with the Earth Element. Just
opening the tunnel for twenty seconds would allow the Elementalist’s Earth Elemental Pool to expand by
a hundred times. It’s even possible to sustain twenty to thirty spells. Under the circumstances, if the
Elementalist can manage their Mana, they would become a superman.]
Still, Brendel had never seen anyone use this core item that was worth millions of Tor coins as a one-time
usage item in the game with his own eyes. It was a pay-to-win measure that was beyond common sense.
The centaur seemed to think that this statement was enough to make it work. Brendel secretly laughed as
he observed him, and pretended to be slightly persuaded: “Is that so, then how much is this thing worth?”
The centaur considered raising it to a sky-high price and have that Flame Agate in Brendel’s handed over
to him. His Flame Agate crystal was almost half the value of his entire store, but stating such a price might
incur the human’s wrath and get him to leave in a huff.
Just as he was hesitating, a hand that appeared out of nowhere threw out a similar Flame Agate crystal,
and reached out for the box of the Rock Key like a snake going for its prey.
“Shopkeeper, I want this.” The owner of the voice was crisp and quick.
But Brendel’s reactions were almost instantaneous, just as the hand managed to touch the box, Brendel
had already invoked his Elementalist’s powers and shot out a bolt of lightning to strike the Rock Key, and
he reached out for the Rock Key.
The owner of the voice was apparently not one to be taken lightly either.
“Damn it, an Elementalist!” The person scoffed lightly and drew out her sword to strike the Rock Key
away.
The Rock Key smashed into a wooden pillar before it bounced back towards the two people. The woman
tried to snatch it away, but the Rock Key suddenly stopped in mid-air slightly out of reach, before it flew
towards Brendel like a ball of cotton swept away by a wind.
“A Wind Binding spell? An Elementalist specializing in two Elements!” The woman stomped her foot and
gave up directly on snatching away the Rock Key, and thrust her sword towards Brendel.
1847
The youth was delighted to see the attack instead of being surprised. Before she could even reach him,
vines came from everywhere and bound her up tightly.
It was the Druids’ barrier magic—
A clattering sound happened. The sword of the woman who looked like a young noble dropped to the
ground.
“I-It hurts…..” Her eyes narrowed in pain.
Brendel finally had the time to observe his opponent. He was slightly taken aback. She was not a Senian
or Tree Elf, but a full-blooded Kirrlutz citizen.
The golden hair coupled with a pair of cold emerald eyes made him certain that they were definitely the
traits of the Kirrlutz Empire’s royal blood. Surely, her ancestors were amongst the King of Fire’s first
followers, the Eagle Knights.
The possible princess wore a white dress and long black leather boots, with her wavy hair bundled into
two luscious groups of ponytails. She struggled against the vines and glared hatefully at Brendel.
[Wow, golden twintails! But to act violently in the Druids’ base, how bold!]
“Y-you scoundrel! How dare you steal from a lady!” The corners of her eyes were raised high enough till
they became sharp as she glared at him.
“Hold on, when did this become yours?” Brendel hurriedly interrupted her.
“I, I paid, didn’t I!” The girl stuttered once, but she immediately spoke as though she was in the right:
“Return it to me, you evil country bumpkin!”
Brendel glanced at the Flame Agate: “My Lady, you threw down a Flame Agate, but did you see the
shopkeeper accept it? He has not even stated the price of the Rock Key. A forced transaction is certainly
what a brute would do.”
“You!”
The young woman was so angry that her chest was going up and down, but she could not hit him because
her limbs were restrained. She turned her head back, and her green eyes immediately brightened.
“Faena, what happened?” It was a male teenager with black hair.
He wore a black robe that was unique to the Kirrlutz’s royal Alchemists, and it caused Brendel to stare
blankly at the young boy who looked no older than fifteen.
1848
Kirrlutz’s royal Alchemists had to be at least level ten in Alchemy before they could meet the
qualifications to enter the ranks. There had to be some kind of line drawn for being so talented, right?
But he certainly did not expect the young boy to inspect his companion for a moment before raising his
head at him with a yell: “You hurt my companion. I request for a duel with you!”
The young boy looked up at the Ancient Treants and shouted: “Venerable spirits, I promise I won’t hurt
this man’s life and I just want to teach him a lesson. This is a quarrel between our race and I hope no one
else interferes!”
When he was done with his words, there was a green flash in the trees’ crowns.
“The promise has been accepted.”
[Oh for crying out loud. The barrier won’t work anymore on him, though the girl is still stuck. It looks like
there’s a veteran who understands the Druids here, but you’ve have got be kidding me if I have to fight
him. He’s just a kid!]
But before he could respond, Scarlett had struck her lightning spear against her palm which caused an
audible smack. She glared coldly at the two opponents in front of her and said: “My lord, allow me to
represent you.”
“A Highlander?” The young boy was slightly surprised at Scarlett’s flaming red hair: “You’re not locals?”
“They are Aouine’s citizens!” Faena sneered at them and continued to struggle: “A bunch of rogues and
thieves!”
But the more she resisted against the vines, the tighter they became.
“Urgh, it hurts so much—”
“Faena, stop moving. It’s useless to struggle and it would be undone after a while!” The young boy sighed
at his companion. It seemed like the haughty noble girl was also quite troubling for him: “This is one of
the Druids’ spell, Barrier of Peace. You were told not to be violent in this place!”
“It’s all because of these barbarians!” Faena said with wet eyes: “You have to teach them a lesson, Rono!
The dignity of the Kirrlutz Empire cannot be blemished!”
Amandina frowned when she heard the last sentence.
Brendel secretly gritted his teeth when the words, ‘country bumpkin’, ‘knaves’, ‘scoundrels’, continued to
come out from her lips. He was never very receptive to the Kirrlutz Empire in the game, and when he
heard that particular sentence from Faena, it finally went past his point of tolerance.
1849
“Well said,” His eyebrow went up and he had a chilling smile that showed his teeth, “the Kirrlutz Empire’s
dignity cannot be blemished—”
The young boy looked back at Brendel and Scarlett who stood in from him, then spoke scornfully: “A man
who needs to have a woman to fight for him doesn’t have the right to speak to me in that tone!”
Brendel felt a vein popping up over his forehead.
“Scarlett, step aside, I want to see how unbeatable the so-called Kirrlutz Empire is.”
1850
Ch 121 – Furious duel
The concerned parties moved to an open area that was next to the shop, but Brendel suddenly raised his
head up and saw many knights rushing over to their location. Apparently, the barrier’s activation had
alerted them.
All of them had Kirrlutz’s uniforms.
[But it is strange. Why are these people here?]
The knights were still quite a distance away from them.
When Brendel returned his gaze to the young boy to indicate that he was ready for the duel, the latter had
already thrown two bottles of explosives made from Alchemy.
He frowned slightly and took a step back. Even though the young boy said he would not injure him, he did
not hold back at all. He did not indicate for the duel to start too.
If these two bottles were thrown onto a normal person, they would definitely be crippled and possibly
die.
The bottles exploded in mid-air. The boiling acid and glass fragments flew in every direction, but before
they reached him, a wall of blinding flames was raised in front of him.
The Fire Shield spell on the Crimson Blessing had activated automatically.
When the flames and white smoke disappeared, Brendel found two bizarre humanoid creatures the size
of a human adult lumbering towards him, and their twisted and ugly bodies had Magic Formations
crawling all over them. They looked like a pile of rotting meat, but one would realize they were no weaker
than gargoyles after looking at them closely.
The name was simply called Mutant in the game. It was a level 25 Alchemy Creature. One could call it as
living creature, but it had no feelings, emotions, or intelligence. This was why it did not go against the
teachings of the Holy Cathedral of Fire.
Brendel immediately understood the young boy’s intentions when he saw twelve metallic orbs hovering
behind the latter.
Rono wanted to use the Alchemy Creatures and other defensive tools to gain more time.
1851
[This boy is trying to prepare an Advanced Magic Formation. He’s really quite experienced in battles.
Does he belong to some special department? Perhaps a Battle Alchemist?]
He was slightly surprised. Kirrlutz’s royal Alchemists had a special group that was focused on combat.
They wore blood-red emblems of eagles and were called Battle Alchemists.
[A Battle Alchemist is indeed one of the sub-professions for an Alchemist to advance in the direction of
combat, but it’s rare to find one. And this boy is really a little too young if he’s one. Quite the talented
individual.]
However, he mocked the boy while shaking his head: “Your abilities only go this far?”
The young lord did not even pull his sword against the Mutants. His right hand sliced through the air, and
he invoked the White Raven Sword Arte’s wind pressure against the two Mutants in front of him. The
stats of a Gold-ranker could hardly be imagined. The two mutants did not even have the chance to resist
the vertical hurricane and were hurled back.
The girl trapped by the vines shrieked as one of the Mutants went past her, causing her long golden hair
to dance in the wind. The other Mutant was thrown upwards towards the knights, but their reactions
were swift and split apart in both directions to avoid it.
One crashed against the ground, another was flung over the fence and dropped hundreds of meters like a
stone.
“It seems that the Kirrlutz Empire doesn’t amount to be anything much,” Brendel said as he raised his
hand again.
The wind started up yet again. The boy was astounded. He had never expected his opponent from Aouine
to be so difficult. Two superior Iron-ranked monsters did not even delay him for a second. Even the
strongest opponents he had faced in the past would take a moment to deal with the Mutants.
“The Shield of Tyr!” He shouted. The metallic magical artifacts immediately formed a circle around him,
and twelve transparent shields blocked off the hurricane that Brendel conjured easily.
Tyr was a famous Magic Artificer who was good at defensive magic. He invented numerous defensive
magic and artifacts.
The boy inhaled deeply after defending against Brendel’s conjured wind and was prepared to counter-
attack, but a burly hand pressed down on his shoulder.
The knights had arrived.
1852
“Rono, you’re not his match! Fall back, and support us with Alchemy. Leave this bastard to us!”
The knight who stopped the boy was covered in full armor and wore a purple-green helmet that covered
most of his face. His voice echoed within the metal plates, and Brendel quickly recognized him as a
Centurion.
“Captain?” Rono was surprised to hear that assessment; he initially thought the opponent in front of him
was a second-rate Elementalist, but it appeared that the youth angered by Faena was a difficult foe and
required the entire squadron to fight against him.
“Leave it to us.”
“Where’s Grandmaster Cullens?”
“He will be arriving shortly.”
The captain of the knights turned to look at Brendel, and the green eyes under the helmet were full of
cautiousness: “Ser, did you say that the Kirrlutz Empire amounts to nothing much? You seemed to be
confident in yourself! Allow us to show you what we’re capable of, citizen of Aouine—”
He raised his sword, and twenty knights rushed out from both sides.
The boy did not waste time too. The metallic orbs spread out started firing lasers vertically onto the
ground to draw a Magic Formation. Each laser created a node, and the boy threw down a Mana Crystal in
the center of each node. The Magic Formation was divided into three layers, and had twenty-two nodes to
form a tapered formation.
The Magic Formation was swiftly created and its speed could be compared to Blood Magic. However,
these metallic orbs were expensive to use because they required extremely pure Amber Gemstones as
fuel. The creation of these orbs was also costly, and only a few people knew how to make them.
[Indeed, only the Kirrlutz Empire can afford to let their Alchemists use these luxury items. But these
people make me fucking laugh. Do they really think the Kirrlutz Empire is the human race’s pride?]
The tragic ending of the Princess Regent was linked to this ‘prestigious empire’. Duke Arreck was unable
to give an answer to where her assassins came from, but the gamers were everywhere on the continent.
The truth was eventually revealed.
[I haven’t even thought of going after you bastards, and you dare to reveal yourself in front of me? Good.
It’s time to let these arrogant idiots understand that the world doesn’t revolve around Kirrlutz. You’re
just the favorite kingdom of the Holy Cathedral of Fire.]
1853
He glanced at the ground Rono was at. It was a Magic Formation to invoke the Wind Fog spell. It greatly
aided an Alchemist in close combat, and he naturally could not let his opponent finish it. Even though the
latter’s speed was indeed an envy for most Alchemist, it did not matter to Brendel at all.
The young lord reached out for a Flame Agate in his bag. The Mana that it contained was more than ten
times the boy’s Mana Crystal had. Brendel invoked an advanced Magic Formation with the Crimson
Blessing which immediately shattered his Flame Agate.
The centaur shopkeeper howled silently in distress when he saw that sudden scene. That was a Flame
Agate Mana Crystal of the highest quality!
The Mana that gushed out from the broken fragments appeared like it had a physical form. Because of the
purity, there was a sky blue mist that wrapped around Brendel’s hand. Three Magic Formations formed
on his arm and condensed the Mana into several balls. The blue Mana spheres were vibrating slightly as
though they were about to burst out into an explosion.
Brendel then lifted his hand, fired the projectiles past three incoming knights as they left a trail of blue
light. They shot into the boy’s Magic Formations and his expression immediately changed. The Magic
Formation that was drawn nearly to completion was destroyed instantly.
[Counter Magic specifically to disrupt an Alchemist’s Magic Formations! He’s also an Alchemist who’s
experienced in combat!]
The boy staggered backward a few steps and coughed out blood. He quickly covered his mouth, but the
amount of blood leaked out from his fingers.
[How is it possible for him to form a Magic Formation so quickly? That Counter Magic Formation is at
least a Seventh-Circle Magic Formation. It’s even greater than my own by two Circles! Blood Magic? That’s
not right either, it can’t be used in Advanced Magic Formations. Even if there is one, a Blood Magic
Formation is red, and that Magic Formation of his is clearly white.]
The boy was completely stunned as he collapsed to the ground. The feedback from the Counter Magic had
greatly damaged his organs in an instant.
“Rono!” The lady who was still tied up by the vines gasped.
The knights were also shocked. They did not expect the greatest genius amongst the current Empire’s
youths was gravely injured in just a single move. What was even more stunning was that his opponent
used Alchemy as well, and he was not much older than the boy was.
1854
But the commander of the knights had his shock quickly turned into anger. He could not imagine what
fury the emperor would have if he knew the genius under his protection got injured, as well as what kind
of fate would befall on his head.
“Kill him!” The centurion roared, but he suddenly realized that this was still the territory of the Druids,
and he quickly changed his words: “No, capture that Aouine man!”
“Catch me?” Brendel’s laughter was cold: “What qualifications do you have to do so?”
He glanced at his surroundings. The twenty-odd knights had the strength of an upper-tier Silver-ranker.
On one hand, it was clear that Kirrlutz had strong military power, and the other was that the boy and the
lady’s identities were not simple.
Still, it was just a mere twenty-odd Silver-rankers to him.
[I shouldn’t waste any more time. They probably have strong reinforcements.]
He took a single step forward.
And an aura exploded from the youth. Under the combined might of his Gold-ranker’s strength and level
16 Aouine Military Swordsmanship, the aura took on a visible form of a white mist.
Even though he did not take his sword, the knights felt like there were countless blades pointing at them.
The centurion could not have imagined the youth had reached the standards of a Gold-ranker, and that he
was already a grandmaster swordsman—
“A grandmaster swordsman!” The knights shouted as their formation was quickly broken.
The overwhelming, physical pressure from the youth could not be withstood. In just a single heartbeat,
the twenty knights were completely downed.
Brendel expected this outcome. If he were to engage these knights before the events in Schafflund, it
would have taken him considerable trouble to deal with them. But they were pretty much harmless to
him. He spun round to look at the female aristocrat from Kirrlutz.
“D-don’t come any closer……”
1855
Chapter 122 – Veronica
“Faena, what’s going on?”
Before Brendel could respond to the girl’s words, another man wearing a black formal attire for nobles
walked out from the crowd of centaurs and spoke to her. He looked at the bound girl before his eyes
moved to the coughing Rono, then at the sprawling knights on the ground, his facial expressions
gradually turning to shock.
Finally, when he raised his head up, he discovered Brendel with his hand still raised. Scarlett and
Amandina were a short distance behind him. Without a second word, he drew out his sword and charged
towards the youth with a scowl.
Brendel felt a burning sensation from that man’s sword.
[A passive Element? He’s also a Gold-ranker!]
Brendel and Scarlett’s eyebrows twitched. Their Element Powers reacted at the same time, and the air
between the three people stagnated— The temperature of the air suddenly dropped, while Scarlett’s
halberd had lightning dancing all over it, with the people around feeling their hair raised.
The middle-aged man’s sword did not meet any blades, but a wall of flames that appeared in front of
Brendel. He frowned and retreated instead, cautiously assessing the two youths in front of him.
“Who are you?” His heart was secretly racing.
[Two Gold-rankers at such a young age? Why have I not heard anything about them?]
He easily understood that Brendel and Scarlett could not be Senians or Tree Elves. In fact, Scarlett’s
vibrant red hair allowed him to identify her as a Highlander.
Faena would have patted her chest in relief if she could when she saw the middle-aged man appear.
“Count Cullens, these people are from Aouine! They were the ones who hurt Rono and the others, and
that…… that….. young man, he said……. the Empire isn’t worth much.”
“The Empire isn’t worth much? Hmph!” Cullens repeated her words with a heavy scoff.
The Empire’s glory was the pride of any citizen of the Eagles. Aouine was made up of nothing more than a
bunch of rebels in his mind, and if it was not for the Wind Elves interfering behind the scenes in that
fateful year, the Empire would have vanquished them.
1856
Even though Aouine gained the recognition of the Holy Cathedral of Fire, the proud Kirrlutz Empire did
not wish to admit this fact. In his mind, these Aouine citizens were nothing more than a bunch of
uneducated people, and their nobles could not be considered as nobles.
Though it was true that their Ancestral King Erik’s lineage could be traced back to a family with a long
history in Kirrlutz.
He stared at Brendel darkly: “Boy, did you say these words?”
Brendel was studying Cullens intently, trying to figure out what sort of background the latter had.
However, there were simply far too many nobles in the Kirrlutz Empire, and the number of people who
managed to become a Gold-ranker was as numerous as the stars. He simply could not figure out the
identity of the middle-aged man.
“I’m simply stating the truth.” He answered flippantly.
Count Cullens gnashed his teeth, but he had a smile on his pale face: “What an astute observation. I too
have observed something. It seems that your kingdom is going through many difficulties recently. Oberg
the Seventh being defeated by a single Madara army, and he had to send his messengers to our emperor
and beg for reinforcements with tears and snot. Ah, that old fool must be on his deathbed by now.”
He pretended to think for a moment and sighed: “And there’s a civil war that’s about to happen. It seems
like your kingdom is in great trouble, young man. I’m not sure if your princess is interested in our
Emperor’s ninth son, perhaps His Highness could lend a helping hand if she agrees to marry him. Even
though our Empire that isn’t worth anything much, solving the insignificant troubles of Aouine is really as
easy as lifting a hand.”
Cullens’s words were full of ridicule and any Aouine citizen would be offended by it. Amandina gritted
her teeth and forced her anger down in order not to fight back with ugly words.
Scarlett frowned as well. No matter how despicable and deplorable Aouine was, she was still a citizen of
this kingdom. Having an outsider ridicule the kingdom made her feel uncomfortable.
It was Brendel who let rage take him. A mocking grin spread across his face, but it was clear that only
darkness remained in his expression.
His hand reached Halran Gaia’s hilt for the first time.
He did not easily take out his sword because he did not wish to kill. But since the person in front of him
wanted to die, he did not mind granting his wish.
1857
[You’re not even close to Kodan’s skill, and I have already bested him. I haven’t even brought out my
Planeswalker abilities. Ten strikes, and I’ll be able to shut you up even without Scarlett’s interference.]
Sifrid was still holding on to Amandina’s hands. She did not feel much for Aouine, but she had never seen
the youth so furious before. But most of all, there was an unnerving feeling that something would happen
to him. She felt she needed to stop the situation from becoming worse.
“This place doesn’t welcome you! You should leave!” She spoke in a crisp voice as she looked up at the
Count.
Cullens was momentarily taken aback. He did not expect a Senian child to have the audacity to order him.
He failed to speak for a few seconds, but he quickly came up with an insult: “As expected from savages,
you can’t even educate a chil—”
He ceased speaking. It was not just him, the nosy centaurs who were watching the scene suddenly
became silent. The dueling grounds they were familiar were starting to be covered with a layer of frost
that was visible to the eyes. The temperature dropped to the point where they started shivering a little.
Creaking sounds could be heard as the white frost forced the wooden planks on the floor to change its
shape. It seemed like they were wailing before they shattered.
This snaking frost extended swiftly towards Cullens, and he showed a startled appearance.
[An Element Power of this magnitude? This Ice Element is exceedingly potent—]
He wanted to lift his own sword and fight back with his own Element Power, but someone bellowed:
“Halt!”
Cullens was distracted by the voice, but Brendel acted as though he did not hear it. Halran Gaia was
already out of its sheath, and his Element Power was pushed to the limits as it mixed in with his fury. The
scene where the heads of Graudin’s knights was lopped off was about to reappear again.
The terrifying power charged towards Cullens, but an even greater force severed it.
It was as though a wall had been erected all around Brendel and caused him to lose his connection to his
Element Power.
The youth was naturally shocked, and he turned to the source of power. The centaurs who had gathered
together were starting to part. A woman with long flowing green hair like a waterfall; along with a red
cape covering one side of her shiny armor that covered her entire body.
1858
The woman was very beautiful and appeared to be approximately forty years old. The only sign that gave
her age away was the slight wrinkles around her eyes. She glared at Brendel’s direction, but it was meant
to be meaningful because she was restraining the youth’s movements with her Element Power.
[You have got to be kidding me. Commander of the Azure Skies, Veronica? What kind of gaming script is
this!]
Brendel suddenly felt his life was in danger as soon as he saw the unique pair of green eagle earrings.
She was one of the rare female commanders in the Kirrlutz Empire and a participant in the November
War. She was also the highest commanding officer of the Alliance in the Eastern Battle Lines during the
Second Holy War of this era.
She unsealed her Element Power fully a hundred years ago. She already had the titles of Great Sword
Saint, Dragon Knight, The War Sage, and the Azure General for the past thirty years. No one knew how
powerful she was right now. If one were to gather the strongest fighters in Kirrlutz, she would definitely
be one of them.
She even had a relationship with Freya in the game, and one could say she was the latter’s teacher.
[Even if Freya was at her peak strength in the game, she won’t be a match for Veronica. Shit, I don’t want
to meet this person here. The fact that I tried to kill Cullens— Although Kirrlutz is the cause of this
incident, she’s definitely going to side with the Empire.]
“You look down on the Empire?” Veronica’s tone was completely void of warmth and she went right to
the point.
And with her words, her aura changed and reached the youth like a blade pointing towards him. The
latter flinched a little, but his eyes glared right back.
“It seems like the Kirrlutz’s citizens have gotten used to using suppression and conquest to solve
problems, and thus they have forgotten the word ‘chivalry’? It also seems like you’re not just violent in
your own kingdom, you do the same thing even when you’re in foreign lands.”
His heart was beating loudly but he did not show his anxiety in the slightest. This was the Druids’
territory, and at least in this place, they would not dare to act rashly.
His words also struck directly at their sore point. Kirrlutz’s cruelty and indifference were why they were
harshly criticized amongst the other alliances in the Holy Cathedral of Fire. However, the Kirrlutz Empire
held at least half of the Holy Cathedral of Fire’s seven Cardinals’ position throughout the ages and thus
held on tightly to their power.
1859
Veronica scoffed coldly once before speaking again: “Having a sharp mouth wouldn’t bring you any
advantages. Cullens, teach this person from Aouine a lesson!”
Cullens sensed that Brendel was affected by Veronica’s aura, and he gave a sinister smile. While he could
not kill the youth in the Druids’ territory, it would be fine to leave behind hidden injuries to make him
permanently wounded. In fact, he was very willing to destroy not just one, but two talented youths from
Aouine.
He bowed respectfully to Veronica and pulled out his sword to cut off the tendons in Brendel’s wrists.
Scarlett raised his halberd in response to block off the attacking point, but Veronica swept a glance at her,
and the red-haired girl felt as though she was bitten by a venomous snake, and the halberd in her hands
fell onto the ground with a clatter.
“You shouldn’t have incurred our wrath!” Cullens smiled coldly, his blade nearing Brendel’s hands.
1860
Chapter 123 – Two against One
Brendel looked at Cullens regretfully.
It was true that he was completely suppressed by Veronica’s aura to the point where he could not move,
but as Cullens approached him with each step, the Stats Windows on his retina were shuffling at a high
speed.
– Character Stats.
– Planeswalker Card.
– Elemental Pool.
– Type.
He stopped at a certain card, then smiled at Cullens. The latter looked puzzled as to why the youth still
had the guts to smile, but Veronica immediately sensed something was off:
“What, this boy is— Cullens, retreat!”
She tried to warn him but she was a second too late. A white-golden flaming blade appeared out of thin
air and floated in front of Brendel. This was the first time Brendel had ever activated this card.
The unfortunate Cullens who had the misfortunate to face the card stared fearfully at the sudden burst of
Elemental power. He was unable to react in time because he never expected that Brendel was able to
fight back under Veronica’s suppression.
The blade made from pure flames struck Cullens’s body directly, and he was flung back with such force
that he spun in mid-air a dozen times before crashing heavily onto the wooden planks.
“Count Cullens!” The girl with twin golden ponytails exclaimed in astonishment.
Veronica’s beautiful eyebrows lifted slightly as she did not expect Brendel’s counterattack. She had
initially been greatly displeased by Brendel’s temerity to wound her men and instantly sought to quash
him.
When her hand reached out for her blade, the Azure Green, to draw it out, she faltered at the last moment
as she realized what she had done.
1861
She carried the title of Illustrious Sword Saint and was a commander of an army who participated in
countless battles. On top of that, she was over a hundred years old. Bullying a youth who looked no older
than twenty would hurt the dignity of the Kirrlutz Empire.
[But I cannot allow the Empire to be insulted—]
She raised her hand and spoke in an icy tone: “Capture this man!”
Veronica glared at Brendel emotionlessly and swung down her hand. The latter’s pressure lifted instantly
as she spoke, while thirty-odd Imperial Knights who had followed her from behind rushed out.
[Even though a few of these Imperial Knights are not exactly worthy of the title, they should be able to
defeat him even if he’s a Gold-ranker. The typical Aouine swordsmen are nothing more than rabble. I just
need to suppress his Element power and any other tricks that he has if he tries to use them again.]
Brendel thought he was being underestimated when the pressure on him lifted. He took a step back to fall
into a stance and pulled out his sword fully for the first time. The heavy ink-light blade glinted against the
sunlight.
“T-that….. sword…..”Faena rasped in surprise.
But Rono’s yell drowned Faena’s voice: “Be careful, he has the Crimson Blessing!”
The young boy crawled up slowly and wiped away the blood from his lips. One of his hands was planted
firmly on his chest as he felt pain creeping all over his organs. Still, that agony was dulled from his
surprise— Brendel’s metallic gauntlets confirmed his earlier suspicion.
They were definitely the Crimson Blessing, or Bahamut’s Grasp, the divine artifact that any Alchemist
would crave for in their heart.
Flames had already enveloped Brendel’s hands and they sped upwards to swallow Halran Gaia. The youth
blazed across the field as he wielded in a horizontal position. At that moment, he appeared like he was a
devil that came out from hell leaving behind a trail of flames.
Veronica’s eyes widened upon seeing that sight.
[That’s not a mere swordsman, even calling him a grandmaster swordsman isn’t sufficient! This boy has
reached the level of a sword saint! And that sword and magical gauntlets—]
She realized she made a huge blunder and immediately drew out her own weapon, but Brendel had
already rushed into the midst of the Imperial Knights.
1862
Orthlyss had woken up quite a while ago when Brendel invoked his Element Power. Her thoughts were
calculated and calm as she delivered them to the latter.
“Attack from the left—”
“Take this opportunity to retreat—”
“Advan–”
“Counter and p—”
“…… Boy, how are you doing this?” She suddenly stopped speaking. Brendel seemed like he was
predicting the enemies’ movements even better than she did. She had centuries of fighting experience,
but what the youth possess?
[Even Gatel wouldn’t be able to read better than this youth!]
Explaining the current situation seemed a little far-fetched with just the word ‘talent’.
However, Brendel was seeing layers and layers of golden lines in his eyes to form a complex drawing.
The intentions of the knights were displayed fully before him. Attacking, defending, attempts to surround
him; as long as they changed their thoughts, the lines would switch and point to the areas where they
were aiming for.
It was the skill ‘Analyze’ received from the Silver Elves.
Brendel realized that the skill was exceptionally compatible with Aouine’s swordsmanship. The
kingdom’s clean and efficient style allowed him to proceed naturally from offense and defense like
running water. It was truly a shocking display of martial feats as he combined multiple traits from the
swordsmanships of Kodan, his grandfather, and the gamers. He even included a few points from
Orthlyss’s instructions.
The Imperial Knights’ attacks were stopped even before they could attack. They felt completely stifled
and soon realized what was wrong.
The youth seemed to know what they were doing, even when they tried to attack randomly or retreat
subconsciously. No matter what they tried, a single move from the youth shut them down.
However, Brendel stopped his fatal attacks at the very last moment. The Imperial Knights were greatly
surprised, as they knew he could easily kill them if he had the intention to do so. Still, they felt like they
were being toyed with like how a cat would toy with a mouse, and it made them feel like they should just
abandon their swords and run away as quickly as possible.
1863
Did he spare them on purpose?
But he did not seem like he had the intention to do so.
In truth, he was analyzing the Kirrlutz Empire’s swordsmanship closely, while half of his attention was
placed on Veronica. When she finally started walking forward, Orthlyss reminded him:
“She’s moving in.”
“I’m curious,” Brendel deflected one of the incoming swords and kicked his current opponent to make
him off-balanced, “Ser Orthlyss. at the height of your power, are you stronger than that lady?”
“She’s just a little girl,” Orthlyss scoffed and replied with confidence: “I don’t even need to use a weapon.”
“What?” Brendel was shocked.
[Is your level that high?]
“Pay attention, she’s coming!”
Veronica indeed appeared right before his eyes, and her sword aimed for his throat. Electricity ran across
his nerves as he frantically rolled backward to avoid her blade.
[How surprising. He actually seems to know where I’m going to attack, and his reactions are quick as
well.]
But Brendel was getting scolded by Orthlyss.
“Why are you running away? Go and have a proper fight.” Orthlyss was greatly dissatisfied.
“Ser Orthlyss, I don’t mind fighting it out if we’re restricted to our swordsmanship, but the control of her
Element Power is far superior compared to mine!” Brendel retreated repeatedly as consecutive thrusts
went his way.
“Silly fool, if she tries to use her Element power, just fight back with everything you have. She will have to
destroy the entire market first in order to suppress your full strength!”
Brendel blinked a few times.
[Of course! Even though the market has a barrier, it can only hold back two Gold-rankers’ Element
powers. The barrier would be destroyed if it goes beyond that.]
1864
That momentary pause nearly caused him to be struck in the face, but the youth managed to recover his
senses at the last moment and tilt his head at the last moment. Veronica’s sword missed his cheek.
But the Azure Green that was clad in her aura caused a wound to open up.
Brendel felt a slight wetness spread and his eyes twitched a little along with a nervous smile. Veronica
was half amused and exasperated when she saw his cramped expressions. This youth actually dared to
lose his concentration right in front of her. Even accomplished sword saints at her level would not be so
bold!
Yet this boy still managed to avoid her attack entirely!
Brendel did not know what his opponent was thinking about, but he decided to face Veronica properly
after Orthlyss’s reminder.
1865
Chapter 124 – Standing at the edge
Brendel took several steps back and readied himself into a defensive stance, and Veronica allowed him to
do so. Her earlier attacks were nothing more than attempts to gauge his strength.
They took a pronounced pause as they sought for weakness in each other’s stance. Brendel found
hundreds of lines prodding at his body, and he shifted ever so subtly to react to any changes. It caused
Veronica to knit her brows slightly.
[This level of raw talent….. It’s such a pity that he’s not a Kirrlutz citizen, or I will definitely get him to be
my disciple and inherit my swordsmanship.]
Silence filled the area and the tension rose to the point where everyone was holding their breaths. One
could almost hear every subtle movement from both Brendel and Veronica.
The female commander was the first to attack. The Evaluation skill reduced the number of lines pointing
to his body, but there was still a dazzling number that pointed all over his body. It was proof that the skill
had its limits in predicting someone of her skill. In the end, Brendel turned it off and relied on his
experience to defend against it.
Their blades met in screaming union, and a flash of green and black blinded the crowd. The youth gritted
his teeth when he felt the immense impact. Veronica’s blade had incredible speed and power which
caused him to nearly shift out of a defensive position, but he planted his feet firmly on the ground to
resist her.
Her blade drew back and she flicked it to his. He pulled his body back a little while rotating his sword so
that its large flat blade guarded against her needle-like thrust.
As soon as the blades met again, her sword was drawn back like a bowstring and shot out towards its
next target at his thigh. Brendel took a single step back while his sword swung down to sweep the
incoming blade away.
Veronica utilized his momentum and allowed her blade to go up before she went for an overhead sweep.
The youth kicked off from the ground to the sides to avoid her sword, but there was almost no pause of
the exchange of swords crashing into each other.
Both duelists changed the directions of their swords midway before their weapons clashed again. The
female sword saint tried to disarm him by dragging his weapon upwards into the air. Brendel felt a force
1866
sticking onto his weapon like glue and hurriedly leaped into the air to avoid being disarmed,
somersaulting once before retreating yet again.
Veronica’s eyes widened a little when she saw his move, and she changed into another style again. Her
arrangement of attacks started to grow in complexity and speed. A song of metallic rings echoed
throughout the market. Even without the Analyze skill, Brendel felt he could see afterimages of the lines
happening because Veronica was thrusting her sword at an astonishing speed.
However, it was not the speed of her sword but the intricate designs of her attacks that were causing him
to break out in cold sweat. In order to defend against her swordsmanship, he had to find the best moment
to block or deflect her attacks.
It was as though he had to get the thread into the eye of a needle, and he had to do it every single time on
the first try.
On the other hand, Veronica was feeling a little baffled. The level of his swordsmanship had exceeded the
depths of what Aouine’s swordsmanship should be. No matter how many times she changed her patterns,
he was able to fight against them as though he had been dueling against her for years, no, perhaps even
decades against the different styles of the Kirrlutz Empire’s swordsmanships.
Brendel continued to guard himself tightly while he clad his aura around Halran Gaia. Every time she
attacked, he could sense the subtle changes of her form and reacted accordingly to it, improving little by
little. Each parry and deflection took even less stamina than the previous ones.
[….. I think I finally understand my grandfather’s swordsmanship. It’s not just having precise movements
or fundamentals. It’s about reading the enemy and finding the best moment to counter it.]
Veronica was an opponent that forced him to use everything he knew about Aouine’s swordsmanship.
The memories of the old Brendel surfaced; his grandfather was strict about calculating the range of
attacks when he trained as a child.
He parried Veronica’s thrust and launched his own riposte for the first time. She easily knocked it away,
but the knights around them gasped in utter amazement.
Was the youth actually holding his own against their commander?
Murmurs started to worm into Veronica’s ears, and she gradually raised her power in order to calm them.
The barrier implemented in place started to flicker and distort as invisible blades ran across the ground
and buildings. Finally, the spirits ignored the request made by Rono and started to go after her. However,
the Sword Aura that she invoked instantly sliced them to pieces without even putting her mind into it.
They were unable to enter within ten feet around her.
1867
But Halran Gaia was able to suppress it by having a defensive barrier that formed tightly around Brendel
like a cloak. Although the Azure Green was a Fantasy-ranked weapon, it had a Wind Element power and
was countered by Halran Gaia’s Earth Element power. This was the reason why he could avoid being cut
by her weapon.
Veronica started to feel impatient.
The Kirrlutz Empire had sent them out as messengers in the name of improving the relationship with the
Druids, but its real goal was to investigate the reason for the powerful Mana Resonance a few months ago.
The wizards were certain that it was a Divine Resonance and it was likely to indicate the location of the
Empire’s long-lost weapon, Lionheart.
The court’s Star Seers studied the stars for several months and had the same conclusion as the wizards.
The Lionheart was incredibly important to the Empire. Even though Aouine’s Ancestral King, Erik, stole it
from the Empire several centuries ago, they had never stopped their desire of getting back the weapon.
Since this city was not governed by the Empire, it was necessary to keep a low profile. It was a mistake
for Veronica to take her eyes off Faena, and it was another mistake to overwhelm the youth with
everything she had at the first opportunity.
[The boy’s concentration is at his sharpest and he’s pushing his skills to his limits. Even if I unleash the
full extent of my techniques on him, I might not be able to overwhelm him given how good his reactions
are right now. Controlling him with my aura wouldn’t work as well because he’s utilizing his sword’s
power.]
Veronica was feeling a little awestruck.
When did Aouine produced such a gifted swordsman? She was born in a family of swordsmen and was
the most talented star in her generation, but she did not think that she could be compared to youth in
front of him at his age.
Every once in a while when he surprised her with an unexpected move, she wanted to put down her
sword and ask him if he was willing to go to Kirrlutz with her and become her student. His talent was
truly out of this world.
As time continued to pass, Brendel finally discovered a certain pattern amidst her varied attacks that
occurred.
[There’s a very slight pause every time I make an unexpected move that counters her. Perhaps she’s
trying to read my attacks? If I can exploit that…… Kirrlutz’s swordsmanship has a strong focus on
consecutive flash strikes, but using it against her—]
1868
Brendel was currently able to use various swordsmanships he learned in the game to an extent. He was
certain it was because of the basic fundamentals of Aouine’s swordsmanship, and he started to wonder if
the person who founded the swordsmanship was an incredible genius.
At the very first glance, it seemed like the various guards and attacks were restrictive and clumsy, but the
way how each move can flow to another was almost effortless when he combined them.
[Given the history between Aouine and the Kirrlutz Empire…… Isn’t it possible that the Aouine’s
swordsmanship is actually derived from the latter? …… But it’s pointless to use the Kirrlutz
swordsmanship against a grandmaster. Wait— if we’re talking about history, then the King of Fire, Gatel.
There’s a considerable amount of differences between the polished Kirrlutz swordsmanship and Gatel’s
swordsmanship……]
Brendel started to change his state of mind. Fury and tranquility merged to form a ferocious whirlpool of
emotions. Burning flames that would spill forth in a concentrated and relentless assault until nothing was
left.
A barrage of murderous and unpredictable strikes sought to unbalance Veronica. The sudden tempest
forced her to go on the defensive as each motion tried to eviscerate her. With each passing blow, it
became harder and harder for her to react it in time as Brendel seemed to borrow from the momentum of
her defenses and launch a new attack.
Veronica snarled and fought aggressively as well, seeking to dominate her opponent as she continued to
pour more power and speed into her sword, but she was just slightly behind as Brendel was able to make
the first move every time. The two duelists gnashed their teeth as the exchange intensified.
Both took risks to end the exchange. Brendel leaped into the air slightly and swung his sword downwards
with all his might, while Veronica rotated her body to send a spinning kick to her opponent.
His sword missed its target by several centimeters while it caused a huge fissure to break out across the
ground; her kick had smashed into his ribs from the side first.
The youth rolled several times on the ground, but he quickly got up and was ready for another round.
Several long hair strands could be seen flying against the wind.
[This bloody brat!]
Veronica roared as fury claimed her. She made up her mind to go all out. Green light particles gathered
onto her blade and Orthlyss immediately warned Brendel:
“Watch out!”
1869

He felt the hair on his skin stand. If Veronica unleashed her full power, she might split the market into
half. It was not as if the Druids could do anything to stop her. At most, they would throw her and her men
out of the city, but that was it.
The youth glanced at his back to see if there was any natives behind him, and he was shocked to see
Amandina and Scarlett carrying Sifrid from a distance.
[This crazy bitch!]
“Invoke Holy Swords!” Brendel was just as angry.
Wings of light appeared behind his back as he raised his left hand. They quickly faded as hundreds of
swords made from light floated in the air, pointing at Veronica and the crew behind her.
The female commander faltered when she saw this scene.
It was not just her, everyone had their eyes on Brendel when they saw the white glowing wings behind
him, then stared at the hundreds of swords above him in astonishment.
“Just try it.” Brendel pointed Halran Gaia at her and said calmly.
“Are you threatening a general of the Kirrlutz Empire?” Veronica’s eyebrow lifted slightly: “Do you think
these things can harm me?”
“Harm you? No. But these two hundred-odd projectiles have the force of a Silver-ranker and all of them
can rain down in an instant. Commander Veronica, do you have the capability to protect every one of
your men?”
The youth’s tone was light, but she frowned.
Rono was an Alchemist and a knight. He was one of the most gifted youths in the Empire and even
received an audience with the Emperor. Faena’s status was even more unique.
Nothing must happen to these two.
She actually stood there blankly for a while, unable to think of a response.
“You’re despicable for trying to hold a lady as your hostage!”
Faena saw that her idol being caught in a bad position and the reason was her. She glared angrily at
Brendel. If looks could kill, then she would have stabbed him a hundred times.
1870
“And you are honorable for using numbers against us? Or to bully us with experienced fighters?”
Amandina immediately retorted.
The two aristocrats did not allow each other to gain the upper hand.
Amandina continued to speak: “Commander Veronica, does the Empire’s honor come in this form?”
The Azure Green easily allowed her to identify Veronica, even if she did not recognize the latter’s face.
Veronica scoffed and did not answer Amandina’s question: “Elementalist, Alchemist, a Sword Saint and
even bringing out the Equipment of Gods? When did Aouine have a genius like you? Speak truthfully,
which faction is interfering with Aouine’s politics? Is it the Divine Pantheon of Wind, or the Sacred Church
of Light?”
There was a slight pause before she added sarcastically: “I didn’t expect that Aouine is capable of drawing
the attention of so many factions.”
Brendel wanted to cough out blood as he listened to Veronica’s words.
[What does the Holy Swords have anything to do with the Equipment of G—?]
He suddenly whipped his head and stared at the swords, and the urge to spit out blood came again. Why
did he not realize that this Cleric skill somehow resembled the projectiles from the Equipment of Gods?
[But they are two different spells, right? …… Damn it.]
The Equipment of Gods was one of the signature spells of the Sacred Church of Light. Only a ranked
personnel who was a Bishop and above would be capable of casting it. The Sacred Church of Light was
also enemies with the Holy Cathedral of Fire, and they were rivals who fought bitterly with each other.
Brendel had no doubt that any Bishop belonging to the Holy Cathedral of Fire in the kingdom would
invite him for tea, if they heard rumors about him casting the Equipment of Gods.
While he dared to go against Aouine’s nobles, he definitely did not dare to go against the Holy Cathedral
of Fire.
[For crying out loud, they are comprised of two Empires and twelve kingdoms. If any of the seven
Cardinals say something like “Destroy Aouine!”, the kingdom will be wiped off from the map. In fact, the
reason why Aouine is safe from Kirrlutz is that they recognize the kingdom. Otherwise, Kirrlutz would
never tolerate their presence. Shit, how am I going to explain this?]
“Hey, you know what? I’m a Planeswalker! What is a Planeswalker? Well, they are professional card
players!”
1871
Brendel could imagine Veronica slapping his face and making it kiss the ground. The youth felt a sense of
dread and could only hope that this crazy woman was not one who gossiped. It was fortunate that the
game’s Veronica was known for being a taciturn person in front of outsiders and was not fond of people
who blackmailed others.
But Veronica did not continue to harp on this topic. She raised her sword coldly and arrogantly
continued: “But do you really believe I wouldn’t attack, young man?”
Brendel knitted his eyebrows. He could sense overwhelming pressure all around him.
“She’s determined to attack,” Orthlyss warned him.
[Is she insane!] Brendel cursed inwardly and was frantically finding a way to stop her attack.
But a dignified voice came from above and interrupted both of them.
“Just try it, woman from Kirrlutz.”
The deafening voice reverberated in the air and thundered in everyone’s ears. The green barrier around
the market shimmered as Druids started entering it. They stopped in front of Brendel and stood
completely in the path of Veronica’s attack.
A moment of silence covered the market.
Veronica frowned inwardly and she lowered her sword.
The Druids finally appeared. No matter how prideful she was, she would not break the Druids’ rules in
front of them. If she accidentally hurt any Druid, the Empire would have to give an explanation even with
her status.
Even though these Druids seemed like they do not concerned themselves with the mortals, the fury from
the Circle of Skies was not something to joke about.
There were thousands of Dark Forests in the whole continent, and each of them had Druids guarding in
them. Only Mother Marsha knew how many Druids there were.
There was also the fact the Kingdom of Forests, Eirlann, was also their allies.
“Lady Veronica, your messengers promised not to cause trouble when they entered the city. You should
understand your Empire’s strength has nothing to do with the Druids.” Andellu spoke somberly.
His forceful tone made Brendel stick out his tongue. That man was not giving Kirrlutz any respect. It was
also clear that the Druids were siding with him by accusing Veronica first.
[It seems like the Druids are pleased with my suggestion.]
1872
Meanwhile, Veronica’s expression was turning dark. She naturally felt the unfriendly tone from them. She
originally hoped that her status as Kirrlutz’s messenger would be enough for these grass manipulators to
arrest Brendel.
She thought that Brendel had come to the city in the guise of an adventurer, and the political clout she
had would make the Druids think twice. She truly did not expect the Druids to shield him to this degree.
Thus she widened her eyes and observed Brendel and the Druids. Was it because the youth had some
kind of connection to the Druids, or did they think that she was the one who was completely at fault?
But what did a noble from Aouine have anything to do with the Druids?
1873
Chapter 125 – Galbu
Veronica was unable to think of a reason and shook her head before she answered in an icy tone: “This is
a private feud between Kirrlutz and Aouine. I request that the Druids not interfere with this matter.”
The temperature seemed to drop with the female commander’s reply.
“A private feud?” Andellu shook his head with furrowed brows: “Regardless of any feuds or whatever
reasons that you have, we will not allow any of you to lay a hand on him in this city.”
There was a slight pause. The people from Kirrlutz was looking at him in disbelief.
“On account of the friendship from the King of Fire, Gatel, we would not pursue the earlier events.
However, if the Kirrlutz Empire is arrogant enough to cause trouble in this city, then don’t blame us for
being impolite.”
“Our arrogance?” Veronica scoffed: “And how do you intend to be impolite if we insist on being arrogant?”
Even if the three Elders in the city fought against her at the same time, they might not be a match.
“Commander Veronica, do you insist on having a war with us?”
Rono jumped a little when he heard the word ‘war’. A war with the Druids could easily end up as a Holy
War.
Faena looked at Andellu in disbelief: “You intend to have a war with the Kirrlutz Empire over a citizen of
Aouine?”
“No,” he shook his head, “it’s not because of his status as a citizen of Aouine. It is because he is our most
revered guest.”
[The most revered guest of the Druids? What kind of term is this?]
The Druids had never addressed anyone in that manner before, right? When did they become so close
with an outsider? The majority of the people in the market looked at each other before each curious gaze
landed on Brendel.
Veronica was silent when she heard Andellu’s words. It seemed like the Druids were completely serious
about this matter. She had no choice but to compromise: “Very well, I will not seek to capture him.
However, what about the matter of this little boy hurting my men?”
1874
“Would you kindly explain?” Andellu turned to Brendel and asked.
“I think you should allow her to speak up.” Brendel pointed at Faena who was bound into a bundle and
said graciously.
But his actions were not truly gracious. When the Druids saw the vines around the young girl, they
roughly understood what had happened.
If someone tried to attack someone without seeking permission, they would be restrained by the barrier’s
defensive system. There were certainly a few people who could resist it easily, like Veronica, but the
majority would not be able to defend themselves against the vines.
[This cunning little fox. If he’s a citizen of Kirrlutz……]
Veronica cursed the youth silently, but she also praised him. He remained cool-headed when she accused
him of starting the chain of events, and he was also smart enough to deflect it without appearing
overbearing. But the most important point was how talented he was.
“Faena, explain.” She said softly as she glanced at the bound girl.
Since the events had come so far, there’s no need to cover up them up. She knew that the fault most likely
was on their side, but she had to protect the Empire’s dignity when she discovered that Brendel had
attacked her men.
Brendel actually thought the vile aristocrat girl would exaggerate the events and gather sympathy for
herself. If that were to happen, she would have fallen into his trap, but contrary to his expectations and
shock, she did not lie at all and simply stated the events with a huff.
She even glared at him while she spoke, as though she was saying ‘I have no reason to lie, commoner!’
Naturally, she called Brendel names whenever she got the chance. Country bumpkin, mannerless bastard,
wretched male scum who took girls as hostages. He was so annoyed that a vein actually popped out from
his forehead.
The Druids made their judgment when they understood the chain of events.
The Kirrlutz Empire was originally in the wrong, but since there were no major issues other than some
broken items from the centaur’s shop, they were to pay him for the damages. They then carried the
gravely injured Count Cullens from the ground and left with their heads hanging dejectedly.
1875
The feeling they had was similar to the proud knights of Kirrlutz who was completely defeated by the
Hazell kingdom a hundred years ago.
The defeated knights had to lower their heads and retreat from that fateful land. The white tassel on their
helmets was mostly broken and laid lifelessly over their shoulders.
The Empire had never suffered such a defeat again until this moment. Even when their general was here
to fight for them, they still did not manage to salvage their pride. The knights glared hatefully at the
young lord from Aouine, who in turn returned a disdainful look as though they were crazy.
“I will remember your face, boy.” Veronica was staring at Brendel.
“You mean the Empire remembers me,” Brendel said with ease as he sheathed back his sword and
glanced at the female commander.
“Are you a noble?” She suddenly asked.
Brendel nodded.
“A lord?”
Even though this woman was overbearing, she was still considered as a hero because of her deeds. She
was also half a teacher to Freya, so he replied properly: “A Pioneer Knight.”
There was a moment of silence.
“It seems like Aouine will have a new legend appearing.” She finally said.
Brendel did not reply.
“Young man, I ask you this,” Veronica’s tone suddenly softened a little, “Are you willing to be our citizen
and become a knight of the Kirrlutz Empire? I can give you anything that you want—”
Brendel’s eyes widened. This legendary figure thought so highly of him?
“Thank you,” he smiled before answering, “but I will remain as a citizen of Aouine.”
Veronica looked at him a final time before she nodded and went over to Faena. She patted the girl’s
shoulders after she was released from the vines with the Druids’ aid:
“Let’s go.”
1876
“H-hold on,” the young girl’s thin eyebrows looked back at Brendel in shock, “t-the Rock Key, are you
going to give it away to that rude man?”
Veronica glared at her and raised her voice: “Do you feel you haven’t thrown enough dignity away for the
day?”
“B-but……” The young girl jumped and muttered with a lowered head: “That’s a necessary item in order
to pass my test.”
“You’re leaving right now. When we get back I’ll have to discuss thoroughly with your grandmother about
your discipline.” Veronica sighed and shook her head.
“What!” Faena’s face paled and she immediately lifted her dress up a little to catch up with her, begging:
“Commander, t-this matter isn’t my fault, it’s all because of that human scum who has no sense of
decency……”
Brendel stared at that girl’s back in disgust while he released the Holy Swords. His entire party was
nearly killed because of an insane female aristocrat who was just as bad as Graudin.
He heard Amandina and Scarlett approached him.
“My lord, it seems that we have offended the Kirrlutz Empire,” Amandina said weakly with a sigh.
“It’s all worth it,” Brendel took out the Rock Key with his left hand and studied it.
“Worth it? My lord, do you not know who that woman is?”
“Veronica,” he nodded, “I recognize her.”
“And yet you still dared to fight with her!” Amandina raised her voice with great exasperation, even
becoming a little angry: “My lord, when will you stop doing things that make people worry?”
Brendel was a little stunned and he looked back to find Amandina’s worried expression.
“…… I was utterly terrified.” She stared at him for a long time before she spoke again, and closed her eyes
to heave a sigh.
“I’m sorry.” Brendel felt his body become warm and he answered sincerely.
“Please stop saying sorry all the time after doing something like this every time,” Amandina said with a
huff.
“I apologize?” He said with a laugh.
1877
He was also relieved when the people from Kirrlutz left. If that Faena girl forcefully stayed behind and
started a bidding war over the item, given how rich Kirrlutz was, he might not be able to succeed in
getting it.
The Rock Key might be important to him, but paying an excessive amount of wealth was undesirable. He
was still not rich and Trentheim was still a poor place.
With the lack of a competitor, Brendel finally purchased it with two Fire Agate crystals. The centaur
thought that he profited greatly on this transaction, and he even thought that the Kirrlutz people brought
him luck, otherwise the young lord in front of him would not pay so much.
Brendel believed that he also made a great deal, if he discounted the fact that he offended the Kirrlutz
Empire.
It was a happy ending for everyone in the market too; they got to see a fantastic duel. The only exception
was the people from Kirrlutz, of course.
============ ??? POV ==============
No one noticed the two pairs of eyes that had observed the events in the market from a short distance
away.
The two pair of silver eyes that were filled with age and wisdom.
The Silver Bar was located between two trees called Odela and Dasarla. They were Tree Elven words for
‘Aged one’ and ‘Evergreen’. Tree branches that formed something like a bird’s nest were beneath the bar.
Even though the outer appearance was strange, the interior design made people feel warm and fuzzy.
The bar was in the shape of a circle and the ground was paved with sturdy wooden planks. Green vines
hung loosely from the ceiling. The bar was also suspended in mid-air, just like the ‘Centaurs Hoof Market’.
While the centaurs built their market in a wild and unbridled manner because of their fiery character, the
owner of this bar was a Tree Elf, and thus they had the typical elegant Elven designs.
The seats near the western section of the bar had a large circular window which overlooked the market.
The man sitting on the left was one of the twelve Archmagi from Galbu, the Silver Leader and also known
as the Recorder of Ten Thousand Spells, returned his gaze back into the bar. He wore a long silver robe
and his snowy beard nearly reached the ground.
“That little girl seems like she has the features of a Kirrlutz citizen,” he said.
“Veronica, commander of the Azure Skies.” The old man sitting opposite of him replied.
“I suppose that’s understandable. The Lionheart is their legacy. It’s no wonder they would send out their
men out in such a hurry. But the descendants of Gatel are certainly getting worse with each generation.”
1878
“What are your thoughts about the sword, William?”
“Mine? Erik was my good friend in the past. If his sword appears, I would naturally want to see the
successor that he chose—”
“Rumors have it that the wizards from Galbu are cold and friendless. It looks like they are not true.” The
other old man said with a laugh.
“I wish that is the case. Unfortunately, most of us have no desires other than time and knowledge. But no
one can surpass the limits of their flesh, not even the races with the Silver Bloodline in them.”
“Hmm. What is the Madara’s undead up to recently?”
“The bunch of skeletons isn’t capable of stirring up any huge trouble, though their movements are a little
strange recently.”
“Oh?”
“The Silver Candle Association’s monitoring on their borders seems to be interrupted by something.
There’s some kind of change in that dark kingdom of theirs, and the Star Seers stated prophecies that an
emerging power was rising from the east. I’m not sure if it’s about them.”
“You mean that a new kingdom is about to be born?”
“Perhaps it’s not just one. Though I must say if it’s someone who caught my eyes…… That young boy, isn’t
he one of your Aouine citizens? He’s a little interesting.”
“Yes, he is, but I feel like I have seen from somewhere.”
“Oh?”
“I discovered there’s a magical seal on him, but it seems like he doesn’t even know about it. However, that
magical seal has a mana signature that I’m somewhat familiar with.”
“Whose?”
“A particular girl who’s not obedient at all.” The old man’s face had a strange expression.
1879
Chapter 126 – The scheme in the dark
“I’m so angry that I’m at a loss for words!” Faena kicked the wall of the Ember Tulips Inn, but her thin
pointed eyebrows that were like thin sword blades immediately went up with regret: “O-ouch!”
She turned her head back to find Rono and another handsome youth. The latter wore a black uniform that
was tailor-made to bring out his figure, along with a pair of comfortable gloves made from the hide of a
mink. There was an eye-catching silver flower embroidered on the chest area of his shirt.
“Rono, Viscount Elman, what did the Lord Commander say?” She asked.
The young boy shook his head: “She warned us to keep a low profile.”
“That’s wonderful news,” she clapped her hands lightly once and looked relieved, “so she won’t be
pursuing this matter?”
The slightly androgynous man listened to the contents of their conversation, and he looked at the boy
next who was half a head shorter with a seemingly curious expression.
“Lady Faena, may I know what happened exactly?”
The Duchess was in a rare moment of fury and she rebuked the captains of the knights from the head to
the bottom. It had to be related to the events of this afternoon, and the source was certainly from the lady
in front of him.
He earlier suggested to Faena to tag along secretly when the Kirrlutz Empire sent the messengers to the
Druids.
When it was discovered, Veronica did not openly oppose Faena’s presence because of the empress. Now
that an incident had happened, Elman received the largest share of blame from Veronica because he did
not meet his responsibilities as a guardian.
But he waited patiently and looked at Faena with a smile.
“Hmph, it’s all because of that country bumpkin,” she became angry and described the events while
fuming.
“That man is incredibly accomplished in dueling. Count Cullens was defeated by him at the very first
direct exchange. All the empire knights added together were also not his match.” Rono added to her story
but he did not really dwell on their defeat.
1880
After all, that man was someone from Aouine and unrelated to them. However, he was interested in the
Crimson Blessing that the youth possessed.
“That’s because Count Cullens underestimated his enemy. Furthermore, the knights that came along with
us are actually a bunch of coddled children because of their noble lineage. I even think they lose out to the
knights stationed at our borders.” Faena disagreed with a ridiculing laugh.
Although Elman was also part of the ‘noble’ knights, he did not get angry and merely smiled in response
to her sarcastic remark: “Aouine has a genius amongst them as well?”
“He has the capabilities to fight against our Knight Commander,” Rono said.
“That’s because the Knight Commander is unable to use the full extent of her abilities in this place. Also,
the sword that man has is Halran Gaia. He’s cheating!” She was still unconvinced.
Rono nodded a few times: “Well, you might be right, but if you pick any of us, well, even standing up
against the Knight Commander’s aura would be considered a good result.”
Faena whipped her head to the black-haired boy and glared at him: “Rono, why are you going against me
every time!”
The boy’s eyes widened for a moment and blinked a few times. He thought about her question before he
answered her: “I’m just stating the truth.”
She wanted to tear her hair out upon hearing his reply. She stomped her foot on the ground heavily and
ceased speaking.
“I remember that Aouine in recent times isn’t faring too well,” Elman nodded with a faint smile with
narrowed eyes with a light voice, as though the smile extended to his eyes, “but it seems like they haven’t
received enough of a lesson.”
“Elman?” The boy turned his attention to his companion with a frown.
“There’s nothing to worry about, Rono. However, I won’t let this incident slide when Lady Faena has been
insulted.” Elman said elegantly.
Faena’s heart skipped a beat upon the chance of hearing his words. Even though no one dared to go
against the duchess, Viscount Elman was a rising star amongst the Empire’s political forum. He was even
called ‘one of the new Eagles of Kirrlutz’.
1881
Her father had praised Elman more than once about his intelligence and cautious nature, as well as his
self-awareness in the political arena. He certainly thought him as one of the most talented youths in
Kirrlutz.
It was rare for her father to praise someone this much, and it let her think that Elman might really have a
way.
Regardless of what plan Elman had, the fact that he was willing to extend a helping hand at this moment
made her feel very pleased. She took a longer look at him with admiration and expectation.
“What can we do without going against Lady Veronica’s orders. Even if it’s you, Viscount Elman, you can’t
go against her, right?”
“Naturally. But there’s no need to report to Lady Veronica about every little thing that we do. The
suggestion that I have shouldn’t be a problem as well.”
“But that man has the abilities of a Gold-ranked grandmaster swordsman, and possibly beyond that. None
of us would be a match for him,” Rono frowned, “and even if we go against him with numbers, the Druids
will interfere with this matter. They seem to treat him with great importance……”
Rono did not finish his words, but they knew what kind of grave consequences there would be if this
matter reached Veronica’s ears again.
“It’s nothing as troublesome as that. Did you forget that Aouine’s ambassadors are here as well? Since
that youth’s a member of Aouine’s nobles, then he’s probably part of their ambassadors. And even if he’s
not, this matter should still be resolved amongst themselves.”
Faena’s eyes brightened slightly.
“Of course!” She agreed with Elman: “Why didn’t I think of that? Those cowardly appointed officials from
Aouine will submit to the Empire if we launch a formal complaint.”
She scoffed lightly: “We have to get them to educate their men properly! …… But who among us should
go?”
Elman shrugged. Although he was a viscount, he was officially the commander of the Imperial Knights.
His position was not appropriate to allow him to meet up with other ambassadors from other kingdoms.
“I can’t do it either. The Royal Alchemists can’t be in contact with foreign ambassadors.” Rono shook his
head as well.
“Y-you can’t possibly have me go personally, right? I-I don’t have the experience in this area.” Faena’s
eyes widened as she placed a hand on her chest.
1882
“Let me go,” a soft voice suddenly came from behind the three.
Faena turned to find a young woman wearing a purple dress walking out from the hall. The latter came
up to them and did not speak any further, standing tall like a Moon Flower in the Darkness, and the air
about her seemed mysterious and quiet.
That woman smiled pleasantly and glanced at Viscount Elman for a moment.
“Sister Delphine! Are you willing to help out? That’s wonderful! Do you have a way too?” Faena shouted in
delight.
“Viscount Elman’s method is excellent. Didn’t you agree to it?”
“But you’re the prime minister’s daughter, the Empire’s Flower of Wisdom. I rather believe in you if I
have to choose. Besides, everyone knows that you’re fond of him, who knows if you’re staying on the
sidelines just to help him stand out. I can’t be sure if you don’t have a better method!”
Elman laughed lightly in response and looked at the woman next to him in a playful manner. Delphine
shook her head in response with a laugh as well.
“Very well, perhaps we can get the Holy Cathedral of Fire to put pressure on Aouine too.”
“Oh?” Elman lifted an eyebrow. Delphine noticed his gaze and returned with a faint smile.
“The Holy Cathedral of Fire? Would they even hear us out?”
“I’ve heard that the Aouine man cast a spell that resembles the Sacred Church of Light’s Equipment of
Gods. But the truth doesn’t really matter here, what matters is how we describe it.” Delphine brushed her
fringe back past her shoulders.
Elman nodded with a smile: “A wonderful suggestion. I heard that the appointed leader from the Holy
Cathedral of Fire coming to the Dark Forest is called Amman, who is known as the Bishop of Greed. If that
youth encounters him, he would at least get his skin torn off even if he escapes death…… Indeed, we can
even stir things further since there are other forces here, it wouldn’t be surprising if conflicts happen.”
Delphine concurred.
“Good!” Faena excitedly shook her fists as she imagined Brendel’s impending doom. She looked like she
had vented her anger: “Then let’s get to it right away!”
But Rono was paid attention to the real reason why they came here when he listened in to the
suggestions: “Come to think of it, there are more forces appearing in the Dark Forest than expected.
1883
Galbu’s wizards, the Cathedral of Fire, Aouine, and even Beastmen. The Lionheart is obviously our
Empire’s sacred sword.”
Faena’s passion was suddenly cut in half when the pessimistic boy spoke up, and she sighed: “Why are
you worrying so much? There’s nothing to worry about the Beastmen with Lady Veronica around. Galbu’s
wizards are merely here to take part in the excitement. As for the Holy Cathedral of Fire, one can say that
it has close connections to the King of Fire, and therefore close ties to us. As for the Aouine Kingdom, do
we really need to care about these traitors who stole our legacy have to say?”
Rono nodded in regards to this assessment, but he spoke again:
“Hmmm, but does the Lionheart really have anything to do with the strange changes in the Loop of Trade
Winds? Our Star Seers detected the Divine Resonance to be somewhere to Randner’s south and
somewhere near Chablis instead.”
“It’s normal that we couldn’t find anything. The Divine Resonance’s impact is too powerful for one to find
its exact location. We already searched Chablis and moved all the way to the Dark Forest.” Elman said.
“Is it possible that the bunch of undead took it away?” Faena recalled the undead army that they
encountered along the way.
“The Holy Swords have divinity in them. The Lionheart, the Blade of Flames, or any weapons related to
the Light would instantly reduce the undead to ashes upon contact. They will never be interested in these
weapons.” Rono explained.
“Which is why the only place left is the Loop of Trade Winds,” Delphine added.
The topic changed from Brendel’s punishment to their real goal. As they discussed the finer points, a
squadron of knights hurriedly entered from the outside.
They first saw Viscount Elman and immediately saluted him: “Captain!”
“What is it? What matter is so urgent?” Elman turned towards them and asked.
“T-there’s something of great urgency, captain! The Loop of Trade Winds has a sudden change!” The
knight who replied was out of breath.
1884
Chapter 127 – Change of the Loop of Trade Winds (1)
The presence of soldiers from the Kirrlutz empire more or less made Brendel wary, but he did not want
to deal with them, at least not right now. He was quite certain that Veronica would not pick a fight for him
later on just to get revenge for this incident.
The duel in the market did not diminish the interest of the girls accompanying him, and with Amandina’s
suggestion, they continued to survey the streets that overlooked the Loop of Trade Winds.
Indeed, the grand scenery that was displayed in between the ancient trees could make one forget their
troubles—
Brendel kept an eye out for any interesting items in the small shops that appeared inconspicuous after
purchasing the Rock Key.
[I must say that the Dark Forest is indeed filled with materials. I actually managed to get good stuff just
from walking around. Most of the materials I got are valuable. Wyvern’s blood, Ancient Wood Branch, and
Sealed Element of Wind, all of them are Brass-rated. I thought I was lucky enough to get the Five-headed
Hydra’s blood and twenty of its blessed scales, but I did not expect the Green Tower to continue giving
me advantages.]
Most materials were different from equipment. If the materials did not undergo refinement or reforging,
they would usually be classified as unranked. Even after a single bout of refinement, they would be rated
as Iron-ranked. Crystals with raw Mana in them were considered scarce.
The Ancient Wood Branch was a good medium to make a Mystic staff. While Brendel had no real use for
it, he could sell it to others or exchange it for other things in Ampere Seale. It was even possible for him to
train Merial and let her use it, making her a great asset in the future.
The only thing holding him back was whether she could be trusted. A good healer in any game was
always sought after, and even more so in real life. If she proved loyal to his cause, then he would
immediately consider getting her the best equipment he could possibly get.
The Wyvern’s Blood was also a substitute material for the Potion of Dragon Strength. Brendel had already
turned his Hydra’s Blood into a large batch of potions and they were ready to be distributed to his rowdy
batch of youths at any given time.
Finally, the Sealed Element of Wind was a core material in strengthening crystals, or it could be used to
let someone learn a related technique to Wind Magic.
1885
[Back then in the game, the shopkeepers are more cunning…… They always set prices that are more or
less similar to the Auction Houses. These rare materials were never on sale too. Then again, I wasn’t one
of the players who played on the first day of the game’s release. I started later and was always slower by a
step. The players before me must have made the shopkeepers realize the demand for their materials. I’m
sure there are even more useful things to be found.]
The youth could not help but break into a grin. He realized that the city he was in was still in a state
where everyone was like country bumpkins who did not realize the worth of their materials. There were
still many stores to be seen and he wanted to get to all of them in a day.
A traveling Senian Magician was selling a strange card to people who passed him. Brendel thought he saw
wrongly when he looked at the card which no one was interested in,
But it was indeed a Card of Fate.
[Delar Wilderness. Hmm….. This is a pretty good land card. Tapping it gives 2 Earth EP and 1 Light EP.]
After a short negotiation, Brendel agreed to use a Mana Crystal in exchange for the card. The traveling
Magician was overjoyed when he heard that, and he eagerly told Brendel that the card had to have some
kind of secret to it, despite the fact that he could not detect any kind of magic reaction to it.
He even brought up a small flame on his finger over the card as though he was afraid that the youth
would regret his purchase.
“Look at this, mister,” he exaggerated and treated Brendel like he was a mark being conned: “any normal
paper would turn into ashes, but there’s not even a sign of this card being damaged. It means that there’s
something to it. Even though you and I can’t determine what it is exactly, but for the price of a Mana
Crystal, it’s nothing more than a small gamble. What if this was a legendary artifact?”
Brendel nodded as he received the card. He did not realize that it was actually resistant to fire and cast
his own flames to test it for himself.
The traveling magician was shocked to see Brendel’s actions. Even though creating Starfire was nothing
but a trick for an Elementalist, a third-rate magician like himself was unable to do the same thing. It
meant that Brendel was a not just an apprentice but a full-fledged Elementalist.
[Judging from the speed, he’s at least a 2nd circle!]
While the magician was more like a sham magician, he had enough insight about magic.
“So you’re a master Elementalist. Would you be interested in more of these cards?”
1886
“Hmm? You expect me to buy more of this rubbish? It’s nothing more than a passing interest.” Brendel
kept the card away while unsealing it at the same time.
Scarlett watched at her lord putting on a thug-like expression that had disinterest written all over it, and
she could not help but purse her lips. Amandina secretly pulled the red-haired girl’s hand from behind
and cautioned her to pay attention to her actions, or the other party might discover something wrong.
The traveling magician had analyzed the card for quite some time. He first discovered it in an old
building, but he was not really a scholar after all and lost patience after studying it for a while: “I
understand. But I can sell them cheaper if you’re interested.”
Brendel pretended to hesitate for a while before replying: “Very well, how much cheaper?”
“I have five more cards, how about four Mana Crystals?”
“…… Four?”
“Alright, alright, three Mana Crystals!” The traveling magician felt that he still earned a profit with three
crystals. If he tried to maintain the price stubbornly, the youth might just leave while rolling his eyes. He
tried selling these cards in many other places, but there was no one who wanted it.
The young human in front of him was a silly fool who was unlikely to be encountered again.
But Brendel did not bother to press him and nodded immediately. The earlier incident at the centaur’s
shop made him reluctant to waste time to drive the prices low.
“Very well, bring them out and let me have a look first.” Brendel eyed the Senian who nodded vigorously.
“Would you mind waiting for a little while? I left the cards in the place that I’m currently staying in. It’s
not too far away and I’ll be back really soon.”
“I’ll give you thirty minutes.”
It was unlikely for the Senian magician to be subservient to Brendel if he was just a noble, but it was a
different story since he was a formal Elementalist as well. Amandina watched the Senian magician
disappear in the alleys in a hurry before she finally sighed: “I finally understand why Miss Romaine is
together with you, my lord.”
“No, these things are quite worthless to him or even to others,” Brendel shook his head and disagreed.
1887
The Rock Key was worth its value to many people, but these cards were only useful to Planeswalkers and
it was unlikely for the entire Aouine kingdom to have even one Planeswalker. Even the Kirrlutz kingdom
might not have one. It was impossible for the Senian magician to sell the card, and even if a scholar was
interested they would not pay for such a high price for it.
Strictly speaking, Brendel did not think it was a worthy transaction.
The Cards of Fate in this world appeared to be of abundance, though the rare cards were certainly rare.
“The next transaction is the important one.” He suddenly smiled as he planned his next move.
“The next transaction?” Amandina did not understand.
“I want to buy that fellow.”
“What?” She was shocked. When did her young lord become a slaver?
“That Senian is an Elementalist and he seems to have a pretty good foundation. I plan to have a group of
young mages splintered from my future knights. Merial and Mordenkainen are only two people, after all.
Real wizards wouldn’t be interested in a small-time noble like myself, and I won’t be able to control them
even if they join me. But a third-rate magician is much easier.”
Amandina appeared worried when she listened to his plan. It sounded like he was trying to pick up junk.
There might be severe disadvantages down the road too.
But she did not know that Brendel was capable of turning a normal person into a magician, let alone
those who have innate talent in them.
“Most importantly, the Senian might not be willing to work for you, right?” She said.
Brendel merely laughed at her response. She did not understand magic very well, and no caster would be
unwilling to remove the word ‘apprentice’ in their reputation. There were ‘apprentices’ everywhere in
the continent, and true wizards were uncommon. The latter was recognized to be of a high social order,
and every apprentice wanted to become one.
“I’m a true Elementalist. If I give that Senian a chance, he won’t refuse me and would even be delighted
about it.”
Amandina stared blankly, but Scarlett finally burst into laughter as she glanced at Brendel: “One has to be
careful when doing business with our lord. It seems like they might sell themselves if they are not
careful.”
“True.” Amandina nodded as she looked at Scarlett.
1888
Brendel shrugged his shoulders. He knew they were making fun of him, but he did not mind enjoying this
relaxing moment.
1889
Chapter 128 – Waves
The tremendous change to the Loop of Trade Winds had shaken the entire city.
And such a change might not be for the better—
The Druids quickly became anxious, while the various factions started to act quietly in the city. That
night, the messengers from the Kirrlutz Empire visited the members from the Aouine Kingdom and the
Holy Cathedral of Fire privately. New rumors started circulating at the same time.
The first rumor was about the awakening of a Holy Sword that existed in legends, King Erik’s Lionheart,
which was also the cause of the Divine Resonance half a year ago. The Lionheart was now rumored to be
in the Loop of Trade Winds, and someone from Aouine had already grasped the means to enter the place
and take the sword.
The second rumor was that the powerful Kirrlutz Empire was actually forced to be at a disadvantage by
the Druids over someone from Aouine. This ‘news’ alone made interested people go wild with their
guesses.
The Lionmane Beastmen mercenaries from the barbaric regions also received the rumors of Halran Gaia
appearing in the continent. Their ancient history included this fabled sword, which was fought over
between the Lionmane Empire and the dwarves.
Witnesses’ accounts stated the sword was currently wielded by a young human male who was in the
Green Tower. Some even claimed that the Kirrlutz Empire tried to take the sword by force and cause an
incident.
Even more absurd rumors spread throughout the various taverns, like how the Aouine Kingdom was
under the protection of the Sacred Church of Light. Various truths and lies were mixed together, making
them hard to believe.
However, rumors did not require one to believe in them to propagate, because people would just
volunteer to spread them freely.
Brendel did not know schemes were brewing behind his back. The first moment he saw the change in the
clouds, he immediately left the market and entered Blackthorn along with two Grand Druids after a few
instructions to his companions.
The Blackthorn committee received a report—
1890
The clouds over the Loop of Trade Winds had split into half and had a clear path that lasted for ten miles.
However, no one knew exactly what was happening in the area. Once the clouds cleared, the mountains
became dangerous because the monsters in the foggy areas became active.
It was for this reason that the Druids lost several of their observation points. The frontline was
crumbling. Things were becoming tense.
In the courtyard where the Goddess Nia was worshiped stood hundreds of Elder Druids. Even the nearby
branches were filled with members of the outer circle. The place was filled with tension.
[It seems all their elites have gathered here.]
Brendel glanced at his surroundings before looking up. The evening sky was dark red in color, and
countless birds were flying around the six ancient trees in great density, which nearly covered half the
sky. And when he looked down—
[Wow. It looks like a green dragon is climbing up the paths. Hmm, the Druids are prepared for an all-out
war.]
There were tens of thousands of druids moving out from the Dark Forest to the Green Tower. Be it
victory or defeat, this would be the turning point of history. After more than a century, all the Druids in
Trentheim gathered in one place once again.
“Everyone!” A Druid Elder roared, his voice which was amplified by magic, echoed through the entire
courtyard, almost like the thunder in a tempest: “Our brothers and sisters are unable to stop the
monsters’ attacks at the frontlines, and they are being pushed back as I speak.”
A grey raven flew in and turned into a human form, shouting:
“I have scouted from the sky, and the monsters in the Dark Forest is like an ocean of black water, pouring
through the forest and drowning the Circle of Thorns, the Wall of Flowers, and the Loop of Gales, as well
as many other areas.”
And the Druids in the courtyard bellowed in response:
“We need to launch a counterattack!”
“Stop these monsters right now!”
“Our work in the Dark Forest that has persisted for more than a century will be ruined if they destroy all
the observation posts!”
1891
The Great Elder smashed his staff onto the ground, and a violent rumbling spread throughout the
branches, causing the slightly chaotic atmosphere to fall into silence.
“Just exactly how many monsters are we dealing with?” He asked.
“I see no end to their numbers.” Came the reply.
Brendel was standing behind a gigantic Druid, and for a while, no one noticed this outsider.
[No end to their numbers…… That’s certainly a memory that I can’t forget.]
A gust of wind caused the dead leaves from the trees to fly across his vision. He stared at them until they
disappeared into the darkness. They reminded him how the players threw themselves against the
unending numbers of the monsters.
“—rd Brendel, Lord Brendel!” Andellu was a little dissatisfied with Brendel’s distracted look: “What do
you think of the change in the Loop of Trade Winds?”
“Am I allowed to participate?” Brendel spoke to the Great Elder.
The Great Elder thought for a moment, shook his sleeves and took a step back with his staff. He nodded
slightly: “Please go ahead—”
Sudden murmurs broke the silence as the Druids finally noticed there was a human amongst them.
“Who is that youth?”
“Probably a guest of the Blackthorn Council.”
“A male human?”
“Wait, I’ve seen him going around with the Favored Sifrid. He’s probably someone close to her.”
“I see, but what is he doing here?”
Brendel did not shy away when the Great Elder gave him the entire stage. He instead took a step forward
and asked the Druid who flew in as a raven: “Where are the monsters coming from?”
The Druid took a moment to think before he answered: “They appeared out of nowhere from the fogs.”
“And they poured out of the fog even though it doesn’t seem likely that the monsters were there in the
first place?”
“Yes.”
1892
“…… The Waves of Calamity has started.” Brendel answered with certainty. His memories matched the
report.
“As the moon rises, the first Wave of Calamity will last for seven days. The wolves will howl and run
under the moon as the plants wither. They are the civilization’s first calamity— The Calamity of Wolves.
The monsters that you saw are Black Wolves.”
The Great Elder’s eyes widened in shock, and so did the other druids. The Calamity of Wolves was a
prophecy that stated civilization was coming to an end. Brendel never said that the Waves of Calamity
had anything to do with this prophecy at all!
The other Druids who did not participate in the meeting between the Blackthorn Council and Brendel,
could not understand why the change in the Loop of trade Winds had anything to do with this prophecy.
“The change in the Loop of Trade Winds is related to the upcoming Mana Wave, and the Calamity of
Wolves is only the beginning of the chain of events. And this beginning is just as fatal as the other
calamities that will soon follow. The monsters are running amok in the entire Loop of Trade Winds and
they will reach here very soon. These wolves will destroy the Green Tower and then hide until the final
moment of the Mana Wave before appearing once again, bringing destruction to the world.”
Brendel’s thoughts wandered back to the era where the invasion of the monsters signified the start of the
kingdom’s downfall. The flames of civilization were like a candle in the wind about to be extinguished.
The core of the game’s second chapter. Chaos and Wars.
Numerous heroes would start to appear like the stars in the sky, and each star would light up the
continents. The Goddess of War Freya, would carry her flag and march forward in difficulty. Duke
Aranjar, the Dashing Wolf Walter, and the King of Rage Conan would later bring the gamers and refugees
out of the darkness after Aouine was felled.
Swords caused the ground to be stained with blood, flames burned down buildings, and hot-blooded
wars were fought one after another until the passion was nearly gone. But as long as there was still hope,
civilization did not crumble.
Brendel pondered on the past events for a moment. Though he did not join in on the first calamity, he had
walked through the remnants of the destruction and watched the recorded videos.
“In any case, do you know where the monsters are heading to currently?” Brendel asked.
“Unfortunately, I don’t.” Came the reply.
“Does anyone?” Brendel threw the question to the other Druids.
1893
There was a moment of silence, but a raven soon flew down onto the center of the courtyard. It turned
into a young male Druid and regarded everyone with a solemn expression.
“Now that you mentioned it, after the monsters swept past the Wall of Flowers, its direction seemed to be
heading straight towards the Green Tower.”
Murmurs started again as everyone realized the severity of the situation they were in.
“Do you have a solution?” The Great Elder asked.
“The Fire in the Green Tower must not be extinguished. While you defend the city, I will enter the Loop of
Trade Winds.” Brendel said.
“At this moment?” Andellu stared at him.
“Seven long nights. You will face the darkest moment against the power of Chaos. The sun will not rise in
this period and it is known as the Eternal Night in the prophecy. Do you think the Green Tower can stand
against an endless onslaught of monsters until the seven nights are over? The only way to resolve this is
to light up the Holy Fire within Valhalla.”
The murmurs faltered slightly.
“Can you do it?” The Great Elder asked.
“I need your Druids to aid me.”
1894
Chapter 129 – The Dark Forest’s frontlines
It was dawn.
But the forest was still shrouded in darkness.
A long line of flaming torches shimmered in the bone-chilling mist that filled the forest. Different groups
of Druids shuffled across the ground and broke the dead silence as they tread on the fallen tree leaves.
Someone coughed.
There was a strong stench of blood in the air that easily made one gag. The Druids in this area had
organized a counter-attack, taking back part of the Wall of Flowers.
The corpses of black wolves could be seen not far away in a nearby clearing filled with dull-yellow grass.
These dead creatures would shrink in a couple of days and become pure Mana Crystals.
The bodies of the dead Druids were claimed by their own and buried, directly going back to nature. It had
been an intense fight throughout the night which could not be described by words. The waves of black
wolves ultimately retreated, but it seemed like they were going to the north instead, the Valley of Vines.
They were slowly surrounding the Green Tower.
Still, the Druids managed to take back a small patch of forest and avoided fighting the bulk of the enemies.
Many Druids believed the monsters were about to launch a new wave of attack again.
Brendel frowned when he reached this place.
Various factions had also come along. The Kirrlutz Empire, wizards from Galbu, the Holy Cathedral of
Fire, and groups of adventurers.
[I thought most of these people would seek to leave the Dark Forest. It seems like I’m completely wrong.
The rumors of a Divine Artifact triumphs the dangers of the creatures and the strange changes within the
Loop of Trade Winds. Well, that’s fine. They are going to relieve my pressure when I enter Valhalla……
But there might be unavoidable battles before entering it.]
The wizards from Galbu were more dangerous than the people from the Kirrlutz Empire, but it seemed
like they did not understand the changes of the Loop of Trade Winds. It was his greatest advantage.
1895
[Seven long nights. The sun won’t rise again. In the game, there were at least three thousand gamers
helping out against the endless waves of monsters, and now I’m the only one here. One person to repeat
the events in the game….. Hmm, but I did cause the Divine Resonance half a year ago and it brought more
people here. Though it’s still a question whether I can really succeed.]
Scarlett and Amandina were sitting beside Brendel. The latter seemingly stared into the darkness as he
listened to Amandina’s report on the various factions’ movements, while in truth he was fiddling with his
Stats Window, making a final preparation.
The Calamity of Wolves was a World Event in the game that was designed for thousands of players. It was
literally impossible for him to complete it alone, but as a true gamer, he believed in his own abilities more
than any outside factors.
[There isn’t much XP gained from the past month. 57000 XP. I can’t even raise my current mercenary
level. But one level from this system won’t really make a difference in this quest. The Planeswalker
system……]
Brendel checked his resources.
[The Silver Swallow-tailed Flag was redeemed three months ago— Now I have 2220 Wealth and 330
Reputation. I was actually trying to redeem another land card, but it seems like I need to change my
plans.]
Brendel tapped the system’s icon, scrolling through the album of cards.
[Vampire Baron, Ancestral Vampire, and Night Lord.]
Even though he believed the white-colored cards were better, he simply did not have enough Plains to
maintain them after summoning. These vampire cards were different. The owner of these cards merely
needed to maintain them by paying with their HP.
For a spellcaster, that would be unthinkable, but it was not a problem for a Warrior class. He even had the
Unyielding talent, making his recover faster by three times. He paid 400, 600, and 800 Wealth
respectively for the three cards, then shuffled them into his deck.
– Vampire Baron
– (Night Shadow XI)
– Costs 10 Dark EP
– [Undead Creature/Vampire, level 28 creature]
1896
– Feeds on blood
– When Vampire Baron is on the battlefield, all lower-class Vampires gain 1 Command Point
– Pay 2 HP every day when Vampire Baron in on the battlefield
– ‘The elegance in the darkness is a type of fatal art.’
– Ancestral Vampire
– [Undead Creature/Vampire, level 30 Elite creature]
– Feeds on blood
– Sacrifice 1 non-black creature, Ancestral Vampire gains 3 Command Points (until Ending Phase)
– Pay 5 HP every day when Vampire Baron in on the battlefield
– ‘The lower caste often forgets they are not guests or servants, but property.’
– Night Lord
– (Night Shadow III)
– [Undead Creature/Vampire, level 30 Elite creature]
– Feeds on Bloodline
– Pay 5 Dark EP, place a team of Black Creatures (Vampire Progeny) into the battlefield
– Pay 10 HP every day when Night Lord is on the battlefield.
– ‘Blood is dripping.’
These three cards could be seen as a combination. Even though the Vampire Baron was only an Iron-
ranked creature, it could add to lower-class Vampires. The Ancestral Vampire’s strength was no weaker
than Medissa, and sacrificing a non-black card could even have its strength rise up to the peak of a Gold-
ranked class. It was literally his strongest card at this current point.
1897
As for the Night Lord, its strength was somewhere in the middle of a Gold-ranked class. It could also
create an endless supply of vampires which was aided by the Vampire Baron’s ability.
[It’s definitely another core combination just like the Holy Swords and the Wind Spirit Spiders. I would
have seven Gold-rankers in total. That’s considerable strength in Aouine.]
He spent his remaining wealth on two more cards.
– Sea Gem
– (Visionary Artifact V)
– Costs 10 Will
– [Artifact/Magic]
– Gain 1 reputation when Sea Gem is on the battlefield.
– Gain 2 Wealth when the card is tapped.
– Sacrifice this card and choose any card in hand and place it on the battlefield.
– ‘Unstoppable temptation.’
– Grey Harbor Tax Officer
– (The Alliance of City-states XXI)
– Costs 5 Light EP
– [Human creature, level 5 Creature]
– When Grey Harbor Tax Officer is on the battlefield, gain 1 Reputation.
– If you own a city or a land card with buildings (barrier), gain 2 Wealth when this card is tapped.
– ‘Tax is the core of a city-state.’
[These two cards are now my long-term investment to regain my Wealth. The level 60 Elite Platinum
Angel card is going to have to wait until later.]
Brendel then spent 325 Reputation to unseal a card.
– Graveyard Revival
– (Whispers from the Grave II)
1898
– [Magic Barrier]
– Summon a creature card in your graveyard and put it into play, or pick a dead creature on the
battlefield and put it into play. Target creature is Black and classified as [Ghoul] while this card is
attached to it.
– ‘Death is not an excuse to refuse orders.’
Brendel was certain that he would encounter a creature that would be worthwhile to reanimate it, thus
he redeemed this card. Finally, he scrolled to the recent cards he obtained recently.
Kodan was instructed yesterday to wait for the Senian magician with Mana Crystals. A total of five cards
were purchased for three Mana Crystals. There were three Land Cards and two Creature Cards.
The two Creature Cards were Fireclaw Buglers and Rune Summoner. The three Land Cards were
Phantom Labyrinth of Water, Death Forest, and Anjou Mountains.
[The Fireclaw Buglers are Iron-rankers, but the most interesting thing about it is how they are able to
boost a related card. If the Fireclaw Buglers are in play, the Fireclaw Lancer card will have twice the
effectiveness. Two lancers are summoned instead of one. If I obtain more cards and build around it, the
card combination would be as effective as the Holy Swords and the Wind Spirit Spiders.]
He studied the description of the Rune Summoner. It also had the same abilities as the Night Lord, with
the difference that 10 MP was required, and the Rune Summoner would be able to bring in creatures
equivalent to the number of Land Cards he owned. The Rune Summoner was also a weak card in the early
stages, but its potential in the future was nearly unlimited.
Although there was an increase to fifteen usable cards, it also meant that the cards that he could draw to
his hand would be limited.
[It’s a new problem. The cards I get every day are random. Is it possible for me to get the cards I want? It’s
nearly a new day, so……]
After a few minutes, he checked the new cards he received for the day.
[Ancestral Vampire, Wind Spirit Spiders, Holy Sword, Fire Djinn, Mana Control, Fireclaw Buglers, Sprint
Drive….. Should I summon them now?]
Amandina poked the inattentive Brendel who turned around. His eyes followed her fingers and saw that a
group of people was walking towards them not far away.
1899

“They are wearing uniforms from Aouine.” She whispered.
1900
Chapter 130- The group of ambassadors from Aouine
[What are they doing here?]
Brendel watched the nobles from Aouine slow down as they approached his camp. It appeared like they
were studying him as well. The leader amongst them was a middle-aged man. His face was gaunt and he
had a gait with an unsteady limp.
[If I recall correctly, that’s Count Austin, a high-ranking military officer in the north. The six men and two
women behind him….. I don’t recall their names, but they should be members of the royal family, except
they don’t wield any real power. ]
They were members of the Royal Faction or at least from a neutral party.
[But I feel something is odd here…… Ah, I see. Members of the Royal Faction appearing in Randner’s
territory. Isn’t that strange? I should be seeing Randner’s men here instead.]
Brendel did not realize his actions had been recorded by Lord Oberbeck ever since the siege on Fortress
Riedon. Oberbeck directly observed the battle between Ebdon and the youth, and he had been tracking
the movements of the latter closely ever since.
But the nobles sent to the Dark Forest did not know who Brendel was, because they were tasked to
search for the Lionheart.
Count Austin was certain that Brendel was a noble. His confident and elegant demeanor was not
something that could be faked, and Amandina was even more striking, with every move graceful and
assured. If the youth was partnered with such a lady of high pedigree, there was no mistaking his identity.
He glanced at the youths resting in the forest, secretly believing they were Brendel’s squires, before his
eyes moved over to the Lizardmen and Elves. It was a messy composition.
He approached Brendel and said: “A citizen of Aouine?”
Brendel nodded, but he knew that these people were not here to have a friendly chat over their
citizenship.
As expected, the short and plump noble who was beside Austin immediately interrupted them: “You’re
that supposed noble?”
“Are you a supposed noble from Aouine?” Brendel raised his eyebrow upon hearing the rude tone.
1901
The raspy voice from the short man allowed the youth to recall who he was. He was a famous
conservative noble called Dolant, a seventy-odd-year-old man who had aged well. The humans in this
world lived a long lifespan, and Dolant looked like he was still a middle-aged man, though part of his
fetching curly hair that was combed to perfection had a layer of snow on it.
He was easily recognizable through his official silver uniform. His had was adorned with three golden
leaves — An ordinary Count from Aouine should be wearing three silver leaves, and it was evident that
the golden leaves were a special honor.
Dolant was stunned to have his identity questioned, and he bellowed in rage: “I have no need to prove my
nobility here, you mewling churl! Answer me, did you offend the Kirrlutz Empire and bring trouble for
the kingdom!”
Brendel’s eyes turned into an icy glare. These bastards were indeed here to point fingers at him. He shook
his head inwardly; these foolish officers from the kingdom truly made him at a loss for words.
“….. If you’re asking whether I taught a bunch of arrogant cretins yesterday, that would be me,” Brendel
glared back at him with slight ridicule, “but questioning me here, I wonder who exactly is the one
bringing trouble for the kingdom.”
“Good! You admit it,” Dolant ignored Brendel’s reaction and continued: “the ambassadors from the
Kirrlutz Empire expressed their discontent. It will be war if you’re not handed over to them within a
certain period of time. I don’t think you need me to tell you what to do!”
Brendel almost laughed when he heard that: “You want me to hand myself over to them? Do you even
think that is possible?”
“It’s an order.” This time it was a middle-aged female noble who answered, wearing the administrative
officer’s uniform in the capital with a scholar’s emblem. Brendel guessed she was amongst the
Lantonrand’s scholars.
“Orders? Based on whose orders, exactly?”
“We order you in the name of the king. We are the tasked directly by His Majesty to act as ambassadors in
this territory and represent the kingdom’s dignity. You’re hereby ordered to lay down your weapons and
come with us.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Then it’s treason. Your actions are suspected to get the kingdom involved in a war, and we will have
reason to denounce your actions and exile you from the kingdom. Aouine has no involvement of your
actions.”
1902

Brendel had to take in a deep breath.
He was able to endure this affront because he witnessed the nobles’ filth within the game and this world,
otherwise he might have fainted from his rage. He glanced at Count Austin. The latter was a fervent
supporter of the Regent Princess and a high-ranking general of one of the northern armies.
“As a military officer, does Count Austin think the same way?” He asked.
Austin did not answer, but there was a small frown on his forehead. He was annoyed over Dolant’s
interruption, but it was true that Brendel’s rumored actions were an unfavorable act. He was not afraid of
Kirrlutz’s threat of war, but the kingdom’s unrest and ambitious nobles were growing because of the
king’s waning health, and also due to Madara’s recent invasion. He had no choice but to acquiesce to
Kirrlutz’s demands.
[How disappointing. I thought the future reformist would at least have something to say in my favor. But
using the idea of exiling me? It sounds like these nobles don’t know the exact events that happened
yesterday. Handing me over to Kirrlutz would likely mean a death sentence for me, so why would I
surrender myself? Is this Veronica’s idea? No. That’s unlikely, because…… In any case, this event must be
caused by some high-ranking bastard from Kirrlutz. I won’t be surprised if they are watching this show
right now.]
Brendel finally realized that the nobles in Aouine were beyond saving. Creating his own force was indeed
the right move. He quelled his anger with much difficulty before he looked back at the female noble with a
faint smile:
“You want to exile me?”
“That would depend on your decision.”
Brendel’s laughter was full of incredulous mockery as he surveyed the nobles around him. For a moment,
he thought of pulling out his sword and bashing the idiots with the hilt.
“Very well, then go ahead and tell the people from Kirrlutz that I have been exiled. Perhaps they would
accept this answer.”
The nobles appeared stunned.
They thought the threat of exile would make Brendel submit. The ambassadors from Kirrlutz would
never accept this outcome. They clearly stated that Brendel had forced a transaction from a shop
merchant and snatched an item that their royal family member needed.
1903
“You’re clearly asking to be arrested!” Count Dolant roared angrily.
He raised his hand, prepared to let the ambassadors’ guards take down the youth in front of him. The
guards were actual knights in the capital, elites of the Corvado family. Forcing a small noble youth to
submit would not be a problem.
In addition, he had observed Brendel’s squires sufficiently. Most of them were as young as the latter, and
even if this motley crew was a bunch of promising talents, they would not be a match for the veterans in
the capital.
There appeared to be a few Elves amongst Brendel’s forces, but that was not enough to deter Dolant from
executing his order. Although it was dangerous to start a fight when the monsters were nearby them, he
felt there was no choice because the Kirrlutz Empire might really start a war because of a whim.
Brendel confirmed his theory as he studied the expressions if the people in front of him. The
ambassadors from Kirrlutz did not disclose the full events to them. None of them wanted to stop Dolant.
“It seems like everyone intends to hand me over, even if you have to use force.” He interrupted Dolant
with a laugh.
“Naturally.”
“It’s clear that none of you don’t know the exact details of what happened yesterday, otherwise your
actions would be very different.”
“Stop your pretense.”
“Pretense?” Brendel shrugged and rolled his eyes: “Very well, the people from Kirrlutz probably didn’t tell
you I offended the only child of the Duke of Mottled Leaves. I caused her to be disgraced in front of
everyone in the market after she got tied up by the Druids’ spell.”
Count Austin’s eyes widened as the words registered in his mind. He felt that things had become
complicated. Based on rumors on that duke’s temper, a war might really happen. However, Brendel was
not done with his words.
“They probably failed to mention that I single-handedly beat up their entire group of knights to the point
where they can’t get up.”
The female noble originally intended to speak, but her expression turned into one of disbelief and she
stared at him instead. Surely there was a limit to exaggeration.
“Ah, I even offended the Knight of Flowers, Count Cullens. That man had the reputation of becoming a
master swordsman of his generation. It is most unfortunate that I smashed his face in with a magic spell.
1904
I’m not sure if he’s awake from his injuries,” Brendel paused for a moment before laughing good-
naturedly, “I hope there’s no permanent scar on his face.”
Brendel brought his hands together as he tilted his head and closed his eyes, fiddling with his thumbs.
“Ahh, there’s another batch of knights that came after Count Cullens. My goodness, these people are the
elite Imperial Knights in the capital. I think they won’t forget the beating I gave them. Oh dear, I think this
naughty pair of hands of mine, I slipped up and nearly killed their Battle Alchemist. That poor fifteen-
year-old genius…… I heard that the Kirrlutz emperor regards him favorably.”
Then he nodded: “But the worst thing that I probably did was to go against a lady called Veronica. My, my,
my. The commander of the Azure Skies, you might have heard of her? It’s one thing to have a duel with
her, but for me to threaten the life of the Duke of Mottled Leaves’ daughter to force her to back off….. That
might have been a mistake.”
He gave the nobles a pleasant smile: “If the ambassadors from Kirrlutz told you all these things, are you
still going to tell your guards to arrest me by force? Oh, if you do succeed in capturing me, who amongst
the people I offended are you going to hand me over to?”
1905
Chapter 131 – Golden Lionmane from Toquinin
The ambassadors were frozen in place by Brendel’s words. Count Dolant’s plump hand trembled once or
twice, but he did not swing it down.
Brendel could see the disbelief in all the nobles’ eyes, no, they were looking at him as though he was a
madman. He sighed as his anger leaked out from him:
“Well then, what is going to happen now?”
The nobles’ lips quivered.
=============== Faena’s POV =================
“What the hell is happening? Why are they not moving? Urgh, this bunch of useless fools.” Faena was
hiding behind a boulder, staring at the clearing where Brendel was facing off against Aouine’s
Ambassadors: “We can’t achieve our goals if this stalemate continues.”
She could not help but turn back to viscount Elman with a hint of complaint.
The young viscount was not annoyed and merely smiled back with confidence: “Don’t worry, the best
part is yet to come.”
As if to prove Elman’s words, Brendel suddenly turned his head towards the forest and bellowed:
“Who?!”
=============== Brendel’s POV ================
Halran Gaia slashed through the air in a black blur, knocking away a metallic bolt that shot out from the
forest with a clink. The first target was the female noble. If Brendel did not act to save her, she would
have been killed. But he was able to protect only one person.
Count Dolant was struck by another arrow. The plump noble was trained in swordsmanship, and even
though he had neglected it long ago, he was still able to move at the last moment, allowing the arrow to
pierce his shoulder instead of his vitals. However, he was a privileged noble who had never been in real
battles and immediately let out a wail like a pig being slaughtered.
1906
“Who dares!” Count Austin’s reaction was only slower by a beat. Ambushing while the threat of the
monstrous wolves was near them made him angry and shocked, and he immediately pulled out his sword
and headed for the direction where the arrows were shot from.
Brendel did not immediately move and instead studied the arrow that he cut down.
[It’s not just a heavy crossbow bolt. The force comes from an equipment reinforced by alchemical means.
The soldiers from Aouine don’t carry Magic Crossbows. Furthermore, the attacks seem like they are
meant for the ambassadors.]
Shadows quickly appeared in the forest and moved rapidly across it. When the figures finally appeared,
they were already starting to surround Brendel and the others. There was no less than a hundred from
Brendel’s initial estimation, but it was the identity of the invaders who stunned him.
The bodies of the figures were humanoid and almost herculean, but every single head on them belonged
to a lion. The dull golden fur seemed like they were long mangy beards hanging across their brigandines.
Their hands were almost paw-like, but they were longer and more elegant than their animal
counterparts. Their boots were also bigger than a normal human, and each of them carried different sets
of weapons.
“Toquinin’s Golden Lionmane Beastmen!” Count Austin yelled out their identities.
The hundred-odd Golden Lionmane Beastmen stopped moving in an orderly fashion, and two of them
walked out from the group; they were nearly a head taller than the other Beastmen.
The Beastman who was in front had a long scar that ran across his face, as if to divide his eyes into two
different territories. The other Beastman behind him seemed to be his adjutant and stopped a step
behind him.
“Greetings, everyone, my name is Rovak, I have to interrupt your discussion for a little while,” the leader
of the Beastmen smiled, causing his scar that appeared like a raw wound to twist horribly.
“The Lion Beastmen from Toquinin, what are you trying to do? Are you trying to start a war?” Count
Austin said with a dark expression.
But Rovak’s pretense of a gentleman quickly disappeared. He ignored the general and raised his sword,
pointing it at Brendel: “Little boy, hand over your sword.”
This act instantly made the nobles’ faces suffuse with rage. Even though this demand was made to
Brendel, Rovak was definitely looking down on them by not even explaining his actions.
1907
The ambassadors from Aouine could make demands from Brendel because they were nobles tasked by
the royal crown. They tolerated the ambassadors from Kirrlutz because the Eagle Empire was powerful.
But what about these barbaric creatures in front of them?
These Golden Lionmane Beastmen were from a small tribe located in the kingdom’s northern borders.
They fought against Aouine many times but suffered many losses, and were ultimately driven up to the
mountains. Although the kingdom’s power was weakening for the last century, none of the nobles
expected the Lionmane Beastmen to be so brazen.
Surrounding and attacking Aouine’s ambassadors without any fear of repercussions.
Austin wondered if these creatures that had not evolved fully found allies, but he was only able to think of
Kirrlutz. Yet it was highly unlikely. In Kirrlutz’z eyes, these barbarians were more like beasts and they
would never support them in a war against Aouine. Ultimately, the kingdom was still supported by the
Holy Cathedral of Fire, and it would go against their teachings if the Kirrlutz Empire did so.
[I truly have no idea why they are so bold, but a hundred-odd men against Brendel’s motley crew and our
guards we brought along. We are at a disadvantage.]
He exchanged secret glances with Dolant. Even though both of them felt that the beasts needed to be
taught a lesson, it was not a good time to deal with them. They had to find a way back to their camps and
discuss their options.
“Rovak, are you not worried about the consequences? Do you truly believe the number of men brought by
us only amount to this much?” He asked gravely with an icy expression.
Rovak narrowed his eyes and finally looked at Austin. He licked his claws as he regarded him with his
unique almond-shaped eyes that only a cat would have.
It was true that he did not have the audacity to do so.
However, the people from Kirrlutz leaked news about Aouine’s current political status. Their king seemed
to have passed away and the people were divided into two camps. A civil war was going to happen soon.
There was no way that the kingdom could fund a war against Toquinin right now.
Rovak found it funny that these ambassadors were still pretending like their country was still fine.
Toquinin had been eyeing Aouine’s rich lands for some time, and it was a great opportunity if the civil
war started.
And since a war between them was going to happen anyway, it would not make a difference if it was
today or tomorrow.
1908
What was more important was how Halran Gaia ended up in the hands of one of the nobles from Aouine.
It was a divine weapon discovered in the Wilderness, and legends stated that whoever possessed the
sword would be able to unite nature’s citizens. The Golden Lionmane Beastmen believed that it was lost
within the deep mountains, and they had repeatedly fought the dwarves for more than a century to
contest the territory.
Rovak initially came for the Lionheart but there was no additional news about it. When the news of
Halran Gaia surfaced, he was naturally more interested in it.
“…… Consequences?” He finally spoke to the ambassadors for the first time: “Perhaps a decade ago your
words might work on me, but do you really not know the state of your kingdom is right now?”
Austin froze for a moment but his recovery was swift:
“I must say it’s quite impressive for your kingdom to withhold information for as long as it is, but the
nobles and lords in your kingdom’s northern regions are on the brink of a civil war, and you ambassadors
have the time to go on an adventure to search for treasure?”
The nobles paled immediately. They obviously knew the situation was worsening within the kingdom.
However, the Lionheart was important enough for the Royal Faction to go after it as the sword was tied
deeply to the kingdom’s fate. It seemed like it was going to be impossible; the civil war would happen
before they could find the sword.
Perhaps it was Mother Marsha’s will.
But Brendel interrupted the conversation with a refreshing laugh, his voice cheerful: “I’m sorry, I didn’t
catch what you said to me earlier, can you repeat yourself again?”
His hand pushed down on his sword a little.
The flames within the youth’s heart were so high that he felt they could burn down the entire forest. He
had realized Aouine’s ambassadors were used by the Kirrlutz Empire and was greatly displeased. They
should be taught a lesson on behalf of the Regent Princess; the fools who could not understand the
situation. This thought was initially stuck in his mind.
But he did not expect this situation.
A big furry Beastman pointing his sword at him, using a tone of arrogance to demand him to hand over
Halran Gaia. Rovak even had the audacity to mock Aouine’s situation after attacking them.
1909
[Holy fucking shit. Your ability to taunt must be at a Grandmaster rank! Congratulations, it worked and
you have my full attention now.]
Brendel held his smile as he took a deep breath.
“I told you, little boy.” Rovak did not realize death was lurking in the corner.
How strong could this youth be when he looked like he was not even twenty?
The Beastman became a Gold-ranker decades ago and was one of Toquinin’s veteran warriors, or he
would not have been tasked to search for the Lionheart. Brendel’s threat was answered with the same
sarcastic smile he displayed.
“Hand over your sword t—”
Brendel pulled out his sword and swung it.
There was no semblance of Aouine’s swordsmanship, or even any swordsmanship. But it contained all of
Brendel’s experience and knowledge to unleash all his strength.
A meteor exploded.
1910
Chapter 132 – Brendel’s reply
Brendel combined several techniques and unleashed them onto his foe.
It was an altered Power Break enhanced by his grandfather’s unique technique and combined with his
own Frontal Assault. In that single moment, Brendel’s strength rose more than three times and broke
through the limits of what a Gold-ranker could achieve.
The air distorted as though refraction had occurred.
Rovak was dumbfounded but he reacted in time by pulling out his own sword to defend himself.
An ear-splitting metallic shrill caused everyone to flinch—
Rovak’s pupils narrowed even further as he watched the broadsword bend his sword to the limits. Cracks
appeared across his blade, and when the blade could not be bent any further, it turned into metallic
shards that fired into the Beastman with incredible velocity.
Such blunt fragments were unlikely to harm a Gold-ranker’s body, but there was so much force behind
them that they simply sank into his body like it was made out of paper.
A loud shriek of pain filled the clearing.
But it only lasted for an instant, stopping abruptly just as it started.
Even before Halran Gaia reached the Beastman, the compressed shockwave forced his body to bend
backward. Bones shattered audibly, while his skin and muscles were torn away. Very quickly, the entire
upper body was forcibly removed from its lower half, and both sections shot out backward like arrows
with a stream of blood following closely.
An explosion sounded off a moment after Brendel’s blade completed its path, and a cone of destruction
laid waste to the forest.
Most of the Beastmen were stunned, but there were a few veteran fighters who reacted and rushed
towards Brendel.
“Mother Earth, bestow blades to me!” Brendel roared as he swung his sword again.
1911
The earth moved like it had been turned into liquid, before countless spears made out of rocks shot out
from the earth like upturned rain. Each needle-like projectile was approximately three meters long and
the size of a human arm, and it pierced the approaching Beastmen from below.
The stalagmites quickly changed the forest landscape over a few hundred meters.
The twenty-odd beastmen in front of Brendel were turned into porcupines in an instant.
Glass vials fell onto the ground as Rono stood up and stared at the event in shock, not even noticing that
he knocked over his bag. Faena was trembling out of fear. There were blood flecks on her face, left behind
by Rovak’s body parts as they flew past her. She would have screamed in disgust if she were normal self,
but she did not even dare to leak out a sound and even forgot to blink.
Elman was the only one who still had his senses, but his heart was racing when he saw Brendel’s first
slash.
Even though Veronica’s swordsmanship could render people ineffective because of her control over her
Element power, there was something terrifying about Brendel’s swing. It was as though the latter was
swinging his sword in front of them, bringing along endless bloodshed—
[This level of bloodlust…… It’s a pressure that’s similar to Lady Veronica’s swordsmanship! It’s fortunate
that I did not suggest to pick a fight with him head-on—]
“H-he’s……” Rono stuttered with difficulty: “a Runic Swordsman!”
Elman’s expression changed again as he thought about Brendel’s second slash.
The nobles next to Brendel seemed like they were turned to stone. They initially believed that Brendel’s
earlier words were mere puffery. Dolant opened and closed his mouth several times like a fish as though
he was trying to speak, but his words seemed like they were stuck in his throat and could not come out.
Austin was in a readied stance to pull out his sword ever since Rovak spoke to them. He intended to fight
once things went awry, but he found his blade to weigh like a ton after Brendel pulled out his sword.
[This crazy bastard is Aouine’s noble? When did our kingdom have someone like him?]
Brendel stayed in his pose for nearly two seconds before exhaling loudly. The first swing drained an
incredible amount of stamina and made his Unyielding talent activate. The second swing even caused him
to freeze for a moment.
But even so, none of the Beastmen dared to move after that display of prowess.
1912
Rovak’s death was understandable. The youth looked like he used an incredible technique, but his second
attack was beyond common sense. Nearly a hundred meters of earth was turned into liquid and reformed
to fire a torrent of projectiles that could not be defended against.
An Arcane Knight?
Or Runic Swordsman?
Brendel sheathed his sword, and the stalagmites formed crumbled and returned to soil. He glared coldly
at the frightened Golden Lionmane Beastmen. They surrounded him like a crescent moon, but no one
dared to advance a single step.
“I think King Erik could never have imagined there would be a day where his descendants would be
mocked by a bunch of beasts.” Brendel turned around and said as he looked at the ambassadors:
“Aouine’s flag of glory that has fallen onto the ground, do you think you’re capable of carrying it up
again?”
Brendel’s voice was not loud and his tone was even.
Dolant glanced at the Lionmane Beastmen, then at Brendel. He was unwilling to acknowledge his words,
but he was unable to refute him. The female scholar lowered her head. Austin was the only one who
pulled out his sword in silence.
The Lionmane Beastman adjutant eventually regained his composure. Even though Brendel astounded
everyone with his strength, he was still a Gold-ranker regardless of whatever techniques he possessed. It
was clear that he would not be able to repeat the same feat many times. There were more than a hundred
Silver-ranked warriors behind him. In addition, he and one other captain were also Gold-rankers.
The ambassadors were unlikely to be warriors, while their guards would have only one Gold-ranker at
most. The motley crew of youths and mercenaries following Brendel could be completely disregarded.
The Lionmane Beastman adjutant quickly made his decision. He had to end things before the Druids
came: “Kill them all! Get revenge for Captain Rovak!”
His roar woke all the Beastmen up. After a chaotic moment, they prepared to surround the humans
completely and rush them.
Brendel’s army of youths and mercenaries were already alert when Aouine’s ambassadors appeared.
When he raised his sword against Rovak, Carglise had already signaled them to prepare for a battle. A
cacophony of weapons pulled out from their sheaths could be heard.
Count Austin walked to Brendel’s back and tossed his scabbard away.
1913
“We only need to hold on for a while. The rest of our men would be coming very soon since a battle has
broken out in your camp.”
“Hold on?” Brendel did not bother to turn back his head and answered in an icy tone, surprising Count
Austin.
“Carglise, Kodan, Ropar, Scarlett,” he glared at the Beastman as he yelled, “lead the men and kill them all!”
“As you wish, my lord!” Carglise answered in excitement.
“Understood!” Scarlett replied as though she had been waiting for this order and rushed into the fray,
with lightning dancing around her weapon.
[Another Gold-ranker with an unsealed Element Power?!]
The Lionmane Beastman adjutant felt his eyelids jerk.
But he quickly discovered there was another big threat in the battlefield. The Fireclaw Lizardman
appeared from nowhere, dashing across the battlefield silently and knocked the Beastmen’s left flank out
of formation with a single swipe of its gigantic tail.
With a single horizontal slash of its two-handed Greatsword, a sea of fiery flames turned a row of
Lionmane Beastmen into ashes. They lost a single squadron with a single blow. It was as though a wall
had suddenly appeared on the battlefield. The Lionmane Beastmen quivered in front of the Lizardman
Chieftain, but the latter was not yet done. It raised its three-fingered hand and pointed its thumb at them.
Ten-odd Fireclaw Lizardmen lancers emerged from nowhere and charged towards their enemies.
Kodan walked slowly to Brendel’s side as he pulled out his sword: “I don’t think I ever agreed to work for
you, boy?”
“You didn’t?” Brendel replied.
“At least I never agreed to accept your orders.”
“But I’m not ordering you.”
“What?”
Brendel glanced at Austin and asked: “Count Austin, was there ever a time where our ambassadors were
insulted when King Erik was alive?”
Austin returned the youth’s glance with a strange look and shook his head.
1914
Flames covered Halran Gaia in an instant.
“Then, should we give Aouine’s reply with our swords?”
Austin smiled wryly: “Understood.”
Brendel’s eyes returned to Kodan. The latter did not answer and merely tossed his sheath away. A
whirlpool of green light revolved around his body.
Elman who watched the events unfold widened his eyes.
[Another Gold-ranker! No, even that ambassador is a Gold-ranker? When did Aouine gain so many of
them?!]
1915
Chapter 133 – Forced retreat
Scarlett, Kodan, Ropar, and Austin were like four sharp weapons that stabbed into the Golden Lionmane
Beastmen’s formation. The latter fell into momentary confusion, but they quickly regained their
composure, realizing there was still a chance for a hundred-odd Silver-ranked Beastmen to triumph over
a few Gold-rankers.
The Beastman adjutant tried his best to lead his men against their foes, but he soon realized that it was
folly to rely on numbers. He was also categorized as a ‘Gold-ranker’, but there was a great difference in
the quality of the Element Powers between them, let alone skill.
Scarlett was still a novice when it came to using her Element Power, but she had eaten the Golden Apple
which greatly strengthened the amount of electricity she could invoke. The lightning that surrounded her
body was more like thick curtains of light.
Every time she swung her halberd, several lightning bolts discharged into the midst of the Beastmen that
reach more than a hundred feet. The ones struck directly in their chests had smoldering cavities in them.
The more she fought, the stronger she became, almost entering the state of a God Acolyte. Her eyes
glowed as white lightning poured out from it, and she eventually reached a point where she merely
pointed her finger to direct a lightning bolt into a Beastman, turning him into cinders.
Lightning flashed repeatedly in the forest, dazzling all those who watched her. Faena stared at the
Beastmen hiding behind rocks and trees with an unhinged jaw, completely forgetting about the things
that she came to do.
“Is she the daughter of the Wind Spirit King Casas, the Lady of Lightning?” She stammered.
“What a tremendous Element Power—” Rono’s eyes glinted repeatedly as lightning streaked across the
ground.
Elman’s face was just as pale as the two. Even though the old swordsman near the red-haired girl
controlled his Element Power far better she did, the latter appeared to be more powerful than he was.
However, his attention was mostly on Brendel and Ropar. If Scarlett was like a Lightning Goddess, then
the Lizardman Ropar was a Fire God. His Greatsword had flames dancing in the air as he dissected the
Beastmen easily. Flames even covered his entire body and he did not even flinch from the heat.
Elman could not understand it.
1916
In truth, while the Fireclaw Lizardmen appeared like they had a physical body, half of it was comprised of
the Fire Element. These Element lifeforms had long lifespans, and those who became chieftains meant
they had emerged victorious under countless battles. Ropar came from a world of burning plains and had
considerable fighting skills. Each thrust of his greatsword ensured that at least one Beastman would be
struck down.
The second Gold-ranked Lionmane Beastman rushed in to block Ropar’s advance by lunging at him, but
he did not think that the Lizardman simply allowed the sword to pierce through his chest. He looked up
at Ropar’s face in shock and confusion; why did the Lizardman allow the blade to run through his heart?
But the Lizardman only glared back with eyes lit ablaze by fire. It was the unique trait of the Fireclaw
Lizardmen. They were Battle-thirsty, and their combat abilities rose if they received damage. Although
the Beastman’s attack was a critical blow to Ropar, the latter’s strength rose tremendously.
Ropar’s counterattack came swiftly as the Lionmane Beastman attempted pulled out his blade but it was
all too late. The blazing greatsword cleaved the latter into two and set the remains on fire.
The Lizardman Chieftain pulled out the longsword on its body and threw it away in silence, bringing out a
jet of flames as the blade was drawn out. He briefly checked on his subordinates. The thirty-odd Silver-
ranked Fireclaw Lancers had become strong enough to reach the threshold of what a Silver-ranker could
achieve.
Their charges on the battlefield were like an unstoppable flaming meteor that forced the enemies to
scatter. The Lionmane Beastmane were unable to defend against them, causing the left flank to lose its
formation.
But the Lionmane Beastman adjutant did not notice the increasing number of casualties, as he was busy
staring at Brendel in cold sweat.
In his eyes, the youth before was a complete monster in human form. The usage of his Element Power
clearly belonged to someone who had just become a Gold-ranker, but his combat prowess was even more
terrifying than any Gold-rankers who mastered their Element Powers completely.
Brendel’s broadsword looked like a dragon releasing its breath when he raised the weapon over his head.
Flames spewed out from his silver gauntlets and spun around Halran Gaia like a hurricane. When he
finally swung it towards the ground, the spiraling pillar of flames instantly engulfed the adjutant’s
squadron of Lionmane Beastman, turning them into ashes in mere seconds. A few managed to escape the
attack, but rock needles suddenly thrust up into the air after a series of loud cracking noises, and they
turned the hapless survivors into pincushions.
A single slash across the ground caused a large hole in the center of the Lionmane Beastman’s formations.
1917
Brendel took a single step forward, and the Lionmane Beastmen from Toquinin retreated in an uproar.
“Prepare your crossbows now! Hurry!” The adjutant screamed in terror.
The warriors from Toquinin sent to the Green Tower were elites. Even the crossbowmen were carrying
Magic Crossbows. As soon as they heard their commander’s order, they woke up from their daze and
hurriedly prepared their projectiles. Yellow light glowed from their crossbows, and it was clear that the
crossbows were imbued with Earth Magic.
“Fire!” The adjutant roared after a few seconds.
The taut strings sang as dozens of yellow lines trailed from the crossbows to Brendel’s body, but before
the projectiles could find their mark, a shield of red flames materialized out of thin air and turned them to
ashes.
The Beastman adjutant stared at the flames and forgot to breathe as he realized the attacks failed
completely. If there were gamers around Brendel, they would have yelled in frustration and envy
instantly—
‘Just how amazing is this bastard’s equipment!’
Halran Gaia, Bahamut’s Grasp, The Warrior’s Ring are Fantasy-ranked artifacts, along with countless
magic artifacts. His Defense and Physique stats surpassed a Guardian Knight class, while his damage
output was even higher than a Berserker or other related DPS class. And evven if Brendel’s equipment
was discounted, the number of techniques he had could only be compared to a pure pay-to-win player.
[What a sneaky cat. You ran away the moment I cut down your leader, but it’s a mistake to think you’re
safe just because you’re hiding in the back.]
Brendel quietly remarked to himself, after he heard the Beastman adjutant’s commands and discovered
his location. He reached for the Shale Longbow on his back and dismissed the shield of flames after the
volley of crossbow bolts ended. He pulled the longbow’s string fully and aimed:
“Earth to earth, dust to dust, Arrow of Stone!”
Brendel’s shooting skills were derived from his experience as a level 130 warrior. With the addition of a
Mercenary’s proficiency, he was absolutely confident that he would hit him at this distance. He released
his fingers, and the arrow flew like a comet towards the adjutant.
The latter was still a Gold-ranker and immediately deflected the arrow away, but the projectile’s magic
transferred itself across the blade and turned the Beastman’s flesh into stone.
1918
“Lonmmf, mff, mmmmf!” Rono jumped up and shouted as he mistakenly identified as the weapon in
Brendel’s hands to be a Longbow of Petrification, a weapon that was wielded by a legendary humanoid
creature called Medusa.
The reason for Rono’s garbled words was due to Elman. The viscount frantically covered the black-haired
youth’s lips when he realized Rono was about to make a mistake.
Brendel’s hidden trump cards were starting to frighten them, and they felt a cold dread spreading all over
their backs. The Lionmane Beastmen were pushed back completely.
Even though the Beastmen still had greater numbers, Kodan and Austin were veteran Gold-ranked
swordsmen who were experienced in battles. They struck at the Lionmane Beastmen’s formation and
forced them to lump together. This made it impossible for the Beastmen to surround their enemies and
become ineffective instead.
With the death of their two commanding officers, they quickly lost their morale and their formation was
broken. The Beastmen’s left flank was the first group that ran away. They had the biggest number of
casualties due to the Fireclaw Lizardmen’s charges, and once the Beastman adjutant died, they ran away
and disappeared in the Dark Forest.
The center formation immediately received pressure once the left flank disappeared. They also started to
flee, but their retreat was disorderly and panicked as the right flank realized what was happening. Their
numbers dwindled down quickly but Brendel did not allow his men to pursue them.
It was because the Druids had appeared.
The majority of the fleeing Beastmen were quickly taken as prisoners by the Druids who bound them up
tightly, with only a handful escaping. This result was not surprising to Brendel, but Aouine’s ambassadors
were still reeling in shock. It was only after they returned to Brendel’s camps to receive treatment, did
they realize what kind of miracle had happened.
Dolant sat down silently with a dark expression as Merial treated his wounds, but the female aristocrat
and Count Austin went over to thank Brendel for their treatments. Still, they felt a little uncomfortable.
They originally intended to arrest the youth but ended up working with him to fight the Beastmen.
There was something that greatly puzzled them. How did the Lionmane Beastmen know that Aouine’s
civil war in the north was going to happen? Who leaked the kingdom’s information to them? Then there
was the fact that Kirrlutz threatened them without revealing the details about Brendel.
Was it even possible to arrest the young man, given how strong he was?
1919
Austin suspected that the Kirrlutz’s ambassadors perceived the youth as a threat and hoped that Aouine
would somehow foolishly hand him over.
But Brendel did not stay and talk with the ambassadors. He was fiddling with his cards when he heard
Carglise calling out to him. The latter briefly reported the results of the youths.
[Excellent. It seems like I really must raise him to become my adjutant.]
Brendel was pleased to find out that Carglise managed to defeat two Lionmane Beastman all by himself.
Even though it could not compare to Scarlett, he was actually the only person amongst the youths to
succeed alone.
“My lord, I feel like there’s something wrong.”
“Oh?” Brendel nodded in approval: “Go ahead and speak freely.”
1920
Chapter 134 – Brendel’s advisors
The Druids were interrogating the Lionmane Beastmen prisoners. The attack from the Beastmen made
them furious. The Blackthorn council members did not think that there would be anyone who dared to
cause trouble in the frontlines, especially when Brendel was considered to be their ally.
The two-legged cats from Toquinin were wasting their time, and time was the rough equivalent of life at
this critical juncture.
On the other hand, the Beastmen felt wronged. The scouts heard that Brendel had only brought a group of
men who were not highly skilled, and the ambassadors from Aouine only brought a small number of
Silver-ranked guards. Their dead commanders thought that it would not require much time to effort to
steal Halran Gaia, or to kill them if it were necessary.
The people from Kirrlutz did not inform them of Brendel’s true strength, and they caused them to get
wiped out instead.
But the truth was the Kirrlutz Empire was unaware of how strong Brendel was. Even Rono and Faena
were greatly shocked to find out Brendel’s true strength. Just like the Beastmen, they did not think that a
few Gold-rankers would be the match for the Beastmen’s hundred-odd Silver-rankers.
Even though these Beastmen did not have any strong swordsmanship or similar techniques, they were
able to enter a state of rage to boost their strength and were incredibly aggressive. A typical Silver-
ranked human would not be a match for a Lionmane Beastman even when they are classified as the same
rank.
While the Druids discussed amongst themselves what they should do with the Beastmen, Brendel
summoned his Wind Spirit Spiders and secretly had them scout the area.
Carglise stretched and yawned as he sat down beside Brendel.
“I feel that someone made this event happen.” He said.
“Oh?” Brendel tilted his head.
“It can’t be a coincidence that the ambassadors and the Catmen from Toquinin picked a fight with us,” the
youth lowered his voice, “if the ambassadors are pressured by the people from Kirrlutz, then it’s hard to
say that the catmen are not influenced by Kirrlutz.”
“Toquinin belongs to the faction of the Hallowed Temple of Earth. It’s certainly a disaster for Aouine if the
people from Kirrlutz worked with Toquinin to suppress Aouine, but the Holy Cathedral of Fire will never
agree to this. While Kirrlutz holds a great number of seats in the Holy Cathedral of Fire, it is a violation of
1921
their teachings and Kirrlutz will pay a big price for helping Toquinin fight our kingdom.” Brendel rubbed
his forehead.
“Although we have no direct proof of their involvement, it’s very likely that they leaked the information of
the civil war to the Catmen. Do you remember what they said? The civil war in the northern regions. It’s
too specific. Even our own ambassadors don’t seem to know where it’s going to happen. Do you think the
Catmen’s magic is more advanced than Aouine’s?”
“True.” Brendel nodded. Only the Kirrlutz’s Empire could spend an enormous amount of resources to cast
a long-range communication spell.
[Ah. Correction, the wizards from Galbu are capable of doing the same feat, but these people have the
Silver Bloodline in them. They wouldn’t interfere with us. Even if these crafty old men wanted to cause
trouble for Kirrlutz, they wouldn’t find a troubled kingdom. Wonderful, son of Macsen. It’s easy for me to
guess that Kirrlutz has a hand in this shitty mess since I know how history is going to play out. But for you
to make such a good analysis with a little bit of information so quickly, especially after having a
‘terrifying’ fight where the opponents supposedly outnumber us. It makes me wonder if you already
formed an opinion the moment you saw the Beastmen appeared.]
Brendel believed it was a wise decision to recruit Carglise. Even though his father was an ordinary man,
his son was certainly not.
[Hmm, how is it that you’re not famous in my past life? Someone like you should be someone prominent.
Or did you somehow get killed during your way to the princess? Hmm, hmm, I saved your life, young man.
You should repay me.]
He patted Carglise’s shoulders without saying anything. Revealing his thoughts carelessly would probably
invite unwanted rumors. What if the Holy Cathedral of Fire sent a bunch of people to arrest and set him
on fire?
“But why did the Catmen come all the way to pick a fight with us? Did they really come all the way to
simply steal your sword? I understand that Halran Gaia is a legendary weapon, but those stupid cats are
actual ambassadors, right? Ambassadors becoming bandits, this is such a loss of reputation.” Carglise said
a little puzzledly as he scratched his head: “Or did they have such a tradition from the ancient times? I
can’t understand their motive at all—”
Count Austin and the female scholar were eavesdropping on them, and both of them coughed with
strange expressions on their faces. If the Lionmane Beastmen knew that this young man turned Toquinin
into a kingdom of thieves with his remark, there might be a war for that insult.
But Amandina came over to answer the question: “Halran Gaia is considered as the holy relic of the
Hallowed Temple of Earth. Its value is how a citizen of Aouine would regard the Lionheart. An example
would be this, if our lord possesses one of Kirrlutz’s national treasure, they would rush over to pry it from
our lord’s hands.”
1922
“I see. Then it’s still likely to be Kirrlutz’s handiwork. The people who witnessed the fight between our
lord and the people from Kirrlutz are mostly natives, and they aren’t likely to spread rumors about him
having Halran Gaia.”
[Backstab me after failing to win in a direct confrontation? This isn’t Veronica’s style.]
Brendel nodded again to agree with the assessment. He had already figured out the culprits behind the
scene as soon as he saw the Lionmane Beastmen, but the people from Kirrlutz were indeed recurring
villains who came back again and again.
Amandina pondered for a moment: “But it’s strange. Why would the famous Veronica scheme behind our
backs in this manner? We are no match for her.”
“Perhaps she doesn’t want to have a fall out with the Druids?” Carglise suggested.
“But the Druids are no fools.”
Carglise laughed as he turned his head back: “Wait, I think I get it. Count Austin, out of curiosity, is there
someone important amongst the ambassadors from Kirrlutz?”
As a high-ranking general and aristocrat, Austin did not have to answer the youth in front of him.
However, he did cooperate with Brendel and was also dissatisfied with Kirrlutz’s actions to use them.
“Yes, and it’s someone I recognize. The daughter of Kirrlutz’s prime minister.”
“Ah. So it’s indeed the people from Kirrlutz, but Veronica has no idea about it.”
Brendel nodded. But he was unable to go to her and point fingers, because she might actually pretend
that the order was from her to protect the empire’s dignity. Even if she were to teach her subordinates a
lesson, it was unlikely that she would let the people from Aouine off since the move had already been
made.
“In any case, the people from Kirrlutz don’t intend to let us off,” Brendel said in a flat tone. Dealing with
the Calamity of Wolves and the schemes behind his back at the same time made him furious.
“My lord, we should act now,” Carglise suddenly came over to him and whispered: “I’m sure they are
trying to look at our trump cards if they planned for the ambassadors and the Catmen to attack us.”
“Indeed, my lord,” Amandina was close enough to hear Carglise’s words and also agreed, “Carglise is
saying that the people from Kirrlutz are watching us.”
But Brendel quickly replied: “Stop. Move back a little and continue to discuss what they are going to do
next.”
1923
Carglise was momentarily surprised, but he quickly understood that his lord had already made a move.
His eyes were full of shadowy laughter as though he could not wait for the world to be engulfed in chaos,
but he took a moment to think it through: “Well, in order to find out where our limits are, they have to
raise the quality of their cards….. Which means they are going to find a stronger force.”
“The Holy Cathedral of Fire,” Amandina continued, “because the Kirrlutz Empire wields the authority to
speak for them. If they got our ambassadors and the Beastmen from Toquinin to come after us, they are
likely to consider the Holy Cathedral of Fire in their plans.”
Count Austin and the female scholar paled. The latter was thankful for Brendel’s assistance back then and
joined in the discussion with a frown: “But even if the people from Kirrlutz made a request to them to get
back at you, they would need a legitimate reason for the Bishops to act on this matter.”
[Reason?]
Brendel felt his eyelids twitch as he thought about the Holy Swords magic that he displayed, which was
similar to the Sacred Church of Light’s magic. He could not help but took in a deep breath and prayed that
his suspicions would not come true.
It would be a disaster if they did.
1924
Chapter 135 – Wolves’ movements
============ Faena’s POV ============
Faena watched the Lionmane Beastmen’s interrogation by the Druids with a pair of glazed eyes. Both of
her hands were clamped over her lips. Her throat moved several times, wanting to grumble about how
these Beastmen were useless for not being able to defeat a group of men from Aouine with superior
numbers, but there was no sound.
Brendel truly terrified her.
It was only at this moment that she realized the country bumpkin had held back that afternoon. There
was no way she could have waited for Veronica or the others to come in time if he wanted to kill her.
The three nobles from Kirrlutz had to stay where they were in order to avoid encountering the Druids
who were searching for any remaining Beastmen. Instead, they continued to watch Brendel and his group
of men from afar, but that youth from Aouine was slowly walking over to them.
Even though it seemed like he was just taking a stroll, Faena felt her heart beat heavily like a stick hitting
a drum. The icy expression around his eyes made her afraid of even leaking out the tiniest of breath.
“Elman, Elman…… H-he hasn’t discovered we’re here, right?” She whispered in desperation.
“Don’t worry.” Elman frowned but he assured her, “it’s unlikely that he discovered our ploy so quickly.
Even if he did, he wouldn’t know that we’re hiding here.”
There was nothing good about a gifted prodigy appearing in Aouine. He was even younger than him.
Elman stared at Brendel, feeling a strange sense of enmity towards him.
“It’s a good time to leave now.” He patted Faena’s shoulders as he was also worried. Brendel’s abilities
were too frightening. There was no guarantee that he would fail to detect them if he came closer.
“Are we not going to wait and see if the people from the Holy Cathedral are going to come?” Rono
whispered.
“The people from Holy Cathedral of Fire are not like these beasts who act on instinct. The bishop leading
them is greedy, but he’s not a fool.” Elman shook his head. He suddenly saw Faena lift her finger up and
hurriedly knocked her hand down.
“What are you doing!” He hissed loudly.
1925
“H-he’s looking in our direction…..” Faena’s eyes were wide.
Elman stiffened as he looked at Brendel. The youth’s eyes were fixated in their direction, causing his scalp
to feel numb.
[Impossible, this is a coincidence!]
“Lower your heads, both of you, don’t let him spot you!” Elman whispered as a Wind Spirit Spider darted
across the ground behind him silently.
Brendel tilted his head slightly as he pondered on what he should do. There was actually quite a fair
distance between them because he did not walk for long. In fact, half his face was lit up with an orange
glow because he was still near his camp’s torches.
“He….. discovered…… us!” Faena stood up and tried to run away, but Elman pulled her down. She
struggled in his arms.
“Don’t p—” Elman’s words suddenly stopped when he saw Brendel pulling out Halran Gaia. An outline of
golden light covered the black broadsword.
Elman finally believed that Brendel had discovered them.
“Run!” He shouted with a panicked expression.
A hurricane of light started to gather around Halran Gaia as Brendel raised it over his head. The figures of
the fleeing nobles from Kirrlutz could be seen in his eyes. He brought his senses to his limit and swung his
sword.
A single slash.
Speed that was too fast for a normal human to even catch a glimpse.
White energy emerged from his blade, bringing along screaming gales as invisible blades of air sailed
through the air, almost in the shape of a pair of majestic wings.
The wings chased the nobles.
The wind uprooted the trees behind them and they crashed onto the ground, as though a gigantic beast
was rampaging in the forest, advancing quickly towards its prey.
And in that moment.
1926
The adventurers, mercenaries, ambassadors, and Druids in the Dark Forest turned their heads towards
the source of the noise. The tremendous energy could be felt even from a great distance—
============= Veronica’s POV ============
Veronica was still discussing their plans with her subordinates when she heard the distant howls from
the violent winds. She had a grave expression as she raised her head up away from the maps. The wizard
next to her put down the crystal bowl in his hand and also turned to the source of the disturbance.
They were just in time to spot a blast of white energy lighting up the night in the northern direction. It
finally disappeared after covering half the Dark Forest, leaving debris and dust across its wake.
“White Raven Sword Arte?! It’s from that boy, what is happening in that area!” Veronica’s eyes suddenly
widened, and she turned to question her subordinates in a harsh tone: “Where’s Faena? Wait, where’s
Rono and Elman!”
Delphine’s face had a deathly white pallor when she realized something was wrong.
“Delphine!” Veronica immediately noticed her reaction: “Did they go there?”
The long-haired girl shook her head subconsciously, but the furious glare from the female general
stunned her, and she nodded with difficulty.
Veronica’s face darkened. She advanced to the girl with large strides.
“Did you have something to do with this?”
A silent nod, again.
A slap resounded in the camp.
Veronica took a deep breath and stared at the girl who was knocked onto the ground and demanded an
answer with a pause between each word:
“Why did you not tell me?”
Delphine had a hand clasped over her face as she lowered her head in silence. There was a stream of
blood that flowed down her white wrist. The color of her blood was especially striking.
“I’ll deal with you later.” Veronica scoffed coldly at the girl’s response.
1927
She was worried that Brendel had killed Faena and the other two boys. Things would truly become out of
hand. Even though she threatened Brendel, it was definitely not a good time for the Empire to be involved
in a war now.
Especially if it concerned Aouine—
“Get your soldiers ready,” Veronica’s eyes made the people around her tremble as she looked at them,
“and move out.”
============== Brendel’s POV =============
When Brendel raised his sword, the ambassadors were still confused over what the youth was doing.
When the damage to the vicinity was over, they jumped up in fright. Three sets of Kirrlutz’s uniforms
bearing the symbols of important Houses. Three bodies lying on the ground.
The ambassadors were initially astonished at Brendel’s overwhelming might, but now fear consumed
them and they could feel no warmth in their bodies.
It was all over.
Austin only had one thought. A war was going to break out between Kirrlutz and Aouine. The Empire
would unleash its fury to their kingdom. It happened all too easily. Brendel’s subordinates thought the
same as they watched him move slowly towards the corpses.
“You won’t be so lucky the next time. If I see you again, I’m afraid your heads won’t be attached to your
necks again.” Brendel said.
The three bodies flinched when he spoke to them. Indeed, they were spared. Faena got up slowly, but her
legs acted more like a newborn deer’s attempt to get up, and she fell onto the ground in a heap. The
moment where the Sword Energy brushed past her head kept looping in her mind. She did not even have
the energy to cry any longer.
Elman’s initial reaction to Brendel’s attack was much better than the other two. He instantly pushed Rono
in front of him when he saw the attack and turned around to run. Unfortunately, he only took a single
step before he crashed into a pine tree.
Rono stumbled from Elman’s push and fell face-down in the mud.
The Sword Energy seemed like it had a mind of its own and merely danced around their skin. Elman’s
sword belt was cut off, Rono’s robe was shredded into pieces, while Faena’s pauldrons were split into
half. They were then tossed up into the air by the shockwave of energy before they crashed onto the
ground with a thud.
The trees around them were gone and not even grass was left intact. The Sword Energy snaked to a
different path at a strange angle before it tore everything up in a straight line.
1928
Brendel watched the Rono and Elman get up silently. They pulled up the shaking Faena and started to
leave for their camps. However, they did not get far because they saw a colossal black wolf was in their
path, motionless.
The boys sobered up and pulled out their swords but there was no reaction from the monster. They then
noticed that it was in a strange pose. It looked as though it was charging towards something; its front paw
was still lifted up. The two inched closer to the creature, their feet sweeping across fallen leaves and
creating a rustling sound.
The wolf did not move but wobbled as though the minute vibrations had affected it.
Suddenly, its body split into half from head to tail, and a gush of blood and entrails poured all over the
ground, causing a foul stench to permeate the air.
Brendel observed the golden lights emerge from the wolf’s body and flew towards him. Angry and
annoyed as he was, he had no intention of getting Aouine in a war with Kirrlutz. As long as there were no
deaths, these ‘insults’ to the people from Kirrlutz were unlikely to cause a war between them. Aouine had
its troubles with Madara and the civil war, but the Kirrlutz Empire was not exactly in a healthy state right
now.
The era of wars was still many years away.
It was not his personality to let these spoilt nobles get away with things. He chose the next best option.
Threatening their lives in a show of power. It was the only way to make them feel fear from the bottom of
their hearts.
But the true intention of his sword’s swing was to rescue the three aristocrats. Frightening them was his
secondary goal.
– Black Wolf (Lord) slain.
– 2300 XP gained.
[They can’t die here even if it isn’t my fault. But the wolf’s appearance means that the event is starting.]
He sheathed his sword quickly and glanced at the other end of the forest where it led up to the black
mountains.
A wolf’s howl pierced through the silent night—
And more wolves far and near answered it. Moving shadows started appearing in the forest. Brendel
observed that area for a moment as though he was confirming something, before he turned back to the
youths with a raised hand:
‘They’re here—‘
1929
1930
Chapter 136 – Into battle
The trees within the Dark Forest were of varied height and appeared like waves of water in the night
wind. It was impossible to find where they ended. Wolves started to howl within the forest, and more
answered the call from near and far.
The succession of howls came nearer and nearer to the camp, and it sounded as though the beasts with
bared fangs were growling next to everyone’s ears. Black shadows darted across the ground, stopping
occasionally as they sniffed the air, as though they were seeking their prey.
A single pair of red lights the size of dots suddenly appeared in mid-air. In a heartbeat, hundreds more
emerged and left vanishing trails. And in a few seconds, the number was as many as the stars in the sky.
White cold mist could be seen streaming from their steely snouts.
The youths gasped, while the ambassadors’ muscles became taut.
“Prepare for battle!” Austin immediately judged they were unable to leave in this situation and ordered
his knights.
Brendel’s men also readied themselves into a defensive formation; those with armor and shields stood in
front, while the archers were placed in the back.
“Stay in position!” A yell rang out.
Brendel glanced at them. The youths were split up into squadrons and each leader was making sure they
were orderly.
[Most of them are shaken but the leaders are doing well. Even though they aren’t confident, they are calm
enough.]
“Lancers, lay down your lances, horizontally!” Kodan yelled at the youths’ side: “Hurry up! And make the
formation a little bigger!”
The blades glinted as they caught the light from the campfire’s golden hue. The tips of the weapon
seemed to increase in length. The wolves stopped moving and trotted uneasily. Red eyes moved back and
forth slightly.
“They are going to test for weaknesses.” Kodan inspected the youths’ formations once more as he spoke.
Brendel nodded in agreement. He threw a vial of red liquid to Kodan and said: “Catch!”
1931
Kodan subconsciously caught it. When he opened his palm, he discovered that the vial had Sealing Runes
written all over it.
The contents looked like blood.
“Drink it,” Brendel said
“What is this?” Kodan asked.
“Potion of Dragon Strength.”
Kodan picked up the vial and shook it with his thumb and index finger. “I’ve drunk this stuff before. It
only works once in a lifetime, right?”
“The garbage made out of Dragonblood Moss can be called a Potion of Dragon Strength? Potion of Cow
Strength, perhaps. Drink it. You will get to feel the real thing.” Brendel answered with disdain.
The Wyvern’s blood bought from the Green Tower was made into a concoction and bottled in the vial. It
was one rank below a dragon’s and one rank above a five-headed Hydra’s blood. A hundred vials were
made in total and distributed to the youths when the camp was set up. There were still some left, simply
because the Planeswalker’s cards did not benefit from any potions or materials.
As for the five-headed Hydra’s blood, Brendel had even more vials made. He planned to use it on his
future White Lion Army and to give some to the Subterrane Dwellers. It would be good to bribe Tagiv and
make them even more loyal.
Kodan took a final glimpse of the potion and drank it a little doubtfully. But his expression immediately
changed and he stared at Brendel with disbelief.
“T…… This is……”
Brendel only grinned a little in response and surveyed the defense line.
His group of youths formed a formation in the front, while the ambassadors’ knights were placed on the
left flank. Ropar led his Fireclaw Lizardmen to the right flank.
“My lord! Do we drink it now?” A young man with light golden hair asked.
Brendel recalled his name to be Janos, the leader of the first squadron. The latter was a shoemaker’s son
who had a somewhat scrawny body when he first joined, but now he looked a little more like a soldier.
1932
The approval was given and Janos was about to instruct his men to drink the potion, when someone
interrupted him with a mocking tone.
“My word, is a shoemaker’s son going to fight against the big bad wolves?” A youth with silver-grey hair
said.
He wore a simple suit of leather armor with his hand placed on his waist and wore a lopsided grin.
“Now it’s not the time to throw your jeers, Roland.” Janos did not have the mood to argue with him. The
monsters were approaching closer and he felt the tremors on the ground, causing him to grip his sword
tightly.
Roland shrugged when he saw his taunt fail, but he suddenly froze.
A light gasp escaped his lips when he saw the black wolves suddenly rush out from the trees like a tidal
wave. He wanted to seek excitement when he joined Brendel, and now it seemed like the situation was
certainly too exciting.
“Take out your Potion of Dragonblood!” Carglise was the first to raise his hand and a vial was in it. Janos,
Roland, and the other leaders in charge of their squadrons also shouted as they took out their vials:
“Drink!”
The Potions of Dragonblood Strength had a stronger effect when it was consumed before a battle. The
youths took out their vials from their pouches and drank them. Under the guidance of Brendel and the
other Gold-rankers, they had just cleared the hurdle to be called Iron-rankers.
But drinking the high-quality potions at their levels had a violent effect on them. They felt like a dragon’s
flame was exploding within their chests.
“Shit, it’s so hot!”
“My body feels like it’s burning up……”
“Help, water, water!”
The youths’ faces were flushed red from the heat. Carglise smacked one of the youth’s head with his
sword’s scabbard: “Eyes on your enemies, fool!”
Yells from the other leaders could be heard as well.
“Focus and don’t be distracted!”
“Pay attention to the enemies’ movements!’
1933
Brendel nodded inwardly when he watched them from behind. He turned his head to search for Austin,
and he tossed a vial towards him: “Catch this, Count Austin!”
“You’re giving me this?” Austin had been paying attention to the black wolves, but he also saw the youths
drinking the contents in the vials. He looked a little blankly at Brendel. The latter’s action surprised him,
because the ambassadors were not allies with him.
But the youth’s gaze had returned to the wolves.
“Do you still remember, that once upon a time in the ancient battlefields, the horns of the six dukes rang
out loudly, while the swallow-tailed flags were flying against the wind?” His voice was loud enough to
reach everyone.
“Do you still remember, the epics of our glorious knights who fought against their enemies and crushed
them—”
Brendel gave a smile that bared his teeth as a sudden wolf howl could be heard: “In the name of Aouine,
and the oath of the selfless lions—”
Austin was transfixed, but a single cry broke out behind him and answered Brendel: “I will uphold it with
the sword in my hands!”
The knights behind Austin pulled out their swords and also repeated that cry as they faced the black
wolves.
Brendel pulled out Halran Gaia: “Thus, descendants of the warriors who followed King Erik—”
The black wolves were finally moving.
“Slay the foes before us!”
A rolling carpet of black wolves rushed towards the camp. Red eyes flashed by as the wolves ran in the
shape of a curve, heading towards the knights who formed a wall. Ten-odd wolves who were ahead of the
pack leaped up to an area that oversaw the camp. They released a long howl that was high in tone before
it fell in pitch, and the other wolves split into two forces, running past them.
The black monsters crashed into the humans wearing white armor. Lances impaled several bodies all at
once, and black spurts of blood went in all directions. The lances creaked heavily as they withstood the
immense pressure from the wolves, and the knights and youths were forced back with their feet dragging
across the ground.
Finally, the lances snapped.
1934
“Swords!”
The people who had their weapons broken threw them down and immediately pulled their longswords.
[A little longer. I need to wait a little longer.]
Brendel watched the wolves collide against the humans like they were cars that lost control in an
accident. Golden lights appeared and flew straight at him. In an instant, more than two hundred XP were
added to his total points.
He reached out for his own Potion of Dragonblood Strength and drank it. The viscous liquid went down
his throat and he felt his body warm up. It was not painful, but it was an undeniable heat.
Green words appeared across his retina:
– Strength +25
– Agility +10
– Physique +20
– Potential +~10%
The effectiveness of the potion was diminished because of his high level. The youths under him would
have benefitted far more in terms of additional stats. Kodan’s true level was actually higher than Brendel,
so the increase in stats would not be as high.
The increase of stats was temporary with the exception of the Potential stat. The Potential Stat will slowly
temper the body as long as the ‘drug’ remained in the system. Most of it will be squandered, but intense
battles would allow it to be spent at a faster rate.
[Time to grind XP. Wait, that isn’t right. Time to have a workout.]
Brendel flexed his wrists with a few audible cracks.
[Holy Swords, open the path!]
A sudden pair of gigantic green wings appeared behind him and extended to each side—
1935
Chapter 137 – The Alliance in the forest
========= Elman’s POV ==========
“T-these are all Potion of Dragon Strength…… And the quality of the potions!” Rono nearly bit his tongue
in his shock.
The youths from Kirrlutz were unable to leave, and they had to move closer to Brendel’s camp for
protection.
“Rono, what’s wrong?” Faena jumped a little.
The appearance of the wolves made her jittery, and she lowered her voice subconsciously, afraid of either
attracting the monsters or Brendel.
“H-he’s treating these potions like water……” Rono could not suppress his ire and said: “If they are
instead used on knights who have more potential than this strange bunch— of people.”
“What is so surprising about these potions.” Elman regarded his companion a little coldly. He had pushed
Rono down to cover himself when Brendel attacked them, and even though it was an instinctive action,
he knew that this act would not be forgotten or forgiven.
Explaining was pointless and a waste of time. He even thought it would even be wise to consider ending
this prodigy’s future in this Dark Forest.
Rono glanced back at his ‘companion’. While Elman’s expression was one of disinterest, Rono expressed
his condescension openly because of the anger and injustice he felt.
“Ignorant fool. This is a true Potion of Dragon Strength made from a dragon’s blood, or perhaps a grade
that’s close to it. The filth that you drank has nothing in comparison to the youths’ potions.”
Elman secretly gritted his teeth, but he showed no changes in his expression and looked at Brendel’s men
one more time, before he spoke again:
“Fine, but it’s about time we leave. There’s an opening that we can take advantage of since the wolves’
attention is on Aouine’s men. We won’t be able to escape if we waste any more time.”
The trip was a mistake. But he could not openly blame it on Faena, even if she was the one who suggested
to watch Brendel’s reaction. The responsibility would still fall on him.
1936
Rono was probably interested to watch Brendel a little longer, but Elman had seen enough talented
people and simply did not care. It was especially so when Faena was the only successor of the Redhill
family.
[What an awful mess. I came here all for the sake of flattering this girl, but that Brendel ruined my perfect
image. A genius or a duke’s successor, everything is pointless if my life is forfeit, but the ending to this
scenario was a mere warning…… Damn this bastard from Aouine.]
Faena did not seem to realize Elman’ s actions back then because she was also panicking. Rono was
certainly the victim, but he was not fond of speaking ill of others and did not give away Elman. Still, the
latter’s eyes regarded Rono as though he was a dead person.
[If he were to tell Lady Veronica the things I have done to him……]
“Look over there!” Faena suddenly yelled.
============ Brendel’s POV ============
Everyone felt the night sky brighten a little.
A pair of gigantic wings of green light extended on the battlefield. But when they looked at the pair of
wings, they discovered that it was actually made up of countless Magic Formations. The Wind Spirit
Spiders appeared in the air one by one, with a golden shining sword hovering over each of them.
The green lights quickly took on a golden hue.
Everyone held their breaths. Many had already seen Brendel’s magic before, but it was never cast in the
night. The golden Holy Swords that were pointing to the ground had more of a mysterious air to them
compared to the ones summoned in the daytime.
[Is this magic?]
Austin could only stare at them like he had been turned to stone. The ambassadors behind him felt like
their world had suddenly gone crazy. The youth was clearly a Gold-ranked swordsman.
How was he able to use magic?
But the gigantic pair of wings were clearly coming from him. Yet the scale of this magic was far beyond
what an Arcane Knight could do.
[He’s a spellcaster too?]
1937
Brendel was used to such gazes and ignored them. He merely yelled out as he pointed Halran Gaia at the
wolves: “Lower your eyes!”
“Lower your eyes! Our lord is going to unleash his attack!” The squadron leaders immediately yelled as
well.
The knights subconsciously looked at the sky. They were just in time to see the brightness of the glowing
swords increase in intensity. Eyes squinted as pillars descended from the sky, easily piercing through the
wolves. The creatures had the durability of a strong Iron-ranker, but it was still weak enough for the
magic to pierce through them.
The pillars of light became lasers that burned the wolves’ fur before reaching their internal organs. Even
when the monsters tried desperately to run away, the lasers tracked them in their general direction and
continued to blast at them. The wolves who suffered the attack eventually had light pouring out from the
other end of their wounds, and they exploded in a shower of burning ashes.
Beams continued to sweep across the monsters. A few went close enough to the knights and youths,
causing them to shudder and shrink a little from the terrifying firepower. Each beam of light killed about
two or three wolves before they went into cooldown.
A stream of golden light flew towards Brendel, and after sweeping the battlefield with the ten-odd beams
of light a few times, the black wolves’ charge started to crumble. Half of their numbers were slain,
allowing Brendel to net around close to 1000 XP. Each wolf that was personally killed by him gave 7 to 8
XP, depending on the creature’s level.
The knights and youths were relieved to see the wolves weakened, but Brendel shouted a new command:
“Advance and push them back!”
Austin was startled. His intention was to retreat and meet up with the main bulk of the ambassadors’
guards, or to go behind the Druids’ defense lines.
“It is too dangerous for us to attack them. We should retreat, Ser……” Austin turned to Brendel and said,
before realizing that he did not know the youth’s name.
“Brendel, the Baron of Firburh,” Brendel gave a single laugh in response, “Aouine will never retreat in the
face of these monsters—”
Austin was completely stunned. Perhaps the youth in front of him was a crazy fool? It would explain why
he went against the people from Kirrlutz. Even if the youths under his command became Silver-rankers
because of the Potion of Dragon Strength, going against the endless waves of wolves was impossible.
1938
“Lord Brendel, you have to calm down, we will be torn into pieces if we fight them!” Dolant ran up to the
youth as well.
Even though he looked down on Brendel initially, the latter fought together with them as Aouine’s
citizens and taught the wild beasts from Toquinin a lesson. His opinion on Brendel went up, but the
decision to march forward was too frightening.
And yet the number of knights that was brought along merely amounted to twenty-odd men. If Brendel
insisted on going forth, they had no choice but to follow him. Dolant’s eyes briefly went over to the black
wolves. The opening created by Brendel was starting to be filled up. The tremors that reached his feet
was making his hair stand.
Brendel shook his head and pointed to the right: “Count Dolant, you’re the one who needs to calm down.
We will not be torn into pieces because our allies have arrived.”
Dolant quickly followed Brendel’s finger. A group of wolves was scattering from something as though
they had encountered something frightening.
A metallic glint flashed briefly in the forest.
It was a centaur that suddenly charged out from the forest, clad in silver armor with a silver lance on his
back. He wielded a huge ornate longbow that was the size of his body, chasing after the group of black
wolves.
With each arrow fired, a black wolf would tumble over and cease breathing.
A few seconds later, hundreds of centaurs galloped out of the forest, firing at the wolves and thinning
their numbers at a quick rate. There were many Druids who rode on the centaurs’ backs, and they raised
their staffs. Large vines shot out from the ground and overtook the charging centaurs, lifted the dead
black wolves up and hurled them in the midst of the beasts that were still alive, causing many to stumble
on the ground.
The monsters got up shakily, but the centaurs came up and finished them with a thrust of their lances.
The reinforcements were like a group of heavy cavalry causing a great din, and they changed the dire
situation in an instant. They cut straight into the wolves, reached where Brendel and the ambassadors’
forces were at, and quickly eased their pressure.
A centaur who appeared to be slightly older than the others trotted forth. He had a different suit of armor.
His pauldrons had the shape of a pair of deer antlers that curved majestically outwards, while his gold
armor followed the shape of his chest closely, making it look like he had bare skin that was gold in color.
1939
With a shake of his lance, he came before Brendel with a loud voice: “Human, I am Wydall! The Elder
Druid have made his request known, and we shall assist you to break the first wave of the Calamity of
Wolves!”
The nobles from Aouine snapped their heads towards Brendel What agreement did the youth make with
the Druids?
“You agreed? What about the Tree Elves?”
“We are here in the battlefield too, young one.”
There was a sudden shift of lighting on Wydall’s back, revealing a tall elf with green hair adorned with
leaves. He wore a robe, but did not wear a shirt and had an exposed chest. He too had a longbow, but it
was even larger than what the centaurs used and made one wonder how he was able to use it.
“It’s you—” Amandina expressed her surprise; he was the Druid that she and Scarlett saw when Brendel
entertained the children.
He nodded with a tiny smile: “If it were another human, we might reject the Elder Druids’ proposal, but I
am pleased with your actions, young one, and I can try believing in the proposal.”
Brendel was a little confused as to what he did to gain the elf’s trust. But he glanced at Amandina and
took a quick guess, nodding:
“There’s no time to waste, allow me to explain the plan.”
1940
Chapter 138 – Piercing through the siege
============ Druids’ POV ============
While Wydall had led his subordinates to reach Brendel’s camp, the Druids launched a formal attack to
break the siege. War horns rang out in the darkness, causing countless birds to fly out and many factions
to look at the Druids’ march.
It was as though a slumbering dragon had woken up with a roar; its voice clear and melodious that made
the forest tremble.
More than a thousand Druids and Tree Elves poured out in response to the war horns. These allied forces
wore robes made out of reeds, forming a line of green that severed the wolves’ charge.
More than a hundred Ents woke up from their sleep under the Druids’ summoning magic, and these giant
trees that reached several meters high smashed into the wolves with their feet. They then lowered their
body and swatted the black wolves the size of cows with their immense hands. Once they entered the
battlefield, the black wolves that poured out like a flood were suddenly halted.
The summoning magic was a fourth-circle spell. While these Ents could not compare with a real Treant,
they were classified as intermediate Silver-rankers, which were more than enough to handle the
monsters.
But the Druids who could summon them were elite Druids within the Blackthorn council, and they
planned to stay in the area until Brendel succeeded in entering his destination, making it clear that the
Druids were determined to support him by risking their lives.
While the Ents were indeed powerful, they were really shields for the Tree Elves. The latter was natural
sharpshooters that shot twice as fast as a human, and they used longbows that were much harder to pull.
Even the most untalented soldier was able to shoot twenty-five arrows in one minute. It was a frightening
storm of arrows, especially when the projectiles were made from Ironbark. While the wolves were fast
and powerful, their defenses were considered weak for a monster, and it ended in a massacre.
With just two volleys of arrows, the wolves’ left flank immediately lost its shape and they began to
scatter.
The Alpha Wolves howled when they realized the sudden loss, commanding the scattered wolves and
notifying the wolf that lorded over them—
The Warg.
1941
Howls echoed throughout the forest to echo the Alpha Wolves’ cry, and the tyrant that hid in the deepest
area amongst the wolves raised its head and answered.
It was an ear-piercing bellow that could be heard everywhere in the Dark Forest. Hundreds of Alpha
Wolves began to move at the same time, making the wolves that followed them change their directions.
The original movements of the wolves were to directly charge into the area, but now they moved in the
shape of a large spiral, turning slowly and changing the shape of the battlefield.
=========== Brendel’s POV ============
The Calamity of Wolves was spawning around the entire Loop of Trade Winds. The wolves that entered
the Green Tower’s outer areas were merely the vanguard of the wolves.
[If there are no unexpected changes, there are twelve hordes of wolves for the first wave of attack. I can’t
remember the exact numbers, but there are at least two medium-sized groups that have approximately
five hundred wolves.]
The first wave was the weakest amongst the Calamity of Wolves, but Brendel did not take it lightly. There
were thousands of wolves led by the Alpha Wolves, and each mature Black Wolf had the strength of a
peak Iron-ranker. More than half of the Blackthorn council’s Druids had not even reached that level, let
alone numbers.
[The biggest advantage the Green Tower has is the Fire Seed’s protection. The flames emanating from it
are strong and stable, and it suppresses the monsters’ levels by 15. The Druids should be able to hold out
for days. The area we are in also has a Fire seed, but it’s much weaker in comparison. Once we leave this
area to go to the Loop of Trade Wind, it will be much harder.]
Brendel’s plan was simple.
The first wave of wolves and the second wave of wolves were nearly apart by ten hours. He needed to
break the first wave and reach the Loop of Trade Winds before the next night. The Druids had agreed to
lend their assistance to create a distraction—
Brendel did not waste any time while the Druids had the attention of the Alpha Wolves. He tasked his
men and the newly-join centaurs and carved out a bloody path.
The group of ambassadors had no choice but to follow him from behind because Austin failed to persuade
‘Lord Firburh’. There was no choice. Twenty-odd guards were insufficient for them to break through the
siege and return to their camp. The Centaurs and Tree Elves that appeared were unlikely to escort them
back.
1942
[These damned barbarians are completely ignoring our status as Aouine’s ambassadors…… But at least
the people from Kirrlutz are also ignored.]
Dolant was originally making a din and wanted to get Brendel to send them back, but a group of wolves
came close enough to frighten him. He stumbled and quickly ran back to his guards and did not think
about making this suggestion again. The three youths from Kirrlutz were forced back once again to
Brendel’s camp when the Centaurs drove out the wolves. They called out to the centaurs later on and
asked if they could be sent back to their camps, but they were ignored.
Calling the Centaurs and Tree Elves’ attitudes towards Brendel polite was an understatement. Quinn and
Wydall agreed to let Brendel command them after a few moments.
Things quickly turned out to be difficult.
Brendel’s tactical explanations initially made it an easy task for the Centaurs to make a path, but as they
reached the eastern side of the Wall of Flowers, the Spiny Ridge, there was a gradual change.
“Look over there!” He heard a certain familiar voice that was grating to his ears.
[The trio from Kirrlutz. Not foolish enough to try and leave for their camp on their own. What a pity. I
might be able to absolve myself from any responsibilities if they died there and then, but now I have to
ensure their safety.]
He looked over to where Faena was pointing. He thought it might have been a naive aristocrat’s
exaggeration, but he did not expect to see something noteworthy. Amongst the stream of black wolves,
there were a few abnormal ones that were much bigger leading the pack.
[Dire Wolves! Six of them are close to us, with five in the back. Shit, eleven mini-bosses. Something’s
wrong— Did I predict wrongly, and the Warg is actually nearby us?]
He immediately scanned his surroundings, trying to find out if there was a Warg. Logically, if there were
so many mini-bosses that appeared, a Warg must be commanding them. But he clearly heard the Warg
howling from far away, with the wolves around it responding.
Still, he did not discover the Warg’s unique presence even after several attempts. With 25 OZ worth of
perception, even if it was during the night, there were no blind spots over hundreds of meters.
“Elder Wydall!” He shouted, unwilling to let things go.
The Centaur Elder was just piercing a wolf’s skull with his lance, but he immediately turned towards
Brendel with questioning eyes.
1943
“Left side, Lord-class Black Wolves, do you see it?” Brendel shouted with a pointed finger.
Wydall nodded immediately. Even though it was his first time experiencing such an outbreak of wolves,
he was the highest ranking officer amongst the Centaurs and had a vast combat experience, and he
quickly understood Brendel’s description.
“What about them?” He asked.
“Let your men back away a little,” Brendel ordered. He needed to observe the Dire Wolves’ reactions, and
it would be good if he discovered the Warg’s position.
Even though Wydall was puzzled over Brendel’s sudden command, he did not ask about it and
immediately whistled. The hundred-odd centaurs instantly changed their formations and gathered next
to Brendel’s side.
The youths under Brendel’s command exclaimed in surprise. It was the first time they saw the Tree Elves
and Centaurs, and these two races only existed as allies to humans in bardic tales. The orderly change in
their formation was indeed swift, but it only made their lord more mysterious because he could issue
orders to them so easily.
“Lord-class black wolves, what a funny description. Does he mean that the wolves are able to act like
aristocrats?” Faena giggled.
Brendel’s ears caught that remark, and he whipped his head to glare at her with the words ‘shut up!’
written on his face.
Faena’s temper rose up. There was no one in the Kirrlutz Empire who dared to be so rude to her! But she
quickly knitted her brows in shock as she remembered what Brendel did a while ago, and she forced back
her words of insult.
“Hmph, what an evil man.” She could only mumble to herself in frustration.
Naturally, her voice was so soft that even Brendel could hardly hear it with his high perception.
1944
Chapter 139 – Warg
Brendel could not be bothered with the spoiled brat. His eyes went back to observe the endless sea of
wolves. Indeed, once the centaurs retreated, the wolves began to become restless.
In a few moments, the eleven Dire Wolves began to weave in and out of the black water like sharks,
driving their own forward in order to surround the races.
Brendel did not waste this opportunity. The Wind Spirit Spiders he summoned earlier were commanded
to hide in the trees when the centaurs appeared, and it allowed the wolves to lower their guards. Two
hundred golden lights shot out into the sky when the youth raised his hands, flying over to the Dire
Wolves in a packed formation.
A golden pillar of light shot out at a steep angle.
Brendel did not use the Holy Swords conservatively and focused them at the area that was dense with
wolves, forming the singular pillar of light that devastated the ground, before it dimmed and another
pillar of light shot at a different place.
– 7 XP gained
– 7 XP gained
– 7 XP gained
– 8 XP gained
– 7 XP gained
He watched the reported XP in his retina change like a waterfall. It might appear to be impressive, but it
was actually quite low since it was on a battlefield.
The golden pillar of light changed into a net that went for numbers, causing the black wolves that passed
through the net to burst into flames. The net went up and down, causing countless sources of light as the
wolves writhed in burning pain. Finally, they stopped moving after screaming in agony for a few seconds.
This process repeated several times until the Holy Sword card finally spent the EP in it.
1945
The centaurs had stopped moving forward. Even though Wydall had seen many harsh battles and even
fought an Earth Dragon, he and the other centaurs still took in a deep breath as they watched the scene
unfold.
A hundred feet around where they stopped—
The sea-like wolves had been completely massacred, and there were only burning ashes. It took less than
a minute and hundreds of wolves were completely wiped out. The monsters even looked like they
hesitated to approach.
[5250 XP in total.]
Brendel paid 2 Earth EP to replenish the Holy Sword card again, and the Wind Spirit Spiders glowed once
more, waiting for the Dire Wolves to drive more wolves to them.
But the wolves continued to run around the empty space.
“We should move now!” Wydall shouted to Brendel. Indeed, it would be a good time since they were
unchecked. But this was not what Brendel’s current objective.
The youth’s eyes narrowed and stared at the extreme limits of the encirclement, where clumps of fogs
filled it.
Quinn was also staring in the same direction—
“Wait, something isn’t right.” He said.
Brendel nodded. The reactions from the wolves proved this point. He used the Holy Sword card not to
carve out a path, but to watch the reaction of the wolves, which appeared to be ‘logical’.
[Beasts corrupted by Mana are typically berserk and lack intelligence, especially if it’s a Black Wolf. They
will not act as a normal wolf pack or become afraid from watching its own die. They will only become
more rabid if they are injured. But they retreated. This proves that a Warg is in their midst. The creature
is nearly as intelligent as a human adult, and would order the horde back in order to cut its losses.]
This reaction exposed the Tyrant amongst the wolves.
But a long bellow pierced through the black sky. It was low and vicious, as though to announce
something.
“He realized that we have discovered him.” Quinn’s expression changed and he immediately took out his
longbow.
1946
The black wolves started to rush towards them again.
There was an unsettling feeling spreading throughout everyone. A beast that was as smart as a human,
planning to tear out their throats with a plan. Brendel felt it had seen through his intentions to test it.
“A wild beast that’s this clever?” Even Carglise who was always bold had a worried expression, though his
tone was one of disbelief.
“Hush—” One of the Tree Elves said.
“Do not doubt the abilities of a Warg. Beware that it will tear your throat while it’s dreaming.” Another
Tree Elf said; the contents of his words were equally mysterious.
The strange words made not only Carglise shiver but also Roland and Janos too. Brendel did not find it
funny when he saw them.
The description in the game for a Warg was this:
‘Every one hundred years, when the two moons shone in the night, the young wolf that was born under
the red moons will eat its siblings and parents, becoming a gargantuan wolf that was stronger, more
cunning and cruel than a normal wolf.’
‘The Warg is the mate of the Wolf of Calamity, Skoll. When they mate in summer, their descendants would
be able to walk humans and cause endless chaos for a thousand years within the Dark Forest; an aberrant
shadow of the night.’
And it was the truth.
Brendel stared at the distant fog, but he was unable to see past it.
“Amandina,” he said.
“What?” The girl took a deep breath and turned to the youth with a pale face with tightly pursed lips.
Her heart was racing, but the constant howling drowned out the sound of her heartbeats. She felt like she
was on a boat in the ocean, facing against strong waves that threatened to capsize at any moment. At the
same time, there was an acrid smell within the air from the smoking corpses of the wolves, and she felt
like she needed to empty her stomach when she realized how violently the wolves died.
In fact, there were many youths who had the same expression as she had.
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But she resisted her urge to puke, raised her skirt a little higher to avoid the filth on the ground as she
came over.
“The potions are with you?”
“Yes.”
“Please pass me the grey potion.”
Amandina opened the hard bag on her waist, allowing Brendel to glimpse at the vials and potions that
were packed neatly in the bag. It was organized so well that he could easily identify them, and he could
not help but knit his brows together.
Despite being a level 130 warrior, he was pretty much used to throwing all his potions into his bag, and it
was like a mysterious surprise each time he took one out.
[Shameful. How shameful. I definitely can’t do something like this, but this is reminding me how I took
out a bottle of tomato paste instead of a healing potion in the game.]
It was a fatal blunder that happened several times, but Brendel was starting to appreciate how Felaern
and Amandina worked when he saw this scene.
The girl took the third vial from the left and passed it to Brendel in less than a second.
“Amandina,” Brendel could not help but call out to her.
“Yes?” She was a little confused.
“I feel that compared to Dia,” he took off the potion’s cork, “I feel like you’re more like sisters with
Felaern. But who’s the older sister?”
Amandina glared at him while she carefully closed the bag.
When Brendel looked at the fog again, it actually increased in density. Wolves with red eyes continued to
pour out, getting closer towards them.
[Each Warg has their unique name, along with their unique ability. Perhaps it’s Shadowmist? It’s capable
of moving quickly within the fog and attack those who lose their senses in it.]
He frowned. Wargs related to nature were the hardest to deal with. It was easier if they were related to
physical attributes instead. He hurriedly drank the potion that murky liquid grey in it. It was a Potion of
1948
Eagle Eye, raising 20 OZ worth of Perception through the vision. The materials used to create it were
Griffin’s feathers and Mana Fern. They were sold at a ridiculously low price in the Green Tower, and the
potion itself was quite useful, so Brendel made a few.
His eyes sharpened immediately. The fog seemed to turn translucent and saw a wolf that was the size of a
hill.
[Shit!]
He immediately cursed in his mind. Wargs were dangerous Gold-ranked monsters with Element Powers.
Everyone started to realize the fog was getting thicker and starting to affect their vision. The
ambassadors and their guards in green armor got closer to the centaurs for protection, causing the mist
around them to swirl about.
Everyone was tense.
[Even with a thousand Druids just to make a distraction isn’t enough to lure them? Did the Warg think it’s
a trap instead? Just one Warg would be difficult for this group. Shit, it’s moving. F-fast!]
The gargantuan wolf sprinted in the fog, and the youth immediately roared: “There is a Warg
approaching us! Cease all chatter and be on the alert now!”
The Dark Forest became still.
And a terrified scream suddenly broke the momentary silence.
It was the sound that belonged to a human’s death throe.
1949
Chapter 140 – The enemies in the fog
Heads turned around to the scream to see the ambassador’s knights chasing after a silver wolf, but the
latter was too slow. The noble that was dragged away screamed for a while, but the gleaming white fangs
bit harder and crushed his throat, causing the scream to stop suddenly.
Everyone watched it drag the body into the white mist helplessly.
“How did you let it approach us! Are you fools!?” Austin roared at the knights.
[Mist Wolves! They are descendants of the Misthowler!]
Brendel watched the dying noble kick his legs feebly a few times as it disappeared into the mist. His
eyelids twitched as he realized the identity of the Warg he was facing. He immediately raised his hand
and shouted:
“Everyone, move closer to each other! These damned wolves turn invisible when they are in the fog!”
Before his words ended, two swirling currents of fog suddenly rushed at the youths.
“Watch out!”
Quinn raised his bow with lightning reflexes and shot three arrows consecutively. The arrows tracked its
prey beautifully in the air like silver threads. Two spurts of blood fountained out in the white fog, with
one arrow missing its targets.
A silver wolf emerged from the fog by jumping into the air, apparently dodging the arrow, and it landed
onto the ground lightly. It pounced onto one of the youths with incredible speed, and when they finally
reacted, the wolf had already lodged its fangs onto the youth.
There was a gut-wrenching wail as the youth was nearly broken into halves. The monster had bitten hard
enough to shatter his bones and crush his flesh into pulp. The youth’s eyes were wide open, as though he
could not believe he would die here, and his bloody body fell forward.
“Clancy!” His companions called out his name in bitter rage. Anger consumed them and they lost their
heads, and they rushed at the silver wolf with their swords to take revenge for him.
Brendel’s reaction was much faster than them. Even though he knew that they would be casualties, he
was still furious to see one of the youths die before him. Ten beams of light shot down from the sky at the
wolf, creating several holes in it despite its attempt to flee.
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At the same time, he suddenly had an idea, and the beams were used to form a wall of light, preventing
the invisible creatures that were circling in the mist from approaching the youths.
But the ambassadors and centaurs were on their own. Even though the Mist Wolves were rated as weak
Silver-ranked monsters, they were powerful assassins in the fog and would retreat into it after attacking.
This allowed them to get the first strike all the time.
In addition, they functioned as a pack and attacked with coordination. Even if their enemies possessed
stronger combat strength, they would still be at a great disadvantage.
It did not take long for the group of knights to lose half their numbers, either injured or dead. The
Centaurs lost ten-odd men as well, with each centaur attacked by at least two or more Mist Wolves.
Confused yells and pained screams filled the vicinity for a while.
The place was starting to become hell. Wolves tore apart the men who were pulled away. Bones and flesh
were ripped apart by force; an uninjured knight was turned into a pile of bones in the blink of an eye.
Amandina was so afraid that she held her breath. Her face was pale and her hands trembled but she stood
resolutely. Faena was just as frightened, but Rono was quick enough to show off the discipline of a
Kirrlutz’s Combat Alchemist. He threw down several vials and strange vegetation quickly grew around
them, isolating a space around them that denied the fog from entering. Elman had a grimace, but he
pulled off his sword and stood beside Faena, occasionally forcing the silver wolves that revealed
themselves and tried to invade their space.
The fog was becoming thicker, and the other wolves were beginning to join in the attack. It was clear to
the everyone that it was just the beginning. Despair was starting to seep into their minds.
[A little longer. Just hold on a little longer. The Warg needs to be lured in a little closer—]
Brendel was standing in the open, exposing himself. He controlled the Dragon Knights System to protect
the youths while looking out for the Warg at the same time.
[Got you. You’re finally moving closer to us—]
“Dia, Felaern, Wall of Wind!” Brendel shouted as he smacked away several Mist Wolves. Even if they were
unable to harm him, they will eventually charge through the beams and kill the youths. He brought them
to get XP, and not become food for the wolves.
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Felaern immediately grabbed her younger sister and moved to the center of the army. With the Dwarven
Treasure Vault attached to the Mercenaries of Lopes, the two sisters became powerful Silver-ranked
Elementalists. Creating a spell of the second circle was simple for them.
The sisters cast the spell and created an air current on their fingertips.
“Wind, spread your wings!” Felaern shouted, and the current expanded by a thousandfold.
A hurricane was formed around them. An endless doleful roar wormed into their ears as the Wall of Wind
extended over a hundred meters. The spell was used to counter physical projectiles and was not very
useful, but it was certainly a counter to the Misthowler’s passive Element Power.
The hurricane started pulling the fog away and caused it to dissipate in seconds.
Several spots started to ripple like water and silver wolves near the hurricane were revealed. They
appeared slightly confused, not understanding what had happened. Brendel did not waste any more time.
With a point of his fingers, the beams of destruction turned ten-odd silver wolves into dust.
“A wonderful idea.” Quinn lowered his bow and praised.
He had lived for two centuries and heard the rumors of a wolf that spewed out mist, but he truly admired
Brendel to come out with a clever solution so quickly.
The Mist Wolves were just slightly stronger than the Black Wolves after losing their advantage in the fog.
The centaurs could easily drive them back when the wind lifted the fog. But Brendel knew that the Wall of
Wind was just a temporary solution and the main problem still needed to be solved.
“Ser Kodan, I’ll leave the command to you temporarily. Carglise, you’re the vice-commander.”
“I’m the vice-commander?” Carglise jumped a little.
What orders could he give to defend against the endless wolves? Could he keep the casualties to a
minimum? He had no guarantee. But how could he answer Brendel’s trust if he did not dare to face these
wolves? He bit his lips and nodded hard: “Not a problem.”
Brendel gave a thumbs up to the youth, but Kodan frowned and asked: “What are you trying to do?”
“I’m obviously going to kill the Warg. Scarlett, cover me.”
The red-haired girl was using a shortbow to kill the wolves that retreated out of the hurricane. When she
heard Brendel’s words, she turned around and swiped her stray hair back with her left hand, and tossed
her shortbow to one of the youths. She wielded the lightning halberd on her back and walked to Brendel’s
side.
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“Are you fine with it, Scarlett? It’s risky,” asked Brendel.
“It’s not the first time anyway,” she answered.
“Mister Quinn, are you fine with following us?”
“Not a problem.” Came the light reply.
Brendel nodded. He thought of taking Ropar, but the latter was mainly a Strength-type warrior and was
unsuited for this battle. He took a deep breath and started moving forward, but a hand reached out and
grabbed him.
He turned around to see Amandina’s deeply furrowed brows. She spoke to him through gritted teeth:
“My lord, have you forgotten your promise? You’re now a lord who carries the responsibilities of
countless lives, why are you risking yourself yet again!”
Brendel was slightly taken aback, but he pulled off her hands: “This battle isn’t because of me wanting to
be a hero. It’s because it’s necessary. Don’t worry, I am confident of the outcome.”
Amandina’s lips parted and closed a few times, but she gritted her teeth and swallowed her other words.
“Understood,” she lowered her head and said.
Brendel did not know what she was thinking, but he did not lie. Staying here for too long would only get
the Warg to call for more reinforcements, and by then they would all be surrounded and killed.
[It would probably end up as a death sentence for others if they go. The Warg is too cunning for them.
Since I’m the only one who has a strategy for him, it has to be me. I might even be able to take it down in
one blow. That’s the advantage of another soul’s memory—]
“But how are you going to reach it?” Kodan asked: “The wolves outside the hurricane are endless. It won’t
be easy to cut a path to the Warg.”
“Do you need the centaurs to do so?” Quinn said.
“No.” Brendel shook his head. He raised Halran Gaia and yelled: “Hear my command, separate to my left
and right!”
The armies under Brendel were momentarily quiet.
The Centaur Elder, Wydall, looked back at the youth puzzledly, but he knew that a military command
could not be refused. Even though he had a mind full of questions, he raised his lance.
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Chapter 141 – Rock Bridge
Austin’s sword ran through a Mist Wolf that pounced onto him from the air, and threw the corpse far
away, momentarily wondering if the wolves corrupted by Mana would cannibalize their own.
Dolant tapped his shoulder and spoke aloud: “Look over there, are they crazy!?”
Austin heard Brendel yell out something, but he did not pay attention to the latter. When he looked at the
youth in confusion, he saw this scene—
The youths were the first to move; Carglise and the squadrons’ leaders raised their hands parallel to the
ground, and they moved accordingly.
The Centaur Elder held up his lance and reared up to make himself taller, giving out the loudest roar he
had:
“Formation, divide!”
It was as though an explosion had rung out. The Centaurs stiffened for less than a second, and the
crescent formation immediately divided into two in an instant.
“Thorsar!” Quinn shouted as well, echoed by the Tree Elves. Their magic over their conjured dark green
vines made it move to the sides.
It did not take very long for the Warg to command the wolves to rush in. Even though it was strange for
the enemies to divide their forces, doing so allowed them to surround them easily.
The wolves charged through the Wall of Wind like flood water rushing through a broken dam. The earth
rumbled loudly.
[Why? Isn’t this a death sentence? Dividing our forces will only work if they have a limited number to
surround us, but these wolves have an endless supply of reinforcements. No matter how many we kill, the
numbers will only increase.]
Austin stared at the scene with wide eyes.
“Mad! They have gone utterly mad!” Dolant was jerking Austin’s arm and shouting: “Even if they want to
meet their deaths here, do they have to drag us down?”
1955
Austin did not reply and suddenly narrowed his eyes. Brendel was moving to the center where the armies
divided alone.
Another howl came from the Warg, and the horde of wolves rushed towards the youth. It was certain that
the youth was their highest commander, and it wanted to finish him off as soon as possible.
But Brendel also had the same idea.
“Are you ready?” He asked, looking back.
“Yes, my lord,” Scarlett said.
Quinn had gotten off Wydall and nodded as well.
Ten meters.
Brendel gripped Halran Gaia tightly with both hands and rotated his body to his limits.
Five meters.
The front row of black wolves lowered their bodies and readied themselves to pounce at the youth. They
bared their fangs and uttered loud guttural noises from their throats.
Brendel could almost feel their eyes that were full of crazed bloodlust staring at him. He expelled all the
air in his lungs.
[Power Break and Frontal Assault into White Rave Sword Arte—]
A violent maelstrom far stronger than the Wall of Wind formed from Halran Gaia and reached the sky.
Invisible blades cut across the ground around the youth, forcing Quinn and Scarlett to back away from
him.
The Warg felt its fur stand on ends when it saw the hurricane from afar, and it started moving away from
the battlefield. The sense of danger only grew stronger over time and it saw the most shocking scene in
its lifetime.
The Black Wolves that pounced with terminal velocity slowed as they got nearer to the youth, and were
eventually flung back from the violent wind.
Brendel lowered the blade vertically, inch by inch. Light burst forth as energy fed into Halran Gaia, and
the hurricane that reached the sky was gradually turned towards the ground. The invisible blades were
1956
spinning so fast that there was a whining pitch that grated in everyone’s ears. When they finally came
into contact with the wolves, the beasts were knocked backward with countless cuts that eventually
separated skin, flesh, and bones.
A frightening, bloody rain was created.
The wind of blades was finally projected at an angle that was parallel to the ground. It was strong to cut
all the wolves within a hundred meters, and the shockwave beyond that range blasted the wolves away
and rendered them unconscious. Even half the battlefield was upheaved with countless scars.
Brendel felt his stamina drop till it registered red fonts in his retina.
– Fatigued State.
– Unyielding Talent activated. Strength and Agility unaffected by Fatigued State.
[A normal person in Fatigued State would see at least a 50% drop in terms of Strength and Agility stats.]
Brendel stumbled onto the ground with Halran Gaia stabbing into it while gasping. While the Unyielding
Talent still allowed him to use his full strength, it did not help with the pain and exhaustion. He felt pins
and needles stabbing in his hands and could not help but tremble.
But using his full strength allowed him to clear a path that thinned the area between him and the Warg.
The only problem was that the path was starting to fill up with even more wolves. The beasts clearly did
not care how many of its kind died under his sword, and they were starting to fill up the void.
“We need to hurry,” Brendel said to the two behind him.
Austin finally understood what the youth was doing, but the plan did not appear like a success in his eyes.
In just a few seconds, the wolves had started to create a barrier around the Warg.
[There’s just no time to exploit the opening!]
He could not help but sigh.
But Brendel’s attack was not yet over. He started moving towards the Warg as he shouted: “Mother Earth,
grant me blades!”
The ground in front of the Warg started to collapse, while the earth next to it suddenly jerked in the
opposite directions as though springs were loaded into it, causing the wolves to be dumped into the
center of the collapsed hole. Even though they tried to jump out of it, the earth continued to sink further
and the earth from the sides buried them.
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Brendel put in more MP into the sword as he formed his hand into a fist. The earth beneath his feet
suddenly rose up vertically over twenty meters, raising Scarlett and Quinn along with him. The second
mount of flat earth spiked up, followed by a third, and countless more that eventually merged at the top.
An artificial bridge was suddenly formed in just a few seconds, and it extended all the way towards the
Warg.
The Warg stared at the unnatural event in confusion before it realized what the human had done. It
looked at the bridge for a few more seconds before it thought of fleeing. But it lost its opportunity to do
so.
“Move closer to me, now!” Brendel shouted.
Scarlett and Quinn did not waste any time and move to his side, even though they did not know what the
youth was planning. Their combined weight was not a problem for Brendel, and he grabbed both of them
like they were potato sacks and activated the Charge ability.
900 OZ worth of agility blasted across the bridge. A black line sped across hundreds of meters in the blink
of an eye and jumped off—
Right across the Misthowler’s head.
The Warg looked up at the tiny humans with its blood-red eyes. The trio also saw the Warg clearly for the
first time. It was a massive wolf that was the size of the Five-headed Hydra with a thick coat of grey far.
[A single eye. The lore in the game states that this Warg lost its other eye against another Warg. Amazing,
I can feel the heat from this beast.]
But Brendel did not have much time to marvel at the terrifying creature’s grand appearance. There was
less than a minute before the hastily made rock bridge collapsed, and they would not want to get
surrounded by the black wolves after killing the Warg.
“Scarlett, limit its movements. Mister Quinn, please cover me!” Brendel yelled as he released them on the
bridge and descended like a comet to the Warg.
Misthowler growled at the youth. It did not like to fight personally, but if there was anything that
challenged its authority, it would shred them into pieces.
It tried to slap Brendel away with its paw.
Brendel knew that he must appear to be as slow as a snail in front of the monster’s eyes. It was a level 60
Boss after all, let alone that it was a creature that was known for its Agility. But he was ready for it as
soon as he saw the Warg’s muscles move.
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“Oss!” He roared, and a Wind Bullet shot out at the paw. Even though it was more like a breeze to the
Warg, the resistance from the air propelled him backward and avoided its attack.
Even though the swipe failed, the Warg immediately moved forward and bit at Brendel, its figure in a
white blur from the incredible speed.
“No!” Scarlett gave a short cry; she knew that the magic ring was unable to be used consecutively.
The youth was still suspended in mid-air and he looked like he was going to be crushed.
1959
Chapter 142 – Misthowler
Brendel’s vision was a mouth coming at him filled with sharp fangs. An awful stench erupted in his nose
as the Warg growled at him. Scarlett felt as though time had stopped for a moment as the wolf’s jaws
closed down.
Any Gold-ranked warrior would be greatly injured by the attack.
But Brendel turned around at a sharp angle and shouted:
“Wind, unshackle me!”
The Wind Dance spell was cast on himself. It was a cantrip spell similar to the spell Feather Fall. Brendel
copied this technique from an Elementalist player who founded this technique. It allowed the angle of a
flight direction to be changed, allowing an Elementalist to dodge at sharp angles, and became one of the
signature low-level spells in PvP.
Although Brendel was not an Elementalist, it was required to at least know the trick in order to deal with
it in PvP. Wings appeared behind Brendel’s back and he suddenly jerked sideways, causing the Warg to
miss him.
An angry howl was made as the Warg realized it failed to bite the youth, and the latter spun around and
grabbed onto its fur with both hands while quickly sheathing his sword. It seemed like Brendel had
managed to ride on the Warg, but it was nothing like that.
The monster was moving so fast that the wind seemed to smash against him. Its reaction was also swift
when it sensed Brendel had grabbed onto it. The ground shook as it landed and tried to shake him off.
Brendel did not stop moving and pulled out Halran Gaia with one hand and stabbed it into the wolf’s
spine.
A stream of blood spurt out from the Warg.
[Wow. A level 40+ NPC piercing through the defenses of a boss that’s at least level 60. An ordinary
weapon wouldn’t even break its skin, and any weaker Fantasy-ranked sword would just cause a simple
flesh wound. As expected of the highest tier amongst its class, Halran Gaia’s sharpness and hardness
allow me to bypass the level difference.]
Misthowler let out a sharp cry. Its blood quickly turned into a mist and spread out with the wind.
1960
“Don’t breathe the air that’s tainted with the Warg’s blood!” Brendel quickly covered his nose and mouth
as he shouted. A corrupted monster’s blood, especially when it’s a high-level one, was more like poison.
He quickly jumped off from the Warg’s back. Someone who was inexperienced with it might have stayed
behind and continued attacking it, but any monster that had an Element Power would not be that easy to
deal with.
Mist gathered around the Warg and formed into four whips that swept against its back at different angles.
if the youth still remained there, he would have been crushed by them.
The wolf only took a few moments to realize that the human had landed on the ground. His cunning
actions had greatly surprised it. It believed that each of its attacks would have killed him, but he dodged it
every single time.
Once or twice might be a coincidence, but escaping three times was an anomaly, and it immediately chose
to distance itself from Brendel. The entire exchange was only a few seconds. The people far away were
only able to see blurry afterimages, and only Scarlett and Quinn saw things clearly. The red-haired girl
was unable to discern how strong the creature was when Brendel avoided it so easily, but Quinn paled a
little.
As a Tree Elf protecting the Green Tower, he had encountered countless monsters and the Warg was one
of the most powerful opponents he had ever seen. Yet even when it attacked the young human first, it
was him who gained the upper hand by using a perfect control over deft tricks, almost as though he
predicted how the Misthowler would attack.
His guess was not wrong.
Even though Wargs had their unique names, they attacked in similar ways. Brendel knew that the
Misthowler was preparing to attack again after a moment of consideration. It lowered its body and
lunged at him again.
[It’s too fast. I’m not steady on my feet yet—]
Brendel made a judgment that he was unable to dodge it. He quickly conjured up the spell Barkskin and
activated it at full speed. Black Ironbark covered his entire body.
[250 MP spent to create 5 armor, with Bahamut’s Grasp at 7 armor. Let’s see if 12 armor holds up against
one attack.]
He needed to make the Warg focus its attention on him. If it had gone for Scarlett or Quinn during that
jump, they might have been torn into two. He was the only one capable of escaping from it. Halran Gaia
was raised over his head, preparing to receive his foe’s attack.
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But that was unnecessary.
The monster’s charge was halted mid-way. Two green lines descended from the air, firing straight into
the Warg’s body.
[Arrows of Purity!?]
Brendel immediately identified the projectiles. The Warg could easily ignore any ordinary arrows shot at
it, but these arrows were certainly not ordinary. Lore stated they were divine arrows blessed directly by
the Goddess Nia, the counter to all monsters born from Chaos or Darkness. It was a little exaggerated, but
these Arrows of Purity could indeed suppress a monster’s Element Power. If the Warg was struck by
them, then it would become an ordinary monster with the stats of a Gold-ranked creature.
But the Warg felt an instinctive fear from the arrows and immediately retreated away from them.
Perhaps it had encountered a similar power in the past.
Scarlett jumped down as well. Her first attack came after a few seconds of preparation.
‘Lightning, Seventh Chord’; her strongest technique.
She knew that the Warg was one of the strongest opponents she had ever encountered and struck at it
with all her strength.
Five lightning bolts shot out from her left hand, more potent than when she fought against Madara’s elite
general Iamas, and they shot towards the Misthowler’s body while rotating around each other with
frightening velocity and sound.
An explosion of noise rang out.
The light intensified and forced the girl’s eyes to narrow. Electricity surged and ran all over the air, but to
her surprise, the lightning did not reach the Warg. A mist shrouded it and with a shake of its body, the
mist expanded forcefully and dispelled the electricity.
Scarlett thought that she was able to at least halt the monstrous wolf for a few seconds, but since it did
not, she quickly went into a stance and observed it.
The Warg turned around and stared at her with a pair of glowing red eyes.
She held her breath as the Warg’s muscles tensed up—
“Quinn!” Brendel yelled at the top of his lungs.
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When the Warg jumped away, it distanced itself by nearly sixty meters. It was impossible for him to help
her in time. Even if Scarlett had the status of a God Acolyte, getting struck by it would mean that she
would probably need to stay in bed for at least half a month.
At least, that was how long she needed when she fought against Ekman—
The Tree Elf did not need Brendel to tell him; his bow was ready and it was another two Arrows of Purity,
forcing the Misthowler to retreat. The monster roared in anger, frustrated that it failed to even land an
attack on its foes.
A low bellow came from its throat, ordering the Dire Wolves and its minions to attack the three people
that came after it.
[Fifteen seconds— Fuck, I almost screwed up. Even with the Golden Apple, her Element Power lost out to
the Warg. I originally wanted Quinn to suppress the Dire Wolves, but it looks like their roles have
changed since he has the Arrows of Purity.]
“Scarlett, deal with the surrounding wolves,” Brendel gave a new order with a yell, “Quinn, aim for the
silver tuft of fir on the Misthowler’s head. That’s where its Mana Point is.”
A creature corrupted by Mana gather its Mana at a certain point, and it could be seen as a fatal vital point.
Quinn narrowed his eyes and indeed found a small patch of silver that seemed to glow a little. He
hesitated for a moment before he quickly raised his bow; it was a small area and the Warg was fast
enough to dodge his projectiles.
Two Arrows of Purity formed between his fingers and on the bowstring, but he did not release them, as
he wanted to wait for a better opportunity.
Scarlett created a continuous loop of lightning to the wolves that charged in, immediately causing their
skin to rupture and burn up with a choking stench.
Brendel started running to the Warg’s side and the monster’s eyes momentarily went towards the youth,
recalling that he had injured it. However, it felt a different source of danger and became restless and
uneasy.
1963
Chapter 143 – Outflow
The Warg took a moment to ponder where the Arrows of Purity came from, and it deducted that they
came from the Tree Elf. It turned towards him and bared its gleaming white fangs at the Tree Elf, before it
leaped onto the rock bridge, causing it to wobble a little. The Warg’s claws dug deeply into the bridge and
caused large stone fragments to rain down.
Quinn waved his hand and conjured a vine which grew from the ground. It quickly climbed around the
rock pillars, and the Tree Elf jumped down and caught onto it, dodging the monster that awkwardly tried
to swipe at him with its paw. The Warg eventually jumped down onto the ground and snarled at the Tree
Elf, who was hanging on to the vine somewhere in the middle of the rock bridge’s height.
Brendel judged that he was close enough and leaped into the air, bringing Halran Gaia above his head and
intending to chop the monster’s head, but it suddenly turned its head to bite at him. The youth was forced
to change his attack into a defense, knocking his blade against the fangs. The sounds created sounded
more like pieces of metal crashing against each other.
The huge force made Brendel retreat repeatedly and he could hardly feel his fingers from the feedback.
The second time he blocked the Misthowler’s fangs after it pounced on him, made Halran Gaia bend
nearly ninety degrees.
[Are you kidding me!?]
Halran Gaia proved to be a weapon that was made well. The weapon was flexible and robust, and it
returned to its original form like a spring, but it also resulted in Brendel pushed far away from the Warg.
The huge wolf jumped a short distance away to assess the situation. The Tree Elf was slowly climbing
back to the top of the rock bridge, while Brendel was fending off several black wolves that came after him.
It decided to attack the youth first. It started running in the fog, causing the three to lose track of the
monster.
Brendel barely caught sight of the Misthowler charging at him at top speed. He subconsciously raised his
right arm and felt a tremendous jolt of pain to his whole body, and found himself high up in the air. The
Ironbark armor was ripped off along with the bonus armor provided by Bahamut’s grasp.
The youth soon crashed onto soft ground and rolled several times—
[Soft…… ground? Shit, my head’s bleeding. My sword knocked against my own head.]
1964
He sat up and nearly found himself falling over and hurriedly steadied himself. At first, he thought he had
been knocked dizzy, but he suddenly found himself looking at a pair of confused red eyes. A Dire Wolf the
size of a large horse carriage turned its head, and it was blinking and looking at him.
Brendel screamed a little at the sudden surprise. The Dire Wolf reacted far better than the youth and bit
at his shoulder without any hesitation.
There was a crunching sound.
“My lord!” Scarlett screamed as well. She was busy with dealing with the wolves around them, that she
took a moment to realize the object that was knocked into the air was her lord. When she finally realized
that fact, she turned around to see a wolf munching on him.
She felt that the world had become dark and became dizzy.
But Brendel wrenched off its jaws and pulled out his arm. He stood up and climbed over its head.
“Sit, doggy!” He yelled as he punched its head. The sounds of crushed bones could be heard audibly. The
Dire Wolf sank down in a strange position. Brendel had an eye closed as blood was streaming over it.
Even though he looked calm, he was screaming and cursing inside his mind.
[Fuck, it hurts like hell. This is really quite a bad situation. Unlucky, too.]
His HP had gone below zero. The Unyielding Talent activated fully, and he hurriedly took out a health
potion and drank it immediately. A slight rumbling on the ground made him search for the Warg, only to
discover that it was charging at him again.
But Quinn had positioned himself once again and used an invisibility spell to mask his presence. The
distance was far away and the target was small and moving quickly. Even for an Elf, it was a difficult
target. There was also the situation where the Warg reacted much too quickly even without seeing them.
Two green lines went straight at the Misthowler’s forehead, perfectly calculated to meet it halfway.
But they missed, easily going through the Warg’s body as though it was mist, and the tail feathers still
shaking on the ground.
Quinn was utterly shocked and stared in disbelief. The arrows were blessed by the Goddess Nia, and were
divine objects that countered Element Powers from any monster—
But the Warg could use its Element Power on them without issues?
[Nice one, Quinn! You forced it to use its trump card!]
1965
It was a technique called Mist Projection. It was a magic that protected against all physical or magical
attacks, as the body was projected away to another plane by casting on it. Even Divine spells or magic
derived from Laws could not affect it. Fortunately, this magic could only be cast a single time per day.
Brendel wanted to get the Misthowler into a berserk state, and one of the ways was to get it to use this
magic.
Startling blood-red runes lit up all over the Warg’s body. Mana Rampage was an ability that all higher-
ranked corrupted monsters had, which was similar to a Berserker’s Rampage ability, but it had almost no
side effects other than expending all the mana in the body.
It was one of the trump cards a corrupted monster had, and would not be used unless they were in
danger.
Their levels would go up by 5 and their stats by 10%.
Brendel guessed that the Warg was now close to level 70, and this powerful burst of strength caused
Quinn and Scarlett to tremble.
The Tree Elf saw the Misthowler return to physical form. It opened its jaws, with a red light gathering in
its throat. Quinn wanted to flee to another area, but he discovered that mist had gathered all around him
and the air was almost solid, making it impossible to move.
A red beam fired from the Warg and struck directly at him. His bow fell to the ground and he started to
scream.
Curse-type magic, Life Vaporization.
It was one of the most frightening spells that a gamer could face in the Calamity of Wolves. It was a magic
spell classified under witchcraft, a true Instant Death magic spell, and it vaporizes all the liquid in a
person’s body. This was an instant kill for most creatures.
“Hahahahaha!” Brendel was apologetic in his mind when it happened. However, he laughed maniacally,
almost as though he was enjoying Quinn’s screams, but it was also true that he was waiting for this
moment. His left hand was already up in mid-air with a card even before the attack landed on Quinn.
– Magic Control card activated
– Sensing……
– The following spells have been detected, “Life Vaporization, Aura of Lightning, Protection of Life”
1966
[Aura of Lightning is probably Scarlett’s ability, but Protection of life is probably from Quinn. I don’t
remember him casting this spell, so it’s probably from an equipment that got triggered from the Life
Vaporization. He really has quite a good set of equipment. Target Life Vaporization.]
– Target acquired
The Misthowler suddenly roared in confusion, realizing that it was unable to control its magic. Brendel
pointed at it, and the beam of light suddenly jerked in multiple angles and shot back at the Misthowler’s
body.
There was a sharp bestial scream that caused everyone to flinch. Red mist constantly poured out from the
Warg’s body, and it quivered under the tremendous pain before falling to the ground.
“Hold your breaths and run away!” Brendel yelled out as the red mist extended its range to over ten
meters.
The Warg had fallen unconscious and canceled the spell, however, that did not mean that it was over. The
Mana in its body was out of control and was destroying the body from within.
An immense explosion happened. The innards of the Warg exploded everywhere, leaving behind a pile of
white rotten meat. Because of the remaining Mana in its flesh, a series of explosions continued on it like
water was thrown on heated oil.
Brendel finally felt relieved at seeing this ghastly scene. He sat on the ground and sighed, glancing at the
corpse. He took a double take and gasped when he saw a black rock with tapered ends.
[No way, a Warg’s heart?]
1967
Chapter 144 – The Warg’s heart
The mist filled the mountains.
The forest was in a bizarre state of stillness after the battle. A hundred-odd centaurs were shuffling about
as they took a short respite from the earlier battle. The youths that Brendel brought were not far away
and nearly everyone was injured. Even the Tree Elves who rode on the Centaurs were wounded.
They felt a fatigue that reached their bones after carving a bloody path through the tens of thousands of
wolves. Their exhaustion felt like a claw grabbing at their nerves, dragging them into the abyss of deep
sleep. But no one dared to stop moving, even if they had to close their eyes to fight.
Brendel was sitting on an ancient fallen tree. Its age was a mystery and impossible to tell what generation
it belonged to. The trunks and branches were hollow, covered in thick green moss with a layer of
mushrooms.
He was currently pressing his hand on his injured face, gritting his teeth in pain as he allowed Merial to
treat him with a healing spell. It was fortunate that the magic spell was as effective as the game. His
wound tickled slightly, but it quickly healed and did not hurt any longer. Still, the blood loss caused a
lingering fatigue. The spell accelerated the healing speed, but it could not create energy from nothing.
“My lord, you were lucky that you defended yourself in time. The Warg’s fangs nearly reached your left
eye, but it was hindered by your gauntlet and cheekbones.” Merial said.
Brendel could hear Amandina’s grumbles nearby, which eventually stopped because she knew he had to
solve this problem personally.
Merial finished casting her final spell and passed a small portion of dried food to Brendel from her bag:
“Please eat a little, and you will feel better.”
Her voice was a little soft but it was definitely nice to listen to.
“Have you been to a battlefield before?” He asked as he received the food.
“Yes, I was attached to a group of knights as a cleric.”
“To vanquish bandits?”
She nodded.
1968
“Have you seen dead bodies before?”
“Yes.”
[No wonder.]
Brendel secretly nodded inwardly; it was very rare in the game to have a cleric with experience to not
have an official rank with the Holy Cathedral of Fire.
[Hmm. I feel like she has seen quite a few things for her to react so calmly. Did she experience it first hand
or did it come from books? But it seems like she’s not interested in my group. It would be tough to bluff
my way through to get her to stay. It looks like I need to work on getting Carglise to stay here instead,
then she would be inclined to stay as well.]
Brendel looked at her with slightly strange eyes before he spoke again, his head slightly turning towards
to the back:
“Do you like that fellow?”
Brendel showed an impish grin and it caused to Amandina to smile as well. She found it funny that he
asked her so directly. It was easy to guess what he was thinking about.
[My lord, you’re handling things so awkwardly. You should have let me do it instead—]
He could hear a series of coughs behind his back. There was no need to see who it was, but Merial
blushed furiously and lowered her head without answering. She was definitely a girl.
Carglise sensed the strange atmosphere and Merial’s blushing face made him feel unnatural. He quickly
interrupted with a cough and spoke loudly: “My lord, when are we going to move out?”
“Move out?” Brendel answered with a question as he chortled. He moved his hand away from his face,
revealing a faint discolored scar that stuck out from his original skin color: “Why the rush?”
“…… Ahem,” Carglise cleared his throat as he dealt with Brendel’s antics, “of course we need to rush, did
you not tell us that we only have a few hours, my lord?”
A mere month’s worth of traveling together allowed Carglise to roughly know what Brendel’s personality
was like. If it was not for the latter’s horrible taste on pranking people, Carglise actually thought him as
someone excellent to follow. It was especially so when Brendel punished Aouine’s bad nobles.
1969
“Well, that is certainly true, but there is a need to take a short rest to recover our strength. You’re not
rushing because you’re feeling guilty, right?” Brendel said as he glanced at him from the corner of his
eyes.
Carglise stopped replying and looked away.
Brendel laughed again and took out a black tapered stone from his bag. He lost four youths from the
battle with the wolves, and it was the first casualty ever since they entered the Dark Forest. There were
others who were heavily injured as well, and it was under the ardent protection that the Centaurs and
Tree Elves gave.
But he was satisfied to see that the youths were not filled with despair to the point where they could not
act, though their morale was affected. It at least proved they were qualified warriors. They would achieve
renown in this era with additional training and trials, taught by a gamer who used gamers’ methods.
In the Waves of Calamity, only talented people blessed with luck would be able to survive the onslaught
and gain experience. But now these youths were the first batch of beneficiaries who walked down the
path of glory.
Brendel glanced at the centaurs. They lost a great number of men in the battle. Wydall stated that only
two-thirds of his men would be available for the next battle.
Most of them were torn to pieces by the wolves.
[There are four hundred Silver-ranked centaurs. The Tree Elves archers did not lose as many as them,
and they indicated there are more than two hundred men ready to fight. It’s a waste to use them in a
battle of attrition. Most of them would just die here in the Dark Forest. If I could somehow get them to
fight in Trentheim’s battlefield instead…… The remaining men I have are the youths, my summons, and
the ten-odd knights who came along with the Aouine ambassadors. Unfortunately, Austin is unlikely to
hand over the control of his knights to me.]
He glanced at the Aouine’s ambassadors. Dolant and Austin were fine, but he could not find the female
scholar anywhere.
The youth sighed. He saved her earlier from the Toquinin Beastmen because his side profession was a
scholar as well, but he could not save her a second time.
But contrary to his thoughts, the overall mood was one of disbelief and astonishment in their camp. The
result of the battle was overwhelmingly positive. Killing a Warg was supposedly an impossible task for
any of them. It was a creature that was supposedly more powerful than any Gold-ranked warrior or
mage.
1970
But everyone saw Brendel took control of the Warg’s magic and redirected to the creature itself. The only
conclusion was that he was a Runic Swordsman of the highest caliber. He single-handedly killed three
Lord-class Black Wolves that were the size of a small hill, and slew hundreds if not thousands of wolves
with a single action. Twice, even.
[Come to think of it, I haven’t checked how much XP I gain…… Wow, 35000 XP for killing the warg, 23250
for killing the other black wolves. Then the ‘Team XP’, or should I say, ‘Army XP’, that’s another 12000 XP.
That’s close to ten thousand wolves killed. Unfortunately, there are still so many wolves left that I can’t
pick the loot from the Dire Wolves. Still…..]
The youth played with the rock which was cool to the touch. This item alone was outvalued all other loot
that he could have gotten. Scarlett was watching from the sides without saying anything, but Brendel was
smiling so broadly when he fiddled with it that she got curious. Since she did not have Amandina’s
restraint, she finally opened her lips, revealed her canines and asked:
“What is that?”
“Hmm, you mean this? Haha, this is something really good.” Brendel raised his head up and said
mysteriously.
“My lord, stop teasing us,” Carglise could not help but roll his eyes, “come on, tell us what it is. You’re
smiling so much that it must be valuable.”
[Valuable?]
Brendel turned to him and blinked multiple times.
[Boy, you don’t know that even pay-to-win players can’t buy this cheat item. Countless guilds are green
with envy with this, and it isn’t just money that can get it alone.]
“The Misthowler’s heart.”
“The Warg’s heart?”
Amandina also chimed in: “The leader of the wolves?”
“If you were expecting a bloody heart, this isn’t it. But this particular artifact can be seen as housing the
‘soul’ of a Warg, as it holds in the rampaging Mana and the Laws of Chaos.”
“The Laws of Chaos and rampaging Mana…..?” Carglise did not understand.
Brendel nodded. The person who was lucky enough to possess this would become an Alpha Wolf!
1971
“So what does it do?” Carglise asked again.
“You will get to see it immediately.”
The Misthowler’s heart was classified as a Rune, but its use was a little different from normal Runes.
As for the usage of the rock……
Brendel brought the rock and placed it flatly against his forehead. Everyone watched the rock vibrate
suddenly and started glowing with red light. It softened and started melting as though it was liquid,
assimilating into his skin. It was as though someone was painting an intricate pattern on his face,
extending all the way to his neck and chest.
The process took a few minutes before it ended, and the pattern of light started to fade a little. But the
curving patterns made one trace Brendel’s features and the faint glowing red light accentuated it, making
one unable to take their eyes off him. The only thing that lightened this devilish charm, was the white
diagonal scar that went across his cheek and forehead.
– System linked, creating ‘Nest Overlay’ over your nerves
– Checking requirements, Will check: Passed.
– Conditions met.
– System updated.
– Title gained: Leader of Wolves
“There, it’s over,” Brendel said as he felt sensations in his mind around the forest that felt familiar to him.
He could even feel them miles away.
“Yes?” Someone said.
Everyone woke up from their stupor. Amandina was still at a loss for words when she saw Brendel’s
strange appearance.
With a mental command, he reached out to a nearby sensation. In an instant, that sensation got up and
tilted its head, before it started galloping towards him.
[Oh, that’s really fast, maybe even reaching 100 OZ worth of agility. A peak Silver-ranked Direwolf. It’s
quite a mature one too.]
“My lord?” Carglise called out to Brendel when he just sat there without saying anything.
1972
Wydall, who was resting not far away, suddenly stood up in alert and peered at the Dark Forest. He raised
his hand and the centaurs immediately got up as well.
“Alert! Get ready for an assault!” He shouted in order to inform the other men. The expressions of the
Tree Elves and Brendel’s men changed. The youth said the wolves would not be attacking them, not at
least for a while.
“No, it’s okay! Let this one pass.” Brendel responded.
The bushes rustled and an immense thud could be heard as a burly Dire Wolf jumped out. The trees
trembled in response, and the men were tense. But the creature did not attack and regarded Brendel with
puzzled eyes.
Scarlett raised her lance and stood in front of Brendel, while Quinn readied his arrow on his longbow,
targeting the Dire Wolf, but the youth waved them down and looked at the wolf. It hesitated for a while
before it finally approached him. There were no signs of aggression, and it stood a small distance away
from him.
The wolf brought its large head over to Brendel and sniffed him…… and rubbed against him intimately.
Almost everyone dropped their jaws.
“T-that’s the use of the rock?” Carglise was the first to understand. But he could hardly believe his eyes.
Brendel rubbed the Direwolf’s furry snout enthusiastically. He turned back and said smugly: “Why, is
there a problem?”
“No…… Of course not……” Carglise’s eyes suddenly brightened: “My lord, how many can you control?”
Brendel read the green words in his eyes: “According to the system, I’m now a minor Wolf Leader.
Controlling two Direwolves and two hundred normal Black Wolves will be my limit. But this thing can
level up, which is why it’s considered to be a cheat item.”
“System?” Carglise was confused.
“Hmm? Oh, it’s just an explanation.” Brendel was so delighted that he forgot to maintain his facade. This
item was the equivalent of possessing a full army, and it was incredibly unlikely for a solo gamer to get it.
Only major guilds would possess this item most of the time. There was also the fact that such artifacts
drop upon the character’s death.
Plus the placement of the Rune was on the forehead. Everyone could see it.
[Hmm. Hmmmm. Wait, a Misthowler dropping a Warg’s Heart…… Perhaps it’s a 100% chance of dropping
it and not a rare lucky drop?]
1973
Brendel scratched his head. He thought he might have rubbed off some luck from Dia, but it seemed like
his bad luck was still going to continue when it came to getting rare loot drops.
[Back then in the game, there are other good drops from the Wargs…… But it’s impossible to get them.
Just this one Misthowler alone would have killed me if it was not for the Unyielding Talent. It’s not good
to get greedy here. Besides, the Warg’s heart is the best drop compared to the others. No gamer would
come after me in this world for possessing this item, and I doubt the ‘NPCs’ here know anything about
this item. Such profit!]
1974
Chapter 145 – Lord of the Nest
Brendel stopped petting the Direwolf’s large head, and he rubbed his forehead instead.
[In order to create a new army of wolves…… I can use my new title to make the Direwolf submit, but the
normal wolves found in this area is probably not as appealing as the ones created by the system.]
With the Warg’s Heart, he was able to control the dark chaotic Mana to create a wolf. He started fiddling
with the commands and looked through the new page, Leader of Wolves, and soon discovered the new
functions.
– Leader of Wolves
– Black Wolf: Spend 50 Mana to create a Black Wolf
– Shadow Rock Beast: Spend 20 Mana to create a Shadow Rock Beast
The youth paused for a slight moment. Summoning a Black Wolf was understandable, but what was a
Shadow Rock Beast? Did it mean that the Warg’s heart could provide two different types of wolves to
choose from?
He did not know much about the inner workings of the Warg’s Heart, only that it could summon Black
Wolves. It was the first time he even saw how things really worked. (TL: It’s been a long time since the
previous chapter, so maybe reading the previous few chapters might be good)
[…… But I don’t recall any information in regards to a Shadow Rock Beast in the game. Even if there’s an
additional option, shouldn’t it be a Mist Wolf or something? Furthermore, its Mana requirement is only 20
MP, so it should be much weaker than a Black Wolf. This is strange. Well, there’s no harm in trying.]
It had been several hours since he summoned the Wind Spirit Spiders, so it was now possible for him to
summon a few Black Wolves.
He raised the hand that was on his forehead and pointed it at a nearby empty ground. A dark current
started swirling and formed into something. There was a burst of light and a Black Wolf jumped out from
the current of Black Mana in the air.
Brendel stumbled.
[What the heck?]
1975
The wolf was stretching its limbs; it was the size of a horse with black shiny fur. A pair of red eyes
regarded its surroundings, and the wolf revealed sharp white fangs as it yawned. It looked like a Black
Wolf from the Calamity of Wolves.
But there was armor on it. A strange black colored armor covered the wolf’s body and made it appear
imposing.
[…… I don’t think a Black Wolf is supposed to look like this. Wolves with metal armor, well it did appear
in the game. But a Black Wolf with a layer of rocks over it? It doesn’t look like bones or horns. If it’s in this
form…… An elemental spirit? But how?]
Carglise looked excited when he saw the shiny layer of black rocks over the wolf.
“My lord, did you summon that wolf?” He asked.
Amandina and Scarlett did not bother to chime in. They knew that the reply would most likely be ‘the
spell came from the Black Tower’ or ‘it is a secret’. Amandina believed that there were secrets to be kept,
and therefore she did not pry into his secrets. Scarlett merely thought that Brendel was always right in
what he did and there was no need for a reason.
“My lord, the…… rocks seemed like they merged into its body. Is that wolf not in pain?” Merial asked.
Scarlett flipped her ponytail back and disagreed: “Doesn’t it look pretty? Besides, don’t wizards come up
with these things all the time?”
“I’m sure my lord did not hurt it in any way,” Amandina explained.
Brendel did not answer. He was completely engrossed in figuring out the mysterious identity of the
strange wolf. The Warg’s Heart was an unfamiliar item to him, and perhaps the summoned wolves in the
game appeared in this manner. He decided to test out the other ability and pointed at the ground next to
the wolf.
20 Mana was spent.
The black-colored Mana once again converged, but this time the ground below the mana suddenly bulged
out and a strange creature emerged from it.
Brendel stumbled again.
“Huh? Isn’t this a Rock Panther….. It looks different?” Carglise said.
1976
The Rock Panther looked like the one summoned from Halran Gaia, but it had an elegant and sleek
appearance. Sleek black lines were drawn onto its body, with pointed tips on its shoulders, legs, and head.
[T-this isn’t really formed by earth but Mana. It feels a little twisted, like some kind of demonic spawn. A
half-living elemental spirit? Wait a minute!]
Brendel touched his sword subconsciously. He quickly pulled it out and scanned it with the system.
[The Nest of Rocks ability from Halran Gaia is gone. I see, so the Warg’s Heart has somehow taken away
the ability from the sword and merged it into one because of the system? Unique systems created for
equipment did exist in the game, but it’s very rare. Usually, it’s a profession or if a player possesses a
territory. Then again, there’s a Planeswalker system here. Maybe my system is grouping up all sources of
Nests and combining it into one unified place? So if I get another equipment with a Nest ability, it will be
combined into one…..? Going around the world, searching for Nests and defeating the guardians,
absorbing each Nest ability and becoming the Monster King. Hahaha.]
Brendel laughed to himself. His eyes switched between the Black Wolf covered with rocks and the
Shadow Rock Beast, and he suddenly froze—
[…… Why does the Black Wolf have the Earth Element from Halran Gaia? And the Rock Panther has the
Shadow Element?]
The system windows in his eyes rotated in a frenzy as he started looking at them in detail. He discovered
a new entry and his irises dilated in excitement.
– Lord of Nests (Level 1)
– 2 Nests have been obtained
– Nest of Shadows (Tier 2), Nest of Rocks (Tier 1)
[What! Are you kidding me? So there’s really a system that absorbs Nests? It takes in the different
creature types and includes the attributes too? So this is why it’s a new creature that didn’t exist in the
game…… But is the new creature stronger or weaker?]
Getting all the Nests was nice, but what if the conjured creature somehow ended weaker?
“Carglise, test them out.” He said.
Carglise did not wait; he wanted to try fighting the newly summoned creatures. Since it was not the first
time he defeated the Rock Panther, he decided to use the same strategy for them and pulled out his
sword.
1977
Brendel issued an order to the Shadow Rock Beast in response.
The distance where he could control his summons had been greatly increased with the inclusion of the
Warg’s Heart to approximately four miles. Any further and the effects would be greatly weakened.
Naturally, the Planeswalker’s system was far superior, since he could communicate with them regardless
of the distance.
The Shadow Rock Beast immediately rushed towards Carglise upon receiving Brendel’s command. It had
similar movements as the Rock Panther, but there was a black shadow-like trail behind it.
Carglise was initially tense when he saw the trailing darkness behind the Shadow Rock Beast, but he
quickly recovered when he saw that the familiar movements of the creature. He had fought against the
Rock Panther countless times and was familiar with how it moved and attacked.
[It probably isn’t too difficult.]
The youth stepped forward and readied himself in an aggressive stance. He decided to test the creature
by thrusting his sword cautiously, but the panther charged forward and allowed it to sink into its body.
Carglise did not think it would be so violent as to disregard his attacks and everyone watched him get
taken down by the panther.
1978
Chapter 146 – Rock Garurumon
The Rock Shadow Beast which had its front paws on Carglise’s chest did not continue its attack, and it
instead looked up at Brendel with its head that was formed with sharp jagged rocks. The latter nodded
and the magical creature retreated instantly.
“That Rock Panther seems like it’s almost as strong as the Obsidian Panthers now. Why is it so strong all
of a sudden?” Carglise rubbed his chest and asked.
Brendel nodded and agreed with the assessment. It was strong for an Iron-ranked monster because it
was an Elemental Spirit. This meant that it could nullify half the damage from a physical attack. Its agility
was also a tier higher than the older version. The overall prowess of this summon was actually higher
than the Obsidian Panther, or it would not have taken down Carglise in a single swoop.
The Black Wolf was next. Since it was strengthened by the Earth Element, Carglise would not be a match
against it. He got Kodan to test the creature. The results were easy to predict.
The Black Wolf was defeated.
Its offensive strength was slightly weaker than a Silver-ranker, but its defensive capabilities were high
enough that it could shrug off Kodan’s normal strikes.
Brendel could not help but narrow his eyes in consideration. The summoned wolf was stronger than the
normal Black Wolves found in this Dark Forest. There was the possibility where his Nest system could be
upgraded if he found more equipment related to it.
[Hmmm. This new system is revamped as level 1. I wonder what are the conditions to generate the higher
tiered Obsidian Panthers and Direwolves…… Calling this a Black Wolf feels weird, and it might confuse
people.]
Carglise had the same idea: “My lord, is this really a Black Wolf?”
“Not really. I haven’t thought of naming it.” Brendel said.
“How about Elemental Rock Wolf?”
“I feel it resembles more like a Warg. Maybe a Wargling,” Kodan disagreed.
“What, no, what’s with your naming sense?” Brendel shook his head: “I’m calling it Weregarurumon!”
1979
“Weregarurumon?” Everyone was stunned at the strange name.
[Yeah, if I get a Nest with the Metal Element in it, the wolf will become Metal Garurumon! A wonderful
classic!]
His fantasy was broken by one of Brendel’s men; he reported that there was a visitor who wanted to see
him.
The youth sobered up and remembered that he was still embroiled in the Wolves of Calamity. It was not
yet time to celebrate. The Nest system in the game required tons of materials, and this new system was
likely to be the same. It was not as if he could conjure up two hundred wolves immediately.
He indicated to let the visitor approach and was surprised that it was not Wydall or Quinn, but Austin.
“Count Austin?” He was slightly surprised to see Austin’s slightly surly face.
The ambassadors from Aouine followed the youth and the centaurs from a distance away, treating them
as though they were free guards protecting them. They did not even thank him after the Warg was killed.
Why would they come to him now?
“Lord Brendel, have you seen Lady Faena and the other two nobles from Kirrlutz?” Austin asked.
[Faena who? Oh, he means that noble bitc……]
Brendel took a moment before he remembered who she was. His eyes lazily darted around to search for
her presence while he asked: “Are they not here?”
“No,” Austin shook his head, “in truth, we had been searching through the camps ever since we reached
this place, but we couldn’t find them at all.”
“Hmmm.” Brendel mused to himself. The bad-tempered brat was not with them? His eyes went briefly to
everyone next to him, but they all shook their heads.
“No one knows? Ropar, have you and your men seen them, or discovered any strange presence that came
to our camp?” He spoke in his mind.
But the Lizardman indicated that the Direwolf that came to their camp was the only strange event they
saw.
1980
[Theory number one. They did not leave the camp and are still here. Theory number two, they were in the
camp and somehow got captured under the Centaurs and the Lizardmen’s watch. Theory number three,
they were never here in the first place and somehow got separated from us when the fight started.]
Brendel sighed. He felt that he had seen enough deaths for today and decided to search for them. If his old
teammates were here, they would have spurned on the idea to even let these people from Kirrlutz to tag
along from the start.
[No matter how stupid that girl is, she has the Alchemist genius and that other suspicious-looking guy.
How did they lose sight of hundreds of men and fail to join the camps?]
“My lord, perhaps you can ask Felaern?” Amandina suggested. The older Wild Elf sister was the most
careful person amongst them, and perhaps she discovered something odd.
When Brendel contacted her through the Planewalker’s system, he got up in shock when she told him she
had been searching for her younger sister ever since they set up camp as well.
[Dia’s missing? That should not be possible—]
Dia was one of his summons from the Planewalker’s system. There was no way for him to not know that
she was gone.
But he was shocked when he realized he could not sense her. Even the Dark Forest did not prevent him
from contacting Ciel or Felaern, why would it fail to work now!
=========== Faena’s POV =============
Faena and her two companions were passing through the dense, thorny bushes in the Dark Forest. There
were several times where she lost her footing and nearly crashed to the ground, but Rono managed to
guard her dignity by catching her in time. However, the pretty dress she was wearing had been torn to
pieces long ago.
She lowered her head to study her beggar-like appearance and could not help but feel anger in her heart.
[That lowly low-born bastard…… If it was not for you, how would we have ended up here? When that
stupid wolf spewed out its mist, you didn’t notice we were separated? Impossible, you reacted to every
situation as though you knew what was going to happen. You did it on purpose!]
She wanted him to appear in front of her so that she could run the youth through with her sword. But it
was clear that he was not in front of her, and she did not possess the ability to do so. After gnashing her
teeth for a while, she turned towards Elman and finally asked feebly: “Elman, how long more before we
catch up with them?”
1981
It was not the first time she raised this question.
Elman glanced at Rono and thought that it was a good opportunity to get rid of him, but he felt a little
despondent in his situation and did not wish to do so. He was certain that Brendel and his men walked in
the direction, and there was no reason why they could not catch up to him after walking for so long.
“I’m sure they intend to walk till it’s a little further ahead. I believe they want to get closer to the Wall of
Flowers where there’s a Fire Seed. It makes it easier to set up camp there.” He shrugged and tried hard to
convince himself.
He knew that that the Centaurs and Brendel’s men would have to rest soon, or he would not have chosen
to follow them. He did consider finding a way back to Veronica but he did not have the courage to try and
search for her. It was akin to finding a needle in the haystack, and there was no way for him to cut a
bloody path out of the tens and thousands of wolves to reach her.
The thought of the endless sea of wolves moving in the Dark Forest made him pale. The danger within the
Dark Forest was beyond his imagination, and he regretted the decision to accept this mission.
[No, it should be fine if I actually stick to Veronica. The true cause of this situation is because of this spoilt
girl.]
“But you said that several times already.” Faena was a little displeased to hear that answer: “I’m reaching
my limits to walk anymore.”
Elman could not help but feel annoyed at her whining voice. He took in a deep breath to calm himself:
“You should ask that question to the little girl behind us. Didn’t she say that she was able to contact that
youth?”
Faena blinked and turned to the girl who was following behind them at a short distance away. Dia moved
with difficulty because of her height. She told them that she could contact Brendel, but she did not
manage to succeed even once.
“It feels like there’s some kind of powerful Mana Distortion right now,” Rono said, “and in the first place,
the Dark Forest isn’t a place where communication magic works well. Even the wizards that came with us
had to rely on the artifact we brought in order to communicate with the outside world.”
“If that’s the case we should leave her behind. Bringing a child with us will slow us down.” Elman replied
with a little impatience.
“Viscount Elman,” Faena creased her brows as she spoke, “how can you utter those words when you’re a
Kirrlutz’s noble! Leaving a child behind?”
1982
Elman was surprised and looked at Faena and Rono; both their faces had disapproval written on their
faces. He changed his tone: “I apologize, that was a shameful display.”
Faena wanted to speak again, but she was interrupted by a voice that came out from nowhere—
“Hehe, the three of you still have the mood to quarrel when danger is right in front of your faces. How
interesting.”
The abrupt voice echoed within the forest, causing the surroundings to suddenly turn silent.
1983
Chapter 147 – Wither
Elman pulled out his sword; a metallic scraping sound against the scabbard was released, with the blade
glinting slightly in the darkness.
“Who’s there?” He furrowed his brows and asked with a wary expression.
“Hehehe.”
A light giggle came in response. The laughter was not far away, and Elman saw the air in front of an
ancient tree shimmer before a woman walked out with sauntering footsteps.
She had a pair of long pointed ears and her long purple hair flowed sleekly behind them like a waterfall.
Her upper body swayed lightly while she walked, and her fingers combed through the top of her hair. The
long eyelashes cast a darker shadow over her light purple irises, and combined with a beautiful almond-
shape face with purple lips, made one feel that she was captivating.
However, it was the features of her lower body that captured the group’s eyes. Vines and thorny
brambles completely formed her ‘legs’, and they extended to cover her ample chest with the stray vines
reaching to her neck and cheeks.
[What is with this appearance? A naked woman covered in vines? Someone crazy? Or perhaps some kind
of legendary creature in bardic tales like a Dryad?]
Elman continued to point his sword at her. The woman smiled faintly, pointed at the sword and said:
“Young man, what do you hope to accomplish with that thing? Hurt me? Protect yourself?”
Rono’s reaction was slower than Elman as he was distracted by the woman’s appearance. He blushed
before regaining his senses, and raised his pointed eyebrows and demanded: “Who are you? We’re
Aouine’s ambassadors and not to be trifled with—”
The woman giggled: “How cunning.”
She slowly walked forward to them like she did not see the sword in Elman’s hands, the vines and
brambles squirming as she did so. They were like a pair of gigantic worms and made the group’s hair
stand on end.
“Rono. Disciple of Grandmaster Heumann, the young Alchemist prodigy of Kirrlutz. But you also possess
the nickname of Wolverine. You severely injured eleven and killed two in Kirrlutz’s Royal Academy of
Magic. What lies beneath your shy exterior is a savage heart.”
1984
She turned to Faena and Elman with smiling eyes.
“As for this girl. Faena, The little princess of the Duke of Flowers, Lord Menedicia, and the only successor
to the dukedom. Finally, viscount Elman, a noble-born out of a lowborn mother. You are just as brilliant
as your siblings, but who can see the depths of your ambition?”
Elman’s lips jerked when he heard the words lowborn.
“As for this little girl behind you. Indeed, she’s indeed someone from Aouine, but her background appears
to be insignificant since I did not get a report on her. I am a little intrigued by that interesting lord of hers
though.”
“If you’re interested then go ahead and look for him.” Faena glared at the half-naked woman. Her greatest
taboo was when a stranger divulged her identity as the successor of a duke: “You shameless woman!”
She turned around to the black-haired youth: “Rono, what are you looking at!”
The youth’s face turned red and looked back at her like he was wronged: “I don’t think this is the time to
say something like that, Faena.”
“Hmph,” Faena gritted her teeth with a huff, “all of you men are bad!”
Dia was the only one who did not speak and was secretly prepared for a fight. She had the least
experience amongst the Mercenaries of Lopes, but she was at least ready with the basics.
“What exactly are your intentions, my lady?” Elman watched the woman get closer to them and started
becoming anxious. He placed his sword in an aggressive stance and threatened to cut her.
But he could not imagine that his words caused the woman to giggle instead. She walked up to him and
flicked against his sword with her finger:
“You humans call this thing a sword. It’s a weapon that can protect you or hurt someone….. Because you
believe that the human body is fragile, and metal is something that is sturdy. Tools are the specialty of
civilizations. Unfortunately, this thing in your hands is no different from your bodies and it is just as frail.
Everything decays and withers, and the only thing will persist is Chaos.”
Her purple eyes locked onto Elman, and as she spoke, the sword in Elman’s hand actually spawned a
purple rose. The rose’s petals fell off individually against the wind and withered, while the sword’s blade
rusted and crumbled into dust as though it had aged for thousands of years.
“A member of the evil cults!”
1985
Everyone was shocked to discover her identity, but it could not compare to the moment when they
witnessed Elman’s sword crumbling into dust.
The Element Power that caused decay.
They could only think of one person who was a member of the evil cults and possessed the Withering
Element Power in the entire continent.
“W-w-wi…….” Faena’s face was as white as a sheet. She stared at the woman and pointed with her finger,
stuttering because she was terrified.
Elman retreated a few steps and immediately drew out his spare shortsword. He knew that there was no
meaning to continue talking the moment he knew her true identity.
The only thing that mattered was to act first.
The reactions from Rono were just as fast as him this time, even before the woman’s words ended, he had
thrown more than a dozen bombs at her. But she raised her right hand at the same time he acted, and a
net of vines burst out from the ground with loud rustles. When the bombs came into contact with them,
they exploded violently and nearly injured the youth instead.
Rono covered his face and rolled backward. His hand stretched out and the metallic orbs that he carried
with him floated onto the air, rotating around him before they started drawing a Magic Formation.
[What…..?]
But a few seconds later he dropped his jaw. The artifacts’ metallic surface started to rust, while the
Magicite in them became dull and void of light. They plopped down onto the ground and rolled towards a
dirty puddle of water, and he could not feel any connection to them any longer.
Elman rushed forward with his sword raised. But his target was not the terrifying woman but Faena. The
girl looked on in confusion, but her subconscious mind instinctively got her hand to pull out her sword.
Mana surged into the rapier, causing white light to flare out to form a shield.
Unfortunately, such shoddy arcane magic was no match for Elman’s full assault. His brute force disarmed
Faena’s sword, and he grabbed her by the throat, turning her around and placing his sword on her neck.
The entire process was such a surprise that everyone froze.
Dia was the first to recover and immediately activated her prepared magic. Ice shot out from her hands
and flew towards Elman in the shape of a dragon. Frost followed its path with an eruption of harsh
cracking sounds, but Elman used Faena as a shield who immediately shrieked. Dia was just as startled
and she hurriedly canceled her magic. The ice cracked and scattered into countless pretty shards.
1986
Elman stared at the strange woman and inhaled deeply. His tone was calm: “I believe your target is her?
But I’m sure that a dead successor to the dukedom has no value to you, right?”
Faena took a few moments to understand the sudden turn of events before she gasped. She trembled, not
knowing if it was due to her companion’s betrayal, or the fact that she was in a situation full of despair.
[No, Elman must be doing this on purpose. He’s trying to save everyone with this method.]
She convinced herself and felt a little better, but when she recalled Elman’s icy gaze that was like a dead
fish, she could not help but quiver. Rono gritted his teeth and kept his silence, who also thought the same
as Faena.
“Stop struggling,” Elman said coldly to the shaking girl in his hands.
“Are you crazy, viscount Elman?!” Faena screamed, as she finally realized that Elman was only interested
in himself.
“Shut up. If you want to live, stop talking!”
“You……” She was still indignant, but his blade sank into her skin slightly, causing a small ripple of pain,
and she forced back her words.
[T-that damn country bumpkin, Commander Veronica, or someone, save me…..!]
She was crying inside her heart, but she thought of that horrible youth first.
The woman who watched the chain of events glanced at Dia and said: “Hmm? A Water Elementalist. But
how does a Water Elementalist possess such a potent telepathic power?”
Dia’s expression changed: “It’s you, you’re the one who disrupted brother Brendel’s communication with
me!”
“Oh? Is he called Brendel? I watched that interesting boy lead those young men quite well against the
wolves. Thank you very much, little girl!”
Dia was furious. She stretched out her hand and Ice Arrows were fired at the woman. But they were
turned back into water after a short distance, and the woman smiled faintly: “The Laws of Magic last only
but for a moment. Indeed, the original form of Mana looks best.”
She raised her hand. Countless vines answered in response and reached for Dia. The young Wild Elf tried
to resist by casting several spells at them, but she was bound tightly in the end.
“You haven’t answered me,” Elman watched Dia get bound up with emotionless eyes and said.
1987
“Your question?” The woman turned around and sneered: “You think your little tricks can fool me?”
“You really think I don’t dare to kill her?”
“Try it.”
Elman forced his sword deeper into Faena’s pale neck, and a visible wound appeared. He stared at the
woman: “What about now?”
“Are you crazy?” Rono roared, but he stood where he was, afraid that he would trigger that madman into
doing something truly insane.
The woman narrowed her eyes. She thought Elman was pretending to take her hostage, but it seemed like
he really was a mass of cruelty.
“Interesting. You want to live?” She said.
Elman nodded.
“Very well, I’ll give you a chance. Kill that boy, and then follow me.” She ordered lightly as she gazed
pleasantly at Rono.
Rono stared back in surprise, but he cried out in pain a second later. He looked at the crossbow bolt
sticking out from his chest in disbelief before he looked up at Elman.
The projectile had poison on it, which was even mixed with his own hands. The goal was to deal with the
monsters in the Dark Forest, but he could not have imagined that he would be the first experiment. He
did not think that Elman would be so decisive and looked at him with incomprehension.
His body fell backward.
“Rono! Have you gone mad? What have you done, Elman!” Faena could not believe her eyes. Tears
gathered in her eyes as memories of the shy boy came flooding in her mind.
But Elman did not look at her and continued to hold his sword against her neck. He threw away the
crossbow in his left hand and looked at the woman.
The latter looked at this scene with interest and clapped her hands: “You’re just like I expected. Clean and
decisive. You do have the potential to join us.”
She tilted her head with a smile: “Do you want to?”
Elman did not doubt that a refusal would end up in his death. He hesitated for a moment before he
nodded. When he did so, his nerves that were fraught with anxiety was flushed with relief. As a rising
talent amongst the high nobles in the Kirrlutz Empire, he believed that he still had value in her eyes.
1988
[She won’t harm a new initiate.]
But this thought was ended in an instant. The vine that was slithering behind him moved in a blur and
pierced through his neck and emerged out from his throat.
The blood that spurt out drenched Faena’s neck.
She felt the man he had known for years fell heavily onto the ground with a thud. Her thoughts were
blank and she fell down on both her knees, unable to utter a single word.
The woman stretched out a hand. Vines emerged in front of her, carrying a coiled thorny whip. She took
and swung it at where she was standing. A violent shockwave streaked past Faena and cleaved Elman’s
body into two, causing the air to rain with blood as the two parts flew away.
She swung the whip again, coiling it around Elman’s short sword and hurled it at Dia. The blade
penetrated her heart, and she struggled for a while before her head drooped down.
“How foolish. Does he think that I am similar to the weak fools in the Unifying Guild who are obsessed
with authority?” She smiled with satisfaction.
“Power is nothing more than an illusion. One day, the throne will turn into dust.” She glanced at Faena,
her lips raising upwards: “As for you, little girl, you are indeed of a little use to me. Come, I’ll bring you to
make a transaction— I really do love how the humans put it, a transaction.”
1989
Chapter 148 – Deep into the ridge
[Do I want to reset the Mercenaries of Lopes and try to get the card at the Draw Phase?]
Brendel thought for a while. Her sudden disappearance signified a serious issue and he needed
information to assess the situation.
[No…… If I resummoned them, then the people I placed in Trentheim w—]
– Dia of the Mercenaries of Lopes has entered the graveyard.
“What?” He could not help but express his shock.
But this event allowed him to communicate with Dia who had entered the graveyard. He assumed that
she was in grave trouble, but the timing of it still made him feel guilty and wary of his surroundings.
“Dia, did you encounter another Warg?”
“No, my lord. But I died a painful death! It’s so horrible!” Dia said.
Brendel consoled her and she began to roughly explain the situation where she met up with the Kirrlutz
nobles and a strange woman. When the youth heard that the weapons and magic artifacts turn into rust
and lost its mana, his heart skipped a beat.
[The woman you encountered has purple features, you say…… Then there’s only one possibility.]
Mistress of Withering Decay, Andesha, one of the twelve leaders of the Tree Shepherds.
[The Element Power of Decay isn’t that powerful if you rank it, but the damned faction is just one cut
below the strongest powers in the continent. Why is that woman here?]
Brendel’s heart was beating fast when he realized the answer. He was the cause of the Divine Resonance.
Attracting the attention of the wizards from Galbu and the Holy Cathedral of Fire was already ridiculous.
But even the Tree Shepherds was here.
Was the Lionheart so appealing to them?
[Perhaps the Tree Shepherds know that the Lionheart used to be a part of Dyrnwyn…… A Divine Weapon
might get them to act. The Four Sages in the past were considered to be one of their sworn enemies.
Perhaps they want to prevent their weapons from surfacing again. This explanation is acceptable.]
1990

Brendel felt a little sorry for Dia. It seemed like her great luck in getting great loot was somehow balanced
by attracting bad luck. She was braver than he expected though.
[Rono and Elman’s deaths are not that surprising. Even ten of them would not be enough to even hit her
little finger. The reason why Faena is alive…… is that she wants to threaten the Kirrlutz’s ambassadors?
Veronica’s level is probably 80-100. Even though she mastered her Element Power, she should not be a
match for Andesha. Which means the Kirrlutz Empire’s forces are even stronger than I imagined.]
The military forces of the Kirrlutz Empire are split into several categories. The Knights, Court Wizards,
Star Seers, and the Holy Cathedral’s faction. Since the Holy Cathedral of Fire sent in an official group, then
the Kirrlutz Empire would have at least sent in a couple of grandmaster wizards for Andesha to move so
cautiously.
[The leader of the Kirrlutz Empire’s force is still Veronica. It would be interesting to see Andesha fight
with Veronica and whatever forces that she brought along— in the game. I might even get some loot
drops in this world, but I’m feeling so much danger in my heart that I feel I should leave this place right
away.]
Brendel’s gamer soul itched, but he thought that he would at least have to die ten times before he got
something. Dia’s death only reinforced this chilling thought.
“Lord Brendel, lord Brendel!” Austin raised his voice.
“…… I’m sorry to say this, Count Austin, but I’m not going to search for Faena and the others. We have to
leave for the Loop of Trade Winds, now.” Brendel came back to his senses and replied.
He was not saintly enough to try and rescue the girl who tried to get him killed in the first place.
Perhaps if Brendel was the old Brendel from Aouine, he might have tried to rescue Faena regardless of
the danger out of loyalty. A war between Kirrlutz and Aouine might break out if things were handled
poorly.
But the current Brendel knew what Aouine’s future would be if he failed to reform the kingdom. In
addition, if he failed to light up the Fire Seed in Valhalla, the Druids, Centaurs, and Tree Elves would all be
killed. That would include all his men as well.
“You must consider the aftermath of this situation—-” Austin’s tone was severe as he tried to beg him.
“The answer is the same, Count Austin. I will not search for them, and your repeated insinuations to use
the royal throne and influence me will not work here.” Brendel was smirking coldly in his mind.
1991
Perhaps he should just bring out the silver brooch that the princess gave to shut him up.
The brooch was the symbol of the Royal Knights, and ordinary members were forged with brass metal.
The captain of a squadron was given a silver brooch, while the commander of the knights was given a
gold-plated brooch. A knight who was given a silver brooch was usually assigned to a royal family
member. In terms of relationships, they were much closer to the throne compared to these delegated
members of the Royal Faction.
[…… But this is wishful thinking. Even though Gryphine secretly gave this to me, it’s clear that she doesn’t
want to expose the relationship between us. If I go around showing off this brooch, it will definitely leave
a bad impression on her.]
Even though there was no real need to care about what she thought and use it freely to gain an advantage,
he was unwilling to do it because of how much he admired her.
He decided to ignore the nobles. They would not leave his group despite pleading for him to search for
the Kirrlutz’s nobles. The twenty-odd men that they had would not survive the wolves, and there were
other monsters lurking about as well.
Austin’s mind was still clear. Since he saw that the youth was adamant in his decision, he did not demand
Brendel to escort them back like Dolant did, and instead attached their men to the centaurs’ protection
unabashedly.
Everyone started to move out. Brendel rode ahead and observed the Aouine’s ambassadors from halfway
up the mountains. He revealed a mysterious smile before looking at the starless night sky.
After a moment, he peered at the road ahead of him—
The mountainous road was uneven with ups and downs. The Wall of Flowers were south of the
mountainous ridges that formed broad hills. Once they passed the hills, they would start to enter the
Karanjar mountains that led to the north.
[Since we’re in the mountain ridges, I can say that we have reached the outer areas of the Loop of Trade
Winds.]
The surrounding mountainous dark forest was covered with a thin veil of white mist that resembled
cotton. If the Wind Scar did not occur across the clouds over the Loop of Trade Winds, the area would
have been flooded with a thick fog.
When Brendel stared closer into the night sky, he realized that the dark clouds completely covered the
sky and blocked the stars from being seen. It was the same no whether which direction he looked at, and
he felt infinitely small by being enveloped in this endless trail of clouds.
1992
The stunning scenery caused him to be at a loss for words.
The blue Mana amongst the trees were full of purity, but they eventually turned into a black color, which
then formed into the shape of a monster. The Waves of Calamity was starting again, and the air was
fraught with danger, overwatched by a silver moon that lit up the forest.
[Perhaps a fake silver moon? How does logic work here again when I can’t see the stars?]
He sighed and went back to thinking about Andesha’s presence. That woman would not have thought
Dia’s death would have revealed her presence instead. If he knew that she was acting in this area, the
threat would be much smaller since he had knowledge in dealing with the Tree Shepherds. He even
fought a few of them personally and knew them well.
“Will it be fine?” Dia asked in his mind: “That woman seems to be incredibly powerful.”
“Don’t worry. If I didn’t know about her presence, it would be much more dangerous. Thank you very
much, Dia.”
The Wild Elf smiled sweetly.
“What’s wrong?” Amandina was looking at him with concerned eyes, making Brendel feel awkward. Did
he stare into space again?
[Why are you paying attention to me all the time?]
“Nothing at all. Is there something?” He asked.
Amandina let out a huff: “Wydall has been asking for you for hours. You looked like you were deep in
thought so I told him that, and he dared not to disturb you— I think they discovered other adventurers
ahead. You should take a look.”
“Hmm?”
1993
Chapter 149 – Mysterious corpses
Wydall informed that they had discovered adventurers, but what Brendel really found were dead people.
More than thirty corpses were strewn all over the Dark Forest. They had light grey surcoats worn over
silver armor.
Brendel turned over one of them and investigated his coat of arms.
[Just like I thought when I first saw them. These people are the guards of the Holy Cathedral of Fire. The
clearest indication is the fiery red emblem on their armor.]
The longswords on the ground were mostly forged in the Kirrlutz’s style, but the thing that truly stuck out
was how every single weapon on them was a longsword. Any military army would have other common
weapons like axes or spears.
“These men are the Grey-robed Priest Soldiers in the Holy Cathedral of Fire,” he stood up and spoke to
Quinn and Wydall, “I’m not sure if there are any Flame Sentinels accompanying them unless I check every
single body.”
“They probably did not encounter wolves here, or they would have bite marks. The bodies here are
placed strangely and it feels really odd,” the Centaur Elder said.
They looked at the men once more. The majority were lying on the ground like they were sleeping, while
a few leaned against the trees; some even looked almost natural and alive with their poses. Strangely
enough, their eyes were all closed, and their weapons were not far away from them.
But their dull skin proved they were dead.
“Indeed. Furthermore, it is strange for the Holy Cathedral of Fire to leave their comrades behind in the
wild to the wolves. Covering their bodies with stones and branches isn’t something hard to do.” Quinn
said.
“Another Priest Soldier.” Brendel walked over to another body and lifted the surcoat.
“In addition, there are no signs of a battle,” Quinn’s ears shook a little when a nightingale’s warbles came
from time to time, “it appears like they died in their sleep. Our early inspections revealed that they did
not have any apparent injuries.”
“Every single one?”
1994
“Yes.”
The situation was indeed very odd. Quinn and Wydall remained quiet when they saw Brendel deep in
thought. They believed that no one really understood the Dark Forest, and with each step taken deeper
into it, was akin to getting closer to a Dream Demon which would silently reap their lives away in their
sleep.
[Are there any Wargs that have the ability to attack them in an instant? Hold on, I forgot to check one
more thing……]
Brendel suddenly walked up to a few bodies and inspected them. He stopped and looked at a Priest
Soldier’s fist that was formed tightly into a ball.
After prying it open with some difficulty, he discovered that the dead man was holding onto a golden
amulet. Brendel poked at the fingers, determining that was slightly stiff and cold.
[The body generally becomes stiff after three hours or so. How surprising. The Holy Cathedral of Fire
actually got here ahead of us by this much? Hmmm…… I wonder. For some reason, I feel like they made
use of the Druids as a distraction and avoided the wolves. As expected from them, these damn bastards
have really good scouts.]
Brendel deduced that the powerful factions were making use of the Druids’ defense of the Green Tower to
further their agenda. It was probably easy to predict where the Druids’ frontline was.
He inspected the amulet. There was a purple diamond-shaped crystal in the center, but much of it was
cracked as the Mana was depleted from it.
[A purple crystal usually means it’s used to ward off evil. This Priest Soldier understood the danger he
was in when he held this artifact in his hand. He didn’t die immediately.]
The youth nodded. He had gathered a number of hints. His hand holding the amulet began to move
towards his pouch out of habit, but he suddenly stopped. Quinn and Wydall’s eyes were on him. The
artifact could still be used if he repaired it, and the artifacts used by the Holy Cathedral of Fire would at
least be of some quality.
But this was not a game. He could not smash the vases in people’s homes to get money or something.
Taking the items from a dead person…… He was not sure if Quinn and Wydall would smack him for doing
that.
The Centaurs and Tree Elves were deeply respectful of the dead.
In the end, he returned the amulet back to the dead priest’s hand.
1995

“These Priest Soldiers were left behind to block the enemy’s pursuit.”
“Pursuit?” Wydall was surprised.
He had been observing the youth’s actions and was slightly amused by them. Even though there was
information to be gleaned from the bodies, only veteran soldiers, professional hunters, and a few select
professions would be able to read them.
As a warrior who had seen different kinds of injuries created from weapons, bites, and even magic, he
should have been able to find something. But there were no injuries at all, and that stumped him.
[This young man walked around the bodies twice and determined they were left behind to block the
enemies? Is he making a wild guess?]
He could not help but crease his brows. It was irresponsible for a commander to make a conclusion based
on a wild guess. He glanced at Quinn to see what his opinion was, but the latter shook his head and
indicated for him to wait for a little, which only made the Centaur Elder irritated from the lack of decisive
action.
Brendel pondered for a few more seconds before he pointed in a certain direction: “The men from the
Holy Cathedral of Fire came from this direction. It’s pretty close to where we came from.”
Quinn and Wydall were surprised. Their men had searched the surroundings carefully and determined
where the humans entered and left based on the disturbed foliage. But how did Brendel know?
“What? You don’t believe me?” Brendel frowned as he looked at their stunned expressions and pointed to
another direction: “I’m sure you will discover they left from this direction if you search for their presence.
“No, I think we just want to know how you determined that.”
“Well—”
[To think that the Holy Cathedral of Fire is already using the Cross Formation this early. Gamers copied
the five-men groups that protected the center formation. After improving on it further, it became one of
the most popular formations. It was easy to adapt to situations.]
As one of the group leaders in the game, he was more than familiar with it.
“The Holy Cathedral of Fire moves in a specific formation. This group of men is most likely one of the
flanks. This group’s scout first discovered the enemies and warned the main formation of the enemy or
enemies’ positions. ”
1996
The youth raised his head and looked around. He pointed at the top of a tree to indicate there was a dead
body perched there. He then moved to the outermost area of the discovered bodies, which was near
where he pointed earlier.
“These are the first few men that died. They were closest to the scout, but they were unable to react
because of the incredible speed of the enemies. Since the Grey Knights are usually used as scouts in this
formation—”
He opened one of the men’s surcoat to reveal the heraldry of the Grey Knight.
“Scarlett!” He shouted: “Move over to that position!”
The girl was quietly observing the surroundings for any danger at Amandina’s side, and she was
momentarily surprised by the sudden order. Even though she did not understand, she moved to where he
ordered her to be.
Brendel drew a circle on the ground where the Grey Knights were before he looked back at Quinn and
Wydall.
“The Grey Knights attempted to surround the enemy or enemies in a crescent formation. They are quite
far apart from each other, so their goal was to delay for time. These men can be considered to be the elite
forces of the Holy Cathedral of Fire, but—”
Brendel pointed at where Scarlett was: “There wasn’t even a battle. Six Grey Knights simply fell over to
the ground.”
He studied the area and saw there was a disturbed patch of grass where Scarlett was. He followed the
trail and eventually found another body.
“This is probably the last Grey Knight. He was frightened out of his poor wits and started running away.
But he was caught without any form of resistance and died just like that.”
He then informed Scarlett to continue walking deeper into the Dark Forest and report any signs of
activity.
“The enemy or enemies are very powerful. I believe the commander in the center formation somehow got
to know what happened to their flank, and he immediately repositioned themselves to run away while
leaving some men behind to cover his rear.”
Scarlett eventually reported back with the conclusion that Brendel made. Quinn and Wydall widened
their eyes when they realized Brendel was once again right.
1997
A sudden flurry of footsteps caused the group to look at the source of the noise. It was Austin. Since
Brendel had investigated for quite some time without advancing, he got impatient and went up to find out
the reason why they were delayed.
He was shocked to discover corpses everywhere.
1998
Chapter 150 – Scarlett’s change
Austin reached out with his hand and pulled back the surcoat to inspect the armor beneath. When he
realized the shiny armor had the crimson emblem of the Holy Cathedral of Fire, he paled. He immediately
recognized the Priest Soldiers.
[Marsha above! What enemies did they encounter for so many to die here?]
He turned his eyes and found Brendel, but his attention was immediately on the dead body next to him.
“A Grey Knight? But this composition of men means there’s at least a Bishop here?” He muttered to
himself as he felt his blood turning cold.
A formal Bishop appointed by the Holy Cathedral of Fire was required to have mastered his Element
Power. Even if they encountered a Warg, they would most likely win in a direct confrontation.
Austin suddenly thought of the most dreadful idea and looked at Brendel. Perhaps the audacious young
noble killed these men? It seemed like there was nothing that the youth was afraid of. He did not even
care about offending the Kirrlutz Empire in the first place.
[Oh Mother Marsha, h-he’s allied with the Druids. Perhaps they intend to bring about a Holy War again?]
He could not help but swallow at this terrifying thought. But he soon realized that it was a foolish notion.
“Some of these men are holding on to their longbows,” Brendel mused and explained to the group, “but
they did not reach for their arrows. Either it’s a massive spell that affected them at the same time, or it’s
an enemy that’s massive. But the ground isn’t disturbed to the extent where I can determine that it’s a
huge creature. But I do believe that it’s some kind of illusion that affected everyone as it fits better.”
The analysis that was void of emotion made Quinn, Wydall, and Austin tremble. A monster that was likely
to be more terrifying than the Warg? It felt like that the unknown creature was watching them from the
shadows and might attack them at any time.
What they could not imagine was why the youth was still standing in front of them without any fear.
“Have you heard of any creatures that attack in this manner?” Brendel had seen enough creatures that fit
the variation of attacks, but there were too many answers and it made him perplexed. Furthermore, it
was not as though his answers were right, and there were monsters within the Wilderness that he had
not seen before.
1999
The creatures that were born from the Chaos and Mana were volatile and unthinkable. Perhaps the
breeze they were feeling was actually a monster and the true culprit.
Or perhaps—
[If this is a game’s quest, the NPCs would provide hints about the real answer. I should try and test it out
like a quest and see if I get anything out of it.]
“It sounds like a Spectre. Only the deadly spirits in legends would be able to take away a life without any
warning.” Austin said as he observed Brendel closely. He had thought the youth as a rash person, but the
latter’s detailed explanation and reenactment of the battle that took place made him reconsider.
Perhaps he had looked at him with biased eyes from the start.
[I’m starting to see things that I have never noticed before. When did Aouine have someone like him? No,
wait, did you say he was Firburh’s lord? That’s in Trentheim. Isn’t the lord of that city actually one of
Count Randner’s useless sons?]
As he was a military man and was just a noble who was right in the middle of the social circle, he did not
pay much attention to the powerful or weak factions, and thus could not remember who the lord of
Firburh was.
[But one thing is clear. This mysterious youth can’t possibly be the lord of a city in a remote location like
Trentheim. Even the most talented youths in this generation could not match up to him. In fact, most of
Aouine’s young nobles are a joke. No, his identity must be a lie. Is he truly a citizen from Aouine?]
Brendel just fought in a battle that was even more dangerous than any of the battles against Madara, and
he still acted as though nothing had happened.
Austin could not help but give him a strange look.
“Spectre? That’s unlikely.” Brendel shook his head.
First of all, a Spectre would not have required the Grey Knights to spread out and surround it. It was
definitely a big monster. Besides, a Spectre’s attack stole the warmth from living creatures. The dead
bodies should at least have a layer of ice if they were killed by a Spectre. Wydall and Quinn shook their
heads as well. There were indeed Spectres in the Dark Forest, and they had fought against these
insubstantial creatures in the past. There was no evidence of the Spectres being here.
But they did not offer any new ideas and Brendel went back to thinking on his own. That was when he
vaguely recalled about the Druids being attacked by something when they investigated the Loop of Trade
Winds.
2000

[I remember that the Druids were forced away from the Loop of Trade Winds. It’s unlike the current
situation where these men are killed. Is it because the Druids are recognized by it, or is it because the
Wind Scar had appeared, changed that creature and it’s attacking everyone indiscriminately? But
regardless of the answer, this creature is definitely the boss for this quest of mine. To wipe the men from
the Holy Cathedral of Fire so easily and force the rest to flee…… Just how powerful is this thing?]
Brendel’s expression did not change, but his heart pounded rapidly from realizing that they had dodged
this disastrous monster. He became thankful for the fact that the forces from the Holy Cathedral of Fire
were faster than them, as they helped him become a scapegoat. If he faced this terrifying thing right here,
he was really uncertain whether there was a possibility to even escape.
[I thought that this mission would be easier. The gamers managed to somehow enter Valhalla at a level
that was lower than me, and so I thought it wouldn’t be too difficult. But now…… damn it. Those gamers
really entered the Loop of Trade Winds by luck.]
His anger and frustration rose but he calmed himself in an instant. He led forces in the game for decades
and was able to correct his mindset quickly.
[If they somehow entered the Loop of Trade Winds’ center by luck, then this quest isn’t without the
possibility of completion. To be honest, judging from the current strength of this boss, the gamers would
need at least twenty more years of grinding in the game before they can even attempt the quest.]
A direct confrontation must absolutely be avoided, and the way to complete this mission must have been
a secret path. However, even when he went through the past information in his mind, he was unable to
find details about it. Guilds did not post their entire process complete with a walkthrough and videos, and
even if they posted them, it was under a fee. But that itself was quite silly for many people. Who would
pay for a one-time quest other than random entertainment?
The youth was feeling regret in his heart for mocking the people who paid for them. Who would have
expected something like moving to another parallel world?
Veronica and her wizards, Galbu’s Archmagi, Andesha, and a boss that was probably even more terrifying
than the three forces combined, let alone the endless sea of wolves. Brendel’s head ached tremendously.
[Please, go ahead and make this quest even harder for me! The damned guild that succeeded in getting
Valhalla obviously lied and downplayed the rewards gained from Valhalla. This isn’t an early game quest,
fuck!]
Brendel was rubbing his forehead so hard that he left the skin red. When he finally looked around him, he
saw Scarlett lost in her own thoughts. He was surprised since she was always on her guard.
2001
“Scarlett?”
“…… Yes?” The red-haired girl said absentmindedly and turned to the youth.
“What is it?”
“There’s something on my hand.” Scarlett looked at her hand with a little worry, causing Brendel to panic
a little as he thought that the Blood of Gods was corrupting her again, though it was strange as the effects
of the Golden Apple should not run out so quickly.
When he studied her hand, he discovered that there was a strange golden emblem appearing over the
back of her hand and arms. No matter how he looked at it, it did not seem like it was a sign of the Blood of
Gods rampaging.
Instead, it seemed like there was Mana moving under her skin.
Brendel felt that the patterns appeared familiar to him, but he was unable to come up with anything
despite thinking about it for a while. He shook his head and said:
“This isn’t due to the Blood of Gods. I think it’s the Golden Apple that’s causing this since it contains a
massive amount of Mana. Maybe….. The Mana within your body is resonating with the Mana Wave in the
Dark Forest. This is a good thing and not something bad.”
“It’s a good thing?” Scarlett became less worried. She knew Brendel would not lie to her but she still did
not understand what it meant.
“…… Yes. I might have a way to turn you into an Elementalist, but I have to wait until Ser Orthlyss wakes
up from her slumber.” (TL: I roughly remember that becoming an Elementalist and mastering her
Element Power will allow her to beat the Blood of Gods’ control or something)
[A freaking Heroic Spirit that requires sleep twenty-four hours a day, and wouldn’t wake up even if
thunder strikes next to her ears. It is no wonder they retain their youthful appearances!]
2002
Chapter 151 – The curtains rise
The men from the Holy Cathedral of Fire were presumably making a clear path leading to the Loop of
Trade Winds, but the unknown monster was chasing after them. Brendel did not have the courage to
follow the Holy Cathedral of Fire’s path.
What if the boss became tired of chasing after them and decided to head back instead?
[If this monster patrols the entirety of the outer areas of the Loop of Trade Winds, then it’s a boss that
will actively hunt for intruders. If I go by the game’s standards, the closer I get to the center of the Loop of
Trade Winds, the more likely the boss will detect me. The more I think about it, the more I feel that
impossible problems are going to occur. I need to increase my options.]
The Holy Cathedral of Fire used their elite Grey Knights for scouts. Brendel thought he needed to copy
what they did, and he started to think about using the Fireclaw Lizardmen to increase his map awareness.
The latter was not exactly dedicated scouts, but it was where the Planeswalker’s system excelled. There
were no restrictions on communication and it was real-time. He could easily expand the map range.
In order to make the detection stronger, he even took out the Fireclaw Buglers card out, activated it, and
placed them next to the Fireclaw Lancers. No one knew that Brendel’s men increased as the Fireclaw
Lizardmen were placed outside the eyes outside of other people.
He then distributed the Wind Spirit Spiders, Fireclaw Lizardmen, Rock Panthers, and the newly
summoned wolves around the Centaurs and his men, creating a warning system that had no holes. With
nothing left to do, he and the others eventually left the dead men behind.
Time passed quickly and it soon turned to noon. It was the second stage of a Planeswalker’s phase where
the cards were shuffled and drawn.
Brendel tapped the Ashen Volcano card to replenish the Fire Element in his Elemental Pool, and he
managed to draw a new Vampire Baron card.
[A pity. When the sun is at its brightest, it’s forbidden to use Black cards, or I would have put it into play
regardless of the cost. The Vampire Baron is a first class scout because of its speed and short-range
flight.]
He finished drawing all the cards and stared at the trees ahead of him. The fog was starting to sink; layers
of white mist wrapped around the mountain ridges that prevented visibility. The Gold-rankers had
already detected an unstable Element that was increasing rapidly in the air.
2003
The borders of the Sea of Chaos was fluctuating and ebbing. A black Demonic Moon now hung over the
sky instead of being silver. Mana began to surge, reaching to a peak level that happened only every
thousand years, announcing its presence as though a tidal wave was descending all over the continent
with a bellow.
This change was becoming visible by the minute as a sudden drop in temperature could be felt. It only
took a few hours before Brendel and the others felt like they were experiencing a harsh winter. The trees
and ground were starting to be covered with frost before their very eyes.
“The Calamity of Frost……” Someone muttered subconsciously, and several trembled with fear upon the
mention of these words.
It was one of the worst natural disasters in the Dark Forest. The temperature would dip far below zero
degrees in the matter of a few hours, and the extreme cold weather would kill any living creatures that
were affected within the area if there was no protection.
Monsters were no different.
But since it was the Calamity of Wolves, then there were a particular subspecies that was not affected.
The Winter Wolves.
“Calamity of Frost!” Another repeated the same term, becoming conscious of what it really meant.
“The Calamity of Frost is here!” One of the centaurs took off his necklace in a hurry. A single crystal was
adorned in its metallic core, with fine gold strings wrapped around it, and within that crystal was a tiny
Fire Seed.
This tiny Fire Seed was unable to create a Sanctuary and convert the land to be under the protection of
Mother Marsha, but it was used like a fire torch in the dark. It was capable of turning a small area that
was affected by Chaos into a stable land.
Adventurers who ventured deep into the Dark Forest and attempted to reach the Green Tower must
bring along this small Fire Seed, or the violent and unstable weather could easily kill any of them. But
there were many foolish people amongst them who did not bother to prepare them.
A single pillar of light shot straight into the sky as the centaur activated the Fire Seed.
Black Mana gathered swiftly, as though it was competing against the Fire Seed. The Law of Mother
Marsha, ‘Tiamat’, was broken at its outer layer, proving that Chaos was invading it. Blue light flared
repeatedly amongst the clouds, as though there was lightning occurring in them.
A Mana Wave had arrived once again.
2004
[We’re going to encounter wolves yet again.]
Brendel also took out a tiny Fire Seed. He obviously did not forget to buy it from the Green Tower before
he set out for the Wall of Flowers. He placed it in between his thumb and index finger, uttered a chant,
and the sigils on the Fire Seed glowed, emitting intense light.
He raised his hand, and another pillar of light shot into the air. The Fire Seed pulsated, resonating with
the Centaurs’ Fire Seed.
Wydall looked at the youth with a raised eyebrow. The Druids had requested him to aid the young
human, but the latter was constantly surprising him at every turn. He fought against the wolves as though
he had been fighting them all his life, and he even traversed the Dark Forest as though he knew it like the
back of his hand.
The third pillar of light fired into the sky, interrupting his thoughts. It belonged to Quinn.
The creation of the tiny Fire Seeds was not difficult, and only cost several thousand Tor Coins or a Fire
Agate crystal.
Wydall walked up to the youth, unable to suppress his curiosity: “Have you been to the Dark Forest
often?”
But Brendel’s fingers were rubbing over his forehead, which meant that he was thinking deeply.
[The second wave of attack is different from the game! The first wave of wolves belonged to those that
moved in the shadows and fog. But the second wave is supposed to be blighted wolves…… There’s a
difference here. Why?!]
The walkthrough that he had in his mind had to be remade. It was just a matter of swapping the order to
handle the wolves, but he was extremely uneasy because he felt like things were slipping out of his
control.
A few bone-chilling snowflakes landed on his face and he shuddered as they melted on his face. His eyes
focused. The snowflakes outside the area of their Fire Seeds struck the surroundings as though tiny
pebbles were thrown in the sky and rained down. He realized that they melted on his due to the Fire
Seeds, not because of his warmth.
“Is this the sign of the second wave of wolves?”
The youth nodded with lips tightly pressed together, and he raised his head: “The Mana Wave is
happening before our eyes.”
2005
“Excuse me?” Wydall asked.
“Take a look at the sky. I think you will never see this incredible scene a second time in your whole life.”
The men looked up at Brendel’s indication.
A violent gust of wind suddenly rose from the ground and up into the air, bringing along dirt and
vegetation into the air, and merged into the clouds that began to rotate. The hurricane expanded and
many people started to shield their faces, while their hair and clothes fluttered heavily.
They stared in awe as the countless tree leaves form into a river that flowed upwards and defied gravity,
blotting out the light that was already weakened by the thick clouds. Purple lightning raged across the
peak of the clouds as they expanded like a burst dam, but there were no thunders that accompanied
them.
A thick pillar of fiery red light shot into the sky, and Brendel guessed that it was the Holy Cathedral of
Fire’s Fire Seed. This particular pillar of light seemed like it also called out to the other Fire Seeds that
were slumbering; pillars of light reached the sky one after another.
[Orange-red, Kirrlutz. Even though they are supposedly King Gatel’s descendants, the Fire Seed that they
possessed doesn’t compare with the purity of the Holy Cathedral of Fire’s Fire Seed. Still, there’s a golden
tinge to it, which would certainly allow them to be so proud of their heritage. The light-green pillar of
light probably belongs to the Druids. Blue? The Wind Elves are here as well? But they live quite far away
from Aouine. Several light reds. Probably a group of knights from some dukedom. The weakest amongst
them, colorless and dull, naturally belongs to the adventures and mercenaries that don’t belong to other
factions. Around Thirty or forty pillars of light.]
The Fire Seed in Brendel’s hand was created by the Druids, which leaned towards a gentle but strong
characteristic.
Still, the number of people in the Dark Forest still surprised Brendel, even when he knew that it was due
to the Lionheart. But he also knew that even more were unprepared for the sudden drastic drop in the
temperature. These adventurers would perish in the cold.
Hailstones began to fall from the sky followed by heavy snow. It only took several short minutes for the
surroundings to turn white.
Brendel took a deep breath. Though his mind was heavy with the unexpected change in the waves of
wolves, he felt a hint of excitement. He felt like time was reversing as he recalled the scene of the Mana
Wave that he saw in the videos. He was now participating in a war that sought to create new lands.
It was a story that did not belong to him in the game, but now it was.
2006
“Let us continue moving.” He said to Wydall, who ordered his men to move out.
When The Wall of Flowers was in visible range, Brendel discovered that the Fire Seed in that area was
dim, but the wolves had not taken down the guard towers at the frontlines. The Druids had managed to
repel the first wave of wolves.
Just a few minutes ago, the Fire Seed in the Green Tower was also activated and became something of a
lighthouse in the dark. However, only seven out of the twelve watchtowers around the Green Tower
activated their Fire Seeds.
A powerful explosion of Mana abruptly flared in the clouds, and the Fire Seed in the Wall of Flowers was
extinguished. With this Fire Seed permanently gone, so did the flames of countless lives.
[This is bad. The Wall of Flowers is probably going to be taken down faster than I thought. In the game, it
actually managed to last four waves of attacks from the wolves. Valhalla was also able to activate in time,
or the wolves would have turned it into ruins.]
“We need to move even faster. The second wave of attacks is about to reach them. The position we’re in
isn’t safe either.” Brendel said with a frown.
The Winter Wolves were monsters that had higher levels than the Black Wolves. Even though their
numbers were fewer than them, they were definitely much more terrifying. The northern people called
the Winter Wolves living in the Dark Forest ‘Spectres of breathing mist and fog’. It was not something
that was exaggerated.
“That place—” But Wydall was distracted and lost in his own thoughts as he muttered to himself.
“Ahh.” The youth suddenly realized something.
2007
Chapter 152 – The Winter of Wolves arrives
“No, it’s nothing.” Wydall suddenly became conscious of something and turned away.
“What’s wrong?” Amandina, who was nearby, felt there was an odd atmosphere in the air and asked.
Brendel turned to her and saw that she was wearing an additional robe to keep herself warm.
“The arbor near one of the Green Tower’s watch towers; it is also the hometown of many Centaurs. But
the Fire Seed there did not activate.”
“Ah—” She looked at the Centaur Elder’s back with a little sympathy: “But how did you know that, my
lord?”
“Do you not remember the words from our Tree Elf guide from the Blackthorn Council? He just told us
yesterday morning.”
“T-that’s……” Amandina’s eyes widened a little as she recalled: “But it was just a fleeting moment and we
got interrupted by the wolves. You remembered it so easily?”
Brendel hurriedly faked inspecting his sword to avoid laughing at the earnest girl’s admiration. In truth,
he already knew where it was in the game. It might be just as likely that he did not remember what their
guide said.
“In any case, we need to cease the chatter.” His eyes and tone suddenly became serious.
“Yes?”
“The wolves are here.”
It was difficult to see ahead because of the light being blocked by the flying debris, though flashes
illuminated the Dark Forest whenever there was a Mana Flare. There were no sun, moon, or stars that
could be seen.
If one were to look from afar, it seemed like the Fire Seeds were the only sources of light left in this world.
[The Fire Seeds are moving. Even though there were thousands of gamers defending the area back then,
only the top gamers went for Valhalla. This sight reminds me of the videos. Twenty-odd pillars of light
moving towards the center of the Loop of Trade Winds. They ultimately succeeded in the end. But now
there is only me.]
2008
He quickly adjusted himself. Now was not the time to question whether he could succeed. Flecks of silver
darted across the trees several miles when he glanced at his surroundings.
The Winter Wolves.
It had been nearly ten hours of traveling after their short rest from defeating the Black Wolves. They
were very near the entrance of the Karanjar mountain range. The interlaced mountains looked like
soldiers standing on opposite sides, with the geography of the area steep and difficult to traverse. But
once they passed through the entrance, they would have cleared the first hurdle.
Based on the group’s speed, the youth estimated they needed at most an hour to reach that place.
[The gamers coined it the Blockade of Wolves. It’s also the most dangerous position in the entire
journey.]
He took out his pocket watch while observing the increasing number of Winter Wolves.
[We’re ahead of time. There are ninety more minutes before the second wave of wolves truly starts. If
they gather at that mountain pass, it will really become a blockade.]
The armies slowly crossed over the last peak and valley of the mountain range. A few Winter Wolves
dashed out from the snow from time to time, and the centaurs’ arrows greeted them. Brendel’s alarm
system that consisted of his summons gave him ample time to inform the centaurs of any larger pack of
wolves, though its primary purpose was to detect the Loop of Trade Winds’s boss.
The Black Wolf Garurumon’s name did not take off amongst his men as they considered it to be the most
dreadful name they heard. Thus they disregarded his ‘Garurumon has detected a pack of Winter Wolves!’
comments and decided amongst themselves to call it a Shadow Wolf.
The smaller groups of Winter Wolves that were unfortunate to encounter his Fireclaw Lizardmen ended
up dead, but if there were any group of wolves that had the size of a horde, they were allowed to enter the
alarm system.
The Centaurs could still afford to have a certain number of casualties from fighting against the wolves,
but if there was an opening in his system, and the mysterious boss sneaked into his group, it would not be
a problem of running away from it, because it’s the end of the road for every one of them.
The Winter Wolves were dangerous Silver-ranked monsters. They were more like white Spectrals that
dashed with the wind. Powerful howls could be heard as a few dashed across the snow like lightning.
Their jaws were bigger than the Black Wolves and leg muscles rippled when they ran, and each of them
2009
was as big as a horse. They were strong enough to break trees easily with a light smash, and Silver-
ranked soldiers were like ordinary fragile mortals in front of them.
Not too long ago, one of the Winter Wolves barged into the knights of Aouine’s ambassadors’ defense, and
even though the ten-odd knights surrounded and attacked the monster, it managed to bite one of them to
his death.
But the true reason why they were dangerous and seen as Spectres, was because they had gained a
partial amount of Frost Element Power. Their claws were imbued with a deep cold, and a weak slice
across skin or armor would freeze the entire body. They could also breathe out mist from several meters
away, turning one’s blood to ice.
The only fortunate thing that came when facing this creature, was that the Winter Wolves did not have a
Warg lording over them. Legend depicted the Wolf of Calamity, Hroovitnisson, killed the Winter Warg to
become the King of the Forest, and from then onwards, the Wolf King no longer allowed the Winter
Wolves to have a Warg.
In the game, the gamers knew that the strongest creature from the Winter Wolves subtype was the
Winter Direwolf. These mini-bosses gathered packs of wolves and huddled together to become a horde.
These monsters seemed to know their weakness as well, and hunt their preys with at least four or five
packs of wolves. With at least a hundred Winter Wolves commanded by seven or eight Winter
Direwolves, they were a threat to the borders of any kingdom in the continent, let alone Aouine.
During Brendel and his men’s journey to their destination, a third of the thirty to forty pillars of light from
the Fire Seed were extinguished. And it was not hard to understand what it meant for the light to
disappear.
The Centaurs encountered more and more resistance. Everyone was starting to become gloomy and
worried. The Winter Wolves were actually rarely seen in the Dark Forest, but they were the most
common threat in the northern Kirrlutz Empire. Wydall’s eyebrows were knitted so tightly together that
they bulged out. They could handle them initially when the arrows killed most of the charging wolves, but
as more and more appeared, they had to fight in a melee battle which resulted in harsh injuries.
[This is bad— There’s one here in Aouine who’s proficient in fighting the Winter Wolves!]
Austin could not help but break out into cold sweat despite the freezing weather. There was hardly
anyone in Aouine who had experience in dealing with the Winter Wolves, and it extended to the Centaurs
and Tree Elves. He had been to the Kirrlutz Empire when he was young and fought against the Winter
Wolves twice by luck, but it was better than nothing.
2010
With that thought in mind, he started to move towards the Centaurs and request to take over the
command.
But there was a youthful shout and sudden change in the formation that stopped him. Brendel was
already next to Wydall, along with Scarlett and Kodan in the frontlines. And it only took a few seconds
before the grim situation was overturned.
“Stop for seven seconds! Move back and ensure you’re at least ten feet away from the Winter Wolves!”
Brendel’s command made the Centaurs and Tree Elves retreat: “Now! Fire where my arrow flies!”
He shot out an arrow with his longbow, and a second later, a concentrated volley of arrows decimated the
pack of wolves that were breathing out chilling gales of frost. Quinn could not help but marvel at the
impeccable timing, but Brendel barked out his next order. The Centaurs divided the pack by flanking
them with arrows, then charged them with their lances, lowering their numbers by a quarter.
Even though the wolves were powerful monsters, their defense was greatly lacking. Each counterattack
on them heavily wounded them or killed them outright. If the monsters decided to charge at the Centaurs,
a wall of lances was quickly formed along with invoked thorny vines.
With the youth leading the armies, the Winter Wolves were unable to gain the first strike.
[I got somewhere in the vicinity of a million XP in the game killing these wolves. It was one of the most
boring things to do, ever. If I don’t beat the shit of them in this battle, I might as well give up on getting
Valhalla now.]
He fought against countless varieties of monsters and knew them well over the hundred years in the
game, just like many other gamers did and exploited their weaknesses. It was even expected for them to
know how to beat the monsters and not be a dead weight to their allies.
But now he was the only person in this parallel world with a crossover history, and a strange carpet had
been weaved underneath his feet.
The wolves that suffered a massive loss finally retreated far away and howled with malicious rage. Austin
could not believe his eyes and stared in disbelief. His hand that gripped his sword tensely was
subconsciously removed.
[I-isn’t this is the standard tactics of the White Army of Fallen Frost?]
Out of a sudden, the aging general recalled meeting the veteran soldier from the Kirrlutz Empire during
his youth. The latter taught him the very same tactics, but in his eyes, the youth actually surpassed his
teacher in terms of effectiveness.
============= ??? POV =============
2011
Several miles away from the battlefield, a man was standing on top of a mountain’s peak and observed
the battle with an impressed sigh.
“Kirrlutz’s citizen?”
His appearance could be stated as still young and gentlemanly-looking, but his neatly combed hair that
reached his shoulders was turning ashen-white. There was a massive greatsword on his back that nearly
reached his height, and he wore an ordinary grey robe that made him appear unassuming.
His grey-brown eyes moved faintly and had a hint of doubt in them.
2012
Chapter 153 – Final assault, Blockade of Wolves
Brendel did not know what his allies were thinking of him.
He merely led them forward with each passing second. The slaughter of the wolves made time seem to
stretch. The Centaurs’ armors were stained red with fresh blood, from the Winter Wolves, their own, as
well as their allies, with each layer stacking on top of their bright silver armors. The several hundred men
walked beside a frozen narrow mountain stream.
Two high cliffs were on each side covering half the sky, with a narrow exit at the end of their vision.
The Blockade of Wolves.
There was another white wave rushing at them. More than a thousand wolves poured out from the exit,
and the large Winter Direwolves raised their upper bodies towards the sky and howled. White fur
expanded against the wind and made them all the more fearsome. The ground rumbled as the wolves
split into three groups. Snow was agitated like boiling water as large claws dug into the ground. It was as
though a trident was hurled towards the group of Centaurs.
But the wolves in the center slowed down, while the wolves on either side bolted across the forest trees,
appearing as though they were jaws closing on each end as they attempted to surround their preys.
Quinn raised his hand, and the Tree Elves shot their arrows. The time for them to draw, aim, and shoot
took no more than two seconds. Their actions were as natural, quick, and were used to firing at will.
Hardly anyone shot at the same target and the volley of arrows was more like scattered raindrops across
the flanking wolves.
The wolves on both sides were struck and rolled across the ground, not moving any longer, but the
numbers allowed them to succeed in advancing. They were close enough to threaten them.
“They are certainly much harder to deal with compared to the Black Wolves!” Brendel cut down a Winter
Wolf as it lunged at him. He exhaled in a sigh, and the white mist that escaped his lips was released into
the sky.
The Centaurs’ left flank was exposed. He had no choice but to order a company of Fireclaw Lizardmen to
move from their position jump into the fray. They charged out from one side of the forest and clashed
against the Winter Wolves.
“Ser Brendel!” Quinn yelled, giving the command back to the youth.
2013
“Fire where my arrow is!” Brendel roared in response. “Then charge in with me!”
A single arrow flew across the sky and struck a Winter Direwolf’s head. The Centaurs joined in the ranged
attack with the Tree Elves and concentrated on the monsters in front of them. The first three rows of
wolves crashed and rolled on the ground uncontrollably, while the others leaped over their comrades’
corpses like an overflowing dam.
The Centaurs and the army of Winter Wolves in the front rushed towards each other, destined to crash
into each other. At the same time, the flanking Winter Wolves finally managed to enclose Brendel and his
allies in a circle, and they began running towards them.
The distance to the Blockade of Wolves was less than a mile. It was the final push. The number of Winter
Wolves was increasing rapidly and there was no time to waste.
Brendel glanced at Wydall, and the latter nodded with a solemn expression. The Centaur Elder places his
right hand across his heart as a salute and suddenly raised his lance, accelerating to move ahead of the
army. Quinn gave a signal, and the Tree Elves alighted from the Centaurs’ backs.
“Warriors of the Goddess Nia!” He bellowed.
Fists drummed against chests. The Centaurs galloped after Wydall as they raised their lances high up in
the air, hooves trampling heavily across the ground. Very soon, their movements echoed as one.
Brendel’s men stared at them in amazement.
Under Wydall’s lead, the Centaurs were forming a formation that was like an arrowhead.
Austin directed his knights to the right flank, guarding the Tree Elves who were exposed from the Winter
Wolves, but they were momentarily distracted by the Centaurs and subconsciously uttered words of
blessings for their comrades-in-arms.
They were all soldiers and understood what the centaurs were attempting to do.
But Winter Direwolves in the opposing direction howled once, and one section of the Winter Wolves
copied the same formation that the Centaurs made.
“……What….. How……. cunning!” Amandina rode on one of the centaurs when the resistance of the wolves
was not strong, but got off and paced herself with Scarlett’s protection when the battle started. She was
out of breath.
“Tree Elves of the Green Tower, pave the way for our glorious allies!” Quinn pointed with his longbow.
2014
The Tree Elves who was targeting the wolves attacking from the flanks picked out a special projectile
from their quivers.
“The Arrows of Life!”
“Strong wind to the east!”
“Draw at two hundred feet, aim at hundred-fifty feet, loose!”
The archers released their bowstrings at the same time, and a light vibration echoed in everyone’s ears.
Black shadows flew into the sky like a flock of birds. The arrows that were imbued with magic reached
their peak and descended downwards to hunt for their preys, striking and killing the wolves as they were
unerringly nailed down to the ground. Countless wolves were mowed down as though the reaper of
death swung his scythe.
The formation of the charging Winter Wolves was disrupted, but there was no time for them to change.
They could only leap over their fallen brethren and collide into the charging Centaurs.
Dull impacts could be as hard muscles rammed into steel armor. The Centaurs’ charge slowed and the
white sea of wolves swallowed them. The silver line was no more as it was dismantled by the wolves.
Until a violent explosion hurled the throng of wolves back in all directions.
Brendel suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and he caused the tidal wave of wolves to halt. The Centaurs’
charge began to move again.
“Formation reset!” He raised his sword and stood in front of them. The formation looked like it was
becoming an arrowhead again. Morale reached its highest point. “Our charge cannot be stopped! The
Warrior’s Road is right before us! Vanquish the foes who dare to deny our victory!”
The declaration was answered with mighty roars. Blood coursed through their minds as hearts pumped
harder with every road. Brendel shut his eyes.
[An unstoppable charge, is the romance of a warrior!]
“ADVANCE!!!”
And when he opened his eyes he activated his Charge ability; a comet descended into the battlefield.
A trail of white light followed the youth as he tore into the wolves single-handedly. Each swing caused his
clothes to clutter with elegance, followed by sliced flesh and raining blood. A silver needle pierced into
the wolves and expanded on both sides, forcing the wolves to part as though a shockwave threw them
back.
2015
Because his charge was so quick, the magic from Halran Gaia occurred only after Brendel finished cutting
down his foes. The earth seemed like it was breaking apart behind Brendel. Sharp rocks shot out from the
ground and extended to the sky, preventing the Winter Wolves from filling in the sudden cavity that he
created.
The Tree Elves did not stagger behind.
“Warriors of the forest, hinder our enemies!” Quinn pointed to their rear and flanks. Countless vines
emerged from the ground, breaking apart ice and rock, and a bubble was created around their allies. The
Tree Elves put away their bows on their backs and drew out their slender hunting swords, forming a thin
line of defense.
When Brendel finished creating his opening, he turned around to see Wydall leading his men and cutting
down any stray wolves that he missed. The youth suddenly retreated back and went past the Centaur
Elder. A Winter Wolf that pounced towards the latter was immediately cut into two, with its large head
severed from its body as the blood spurted out, and Wydall looked at Brendel’s back to give a light grunt
of thanks.
Scarlett and Kodan led the youths safely into the opening. Ropar and his Lizardmen joined in with
Austin’s knights and did so as well.
Brendel went back and forth the battlefield, smashing away several Winter Wolves with the White Raven
Sword Arte, and when he looked around to survey his surroundings, he realized they had gone past the
Blockade of Wolves.
The space in front of them was an open field.
[We made it!]
He took a deep breath and looked back. Scarlett and Kodan were on the left and right respectively,
allowing his men, the Tree Elves, Aouine’s knights and Fireclaw Lizardmen to pass the blockade.
However, when he looked for the Centaurs, he was dismayed to discover their numbers had dwindled
down to less than half.
At some point in time, they went back to guard the rear and flanks to minimize the casualties to the rest
of them from Wydall’s orders. When the final man amongst them crossed the narrow exit, the Centaur
Chieftain and his men raised his lance and stood there.
The Centaurs created a wall to seal off the exit.
With their lives.
“Wydall!” The youth was startled. This was not his original plan.
2016
The Centaur Elder turned back momentarily and made a gesture. The humans did not understand them,
but Brendel did.
The denizens of the forest would understand.
“We are the children of the forest—”
Brendel’s pupils shook and he held his breath.
2017
Chapter 154 – The Sword Saint of Ashes
[Is it too risky to seal the exit with just Halran Gaia’s magic? Is it impossible after all?]
Brendel initially thought of raising a barricade that was too high for the Winter Wolves to jump over. But
the magic would only last for a minute before it disappeared. The short time limit and the mostly
unhindered woodlands after the Blockade of Wolves made it impossible to escape from the Winter
Wolves. The youth’s assessment eventually matched Wydall’s judgment.
“…… Let’s go.” The tone in his voice was decisive and loud, reaching everyone’s ears. The Tree Elves were
already ahead and merely waiting for his words.
[They planned this from the very start. If there was ever a moment where we needed to leave men
behind, the Centaurs would stay behind. If a situation like this happens again, then it would be the Tree
Elves’ turn—]
The Winter Wolves that suffered considerable losses paced in front of the Blockade of Wolves. They were
regrouping and more joined their numbers rapidly. Finally, they rushed together at the Centaurs
mercilessly, drowning them with numbers.
Amandina and Kodan looked back several times as they followed Brendel’s swift footsteps. Aouine’s
nobles followed slowly from behind while their knights shuffled uneasily beside them, feeling stifled.
But Austin did not move.
There was once when Aouine had pursued such a faith.
The aging general gripped the sword in his hand tightly.
He turned around and looked at the remaining nobles. Dolant was still alive. Was he favored by the Gods,
or was his luck that good?
“Count Dolant! I leave the ambassadors under your charge!” He yelled.
“…… Me?” The plump man was stunned: “What are you trying to do, Austin!”
Austin returned his gaze to the Centaurs. There was an emotion burning in his eyes and he had never felt
it in his whole life. He raised the gleaming sword that was only presented to a general and his voice was
filled with clarity:
2018
“Knights of Aouine!”
“Today! Today you see your allies fighting alone! Do you leave them to die on the battlefield?”
The knights suddenly stopped. They turned around and stared at their commander.
“The Lions’ flag is flying against the wind. The beliefs in our past have never been extinguished. We will
not let our allies be alone. Therefore swordbearers of Aouine, follow me—”
Austin cast a glance a final look at the knights with his head raised high.
“On the oaths sworn upon our swords!” The knights answered one by one, and the knights wearing green
robes charged towards the Winter Wolves once again.
Dolant’s jaws could not help but drop, and he stared wordlessly at the scene before him, but he was
unable to stop Austin with a single word. More than half of the nobles ran past him, joining the knights.
It was not only him, even Brendel turned around with shock. The beliefs of Aouine still existed. Even if the
kingdom had fallen to greed and corruption, they were still shining in brilliance in the dark. He could not
help but tear up.
This was why countless gamers loved this kingdom.
[We are not strong, but we love the kingdom for what it stands for—]
Many gamers agreed with this statement in the forums.
The name of the Kingdom, Aouine, was the definition of ‘belief in a miracle’. King Erik had named this
land in the glorious past. If there was no belief in miracles, then there was no meaning to build this
kingdom.
But he could not participate in this battle. These men were sacrificing themselves so he could complete
this mission. He raised his greatsword and said:
“Ropar, guard our rear.”
The Fireclaw Lizardmen withdrew his gaze from the humans and Centaurs. He bowed deeply to Brendel
and spoke for the first time:
“The true meaning of a battle is to prove a warrior’s honor. The reason for a battle holds great meaning to
the Fireclaw Clan. And the pursuit of one’s beliefs is considered to be an honor above all.”
2019
Ropar raised his head: “I thank you for giving us this chance to fight alongside this group of warriors. The
Fireclaw Clan will not let you down.”
The Lizardman finished his words and pointed at the battlefield, and the Fireclaw Lizardmen entered the
fray.
“Let…… us set off,” Brendel felt a knot in his throat as he spoke.
They had successfully pierced through the first layer of the Loop of Trade Winds. Their next destination
would be moving towards the next barrier where violent winds blew. Quinn nodded quietly, remaining
silent all this time.
There were no wolves spawning in the next obstacle, but higher level monsters lurked in the area. If they
succeeded in going past it, then they would finally reach the Loop of Trade Winds’s core area. It was not
exactly suited for a large group of people to enter the area, and Brendel had planned to get most of them
in one of the safe places he knew. In truth, the Centaurs and Tree Elves had succeeded in their mission
when they went past the Blockade of Wolves.
A quick headcount of the youths brought along revealed a third was killed. One of the squadron’s leader
was dead and another gravely wounded. This result made them realize how desperate the situation was.
After traveling for approximately twenty minutes, the pillar of green light flickered in the dark sky, and it
finally disappeared.
Everything returned to darkness.
Brendel found no words when he saw that sight. A sigh of regret escaped his lips.
[Even though I know there would be losses, I can’t help but feel that I led them to their deaths.]
The youth felt he should his heart would be as hard as steel for experiencing enough deaths, but he found
himself shaken. He suddenly sensed a gaze on him and discovered Amandina looking him with a pair of
inscrutable, gleaming eyes.
[Are you disappointed that I’m unable to save them?]
The illusion that he could always find a solution to any problems had been shattered. Amandina seemed
she wanted to see his perfect side all the time.
[But no matter how hard I try to plan ahead, there’s always the possibility that I failed. No, perhaps it’s
even safe to say I was lucky to succeed in the first place. Maybe there’s a genius out that’s beyond mortal
comprehension and control every aspect, but I’m definitely not that perfect person. I was neither the
most brilliant gamer nor the strongest warrior in the game.]
2020
Brendel’s troubled eyes blinked and he sighed again.
Amandina’s gaze captured the youth’s reactions and she spoke in a soft tone: “My lord, I think there are
situations where there are no solutions.”
“…… What?” Brendel replied, surprise creeping into his voice. He looked puzzledly at her; these words did
not seem like what she would ever utter.
Amandina only gave a faint smile in response: “I believe that you’re regretting over this matter very
much, and I believe that anyone would feel this way. But it’s precisely because of this frustration that we
will strive to surpass our limits…… In truth, I actually feel relieved that my lord is imperfect.”
“…… I see. You read my mind.” Brendel’s eyes turned slightly bloodshot, furious at himself.
“In the end, my lord is the same as us.” Amandina placed her hands behind her back and nodded lightly.
Brendel coughed and looked away with his hand rubbing over his forehead, only to sense Quinn nodding
not far away. Her words did not reach him, because he desperately wanted things to have a better ending.
“Ser Brendel. Life is precious, which is why this type of sacrifice is worthy of respect.”
The youth’s mocking smile was hidden by his hand: “There are many factions here with many people
carrying the flames of civilization, but how many are fighting to help preserve it?”
He pulled his hand away from his eyes that were narrowed: “At the core of things, even I am not doing
this because I’m selfless.”
“…… A pure-hearted person doesn’t exist. I do have a question in mind, would you give me an answer
after giving it some thought?” The Tree Elf’s attention was on the youth, but he never stopped looking for
signs of any trouble.
“What is it?”
“Would you give up Halran Gaia to save Wydall and the others? Perhaps even save the Green Tower?”
“…… Why not?”
Quinn smiled and he spoke in Elven: “Do you not understand, Ser Brendel? You don’t need to blame
yourself. Your kindness comes straight from your heart, and it’s the most precious thing in this world. I
have said this before, if it’s you, I’m sure we will become allies.”
“Most people are selfish,” Scarlett suddenly spoke, “They wouldn’t help anyone else without getting
something in return.”
2021
The older Elf looked at her for a while before he spoke: “If people do not have hope, how did this world
become civilized?”
“What…… does that mean?” The red-haired girl was confused.
Quinn reminisced the days when he fought alongside with Wydall. They frequently joked with each other
on who would slumber eternally, but he did not think that it would be so sudden. He drew in a light
breath before he replied:
“If we did not hope for something better, we would not speak with each other. Languages would not be
created because we don’t need to communicate. What difference would there be from men and beasts if
there isn’t communication from the hearts?”
Scarlett contemplated over his words, but another voice that was full of clarity agreed with him, startling
everyone. The voice came in the direction from the nearby trees, but not even one person had detected
the owner of the voice.
“The difference between men and beasts is because they fear fire, and we walk towards the light.
Civilization’s fire burns brightly in the wilderness, lighting not only Chaos but also people’s hearts.”
The faint shadow of a man flickered in front of Brendel and the others as the Mana Wave in the sky
pulsated. He eventually emerged, carrying a greatsword behind his back that was bigger than a normal
adult, with his grey robes flowing behind him. His strange pupils seemed to absorb all light, making them
dull and lifeless, but his gaze somehow made everyone feel like they were being targeted by him.
“But the descendants of the King of Flames have forgotten about it after centuries have passed.” He
continued to remark.
[Who is this man?!]
Kodan was the first to pull out his weapon, sensing the man in front of him was someone impossibly
powerful, and there was no telling whether the latter was a foe or friend. Quinn and Scarlett followed the
old knight’s actions, realizing that it was strange for a single person to appear where they were.
But Brendel only stared at the man in utter disbelief.
The Sword Saint of Ashes, Mephisto.
2022
Chapter 155 – Great misunderstanding
There were many legendary characters that many gamers knew of in the whole continent.
The Sword Saint of Destruction, Darius, Goddess of Combat, Veronica, and even the fameless Buga in this
era would become someone of great repute.
There were legendary wizards, Tulman of the Silver Fortress, and the King of Knowledge, William.
Famous leaders like the Black Lord Incirsta, the Perfect Eagle, Nicola, and Goddess of War, Freya.
But no one amongst them received the same level of popularity as the Sword Saint of Ashes, Mephisto. He
was the only person who challenged the Kirrlutz Empire all by himself. Just this bravery alone was
enough to make anyone emotional.
It was approximately thirty years ago when the Kirrlutz Empire destroyed a small duchy when Duke
Sutherland resisted them and reclaimed the land. It was a nothing but a small blot in Kirrlutz’s history of
wars that dated a thousand years long, and there ought to be nothing significant about it.
But the Eagle Empire encountered a foe that caused countless headaches.
Mephisto appeared in the Kirrlutz’s capital and attempted to assassinate the Emperor by himself.
Naturally, he did not succeed. But Mephisto slew an entire company of Imperial Cavalry, killed countless
guards, and even fought off the army from a neighboring territory. One Count, three Viscount, twenty
officers, and nearly a hundred squires were killed.
If the casualties were limited to the nobles, it would only be remembered as an embarrassment to the
Empire, but losing the squires made the Emperor in that generation completely furious. These squires
were prodigious talents who would be the future elites and decision-makers of the Empire, and all of
them were murdered by Mephisto. No matter how rich in talents the Empire was, she would still feel the
pain of losing so many gifted youths.
The Empire made a task force that was truly the strongest in its history, with the four commanders from
its four principal armies, the leader of the Imperial Alchemist Association, and even three Imperial
Archmagi from the Tower of Stars and Moons.
Veronica was one of the four commanders, but even she was considered to be the one with the least
experience amongst the group. One could only imagine how monstrous these individuals were.
2023
Yet Mephisto still managed to escape, though he was gravely injured.
This event was a humiliation to the citizens of Kirrlutz. Perhaps it was the hardest slap on their faces after
King Erik stole Lionheart. It was certainly sensational news in the continent.
Later on, the Divine Pantheon of Wind and the Sacred Church of Light tried various means to find
Mephisto, wanting to help him with his hatred against the Kirrlutz Empire, while getting him to join their
faction. Unfortunately, he seemed to have disappeared into thin air.
Rumors circulated that his wounds were so severe and he died soon after.
However, gamers eventually found that he provided an important quest and they could not be more
familiar with him.
[……Why is this person here? The earliest appearance should be five years later! Is the Lionheart so
attractive that even this crazy monster came out?!]
Brendel could not believe his eyes. If there was ever a moment his eyes would pop out of their sockets,
this was it.
The current Mephisto had long hair that reached his shoulders, with its color the same as his eyes. Ashes.
There would never be another person with such a color in this world. The unique color he had was due to
his Element Power, Realm of Ashes.
The youth still remembered his quest against Mephisto, which was the first step of a chain quest to obtain
the Iron Physique, a milestone that allowed one to break through level 100.
It was to have a duel with him and last for ten seconds. He took every single buff that he could possibly
drink and eat and went up to fight against him, but he was sent back to the Revival Altar in three moves.
Mephisto did not overwhelm him in terms of levels, and one could say that he was perhaps level 100 or
so at his peak, but the swordsmanship he had was just too frightening. Many gamers believed that his
swordsmanship had reached level 25, bypassing the limitations of stats.
[C-crap….. I don’t really understand him well, but this isn’t someone with a good temper. Just look at what
he did to the Kirrlutz Empire!]
Even though Mephisto seemed to be favorable towards Aouine in the game’s history, and he did not have
any quarrels with the Druids, it was hard to tell whether he was a friend or foe when he appeared so
suddenly.
2024
[Maybe I could ask for help with Valhalla’s Fire Seed? N-no, what if I somehow offend him and it’s all over
for us? There isn’t really a way through here other than the Blockade of Wolves, so he followed us—]
The youth felt that it was difficult to determine why Mephisto chose to come before them, and he decided
to not act until the Sword Saint of Ashes did.
The situation persisted for several seconds.
Mephisto observed everyone just as they observed him. His glance swept past the ambassadors and the
other warriors, before his eyes ended on Brendel. He extended his hand, and the greatsword behind his
back flew by itself and landed on his fingers, and he pointed at Brendel with the weapon.
“Kirrlutz’s citizen?” He said.
Brendel’s jaws dropped. In that instant, he felt as though he had heard the loudest explosions in his ears,
and a chill ran all over his back.
[Are you fucking kidding me? Kirrlutz? Why not call me a freaking Tauren? Oh for crying out loud, if this
airhead really believes I’m from Kirrlutz, I’m going to be chopped into two right away. I’m not dying here
to some bullshit misunderstanding!]
“No, no! Please, I believe you’re mistaken, I’m a full-blooded citizen from Aouine.” Brendel replied.
“Someone from Aouine? Indeed, it does seem like Aouine’s ambassadors are traveling with you, but your
features seem to carry some traits from Kirrlutz’s noble lineage, and some of your men are wearing
Kirrlutz’s traveling attire. In addition, how would someone from Aouine know the Legion of the Fallen
Frost’s tactics?”
Brendel realized that his strategy to fight the wolves was the reason for luring this monster to him.
[But all the bloody gamers in Aouine know how to do that! Even the gamers in Madara are also capable of
this shit! I’m innocent, you hear me, innocent! So this is how the innocent people feel when they are
burned on the stake!]
The strategy was really nothing more than a test of experienced one was. There was no technique to
speak of, and any video on the internet revealed it all.
But this was not an explanation, and Brendel could only try to find another way to weasel his way out of
the situation.
“There might not be many people who know this strategy, true, but why is it only limited to the Kirrlutz
Empire? Surely there are mercenaries and generals who would know how to deal with the Winter
Wolves, right?”
2025
While the excuse sounded flimsy, it did not feel like there were holes to it. There were other kingdoms
that had to deal with the Winter Wolves and the strategy used by the Fallen Frost Legion was not a secret.
But Mephisto was not persuaded at all. In fact, he even had a faint smile of smugness, which Brendel
interpreted it as ‘everything is within my calculations, stop trying to talk your way out of it’.
“Indeed. There are many who know about the strategy. But to do it better than the commander of the
Fallen Frost Legion, young man, you are the first person that I have seen doing so. But the thing that’s
even stranger, the whole of Aouine does not suffer from the Winter Wolves, true?”
[Hah?]
Brendel’s knees never felt weaker. It was as if an explosion had detonated in his mind.
[I’m innocent! I’m not guilty of your accusations, you idiot!]
He wanted to smack the ground with his fist. How did the strategy to grind for XP in the game become a
fatal blow here? The worst part was how he could not find a way to refute Mephisto’s words. His hands
clenched and unclenched, while he nibbled on his lips nervously. The experience from the game that he
considered as cheats had come back to give him trouble.
[Big boss man, Sword Saint of Ashes, prithee, stop cornering me like this, I can explain it!]
2026
Chapter 156 – Hostage
Brendel’s cogs were spinning as hard as they could. There were a number of things that could prove his
identity, but the most persuasive proof was the White Raven Sword Arte and the princess’s brooch.
The White Raven Sword Arte was a closely guarded technique of Aouine’s royal family. Anyone who
recognized it would suspect his relationship with them. In addition, the White Raven Sword Arte was
derived from the Wind Empress, and it had no relations with the Kirrlutz Empire.
The brooch that Gryphine gave was the symbol that represented the royal knights. Even if anyone from
the Kirrlutz Empire obtained it, they would not use it for a disguise. If they attempted to do so, even the
current weakened Aouine would never take this matter lying down.
In the first place, the high nobles of the Kirrlutz Empire would be loathed to disguise as Aouine’s citizens,
but in the event where one wanted to do it, they would have to consider the consequences. Even though
the Kirrlutz Empire protected their own and was not afraid of Aouine’s strength, they would hardly want
to enter into a war without a proper reason.
This was why the White Raven Sword Arte or the brooch of the Royal Knights were his best proof of
Aouine’s citizenship.
[But which is the better option? …… White Raven Sword Arte. The brooch is a secret promise between the
Regent Princess and me. Based on the game’s history, the nobles supporting the Royal Faction are not of
one mind. Oberbeck and Benninger are loyal retainers, but Fleetwood and Makarov are neutral parties.
The worst lot comes from the people under Duke Lantonrand, everyone has their own plans. I’m certain
that many are opposed to the idea that I’m somehow linked to the princess, and would even employ
means to block me from her.]
His guesses were close to the truth. The princess went against the opposing voices and privately
bestowed the brooch to him. It was an insignificant gesture of support and trust.
Since he was someone from another world and lived in an era of modern society, he did not have the
same level of loyalty as a knight who would pledge himself to the princess, but he was indeed delighted to
have the princess’s confidence.
Using the brooch carelessly would most likely put her in a disadvantageous position.
Even though it did not matter to him right now, he avoided the decision to use it subconsciously.
“Ser Mephisto,” Brendel took a deep breath and adjusted his dismayed expression of being wrongly
accused and took on an earnest tone: “I believe you have mistaken one thing.”
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“Oh, you recognize me?” The Sword Saint of Ashes scoffed lightly. He glared at Brendel and spoke in an
icy tone: “Enough with the chatter, where is Veronica?”
Brendel’s mouth dislodged itself once again.
[You’re here to pick a fight with her? So you heard rumors that she brought out a group of men from
Kirrlutz and followed her all the way?]
Brendel felt goosebumps all over his body. Mephisto must have put a ridiculous amount of effort into
stalking Veronica. There were at least ten different routes that included land and sea options from
Kirrlutz to Aouine, and it was impossible to track her down in the Dark Forest. Just how much hatred did
he have for Kirrlutz’s people to able to do this?
[I have no words. Where am I supposed to find Veronica for you? I even lost the three stupid nobles from
Kirrlutz under my nose, and two are dead because of Andesha. I can’t even wait to avoid these
nightmares, and you want me to search for them. Do you want me to die?]
But Brendel’s lapse into internal monologues only served to confirm Mephisto’s suspicions. Even though
he hated the people from Kirrlutz, he knew that most of them were extremely proud and stubborn. It was
rare for them to back off because they were threatened.
[This boy here reminds me of the squires I fought back then. None of them died with their backs facing
me.]
The battle left a deep impression on him. It was also why he did not expect Brendel to give Veronica’s
location away.
“Hmph. You don’t wish to reveal her location? Then I’ll have you come along with me for a trip. I’m sure
Veronica will not abandon such a talented youth of the Empire.” Mephisto said.
Even though he could not see Brendel’s swordsmanship in detail because he was observing from a far
location, he definitely could see how the latter led his forces against the Winter Wolves. The boy was
more than enough to be called as talented.
[A-Analyze! Shit, it’s not working at all!]
“Wait!” Brendel called out urgently, but Mephisto had already swung his greatsword. A burst of wind
exploded in his face, which forced him to narrow his eyes in pain. The hair on his back stood and he
leaped backward into the air in response.
Mephisto would have made Brendel’s retreat impossible if he dared to block his sword; none of the men
could have protected the youth if that happened. But the Sword Saint of Ashes did not expect the youth to
escape as though he was impossibly afraid to engage in a battle with him.
[Even Analyze works on Veronica to a certain extent! At least show me something!]
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Brendel’s body could not help but tremble. This was a swordsman that exceeded any opponents that he
ever met in this world. Even Veronica was no match for him.
The only reason why he could dodge the attack in the first place was that he researched his habits when
completing his quest. It was unlikely that Mephisto wanted him dead, so it was easier to guess what was
coming. If the latter truly wanted to cut him down, he did not even need to touch him physically; just his
Sword Energy alone would have sliced him into two.
But leaping into the air made it impossible to dodge Mephisto a second time. There was not enough time
to prepare to receive the second move, even if he knew what was coming next. The level difference
between them was just too big, let alone the level of swordsmanship.
Defeat was the only outcome.
Mephisto’s pause upon witnessing Brendel’s jump only lasted a short moment, and he swung his
greatsword without any more hesitation. A white Sword Energy in the shape of a crescent was unleashed
from the blade. It swept across the ground in a beautiful arc, but it suddenly shot up and went past
Brendel as though it was alive.
[Sword Arte, Dragontail!!! Fuck!]
Countless gamers died under this technique and it generated much interest. The old Brendel was no
exception. He had tried copying it back then but it was half-baked at best. In fact, no one had ever
succeeded in copying Mephisto’s techniques, at least not to his knowledge.
There was no choice but to stay where he was when he landed. If he tried moving back, the Dragontail
would smash into him like a hammer. The fight was going to be concluded when this result happened.
Mephisto disappeared where he stood, moving in a blur towards Brendel with his greatsword pointed at
the youth. A violent gale assaulted Brendel’s face, forcing him to shut his lips and close his eyes. It caused
him to force the ‘wait’ word back into his stomach. The ghastly sensation made him feel like he was going
to choke.
This was indeed Mephisto’s plan to force the youth to cross swords with him. As soon as they did,
Brendel’s sword would be knocked away and he would have caught him by his throat.
[Quickly, you stupid moron, stop being scared and think about your next move!]
Time seemed to dilate when he urgently sought a way to turn this situation around. That was when he
realized that time slowed for a different reason.
“Hmm?” A familiar voice spoke in his mind.
Orthlyss was awakened by Mephisto’s strength from her deep slumber in the Ring of the Wind Empress.
When she reached out with her senses, she found Brendel in a precarious position.
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“I have never seen this type of swordsmanship before, but this fellow certainly appears to be very
strong.” Orthlyss stretched her limbs before she spoke leisurely: “Boy, how do you get into trouble all the
time?”
[It’s my fault!? This crazy airhead is the one who’s picking a fight with me! I can’t even speak because he
doesn’t want to hear what I have to say. Where the fuck is justice? S-shit, it’s coming, I can’t waste any
more time.]
But no matter how slow time was, the greatsword was on its way to going through his chest. There was
no other choice but to parry it with Halran Gaia.
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Chapter 157 – Whose swordsmanship
There was no point in using the White Raven Sword Arte here. Mephisto’s thrust would completely blow
away the technique. It was difficult to determine whether he even had enough time to try and activate it.
Even though Mephisto’s goal was to capture him, any mistake made would likely get him killed. He had
gauged Brendel’s skills in just a few seconds, before attacking and leaving enough space for him to defend
himself with the sword and do nothing else.
Mephisto was secretly shocked with Brendel’s reactions and the feedback when their swords met.
[This boy is a prodigy. Perhaps a prodigy amongst prodigies.]
It was not arrogance, but he had not seen any youths who managed to defend three strikes from him yet.
Instead of knocking away Halran Gaia in the first exchange, Brendel managed to alter the greatsword’s
path slightly, and he gave himself time to defend against the next attack with the same deflection. In fact,
Mephisto had fought against many famous Gold-ranked swordsmen, and none of them could readily
receive his three moves.
[But the more talented you are, the more Veronica would want to protect you. A youth no more than
twenty possessing enormous talent in the sword and military tactics. It is a rarity in the Kirrlutz
Empire…… No, it’s one in several hundred years!]
Mephisto could not help but feel swayed by the youth’s talent. However, the boy in front of him was a
citizen of the Kirrlutz Empire. All prodigies from Kirrlutz were his enemies. His greatsword moved faster
by a notch.
“Hurry, little boy, lend your body to the noble me. You can’t fight against him.”
“Will there be a problem?” Brendel spoke quickly, his hands not stopping against Mephisto’s attacks. Even
if Orthlyss shared her abilities and allowed him to gain back his former skills, he was not confident of
winning against this opponent.
“There’s a bit of a problem, your physical prowess is greatly lacking in comparison to his. But it’s not at a
level where there’s no chance of fighting back.”
“What I meant to say is the duration on how long you can share your powers with me. You did mention
that the previous time.”
“It has been a month or so. Lending my abilities for ten minutes should not be a problem,” Orthlyss’s tone
was proud, “or are you looking down on me?”
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“Not at all, Ser Orthlyss,” Brendel replied. He did feel a little strange about the body possession, but he felt
assured once he remembered that she saved him during the burning forest in Bucce: “Please go ahead.”
The exchange was done in an instant. Mephisto’s sword landed on Halran Gaia with the same intention to
disarm Brendel. But the broadsword blurred into three black shadows. Brendel thought that the
movements were like lasers that burned and converged into a single point in a single instant. A
crystalline noise rang in everyone’s ears as they watched Halran Gaia strike at Mephisto’s greatsword,
forcing it to swing up.
The Sword Saint of Ashes realized that he could not continue his attacks and went into a defensive state,
but Orthlyss elegantly retreated out of his range instead of pressing her attacks.
Silence filled the area.
Brendel’s men were completely shocked, and the ambassadors suddenly realized what they just saw. Two
Sword Saints who fought each other in a duel that ended in a stalemate. Two unbelievable
swordsmanships that surpassed common sense.
Was the youth truly someone from Aouine?
Dolant’s background was prominent, and thus he had enough insight to judge someone’s talents. He could
not but gasp deeply, realizing that the youth was the most talented genius ever since the birth of the
Aouine kingdom.
[There’s no way I would allow this boy to die to this suspicious stranger!]
The fight happened so quickly that Dolant did not register the infamous name that Brendel spoke of. It
was also due to the fact that Mephisto had disappeared out of the public’s eyes for years.
“Please wait, he’s not a Kirr—” He yelled out, hoping to prove that Brendel was not a Kirrlutz’s citizen, but
Mephisto placed his greatsword over his shoulder and laughed, interrupting him.
The Sword Saint of Ashes lifted his eyebrow and stared at Brendel with interest:
“Sword Arte, Flash Fire, young man, or should I call you King Gatel’s descendant? The Imperial Family’s
Sword Arte is shown right before my eyes. What excuses do you have now?”
The entire batch of Aouine’s ambassadors dropped their jaws. Dolant’s mind went blank as he stared at
the youth. The Flash Fire Sword Arte was taught by the Dragons, which was much more famous than the
White Raven Sword Arte that was derived from the Wind Elven Guards.
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There was still the possibility of learning the White Raven Sword Arte elsewhere other than the Aouine’s
royal family, but the Flash Fire Sword Arte was only taught directly to King Gatel’s direct subordinates
and their descendants. The swordsmanship from the King of Flames was one of the Eagle Empire’s pride.
This time, it was not only Mephisto who thought Brendel was Kirrlutz’s citizens, even Dolant wondered if
he was really one. The more he looked at him, the more he felt that there were features from Kirrlutz’s
nobility.
The truth was that Brendel’s mother was a Kadireig, and her ancestors were a branch of Kirrlutz’s high
nobility, making it true to a certain extent.
[…… I understand now. So this is why the youth is able to teach the Duke of Flower’s little princess a
lesson. No wonder he dares to go against the Azure Sword Saint Veronica. He even slaughtered the
Toquinin’s Lionmane Beastmen. This youth is from Kirrlutz, and he’s not just someone ordinary, he’s one
of their royal lineages!]
Dolant looked like he understood everything.
The Kirrlutz Empire was not like Aouine which had its dynasty changed once; the Corvado family had
taken the throne over from the Seifer family. Because of the Holy Cathedral of Fire’s support, the
descendants of King Gatel’s direct subordinates continued to hold over the Kirrlutz Empire’s throne.
The plump man could not help but wipe the cold perspiration of his head. They had sought to go after a
member of the Kirrlutz’s royal family and demanded him to capitulate to their demands. He changed his
tone and spoke to Brendel in hesitation:
“Lord Brendel, I apologize humbly for the earlier transgression—”
He did not dare to confirm Brendel’s identity as someone from Kirrlutz to avoid angering the strange
man, but it seemed like he recognized Brendel’s identity anyway, so it seemed like there was no
difference whether or not he divulged it.
[It’s impossible to clear my name this time!]
Brendel was hitting the ground with his fist as hard as he possibly could in the isolated space created by
Orthlyss, while the latter looked at him in confusion.
“What’s wrong?” Orthlyss was slightly bewildered. The reactions from Mephisto, Dolant, and Brendel
made her realize that she might have done something foolish. “Is there something wrong with King
Gatel’s swordsmanship? But he’s one of the Sages and there’s nothing improper about his technique. Or
did the successors who inherited his swordsmanship commit some kind of atrocities?”
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Though it was unthinkable for the inheritors to commit something like that.
“Aren’t you a Wind Elf, why did you use the Flash Fire Sword Arte?” Brendel was on all fours and
appeared to be lifeless: “Normally people would use their swordsmanship they are most familiar, right?”
“That’s true, but you’re forgetting that I’m using your body, boy, and most of my swordsmanships that I
learned are for women. Gatel’s swordsmanship is probably the most suited for you to unleash your full
potential. I have no choice but to use the extent of my full abilities when that man has the initiative.
Furthermore, I sensed that you used the Flash Fire Sword Arte just a few days ago?”
Brendel started hitting the ground again.
[But that’s a ridiculous faked copy, and anyone could see that it’s derived from Aouine’s swordsmanship
if they witnessed the fight with their eyes! It’s so different from yours….. Oh for crying out loud, this is one
of the worst decision ever, the biggest blunder I ever made.]
He really thought Orthlyss could rescue him from this situation. He knew that her decision was rational
and blameless, but this coincidence was just too much.
[WRYYYY is this happening!]
But there was no meaning to continue speaking about this matter. The deed was done. Even the nobles
from Aouine suspected of his identity. He was not even sure whether his own men started to have doubts
about his identity because of the sudden accusation.
In fact, was there anyone who could change Mephisto’s mind now?
Brendel finally got up and looked through his physical eyes. Scarlett seemed like she wanted to join the
fray, but Kodan grabbed her shoulders and forced her to stay put. This action made him relieved.
Mephisto did not use killing blows because Brendel was still useful, but he might not spare anyone else
for intervening.
[The only real proof I can use is the princess’s silver brooch. A real successor of the Kirrlutz Empire
would never disguise himself as one of Aouine’s royal knights. But I can’t reveal it in front of the nobles.]
“Ser Orthlyss, do you have any techniques that increase speed?”
“Naturally, what about it?”
“Find a way to lure this man away from here to a deserted location.”
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“Boy, you’re conjuring up a fantasy. All his physical attributes surpass yours by a mile. The reliance on my
techniques can only last for a while, and there’s no escape—”
“It’s more than enough. The weakness to Mephisto is his speed,” Brendel said with confidence, “I’m not
seeking to shake him off but to lure him away.”
“Why are you so certain about his weakness?” Orthlyss was puzzled.
He would not have succeeded in holding out against Mephisto back in the game for ten seconds if he did
not do that.
“I am confident. Please, Ser Orthlyss, lure him to a clearing in the west.”
Orthlyss hesitated for a moment but she nodded.
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Chapter 158 – Amandina’s orders
“Do you not feel foolish for resisting me, when you clearly know that you’re not my match?” Mephisto
placed his greatsword over his shoulder and asked.
Orthlyss smiled in response: “Bold warrior, even though your swordsmanship is powerful, your eyes fail
to see the truth.”
Brendel’s change in tone made Mephisto slightly perplexed, but it was gone as quickly as a lightning flash:
“Are you trying to say that you’re not Kirrlutz’s royalty?”
“You will know whether I am in a moment.”
Mephisto’s eyes narrowed: “…… What are you trying to do?”
Brendel informed Orthlyss there was an area of safety similar to a Sanctuary in the Dark Forest. There
were three spots discovered in the game, all of them located past the Blockade of Wolves, and the White
Cliffs of Divinity was the nearest spot.
Orthlyss walked over to Amandina and passed the Fire Seed to her, while she whispered next to her ears:
“Amandina, follow this valley and walk north to the White Cliffs of Divinity.”
“White….. cliffs of divinity?”
“If you see the rocks changing turning to an ivory-white color, that would be it.”
Amandina looked at her lord and nodded, uncertain of the details but not asking for a further explanation.
Mephisto released his grip on the greatsword’s hilt and tightened it again. He could capture the contents
of their conversation with his high perception, but he did not interrupt them since he did not think the
youth would be able to escape far away from him.
His target was Veronica, and Brendel was all that he needed to control.
“It doesn’t matter what petty tricks you’re trying to make, you can scheme openly if you want to,” he said.
Orthlyss turned to Mephisto and raised the sword in her hands.
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“Oh? Are you done?” He asked.
“You are truly confident of yourself.” She replied.
Mephisto’s arrogance also drew out the ire of the female heroic knight of the past. The Sword Saint of
Ashes thrust his weapon to the ground and beckoned with his hand.
Come and find out how confident I am.
Orthlyss scoffed through her nose as she returned Halran Gaia to its sheath. Six green wings of
shimmering light suddenly spawned from the youth’s back.
“This is!” Mephisto’s expression crumbled.
[Wind Elf’s combat tactics, Cerulean Bolt?]
Orthlyss hopped into the sky and seemed to glide in the air. But the seemingly slow flight in the air was
an afterimage, and the youth was already near the forest’s edge. The Sword Saint of Ashes snarled and
pursued after him, his movements resembling a black dragon. His speed was indeed slower by a sliver,
and the chase would be a contest of stamina.
Orthlyss changed direction once she entered the forest.
“How far do you want me to take him to?” She asked.
“One or two miles would do,” Brendel replied.
“That’s a little far, boy.”
The wings extended upwards, causing Brendel’s body to glide upwards above the trees. Orthlyss turned
around and saw Mephisto was a second away from her.
His weakness was his speed, but that hardly mattered against Brendel.
“Don’t you have some special move to strike at him? It wouldn’t be a problem if you delay him a little,”
she asked.
“No, the Holy Sword spell requires a certain condition.” Brendel shook his head. He had spent all his Earth
EP long ago when he led everyone to the Blockade of Wolves. It only lasted two hours before he ran out.
Mephisto did not idle during their exchange and attacked Orthlyss. Three blasts of Sword Energy struck
at her in a beautiful arc, and the Heroic Spirit dodged behind an ancient tree, allowing them to cut
2037
through it. The Sword Energy rampaged through the wood, causing wood fragments to fly everywhere
and broke the tree in the middle, felling it.
Orthlyss hurriedly escaped from the explosion of wood splinters.
“Use the Charge ability.” Brendel reminded her.
“Fool, a straight line will be predicted at our skill levels.”
“Don’t worry, it will definitely work here.”
The two continued to exchange pointers.
Mephisto was currently listening to the movements of the surroundings. Orthlyss was shrouded due to
the fragments and leaves from the fallen tree, and he could not determine where she was.
A green blur streaked past him, causing him to flinch and cut it down with his greatsword. The heavy
blade cleaved the Wind Spirit Spider that jumped at him into two halves. The air elemental creature
exploded, and Orthlyss charged out the instant when he was distracted. It was perfectly timed, and even
though the Sword Saint of Ashes reacted quickly, he only saw Brendel’s shadow leaving.
[You have quite the number of tricks.]
Mephisto put away his sword on his back and started following Brendel. He was not afraid of an ambush,
and he even welcomed the idea of Veronica attacking him; he could get her if she dared to appear.
============ Amandina’s POV ==============
Brendel’s army and the Tree Elves heard loud cracking noises, and they turned around to see a gigantic
tree deep in the forest crashing to the ground. Everyone could only guess a battle happened there, but
they did not know the details.
Scarlett gripped her weapon tightly to the point where her fingers were numb and white, staring at the
fallen tree.
“Lady Amandina, what are your orders?” Quinn walked over to her and asked. Brendel’s words to her
appeared like he had handed the role of the leader to her.
“We will head down this valley and wait for my lord at the White Cliffs of Divinity.” She answered in a
calm voice.
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He nodded, gestured to his men and ordered them to advance. He did not show any signs of worry, but he
glanced at the forest one final time before marching off. Kodan did not waste any time and also
commanded the youths to move, and they marched slowly in the snow, though the group of nobles from
Aouine were still confused.
Silence filled the area after the tree was felled. There were no signs of Brendel or Mephisto.
Scarlett was still in a daze. There was only worry in her heart, causing it to beat painfully and quickly.
What if she discovered Brendel’s lifeless corpse at the felled tree? The sudden lack of movements caused
her to be at a loss. She rebuked herself for thinking the worst all the time, but she was unable to feel at
ease.
“Scarlett? We need to leave.” Amandina walked right in front of Scarlett, blocking her view of the forest.
Her white fur coat fluttered against the wind, while her hide boots dug into the thin snow. Her calm
demeanor made people feel relaxed.
“I wish I was as strong as you Amandina,” Scarlett said, her face showing signs of exhaustion.
“I’m worried as well,” Amandina sighed, “but worrying will not help our current situation. We must fulfill
our lord’s orders.”
“It is why I hate being weak,” Scarlett answered miserably.
Amandina did not answer and merely nudged the red-haired girl along. She was just as unsettled. The
men trudged on in the silent snowing winds. But her worry was soon replaced by another issue. There
was a sudden clamor amongst the Tree Elves, and half the group had stopped moving.
“What’s wrong?” She asked, only to discover the men dividing in front of her.
A woman wearing a green robe came out from the trees and marched quickly with large strides, making
her way towards Amandina, and she caused the latter to pale. Did no one realize the commander of
Kirrlutz’s imperial army was this close to them?
The Goddess of Combat, Veronica.
She pursued Brendel all the way to the Blockade of Wolves by following the wolves’ endless corpses, but
did not realize that someone had managed to get there before her. Her eyes swept through the remaining
group of people still alive.
Faena, Rono, and Elman were not there. Brendel’s presence was nowhere to be found. However, she
recognized Amandina and Scarlett. Her hands went over her sword, while she took one step—
And that step seemed to bypass time and space. It was as if she had turned into a gust of wind and
traveled over a hundred meters to reach them.
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Amandina was shocked and took a step back, but the cold blade was already placed across her white
slender neck. Quinn was the fastest person to react, but he merely managed to raise his bow. Scarlett and
Kodan did not even lift up their weapons in time.
Amandina stiffened.
Veronica was taller than her, and she looked down on the pretty girl’s black hair and eyes, which were
unlike Aouine’s noble lineage. There was a short pause while she stared at them as though there was
something unbelievable about it.
[I placed my sword on someone who knows nothing about fighting—]
She had used her full strength in order to get to one of them because she was completely on edge over
Faena’s disappearance, not realizing the person she attacked had no weapons. It would not be surprising
if someone amongst Brendel’s men who could resist her attack appeared, but here was someone who
probably had never held a weapon in her life.
Still, the hesitation disappeared quickly.
Three important nobles of the Kirrlutz Empire were missing. It was especially so for the daughter of the
Duke of Flowers; nothing must happen to her.
“Lady Veronica, what are you doing!” Quinn notched an arrow and aimed directly at her. Kodan discreetly
placed his hand on his sword’s hilt, prepared to move at any time. However, they were dismayed to see
Kirrlutz’s men appearing from the direction of the Blockade of Wolves.
Veronica did not even bother to look at Quinn and interrogate the girl: “The nobles from Kirrlutz, I
assume you have seen them?”
“I don’t know where they are. They left us a long time ago.” Amandina said.
“Brendel did not kill them?”
“Naturally. My lord does not want to cause a war.”
Veronica’s expression changed to one of surprise: “When did they leave, no, where were they last seen?”
“…… I apologize, I don’t have the permission to tell you that. Even if my life is forfeit, Lady Veronica.”
“Hmph! Then where is your lord?” Veronica said as she sheathed her sword.
Threatening the girl was apparently her bottom line.
Amandina hesitated for a while before she made a firm decision: “My lord isn’t here now.”
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“What? Where is he? No, I want you to bring me to him now.” Veronica was too distracted to detect the
Amandina’s strange behavior.
“I’m afraid I do not have the capabilities to follow you—”
“Fine, then have that girl bring me to him.” Veronica suddenly pointed at Scarlett.
The latter jumped up like a startled cat, took a step back and brought her halberd up as though she
wanted to protect herself. She stared at Veronica like a wary beast.
Amandina could see all the muscles on Scarlett tense up. It was clear that the red-haired girl would fight
to the death once Veronica made a move; she would never betray Brendel’s location willingly.
“Scarlett, stop this foolish act now!” Amandina cried out.
Scarlett looked back at Amandina in confusion.
“Bring Lady Veronica to where Brendel is. This is an order!” Amandina put emphasis into every word.
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Chapter 159 – Communication
Orthlyss streaked across the forest like a spirit, with Mephisto tailing her from a distance. They advanced
past the trees for several minutes before Orthlyss frowned. She glanced to a certain direction. The deeper
she went into the Dark Forest, the stronger she felt a familiar scent.
“Strange.” She mumbled to herself.
“What is it?” Brendel asked.
“The scent of blood. It’s getting strong enough that it’s not getting dispelled by the wind. I wonder if there
are creatures nearby.”
“The scent of blood? Let’s take a look?”
“This isn’t the time to be nosy, boy.”
Brendel did not expect Orthlyss to be so unfamiliar with the Dark Forest. The monsters in the Dark Forest
were sustained by Mana and did not require food. While they would occasionally attack other living
creatures, it would not be a number where it would fill the air.
[The source of blood is most likely from adventurers. It’s possible that there’s some kind of unknown
danger nearby that are not wolves. Strange. King Gatel traveled in the Wilderness in the past, so the Wind
Elves should logically do the same. Or does this mean that the Dark Forest in the current era has some
kind of biological change, and therefore Orthlyss doesn’t know? But it’s best to investigate now so there
won’t be any nasty surprises later on.]
“Ser Orthlyss, it’s best that we take a look.”
“Very well.”
Orthlyss suddenly paused upon listening to Brendel’s words and she narrowed her eyes, before moving
out again like a shot arrow, not caring about her pursuer. The sudden change in Orthlyss’s direction made
Mephisto crease his brows and he raised his vigilance.
The scent of blood became stronger and stronger, as she passed through three ancient gargantuan pine
tree with their surfaces covered with thick green moss.
It did not take long for her to suddenly stop dead in her tracks.
2042
There was a small clearing that opened up and expanded in front of Orthlyss. However, the contents of
the clearing were nauseating to look at. The original grassland seemed like it was filled with a jam of
congealed blood, with broken limbs and bloody organs strewn everywhere. Two hundred humanoid
corpses piled on top of each other with a thin layer of crimson snow.
Both Orthlyss and Brendel gasped.
[Even though I’m used this massacres, it’s been several centuries since I’ve seen a bloodbath like this.]
Orthlyss could not help but choke a little. The stench of blood rust in the air was thick enough to make
one throw up.
“These are men from the Holy Cathedral of Fire. It looks like everyone is dead.” Brendel recognized them
with a glance. Under the Priest Soldiers were two Bishops.
[Unthinkable. A single battle with at least two dead Bishops.]
The ranks in the Holy Cathedral of Fire were distributed into three levels. The various kingdoms had their
own Cardinals, forming a total of eleven bodies and were the authority holders of the Flame Council, the
highest echelon in the Holy Cathedral of Fire.
Then there were Major Archbishops in charge of the various regions, followed by Archbishops in charge
of local territory. They belonged to different systems and were the core power of the Holy Cathedral of
Fire. In order to become one, they had to have an unshakeable faith in the Flames of Gold that the Holy
Cathedral of Fire believed in, as well as becoming a Gold-ranker who awakened their Element Power.
A Bishop must at least have a Gold-ranked status as well, and they also had a much higher position than
the knights of the same rank. Because their numbers were not many, losing even one would be
considered as a huge loss.
Each Bishop was protected by at least three Gold-ranked knights when they were sent out on a mission,
which meant there were at least eight Gold-rankers lying dead right on the ground.
[Just what monster did this bunch meet? A strong group like this ending up in such a horrendous ending.
Puzzling. It’s so weird that the earlier Priest Soldiers seemed like they died peacefully, but these men
were torn up violently. If this monster boss is one and the same— It’s just too powerful.]
Brendel frowned deeply, lost in his thoughts, but Orthlyss heard movements behind her and turned
around, discovering the Sword Saint of Ashes crushing the dry twigs beneath his feet with every footstep.
He walked out from the forest’s mist slowly with hesitation. He thought his opponent was leading him
into a trap by suddenly stopping, but it was a gruesome sight that he walked into.
2043
“What is this?” He frowned and asked.
“It seems they are attacked by some kind of powerful monster.”
“Hmph. The lapdogs of Kirrlutz. It’s a deserving end for them.” Mephisto replied without the slightest hint
of feeling sorry for them. His tone was polite to Brendel, though his actions were not; he pointed his
greatsword at him: “Very well, you have succeeded in ‘luring’ me away from your men, it’s time for you to
come with me.”
Orthlyss raised her eyebrow. The man in front of him was unbelievably stubborn. She wanted to take out
the brooch that Brendel mentioned, but the latter suddenly warned her urgently.
“Ser Orthlyss, something is coming over from the west very quickly!”
She frowned in confusion as she did not sense anything, and she slowed down time and asked:
“How do you know?”
“My Wind Spirit Spiders are disappearing at an astonishing rate. It’s coming!” Brendel was panicking a
little as he thought it might be the monster boss. “W-wait, there’s something from the east as well!”
Orthlyss became a little tense as well.
“You’re saying there are two monsters?”
“I don’t know, but we need to leave here quickly regardless of what they are.”
“But running away now will definitely cause that man to act aggressively. I have no confidence in running
away since you are too weak, and I can’t use the Cerulean Bolt a second time temporarily.”
One side of Brendel’s lips raised up, and he opened his mouth slightly with an indignant head tilt.
[This is the first time someone actually calls me weak. I’m a Gold-ranker at the age of twenty. That’s
already an astonishing feat. What else are you expecting to get?]
But there was nothing good that would come from arguing with the Heroic Spirit who was several
hundred years old, or perhaps even a thousand years old. It was also true that he was weak in her eyes
too. He rubbed his forehead and said:
“Let’s switch back. I’ll explain to him.”
Orthlyss did not object and immediately drew her consciousness back into the ring. Brendel took back his
body. He looked like he blanked out for an instant in Mephisto’s eyes before he woke up.
2044
“Ser Mephisto, something is coming over, and it is likely the creature that killed all these men,” Brendel
said as he brought out the silver brooch from the princess, “I have pr—” (TL: proof that I’m not a Kirrlutz
citizen.)
Mephisto looked curiously at Brendel’s actions curiously, but he suddenly glared to his left as the youth
spoke to him. The bushes in that direction suddenly parted and two people came out from it.
“The Sword of Ashes, Mephisto!” A voice cried out in surprise.
“Veronica!” Mephisto quickly identified one of the newcomers. Both of them took a step back and raised
their swords at each other.
“My lord!” Scarlett called out to him.
Brendel stumbled a little. His hand was still up in mid-air as he cried out inwardly in agony.
[T-this old bitch from the damned empire. Why must you appear at the worst timing! Why won’t this
damned misunderstanding ever clear up?!]
But he quickly saw it as an opportunity amidst the risks. It looked like Veronica was here for him, but
Mephisto got all her attention, and two of them seemed like they were about to fight each other and
forgot that there were two other people around.
[Right, any distraction on a duel of their caliber is life-threatening. It’s time to slip away as soon as
possible. The Wind Spirit Spiders are still being killed off in the west.]
He took in a light breath and discreetly gestured to Scarlett in a hurry who was standing next to Veronica,
afraid the monster boss would just charge out from the trees. He did not care whether Veronica and
Mephisto fought to the death. It was not going to be a simple one-level-reduction-upon-death if he ended
up having the boss’s attention.
Scarlett also realized that Veronica’s attention was no longer on her. In fact, she wanted to run to Brendel
the first time she saw him, but she was afraid that he would rebuke her for bringing Veronica over.
It seemed like the youth did not care and she quickly became relieved.
They carefully walked away from their captors and joined up with each other. Scarlett looked at her lord
with slight relief, but he suddenly clasped an pulled her hand: “Hurry up and follow me.”
“Heeeek!” There was a small squeak.
2045
“Nothing.” Scarlett lowered her head and answered calmly.
She could feel a warm current transmitting to her hand and flowed all the way to her face, even though it
was snowing. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire.
Brendel nodded subconsciously as he glanced at the west, Veronica and Mephisto, and his surroundings,
before running away in the direction he picked. Scarlett was dragged along and held her breath as she
stared at her lord that she admired.
Her mind was blank.
She was pulled along like a doll, unable to recognize where she was running to, but she felt the youth
would stop holding her hand if she made a sound. Her heart was racing to the point where she felt it was
difficult to breathe.
Brendel sensed that Scarlett was acting strangely, but his worry suppressed his curiosity.
[We need to go to the White Cliffs of Divinity as soon as possible. I passed my Fire Seed to Amandina,
Scarlett and I can only last in this snow as Gold-rankers for a few hours before our strength gets affected.]
“Watch out behind you, something’s attacking you!” Orthlyss suddenly cried in his mind.
Brendel sobered up and heard a screaming roar cutting through the air.
2046
Chapter 160 – Dragon’s shadow
The screaming roar was quickly translated into an analogy in Brendel’s mind. It was actually a whip that
sliced through the air at a supersonic speed, and the sonic boom would reach him in less than a second.
The magnitude of the whip was unimaginable to him.
To put it more precisely.
It was a whip that swept through the entire forest.
Brendel subconsciously reacted and pulled Scarlett under him. His eyes hurriedly the ground and to his
delight, he discovered a huge pothole and jumped straight into it.
The explosion of noise and wind flooded the entire forest, reverberating and shaking his mind. Pain filled
his eardrums and for a moment all he could hear was high-pitch whistling, and the tinnitus only ended
after a long time had passed.
[Fuck…… That was just too terrifying.]
He could see only see a blanket of white snow out of the corner of his eyes when the wave of air rushed
over him like a river. The whip was at the height of around two or three meters, and it swept through the
valley in the blink of an eye. If he was any slower in jumping down to the pothole, he would have suffered
the full damage from the shockwave.
It was only until then that he realized there was a sudden pain in his lips. He had struck his teeth against
something hard, which caused a cut in his lips. He squirmed a little and licked the front of his lips before
he realized his tongue was touching against something soft.
The girl in front of him was breathing very faintly, but it made him realize that he had pushed Scarlett
down.
Brendel felt his cheeks warm up as blood rush into them. His eyes were starting to adjust to his
surroundings and discovered that Scarlett was lying down on the icy soil, looking at him like a startled
little animal with her lips opened ever so slightly.
Her burning amber eyes appeared ever so brightly in the darkness. However, it was not anger but
shyness. She nearly forgot how to breathe.
The two of them had blood on their lips and both tasted salt.
2047
Brendel scratched his head without saying anything. He sat up and pulled Scarlett up with an extended
hand a little stiffly. Even though he did not want to think about it, that memory replayed itself vividly like
a video clip.
The taste of a young girl’s soft lips dyed with a deeper shade of red because of the blood, made him feel
like his thoughts were melting.
[It only lasted for a few seconds but what is with this feeling that it will last forever in this mind. Why, is it
because this body feels like it lost its first kiss in such a ridiculous manner? Come on, kissing little
Romaine’s forehead should be the first kiss right? Right?]
As expected, such a poor excuse could not convince even the new Brendel.
The red-haired girl’s body was so hot that she felt like she was going to melt into ice like liquid. Her eyes
were wide open with blank shock until Brendel pulled her up.
“I’m sorry,” Brendel said.
“S-sorry.” Scarlett stuttered.
Both of them spoke at the same time.
“Ah.” Scarlett lowered her head.
Brendel felt his face burning. The dangers of the forest seemed like they were disappeared or thrown to
the back of his mind. It was as though this body was unprepared for intimacy.
Orthlyss giggled. Her clear laughter was like bells which somehow made his mind clear up and cool down.
“Little fellow, you’re so adorable.” She said.
[Finally. Now is not the time to be distracted.]
He sighed inwardly and cleared his throat.
“…… Did you see what that was, Ser Orthlyss?”
Orthlyss acted like she discovered whole new continent, but it was not a pressing issue to corner him
now, so she replied after thinking for a while:
“It looked like it’s a tail. I don’t think I saw it wrong.”
2048
[A tail?]
Brendel felt his blood run cold. What creature could have a tail that was that big? He reflected on how the
shockwave appeared. It really did seem like a dragon’s attack with its tail.
[Unbelievable. If that was a swipe with a dragon’s tail, how big is this dragon?]
“Wait, is it a creature with a physical body?” Brendel suddenly asked.
“….. It seems like it’s some kind of creature in a gaseous form. The glimpse that I had was barely able to
discern that it’s like a cloud or mist creature.”
“It’s a monster.”
Brendel corrected that answer. He turned around and said:
“Scarlett.”
The red-haired girl also regained back her senses. Even though she was still blushing cutely, she
responded “I understand, my lord, let’s go back. Wait—”
She was alarmed.
“I’m not sure where my spear is!”
But Brendel had already left the hole and discovered the halberd not far away.
[I wonder if Veronica and Mephisto are still out. I wonder if one of the two killed each other in an instant.
One of the legendary figures ending up dead in front of my eyes. And the cause of it is because I recited
some oath. This is a little too astonishing even though I understand it’s somewhat of a butterfly effect.]
However, once he glanced at his surroundings, he jumped straight down into the hole with his head
tucked in—
Scarlett saw that her lord had a little perspiration on his forehead with an odd expression.
Brendel hurriedly placed a finger to his lips to get her not to make a sound.
“What the hell is that?” He asked Orthlyss in desperation.
2049
“Even though you ask me what it is, I don’t know about that either, boy.” Orthlyss sounded like she was
just as overwhelmed. Even though there were many things within the Dark Forest, but the creature
outside the hole was too ridiculous. She had to think for a while before she found a reliable description.
“It…… looks like a fifteen-head hydra?”
Brendel waited for quite some time. After he felt that the creature did not discover him, he carefully
elevated his head above the hole to peek at it. If he was awestruck the first time, then he needed to check
again if it was just an illusion that he saw.
Even with the background of a level 130 gamer in the past, he felt weak in his knees and hands. He
gradually angled his eyes upwards to see the monstrous creature standing on the great earth that
reached for the sky.
It was above the tallest trees.
It was above the clouds.
Fifteen massive white dragon heads towered above the mountains and were looking around its
surroundings. The forest that had dark green layers of tree crowns probably felt like a carpet beneath its
feet. This beast seemed like it a white mountainous range made out of clouds.
Brendel could not help but remember the days where he saw the craziest temperamental storm clouds
during the summer. The creature seemed like it was made of that.
[The pressure emitting from it is staggering. Did this creature ever appear in the game? No matter how I
look at it, this monster is probably level 140 and above.]
Mythological creatures.
“Brendel,” Orthlyss said.
“Yes?”
“This creature…… probably is the ancestral beast. The original Hydra.”
“But isn’t it supposed to be a physical creature? This monster looks like it’s made out of clouds.” Brendel
felt that his mouth was dry.
“Probably…… It’s probably a projection.” Orthlyss was not certain as well.
The Sea Beast Livyatan, the World Serpent, Miogarosormr, the Lernaia Hydra, were all legends that came
from ten-odd centuries ago.
[Even a projection will be the end for us…..]
2050
“Boy, something’s not right.” She suddenly said.
“What is it?”
“There’s fog in the forest.”
“Fog?”
Brendel was taken aback. He glanced at his surroundings. He thought it was still snowing, but he
eventually discovered that the snow and wind had suddenly stopped. The fog was rising up. The forest
was strangely silent.
[The legends did not mention that this ancestral beast has the ability to create a fog.]
He suddenly jerked his head up to stare at the clouds, and his pupils contracted a little. The immense two
walls of clouds were increasing in size. The areas of trees and mountains that were beneath it were
shrouded in darkness and blasted with rumbling thunder.
The Fire Seeds were being extinguished one by one, as though they were candles snuffed out by a
tempest.
[The clouds are starting to close up again.]
Brendel could feel his eyelids twitching.
============ Amandina’s POV ================
Carglise sat beside Merial and held her hand tightly under the White Cliffs of Divinity. He stared at the
frightening phenomenon with an open mouth.
The ten-odd pillars of light to the south were extinguished one by one—
One after another, flickering, before they disappeared completely.
With each pillar of light gone, it did not only mean that lives were taken away, it also represented that
hope was disappearing bit by bit.
None of them was able to speak.
Amandina was sitting in front of another campfire. The pillars of lights reflected in her eyes disappeared
one by one, and she eventually lowered her head and hugged her knees, as if to gather more warmth to
stave off the freezing air.
2051
Her lord was gone. Scarlett was also taken away. The sudden change in the sky brought great unease to
her, and yet she could not present that to anyone else. Her pale slender fingers that subconsciously
grabbed the dress over her knees were the only proof that betrayed her real feelings.
Veronica’s men totaled a hundred-odd, and they followed them along to the White Cliffs of Divinity. It was
possible for the Tree Elves and the youths to fight Kirrlutz’s men, but Amandina rejected this proposal.
There was a female Count amongst them who was just slightly older than Amandina, and the latter
glanced at her.
The female Count’s face looked a classic female goddess’s features, combining beauty and grace into one,
and even enviable in Amandina’s eyes. She wore a thick dark purple coat, with her light lilac long hair
going past her shoulders as she stood there quietly, giving out a mysterious and elegant air about her.
But Amandina was certain that this girl was similar to her; the beautiful Count appeared like she was
calm and rational, but there was a slight frown to her eyebrows that revealed her true feelings.
[She’s worried. Does this mean the sudden change in the sky forebodes something?]
The young female Count, Delphine, looked at the fog outside the White Cliffs of Divinity gather at an
alarming rate. She did not sense Amandina’s gaze on her.
“The Fire Seeds are extinguished. This is the Mana Wave…… Elman, where exactly are you?” She muttered
to herself.
2052
Chapter 161 – Mist Conversion
The Wall of Clouds gathered together proved that Mana was gathering at an astonishing speed. The
Waves of Calamity’s influence was becoming more and more apparent. Brendel could hardly breathe
when he looked at the Lernaia Hydra, and it was not simply because of the pressure that was emitting
from it.
[Even a Projection means that this thing is level 120 and above. It’s beyond mortal means.]
He and Orthlyss did not speak, but both were pondering what they could do to escape this difficult
situation. The youth looked around and discovered a huge boulder not from away. He inhaled and
exhaled once to regulate his breathing. It was not the first time he faced a dangerous situation that was
significantly past his levels to handle things.
[Calm down. Consider the chances of avoiding the Hydra’s line of sight if we hide under the boulder.
There’s no reason why I should be afraid even though there’s only a single chance to get it right. Like
breaking past Madara’s Fortress Nirui, or the Dragon Nest War. As long as each step is done perfectly—]
Brendel regained his former self. The blood of the old adventurer started burning in his body.
Another breath.
“Wait here, Scarlett,” he said.
He inched his way onto a nearby gigantic tree that was thick with foliage, and started crawling on the
thick trunk like a lizard while ensuring that none of his body stuck out from it—
“Boy?” Orthlyss did not expect Brendel to be so bold.
“Hiding in this place isn’t a solution. I doubt that creature will be leaving any time soon. It looks like it has
discovered something. Perhaps Veronica and Mephisto are still alive.”
“What is your plan?”
Even though it was impossible for anyone else to hear her voice, Orthlyss lowered her voice
subconsciously.
“I want to get over to that huge boulder and hide behind there, then see if there is any way to make use of
the environment and escape. I think moving three or four miles away will be enough. The Lernaia Hydra
probably will not be able to detect our movements.”
2053
[That’s quite the distance to escape from, are you confident?]
Orthlyss wanted to ask him those words, but she did not utter those words in the end. It seemed like the
youth had made his decision, and his determination was blazing in his eyes along with a streak of
adventure. This side of Brendel was one that she had not seen before, but she liked it more than the
steady and rational Brendel.
Brendel ceased his chatter and moved across the tree with slow careful grips with his fingers. He did not
dare to breathe heavily, and he felt like there were eyes watching his back. Even though the weather was
clearly cold and dry, perspiration still formed on his forehead. It took him several minutes to reach the
first thick branch that was the size of a human’s waist, and he waited a full minute in the same position
without moving.
His heart drummed in his ears.
Finally, he relaxed and drew out a rope from his bag in his belt, tied it around the branch then lowered it
down to the ground. Scarlett was peeking from the pothole from time to time, and she soon saw Brendel
gesturing to her. She climbed up and reached to where he was.
“Do not make any sound regardless of what you see later on. Got it?” Brendel warned her. “Alright, look
past the trees and up into the sky.”
He trusted in her judgment, but he should prepare her at the very least. The girl nodded hard in response
and looked up. At first, she did not see anything, before she suddenly realized the mountain that she saw
was moving, and her eyes shook as though a stone was thrown into a lake.
But as promised, she did not make a sound, and Brendel gave a thumbs up as praise.
Still, it was only the beginning. The thick branch had vines growing around it, and he tested them out
slowly to see if they supported his weight. He made his way across the branch, ensuring that he made the
least possible noise by pushing each finger into the right spots. Even though it was only twenty or so
meters, and the distance could be covered in the blink of an eye if they ran for it, they had to crawl and
stop every few seconds, making it feel like the ordeal lasted an eternity.
The Lernaia Hydra turned around from time to time, its body moving slowly, but the tail that swept past
the trees and over their heads made them tremble.
When they crawled their way to the giant boulder’s shade, they felt like their bodies had lost all strength.
Brendel’s back was completely drenched with sweat. He was affected more by the Lernaia Hydra because
he knew how terrifying its power was.
He gave a long sigh.
2054

[Now what?]
He glanced at his surroundings. The trees gave pretty good cover and there were not many open areas.
He considered the north mountain ridge. Walking through the valley in that area would be enough to
avoid the Hydra’s eyes. The distance was less than two miles, and was nearly half of his original plan.
[But the halfway point is a little troublesome. We have to cross the mountain’s stream and the shrubbery
on both sides might not be enough to cover us. It will become very dangerous for us…..]
Still, he decided to go on that path after weighing the pros and cons. It was not a good thing to be
indecisive on a battlefield, and not being confident of himself meant that the battle was already half lost.
He might not be the best gamer out there, but he was still a top tier warrior in the game.
It took another thirty minutes before the Lernaia Hydra started to walk away and moved towards the
valley, with fifteen heads in the clouds searching for something. Brendel counted for a full minute before
he gestured to the girl beside him, and the two dashed out away from the monster as fast as they possibly
could.
The Lernaia Hydra still did not look over to their side. Even though it appeared to be moving slowly, it
was definitely an illusion.
If the creature moved more than a hundred meters in a single step, the slow-moving disposition it
seemed was a mere concept.
Brendel’s target was a forest of hornbeam trees that grew near the rivers. Their related family was the
best cover for hunters in the mountains, and it was also effective for laymen like them. They were silent
throughout their way, except for the moment where Scarlett accidentally crushed a dry twig, and both of
them reacted like they had stepped on a mine.
But instead of turning around, the Lernaia Hydra discovered something at the other end of the valley.
Fifteen dragon heads roared at the same time, and it moved further into the forest.
Soon enough, its fog-like tail swung across the forest.
[Veronica, or Mephisto? In any case, I wish them luck.]
He dashed even faster with Scarlett following closely behind. The two of them entered a row of dense
vegetation which extended to a nearby stream’s smooth pebbled ground.
2055
Both were a little fatigued as they went near the stream that was just ten feet away. At their current
physique, they should not feel tired because they merely ran slightly more than a mile, but the high
amount of stress seemed to make them spend their stamina greatly, and it made them feel like there was
a great burden on their shoulders.
Brendel glanced back at the Lernaia Hydra several times. The distance between them was three miles
apart. Even though the mythological creature seemed like they were far away from each other, it was
definitely within range to reach them with a few steps; the tail alone looked like it was a kilometer long.
[This thing isn’t possible for mortals to fight, at least not for people in this era. For the gamers, it’s
probably the equivalent to the evil dragon boss during the Dragon Nest chapter. No, now is not the time
to think about the past.]
He clapped his face to wake up from the dreadful hunting moments in the War of the Dragon Nest. Each
of its dragon heads was darting to and fro above the clouds, waiting before they attacked separately, each
from a few hundred meters to a mile apart.
[It’s impossible for Veronica or Mephisto to run such a long distance in an instant. Does this mean there
are other people nearby?]
He moved out of the bushes, but he suddenly sensed something approaching him from the left at great
speed and tried to shift his body away. However, his reaction was clearly slower by a beat as he felt his
shoulder being grabbed onto by a force, and he was pulled back into the bushes.
“My lord!” Scarlett was shocked to discover a hand reaching out and grabbing Brendel back into it, and
she subconsciously pulled out her dagger that was on her boots.
It was a familiar face.
One of Veronica’s hand was on Brendel’s shoulder, while the other held onto a sword and it was already
pointed at Scarlett’s heart.
“Lady Veronica?” The first reaction Brendel had when he saw who grabbed him was surprise. He did not
forget that he lost three important characters from the Kirrlutz Empire, and he also knew that at least
two young noble lords had been killed by the Mistress of Withering Decay.
“Shut your lips.” The Goddess of Combat’s expression was solemn. She glanced at the monster that was
far away and pulled Brendel deeper into the bushes: “If you want to live, stay in the bushes!”
Brendel looked curiously at her before he realized something. He turned his head to look at where
Veronica was looking and found a mist from the monster’s body expanding outwards that slowly filled
the forest.
2056
[Mist Dispersal! I thought it’s some kind of magic projection from the Hydra, but this looks like it’s not the
case. This monster isn’t the Lernaia Hydra but some kind of Law, or a creature’s Element Power
surrounding the Loop of Trade Winds. The creature that the Druids discovered is actually this…… fog
thing. The mist that’s now covering the forest now is some kind of surveillance method.]
The youth understood that Veronica saved him. If he left the bushes, he would be immediately discovered
by it.
[Come to think of it, I haven’t asked Scarlett why she and Veronica appeared together.]
2057
Chapter 162 – Secret Arte, Wind Dance
Brendel’s distracted thoughts only lasted until a sharp clink woke him up. Scarlett knocked away
Veronica’s sword pointing at her chest with her dagger, attempted to fight back with a thrust, but the
female general easily disarmed her.
The dagger fell into the grass—
Scarlett held her injured wrist with the other hand, glaring hatefully and silently, with revealed canines
biting her lower lips. It was the second time she suffered a defeat by Veronica, and the condescending
look that the latter gave pissed her off.
She would have fought to the death if her lord was not in Veronica’s grasp.
Veronica’s response was to drag Brendel away, not caring if Scarlett followed them.
“Lady Veronica, this is impolite.” Brendel felt his shoulder was being gripped by a vise. It was difficult for
him to resist her in his position.
[Hahaha. If any of the male gamers got dragged so intimately by Veronica, they would have rushed to the
forums in shocked delight. It’s indeed a pretty unique situation to be dragged away into the bushes……
But I don’t think it’s really something to boast about right now.]
Veronica continued to drag him away as though she did not hear a word of what he said, but eventually
gave a reply: “Ser Brendel. You can only talk about being polite if you survive on a battlefield.”
She released him, and he felt his body was given back control. He drew in a sharp breath as he rubbed his
shoulders, and the pain caused him to bare his teeth.
[This old witch’s strength is enormous.]
“Let’s not waste any more time. Where are Faena and the others?” She asked.
Brendel’s hand stopped moving.
Veronica glared at Brendel without saying anything else. Her hand shuffled about under her robe, and
this small gesture did not escape his eyes; he was certain that she was holding on to some kind of artifact
that allowed one to detect lies.
2058
This action would most likely not be seen through by anyone else, but it was pretty much a boring trick
for an experienced gamer like himself.
“I last saw Lady Faena and Lord Elman when the wolves started appearing. They left very early.” He said
without changing his expression.
It was not a lie. They did, however, sought protection from his army, centaurs, and Tree Elves after it
started.
“You didn’t kill them?” Veronica’s brows came together and sank a bit.
[You saved me because you think I killed Faena? What kind of twisted play is this…… In any case, this
means that she did not meet up with the Mistress of Withering Decay yet.]
Brendel sighed. He looked at the sky. A fog was spreading throughout the forest from the air, and it meant
that even his original destination would be unsafe.
“Why would I do that? I don’t have any reason to cause a war.” Brendel returned his gaze back to
Veronica. He had completely calmed down.
Veronica relaxed. But she suddenly recalled that Amandina said the same thing as Brendel and frowned.
Was there something amiss?
“Ser Brendel, you seem to know the Dark Forest well, would you guide me and search for them?”
“That’s not possible!” Brendel refused with a snarl. “You know this very well that I have no responsibility
to take care of the nobles from Kirrlutz if they go missing.”
Elman and Rono’s corpses were likely eaten up by the wolves, and Faena was taken by Andesha long ago.
He still had an important mission for him to complete, and there was no time to waste and search for
them.
Veronica did not show whether she agreed or disagreed with him. She merely stared at Brendel as if she
wanted to read his real intentions.
The air between them became tense.
Scarlett wanted to move behind Brendel, and she broke the silence by walking onto a patch of grass. But
as soon as she did so, Veronica placed her blade on her throat. The cold temperature had lowered the
sword’s temperature cold enough to make Scarlett shudder.
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“What is the meaning of this?” Brendel looked at Veronica with considerable astonishment and disbelief,
while his heart skipped a beat.
“I apologize, young man. But if you don’t agree to help me, I’ll have to take away your companion.”
Veronica’s voice was cold.
“Are you threatening me?” Brendel gasped.
The Goddess of Combat was known to be lawful and upright, and she even had a half-teacher, half-friend
relationship with Freya. He did not think that she would draw out her sword to threaten two youths.
Looking at her emotionless expression made him realize how important the Duke of Flower’s little
princess was to Veronica.
“Lady Veronica, the reason why I’m refusing to help you is that of the current calamity that’s happening.
The monsters are invading the region and the Druids have requested me to fix the Laws within the Loop
of Trade Winds, and prevent the destruction of the Green Tower from the Calamity of Wolves. As one of
the descendants from the King of Flames, you know very well of the consequences if the monsters are not
controlled.”
“And what has that to do with me? I am a noble of the Empire, not the savior of the world.” Veronica lifted
an eyebrow, filled with the qualities of what a commander should have.
“Surely it is not your wish to sacrifice the lives of others to rescue only one person, right? It might be true
that Lady Faena is the only successor to the Duke of Flowers, but her life isn’t more important to anyone
else here.
“…… You are right,” Veronica sighed, but she was shaking her head, “unfortunately there is no meaning to
your words. You clearly know what my status is.”
She grabbed Scarlett’s shoulders and caused the latter to frown in pain: “I apologize, but if you are
unwilling to aid me, I have no choice but to bring your companion along with me. It seems like this is the
only way for you to assist me.”
“I’m afraid I will not do as you wish!” Brendel answered with a low growl.
Having Mephisto coming out from nowhere to pick a fight with him had caused him to wallow in great
frustration, but having Veronica threaten him over the spoilt girl who attempted to get him killed stoke
up the embers of anger in his heart.
[Since negotiations have failed, there’s no need to continue to tolerate this bullshit.]
Halran Gaia was drawn out in an instant and swung to draw out a dark line that aimed for Veronica’s
wrist. Against an opponent who was vastly stronger than him, he had no choice but to take initiative.
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But his decisive action did not surprise Veronica. After the battle in the Centaurs’ market, she knew that
he would not easily submit to her threat. A fight was within her expectations.
“You overrate yourself, boy.” The Goddess of Combat scoffed and casually swung her own blade to deflect
Halran Gaia.
In Brendel’s eyes, the path of Veronica’s sword was more like a shield that could not be penetrated or
deflected. He instantly lowered his body to the ground to change the path of his own sword and swung it
at her feet instead. This move was done in order to avoid her blade and force Veronica to let go of Scarlett
instead.
Veronica was secretly startled at Brendel’s reaction. She had used the legacy swordsmanship that was
taught to each generation of the Azure Sword Saint, but the youth still managed to predict and counter
her sword’s path.
[Just how gifted is this boy in the usage of a sword?]
Changing the path of her sword was too late, and Veronica had no choice but to let Scarlett go and retreat.
However, once she took a step back, she thrust out her sword and a blast of Sword Energy struck
Brendel’s blade.
A loud metallic clang could be heard, and it was as though two physical blades met each other.
At that moment, Brendel felt like it was not a blast of Sword Energy but a dragon that smashed onto his
blade. The feedback from Veronica’s sword energy was a mighty blow that could not be defended from.
There was no time for him to react to it and his body was hurled back like a cannonball.
An explosion occurred with a loud crash as Brendel slammed into the sandy ground next to the frozen
stream. It was not a surprising conclusion. He felt dizziness assault his senses for a moment, but he got up
immediately to see Scarlett rolling away from Veronica’s hand.
Unfortunately, even though her reactions were quick, Veronica’s speed was much too fast. She rushed
straight at Scarlett who attempted to resist by kicking a pebble towards her face. It was quickly knocked
away by her sword and her hand once again reached out for Scarlett’s shoulder.
Brendel did not think any further and threw Halran Gaia out like like a javelin. The weapon shot out like
an arrow at Veronica, with a trail of rocky spikes following behind it. The latter frowned and stepped
sideways, allowing herself to avoid the projectile and was prepared to jump over the spikes to get to
Scarlett.
But she froze in her jumping stance as Brendel conjured up a wind with the White Raven Sword Arte. A
Sword Energy reached out for Halran Gaia, pulled the sword back in mid-air, and with a huge rotation—
2061
It shot at Veronica once again.
She was finally troubled with the sword’s path. Although it was highly inaccurate, the speed it was
thrown at was as fast a bullet and the spikes that jutted across the ground were a threat. She had no
choice but to deflect it with a Sword Energy of her own before it reached her, and the sword merely
rotated once before it landed back on Brendel’s hand.
The youth let out a long sigh when he received Halran Gaia. The two-stage attacks from the sword were
unintended, and he did not think that it would actually work. But if he had to describe it…..
[I’m so freaking awesome!]
He was even stunned for a moment.
“Boy, your application of the White Raven Sword Arte has nearly reached the standards of the original
technique!” Orthlyss immediately rang in his mind and could not but sigh: “If it was not for the fact that I
know you have not learned the Wind Elf’s Wind Dance technique, I have to suspect what your
background is. Your talent in the sword is just too brilliant and I can scarcely believe it.”
Brendel did not reply to the Heroic Spirit and simply stared at Veronica with a relieved expression.
Scarlett successfully escaped from the female commander and was nearly at Brendel’s side.
The distance between them was not much, but it was enough.
Veronica’s expression was dark as she sheathed her sword, intending to approach the two first, but she
suddenly recalled something when she saw Brendel’s expression.
She turned around and looked up.
Her breath was held as she saw fifteen dragon heads in the sky. The Lernaia Hydra was already close to
their positions, but Brendel pulled Scarlett back into the bushes, while Veronica found herself standing on
top of the frozen stream with no cover.
It was clear who was more eye-catching.
[Damn it, I’ve been fooled by this brat!]
2062
Chapter 163 – The Forest’s fog
Veronica’s eyes reflected the fifteen dragon heads that formed into a circle in the night sky. Even for
someone as strong as her, she could not help but hold her breath.
The colossal beast that reached the clouds had captured the slight movements in the forest. But instead of
moving back to that area, its heads began to spew mist which covered them. Only seven heads remained
visible, with the mist forming into clouds.
A second later, thousands of projectiles made out air shot out from the cloud towards Veronica.
[Shit! The monster’s attack is just too big! ]
But it was Brendel who panicked. The projectiles covered a radius of a hundred meters in the blink of an
eye. The white arrows of air that fired at the same time were beautiful and terrifying at the same time.
Brendel could feel nothing but killing intent that stifled his breath. He rolled over to the side as ten
arrows the width of a water barrel exploded into the ground. Leaves and grass were blasted away and
craters immediately appeared.
Scarlett’s reaction was quite speedy as well, avoiding the translucent currents like a beautiful panther
and joined up with Brendel. They intended to leave the area before the Lernaia Hydra’s second barrage
came for them, but an angry roar entered their ears:
“Did I permit you to leave?”
Veronica received the most attacks out of the three. Hundreds of projectiles came together to form a
frightening hurricane in the air. Under normal circumstances, even one who mastered their Element
Power would be hurt from that. However, Brendel and Scarlett were shocked to find out that Veronica
was uninjured and still had the energy to keep them from leaving.
Brendel studied Veronica’s condition and he found that a sky-blue transparent barrier had appeared
around Veronica. The barrage of sharp projectiles collided into it and immediately dissipated into all
directions. Even though the transparent barrier flickered constantly, it did not seem like it was going to
break any time soon.
Veronica stood firmly where she was with her sword brandished, and she looked at Brendel with fury in
her eyes. Brendel gulped, knowing that he had truly angered her. It was not his hobby to face a crazed
Goddess of Combat.
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Heat radiated from Veronica’s location, her Element Power melting the frozen stream of ice back into
water in an instant, and an intense white light covered her entire sword. He leaped onto the other side of
the stream the moment he saw her sword move; she pointed her into the air and the Sword Energy fired
out before it shot towards Brendel at sharp angles, but it barely missed him as he rotated in mid-air and
struck the ground instead.
An earth-shattering explosion of light filled his senses, with water instantly vaporized by the intense heat.
For a moment, the stream of water that was ten feet wide had its flow of water cut for several seconds
before it resumed flowing down.
[It’s too scary to fight a Sword Saint at their peak and using their full strength—]
Brendel could feel every strand of his hair standing. Scarlett also jumped and landed next to him, but she
did not have the time to stabilize herself before Brendel roared in her ears:
“Scarlett, prepare yourself!”
The youth grabbed her hand and activated his Charge ability. He saw that Veronica was pointing her
sword at him and instantly ran out. The burst of speed caused the Sword Energy that targeted him to
miss, and he disappeared in a black blur into the forest.
A violent gust of wind happened as the Sword Energy mowed down dozens of tree trunks the size of a
horse carriage, blasting them away in a cone shape into great distances, destroying the trees behind them
like dominoes.
Veronica could not help but grit her teeth in frustration after she saw her two attacks miss. The previous
time she lost her composure was during the highland war with the Hazell kingdom.
[This is too strange. That young man predicted my moves three times in a row and avoided every single
attack. Is there some kind of link between him and me? But the Wall of Azure is a swordsmanship that’s
only handed to disciples and never to outsiders. Not only that, it requires one to have the Wind Element
Power….. Damn it, I can’t go after him unless I remove the Abatement Barrier.]
Brendel had not revealed his Element Power yet, but it seemed like he knew that the protective barrier
she created was required of her to stay in a fixed position. She glared at the Hydra, wondering when it
was going to stop attacking her. The Abatement Barrier was rumored to be an invincible fortress, but it
was an exaggeration. If the Hydra attacked her with its full strength, she had to defend herself with
everything she had.
She immediately widened her eyes. The seventh dragon head was dissolving into mist, but they were
quickly turned into a flower-like shape before they fired at her with increased accuracy.
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It was certainly a flower of death.
Veronica frowned and activated her Wind Element Power once again. The barrier of green light increased
in density. Countless arrows made from air struck into it, but there was no change.
[Why is this Hydra splitting up the projectiles? It’s weakening the strength just to ensure accuracy? But
it’s not effective at all. How peculiar, this creature should possess higher intelligence…… Which means
there’s some kind of trick?]
She became alert and looked around her. The air projectiles that she thought had dissipated had
reconverged and formed into mist.
[Mist Conversion?]
The mist that subtly surrounded her was converging together and formed into knights. They were bigger
and taller than a Centaur and wore a suit of unique armor that did not resemble any kingdom’s style.
[Not Elven, not Dwarven, not human or even the undead. What are these things?]
She realized that the barrage of projectiles were not mere arrows. She released her barrier and waited to
face the strange new enemies.
=========== Brendel’s POV ============
Brendel ended up moving hundreds of meters in an instant across multiple obstacles. He was afraid of
Veronica or the Hydra catching up, and did not dare to slow down and continued to run. He checked his
surroundings before he and Scarlett moved along to the southern valley. As long as Veronica was
blocking the way back, it would not be possible to go back to the White Cliffs of Divinity.
For some strange reason, he realized that the Calamity of Frost had ended abruptly, and it would not be a
problem to stay alive in the Dark Forest.
[Still, not returning means that I will make Amandina worried. But there’s no helping it.]
“Watch out!” Orthlyss suddenly warned him.
A lance suddenly parted the mist and was thrust straight at his face. The entire process was done without
a sound and he nearly walked straight into it. He frantically jumped backwards and knocked straight into
Scarlett. The impact onto both of them caused them to murmur in pain, but he was unable to care
whether she was hurt and instead pulled her to the side, allowing the lance to brush past his chest.
2065
He saw what he was facing for the first time.
[A knight riding on a Dragonbeast? No, that’s not it, some kind of entity formed into humanoid-like
shapes by the fog?]
The Mist Knight with a blurry face rode out slowly on its Dragonbeast, withdrew its lance and looked at
Brendel. The youth shuddered and his hair stood up on end again.
[A Lernaia Hydra isn’t enough? There are mobs too?]
But his thought was once again interrupted by the knight. It raised and thrust its lance, with its attack fast
and accurate. The attack was unique in the way that there was hardly any vibration in the air, and it made
Brendel feel highly unused to it. But he discovered that the knight’s capabilities were not very strong, and
was around a mid-level Gold-ranker.
[It seems like it’s lacking in intelligence.]
In order to prove this point, Brendel stepped forward and showed an opening, inviting his opponent to
attack. It was one of the game’s common feints, and the Mist Knight indeed fell for his trick. His body
shifted subtly and allowed the lance to slide past it, while his left hand went to grab the lance at lightning
speed.
However, he managed to grab nothing but air.
[What!]
Brendel jumped a little, but his right hand immediately went for Halran Gaia and thrust at the Mist
Knight’s head. The sword was a Fantasy-ranked weapon, and it disregarded whether entities had a
physical body. The magic on the blade simply rushed straight at the Mist Knight’s core and destroyed the
Mana on it. The Mist Knight gave a shriek and returned back to fog, disappearing into the forest’s air.
– System Notice: You defeated Demonic Fog Nightmare (part), 1510 XP gained.
Brendel’s jaw dropped slightly, revealing his white teeth.
[This thing has 1510 XP? That’s pretty close to a Direwolf. It’s not even an Elite creature. Also, it said
defeated, not killed. This feels like some specific types of undead where a spell is needed, or a weapon like
the Thorn of Light that purifies and kill them permanently. Otherwise, I’m just disabling these things
temporarily with Halran Gaia.]
“Boy, this thing has a familiar air about it.” Orthlyss suddenly said.
“What about it?”
2066
“A hint— The Lernaia Hydra.”
“Wait!” Brendel seemed like he understood: “You mean to say that thing is formed by the Lernaia Hydra?”
“You think quickly.”
[Well, not exactly the Lernaia Hydra. The system said Demonic Fog Nightmare (part), and it has the
ability to rebuild itself. The Lernaia Hydra is just a bluff. It’s some kind of creature that’s living in the Dark
Forest’s fog and making use of it. Demonic Fog Nightmare…… I seemed to have read about it somewhere
in the forums. But this thing still looks like a ridiculously overpowered monster.]
Scarlett tapped Brendel’s hand gingerly as he was lost in his thoughts again, directing him to look at the
area ahead of him. There were quite a few humanoid figures.
Brendel subconsciously raised Halran Gaia, prepared to fight.
2067
Chapter 164 – Amman
The mist had become so dense that one could not see the sky at all. The figure of the Lernaia Hydra was
completely lost in the fog, and no one knew if it was still in the valley. But Brendel was certain that part of
the fake Hydra had been converted into a fog, or the forest would not be covered in it.
The humanoid figures in the fog quickly approached them, but the youth was slightly surprised to find
they were real humans and not monsters. They were squires wearing golden-red cloaks, with ornaments
emblazoned with Fire Raven Sigils hanging around their chest. The bishop amongst them wore a golden-
red silk ferraiolo and a biretta with three peaks on it. The sash that hung over his shoulders was
embroidered with the Kirrlutz word ‘flame’. With such lavish dressing, he could only be a regional
archbishop from the Holy Cathedral of Fire.
Brendel studied the old shriveled face which was dry as a cooked eggplant that was sliced and baked.
[The high ranking bishop from the Einkel region, Amman. This bastard isn’t simple. He acts incredibly
humble on the surface, but that’s a lie.]
He frowned inwardly.
“Your Eminence.”
[You damned shill. Why did the Holy Cathedral of Fire send out such an infamous bastard out here? Are
they not afraid of offending the Druids?]
Amman looked at the youth that suddenly appeared out of nowhere, secretly pleased, as the latter had
manners that were a hundred times better than the mercenaries he encountered a while ago.
[A noble is a noble, after all. At least he knows how to be civil. But it seems like he’s someone from
Aouine?]
He observed Brendel and noted his style of greeting belonged to the Aouine kingdom.
Scarlett looked at her lord strangely. He was acting quite differently from his normal self.
Brendel’s reaction was almost instinctive. That was how the gamers handled the high-level NPCs in the
game.
Amman and his men had surrounded them in order to ensure that they were not the monsters they came
upon earlier. In truth, there were only squires accompanying him, which made him cautious. The Gold-
2068
ranked knights were killed when the Lernaia Hydra discovered them. Every one of them were on edge;
the Holy Cathedral of Fire did not have a high-ranking knight returning to the ‘Holy Flames’ ever since the
November War.
The loss was a nightmare.
Amman subconsciously felt the precious item that was placed next to his chest. The knights’ sacrifices
were at least not without meaning, and he sighed quietly. He displayed a kind demeanor and spoke with a
pleasant tone:
“Young man, you are well-mannered. Which noble family do you belong to? You must have entered this
area through an exit where there are two cliffs on both sides? Do you know how to get there from our
position?”
Amman asked three questions in one go. Even though he was trying hard not to show it, Brendel was able
to discern that the archbishop was tense.
[He must be referring to the Blockade of Wolves. But why is he anxious? Because of that fog monster? The
people from the Holy Cathedral of Fire are fanatics. A hundred-odd men wouldn’t make them afraid.
While you’re one of the greediest bastards around, that’s merely a character flaw. To become an
Archbishop means you’re someone with a strong will.]
He lowered his head and hid his expressions to avoid incurring suspicion:
“Your humble servant is the Lord Baron of Firburh. Your Eminence might not have heard of the
Trentheim region. It is a poor countryside and it is a place not worth of mentioning. Your Eminence, I am
afraid I am just as lost, but the place you are seeking is not far from here.”
Brendel spoke as politely as much as he could to dismiss the old man in front of him faster. He was afraid
that Veronica would catch up with him, and these men would not stand on his side. Yet Brendel did not
dare to show impatience. It was still a small matter if he got suspected, but having the crime of being
disrespectful to the men from the Holy Cathedral would be disastrous. Most of these people looked kind
on the outside, but he knew they were deeply flawed on the inside.
Amman nodded, the news of the Blockade of Wolves being nearby boosted his spirits greatly, and the
exhaustion on his wrinkled face was diminished by quite a bit. However, he did feel that it would be quite
inhumane to leave the youth and his companion if he just simply left. Even though the duties of the Holy
Cathedral of Fire took precedence, it was not a good thing to show such an unseemly image so wantonly.
Amman took a few steps forward and asked: “Lord Baron, we seek to leave this area urgently, do you
wish to join us?”
2069
Brendel scoffed coldly in his mind. Perhaps if it were someone else, these words could be trusted, but
Amman’s invitation was written with subtle rejection on his face. But the youth did not mind it and shook
his head instead:
“Your Eminence, you might have guessed my goal, but I am here for the Lionheart like many others are.
I’m afraid that I unable to take up your offer. In order not to have any regrets, I must advance.”
Amman nodded. His thoughts were mostly occupied by the artifact, and he nearly reached out for it with
his bony fingers to confirm that it was still there. He wished nothing more for Brendel to reject his offer.
Still, the archbishop gave a curious look at Brendel when he mentioned the Lionheart.
“If that is so, then we will not hinder your quest. Your Lordship has good graces, and this humble servant
of the Flame will write a letter of appreciation to your king for this pleasant encounter.”
Amman promised with a warm face, and the dark mood he had seemed to have changed in an instant.
Brendel showed a small smile, without acknowledging or refusing, sufficiently displaying the elegance of
a noble.
[Oh for crying out loud, would you just put a sock in it already? Get the fuck away from me, please! Aren’t
you that greedy scumbag Amman who doesn’t give a flying crap about anyone? Stop acting out of
character. My time is precious, old man!]
The youth was spewing out curses in his mind throughout the conversation. Amman and his men finally
started walking away, but fate did not favor Brendel, and someone parted the vegetation with an urgent
rustle.
It was Veronica.
The Goddess of Combat did not even bother to use words and simply attacked him. The sword glowed
with a thin light and Brendel hurriedly rolled to the side. The Sword Energy cleaved a black pine tree into
equal and neat parts, and the branches on it cracked loudly as they could not support their weight when
it fell over.
This attack caused Amman and his knights to be stunned. The Archbishop’s eyebrows were raised up and
he was prepared to rage over the stranger’s action, but he shuddered when he realized who she was.
Even though he was just as famous as the four commanders of the Kirrlutz Empire, it was clear that
military clout was the true wielder of authority.
Furthermore, leaving aside the fact that Veronica was a Sword Saint, she belonged to one of the twelve
families with the longest history in Kirrlutz. Just from this alone, Amman would not dare to offend her.
Perhaps the Archbishops who handled the wealthiest regions would be able to exert pressure on her, but
he was definitely not one of them.
2070
Since he understood that this woman could not be offended, he turned straight around and looked at
Brendel with his clouded brown eyes, his expression resembling a dead fish. It was clear that he was
demanding an answer from the youth.
[This damned codger really changes his expressions faster than one can flip a book.]
The youth caught his gaze, but his attention was soon directed to Veronica. She shrunk the distance
between them instantly and attempted to grab his shoulder, but the youth’s body shifted slightly and
moved away like a slippery eel. He stood in front of Scarlett, afraid that Veronica would use her as a
hostage again.
However, Veronica was clearly aiming for him. The first grab was a failure, so she attempted a second
time. Brendel did not think he was able to run away and could only bring his sword up to guard his body
while conjuring up an Earth Spike to block her vision. However, Veronica smashed a large hole through
the rock and went straight to grab his shoulder.
Amman’s eyes widened a little when he saw the Earth Spike come out from the ground, but he
immediately attributed it to Brendel’s sword.
Brendel did not think that he was able to cut off Veronica’s hand off when he recalled her barrier, so he
pushed Scarlett aside while flinging himself to the sides as hard as he could. This caused him to roll
around in pain, but he tolerated it and yelled out immediately.
“Scarlett, now!”
The red-haired girl understood and she escaped in the other direction. Brendel threw out a card onto the
ground, but no one else saw his actions. A fiery red Magic Formation suddenly appeared across the
ground and a Fire Dijinn sprang out from it and charged straight at Veronica.
The sudden attack surprised her and she retreated subconsciously. However, a quick assessment of its
speed and strength lead her to believe that Brendel was delaying for time. She only hesitated for a short
moment before she charged at the fiery creature in a straight line. The Azure Sword in her hand twirled
once, and she intended to end its life with one critical strike.
[Explosion!]
Brendel ran as he roared in his mind. It was just as he had planned.
A ray of golden light spilled forth as a crack formed from the Fire Dijinn’s body. The boundless energy
from within caused Veronica’s expression to warp. The Fire Dijinn was releasing all its mana and Fire
2071
Element within its body and combining it together, and this attack was the equivalent of unleashing an
Element Power.
A loud bang occurred. The light was so strong that it washed out all colors, and everyone had to look
away and close their eyes. Brendel was retreating towards the thickest foliage he had seen a while ago,
but Amman’s familiar voice wormed into his ears:
“Holy Word, Wall!”
Brendel immediately felt a strange energy cutting off his retreat. The translucent walls of light around
him belonged to one of the few spells a Priest class would have. The constructed walls of light were over a
hundred meters long, but they were less than ten meters tall. Brendel raised his sword into the air and an
Earth spike was formed near the wall’s edge, but a projectile made up of Sword Energy whistled through
the air, and it slashed across the spike at incredible speed. There was a cracking sound as the Earth Spike
was lopped off in the middle.
Brendel’s plan was crushed and he could not help but glance back. He discovered that Veronica had
already recovered from the earlier explosion.
2072
Chapter 165 – Escape
Veronica was no longer as composed as before. The earlier explosion had turned her military uniform
into tatters, and her pretty sky-blue hair was burned in several places.
The Abatement barrier did not protect her fully as she had constructed it in haste. The Combat of Goddess
glared at Brendel with gritted teeth without a trace of emotion in her eyes. She regarded her hair with
great importance, and just for a second, she wanted to kill him.
She lowered her sword, and the barrier was immediately gone. She then swung her blade with without
warning, with three fingers supporting her right hand, and a green blade of Sword Energy went straight
for the youth. Brendel only managed to react at the last moment and tilted his head to the side, allowing
the attack to go past his face. But he could feel a hairline pain that radiated outwards, and he knew that
the attack had hurt his face.
“You’re the rumored noble from Aouine, I remember now,” Amman interrupted them, and he lifted his
finger up at Brendel. A cross-shaped light form at the tip of his fingers: “I heard that you are capable of
using magic from the Sacred Church of Light?”
Brendel’s blood ran cold in his veins. But he did not dare to move carelessly as Amman was ready with
his spell. He glared hatefully at Veronica.
[You caused the rumors? Why are you so different from the game?]
“I have nothing to do with the rumors,” Veronica answered upon Brendel’s gaze at her, but her eyebrow
suddenly lifted. She recalled the image of Faena moving suspiciously with the other youths, and it caused
her to realize the truth. She continued to answer coldly: “But you are free to pin it on me. I will answer
your challenge any time you want.”
“Two people of great repute bullying a youth, have you no shame?” Brendel wiped away the blood on his
face with a mocking laugh. Even though his tone was insulting, his body was tense and ready for a fight.
Veronica would never stop here, and Amman was unlikely to let him go either. He could only risk his life
here.
Brendel’s mocking smile revealed his white gleaming teeth, and the cold gaze on Amman was akin to the
wolves that were driven insane by Mana. He was never one to put his life into someone else’s hands, and
he would never submit to anyone.
2073
[The nobles from Kirrlutz stated that the heathen possesses Halran Gaia. This sword he’s holding must be
it.]
Amman did not seem to take in a single word Brendel said. Halran Gaia’s renown was not limited to the
Beastmen of the Toquinin region. He was certain that his position within the Holy Cathedral of Flames
would rise if he had the sword. It was not even important if Brendel was actually someone from the
Sacred Church of Light.
“The heretics that do not repent must be killed.” He said while he stared at Halran Gaia. When he was
done with his words, the cross-shaped golden light surged in an instant, and a bullet of light shot towards
Brendel. However, a green flash happened, and Veronica actually used her sword like a whip to smack the
bullet far away into the forest. There was an explosion of deafening sound and light that lit up the valley.
Veronica turned to Amman and said:
“If you want to kill him, you would need to seek my permission. Your Eminence.”
“Lady Veronica?” Amman was slightly confused, but he was highly capable after all and immediately
understood: “I see. You want him alive.”
Veronica did not answer.
Brendel was secretly moving back. Both Amman and Veronica had mastery over their Element Powers,
and it was impossible for him to fight against them. He sincerely wished for the two of them to fight each
other because of their differences, but it did not seem like a feasible plan. Amman was trying to please
Veronica instead.
A cold wind blew past the trees, causing the leaves to rustle, but the fog did not grow lighter.
“Very well, Lady Veronica. It is easy to force a heretic to capitulate if you capture him, but it is far easier to
work on his companion.”
“Hmm……” Veronica merely said.
Amman turned to the direction of where Scarlett escaped from. Brendel’s face turned ugly as he could not
read what Amman was up to.
“You dare!” Brendel did not dare to wait for Amman and rushed straight at him with Halran Gaia.
But Amman suddenly whirled around with a devious smirk, apparently waiting for Brendel to come at
him. A sudden aura of light appeared around his entire body, and he disappeared into thin air. The next
moment, he reappeared behind Brendel’s back and there was a crimson radiance on both of his hands.
2074
[This isn’t a priest’s spell!]
Brendel was completely stunned by Amman’s actions, but his body clearly remembered a century’s worth
of experience as a warrior. He lowered his head and avoided Amman’s projectile, which shot past the
youth’s hair and caused it to flutter, before it ended up in a bush. The red flash of light immediately lit the
vegetation of fire.
Brendel continued to use his momentum and rolled forward.
[A Priest class tends to only have Holy magic. That is definitely not any spell in the class that I know of.
No, it resembles more like an Element Power, specifically Time or Space. But Amman’s Element Power is
Ironwall……]
The Archbishop merely laughed when he saw Brendel rolling forward:
“Holy Word, Bind!”
Brendel’s fingers gripped Halran Gaia tightly till they were numb. He was unable to dodge in this position,
and it was difficult for a low Gold-ranked swordsman like himself to resist a high-level character like
Amman.
[Why do the gods in this world refuse to bless me? Why am I being punished repeatedly for reciting an
oath?]
For a moment, despair and rage filled with his heart, but there was a sudden stroke of genius in his mind.
The golden rays of light burst forth and shot at Brendel, but a Gate made out of light abruptly appeared,
and a majestic stag trotted forth. The spell struck the ethereal beast. If it were a physical projectile, it
would have passed through the stag, but Amman used a Holy Spell and the White Deer Statue was clearly
an artifact that belonged to the Holy attribute. The spell was clearly ineffective against the stag, and even
the basic binding effect did not work.
“A Sage Deer!” Amman could not imagine in his wildest dreams that Brendel would summon a creature
like that.
But the battle was suddenly interrupted with a savage gust of wind, and it forced them to close their eyes.
“My lord, be careful!” Scarlett suddenly yelled out.
2075
She had been hiding for a while and waited to see if Brendel escaped, but since he did not appear for a
long time, she went back to check. To her dismay, she discovered that Brendel was forced to stay. She
wanted to help him, but she was worried that she would instead be a burden and drag him down.
Since she stood away from a distance to assess the battlefield and hope for a chance to help her lord, she
discovered a white dragon head suddenly appearing over the trees.
It was one of the Lernaia Hydra’s heads.
Veronica was the second to notice it. She was about to make her move when she saw the Archbishop’s
spell failed to hit its mark, but a sudden instinct got her to use the Abatement Barrier instead. With a
swing of her sword, ten-odd waves of green energy came together to form a barrier. It was at that
moment that she discovered the dragon head coming towards her with a bite.
She raised her Element Power to the limits and put everything into the barrier.
The fangs that were made out of mist smashed into her barrier and caused it to shake and crack. Brendel
rolled on his back and discovered the fangs going past his nose, causing him to gulp and perspire
profusely despite the fact that he was uninjured.
Amman was the unluckiest person out of the three. The dragon’s head was just like the Mist Knight. It
seemed to hold an ethereal and physical property at the same time. The fangs moved across the field
wildly and one of the fangs managed to snag itself onto the Archbishop’s robe. Barriers formed, but they
were all punctured save for one. Amman was sent flying through the air and even rotated several rounds
before he crashed onto the ground. He would have met King Gatel if it was not for the last layer of
protection. At the same time, a grey gem dropped out from Amman’s collar and dropped into the nearby
bushes.
Brendel and Veronica were the only ones to see that. Amman’s mind was completely rattled by the
sudden attack that he did not notice it. The squires from the Holy Cathedral also did not manage to see
the dropped artifact.
“Boy,” Orthlyss suddenly chose to speak at this moment: “That gemstone looks a little familiar to me!”
Brendel woke up from his stupor, only to be stunned again at Orthlyss’s words. The Heroic Spirit was
someone from an ancient era, and for it to be familiar in her eyes, it could only be from the distant past.
He wondered where Amman got the gemstone, but there was no time to ponder over it as the fake
Lernaia Hydra began attacking them with renewed fury.
Three dragon heads appeared, with three pairs of eyes overlooking the humans on the ground. They
emitted a roar that agitated the ground and began moving towards the perceived insects in the forest.
2076
Brendel was delighted to discover the three dragon heads going for Amman and Veronica, and they did
not even target him once. Even though this Demonic Fog Nightmare was not the real Lernaia Hydra, its
original strength was still not something that he could deal with at all. Amman and Veronica quickly
found themselves in danger. The squires from the Holy Cathedral of Flames wanted to save their
superior, but two of them were killed in the blink of an eye.
Even though he did not know why he was not attacked, he did not waste this chance. He hurriedly turned
and rolled away, using the shrubs as cover, before getting up to prepare for his escape.
“Stop right there!” Even though Veronica was busy with the Lernaia Hydra’s attacks, her attention was on
Brendel. She raised her sword in anger and pointed it at Brendel. A ray of Sword Energy shot towards
him, but this hasty attack could not find its mark. She wanted to pursue him, but two dragon heads
blocked her path the moment she lifted up her foot, and she could only watch Brendel run further and
further away,
“This damned monster!” Veronica cursed through gritted teeth for the first time on this journey.
2077
Chapter 166 – What tactics?
“Archbishop Amman, stop him!”
Veronica knew that she was unable to stop the youth and could only ask for help from the nearby priest.
At the same time, she quickly swung her sword at one of the Lernaia Hydra’s head that was coming for
her. The Azure Sword smashed heavily into its nose with a ghastly glow of energy, but it turned into mist
and was compressed before it recovered its shape. Instead, the resulting feedback pushed her away from
where she was by ten meters.
With her retreat, the second Hydra’s head rushed towards her at an acute angle, and she could only growl
inwardly to avoid the monster’s attack. The concentrated mist struck the forest’s ground like a violent
projectile, and the wind generated pushed all the black pine trees to and fro. Veronica’s long hair flailed
against the wind and blocked her line of sight. She shook her head in order to get the strands off, and her
eyes caught the Holy Cathedral of Flames’s squires using their lives to give Amman time to recover.
Amman hesitated as he crawled up from the ground, wondering if he should stop Brendel or deal with the
Lernaia Hydra. There was only one chance, but if he were to stop Brendel, then none of his men would be
likely to survive this ordeal. But greed towards Halran Gaia triumphed against reasoning, and he raised
his right hand. A visible flame was drawn into a magic pattern with his agate ring on his thumb, forming a
sign of the Holy Cathedral of Flames: “In the name of the Flame, you will not escape here no matter how
much you run. Return to whence you came from, Flaming Invocation!”
Brendel nearly stumbled when he heard these words.
[You actually used a spell that’s higher than a Seventh Circle— Are you fucking kidding me?]
There were only two professions that could use the Holy Words magic, the Witch and Priest professions.
The Curses from the witches and the Prophecies from the priests were considered as something alike to
the Languages of the Gods. There were plenty of spells that were powerful enough to hinder someone.
It was especially effective for a warrior with low Will stats. Even though Brendel had put in levels into the
Elementalist profession, it was simply too low and useless to resist Amman’s magic. As soon as the
archbishop’s words ended, he found a sea of flames right before his path.
The youth turned around and glared at the smirking Amman. He gnashed his teeth and said: “It seems
like Your Eminence intends to keep me here.”
“Naturally,” Amman said.
2078
“I hope you don’t regret this!” Brendel did not continue complaining. He drew out his sword with both
hands and rushed towards Amman.
“You audacious cur,” Amman’s facial muscles stiffened. A normal person would at least feel hesitation and
fear when they go against the Holy Cathedral of Flames, but Brendel’s decisiveness made it seem like he
was threatening his authority: “Shield!”
A shield of light with six edges extended from his palms and Brendel’s blade smashed across it, drawing
sparks.
The youth knew that it was not a magic spell but Amman’s Element Power. Amman prepared a new spell
and a fiery-red light enveloped his robes. It was another layer of protection.
“It would be wise of you to surrender,” Amman said as he cast a new spell. He dismissed the six-edged
shield and grabbed Halran Gaia with his bare hand. There was a grating noise of metal rubbing against
each other when his skin met the blade.
Holy Magic spell, Iron Fist.
A Priest buffing himself with spells would have enough combat prowess to match a warrior with a full set
of equipment. Even though there were just two buffs on Amman, Brendel could feel that the Archbishop’s
strength was on par with his own.
“Even though your Lordship is a heretic, the Holy Cathedral of Fire and the Sacred Church of Light are not
at war. With the rules of the nobles in place, you can trust in this humble servant that I speak for the Holy
Cathedral of Fire and not hurt a noble like yourself. You can even pay for your own ransom—” Amman
laughed darkly, while he cast a glance at his men to see if they could still hold on against the Lernaia
Hydra.
[Why is this bastard’s laughter so familiar to me?]
A thought streaked across Brendel’s mind, perhaps recalling a villain of the past, but he did not dare to
ponder on it. He was still in battle, and he tried pulling out his sword, but the sword refused to budge out
of Amman’s hand. He then scoffed and gave a disdainful smile in response:
“Oh? What does Your Eminence want me to pay in exchange for my life?”
“Halran Gaia, and whatever Commander Veronica wants, that would be a fair deal, right?”
In Amman’s eyes, killing Brendel would be the safest option, but Veronica would not agree to it and he
could only acquiesce to her.
Brendel started laughing.
2079
[Surrendering Halran Gaia? There are going to be countless monsters in my path to activate the Fire Seed
in Valhalla. I will automatically fail. Helping out Veronica is a waste of time and it will only lead me to
fight Andesha at the end, and she’s stronger than these two right here—]
Fury rose within his chest. The Centaurs’ blood was on his hands. Not only that, if he were to fail here, the
entire Trentheim would be in danger because of the Dark Forest would be overrun by monsters and
Chaos, no longer protected by the Laws from the Green Tower’s Fire Seed. After Veronica stated that she
was not the one who spread the rumors, he immediately knew that Faena and the companions spread the
rumors secretly without her permission.
But the source of troubles that started it all was because he recited an oath.
If it was not for him, the Kirrlutz Empire would not be here. Perhaps the Holy Cathedral of Flames would
be here doing whatever it was, but it was unlikely that Amman would corner him like this. It was his own
fault that things turned out this way.
[There’s no use crying over spilled milk…… Amman, one of the Regional Archbishops. Even though his
position isn’t the highest, he was one of the most challenging foes within the Cathedral. Even though his
Element Power, Shield, is considered to be one of the weakest Element Power, it does not equate to how
strong an opponent would be. Even the highest Fantasy-ranked Element Power isn’t considered as
invincible.]
Brendel’s mind assessed the situation as fast as he could.
2080
Chapter 167 – Death
Amman was someone who could use a terribly rated Element Power to great strength. That was because
he had covered the weakness of a Priest profession where he could leisurely cast his spells. A fully buffed
Priest was strong enough to resist an offensive Mage class, let alone a warrior.
In the game, a fully buffed Priest was perceived as a God-tier profession, and the only professions that
could match them were a Berserker with a raged status, as well as some specific advanced professions.
[There’s no possible way I can beat him in a duel. His level is much higher than me, and just casting a
third of his available spells to buff himself is sufficient to wreck me……]
Amman spoke again with a cold smile when the youth laughed for a few seconds: “Are you trying to stall
for time, your Lordship? Perhaps you are fearless because Lady Veronica does not want to kill you, but
that does not mean others will receive the same treatment.”
Brendel stopped.
“That loyal subordinate of yours is hiding nearby. But it seems like that pretty girl is actually your female
companion, and I trust that your lordship wouldn’t want to see anything bad happening to her, right?”
Amman said as he glanced at a tree.
[Failure. Failure, failure, failure, failure!]
Brendel was unable to find a way out of things. The only events that he saw were the deaths of all the
Druids and the people that came along with him. Trentheim would fall and so would the kingdom. Freya,
the Regent Princess, and everyone else was killed in the future.
The path to a bright future was closed.
[…… If that’s the case, then—]
Brendel gripped the sword with both hands and activated Power Break, forcefully tearing the blade out
Amman’s hands. The latter was momentarily surprised by the sudden burst of strength and took a step
back subconsciously, but with this retreat, Brendel pressed in and was already in a stance to attack him.
Amman thought that Brendel was moving so quickly to prevent him from his Element Power, but he was
instead delighted to see him doing so. It was true that he was unable to use his ‘Shield’, but Brendel was
similarly unable to avoid his attacks.
2081
[A fool who doesn’t think of the consequences.]
Amman chortled and extended out five fingers, with each finger emitting a cross-shaped light: “Holy
Smite!”
Five bullets of light fired at the same time. Amman did not use his full strength, believing that his attack
was unlikely to reach his opponent given the youth’s skills. He was thus prepared to prepare a second
spell, ready to predict and aim for Brendel’s escape route with a ‘Holy Word, Bind’ spell.
But the next event nearly made him misfire his spell due to the loss of his concentration.
Brendel did not avoid the bullets and instead rushed straight into them.
[Has this fool gone mad! Even though my spell is made in haste, all five of them hitting a Gold-ranker
would still kill him immediately!]
Amman stared blankly at the Holy Smite spell piercing through Brendel’s shoulders and abdomen, the
dull thuds resounding throughout his ears. However, he did not care if Veronica was going to be furious
with him, the problem was—
That youth still moved like he was uninjured.
[How is this possible! Why do you move like you’re fine— A berserker?]
Even Veronica would be gravely injured for facing his spell head on. But there was sanity in Brendel’s
clear eyes and he denied that possibility.
The moment of hesitation made it impossible for Amman to do anything, but even if the youth used
Halran Gaia, it was unlikely for his attack to work. He had cast a new layer of protection onto his robes,
which had an astonishing amount of protection in the first place and was used by generations. It was even
capable of defending an attack from the Lernaia Hydra.
But Brendel’s actions were a feint and he hugged the old priest.
“Unhand me, you scoundrel!” Amman did not think that a Gold-ranked swordsman would grab him, but
he quickly realized that it was an effective move against him, as he was unable to move his arms and
hands.
As a priest who was respected by people, this was the only time where he encountered an attack like
someone in a street fight. He fumbled in a panic, trying out ways to free himself, before he realized
Brendel was moving towards a certain direction.
2082
Brendel was effective here because he was too familiar with restricting the actions of wizards and priests
in the game. It was not entirely effective to simply hold onto Amman, but he believed that it would work
for a few seconds.
Brendel’s gamble paid off, and Amman was unable to find a way against this absurd tactic. Veronica
suddenly cried out to the Archbishop: “Watch out!”
Amman turned his head subconsciously, and he immediately paled. The squires were unable to stop the
Lernaia Hydra by drawing its attention, and there was a dragon head approaching the youth and him.
[This brat is trying to kill himself along with me!]
Amman had correctly guessed Brendel’s true intention. The Lernaia Hydra’s appeared bigger and bigger
in the Archbishop’s wide eyes, and the monster opened its jaws to reveal individual fangs that were razor
sharp. As it approached him, he could not help but yell out in a crazed manner.
“Let go of me now, have you gone mad!”
“Why, Your Eminence, you’re a revered Archbishop from the Cathedral. Do you still fear madness?”
Brendel carried him towards the monster while he bared his gleaming white teeth while he smiled coldly.
“Brendel!” Veronica’s pupils shrank when she saw the youth rush towards the dragon’s head coming for
them: “What are you doing, let go of him!”
She did not think that Brendel would be so bold as to kill Amman. Even though she did not think much of
the old man, she would be a witness to the death of an Archbishop from the Holy Cathedral of Flames.
This situation would become complicated. And—
“Let go of me! Young man, you would perish as well!” Amman had never felt fear ever since he became a
Bishop, his blood feeling like it was congealed in his veins, and he was on the verge of speaking nonsense.
“You, if anything, I will drag you down to the depths of hell,” Brendel snarled as he glared into Amman’s
eyes.
Amman was stared into silence before he squealed like a frightened pig: “You…… dare to kill an
Archbishop from the Cathedral……”
Brendel showed a face of fury and hatred and activated his Charge ability.
Both men crashed into the dragon’s open mouth at a dazzling speed, and a fang that was nearly half a
meter long jutted out from Amman’s back as he stared at it in disbelief. With the combined force from
Brendel and the Hydra’s charge, the robe failed to protect Amman.
2083
The old Archbishop vomited a large mouthful of blood, and the immense pain caused him to flail his limbs
as he groaned and coughed without stopping. Brendel was just as hurt as the fang pierced through his
chest. He had managed to move his body slightly and was able to prevent the fang from going through his
heart.
And it went through his left lung instead.
Brendel coughed out blood in a matter of seconds. Red warnings appeared in his retina, warning him of
imminent death. It reminded him of the moment when he appeared in this world and got impaled by the
skeletons’ swords.
[It’s not just a simple case of blood loss, the left lung has been damaged severely. It hurts so much that I’m
seeing stars—]
“My lord!” Scarlett screamed.
The youth sobered up and shook his head. Grey colored words filled in his eyes, proving that the
Unyielding talent was activated. But his hands were almost trembling and he felt weak all over his body.
[The damage is too severe? If this happened in the game, I would still be performing as though I was
uninjured—]
Thoughts flashed through his mind like a quiet stream, but once he shook his head, he quickly assessed
the situation in front of him. The Lernaia Hydra’s head was about to close and bite down on both of them.
He knew that it would be all over if the mouth clamped down on them, and he released his hold on
Amman, then drew out Halran Gaia and stabbed upwards.
The blade sank deeply into the dragon head’s soft upper mouth till only its hilt could be seen, and the
monster lifted its head and roared in pain. Brendel pulled out his sword and aimed for the monster’s
throat. A bullet of wind smashed through it and caused the mist to scatter like blood, and the feedback
from it propelled him away with a tremendous force. His body sailed through the air like a cannonball
and he broke through several tree branches, before crashing down on a bush. If it was not for his body
stronger that was stronger than the average human by nearly a hundred times, this would have ended his
life.
Still, he felt dizzy from the immense impact. Pain assaulted him quickly and he stumbled, but he got up
once more through sheer will.
Brendel’s hand moved up to his lips as he started coughing to expel the blood in his throat. Bloodshot
eyes started scanning the area, and he discovered Veronica drawing the fake Lernaia Hydra’s attention.
The squires looked like they were lost, and Amman was probably dead.
2084
“My lord!”
Brendel heard Scarlett yell out to him, full of worry and tension.
“I’m not dead yet.” He declared.
“But you will soon be,” Orthlyss’s voice wormed into his mind with a great sigh. “that was beyond
reckless. It’s a miracle that you are not dead yet.”
“I know.” Brendel could not help but laugh, but his laughter was soon converted into a serious of coughs.
The dragon head that he had injured was still dancing madly in the air, but he did not care and started
moving towards the grey gemstone that dropped onto the ground.
“Amman’s gemstone.” Orthlyss was momentarily surprised.
“Indeed,” he said.
“You….. are still obsessed this trifling object at this juncture?”
Brendel laughed again as he picked the gemstone up, and this time his maniac-like laughter was
successfully carried through the windless mist.
“A gamer’s soul…… I would say. Always aim for opportunities, I would say. I will never forget my origin, I
would say……” Brendel’s voice was almost raspy and waning, his legs struggling to keep him upright.
“Gamer?” Orthlyss was confused.
“Yes,” Brendel nodded as the world around him turned dark, “that is…… my true self, no matter what…… I
won’t forget…… my goals and motives.”
“My lord!” Scarlett called out to Brendel once again, this time appearing next to the youth, though her
voice appeared like a badly-tuned radio to him.
“We need to leave this area…… It’s unsafe.” Brendel whispered in a hurry as Scarlett caught him before he
fell to the ground, and placed his arm over her shoulder, helping him walk forward.
The girl wiped the corners of her eyes and nodded. The fact that he was still able to speak made her feel
much more at ease. She thought herself as someone with resolve, but could not stop herself from
panicking at the thought of Brendel’s death.
If she could, she would rather take on Brendel’s injuries and die instead, so that the anguish in her heart
would not be felt. She gritted her teeth as she could not tell whether there was some level of selfishness
to this thought.
2085
The youth held the fragment in his hand tightly and closed his eyes, shuffling in and out of consciousness,
not knowing if the Demonic Fog Nightmare was still chasing them. Eventually, Scarlett realized that the
youth’s footsteps were getting slower.
“My lord! Please, you can’t sleep here! You must have a solution!” She cried out desperately.
Light returned to Brendel’s eyes. He thought for a moment and fumbled around in his bag, taking out
several Health Potions. These were taken from Graudin’s collection. He had concocted a batch that was
made with his Alchemy skills while being aided by Merial, but most of them were distributed to the
youths.
“Here, my lord, these are my Health Potions.” Scarlett understood what he was trying to do.
He gulped down the contents of the five small bottles.
[It’s no good. I recovered a little HP, but the bleeding damage will eventually drain away everything.
Health Potion number 21. It is really the weakest Health Potion out there. Even a priest-in-training could
make them, but the effectiveness is awful. Gamers used to call it a painkiller–]
Brendel’s current HP went past the critical zone, but he knew that the injury was too grave and would
continue to whittle down his HP.
[Luck is my only option.]
“Scarlett.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Listen carefully, if we continue south, there should be a Safe Zone.”
“Safe Zone?”
Brendel could not control his coughings. There was no time to explain, and the warnings in his retina
were increasing. His life could end at any time given his condition. He took a deep breath and explained:
“It’s the same as the White Cliffs of Divinity. Bring me there.”
“Perhaps we should go back to Lady Merial? Your wounds—”
Brendel interrupted her: “You are not to go back. This is an order.”
If Veronica managed to escape from the Demonic Fog Nightmare, she would most likely guess that the
youth retreating back to Amandina, and they would be caught. If she somehow ended up getting killed,
the Demonic Fog Nightmare’s mist was all over the valley. The chances to survive were equally bad.
“But……”
2086
“Let’s go.”
[There is no retreat here. The only path to survival is to enter the Loop of Trade Winds. But I’m the only
one who knows how to enter it. It is there that survival is guaranteed for everyone. And it’s the first step
to find the legendary Valhalla, and light the Fire Seed of the Dark Forest. The first long-term goal that I set
ever since I came to this world. The first step to changing Aouine—]
The youth did not tell Scarlett to leave him behind even though he knew he was dying.
The Unyielding Talent ended at that moment, and the world turned black.
2087
Chapter 168 – God’s Acolyte
============== Veronica’s POV ==============
The Lernaia Hydra became berserk after getting injured. Multiple dragon heads roared in fury, chasing
after the remaining squires who fled after seeing Amman killed, as well as attacking Veronica with
renewed vigor in order to vanquish the insignificant insects who challenged it.
The squires were already pushed to the limits just to distract the monstrous dragon heads to buy Amman
time in casting his spell, but his death immediately sent their morale to the pits. Their formation was
crushed in an instant when more dragon heads appeared. Many of them were bitten in half by the dragon
heads that appeared out of nowhere, and it was as though the forest had become hell with shrieks and
screams filling the area.
Veronica’s brows were furrowed greatly and she kept using her Sword Energy to parry the Lernaia
Hydra’s attacks, but it was not the death of the knights or even her own safety that confused her.
It was Amman’s death.
When she saw Brendel’s eyes, her heart seemed to stop beating for a moment, because she did not think
Brendel would actually risk his own life to kill an Archbishop from the Holy Cathedral of Fire.
It was a faction that held a powerful rule over the kingdoms that had allied with it, which naturally
included Aouine and the Kirrlutz Empire. Even if the high ranking Cardinals in Kirrlutz were able to wield
the right to speak for the Holy Cathedral of Fire, they would never go against the colossal faction.
The authority from the Holy Cathedral of Fire had long entered the populace’s hearts, and everyone
feared and revered them. Anyone who stood against the Cathedral would be standing against the entire
Fire Alliance.
Other than the Holy Wars that appeared over the eras, no one dared to challenge the Cathedral.
Veronica’s position was indeed higher than Amman, but she would never dare to kill him. The Empire
would never split off from the Fire Alliance over a commander.
“That fool…..” Veronica gritted her teeth and gripped her sword so tightly that her fingers became white.
This event that happened today had to be buried in her heart forever.
She took a deep breath.
2088
It was complicated because the source of today’s events could be traced back to Faena, and the reason of
inciting Amman to attack Brendel was due to a stupid rock that the girl wanted.
The internal strife between the Kirrlutz Empire and Aouine led to the death of an Archbishop.
If the news of Amman’s death ended up spreading, then it would be a question about the authority of the
Holy Cathedral of Fire if they did not retaliate against this transgression. Any kingdom which did not
desire to be placed under ‘Divine’ authority, would start to act in the shadows. It was sufficient to make a
political shakedown because the Holy Cathedral of Fire’s authority would be questioned if they did not
act.
The Emperor from Kirrlutz might have even thought about it before, a secession from the Fire Alliance.
Thus, the concluding result might end up as accusing Veronica and the others who made their way to the
Green Tower of false charges and subjecting them to a ‘sacred judgment’. Even Veronica had to shudder
when she came to that conclusion. When she finally created some space for herself, she glanced around
and realized that Brendel was nowhere to be found.
But it was a given that Brendel died from being impaled by the dragon’s head, and she figured that the
red-haired girl must have brought his corpse away from the forest. It was a pity. The youth’s headstrong
personality had won her admiration, and she could not help but remember the time when she was young.
It was not as if she was willing to submit to the world’s unfairness.
It was a pity, that he had to be someone from Aouine.
================ Scarlett’s POV =============
Scarlett carried the unconscious Brendel past the place where they came from where she lost her
halberd. She followed Brendel’s instructions, moving to the south and crossing over the valley, to reach
the ancient ridge outside the Loop of Trade Winds.
In order to reach the ‘Safe Zone’ Brendel had talked about, she had not slept for two days, but Brendel’s
breathing was becoming weaker and weaker, making her uneasy and constantly questioning if she was
traveling in the wrong direction. In order to keep her spirits up, she spoke to the unconscious Brendel
about various topics, but he never once answered her.
Her heart felt empty and she did not know how she could face the fact that Brendel might stop breathing
forever at any given time. Bleak thoughts constantly flashed in her mind, and she even started to
whimper with teary eyes at a certain point in time. She even felt that someone was watching her all the
time.
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The more she walked to the south, the fewer trees appeared before her eyes. The dark green vegetation
had become a dull yellow. Even though the location was shrouded in an endless night where there was no
sun, the occasional flashes of light from the Mana in the clouds illuminated the area from time to time.
The grass in the area was distributed in patches like a balding man’s hair. Naked rocks jutted out from the
dark soil, with trees far apart from each other in the distant. The road was completely silent ahead.
In her exhaustion, she lost count of the hours and was unable to tell if it had been more than two days,
but she finally found the place where Brendel was speaking off. It was a gigantic boulder lying in the
midst of an empty clearing. There seemed to be a slight glow on the rocks, and there was an air of divinity
around it.
There was no need to question it anymore, it was definitely the right place.
The girl half-climbed and half-crawled over to it. The exhaustion, anxiety, and tension finally
overwhelmed her and she stumbled over a rock that was jutting out.
Brendel tumbled far away from her. Scarlett stood up from the ground with gritted teeth, ignoring the
pain on her elbows and hands, rushing over to the youth in order to carry him. Liquid filled the youth’s
clothes and she immediately knew that his injuries were infected, but there was nothing she could do.
The girl hesitatingly reached over Brendel’s chest. His heart was still beating, but it was so faint that she
could hardly feel it. Scarlett could not help but cry with her hands covered over her cracked lips. She was
cold and hungry too. There was another bag she had carried that she had tied to a tree, and she forgot to
take it because she could think of running away from the Hydra.
The necessities of food and water in the bag were all left behind.
She cried for a while before she carried Brendel and placed him on the boulder. She did not dare to leave
him behind and simply sat beside him in a daze, hoping for a miracle where her lord would just get better
by himself.
But things did not go the way she hoped for as she fell asleep from exhaustion.
A few hours later, she woke up in a dizzy state and realized that the body’s youth was glowing.
But this situation was anything but good news. Mana was leaking out from Brendel’s body. This
phenomenon would only happen to a Gold-ranker when they awakened their Element Power while
approaching death.
If Brendel was awake, he would have declared it was over for him. However, Scarlett did not know what
it signified and gingerly felt Brendel’s heart, only to discover that his body was as cold as the air around
her. She started panicking, but she could not come up with an idea.
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But right at that moment a voice suddenly came from behind her:
“Hmmm?”
It was a woman’s voice.
Scarlett’s thoughts were momentarily halted, and she turned around with her guard up to see who it was.
The only woman who was here could only be Veronica. But it surprised her to see a strange-looking
woman walking closer towards them.
[No, to be more precise, the upper half body is a woman, and the lower half looks like some kind of living
plant?]
Scarlett did not recognize who the strange woman was, but she recognized the unconscious girl that was
wrapped around with vines and hanging behind the latter.
[This woman is most likely responsible for the disappearances of Dia and the nobles!]
She subconsciously tried to pull out her dagger, only to realize that she had lost it long ago.
Her teeth clenched and unclenched, and she looked warily at Andesha.
“Who are you?” She asked, her voice raspy and her throat dry enough to hurt.
Andesha studied Scarlett with great interest. The dangerous woman kept on smiling at her without even
looking at Brendel at all.
“Little girl,” her voice had a little sex appeal to it, I seem to know you.
“I don’t recognize you.” Even though Scarlett felt dizzy, she used one hand to protect Brendel and replied
to Andesha through gritted teeth.
“No, no,” Andesha’s eyes narrowed into slits and she shook her head, “what I mean to say is, you have a
very familiar scent on your body.”
Scarlett did not respond, but Andesha’s smile became broader.
“I remember now, this scent is the Blood of Gods!” Her eyes brightened and she licked her lips: “Should I
call you the Acolyte of Lightning?”
Scarlett’s expression warped, and her face turned as white as a sheet. The pain that the Blood of Gods
gave to her was as sharp as a blade cutting into her. She could not forget that very day when she was
killed by that member of the Tree Shepherd, then revived as a puppet only to wait for her soul to be
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completely destroyed. The nightmares that haunted her daily nearly drove her to the edge of insanity. If it
was not for her lord, she knew that she would become a monster long ago, just like the Acolyte of Earth,
Ekman.
She stared at Andesha with wide eyes, knowing very clearly in her heart that she was also likely to be a
member of—
“The….. Tree Shepherds?” Scarlett was almost unable to breathe, but she squeezed out her words.
“Hah, you actually know of us. But if I think about it, it’s not really surprising,” Andesha replied, “since the
Blood of Gods run through your veins, you’re naturally one of us.”
She tilted her head.
“But it’s a little strange. You seem to possess your own will.”
“I’m not an Acolyte!” Scarlett took in a deep breath and denied with great agitation: “I’m not part of you
either!”
“Oh no, no, no, no,” Andesha looked at Scarlett, her expression becoming brighter and brighter, “it seems
like this trip’s gain isn’t small at all, other than Kirrlutz’s little princess, I actually have an accidental
windfall. A wandering Acolyte, hmmm, now who is it who gave you the Blood of Gods?”
Scarlett glared at her without answering.
“It’s fine, I will know of it eventually. Since from now onwards, little girl, you will be part of my victory
spoils.”
“Never!” Scarlett shuddered.
“Really? But, it, is, not, up, to, you.”
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Chapter 169 – The Blood of Darkness
A vine shot out at Scarlett at a startling speed, but it was clear that Andesha underestimated the latter’s
strength. Even though she was tired and hungry, she was able to take Brendel along with her and
somersaulted into the air, dodging the vine’s attack.
Scarlett’s eyes were full of hatred as she stared at Andesha. She did not know that Andesha was one of the
twelve leaders of the Tree Shepherds, but she knew that she was definitely not a match for her.
Andesha was taken aback and lightly mumbled to herself in surprise: “Hmmm? Isn’t the Acolyte of
lightning a spellcaster type? An altered bloodline? My, my, what amazing luck.”
But the arrogant woman pulled back her whip-like vine and did not attack again, and instead looked at
Scarlett with her light purple eyes: “You’re not my match. Come with me obediently, and this lady will not
hurt you.”
Scarlett shook her head firmly.
“Tsk,” Andesha let a vine hang loosely, “humans are truly creatures who don’t weep unless they face
death. Listen well, I cannot ensure that I don’t hurt you in the process.”
Scarlett merely readied her stance and prepared to attack anytime. Her fingers were curled into claws,
and golden sigils suddenly appeared over her arms.
[Mana Resonance?]
But Andesha denied her own guess: “No, it is not.”
As heretics who acted in the name of Chaos, the Tree Shepherds had an instinctive sense towards Mana
movement. Even though the mysterious symbols on Scarlett’s arms seemed like they reacted with the
Mana in the vicinity, there was a definite subtle difference.
It was more alike to a wizard’s Mana Sigils that they cast.
Andesha was getting increasingly curious. There were too many strange things with the little girl in front
of her, and she could not wait to study her closely. She raised an index finger, and a vine whipped
towards Scarlett. The latter dodged carefully to the sides, but the vine changed its direction as though it
was alive and wrapped itself around her left wrist. Scarlett panicked a little and quickly clawed at it with
her right hand, and actually tore it to pieces.
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[What sharpness!]
Andesha was a little surprised. Even though her vines seemed like it was quite thin, it was infused with a
corrosive Element Power. It was highly resilient and even a normal magic weapon would not be able to
cut through it easily and in fact get damaged by it, but it was torn to pieces by Scarlett’s nails.
However, she was one of the twelve leaders of the Tree Shepherds after all. During the time when Scarlett
was dealing with the single vine, more vines broke through the earth below Andesha’s feet and rushed to
Scarlett at incredible speed while she was distracted, and they easily overwhelmed her and bound the
red-haired girl up.
Scarlett tried to resist, but Andesha’s vines pulled taut and restricted her movements. She gritted her
teeth and used her mana to attack the blood crystal embedded in her heart. Lightning immediately
fanned out around her body before they targeted for her heart.
In Andesha’s eyes, this act represented suicide. The majority of the Acolytes throughout the ages would
do this instinctively through the Blood of Gods’s directive when they are captured by the enemies. This
was done to prevent the factions outside the Tree Shepherds from gaining a sample of the Blood of Gods.
And Scarlett was doing the same thing with her own will to kill herself. Even though she could not fight
back, her eyes bore into Andesha with great hatred. It was clear her blazing orange eyes had one
meaning.
I rather die than submit.
“What are you doing!” Andesha gasped, her mind working quickly to try and dissuade Scarlett from doing
this act.
And she finally spotted the unconscious Brendel. She stretched her hand out and a vine wrapped the
near-dead youth and hoisted him into the air, while another vine with a sharp pointed edge was brought
close to his throat.
“Stop your actions right now, or this boy ceases to live!” Andesha’s shrill voice invaded Scarlett’s ears.
The girl shuddered and her suicidal actions stopped immediately. Her teeth gnashed for a moment before
she spoke again:
“Despicable!”
“Hmph, but this is for your own good, little girl.” Andesha relaxed before she smiled again, and Scarlett
averted her head.
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Andesha was certain that Scarlett will kill herself immediately if the youth was left behind. She could not
help but feel a little conflicted. An Acolyte was quite useful to the Tree Shepherds, and not to mention the
strange signs Scarlett which also made Andesha interested.
[But I can’t possibly bring a filthy man along— What in the name of Chaos, it’s this boy!]
“Brendel, is it? Tsk, tsk, how did he end up like this?” Andesha glanced at him before she realized in
surprise, but she spoke sarcastically next: “Let me guess, this would be the handiwork of the people from
Kirrlutz?”
Scarlett’s eyes went back to the woman in surprise.
“There’s no need to be surprised, there is nothing that can be hidden from me.” Andesha laughed
mysteriously, though she noted there was a stench on him that she abhorred— The divine magic from the
Holy Cathedral of Fire had left their marks on Brendel’s wounds. A scheme suddenly came into her mind
“He’s your current lord?”
Scarlett did not answer.
“Your lord does not seem like he can live much longer,” Andesha patted her face in glee when she saw
Scarlett’s body tremble, “Mana is pouring out of his body, and for people who awakened their Element
Power like us, it is no different from our life leaving our bodies. Do you wish to accompany this male till
he dies? That is fine, this lady shall accompany you in doing so.”
Scarlett gritted her teeth and answered earnestly:
“I know why you’re talking so much. You can save my lord. I understand, if you can really do so— I’ll
follow you.”
It took a long time for the girl to finish her words.
“A wise decision.”
“But you should remember this. If my lord dies, then there is no meaning for me to continue living.”
Scarlett’s eyes were cold.
“Threatening me, is it? What a passionate love, but don’t you worry. I will do exactly as I say, and that he
will not die here.” Andesha gave a faint smile.
[This boy seems like he has offended the Holy Cathedral of Fire as well, and it is not impossible for him to
become a member of the Tree Shepherds.]
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Andesha spied on Brendel when she was searching for Faena. At that time, the youth was dealing with the
Misthowler Warg, and his strength left a great impression on her. Dia was the one who supplied the
youth’s name.
[He is quite the impressive youth.]
She walked up towards the youth and patted his face: “I’ll help you for the sake of the Acolyte of
Lightning.”
“Can you really save him?” Scarlett felt uncomfortable when she saw Andesha’s actions. At that moment,
she suspected whether Andesha was lying to her.
“Judging at the speed of his Mana loss, it will at most take another one or two hours before he expires. But
saving him is easy, and I just need to replenish what is lost—” Andesha suddenly gasped in astonishment
when she realized the severity of the youth’s injuries: “How quaint, he didn’t die immediately from such
injuries? I would have thought that he’s an Acolyte if he survives such injuries, but since I do not detect
the Blood of Gods, perhaps he is not a human? …… Well, he would eventually be one in any case.”
Scarlett heard Andesha’s mutterings and she roared: “What do you mean by that!”
Andesha’s head slowly moved to Scarlett’s direction.
Her eyes never looked more sinister.
“Then, child, in what manner do you think I would save him?” Her voice was pleasant, but Scarlett never
felt more fear than she did now.
“You can’t use the Blood of Gods……” She could not believe how ruthless Andesha was and she struggled
at once: “Stop!”
“Stop?” Andesha took out a black crystal before she stopped, waiting patiently: “Is that really what you
want? Remember this, this is the only way you can save your lord, or he will definitely die.”
Scarlett was silenced. She stared at Andesha in disbelief, but she eventually spoke: “You……. You’re lying.”
“Of what reasons do I have to deceive you, child? I am not the priests from the Holy Cathedral who have
the ability to raise the near-dead and fallen. I can save this boy, but this is my only way.”
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Chapter 170 – Item of Destiny
Andesha held up the crystal up to show Scarlett, watching the little girl chew her lips in hesitation:
“In any case, I shall revive him, and you will follow me willingly. The Blood of Gods in this crystal has the
purest Darkness Element in it and I am not willing to use it, if it’s not to acquiesce to your request.”
“You……”
But Andesha finally lost her patience. She suddenly realized that Brendel was actually an incredible
candidate, no, he was possibly the best candidate for an Acolyte she had ever seen. He was someone who
became a Gold-ranker at his age and had even awakened his Element Power. Otherwise, Mana would not
be leaking out from his body.
Andesha ignored Scarlett’s struggles and directly pierced Brendel’s heart with the pointed crystal.
Brendel lightly groaned and frowned in his unconscious state.
“Nooo!” Scarlett stared with wide eyes as she wailed in despair.
Andesha clapped her hands as if to clear off the dust and looked back at Scarlett.
“Hmmm. Indeed, there are cases where Acolytes who don’t survive or loses their will after receiving the
Blood of Gods, but there are exceptions like yourself, and your lord has a very good chance of succeeding.
Don’t be too eager to kill yourself, little girl, you might be separated from your Lord forever!”
It was difficult for the Blood of Gods to corrupt someone with an Element Power because of their
immense will, but it also depended on an individual’s mastery. In addition, there was another lie within
Andesha’s words. The Blood of Gods she had was the purest amongst the ones distributed to the
members of the Tree Shepherds. Even someone like Veronica would be unlikely to suppress it, and she
did not think the youth would be able to succeed.
Even though Scarlett hated Andesha, the latter’s words could not suppress the sliver of hope that sprung
with her heart. Her eyes went towards Brendel and she watched the Blood of Gods spread through her
young lord’s veins, biting her lips as she prayed for a miracle to happen.
Suddenly, Andesha snapped her head to Brendel as she felt a peculiar vibration behind her. A golden
point on Brendel’s body had suddenly appeared, and it rushed straight towards one of the many black
lines from the Blood of Gods, and the black line was converted into a golden line that went straight back
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to the sources. A second point, a third point, countless points appeared and overwhelmed the black lines
as though they were consuming the Blood of Gods.
“This is……”
Andesha stared at the blinding golden crystal with a slacked jaw. She had seen countless people
transformed into Acolytes, but she had never seen this sight before, and felt that things were going out of
her expectations. Her hands subconsciously tried to take out the crystal, but as soon as her skin came into
contact, she screamed. It was as though her hands were plunged into molten lava.
She withdrew her hands to inspect them and discovered her skin completely blistered, even peeling off a
little.
The light from the vibrating crystal continued to intensify, and the golden rays emitted from it lit nearly
half the valley.
“A divine bloodline! A divine bloodline! The bloodline of a true god!” Andesha muttered to herself with a
stunned expression as she held her breath, refusing to believe her eyes: “He’s a descendant of the gods!
How can this be!?”
But the golden lines on Brendel’s suddenly stopped, and Andesha’s expression changed once more. The
divine energy was reaching out to one of the star constellations in the sky.
“No, this isn’t good!” Andesha came back to her senses as she realized she was not the only strong entity
in the Dark Forest. Veronica and Mephisto were lurking around somewhere, not to mention the strange
fog demon masquerading as a Hydra. Countless vines rushed over Brendel’s body to blanket the divine
energy, but an immense beam of light reached for the heavens—
[I’m too late!]
The light parted the clouds and reached for the seventh constellation in the sky.
The Dragon of Combat, Fafnir.
================= Brendel’s POV ================
– System alert: The Blood of Origins is compatible.
– Repairing started.
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The nearly unconscious Brendel felt himself floating in an endless sea of darkness, until a voice echoed in
his mind and pulled him back to reality.
The youth immediately sensed needles prickling into him from the heart, and he could not help but cry
out in pain as the foreign energy invaded his body. Then the flashing green words registered in his mind.
[The Blood of Origins!? That’s the system’s term for the Blood of Gods. Is someone using the Blood of
Gods on me?]
After a moment of surprise, he gritted his teeth and immediately tried to gather his Element Power to
resist the Blood of Gods’s invasion to his soul. Even though it was repairing his body, it would ultimately
turn him into a mindless puppet. But the pain only increased and he realized that his Mana was leaking
out of his body.
[I-I can’t stop it.]
The image on the system’s windows indicated that the Blood of Gods was reaching into his brain.
[Fuck, why is this happening!]
He glared at the floating screen as the core area was about to be affected.
– Detected an unknown Item of Destiny.
Brendel took a moment to understand what he was reading.
[Item of Destiny?! What item is near me? Wait, in the first place, where am I right now?]
– System Alert: Unknown Item of Destiny is interfering with the Blood of Origins.
– System Alert: Unknown Item of Destiny has been forcefully activated.
Brendel looked at the messages with a stupid expression.
[I didn’t even get to refuse or accept it….. Is this the result of the Blood of Gods invading my soul? No,
wait, it’s saying that the Item of Destiny is interfering with the Blood Of Gods. I’m confused……]
There was a sudden change in the scenery before his eyes, and he discovered himself sitting down on a
cold golden throne. The youth had never seen any descriptions of an Item of Destiny manifesting itself in
this manner.
Fingers traced the golden metallic armrest, and they withdrew quickly as a sobering cold invaded them.
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Brendel finally calmed down as he felt the sensation on his fingertips, and he started to think about his
situation.
“Where is this place?” He muttered and sighed.
The area around him was dimly illuminated, but he soon realized it was a vast hall. Obsidian pillars with
an intricate design extended endlessly into darkness. A slight streak of pain pulsed through his mind as
he peered into the cold, empty darkness. It was almost as if he was being strangled.
He averted his gaze and swept the surroundings.
[There’s no one here. Where is this? Am I awake or unconscious?]
He narrowed his eyes and tried to find anything that was out of the ordinary. Suddenly, he spotted a glint
in front of him. It was a golden throne, not unlike the one he was sitting at, and on it was also a person.
[He’s looking at me— Wait, is this a mirror in front of me? Am I looking at myself?]
He continued to look at the throne opposite of him, about to raise a hand to test whether it was a mirror,
when a low booming voice reached into his ears. It was not a grating voice, but a little heavy. The voice
crossed a great distance, but it was clear as though that person was speaking next to him:
“Announce your name formally.”
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Chapter 171 – Ancestral Descendant
Brendel asked the man instead of answering:
“Who are you?”
“Me?” Came the reply.
The man opposite of Brendel suddenly laughed. He placed an upright arm on the throne’s armrest, tilting
sideways, and placed his chin on his fist: “I am a fool.”
“What?”
Brendel’s brows furrowed a little.
[Is this some kind of quest? But I don’t recall anything like this in the Dark Forest, or even the other areas
in the game. No, calm down, think of how to respond. The first thing to do in the game with a setting like
this, would be to continue the conversation…… Hopefully, it’s not some kind of riddle.]
“Then why am I…… Why are you here?” He asked, wanting to ask why he had appeared in this place, but
changing his mind at the last moment.
“You should ask yourself this question, boy.” The voice said, demanding subservience.
“Me?” Brendel became nonplussed. “I apologize, I do not know why I am here. I did, however, offend a
woman, subsequently killed a bishop, and came to this place.”
There was mockery in his voice.
But the air in the vast hall turned cold, and the youth could feel the piercing gaze on him.
“It is a little interesting to know these additional bits of information from your lips, but these are not the
cause, they are the conclusion.”
“What?”
“For what reason did you lead your men towards death? Why did you fail to protect them? Most
importantly, do you truly not know the state you are in right now?”
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Brendel could not help but swallow.
“Fool. Such a fool,” the mysterious man laughed coldly as he watched Brendel’s reactions as though he
was pitying him, “even unto death you do not know how to regret your actions, such is the vanity of all
humans!”
The cause of his troubles was due to his oath before Makarov and the others. He was the one who
practically invited the various factions to travel to the Green Tower over the Lionheart. The Rock Key,
insulting Faena, fighting Veronica with the Holy Sword card, all of them were causes that led further to
his downfall. He even chose not to betray his core values to spite Amman.
Time seemed to pass painfully slow as Brendel continued remaining silent, agonizing over his decisions
on whether they were mistakes, while the mysterious tyrant simply stared at him.
“Enough. I no longer want to dwell on this matter.” It was ultimately the mysterious man who ended the
silence first.
“To answer the earlier question, you’re here because you’re carrying a Seed of Destiny.”
[Seed of Destiny? I don’t get it, is he talking about his artifact?]
But the youth dropped his jaw when he recalled Amman’s dropped gemstone and made a connection.
Perhaps the person in front of him was Farnezain, one of the four Sages who took on the role of the Priest
profession, in the form of a Heroic Spirit? The possibility was there because the Wind Empress and the
King of Fire left behind their Legacies. Even though the Pope’s Legacy did not appear in the game, it might
just mean that nobody discovered his Legacy.
[Farnezain, one of the four sages? His divine artifact put me here?]
“You are……” Brendel was almost stuttering.
[Of course! Orthlyss said that gemstone looked familiar. If it came from the same era, how could it not be
familiar— Wait, I remember that Farnezain’s artifact should be a staff, how did it end up as a gemstone?
Hmmm, perhaps the gemstone is one part of the staff?]
“Your Eminence,” Brendel’s tone became polite, “you refer to the gemstone that I’m carrying.”
“That gemstone you’re referring to is indeed a Seed of Destiny.”
“Excuse me?” Brendel’s head hurt when he heard that term.
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[So it’s the Item of Destiny after all that brought me here. I just gave one of the best Item of Destiny, the
Golden Apple, to Scarlett recently, and now I got another Seed of Destiny. It might even help suppress the
Blood of Gods! What luck!]
“Are you a member of the Golden Lineage?” The mysterious man asked.
Brendel’s mind threw aside the difficult questions and chose to focus on the current one. He decided to
answer truthfully: “I’m sorry, I’m not even a member of the Silver Lineage.”
“I see, so you are garbage. It is certainly fitting that you failed others and even yourself.”
There was a moment of silence. Anger flared in the youth’s heart, but it quickly subsided. Brendel did not
respond and his eyes look glazed at the supposed Heroic Spirit’s judgment. He failed in his past life, in the
game and reality, and when he came to this world, he doomed his allies in the Dark Forest, and in
extension, Aouine’s fate. He could not even save himself.
“The Blood of Gods isn’t something to be feared of most of the time, but the condition your body is in does
not allow you to use your Element Power to control it. Though I don’t think you are capable of resisting it
anyway,” the mysterious man said.
“What exactly do you want from me?” Brendel said.
“Ah, what should I do indeed? I thought you were at least from the Golden Lineage, but you said you are
not. If this is true, then why do you have our blood running through your veins? Garbage, perhaps, but
even so, you are still our descendant, and helping you is not out of the question.”
[What? Did you say ‘our blood’? ‘Descendant’? Are you saying that I’m one of direct lineage from one of
the members of the Holy Alliance? How can they be related to me?]
Brendel suddenly thought of his secretive grandfather; the latter possessed a Ring of the Wind Empress,
and now he was related to the human members of the Holy Alliance?
The youth could not help but think of the messy relationships in the royal families.
[This body’s genealogy traces back to one of the ancient royal lineage? But that’s unlikely, because this
body would at least have some traces of boosted stats to match someone from the Silver Lineage. Instead,
this body is perfectly average.]
“What exactly do you want from me?” Brendel asked again after thinking in confusion.
“A forgotten descendant of the past lineages, do you not understand what you are supposed to do?
Reclaim what is lost to you.” The mysterious person laughed: “Accept. Your. Destiny.”
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[What do you mean by accepting? Join the Holy Cathedral of Fire, or perhaps the other theocracies? What
insane conditions do I have to fulfill to get your Legacy?]
“What destiny am I supposed to accept?” Brendel asked.
“In this world, there are countless talented people, either gained from bloodlines, their races, or their
history,” the mysterious person sat up and pointed at himself, “but there are people who claimed their
own Talent because of their birth, opportunity, and fate. The invisible threads that join the connections
around them, which decide the path they are going to walk.”
The hall seemed to grow even darker than before.
“The Legacy that I bestow on you will be similar to your fate. Perhaps you will come to realize what my
Legacy means in the future, it is the key to unlock potential—”
“What do you gain from this?” Brendel asked in suspicion.
“I am merely waiting for someone to inherit my full Legacy.”
“…… It sounds like I have to go around searching for things again,” Brendel mumbled to himself.
The entire thing sounded like a huge chain quest.
“Oh? Indeed. It seems like you understand quite well of what is to be expected of you. Finding a true
successor is difficult, and the bloodline alone is already a strict condition.”
“I cannot refuse, can I? It sounds like a devil’s temptation!” Brendel vented in frustration.
“There is no need to test me,” the man shook his head, “the devils are my enemies.”
“…… Are you really Farnezain?”
Mocking laughter echoed directly into Brendel’s ears.
“Your imagination is rich indeed.”
The youth felt the personality of the mysterious person was too strange for a priest, but perhaps he was
one of the four Sages, though it did not seem like he was any of them.
“Who exactly are you?” The youth asked yet again.
“Collect more of the ‘gemstone’ that you possess right now. In truth, I sealed my soul in the Grey
Primordial Divinity after my death, but it was shattered into fragments during the great battle, and one of
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those fragments is the gemstone you hold right now. If you find all of them, you will find all the seeds
required to gain my full Legacy.”
Brendel stood up in shock and could not help but yell out, shivering: “You! Y-y-you…… are……”
The mysterious man nodded: “The Silver Elves called me Darnols, the witches addressed me as the Lord
of Eternal Darkness and Myriad Realms, but I prefer what you humans call me, Ooinn.”
“T-the Dragon of Darkness……”
“Afraid?”
[There was a video in the end-game where gamers fought again a projection cast by a fragmented
consciousness. So this is the human form? But he looks like a normal person.]
Brendel was at a great loss. Going by the history excerpts from the Kirrlutz’s poems, the Dragon of
Darkness was a supreme villain amongst villains, and he was a cliche tyrant who wanted to dominate the
entire world.
Now the protagonist of the cliche plotline was in front of him.
The Dragon of Darkness was mentioned just a little less than the Goddess Marsha in the game, and he was
actually tired of the NPCs mentioning him everywhere, but now that the real deal was in front of him, he
could not help but feel all sorts of negative emotions.
Upon the revelation, the cold eyes that stared at him now had made him afraid.
“What do you want to do with this world?”
“I am already dead. You should ask what you want to do.”
Brendel blinked a few times before registering that fact: “Are you really dead?”
The Dragon of Darkness nodded: “You should understand that what you see now is just a stream of
consciousness left behind by my soul.”
Brendel always thought that the Dragon of Darkness would surface as the final boss in the game, revived
in the final piece of content where gamers would have to face him, but he became relieved that the latter
would not come back.
The youth suddenly recalled Tulman and the Card of Fates. Did that old man not do a similar thing about
handing his Legacy down to him?
But when he thought of how many times he failed, and failed despite having so many advantages, he
doubted himself and was hesitant to accept the Dragon of Darkness’s offer.
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The Dragon of Darkness raised a hand, and a golden light shot into Brendel’s body, and his voice boomed:
“Still, it doesn’t matter even if you refuse me. I have made my decision to give you my Legacy; that woman
has angered me by giving you that filth. I will even lend you my flames for a while, but perhaps you are
too much of a weakling to defeat her. Go ahead and struggle like a fool, boy.”
“Wait……”
Pain flared up in Brendel’s body when the light struck him, and he convulsed involuntarily as he clutched
his throat, collapsing to the ground as the Dragon of Darkness’s laughter reverberated in his ears.
“—You have no choice but to face your destiny.”
These were the final words the youth heard before the world faded into darkness.
– System Notification: The destiny of ‘The Fool’ has been acquired.
Note: There are going to be spoilerish discussions in the comment section. Be careful when navigating
there.
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Chapter 172 – Interlock
=========== City Dwellers’ POV =========
It was the fifth day of the Wolves of Calamity, and the sky was still dark—
Heavy rain that blocked visibility was pouring down at the Green Tower’s area. All the watchtowers’ Fire
Seeds around the city, regardless of whether they were near or far, had been extinguished. The
surroundings were pitch black, with the exception of the purple lightning flashes that occurred and cut
through the darkness, as well as lighting up the rain to make it a sea of silver.
The wolves had broken past the final barrier outside the Green Tower. The snow-white Winter Wolves
and the Blight Wolves with their festering hides leaped past the stacked corpses of the Druids and Tree
Elves, appearing in front of the Green Tower’s natives.
The throng of wolves covered the earth like a flood. Their sharp claws dug into the ground and brought
the dirt up, stepping into murky rainwater intermixed with blood, and they passed through the rainstorm
with speed.
There were rows of people lining up in the rain, filled with both genders, young and old. The elderly held
back their emotions on their faces, while the youths had fear and uneasiness written on them. Rain slid
down from their heads to their throats. Lips were parted slightly, but no one dared to utter a sound, and
they gripped the weapons in their hands subconsciously.
One of the senior Druids stood behind such an ‘army’. He wielded an oak staff with a strict expression. In
his eyes, this group that was mostly comprised of youths was the Green Tower’s last bastion, and perhaps
the final and future hope of the Druids in this area. Under the threat of death, they had no choice but to
participate in the defense.
The Druids were already in place at the Green Tower’s lowest rung, the Great Hall of Autumn, and they
would try to bar the wolves from invading the inner city.
Everyone could hear the combined footsteps of the wolves, which seemed to be even louder than the rain
falling over the surroundings. The Fire Seed in the Green Tower shook as though it was afraid of the
terrifying army.
Perhaps, the darkness in front of them would remain for all eternity.
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The thousands of dwellers in the Green Tower would be swallowed up by the monsters. History would
remember them as numbers who perished, and who would stop to think that these numbers used to be a
husband, a son, a friend, a lover? The brilliance of these relationships would be gone forever.
The first batch of Winter Wolves emerged from the darkness. Their strength had been reduced to the
lowest they had ever been by the Green Tower’s Fire Seed. They would be rated as intermediate Iron-
ranked monsters, but their frightening numbers still made the people in the Green Tower tremble.
It was this aspect that made them feel despair. No matter how brave and heroic they were, they would
succumb to exhaustion in the end due to the endless attacks.
The wolves might have suffered casualties that were tens of times, perhaps even a hundred times more,
than the Druids and Tree Elves, and yet they came relentlessly and crashed into the defenders.
It was as if there was no end to the creatures.
The wall of brambles held back the first wave of wolves, but the second wave pushed forward without
any care to the former. Sharp thorns pierced through the Winter Wolves’ hides, staining their white fur
with their black corrupted blood. As more and more wolves collided into one another with their charge,
the first wave of wolves was reduced to crushed bones and mangled flesh. Eyeballs popped out of their
cracked sockets and eventually exploded.
The dying Winter Wolves screamed with pain, but their frenzied howls merely filled the defenders with
terror, as the monsters started climbing upwards on their dead to surmount the obstacle before them.
Blood and flesh were torn apart as the claws of the wolves dug down deep into the ground of corpses to
find a better foothold. Soon enough, the white wave of monsters went past the wall and rushed straight
towards the Tree Elves’ formation. A hole appeared in the formation as a tremendous impact struck at it.
The Winter Wolves bit and dragged the defenders away, and sharp cries could be heard throughout the
area.
================ Druids’ POV ================
The awful din from the rain covered all other noises.
The Druids of the Blackthorn Council were standing outside the Fire Seed’s courtyard. The situation was
dire and everyone knew it, but they could do nothing but wait for Brendel’s news. The Great Elder
glanced once at the Fire Seed. The flames were flickering unsteadily against the Mana of Chaos. Even
though the old man appeared calm, he was filled with anxiety.
Brendel should at least have shown some indication that they had reached their destination. Or perhaps
Quinn or Wydall would do so in his stead. The Great Elder could not help but look at Sifrid who was
holding on to his hand. The little girl had not spoken at all since Brendel left.
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“Great Elder, it’s about time,” one of tall Druids said.
But the old man shook his head after thinking for a moment.
Suddenly, vibrations ran through his heart. It was not only him; the other Druids felt it as well—
=============== Archmagi’s POV ==============
“It’s a huge Mana Wave that’s rarely seen,” William said.
He stood on one of the courtyards between the Green Tower and the Great Hall of Autumn. The rain that
fell over him hit an invisible barrier, which turned into a layer of water vapor.
In the eyes of the people around him, there was an invisible barrier in the shape of a perfect sphere that
covered the legendary wizard from the Silver Alliance. The barrier had a radius of one meter, and it even
made the ground to be perfectly dry, with the rainwater forming a small stream around it instead.
The elderly Archmage supported himself with a silver staff, with six Runestones hovering around it. If
Brendel were there, he would have blurted out its name; the Legendary-ranked staff, the Mithril
Brilliance, Legacy of the city Kanagi’s current reigning lord, one of the symbols that represented William’s
identity.
He lifted up his staff and randomly threw out several bolts of lightning, striking the few Winter Wolves
that had gotten past the Tree Elves’ defensive lines.
“Hmph. Haru said in the council meeting that this Mana Wave was nothing more than routine business.
But what did the Silver Candle Association tell him early on? They informed him that their Star Seers
discovered several stars out of place when they were observed the Constellation of the Twilight Dragon,
and that fool disregarded their warnings.”
The old man who was next to William snorted as well, lifting his white eyebrows. There was also a barrier
around him that blocked the rain, but it was not as exaggerated as William’s and did not dry the ground.
“And you came here because of this matter?” William turned to the old man and asked.
“Indeed, if something is wrong with the Loop of Trade Winds, the humans would have to abandon all the
cities south of Seale Ampere. Aouine is still half of my homeland.” The old man replied as he stared into
the dark sky. “I originally wanted to observe the situation, but it seems like it’s far more serious than I
imagined. Indeed, it’s even worse than the recorded history of the Holy War. If my rationality is not with
me, I would have suspected that Mother Marsha’s Law ‘Tiamat’ has a flaw in it.”
“I don’t like cold jokes like this,” William said as a lightning flash lit up his gaunt features white, “what do
you intend to do, my old friend, Tulman, kill all these monsters and protect them?”
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“Jest all you want, but I don’t have the capabilities to do so.” Tulman shot him a glare and took out a
crystal ball from his sleeves: “If these men are capable of defending this place, it will be a happy ending.
But if they can’t defend it, I’ll transfer the Blackthorn Council to another safe location. If I am to use their
words, ‘As long as there is a seed, a tree would grow and lay its roots’.”
“A Sphere of Teleportation,” William lifted his eyebrows, “you actually brought this thing here.”
“It’s called being prepared, old friend.”
“You’re mocking me again. I already told you, I came here not because of these messy affairs, but only to
meet up with an old friend.” William smiled and wagged a finger that was like a dry twig.
“You’re still talking about the Lionheart?” Tuman showed a mysterious smile: “You know that thing isn’t
here.”
“No, and I said this before, the important thing is not the sword, but the person behind it. Erik did not
become who he was because of the Lionheart, but the sword’s brilliance is due to my old friend.”
“Indeed, its brilliance was due to a man. Was Erik ever a Scholar? That boy he had chosen lied to me early
on, saying he wished to walk down the path of a scholar. Once I confirm the news of the Sage Slate, I’ll
settle the score with him.”
William could not help but laugh.
“There are moments when you get fooled?”
“That boy isn’t someone simple. You should be careful if you ever deal with him, or I would be looking at a
future joke.”
William did not take heed of Tuman’s warning. He looked at the struggling Tree Elves and changed the
subject: “How long do you think they can last?”
“An hour.”
“And then?”
“The Tree Elves and Druids should have another batch of elites, and the Centaurs in the town could form
another group of guards. But their defense will only last a day at the longest.”
“A day.”
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Tuman was not wrong, the Druids had done their best. Even if they were to choose a more strategical
place, like fighting the Winter Wolves in the city alleys, they would only last a few more hours.
William stared towards the south. There were a few pillars of light still shining in the distance. The
legendary wizard’s thin lips moved a few times as though he was thinking about something. Suddenly, his
eyes widened—
He turned to Tuman and saw the same reaction on his old friend’s face.
It was a massive Mana Resonance.
A powerful golden pillar of light connected the earth and sky in the southern Dark Forest, piercing
through the clouds and dispelling them before it reached for the stars.
The Druids next to the Fire Seeds looked at it in shock: “What is that?”
But another shocking thing happened. It was not even a second later, when another golden pillar of light
shot out from the Loop of Trade Winds.
[Another Mana resonance!]
“That boy!” Tuman said immediately and frowned.
William found this scene to appear familiar to him. He glanced at Tuman before he took a step forward
and disappeared into thin air.
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Chapter 173 – Awakening
============ Mephisto’s POV ===========
Mephisto raised his head and saw a pillar of light reaching for the stars. He then turned his gaze on the
distant pillar of light that mirrored it, then stood up from the bushes and patted off the leaves off him.
A few seconds later, he narrowed his gleaming eyes and started walking towards to the first pillar of light.
The Sword Saint of Ashes had the easiest time escaping from the Lernaia Hydra, but he did not expect to
lose his way in the Dark Forest.
============ Andesha’s POV ============
Golden flames were pouring out from the crystal embedded from Brendel’s chest.
Andesha had countless green tentacles of vines growing out from her back and they shot towards
Brendel. She attempted to quell the immense Mana emanating from him a second time, but her steel-like
tentacles started burning like paper on a flame upon meeting the light, and they turned into ashes in the
blink of an eye.
She screamed, hurriedly withdrawing the tentacles that were everywhere in the vicinity. The golden light
seemed like it had the capability to burn her soul, and she felt waves of pain crawling over her skin.
The leader of the Tree Shepherd suddenly turned to the trees, sensing something. Her purple eyes
suddenly contracted as she saw a green light flashing from the valley.
“She comes really quickly,” Andesha said through gnashing teeth.
She hastily moved back and grabbed Scarlett’s arm, speaking in a low voice:
“It is still not the time to fight with that woman. My little darling, come with me now.”
But she did not expect to meet resistance and failed to move Scarlett. She turned around in surprise, only
to discover that Scarlett was grabbing on a boulder that was jutting out from the ground.
“I’m not going with you.” Scarlett was looking fearlessly at Andesha’s eyes with determination, and she
spoke each word with a pause.
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“How dare you!” Andesha’s voice went up several octaves: “You promised me! As long as I cured him, you
will follow me!”
“But I didn’t say anything about keeping my promise. I will not leave my lord, kill me if you want to.”
Andesha was stunned for a moment. The image of the Tree Shepherds was their cunningness and broken
promises. It was unthinkable that she would fell for a little girl’s lie. Even if she wanted to kill Brendel
now to get back at her trickery, the golden flames around the Blood of Gods might not allow her to do so.
She trembled in fury and smacked Scarlett’s head with the back of her hand, causing the girl to utter a
short cry and fall unconscious to the ground.
But this short delay allowed the green flash in the valley to reach Andesha. Veronica accelerated as she
pursed her lips tightly, with her hand gripping her sword’s hilt. She took a single step and crossed the
distance of hundreds of meters and enabled her to reach her destination.
In the next moment, she had blocked Andesha from her escape.
“Andesha!” Veronica said, eyeing the tied up Faena with a cold gaze.
“Tsk.” Andesha ceased her actions. She was someone who had much experience in life after all and
became composed: “Hmph. It seems like I’m slower by a step. Lady Veronica, your control over your
Element Power has indeed reached the ‘Extreme’ state. Your speed is fast enough to cause illusions to
fool one’s eyes.”
“Cut your nonsense, Andesha.” Veronica’s voice was cold as winter’s ice. She knew this woman’s identity
very well, and the latter’s appearance here was definitely not to flatter her. The fact that Andesha had
Faena was just another bit of evidence. “Why is Faena with you, and where are Rono and Elman?”
“Are you referring to this little girl?” Andesha apparently did not take offense to Veronica’s tone. She
stretched out her hand; Faena who was bound up by the vines came a little closer to Andesha, allowing
her to stroke the girl’s chin. “Such a pretty face.”
“I told you to stop beating around the bush!” Veronica shouted and pulled out her sword at her foe:
“Andesha, what are you doing here!”
She noticed the pillar of light behind Andesha, but the golden flames were burning wildly and she did not
know there was a person in it. But she noticed that Scarlett was unconscious, and she frowned.
Andesha’s eyes closed slightly and she smiled, making her beauty even more apparent: “Perhaps the
Commander would care to take a guess?”
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Veronica’s face turned dark and her lips pressed against each other to form a line. She swung her sword
without uttering any more words. A green-colored air current left the blade, and it formed into a bird
with extended wings and a long tail, homing onto Andesha.
Its speed was astonishingly quick—
Andesha’s eyes widened as she did not expect Veronica to be serious in fighting her. Her slender hands
that were laden with green vines waved upwards, and countless pale-white brambles sprung out from
the ground, attempting to stop the Sword Energy by lashing out at it. These were the branches of the
Roses of the Bloody River that were grown in the Sulfur Rivers. Andesha had brought them along with
her and they were as hard as steel, with the thorns on them having a lethal poison that would rot a
creature’s skin.
But the green Sword Energy moved as though as it was alive, beating its wings while slipping through the
gaps of the nightmarish plants as though it was a nimble swallow, bypassing the obstacles and rushing at
Andesha.
[Sword Arte!]
Andesha understood that Veronica intended to use her full strength.
The female Sword Saint’s famous Abatement Barrier utilized her Wind Element Power as a defensive
style, and though it was known for its formidable defense and did not have any gaps, it also had quite the
number of astonishing counterattacks that were flexible and unique.
This green bird was the best example of how strong it was.
Andesha gritted her teeth and let go of her hand on Faena’s chin, and swung it down on the green bird,
destroying it. Wind exploded on her fingertips, causing her hair to flutter before they fell back into place.
“Lady Veronica. You’re not my match, why do you act so rashly—” She said.
Veronica did not reply, but the sword in her hands gave an answer. Before Andesha finished her words, a
huge maelstrom of green air currents formed in the sky. Countless green birds slowly flew out from it and
formed a beautiful scenery. It was an illusion where the green birds were seemingly flying against the
white Wall of Clouds.
“The Congregation of Wind!” Andesha muttered to herself in shock.
But the Mistress of Withering Decay did not take long to react. She extended out her five fingers and
shouted with a shrill voice:
“Greater Stone Golem!”
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A powerful rumbling happened beneath both women’s feet. Countless spikes jutted out, along with soil
gushing out like a violent geyser, and they instantly hardened to form a gargantuan Golem.
The green birds that were formed from Veronica’s Element Power smashed into the Golem. Each bird
was a condensed shard of Sword Energy, and it caused a huge pit across the Golem upon contact.
Hundreds of holes appeared across the Golem, but soil continued to pour out from the ground to repair
the Greater Stone Golem.
The Greater Stone Golem was still capable of moving despite the damage done to it, and a low bellow
filled the valley as it raised its fist, sending a punch across a hundred feet in order to smash Veronica into
a pile of dust.
Perspiration had already formed on Veronica’s forehead, but she appeared calm. She leaped into the air
and with her sword raised above her, and swung it with clenched teeth. The blade sank into the Golem,
and a flash of green light emerged at the other end of the Golem’s arm.
A deafening explosion shook the air.
The Greater Stone Golem’s arm had fallen onto to the ground with an earth-shaking crash.
Veronica sheathed her sword and took a moment to breathe. Her earlier Sword Arte, the Congregation of
Wind, had exhausted her a little. When she looked up at Andesha, she discovered the latter paling a little,
but there was no indication of exhaustion.
It was clear who was stronger.
Andesha tilted her head as she returned Veronica’s gaze. In order to prevent the female commander from
attacking again, she smiled and brought her fingers to Faena’s neck:
“Lady Veronica, I did not come here to fight you. However, if you insist on doing so, then do not blame me
for being ruthless.”
“You’re not going to kill her.”
Andesha was momentarily taken aback at Veronica’s curt reply, and she laughed a moment later: “Indeed,
you see things clearly. However, it still depends on how much value this little princess has.”
“What do you want?”
“You ought to know very clearly what I want,” Andesha smiled and paused for a moment, “the Lionheart.”
“You’re out of your mind.”
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“Then it seems like you’re not interested in keeping this little princess alive?” Andesha patted the
unconscious girl’s face.
Veronica drew a deep breath, but shook her head in the end: “Putting aside the fact that the Lionheart
isn’t with me, even if it’s with me, I will not exchange it for Faena.”
“How merciless. Is something that’s not alive not as valuable as a human life?” Andesha’s sharp
fingernails were moving threateningly across Faena’s face: “The little princess is the only child of the
Duke of Flowers. Are you not worried that he will seek revenge on you?”
“Stop blabbing, Andesha, you and I know what the Lionheart means to the Kirrlutz Empire. Even if the
Emperor is in your hands, I will not agree to your threat either. The Kirrlutz Empire will never bow to any
threat.” Veronica said.
This time it was Andesha who became silent.
The Mistress of Withering Decay understood Veronica’s personality quite well, and she did not plan on
meeting her so early. Instead, she wanted to wait for Veronica to obtain the Lionheart, before using Faena
as a distraction so she could steal the sword. It was a tactic that she was best at.
But the sudden appearance of Scarlett and Brendel caused her to lose sight of her goal. Anger slowly filled
her heart as she realized her mistake, but she did not stop thinking on how to resolve the current
situation.
“Though the Lionheart is not with you, you must have an artifact that can detect it,” Andesha spoke with a
low growl.
Veronica frowned when she realized that Andesha was prepared for a fight. She raised her sword to
defend herself. But Andesha giggled in an alluring manner, and she grabbed Faena by the throat: “Well,
since the little princess has no more use, I’ll use her for a blood ritual.”
Veronica’s expression changed and wanted to speak, but another voice that was void of emotion suddenly
interrupted them:
“Lady Andesha, I have no objections to what you’re doing. But you had better explain what you did to me
and my guard.”
Andesha’s pupils contracted in alarm. At that very moment, she felt she had been targeted by a monster
behind her back. Her hair stood up, and she subconsciously turned her head around.
There was a long stream of golden flames surging towards her.
2116
Chapter 174 – Escape
Andesha’s expression distorted greatly at the incoming flames. The terrifying heat could be felt even
before it reached her. The painful lesson of touching the crystal was still fresh in her mind, and she
instinctively dodged to the side without a second thought.
However, though she escaped from the flames, they burned up the vines that held onto Scarlett. At that
moment, she realized who was behind her.
The Mistress of Withering Decay screamed. She tolerated the painful feedback transmitted by the vines
and tried to grab Scarlett who had fallen to the ground, but a longsword with a wide blade covered in
flames swung downwards to her hands, and she was forced to withdraw them.
A few seconds later, the flames died down and a human figure appeared in its midst.
It was indeed Brendel.
The youth’s clothes were in tatters, but the injuries on him were completely healed. He slowly turned his
head to Andesha’s direction, before he reached out to the crystal embedded in his chest with his hand and
pulled it out. Flames erupted from his chest and abruptly dissipated, with his skin perfectly intact.
“This thing, belongs to you?” Brendel’s voice was almost mechanical. He crushed the crystal into dust
with his bare hand and it was gone with the wind. “Andesha, or perhaps you wish to be addressed as the
Mistress of Withering Decay?”
[It’s not strange for Veronica to recognize me, but how does this boy know what my identity is within the
Tree Shepherds?]
“You know who I am?” Andesha’s eyes narrowed and focused on the young man, her guard heightened.
As one of the twelve leaders of the Tree Shepherds, she rarely took action. People might recognize her
because of her Element Power, but her full title was only known to the upper echelons of the Tree
Shepherds.
Brendel glanced at Scarlett and determined that she was fine and merely passed out. Then his
emotionless gaze went back to Andesha, causing her to flinch for a moment. They exchanged stares for a
few seconds before she seemed like she finally ascertained something and asked with a stunned
expression:
“Y-you’re not an Acolyte?”
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“What? You used the Blood of Gods on him!” Veronica furrowed her brows and growled.
“What does that have anything to do with you!” Andesha snapped.
[How did this happen? Curse this brat…… The Blood of Gods that I possessed is unique. I expected to have
an excellent God Acolyte to obey me, not this…… thing that’s standing in front of me.]
It seemed like the Blood of Gods had somehow twisted him into something that she did not recognize.
Veronica who was just yelled out left her mouth open. Indeed, it had nothing to do with her. It was truly a
waste that the youth had to be turned into a mindless puppet that had nothing but sheer killing intent in
his eyes—
[Wait…… Is that how a God Acolyte is supposed to act? That’s not— But the Blood of Gods that Andesha
had must be something that’s even more potent than the usual people within the Tree Shepherds.]
“Why? Disappointed, my lady?” Brendel raised his chin and looked at Andesha out of the corner of his
eyes.
Andesha’s expression had never appeared to more interesting to Veronica. The fury and betrayed look
that she had nearly caused the latter to laugh out.
“If you join me and obey my orders, I’ll let you and your guard live,” Andesha’s voice was low and hoarse.
This authoritative tone did not make Brendel amused; he frowned and raised his sword instead. Even
though he had gained strength from the Blood of Gods and the Dragon of Darkness, it was not enough to
have a direct confrontation with Andesha. His murderous aura slowly disappeared.
“I have no intention to fight you, Andesha, and I do not wish to get involved with the quarrel between you
and the Empire. But if you continue to push me, then you’re forcing me to stand with Veronica.” He lifted
Scarlett up as he spoke calmly.
“Brendel!” Veronica furrowed her brows.
But the youth ignored the commander. Perhaps if she did not corner him to search for Faena, he might
have been willing to help her, but he had enough of the arrogant people from Kirrlutz. Though his
wounds were healed, he still remembered the searing pain from Amman’s projectiles.
“You want to escape from me? Not in your wildest dreams!” Andesha’s voice was filled with ire: “I will
never allow my belongings to escape from me! Do you think I’m afraid of the two of you joining hands?”
2118
Her purple pupils shrunk to resemble the shape of reptilian eyes. They were overflowing with a piercing
bloodthirst and she lifted up her chin haughtily:
“Whether it’s the Lionheart, you, or your companion, everything belongs to me. Both you and Veronica
can try struggling as much as you want to!”
Veronica immediately scoffed. She had never been slighted ever since she became the commander of the
Azure Skies, and though she knew each of the twelve Tree Shepherd’s leaders was stronger than her, she
would not accept it. At the end of Andesha’s declaration, the female Sword Saint had made her move. She
placed her left hand over her chest and muttered a chant, while she gripped her sword tightly and filled it
with her Element Power.
This was the first time she was unleashing her full capabilities in the Dark Forest. Her emerald eyes
locked on Andesha’s movements, and her eyebrows were lifted up like a pair of sharp swords. There was
even a tinge of red blush on her fair skin.
Her blade was swung.
A huge green-colored wyvern emerged from the sword, extended both wings outwards and released a
prolonged roar, then rotated once in the air before it charged towards Andesha.
Brendel placed Scarlett against the rock, and he entered into a stance, ready for battle as well. If the
Mistress of Withering Decay wanted to keep Veronica and him there, she definitely had the power to do
so, even if it sounded arrogant.
In the early years of the game, the leaders of the Tree Shepherds were nearly invincible existences, with
the exceptions of the Dragons and the fearsome Archmagi amongst the wizards.
The black wooden fragments of the destroyed trees in the area suddenly floated up, and they quickly
turned into dust and flew along with the wind. This phenomenon was the first sign of Andesha using her
Element Power, and it was clear that she was also serious.
In truth, Veronica’s actions had incurred Brendel’s wrath. Andesha’s levels were at least two tiers higher
than her, and she outclassed him even more.
Even if he worked with Veronica worked together, they were unlikely to defeat her. Attempting a direct
confrontation against Andesha was the worst choice available, and this Sword Saint in front of him did so.
He cursed Veronica in his mind, accusing her of not learning anything despite being in battles for decades.
But the Kirrlutz Empire was one with incredible military might, and there was really no need for Veronica
to employ trickery in battles—
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Andesha stretched out her palm, and a barrier was formed in front of her, stopping the Wyvern’s charge.
A shockwave spread in all directions and a crystalline sound echoed in the vicinity. It was not the end of
Veronica’s projectile, however, as it flew up and shot towards Andesha in a different direction, trying to
find a weak spot.
Brendel narrowed his eyes as he found Andesha trying to move Faena away subconsciously while she
dealt with the creature. He concentrated all his strength into his feet and dashed towards the Duke of
Flower’s successor. Trails of black smoke spiraled around his legs, making him appear like a blur. His
sword pointed at Andesha’s back and a black beam of Sword Energy shot out from it.
Andesha instinctively felt the threat and raised her other hand.
A tremendous rumbling shook the ground and the Greater Stone Golem stood in between Brendel and
Andesha; the black beam of light struck its right leg and an explosion immediately happened. A large hole
with a radius of two meters was drilled into the Greater Stone Golem’s leg, surprising Brendel.
[The White Raven Sword Arte is affected by the Darkness Element Power?]
The youth stopped moving for a moment, but he quickly came back to his senses when he felt a shadow
hovering over him. He looked up and saw the Greater Stone Golem was unbalanced from the impact; it
was about to fall over him because the entire leg had broken off.
Brendel did not dare to waste any time. He activated his Charge ability and turned into a black blurry line
to escape from the Greater Stone Golem’s body, moving straight for Faena. The loud crash and dust that
were created had covered his intention perfectly.
Andesha could never have known that Brendel was capable of moving even faster than Veronica who had
the Wind Element Power. She did not even realize that the youth was already next to her until he was
about to grab Faena.
“You!” Andesha immediately understood what he was after and clawed at him with a savage expression.
Brendel dodged her fingers and they slid past his clothes. His sleeves and inner armor was instantly
turned to dust, but he had avoided the attack and gained the advantage. He took one more step and
swung Halran Gaia, sliced off Andesha’s vines, and received the falling Faena with his left hand.
The girl uttered a soft moan and she made a knot between her brows. Brendel discovered a deep red
around her throat and realized she must have suffered considerably.
Andesha screamed and chanted at a high speed. She pointed her five digits at Brendel; a huge wooden
spike appeared out of thin air and shot towards Brendel, while the cut vines swung around madly in an
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attempt to strike him. Brendel sliced the approaching vines and constructed a visible barrier with his
Elementalist ability, with its defensive capabilities backed up by his Will stat.
The wooden spike crashed into the sturdy barrier, and it was shattered into countless fragments.
However, that was only the start of the spell. The fragments were turned into vines that grew at a rapid
rate, seeking for its target. Brendel could only increase pour his Mana into it and made the barrier into a
shockwave that destroyed all the fragments, turned them into black dust.
The youth felt a little dazed from exerting his mind. He sensed that his Will had grown tremendously and
was capable of resisting powerful magic spells, but it took a lot of concentration from him. Seeing that the
black powder was about to fall over him, he coated Halran Gaia with golden flames once again and swung
it around him once, burning away the powder.
The magic that Andesha used was a three-prong attack. It first did piercing damage, then cast a Binding
spell, and the final stage of the attack was a powder that had lethal poison. Anyone who did not know the
magic spell would easily fall for it, but Brendel had seen enough in the game to identify it.
His final act was to jump away from Andesha’s attack range.
“Lady Veronica, Lady Faena has been rescued. We should leave in two directions!” He shouted.
In order to force Veronica to stop her foolhardy actions, he had to rescue Faena. If he simply tried to leave
with Scarlett, then Andesha would put all her attention on him, and Veronica might attempt to rescue
Faena with the opening. The only ideal situation was to get Veronica to cover for him instead, then the
possibility of him escaping would be greatly increased.
His words apparently angered Andesha. She made an ear-piercing shriek and spread out her palms.
Countless vines swarmed out from the ground, completed with poisonous thorns, and they towered over
Brendel like a tidal wave, blocking all paths of retreat.
Brendel gritted his teeth upon seeing this outcome, realizing he underestimated this Poison-Ivy woman.
At that critical juncture, a green flash of light passed through the mist and sliced the vines into halves,
then split up into a flock of birds that exploded onto the remaining brambles, causing large holes to
appear on them.
Brendel’s eyes lit up and leaped into one of the holes while carrying Faena to escape from the vines. He
glanced back to see Veronica blocking Andesha’s path. Violent gales swirled around the female Sword
Saint, causing her hair to dance in the wind, giving an impression of a green aurora forming before his
eyes.
“Escape with Faena and the red-haired girl. Leave this woman to me.” Veronica said without turning her
head back.
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Brendel sighed with relief. Things were moving in the way he predicted. Even though Veronica was not
Andesha’s match, she still made a choice to stall her in order to increase the possibility of rescuing Faena.
It was just a transaction after all.
The youth did not waste any more time and went straight for Scarlett, while Andesha screamed with
rage:
“Damn you, boy, you had better not let me catch you!”
But her tone sounded more like frustration in his ears.
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Chapter 175 – Deep lure
Brendel thought he would be able to escape even with the two unconscious girls as long as Veronica
delayed Andesha, but he soon discovered that he had predicted wrongly.
He moved around the maze-like valley for approximately thirty minutes, but there was a raucous
projectile moving through the air out of a sudden.
The youth nervously glanced behind him and saw a green flash in the dark sky. The next moment, there
was a thunderous smash, and a human figure appeared before him, shattering the hard ground and
creating a field of smoke and dust.
It was Veronica.
Brendel frowned and walked towards her, dismissing the particles with a simple wave of his hand. The
female commander was lying in the middle of the pit covered with blood. Her cloak was reduced to rags
and there were many places on her uniform that revealed her inner armor. It seemed like she used a
tremendous amount of energy to escape, as there was white smoke coming out from her outer garments.
Brendel thought that she had lost consciousness, but she groaned softly and opened her eyelids to reveal
emerald irises.
“Hurry up and leave this place,” she coughed with half-closed eyes, though there was still spirit in them,
“Andesha’s about to catch up.”
She struggled to get up despite her injuries and reached for her sword with difficulty, but Brendel
snatched it away before she could get to it, and she looked at him in surprise.
Brendel felt greatly conflicted as well.
If Veronica had the ability to continue fighting, he would have allowed her to continue what she was
doing, but it was apparent that she was going back to delay Andesha with her life. Considering that she
was Freya’s teacher in the game, he did not want things to end in this manner. It was especially so when
he had to live with the idea that he sacrificed someone in need of help in order to stay alive.
“Lady Veronica, you are no longer suited for combat,” Brendel said in a monotonous voice, sighing
inwardly.
Veronica saw that the youth was carrying the two girls with his left and right arms, and she was relieved
to see that he did not abandon Faena.
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“Give me the sword,” she extended her hand out and said.
“…… That is not possible. Lady Veronica, come with me if you want to live.”
“Escape from one of the twelve leaders of the Tree Shepherds? If we move together, no one will be able to
escape.” Veronica sighed and closed her eyes with a frown.
“If there is no possibility of escaping I wouldn’t ask,” Brendel’s eyes were dispassionate, “I like miracles,
but I never rely on them. I like gambling as well, but I will never put everything on the line.”
Veronica stared at him with a certain emotion in her eyes, as though she was assessing him. She smiled
weakly and shook her head.
“How do you intend on bringing me away? I’m in a terrible state. Stop forcing yourself. Now, quickly hand
me over the sword, my good child—”
Brendel showed a hollow smile. There had not been any signs of a sun for a while now. He stretched out
two fingers, and a card formed with black trails of smoke swirling around it. Brendel took the card and
tossed it to the ground.
A black hexagram appeared on the ground, and Veronica looked at it in wonder. Light poured out from it
and faded. A girl with long hair and a short fringe wearing a tuxedo walked out amidst the black smoke.
The beautiful girl walked to Brendel and placed her dainty hand over her chest, bowing respectfully:
“In the name of Darkness, this humble one’s name is Morpheus, and I have come to answer the call of my
Master…… And I must inform you that I’m a man.”
Brendel stared at Morpheus with an inscrutable expression while he listened to the latter’s soft, neutral
voice.
There was a real trap in front of him.
But it was not the time to ponder over it and he pointed at Veronica.
“Morpheus, support this lady and follow me.”
The vampire nodded once and moved over to the general. He easily lifted Veronica who wore a full suit of
armor and supported her with an arm. Even though he appeared to be frail, he was a Gold-ranker after
all, and carrying a person was not difficult.
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But Veronica appeared uneasy and looked at Brendel with sharp eyes: “A Vampire? That’s High Black
Magic, you’re a Necromancer?”
“You’re mistaken. It’s a Legacy heirloom.”
Veronica paused and thought for a while: “Something like a summoning statue?”
“Yes.”
She became silent for a while, almost laughing at herself for entertaining a silly idea that Brendel was a
necromancer. However, If he was really one, then there might be a chance to fight Andesha. Having just
one more Gold-ranker was simply not enough to go against that woman.
“Andesha is close to us. I endured my injuries to get away from that woman, but she will catch up with us
very soon, what do you plan to do?”
“There is a way.”
“Oh?”
“Lady Veronica, do you know what’s ahead of us?”
“No.” She frowned and looked at the youth with suspicion: “It seems like you’re suggesting you do.”
“A little. It’s an immense canyon, the heart of the violent winds. The clouds surge past that area, driven by
the air currents and the shape of the land. But my point is the complexity of the land. I am confident that
Andesha would not be able to follow us easily there.”
“But you’re not going to shake her off.”
Brendel’s eyes were shrouded in darkness: “Shake her off? No, but I’ll find a way to kill that demon.”
Veronica stared at him, trying to see if he was joking, but she eventually exhaled lightly.
“You thought of a solution?”
“There has always been one. But it’s a little dangerous.” Brendel suddenly turned over his palm, and the
grey gemstone, or as the Dragon of Darkness called it, the Grey Primordial Divinity, appeared on his hand.
[It is unrealistic to return to Amandina now, and the only way is to lure Andesha into the heart of the
Loop of Trade Winds, where the Nightmare Demonic Fog’s lair resides.]
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Getting two bosses to fight each other was something that gamers loved to do in the game. But the higher
the level of the bosses, the more difficult it was. It was difficult to fool them when they had high
intelligence and outsmarted people instead.
But he sensed a strong Mana Resonance when he received the Fool talent within the Loop of Trade
Winds, along with the presence of the fake Lernaia Hydra. Even though the Dragon of Darkness did not
give any useful information about it, he knew that Amman and his men did something there to cause the
monster to chase them.
It explained why Amman was anxious to flee the area, and also why the fake Lernaia Hydra persistently
went after him instead of the youth.
Brendel believed that the Mana Resonance came from the Lernaia Hydra’s lair. There was a small chance
that he could be wrong, but he needed to convince Veronica to move along with him. With a flip of his
hand, the gemstone was kept away and he started walking forward with Morpheus following closely
behind.
Just like Veronica said, Andesha quickly found reached the place where Veronica reappeared in front of
Brendel. She had tracked down the tracks left behind by them, as sharp as an experienced hound. If
Brendel were to describe her identity, it would be half-Druid, which would explain her abilities to track.
The Tree Shepherds had a muddied relationship with the Circle of Skies; the former was darkness and the
latter, light.
Brendel and the others stopped at various sections in the valley from time to time, with the youth leaving
behind tracks that led in the opposite direction. They moved slowly and Andesha eventually caught up
with them, but she fell for his tricks and kept moving past them before she came back to search the
vicinity.
At that point, they had already moved off.
This ability made Veronica greatly surprised. She even wondered if Brendel had a map of this area and
highlighted spots that would throw off pursuers. But no matter how many times she asked him, he
merely kept his silence, and she gave up in the end.
This went on for several hours. Brendel brought his group into the ancient canyon that he mentioned
without any issues. It was the final landmark to reach the ruins of Valhalla. They were deep within the
Wall of Clouds, and the entire canyon was filled with mist, almost giving off the impression the Lernaia
Hydra was nearby.
This complex area was quite famous in the game. Roads were long and windy, frequently crossing into
each other. There was no vegetation, and the ground was formed with latite and obsidian rocks. The large
boulders that were present formed many dead angles, and Brendel had an easier time to avoid Andesha
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than before. But what caused him a headache was how she always seemed to have a natural instinct to be
next to them, nearly discovering their presence every time.
This cat-and-mouse game was not fun for the prey, especially when it concerned their lives. After
advancing through the canyon for half a day, Brendel truly stopped for the first time and took a rest.
Scarlett had forgotten about their bag of food and water by accident, while Veronica did not even bother
to bring it along since she had her subordinates carrying it for her. Brendel was certain that this female
Sword Saint did not expect this situation.
Thus he could only endure the feeling of an empty stomach as he sat quietly against a large boulder. Still,
he did not feel a strong hunger after absorbing the Blood of Gods, and dared not to make a fire even
though he also felt a little cold.
Andesha might be nearby.
Morpheus put Veronica down and sat opposite of Brendel. The female Sword Saint was visibly exhausted
as she had lost quite a lot of blood, but instead of resting, she looked at the youth with considerable
praise in her eyes.
“Do you know, boy, because you’re a citizen from Aouine, I will not give you my thanks.”
“…… I don’t need that.” His lips curled downwards, using an indifferent tone.
“Do you want to learn my swordsmanship, boy?” Veronica closed her eyes, smiling in response to the
youth’s rude mannerisms.
“Tsk, I said I don’t need—”
[Hah?]
Brendel said instinctively, but he suddenly snapped his head towards the Sword Saint so fast that his
bones creaked, blinking rapidly, finally waking up from his resentment.
The youth looked at her in confusion, wondering if he heard her wrongly for a moment, even wanting to
dig his ears to ensure it was not a trick.
“Unwilling, are you……”
“N-no……” Brendel muttered incoherently: “I-I mean, I can’t become a citizen of Kirrlutz, I said that
before……”
[Are you for real? You’re really going to teach me your swordsmanship?]
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Brendel felt like he had punched on the face a few times. Veronica shook her head lightly and sighed, her
lips moving a few times as though she was saying something. The youth waited for a few seconds with
great expectations before his eyes bulged, realizing that she had fallen asleep because of her exhaustion.
Her head was tilted to the sides, and her breathing was steady and long.
[NOOOOOO! Fuck me! Not like this! What have I done!!!]
Brendel screamed inside his mind.
TL PS: So, if you think that Brendel was going to be the next DoD and become evil because I hinted heavily
on that, that’s not really possible. Just to remind everyone, he went up to pick a gemstone even though he
was dying. Changing his ways? HAH.
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Chapter 176 – Ancestral Citizen
Brendel’s body was remade whole by the Blood of Gods.
Calling him an Acolyte was not exactly wrong, but the Dragon of Darkness’s gift to him was a single drop
of blood that completely usurped the energy from the Blood of Gods.
An ancient signal seemed to have awakened something inside the youth’s soul. He felt as though his
mental strength and willpower grow stronger a hundredfold, and the ‘weak’ corruption from the Blood of
Gods was completely washed away.
It was an evolution of his bloodline.
He now had the ability to regenerate quickly and replenish his lifeforce, which meant that he could
recover from injuries ten times faster than before. Even Scarlett’s healing factor was not as good as his,
though it was not surprising to the youth since the quality of Andesha’s Blood of Gods was higher.
There was also a new description in his stats window. It was the ‘Darkness’ trait, a rough equivalent of
possessing the Darkness Element Power; he had the capability of manipulating the Darkness Element.
This trait was mostly used by Necromancers and Dark Priests’ skillsets. Currently, Brendel was only able
to add it into his attacks. Although it might seem like it sounded weak to anyone else, he knew it was
actually a great advantage because it was an attribute that bypassed physical defense.
[Even throughout the whole game, the weapons with the Lightning or Darkness elements were sky-high
prices. Lightning had the best area damage, while Darkness weakens defense and weakens healing
spells.]
Brendel fiddled with his stats windows, discovering that his Darkness EP had become twice as much, but
his Light EP had been reduced by a third, making him wonder how he should react to this situation. The
Physique and Perception stats were increased as well, but it was his Will that caused him to drop his
jaws.
[124 Will? I knew there was a substantial increase, but I didn’t think it was this much…… A hundred Will
means that any magic spells below the Twelve Circle would be ineffective on me. I’m pretty much
immune to magic under most circumstances. It’s no wonder why Andesha’s magic couldn’t work.]
He then scrolled down to the newly added Talent, the Fool.
– Talent: The Fool (Level 1)
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– Abilities: Trance, Ancestral Citizen.
– Trance: All character stats are increased by 100% for half an hour; this ability can be activated twice a
day.
– Flavor text: The endless concentration that you have isn’t necessarily a good thing.
– Ancestral Citizen: Ancient Techniques could be learned like any normal skills, ignoring conditions.
Brendel wanted to punch the air in joy when he read the text. Even the talent Genealogy Unification was
not as impressive when compared to it.
(TL: Genealogy Unification, modifies profession to possess a new skillset, mentioned in volume 2 chapter
108. To sort of summarize it, since Brendel’s a warrior, it adds the ability Fabled Hero, and increases all
his abilities’ level by 1.)
The first ability was simple. He could become superman up to an hour if he chose to activate it.
The second ability was something that was related to his System. If he were to pick up King Gatel’s
swordsmanship and learn the true Flash Fire Sword Arte, he would have to first complete Kirrlutz’s chain
mission of ‘The Eagle of Brilliance’, and not complete any missions given by Miirna’s NPCs, and finally, to
have the highest grade of the Fire Element Power.
After that, the system would allow him to learn and spend his experience points on the swordsmanship.
“Putting the fourth condition aside, the third condition sounds like an easy thing to do, but the majority of
the missions in the game’s third chapter has something to do with the Shadow Factions. These quests will
eventually lead back to the Miirna race, and people would automatically fail. The only exception would be
grinding monsters for the entire chapter.”
Brendel remarked to himself with a giggle.
Skills like Tuman’s creation of the Holy Sigils, or Farnezain’s Prophecy Magic, were tagged with the words
‘Ancient Technique’. These skills required a specific bloodline, stats, and luck. If there was a wrong
mission done, or if they failed to complete a specific mission, learning the techniques would not be
possible.
Learning a single Ancient Technique changed one’s entire combat style, and countless players wondered
if there was the possibility of learning the different Ancient Techniques for the ten limited skill slots that
they had, making them the flashiest players alive.
Most of the Ancient Techniques were signature skillsets of famous NPCs too.
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(TL: If I recall correctly, you can learn a variety of skills, i.e, Charge, but you can only use them provided if
they are placed them under the professions. Smh, rules are too complicated. I probably want to look this
up, but seeing that we’re probably at ~400 chapters… I’m not sure that’s easily done.)
Brendel was so gleeful that he wondered if he should congratulate himself with a ‘just-as-planned’ laugh,
and write off the mistakes that literally killed him.
But he quickly went back to brooding, when he realized that he had just rejected Veronica’s proposal.
“My respected Master, I’m hungry.” Morpheus suddenly spoke, staring strangely at the youth who was
giggling and groaning repeatedly.
Brendel looked up in a distracted manner, realizing it was his summon who spoke to him. He blinked
several times and observed Morpheus. No matter how he looked, this vampire noble was a ‘girl’.
[A trap. A huge vampire trap.]
“Ahh, about that, I’m sorry, there’s no food with me,” Brendel said.
But Morpheus only tilted his head and licked his sensual lips, while using his blood-red, crystal-clear
large eyes to gaze at the youth without blinking—
It was as though he was looking at him like a delicious meal.
[…… Wait, he’s a vampire.]
Brendel’s facial muscles stiffened, but he was saved by Scarlett suddenly stirring. It did not take long for
Faena to do as well.
However, Morpheus managed to get what he wanted in the end. The youth had to decide whether it was
to keep his blood or a fight against Andesha at their full strength.
He chose the latter.
It was approximately twenty minutes after Veronica went to sleep, but he decided that the break was
enough and they should move again.
The violent winds were like blades that blew past the steep cliffs, sending in loud whistling noises into
their ears. Despite the powerful air currents, the mist was not dispelled, and instead seemed like they
were appearing together with the wind. In addition, there were sand and dust sweeping up into the air,
making the visibility of the ancient canyon low.
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This situation was advantageous to the youth and the others to avoid Andesha’s pursuit, but it was
increasingly difficult to advance.
Brendel stretched out his hand to a cliff’s protruding rock. The powerful wind was causing him to narrow
his eyes.
Once he got a stable foothold, he lent a hand to Scarlett who was climbing below him, helping her up onto
the flat ledge above him. Faena was next, while Morpheus assisted the injured Veronica in the same way
the youth did.
Finally, Brendel made his way up onto the ledge.
“The wind here is almost unbearable. This must be the area where the Loop of Trade Winds really
happens. It is said that no one can go through these walls of violent winds.”
Veronica supported herself by leaning against her sword, which was returned to her by Brendel after she
woke up: “What is your plan from now onwards, boy?”
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Chapter 177 part 1 – Battle in the canyon (1)
The path in front of the group split off into two directions. One led to a deep gorge with black granite cliffs
on each side. The edges of the cliffs were smooth and flat, as though it had been snapped into equal
halves. The second direction of the path was probably a dead end or led back to where they came from,
and it was not where he wanted to go.
Violent winds constantly blew into the gorge with visible air currents, with mist forming a white line,
entering and exciting the chasm like a sea’s waves. It took a moment before Brendel recovered from the
picturesque scenery.
[If I follow the air currents, they will most likely lead me to the fake Lernaia Hydra’s lair.]
He glanced back at Veronica. Even though she was still weak, she had gotten back her spirits with the
short break. But she did not ask him to learn her swordsmanship again, and he did not want to ask her
about it, especially in front of Scarlett and Faena.
“The way to go into the Loop of Trade Winds is through the underground passage located below here.
The Druids had put in countless manpower and materials into this area just to find that passage.” He
spoke to Veronica.
“Did they find it?” Came the reply.
The youth shook his head.
“And yet you know where it is?”
“I’ve read an ancient document that gave a hint on the entrance’s location, it should be nearby.”
It was his habit to throw out ‘ancient documents’ as his cover against the ‘Projectiles of Questions’.
Somehow, it felt like there were indeed ancient documents that existed when he stated it so earnestly.
He started surveying the gorge, but it was difficult to see if the underground passage was in this
bottomless gorge. Suddenly, he discovered Scarlett looking at his wrist with a strange expression yet
again, making him put on an awkward expression.
He could not help but rub the teeth marks on his wrist. How should he explain it? Or did he really have to
tell the truth and said that it was not a gesture of allegiance from Morpheus?
Just a while ago, Scarlett woke up at an impeccable timing and caught him favoring his ‘injuries’.
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[Screw this Planeswalker System…… Why isn’t paying the Life Force an automatic thing?!]
He turned to glare at Morpheus, but the damned Vampire trap merely averted his eyes.
“Hmm…… Well, to continue where I was,” Brendel changed the topic in an awful attempt that did not
seem entirely coherent, “we should try and make our way downwards from here. But it does look like it’s
difficult to do so, and I’m also not certain there’s really a passage down there—”
“From here?” Faena suddenly interrupted him.
It was the first time she spoke after waking up, almost as if she had done so from her stupor in order to
question his decision. Her eyebrows were knitted together and raised high up as though they were to
disappear under her fringe.
“T-that’s absurd, right!?” She stared at the dark ravine with a pale expression.
“For a sheltered, useless, and weak female noble, it would be so,” Morpheus replied with a blinding speed
that surprised everyone. He looked at Faena with an emotionless face: “this is a warning, girl, you are not
to question my Master’s decision—”
“You!” She glared back with furious eyes that were also filled with disbelief.
“That’s enough, Faena,” Veronica broke up the quarrel, “since there’s a historical document about the
passage, then there is meaning if we made our way down. Let us search for it.”
[Sometimes I wonder if these people really don’t know that I’m lying about the documents….. Let me
think. The gamers who entered here didn’t even reach half of my current power. The cliffs are impossibly
steep, so it means there’s a safe way to the ravine if we’re on the right path—]
Brendel suddenly sensed that it was about time to draw a new set of cards, and he hurriedly dismissed
the Platinum Angel Card, in hopes of getting it again.
Firburh was not in urgent need to have the Platinum Angels for defense, since there was other better
summons protecting the city, like Ciel and Medissa.
If the Holy Sword card’s maintenance was not paid when it was on the battlefield, the card would be
unsummoned and returned to his Deck. The Magic Control Card had been used in battle and already
returned to the deck a long time ago, but it would be good if he got the card again.
He waited for a few seconds, then frowned when he looked at his newly conjured cards.
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He now had the Platinum Angel, Golden Battle Flag, and the Holy Sword cards in his hand.
[Damn it. I was hoping to get the Silver Colt too. That way I can ferry the others down in just a few
rounds….. The Platinum Angel is able to fly, certainly, but does it has the stamina to carry even one of us
down all the way?]
He currently had the Wind Spirit Spiders and Morpheus out, with the spiders ordered to reach him in the
canyon a while ago.
The Fire Dijinn and Ropar were killed in battle and sent to the Graveyard quite a while ago, but he had
plans to bring them back when he made a mock battle against Andesha in his mind.
“Andesha is down there,” Scarlett said all of a sudden.
The youth was momentarily lost in his thoughts as he subconsciously looked down behind him. That
woman was indeed moving upwards on a path. She did not discover them as she did not bother to look
up, but it was also true that there was a deep fog masking their presence.
[Shit…… how fast is she moving? She doesn’t even know this place well but she’s just a few minutes
behind us. The difference in speed is staggering.]
Brendel quickly lowered his body and signaled to the others to do the same. They lowered themselves
onto the ground as he whispered: “Regardless of whether there’s a path, we need to move now.”
“That woman……” Faena could not help but tremble as she recalled the earlier events. She balled her
hands into fists tightly until her fingers were white.
“Let’s move off.” Brendel signaled to Morpheus to drag the trembling girl towards the path, while the
others nodded.
But he did not expect Faena to lose her footing when Morpheus pulled her. She was too close to the edge.
“Watch out!” Brendel called out to her with a startled look.
Morpheus seemed surprised, letting go of the girl, but he quickly regained his composure and managed to
grab her foot. Faena was suspended in mid-air with tears in her eyes threatening to spill out; the Vampire
gripped her with considerable strength in case he failed to hold on to her again.
Still, Faena had enough common sense. She bit her lips and tried desperately not to make a sound.
However, the mistake was done, and the disturbed pebbles caused by her clumsiness rolled across the
cliff, making clattering noises.
They stiffened for just a moment.
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Brendel glanced at where Andesha was.
The winds in the valley were powerful and noisy, and it seemed like Andesha did not notice the strange
event.
“P-pull me back in……” Faena was terrified.
She was dangling from her foot over a steep cliff. Even a knight would not be able to save himself if he fell
from that height, let alone the sheltered Faena. It would not be surprising if she started crying.
The youth looked at Veronica puzzledly.
She was famed for being rational and intelligent, so why would she bring out a useless girl like Faena out
here? Anything that the latter did was a negative outcome.
The female commander sighed.
But it was not her fault. It was Elman who did it without her permission. When she finally came to know
about this act, it was not as if she could order them to go back to the Kirrlutz Empire. They were the
children of powerful and influential families, not her subordinates.
[…… No, it seems like the Kirrlutz’s internal affairs are quite the mess too.]
The youth noted her reaction and mused to himself. It was unlikely that she was the one who brought
Faena and the other young nobles along with her.
Still, these nobles were not as bad as Aouine’s. He sighed when he recalled Graudin and his subordinates.
Morpheus brought her back up to the ledge when saw Brendel nodding to him.
Even though the latter wanted to leave Faena and Veronica behind, he was afraid that the latter would
just pull out her sword and demand him to get them to safety, creating a lose-lose situation.
But before they could relax, Brendel spotted a glint with his eyes and his jaw dropped.
The short sword that Faena was carrying slid out of its sheath—
It dropped out from the sheath as though it was in slow motion. Everyone saw the blade strike against a
protruding rock, creating a crystalline sound, before shooting upwards as though it was making the most
pleasant jump, spinning round and descending comically again to make the next clang.
This scene repeated itself, and the series of metallic rings echoed throughout the valley.
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The people on the ledge froze completely.
Andesha stopped moving.
Then that woman suddenly looked upwards as her purple eyebrows lifted up slightly. Even though the
mist blocked her view to finding them immediately, she believed she had found where Brendel and the
others were. Countless vines sprouted from her back and propelled her upwards, and she was like an
inky-green dragon that ascended to the sky, surging to where the youth was.
It was obvious that the steep terrain was not a problem for her, and she moved across the cliffs as though
it was flat ground.
The distance between them shortened rapidly.
“Run away!” Brendel was the first to react. If Andesha was unable to discern their location after that
fiasco, then she would not have become one of the twelve Tree Shepherd leaders.
“Brendel—”
“Shut up, just stick to our plan and run to the south!” He cut off Veronica’s words: “…… Wait, help me take
of Scarlett.”
The female Sword Saint frowned. She suddenly realized the youth intended to split off from them. Indeed,
Brendel wanted to lure away Andesha if she were to catch up.
[Really, having this useless idiot girl Faena around me, is the same as tying a noose around my neck.]
The youth watched Veronica drag the unwilling Scarlett away. Morpheus had already gotten Faena up,
flipped her around, and carried her off like a sack of potatoes. Faena was hurting and burning with shame
from the rough treatment, but she knew that the trouble she had caused and did not make any
complaints.
Brendel was the last to move off, ready to stay behind if it was necessary. He glanced back and saw that
Andesha was moving up the cliffs like a spider, her vines flailing about at a tremendous speed.
The group of five people scampered across the treacherous path despite the risk of falling.
Andesha’s feat had a considerable risk as well since she was fighting against the violent winds, otherwise
she would climb even faster.
[She’s definitely going to catch up. Summon the Holy Sword Card into play—]
Brendel started to prepare his cards for the upcoming battle.
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The Wind Spirit Spiders were able to make use of the wind when they entered the canyon, reaching to
where he was at an astonishing speed. Hundreds of Wind Spirit Spiders appeared out of nowhere and
formed a wall in front of Andesha.
“You dare to block me!?”
Andesha roared when she saw the green wall in front of her. As a leader of the Tree Shepherds, she easily
identified the creatures with her vast experience. Her mind worked quickly and attributed this feat to the
youth; Faena, Scarlett, and Veronica did not seem capable of using summoning magic.
She waved her hand in annoyance, and countless vines shot out to pierce the Wind Spirit Spiders. It was
obvious that she did not use her full strength and wanted to swat them away.
It was a mistake.
In the next second, the green wall glowed and their color was replaced by a golden hue. The light
intensified and formed a brilliant sun.
And the sun spread out its rays.
Countless beams of lights fired out, piercing through the vines and striking Andesha’s body. The Tree
Shepherd shrieked. Though the attacks hardly caused any damage due to her overwhelming magic
power, she was greatly flustered at the sudden attack.
Brendel used all the Earth EP that he had, unleashing the Holy Sword’s magic without reservation. Wave
after wave of laser beams fired at Andesha, angering her, but she was unable to move well because of the
violent winds. The Wind Spirit Spiders had a great advantage as they moved around easily in the air and
out of reach of her counterattacks.
When the beams of light finally stopped, she realized that Brendel and the others had distanced
themselves again, causing her to roar out in anger.
Chapter 177 Part 2 – Battle in the Canyon (2)
The ledge that Brendel and the others were running on eventually widened to a plateau. The gorge was
located at the end of the plateau, and the youth suddenly stopped moving and shouted:
“Morpheus and I will stay behind and delay Andesha. If you don’t find a path leading downwards, then
check if there’s any possible way we can climb down.”
Veronica nodded. Morpheus threw Faena down roughly and went back to his Master, receiving a set of
instructions from the latter.
It did not take long for Andesha to reach where Brendel was. He stood alone with his sword drawn out,
and the moment he saw the Mistress of Withering Decay, he roared:
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“Trance!”
Halran Gaia was stabbed into the ground at the same time. Countless rock pillars rose up from the ground
and blocked Andesha’s vision. She immediately covered the area with her Element Power with a wave of
her hand, wanting to turn Halran Gaia’s magic back into raw Mana, but to her great surprise, the rock
pillars held their shape.
Black energy surged out where Brendel stood and he disappeared under the shadows of the rock pillars.
Andesha snarled in frustration and started destroying the pillars with a vine whip, but they were remade
quickly with Halran Gaia. She decided to ignore Brendel, intending to force the youth out by capturing his
companions, but black wings suddenly fluttered in front of her, and a hand with blue flames swiped
upwards at her face.
Andesha’s expression was cold and screeched with fury: “How dare you!”
Her whip moved like a poisonous snake and whipped away that offending hand, and she realized that it
was a girl she had never seen before who attacked her. Brendel’s sword suddenly entered Andesha’s eyes
at a startling speed, but her vines pulled her away to the sides as though she had expected the attack,
while a few stray vines lashed out below the incoming sword in an attempt to strike Brendel.
The vines hit nothing but the rock pillars.
The youth had hurled his sword like a javelin, before it wobbled back to his hand like a boomerang by
using the White Raven Sword Arte. Though the violent winds affected his control, it was reduced because
of the rock pillars that Brendel had created.
A Wind Spirit Spider jumped down directly to reach Andesha’s head, but the latter acted as though she
had eyes above her and destroyed it immediately with a swing of her whip. Brendel did not miss this
opportunity and threw a rock with great timing, yet the Mistress of Withering Decay merely tilted her
head to allow the projectile to fly past her.
The youth’s actions had angered her beyond words. Vines started pouring out beneath her to lift her up
into the air so she could see where her enemies were, while she started pouring her mana into the
ground:
“My children, ari—”
[Sacrifice non-black creature card, Wind Spirit Spiders, to the Ancestral Vampire.]
– The Wind Spirit Spiders Card has entered the Graveyard. Mana Feedback is available, please select your
target.
[Is this even necessary to ask me? There’s only one real target. The Mistress of Withering Decay,
Andesha!]
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All the Wind Spirit Spiders suddenly disappeared, leaving behind green rays of light that repeatedly bent
in strange angles as though they were reflected by mirrors and entered Andesha’s body, causing the
woman to groan in pain as part of her Mana was burned. But it was an explosion of flames in front of her
face that disrupted her magic spell. She flinched because she was wary of the golden flames, but she
realized there was no damage that bypassed her protections.
[Summon Platinum Angel into the Battlefield! Tap Eternity Orb and copy Platinum Angel! Revive Fireclaw
Chieftain and Fire Dijinn from the Graveyard and summon them into the Battlefield! Explosion! Sacrifice
non-black creature card, Fire Dijinn, to Ancestral Vampire just before Explosion ends!]
Brendel had given new orders in a frenzy even before the system could prompt him.
– Three Command Points have been added to Ancestral Vampire from the Wind Spirit Spiders.
– Three Command Points have been added to Ancestral Vampire from the Fire Dijinn.
Black flames suddenly burst all over Morpheus’s body. His pale neck and hands were drawn with
mysterious floral patterns.
The two Pristine Archangels, Ropar, and Morpheus rushed towards the distracted Andesha. But she
swung her whip all around her skillfully, creating a defensive wall that made it impossible for them to
attack her.
“My children, arise!” She screamed with great fury, attempting to cast her spell a second time.
Vines spouted from the ground like a fountain, forming into worm-like creatures that squirmed all about
and knocked down the rock pillars.
There was nothing to stop them from rising up now—
[This is now or never. White Raven Sword Arte!]
Brendel had successfully caused Andesha’s fury to reach a new height. He raised Halran Gaia and a
maelstrom of flames gathered around it. The air was heated till the point where Andesha’s figure was
distorted in his eyes. Invisible blades of wind sliced through the summoned creatures, roaring as they
reached for her, and the billowing golden flames that accompanied the wind devoured the vegetation
hungrily until it was no more.
But Andesha swung her whip onto a rock pillar and got herself to safety; she was on her guard against the
golden flames despite the anger filling her mind.
“Sacrifice the Platinum Angels and Fireclaw Chieftain!” Brendel said aloud.
– Six Command Points have been added to Ancestral Vampire from the Platinum Angels.
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– Three Command Points have been added to Ancestral Vampire from the Fireclaw Chieftain.
Morpheus’s strength increased yet again. The blue flames on his hands turned black and covered his
whole body. Brendel activated his Charge ability, moving straight for Andesha in a vertical leap, leaving
behind a black trail of dark energy. Morpheus did not idle and also went for her, flying down towards her
like a falling comet.
“How is this possible!” Andesha exclaimed in surprise as Morpheus reached her first in a blur.
She had assessed the girl with black wings to be a Gold-ranker, but the latter’s speed rose tremendously
to the point where she took her by surprise. Cold flames broke past the Mistress of Withering Decay’s
defense, causing her to realize that it was an Undead being before her.
[Soul Element Power? Is this a joke? How did this girl master her Element Power so quickly?]
The attack’s negative energy was targeted at Andesha’s legs. Morpheus had faithfully executed his
Master’s instructions, causing the Mistress of Withering Decay to gasp as she felt the cold flames reaching
to her core.
As one of the strongest figures on the continent, she could not remember how long it had been when she
received an injury to her soul. It was the price for underestimating Morpheus.
Her whip immediately struck back with tremendous force, causing the pretty Vampire to fly into the
fallen rock pillars. Rock fragments and dust showered the area. Brendel did not miss the opportunity and
swung his sword at his foe, causing Andesha to panic slightly when she realized the youth was moving
even faster than Morpheus. She covered her hands with vines reinforced by Mana, parrying away the
dazzling array of strikes and retreating away from the youth.
Though the pain from the golden flames was still fresh in her mind, she noticed that Brendel was not
using them and narrowed her eyes in contemplation.
[The flames that this boy possess are not from the Blood of Gods…… It doesn’t appear to be his Element
Power as well. How did he conjure the flames? Surely it’s not possible for him to keep using them, right?]
It did not take long for Andesha to try and use her whip against Brendel in order to disarm him, while
Morpheus returned to the fray and started aiming for her legs again. She was almost impressed at how
well they worked together, but even so, the difference in their abilities was palpable.
Morpheus was caught by her whip, and Andesha started smashing him against the ground repeatedly,
breaking his left wing and arm at a painful angle, while she positioned herself and Morpheus in a way that
made it difficult for Brendel to attack her. Black blood flowed from Morpheus wounds, caused by the
whip’s thorns. He even coughed out a few mouthfuls of blood.
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But his eyes were resolute and he held on to the whip instead, trying to pull Andesha towards Brendel’s
sword.
“Let go of my whip, you rabid bitch!” Andesha screamed as she dodged the youth’s attacks when they
came near to her face, and she almost lost her footing due to the Vampire pulling back.
She suddenly jerked her whip to her, before flicking it in the opposite direction, letting go of her weapon.
The sudden turn of events surprised Morpheus and he did not react in time. The addition of Andesha’s
push and his own strength from pulling the whip caused him to fly up in the air like an arrow, before he
dropped down into the endless gorge, disappearing before Brendel’s eyes.
[Morpheus! Damn it— Andesha’s level is just too high for us to overcome.]
Brendel gritted his teeth and cursed inwardly.
Andesha’s abilities were beyond his expectations. Her techniques in combat were quite formidable, and
there were no real openings that he could exploit despite gaining an advantage in the terrain. Even with
his newly gained power due to Trance and all his summons’ aid, he was unable to suppress her.
He immediately decided to retreat since he did not have Morpheus’s aid any longer, evading the conjured
vines that suddenly came from nowhere and tried to take a hold of him.
The Mistress of Withering Decay clutched the wounds on her legs and watched the youth flee with
seething rage. It was taking a while to remove the damage from Morpheus’s Element Power.
“Boy, you’re a summoner?” Veronica asked the youth when he came back to them.
She had seen part of his duel with Andesha from afar and saw multiple figures suddenly appearing, then
to her surprise and astonishment, the youth had emerged unscathed.
Brendel nodded. There was no point in denying it and he might as well pretend to be one.
A Planeswalker was something else entirely, and who knew what would happen if he tried to hint
anything about it. He did not want to have a second chain of unknown events happening, especially after
the fiasco of reciting an oath that eventually led to his downfall.
“In any case, we discovered a path. It seems that we can get to the bottom of the gorge if we use it.”
Brendel nodded again. Andesha’s furious screams were getting nearer to them, causing him to frown. The
Platinum Angels were his only way of retrieving cards from the graveyard, and it would mean that there
were fewer cards for the battles ahead.
He glanced at his Stats Windows.
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[The golden flames from the Dragon of Darkness are all used up…… But losing Morpheus is a real
problem; he’s at least Level 70 by my estimation after all the sacrifices and I wanted to keep him at the
very least for Valhalla. In any case, I need another plan.]
He thought for a few seconds.
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Chapter 178 – Battle in the Canyon (3)
Brendel observed the place where Veronica was pointing to.
[Rather than say that it’s a path, it’s a series of boulders jutting out from the cliffs where we can jump
onto. I can’t imagine if these are formed like the by some twisted accident of nature or an epic work
created by human hands. Even without the violent winds, creating such a path down to the gorge is a
miracle. In any case, it’s time for plan B, since Andesha is near enough.]
“Lady Veronica, give me the Lionheart! I’ll head down while you bring Scarlett and Faena to the other
direction and escape!” Brendel spoke aloud.
Veronica and Andesha’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. The former saw that the youth was
pointing at her sword, and she stared at him with disbelief when she understood what he was trying to
do.
Anyone could see that it was a lie.
The female sword saint was hesitant, but she eventually tossed her sword over to Brendel, who caught it
with an outstretched hand.
“My lord!” Scarlett spoke in confusion, taking a few steps towards the youth.
“Stop right there!” Veronica caught Scarlett’s arm.
“Let go of me!”
Veronica raised an eyebrow when the red-haired girl bared her teeth and glared back like a wolf pup,
looking like she was going to bite her hand. The former merely laughed out loud despite the tension.
“My, my, just how fond are you of your lord?”
Scarlett stuttered with a denial and even forgot to resist, but she got pushed away by Veronica.
Andesha suddenly attempted to use her whip to grab Scarlett. He would most likely not leave his
companion behind if she was caught.
The youth immediately saw what Andesha was up to.
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Unfortunately, the dunce Faena was straying around the area and was much nearer to him compared to
Veronica. If he failed to protect her, the same situation where Veronica threatened him with his
companion would happen yet again.
He immediately rushed over and grabbed the girl like a sack of potatoes and leaped into the air, jumping
straight onto the cliff’s protruding rocks, making his way down quickly.
Mocking laughter and insults echoed from the cliffs.
Catch me if you can, plant woman.
I thought you wanted the Lionheart?
Just how old are you anyway? Three hundred? Five hundred? Hahaha~~~
Andesha stared at Veronica for a moment. That sword was definitely not Lionheart.
But she was finding it impossible to read Brendel. What if Veronica somehow switched her blade to the
real Lionheart sword and threw it to the youth?
In addition, she also used the highest quality Blood of Gods on him.
But most importantly, there was no way she could let this humiliation pass.
The Mistress of Withering Decay jumped onto the boulders, disappearing into the white fog.
Faena was so frightened that her teeth were chattering.
“W-w-w-why did you take me with you—”
Her voice was almost pushed back by the wind forcing its way to her throat.
“Then should I leave you here, my lady?”
Brendel was using his full speed to jump across the rocks, but he was still able to answer.
“NO!!”
“Hey, do you want me to bring you along or leave you here?”
“Y-y-you, I-I-I will get my father to cut you into pieces when I get back!”
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“Woah, I’m so scared, hmmmm, how about this, I’ll just make it so that you won’t be able to go back?”
“Y-you dare!?”
Brendel let go of his hands, scaring Faena and causing her to scream immediately, and she hugged his
neck tightly.
The youth felt liquid going down his neck, and he realized he had just intimidated her into crying.
[You did well, me!]
“You b-bastard……” She cried.
Brendel did not regret his actions at all. He even felt vindicated for doing so since she brought so much
trouble to him. He glanced back to ascertain Andesha’s position.
Her figure was moving faster and faster in the blurry mist, advancing the terrain by using her vines
instead of jumping across the rocks. It would not be long for her to appear clearly in his eyes.
[Our distance is just slightly more than ten meters apart—]
Andesha swung her whip from that distance, and a cracking sound could be heard as it parted the white
mist. Brendel was on his guard and jumped high up into the air. The whip struck across the protruding
boulder where he was at earlier, cutting a portion off like a knife.
Her speed made him frown. If he did not come up with something soon, he would definitely be caught.
He glanced at his surroundings. There was nothing he could use with this terrain, and the protruding
rocks lined up in a row were the only things available. At that moment, Faena rubbed her red eyes and
spoke a little angrily:
“Hey, your sword’s hilt is poking me all the time! It’s hurting me!”
“Sword hilt?”
Brendel suddenly realized he was holding on to Veronica’s sword. His eyes brightened as he thought of a
plan.
“Nice idea!”
“W…… What?”
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“You gave me a nice idea.”
“What idea? Are you delirious?”
Faena was puzzled but she suddenly felt herself sinking like a stone, and the mist was rushing up at her
face. She suddenly realized that Brendel was tucking his legs together and shrinking his body into a
straight line as much as possible.
They were falling through the air freely.
Faena had never felt such a thrill in her entire life, and her heart was about to jump out of her throat.
“Ahhhhhhhhh—”
Her voice dragged out like a falling star as she felt the wind cutting her face like blades. Her tears spilled
out, no, flew out from her.
[I’m dying, dying, dying—]
Brendel did not need to ask Faena to hold onto him since she was already doing so. He took out
Veronica’s sword and stabbed it into the cliff. A sharp metallic scream immediately assaulted his ears.
Veronica’s sword completely disappeared into the cliff, and bright golden sparks showered from the cliff
as he slid towards a rock platform.
He pulled out the sword and jumped onto it, taking a moment to rest and recover his strength, before he
did the same thing again a few times. He actually reached the abyss without any issues.
Faena stared at the sky when she finally confirmed they had stopped. She gulped in the air like a fish, her
chest moving up and down, acting as though her soul had left her.
“Am I dead?” She asked blankly.
Brendel rolled his eyes and pushed her over his shoulders, and she overturned once to fall on her butt.
“Ouch! What are you doing!!”
“Hah…… Didn’t you ask if you were dead? Tossing you over was the fastest way to find out.”
“Y-y-you scoundrel……” She started sobbing again.
The angry, spoiled, and stubborn girl was nowhere to be found.
Brendel massaged his sword arm as it was feeling numb and had no sensation. He sighed and looked
upwards.
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[I don’t want to do this again, even if it felt as thrilling as a roller-coaster. I nearly failed to hold onto the
sword despite my increased Physique and Strength with Trance—]
Andesha’s speed was incredibly quick, and he could make out a speck in the air. It was hard to say where
the lair of the fake Lernaia Hydra was, and the cat-and-mouse game still had to continue. He pushed
Faena’s shoulder:
“Stay here and hide. I’ll lure her away.”
Faena suddenly stopped crying and stared at him. She looked wary and Brendel did not know what was
going through in her mind, but she suddenly blurted loudly:
“I’m going with you!”
[Hah?]
Brendel thought she hated him more than Andesha, but he shook his head after a moment.
“No, you will only slow me down with your speed,” Brendel said and walked away.
But he could hear her standing up and chasing him from behind, causing him to sigh immediately.
“It’s incredibly dangerous for you to stick with me. Do you even know what I’m going to do next?”
“Staying here is even more dangerous, h-h-how can you can leave a lady…… behind in such a dangerous
place?” Her voice became softer and softer at the end.
“Hmm—”
Brendel was taken aback for a moment.
Faena was right. Who knew what was lurking in the abyss? Even though he told her to hide, she might
encounter a monster. He would not mind if something bad happened to her, but what if there was an
investigation from the Kirrlutz Empire or Veronica coming back to bite him back in the butt?
He turned around and extended his hand: “Hmmm….. Okay.”
“W-w-what are you doing now?” Faena was on her guard and stared at the hand before her.
“Didn’t you want to come along with me?”
“Who wants to hold hands with you damn it!”
“Okay, forget it.”
Brendel was about to walk away.
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“Wait! Hey!”
Faena ran up hastily and gritted her teeth as her twin ponytails shook behind her. She looked at his hand
in hesitation before grabbing it. She was afraid of the surroundings but she was reluctant to admit it:
“R-r-remember this, I-I’m not afraid and did not take your hand because— I…… won’t thank you.”
“Ohhkay,” Brendel replied, enjoying the idea of jerking her around.
The two of them crossed the deep valley. The mist was taking on a grey color tone, and there was some
kind of stench in the air.
Despite walking for a while, Brendel could not see any vegetation or signs of life. He sniffed the air,
pondering to himself, but it was Faena who commented out loud:
“Strange. The purity of the different Elements is incredibly thick. It feels like Ether.”
“Eh?” Brendel turned to look at her: “You recognize it?”
“Why can’t I recognize it?” Faena rolled her eyes at him.
“I’m an Elementalist, are you one?”
“You’re an Elementalist? How is it possible that you even became one? And I’m a proud Magic
Swordswoman, hmph, you country bumpkin!”
Brendel had been angered before by the words ‘country bumpkin’, but now the girl before him had frizzy
hair and swollen eyes, and he could not help but giggle.
“What are you staring at?” She glared at him, feeling his ridicule.
“You said that it’s Ether? Do you know what’s Ether?”
“Hmph. The different Elements are active, but if they are stagnant in a place for long periods of time, it
will turn into Ether. Incredible, how is it possible for so much Ether to be in this area?”
“You can feel it becoming thicker?”
“Yes.”
“Then it means we found the right place.”
“Huh?”
Brendel took out a grey gemstone that glowed faintly. Faena looked at it curiously, and she found it to be
somehow captivating.
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2150
Chapter 179 – Dream
When Brendel took out the gemstone, a ray of grey light shot out from it and pierced through the mist,
pointing towards a certain direction.
“What are you holding on to?” Faena asked.
“Why do I need to answer your question? Surely someone from the Empire would not care for what a
citizen from Aouine has to say.” Brendel raised the gemstone higher, making himself a lighthouse.
“You—” She gnashed her teeth.
But Brendel ignored her and started walking, dragging the irate girl along with him. Both of them became
silent, unwilling to speak to each other.
The light from the gemstone was a form of Mana Resonance, and it focused on something within the
valley. The two of them continued to walk in the fog for quite some time, following the direction of the
light as black rocks peeked in and out. A strong air current was flowing past their legs like a river’s water
which slowed their progress.
The boring landscape made the weary duo sleepy as they continued walking, but it did not take long for
the gemstone in Brendel’s hands to flash a few times before it dimmed. The youth suddenly became alert
and focused his attention on his surroundings that seemed to be oddly bright. He pondered a few
seconds, before taking out Veronica’s sword and dropped its sheath onto the ground.
“What is it?” Faena did not understand what Brendel was doing.
“We’ve reached our destination,” He said, pulling Faena to a large boulder and indicated for her to be
quiet.
Even though it was his plan to get the fake Lernaia Hydra to fight Andesha, he did not want to be caught
by the monster because Faena made a fool out of herself.
He narrowed his eyes and tried to see past the fog. There was a bottomless quarry ahead of them, and
when he looked into it, he suddenly held his breath—
[What the f…..]
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There was an incredible beast lying in the quarry. The strange shapes that he first saw were actually a
pair of white shining ears, leading down to a silver mane that glowed in the darkness. There was no fog
around that beast, as though it was somehow pushed away by an invisible barrier.
When the youth took a few more seconds to look at it, he realized that it was a wolf that was just as big as
the fake Lernaia Hydra. Its elegant snout was placed on top of its paws, with its body nestled up
comfortably in a curvy mass. It gave off an aura that exuded magnificence, appearing more splendid than
the most glorious mountains.
[A silver scar across its face and eye—]
Brendel swallowed as he looked at the mighty sleeping beast, even forgetting to breathe. Faena
eventually discovered what was causing the youth’s shock. She nearly cried out, but her hands already
covered her lips to prevent any sound from leaking out.
“What is this monster?” Faena whispered in disbelief.
Brendel took a deep breath and declared with shining eyes:
“The Twelve Demonic Moon’s son, the Warg that is known as Hati!”
“What!” Faena cried out through her covered lips.
The Warg Hati was also known as the source of the Calamity of Wolves. As the Kirrlutz Empire’s northern
borders were frequently harassed by the Winter Wolves, Faena knew about the lore quite well.
Hati was depicted as a half-god in various legends and stories, but no one believed that it really existed.
“H-h-how is this possible, y-you are mistaken, r-right?” Faena stuttered in terror.
“The colossal wolf with a body filled with snow-white fur, and the unmistakable injury left behind on its
right eye during the fight with the Winter Warg—”
Brendel suddenly stopped himself.
[This could be a trick from the Demonic Nightmare Fog. If it managed to turn itself into the fake Ancestral
Hydra, why not the fake King of Wolves, Hati?]
He suddenly felt Faena poking his waist. He turned around and saw her looking up in the air,
“B-Brendel……” She could only utter his name as though she had her tongue tied up.
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The youth was on his guard when he saw her appearance. He looked up and also changed his expression
just like she did.
The fog was changing its shape repeatedly, forming into various Ancestral Beasts, but it ultimately turned
into a shape they were familiar with—
The Lernaia Hydra was before them once again.
Fifteen pairs of eyes suddenly opened up at the same time, revealing nothing but evil killing intent.
Brendel and Faena’s hearts turned cold, and they felt as though they had been pierced by fifteen sharp
swords and were nailed to the ground—
[…… It’s the opposite. This Hati here is the real thing. Indeed, it’s the true source of the Calamity of
Wolves, and it is currently dreaming of creating chaos in the real world. The identity of the Demonic
Nightmare Fog is actually a dream of Hati that affects reality, and it’s strong enough to beat up everyone.]
“H-h-has…… it seen us?” Faena muttered.
Brendel shoved his hand to her lips:
“Are you stupid? It would have just attacked us long ago if it saw us. Stop talking unnecessarily, you’re
going to attract its attention.”
The youth stared at the fifteen dragon heads once again.
[It’s the gemstone. The Demonic Nightmare Fog appeared because the gemstone was taken out and too
close to it. But what does this gemstone have anything to do with Hati?]
He moved further into the boulder’s cover and pulled Faena in as well. The latter squatted down and
placed her hands on the sides of her torn up dress.
“Did you plan on luring that woman here from the start?” She thought for a while and asked.
Brendel looked at her in surprise.
“Wow, I didn’t know you had a brain—”
“What do you mean by that!” She glared at him and said through gritted teeth with a raised voice.
“Silence!” Brendel stared back and said with a huff.
Faena’s body jolted, and she remembered to lower her volume: “Did you know that this thing would be
here? Does it have anything to do with the gemstone that you have?”
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“Gee, your guess is right, how about making more guesses to my other plans?”
“Tsk, any idiot would be able to see through it, do you really think you’re so smart!?”
Brendel’s ire was drawn and he felt blood rushing to his face, and he immediately countered back with an
insult: “Is that so? You’re an idiot who managed to see through my plans, well done.”
“You!”
Faena’s eyebrows were knitted together and she was about to explode, but she saw the youth had his
finger on his lips, and it caused her to deflate like a balloon.
“….. This obnoxious country bumpkin from Aouine.” She muttered.
Brendel did not have the mood to continue arguing with her. He looked at his surroundings and
discovered a spot that was better than where they were at. The fake Lernaia Hydra would find it difficult
to spot them if they were there instead. He gestured to Faena and brought her over carefully after
walking for a few minutes, using the many boulders in the area as cover.
It was a gap within the cliffs, which allowed them to see the entire valley easily, as well as the quarry
below them. It was a good place to avoid the Lernaia Hydra’s eyes and also allowed them to observe
Andesha’s movements if she came.
Brendel estimated that she would take ten more minutes to catch up to them.
As expected, the figure of Mistress of Withering Decay appeared in the fog within that time frame.
[It is quite the feat, to be able to pursue us so quickly.]
Brendel thought they had only left their scent behind.
Interestingly, Andesha took a sheltered path that blocked her view if she were to look up, and thus she
did not notice the Lernaia Hydra’s existence. It was the same for the creature, which also did not notice
her.
This was not what Brendel wanted. There was a strong killing intent in the air that would invite
Andesha’s cautiousness if she were to move any closer, and he needed to ensure his plan’s success to get
them to fight each other.
He took a deep breath, ready to act—
“Hey, country bumpkin, are you sure this plan is going to mmmf—” Faena could see Andesha’s figure, and
she asked after gulping once.
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Brendel grabbed the girl’s cheeks using one hand and squeezed them with great spite. His courage and
determination were suddenly deflated because of this stupid woman.
But he was out of time. He acted immediately and took out the gemstone. The Lernaia Hydra suddenly
stopped moving, before fifteen heads turned and stared at the spot where the two youths were hiding at.
[Here it comes!]
Brendel’s heart raced as he lifted up the gemstone, and the figure of the Lernaia Hydra immediately
moved towards the gap.
“F-Fhat arr yew dewing!” Faena could not help but speak in alarm, her hands flailing about.
Brendel did not answer her.
A dragon head was moving quickly to where they were, and he forcibly pulled Faena out of the hole. Four
additional dragon heads suddenly parted the mist and appeared before them, and he hurled Faena like a
javelin upon seeing that sight.
Fangs snapped at the screaming girl flying in the air, but they missed and Faena tumbled onto the ground
roughly, rolling a few times. She had curled herself into a ball and hugged her head. The youth then
activated his Charge ability and rushed next to her, scooping her up into his arms and he ran across the
valley with a dazzling speed.
Even though the deep valley was considerably large, the size of the Lernaia Hydra was far too big for it to
use all its heads at the same time. Fifteen heads moved to attack Brendel, but they knocked into each
other and slowed down their progress.
The youth ran and made use of the many boulders and gaps within the cliffs, making it impossible for the
Lernaia Hydra to get them.
He quickly ran into Andesha. She was holding on to the sheath of Veronica’s sword which he had left
behind as a bait; the sheath’s materials were special and she took time to study it.
When the leader of the Tree Shepherds saw Brendel carrying Faena in his arms and appearing before her,
she could not help but feel surprised. Her reactions were quick as she immediately spoke aloud with
ridicule:
“Delivering yourselves to me, are we?”
“Surely you know that I’m not holding onto the Lionheart—” Brendel stopped running, and he laughed
with sarcasm while he shook his head.
Andesha scoffed: “The Acolyte of the Dark God is more important than a mere sword.”
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“Oh, then how important is this thing compared to me?”
“What?”
Andesha was confused by Brendel’s words and actions; the youth tossed a gemstone over to her. She
nearly smacked it away instinctively, but she managed to identify at the last moment and her expression
changed.
“A Sealed Fragment?”
Andesha immediately caught the gemstone with a conjured vine whip and studied it.
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Chapter 180 – Through the valley
While Andesha was distracted with the gemstone, there was a sudden roar that shook the valley. The fog
parted and a huge dragon head with open jaws rushed towards her.
“A dragon!?” The Mistress of Wither Decay jumped in fright, but she immediately chanted loudly:
“Northern Wind, I command you to conjure a bitter winter!”
She flung out her palm; a blizzard formed on top of her head and blew out a wild storm of frost and hail.
Shards of ice were fired like projectiles, striking the surroundings in front of her. The strong wind tossed
her hair about and made it dance, but she did not move at all.
It was as though she was a queen who controlled the weather. Snow covered the half the valley in the
blink of an eye, turning the ground into a carpet of hard ice. The Lernaia Hydra’s dragon head was forced
back as the sharp ice fragments pierced through its body, riddling it with holes.
“What?”
Andesha felt there was something wrong with the strength of the ‘Dragon’. She pointed at the head with
her thumb, chanting:
“Time flows; nature withers. Your scales shall fall from off your body, your muscles will slack and rot,
your blood turns dry, your bones be brittle, today is the day when your end is nigh!”
The Lernaia Hydra’s head bellowed. Its white scales turned yellow and fell out, while its muscles and
blood were turned into liquid, and rained all over the area before turning back into mist.
In just a few seconds, the gigantic head disappeared.
But before Andesha had the chance to relax, the air was agitated. Mist gathered and the dragon head
appeared once more.
Andesha’s brows formed a knot between her eyes.
Brendel had used this opportunity to slip past them while she was facing off the Demonic Nightmare Fog,
but he was still struck once by a stray shard of ice on the shoulder, causing him to lose sensation of his
entire arm.
Even though the Andesha’s magic did not affect him much with just a thin layer of ice spreading across
the injury, it was the physical damage that caused him to grit his teeth.
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He ran over a hundred meters before he spotted a crevice in the cliffs and went into it, gasping a little
when he stopped. It was as though a knife had been stabbed into his shoulder. His blood seemed like it
was being pumped hard to fix the wound, causing him to feel a scorching heat as it fought against the
freezing magic.
Faena asked with a little concern in her voice when she saw Brendel’s twisted expression.
“Hey, country bumpkin?”
“What?” Brendel snarled at her.
“You—” Faena wanted to ask if she could do anything to help, but Brendel’s attitude made her angry. She
scoffed and her tone was hard: “Nothing at all.”
Still, she asked again in a whisper: “Hey, country bumpkin?”
“What is wrong with your eyes? Lady, do you think I’m free to talk to you?” Brendel snapped at her.
“Y-y-you obnoxious—”
“Huh? Who’s the obnoxious one? You mean calling me names is your way of apologizing?”
Faena eyebrows disappeared into her hair: “I’m not apologizing, why would you think I’m doing that, how
is it possible that I will apologize to a country bumpkin!”
“Then why the hell do you keep talking to me?”
Faena’s face turned red. She wanted to say ‘Let me walk on my own since you are injured’, but her words
changed to something else:
“When do you intend to put me down—”
Her angry voice became softer and softer with each word.
[Hah?]
Brendel suddenly realized he was still carrying her in his arms. But he could hardly be blamed; the youth
thought he was carrying baggage all the time and simply forgot.
If it were some other hot girl, he might have entertained some delusions about her, but Faena actually
managed to send his affection score below negative points.
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[Arrogant, condescending, wicked, and clumsy.]
He could not help but send a meaningful glare at the girl before letting her down.
Andesha and the Lernaia Hydra’s fight intensified. The fifteen dragon heads were repeatedly destroyed
and regrown without being able to fight back, and its body was eventually forced back.
[Madness. Even though I knew this woman was strong, I didn’t think she would be this powerful. This
fake Hydra is a beast that could take on Amman, Mephisto, and Veronica all at the same time, and yet
Andesha is capable of making it do nothing but defend itself. Still…..]
The youth was on the verge of giggling.
The Lernaia Hydra could regenerate itself infinite times. If Andesha was unable to realize this point, she
would eventually die from exhaustion. The Mistress of Withering Decay’s Element Power was not
something that boosted speed, and given how persistent the creature was, fleeing would not be an easy
thing.
[It’s best for us to go back in case something happens again— Wait, the entrance to Valhalla, could it
possibly be past Hati’s lair?]
The more he thought about it, the more he felt it was possible, and he decided to move to the end of the
valley. The fake Lernaia Hydra targeted Andesha because of the gemstone and her attention was on the
monster, therefore it was unlikely that he would be targeted.
Two dirty yellow light rays lit up the surroundings. Andesha had cast a new spell and the Lernaia Hydra’s
thunderous roars shook the cliffs and ground, giving the impression that an earthquake was happening.
Brendel and Faena advanced carefully against the cliff’s walls. Small rocks and sand kept pouring down as
the beast’s pained bellows echoed around them, but Faena did not dare to complain. She merely looked at
Brendel carefully with a frown when he was not paying attention to her.
The two quickly made their way through the winding path, and they went down into the pit. The mist did
not interfere with their sight any longer, and they saw that the massive beast was sleeping quietly.
“Wait, we’re supposed……. to go past it?” Faena had already guessed his intentions, but when she saw the
wolf appear so vividly before her eyes, she could not help but pale and question the youth’s sanity.
“Yes.”
“B-but the King of Wolves, Hati?”
“It’s sleeping, what are you afraid of?”
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“But what if it suddenly wakes up, are we not doomed?”
Brendel gave a condescending stare: “The slumber of a half-God. Do you think it will be roused easily?
You must be dreaming, Lady Faena.”
“You—”
Faena’s teeth were clenched together in irritation. She knew that lore stated that a god could sleep for
thousands of years, and they could not be roused regardless of what happened during this period of time.
But it was just lore.
Facing the situation in reality was completely different. Hati was known as the source of the Calamity of
Wolves, the White Spectre that hated all humans instinctively. Any child who lived in Kirrlutz would grow
up with the story of a white wolf the size of a titan gobbling up humans under the moonlight. Faena was
no exception, and her mind shut down a little when she saw the legendary monster with her own eyes.
Brendel had already started to walk again, and she had to follow him even though she was afraid.
Explosions rang out above them, indicating that Andesha and the Lernaia Hydra were still fighting,
though the sounds were a little muted in the pit.
The half-god was even more majestic up close. The silver fur looked like they were meticulously groomed
and shone in the darkness. The wolf’s outline was like a mountain range that went up and down, and
Brendel and Faena could not help but feel like a speck of dust when they looked at it.
They were in awe of the power presented before them.
Hati’s breaths were long and unchanging, its back rising up and down without fail. An immense soul
resided in this body and seemed to fill it with endless strength. The wind that constantly blew in the Loop
of Trade Winds were stilled in its presence, as if the world revolved around it.
[I remember now…… The game introduced Hati as a ‘she’. Many are mistaken about her gender when
they read the lore because she fought to be the ‘king’ of all wolves. Indeed, she is beautiful.]
Despite the youth believing that it would not wake up, he still held his breath and carefully took his steps
while he admired the elegant shape.
“I-i-it won’t wake up right?” Faena squeaked.
“…… Do you see it waking up from all the commotion around us?” Brendel turned his head slowly.
“Hati is the enemy of all sentient beings, right? Maybe it’s able to sense us?”
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“And it will send out a group of Winter Wolves that will break your throat—” Brendel suddenly growled
and his hand clawed towards her throat, frightening the girl into shrinking back her neck.
“W-w-what are you doing?”
“Trying to get you to stop talking nonsense.”
“You stupid evil country bumpkin!” Faena complained unhappily.
When the two of them passed Hati, its slow breath blew on them and caused their hearts to race.
But Brendel was right; Hati did not wake up.
Faena suddenly asked the youth whether they should take the chance and kill it while it was asleep.
Brendel blinked several times and stared at the girl like she was the biggest fool in the world. He then
passed Veronica’s sword to her and said with the most innocent expression, but his sarcasm was obvious:
“Form a contract with me and save the world by becoming a Magical Girl!”
Faena snatched the sword and tried to cut a single strand of the wolf’s fur, wanting to see the youth
panicking as revenge for mocking her. But before the blade even went close to within three feet of the
wolf, an invisible barrier suddenly repelled Faena’s attack.
Brendel’s lips were spasming as he tried to hold back his laughter. He had the last laugh regardless of the
girl was going to do.
Faena stopped speaking to Brendel and glared at him all the way as they quietly made their way past
Hati.
The end of the pit led to another narrow valley with obsidian walls. Its surroundings did not really look
out of place in the canyon, but there was one thing that stood out.
There was a huge stone gate standing in the center of the valley.
2161
Chapter 181 – Valhalla’s gate
Two statues were carved on either side of the gate, both towering nearly a hundred meters high. Brendel
and Faena did not even reach the size of their toes.
The statue on the left was the long-beared King of Bitter Frost, Kail, and the statue on the right wielding a
massive axe was Kort. Both of them were gods of war in Kirrlutz’s legends.
When they reached the strange gate, Faena noticed a few lines written in angular letters, but she could
not read the language.
“Valhalla was created for the Final Battle. May the stars in the sky still light the ground even after a
millennium—” Brendel read them aloud.
The Sky Knight used his lance and broke through the clouds during the final battle against the Twilight
Dragon, signifying the birth of the second era. An ancient history that was even older than King Gatel and
the other three Saints.
Much of this ancient language was lost after the War of the Saints, and Faena could not help but stare at
Brendel in astonishment. There was only silence in the valley after the youth spoke, making the
atmosphere feel a little mystical.
Brendel’s first thought was to confirm whether the gate was the way to Valhalla. It was a powerful
fortress built to fight against the Twilight Dragon, but it was still destroyed like the other Sanctuaries,
leaving only a fragmented history that was turned into fables for people to trace.
After marveling at the structure for a while, Brendel thought it was time to contact the Druids as
promised. The Druids had given him twelve gemstones which he would use to send his coordinates, and
then they would send Sifrid, who was the key to opening the gateway, over to him.
He walked next to the gate and inspected the ground, eventually discovering what he wanted.
An angular rock that jutted out from the ground.
The youth scooped away the dirt around the rock to reveal more of it. He carved a circle on it with
Veronica’s sword and placed four green gemstones within the circle, before continuing to carve patterns
around them.
2162
Faena found a spot and sat quietly on it. The Lernaia Hydra’s roars which had stopped for a while were
starting yet again, and they seemed to be even louder than before. She hugged her knees when she
discovered the pebbles around her vibrating.
“Hey, what are you doing now? Why did we stop moving?” She asked a little fearfully.
“Serious business. Make yourself useful and go back to the entrance to keep guard. If Andesha doesn’t
appear, continue to stay there and stop bothering me with your stupid questions.”
“What?” Faena was shocked at his rudeness.
This country bumpkin dared to order her?
“You don’t want to? Sure, that’s fine with me. I’ll leave you behind if she comes. That woman must be
fuming, and you’re a pretty good decoy even though you’re incompetent. She will definitely torture you
thoroughly before killing you,” Brendel was careful in his carving while he spoke in a delighted tone, as
though he was describing a joyful event, “ahhh, did I forget to mention that the Tree Shepherds love
chopping people’s limbs off and plant their demonic vegetation from hell on the injuries? These plants
crave blood for nourishment….. Perhaps you have heard of their ways?”
The blood in Faena’s face was completely drained. She pointed at Brendel with a shaking finger: “Y-y-y-y-
you, how could you describe something so terrifying with a smile on your face!”
“But it’s the truth?”
Faena’s rose-like lips quivered, with her tongue seemingly tied up with fear, but she squeezed out her
usual unyielding words after a few seconds: “I-I-I’ll return you this favor f-f-for rescuing me—”
She stomped over to the entrance.
Brendel was giggling to himself. It was easy to get her to do what he wanted by prodding her in the right
places. His lips started to bunch up together in concentration as he completed the Magic Formation. Space
Magic was the most complicated out of all the Magic Formations, and he had discussed the feasibility of
this plan with the Great Druid Elder many times.
The final conclusion was to send his coordinates with a Magic Formation, and the people in charge of
sending Sifrid by a Teleportation spell were Druid Elders chosen in advance.
The first problem was not difficult. Brendel was an Alchemist, and carving a Magic Formation was not a
big problem for him. He easily remembered the sample that was given to him by the Druid Elder and did
not even need to refer to it.
2163
The gemstones given to him were natural green agate crystals formed in the Loop of Trade Winds. They
were high-quality gemstone capable of forming a Mana Resonance, and were also classified as a low-level
Space Element Power. Many Wizards used them as a medium for Transmission Magic.
The distance between his location and the Green Tower was over ten kilometers across the Dark Forest.
It was a risky plan that did not guarantee success, but the Druids were prepared for this do-or-die plan,
putting all their hope into one basket.
[Well, they do have a backup plan……]
The youth knew that the Druids had sent off a group of their young offsprings and elderly away when the
Calamity of Wolves started, in hopes of passing down their Legacy to their future seeds. He did not blame
them for not putting all their strength to guard the Green Tower, and instead pretended not to see their
plan.
[Honestly, this shouldn’t be as risky as it sounds. The gamers succeeded in getting Valhalla, and I’m pretty
sure they used this method to communicate with the Druids. It’s not the first time that this method
worked, and definitely not the last time in the game. The problem is with Andesha— She somehow
managed to block the communication between me and my summons, though I’m certain that she has to
actively cast a magic spell to do so.]
Brendel was the one who proposed this plan. The first time when gamers made use of these gemstones
for communication ended up using six of these green agate crystals. Future tests went from a single
gemstone to double digits, but statistics eventually proved that four gemstones were the best efficiency to
cost, which was at a success rate of ninety-seven percent.
The Druids provided twelve gemstones to Brendel, but the youth planned to use four and pocket the rest.
He was certain that Andesha was busy dealing with the Hydra and it was unlikely for her to stop the
magic he was going to cast.
When he was finally done drawing the Magic Formation, he pointed Veronica’s sword at the center and
chanted loudly: “In the name of the Dragon of Time and Wind, I invoke the Law of Delasityle and beseech
the Third and Seventh Constellation, to lend your mystical powers to me and pierce through the skies.”
The youth’s voice was deafening, as though a mysterious force was increasing his volume, and a word
echoed throughout the valley—
“Delasi……tyle…….”
Faena hopped into the air like a frightened rabbit. She turned around to see the Magic Formation bursting
with green light, moving around the patterns of the Magic Formation like liquid and filling each curved
line to its brim.
2164

“What kind of magic is this? You actually managed to get the Dragon of Time and Wind to aid you? Why
would the Divine Dragon Delasityle grant you its powers?!”
“It’s a Space Magic spell. Also, I did not cast it. Rather, it’s an invoked Law that sends out coordinates.”
Brendel kindly explained to her. He looked up and saw four green lines moving behind the Wall of Clouds.
A gigantic wheel was being pulled at its edge, a sign of the Law being invoked.
“Space Magic? But Delasityle is the Dragon of Time and Wind, why does it have anything to do with Space
Magic……” Faena was unable to recall what Divine Being was required to call out for invoking Space
Magic.
It was advanced magic that was beyond her level.
“Hah? All spells related to Space Magic need the permission from the Dragon of Time and Wind. Don’t you
know that?”
“O-o-of course I know it, I was just surprised by you casting a high-level spell!” Her face was red from
embarrassment and anger.
“Ohhh?” Brendel dragged his tone into a mocking one.
The girl’s face flushed even deeper and she snapped: “Fine, why does invoking a Space Magic require the
permission of the Dragon of Time and Wind?”
“Lady, has no one ever tell you how rotten your temper is?” Brendel rolled his eyes and sighed: “Space
and Time are one and the same; it’s just that they exist in different dimensions.”
Brendel quoted the theory of the Archmage, William Pestel. The Space Magic that existed in this current
generation was mostly due to his efforts, and legends stated that no one had researched on the topic
more deeply that he did.
An old voice answered in great surprise as soon as Brendel finished speaking:
“What? Young man, where did you hear these words from?”
Brendel and Faena felt a jolt to their spines, looking to the source of the voice at the same time.
But there was nothing there.
Brendel frowned, making a guess that it was a member of Galbu’s Wizards, and he asked:
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“Are you a member of the Silver Alliance? Why do you not show yourself?”
The elderly voice was turned into a chain of hearty laughter: “Young man, your mind works really fast.
Though goading an old man at my age isn’t going to work well.”
However, an elderly man wearing long silver robes that reached the ground appeared before Brendel’s
eyes.
William Pestle, one of the twelve leaders of Galbu’s Wizards, removed his invisibility spell and showed
himself.
He was over four hundred years old, his fame not only limited to Galbu’s Wizards but also well known
amongst the human mortals.
A poet who went by the name Colgo, wrote a book called ‘About the story of an Archmagi by Colgo, and
sponsored by Bista Merchants’. Bista was a considerably famous merchant near Ampere Seale. Natives
knew that some of the merchants were eccentric, and it was because of this strange merchant, that the
stories of William Pestle became known to the common people.
Brendel looked at the old man with a grimace.
Given the latter’s personality, he might have actually sought a copyright fee from Colgo and Bista…..
Dealing with him was likely to be troublesome.
William showed a little surprise in his eyes when he saw Brendel looking unhappily at him. The youth
clearly knew who he was.
“How strange, you even managed to recognize me?”
“Surely there are many who know your names. The Lord of Kanagi, one of the Twelve Silver Circle
Archmagi, the respected leader of the wizards?”
“To think that I would have these many nicknames,” the elderly man laughed, “but knowing my name is
one thing, to recognize me is another. How quaint, that you even know that Time and Space Magic are one
and the same—”
William squinted his eyes.
The School of Silver was founded by him, but it was still at an immature state on the ideas of Time and
Space. Not many acknowledged his theory, and even a few of his old friends disagreed with him. But this
young man declared the same hypothesis with confidence, and it made William more and more
interested in him.
“What, you’re—” Faena could not believe her ears and stared at William with a pair of incredulous eyes.
She was at a loss for words.
2166
“My, my, even the little girl knows of my name, it is my pleasure to meet you.”
[What is this old man doing here? Even though I know that the wizards from Galbu are here, I didn’t think
it would be one of their leaders. This is bad, he’s probably as powerful as Andesha, and I have no idea
what he wants.]
Brendel’s eyebrows could not but lift up.
“Do not worry, young man. I’m here because I’m merely curious.” William’s smile became bigger, acting as
though he could see through the youth’s worries.
2167
Chapter 182 – Waiting
“What is there to be curious?” Brendel said.
“Yes, strange, very strange. A noble who’s rumored to be from Aouine’s borders, but he easily recognizes
me, identifies Hati readily, casts a Space Magic that borrows from Delasityle’s powers, carrying
Bahamut’s Grasp and Halran Gaia…… You even have that girl’s sword, the Azure Sky—” The old wizard
looked at Brendel with his dull-green colored eyes, his smile extending to them.
Brendel’s heart skipped a beat.
“Is it strange for a low-ranking noble to be capable of these feats? That’s nothing but prejudice.”
“But you have to admit that prejudice is a gained experience. Though, I must have crossed the line as it
seems you wish to hold on to your secrets. If I apologize to you, surely you will not hold it against me, an
old man, right?”
Brendel could not help but smile at his cheeky words. William’s friendly attitude was a breath of fresh air
compared to the people from Kirrlutz, and in theory, he was actually much more qualified to look down
on the lowborn because he was a leader of the Silver Bloodline.
If one were to compare the Galbu Wizards’ polite and humble attitudes to the people from Kirrlutz, the
latter would definitely be treated as violent savages.
“Very well, my true interest here is this,” the old wizard looked at the imposing stone gate and shook his
head, “the Lionheart’s place of rest isn’t behind this gate, everyone has guessed wrong.”
He glanced at Brendel, his eyes twinkling with curiosity: “But if my guess is right, you know what lies
beyond this gate?”
Brendel turned his head sideways a little, looking at William from the corners of his eyes. He was certain
that the old wizard did not come to this place just because the latter was curious. The youth even thought
that it was possible that he was the reason that William came here.
Still, he played along with his act and asked a question:
“Grandmaster William, what is the basic principle behind Magic?”
This question was simple to the old wizard, and he answered immediately: “Magic is the exchange of
Mana and rules of the Laws.”
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“I’ve heard that the symbol of the Silver Alliance is a silver balancing scale, would you please tell me
why?”
William’s eyes glinted as he laughed: “An equal exchange— Alright, what do you want, you rascal?”
“I need a helping hand.”
“I see, you want me to aid you against that woman?” The old wizard looked at the entrance of the valley:
“It’s a little troublesome, but I can consider about it.”
Brendel nodded. It was not surprising for William to make a correct conclusion quickly. The latter not
only had wisdom, but his experience alone would allow him to arrive at the truth of many things.
“This is truly a difficult transaction to accept, but I think I can see it as worthwhile. Now, can you tell me
what is behind this gate?” The old wizard asked with a laugh.
“Valhalla,” Brendel answered.
William froze a little: “Do you refer to the Druids’ secret that is handed down to each generation by word
of mouth; the ruins that they have been looking for throughout the years?”
“Yes.”
Brendel was not worried about William getting involved in this matter. People viewed Valhalla as a place
that housed a primeval Fire Seed. Possessing it would certainly allow one to become the lord of the land,
but the Archmagi was already standing at the very top of authority amongst the wizards, and there was
no meaning to possess Valhalla.
In addition, Galbu was an alliance formed with floating cities. There was no meaning or need to own a
land on the ground. If anything, the Archmagi should be on the youth’s side to help kindle the Fire Seed,
since he was one of the allies of Order.
“There are tales of the Goddess Marsha leaving behind a Fire Seed in the south of Aouine, but to think that
it’s in Valhalla, and right behind this gate!” William exclaimed: “But while it’s all very surprising, this
secret is highly guarded by the Druids, and even I had no clue at all as to what is really behind this
place— So how do you know this secret?”
Brendel merely smiled back without saying anything.
“Ahh, another secret? How very vexing.” The Archmagi sighed in exaggeration to Brendel’s nod.
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============= Druids’ POV =============
The ordinary citizens were mostly gathered in the Green Tower’s town hall, with a few people trickling in
every now and then from the various districts. Adults hugged the children and loved ones comforted each
other in the air that was filled with uneasiness and tension.
A few high-level Druids conjured up thorny brambles that sealed off most of the paths from various city
areas leading to the town hall. However, if the town hall was lost, then the only place left to defend was
the Blackthorn Council’s area.
The growling wolves were slowly moving up the Green Tower, and a fight was taking place in the
markets. The Centaurs and Tree Elves had lost this area a while ago, but they regrouped and successfully
took it back.
Both armies fought in this area that was made up of vines and immense tree trunks, having a battle which
lasted for nearly ten hours—
But it was clear that they would be pushed back eventually. The wolves seemed like they were endless.
The Druids were waiting desperately within the Blackthorn Council’s hall. Lightning was striking almost
every second, and it felt as though that it was not rain that poured but lightning. Flashes of light came
from every direction, illuminating the Druids’ faces through the rain.
The hourglass placed in the center of the Blackthorn’s hall was flipped one more time. Perhaps it was the
last time that it would be flipped. Each turn was merely four hours, but the Druids felt that it was the
longest period of time in their lives. They were still waiting for their final chance to defeat the wolves, but
it seemed like it was going to be a road of destruction that they were going to take instead.
This fact was clear to everyone.
The Druids had been debating non-stop, but once the young Druid who was in charge of flipping the
hourglass performed his job, everyone suddenly ceased talking and a bizarre silence filled the hall.
“In a few more hours, the Fire Seed within the Green Tower will be extinguished. That young human still
hasn’t contacted us.”
One of the elder Druids finally broke the silence.
“Perhaps he is dead.”
“I doubt it, I recognize Quinn’s Fire Seed, and it is still shining.”
Everyone’s eyes looked into the darkness. A lone pillar of green light was piercing through the clouds.
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“But it hasn’t moved for a very long time. Perhaps they encountered some kind of trouble. Judging by the
distance of that place, even if we give them another four hours, they would still be unable to reach the
Loop of Trade Winds’s heart in time.”
This remark brought back another bout of debate. The uneasy feeling that they had was brought out into
the open. Even the Great Druid Elder frowned.
“No, it’s more than likely that young human is still alive and about to reach his destination.” A loud voice
pierced through the dissent.
The Druids looked at the hall’s entrance in surprise. A large figure appeared in the rain and walked into
the hall. He removed his hood and revealed a bear-like face.
It was Andellu who had went out into the Loop of Trade Winds.
“Andellu, you’re safe!” Someone yelled in shock and delight: “We thought you had returned to the forest’s
embrace.”
“I was near a narrow entrance in the mountains when the Calamity of Wolves happened. I sensed there
was something wrong and sent out my raven to scout the area, and I managed to escape by moving
deeper into the Dark Forest, avoiding the wolves successfully.”
“I’m glad to see you’re safe,” the Great Druid Elder nodded and said: “but it must have been incredibly
risky to come back to us when we’re surrounded by the wolves. Surely, there must be something more
you wish to report?”
Andellu’s appearance suddenly instilled confidence into everyone. There was a great amount of tension
in the air, but the Druids hoped that he brought back even more good news. To their delight, he nodded:
“There’s no need for me to speak about the monsters that are approaching the Green Tower. But I believe
you would be interested in the fact that I met Quinn.”
“You met that young human?” One of the Druids asked in astonishment, and many echoed his reaction.
“No, I met Quinn. Unfortunately, I did not meet that young lord.”
“What’s going on? Isn’t Quinn supposed to be escorting him?” Someone immediately asked before
Andellu was done speaking.
“They encountered trouble along the way, and that young lord went to the Loop of Trade Winds by
himself.”
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“Alone?” The wrinkles on the Great Druid Elder were never more prominent. “Do you know if he
managed to reach the Loop of Trade Winds?”
“No. I can’t. I came back only to inform you of what I have learned. But I have more to tell you. I spotted
wolves that were capable of flight.”
“Wolves capable of flight……” The Great Druid Elder had to lean onto his stuff for support.
“We should get ready and alert the Tree Elves. If these wolves approach from the air, then the people in
the town hall will be in danger!” A young Druid reacted promptly and yelled, but there were not many
who answered his call.
While some were stunned by the news, many more were considering the idea of retreat. Was there any
meaning to resist till the bitter end? Would it not be better for the young Druids with the potential to turn
into ravens and escape from the Green Tower?
Escape would be possible because the flying wolves still had not gathered in large numbers. The more
Druids that set out now, the bigger the number of survivors.
“I have to ask, is everyone still able to make time for a guest?” A voice called out from outside the hall.
Everyone was taken aback. Why would there be a guest at this time?
“If you’re a guest, then please enter.” The Great Druid Elder answered calmly, his voice cutting through
the noisy rain.
The rain was parted in a sphere as a figure appeared before the Druids.
His hand held a silver staff with six Runestones floating around it in a loop, and he had a faint smile on his
face.
The scholar stood there with a relaxed posture, as though the Calamity of Wolves did not exist, and some
of the Druids felt that the old man before them did not seem to fit in with this world.
2172
Chapter 183 – The Druid’s choice
A hush descended over the hall.
“An Archmage from Galbu?” The Great Druid Elder asked.
“No, this time, I represent Aouine,” Tulman said.
“What do you mean?” The Great Druid Elder frowned.
“Establishing Order takes a long struggle and repeated failures before succeeding. If the Blackthorn
Council exists, then I’m certain that it’s just a matter of time to rebuild the Green Tower even if it’s
destroyed. A Mana Wave is something that’s temporary and will ultimately end.”
“…… Does this mean you’re going to help us? To aid us in dealing with the Wolves of Calamity?”
Tulman shook his head and continued his explanation:
“As I said before, I am here to represent Aouine. The southern region requires a stable defense line, and if
the Loop of Trade Winds’s Druids perish, the Dark Forest’s corruption will spread to my homeland.
Aouine cannot afford to lose the cities south of Ampere Seale. However, my abilities are limited. I am only
capable of bringing the Blackthorn Council’s members to safety, and I am unable to save the Green
Tower’s citizens. I have drawn a Magic Formation to teleport your chosen Druids; it is in the inn’s room
where I resided for the past few weeks.”
He paused for a moment, sighed, and continued speaking:
“It is rude of me not to seek the owner’s permission to draw a Magic Formation, and I apologize for that,
but right now I have to ask, does my proposal interest you?”
The Druids glanced at each other without uttering a word. Leaving would mean giving up on the lives
within the Green Tower. Even though it was a matter of time to rebuild the city, it was a natural structure
that took more than a hundred years to grow and build. How would they face their ancestors in the
afterworld if they fled?
It would be better to die in a battle than to live with the shame.
And yet….. Tulman was right.
2173
The Green Tower could be rebuilt and they were not giving up permanently. His proposal still made a few
druids sway in their decisions.
“How many would you be able to bring out, respected guest?” The Great Druid Elder asked with a
composed mind.
“A hundred, no more than that.”
A few gasps could be heard. Many Druids were in awe of the Archmage’s powers to bring out that many
people to safety, but at the same time, they sobered up and realized that only a hundred would survive,
and the rest of them could only wait for their deaths. If everyone went and fought to their deaths, then
there was nothing to think about, but to choose who would live and die…..
It was a cruel thing to do.
Everyone deserved a chance to live, but who had the qualification to select them?
Tulman did not press for an answer and waited patiently.
Finally, one of the older Druids spoke: “We should let the younger Druids leave. They will become our
future hope.”
The Druids had sent away many children and elderly away before the war started, but many talented
youths stayed behind to ensure they had the manpower to do battle. If these elites were also sent away,
then the defenses of the Green Tower would be a wall with leaking holes.
But Tulman did not seem satisfied with that answer and he spoke again:
“I do not suggest your chosen Druids to consist of merely the young. They would need an experienced
leader as a guide. It is easy for them to make mistakes, and it would be best to at least have one or two
Druid Elders to join them. This way, the Green Tower can be rebuilt to be more resilient than before.”
A clamor started in the hall, but the Great Druid Elder raised his voice: “I remind everyone, that we still
have a promise with that young lord—”
The Druids were surprised. They thought the Great Druid Elder would be the most likely person who
would consider accepting Tulman’s proposal, and it was only Andellu who looked at the old hunched
Druid with admiration, even feeling proud to hear the latter’s declaration.
The Great Druid Elder was someone who embodied the beliefs of the Ancestral Druids, people who could
be traced back to the Golden Lineage.
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A true Druid would never forget their oaths. When the majority of the Golden Lineage disappeared and
the Silver Lineage waned, the successors of the four Holy Saints fell to corruption and greed, leading to
the current era of wars and suffering. But the Druids still remained behind and continued to stand at the
forefront to maintain Order. As long as their connection with Goddess Marsha still existed, they would
continue to keep their promise.
“I too, object to it.” A high-pitch crystal-clear voice could be heard.
Everyone else was drawn to it, and they found a tiny face that showed a taut expression of anger. The
little girl balled her fists and yelled, surprising the people around her:
“We made a promise with brother Brendel, and so we must keep it! If we abandon this promise today,
then we will also abandon the promise that we are striving to protect!”
Everyone was astonished at her unyielding attitude, and Tulman even clapped lightly with a beaming
smile:
“Well said.”
“But this goes against your suggestion,” Andellu stated puzzledly, as he looked at Tulman’s enthusiastic
expression.
“Yes, it does,” Tulman laughed, “but it doesn’t hinder me from admiring someone’s else firm stand.
Different viewpoints exist all the time, and one who firmly believes in theirs deserve my respect. But time
is limited, and thus I have to ask one more time, what is your decision?”
“I’ll stay here,” Sifrid declared instantly, her expression so resolute that she did not seem like a child.
“Indeed, it is an admirable stance, but young lady, it is also required of you to be prudent in a big event
like this in order to match the position that you have within the Druids. Perhaps you could listen to the
others’ opinions first.”
“You are aware of my position?”
“I have heard of the rumors.”
“But I am only speaking for myself,” Sifrid spoke with a frown.
“Unfortunately, because of your position within the Druids, you will decide the fate of many people. Do
you understand what that means?”
“The way you’re speaking is too crafty!”
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The Great Druid Elder interjected: “Respected guest, please let us return to the topic. Sifrid is still young,
and her innocence and kindness are not something bad to have.”
Tulman nodded: “Then, would you give me an answer?”
The old Druid bent his body slightly, appearing to hesitate a little. Sifrid was standing close to him, biting
her lips, and stared at Tulman like he was a despicable foe. She did not know what Brendel needed from
the Druids, but she sensed that it would be a bad outcome if the Druids left now.
Many younger Druids also kept their silence cautiously, looking at the older Druids for their decisions,
but the latter were also struggling to make a decision. Not escaping would mean that they had given up to
make a possibility for the future, and yet the other decision was to give up on the promise made with the
human to save the Green Tower.
[It is important to keep our promises, but this promise is likely to destroy our oath to protect the Order.
Is this not folly?]
[Mother Marsha, please show us a sign—]
[That young lord is risking his life to help us, abandoning him would make us no better than the other
selfish humans out there.]
But a streak of light bright enough to make everyone cover their eyes suddenly shot out from the hall’s
center. A shaking voice described the event:
“The Runestones are moving!”
A Magic Formation was operating before their eyes. Green light spilled forth as intricate patterns formed
on the ground, and the high-ranking Druids started running towards them and channeled their Mana.
“In the name of Delasityle, obey our summons, Violent Winds of the Firmament!”
“This is—” Tulman muttered to himself at this astonishing spectacle.
The huge Magic Formation was running at full force, and a pillar of green light shot upwards and
punctured a hole in the clouds.
Coordinates of a particular place were being reflected in the light, and a fuzzy image of a few people
appeared before everyone. Tulman could not help but raise his eyebrows as he recognized Brendel, then
his mouth fell slightly opened when he discovered William standing next to the youth.
“I must thank Mother Marsha. It seems like she has not forgotten a small existence like me; the Magic
Formation works,” Brendel said.
2176
His voice sounded like he was in a faraway place and his words were a little garbled. The contents of his
sentences made the Druids displeased. It was as though he did not believe in Mother Marsha. However,
their irritation disappeared with his following words:
“I bring you good news, Elders, I have found the entrance to Valhalla. I humbly request for Sifrid to be
sent over to my coordinates. Victory is before us, and we need only to take one more step.”
Many could not help but cheer with relief. Tulman frowned at his proclamation and wanted to question
the youth, but William winked at the old scholar, and the old scholar smiled faintly and decided to keep
his silence, at least for the moment.
The only other person who kept his composure was the Great Druid Elder, and he asked with after taking
in a deep breath:
“How much longer do you need to reach Valhalla and light the Fire Seed?”
“Unfortunately, I’m not sure. Because no one has tried it before, I’m afraid it’s not going to be a simple
thing. In fact, I have not opened the gate to Valhalla.”
Brendel had already told them about this possibility with the Druids even before the Calamity of Wolves
started. However, they still showed complicated expressions upon hearing his confirmation.
“…… You only have four hours, young man,” Tulman broke the silence as he glanced at the Druids, “can
you ensure that you are able to save this city from the Calamity of Wolves within this time period?”
“Of course brother Brendel would be capable of doing it!”
Sifrid walked out and exclaimed. She could not hold it in when Tulman questioned the youth in front of
everyone.
But Tulman ignored the little girl and continued to peer at Brendel. The youth appeared surprised when
he discovered Tulman amongst the Druids, and he blurted out:
“Archmage Tulman? Why—” Brendel suddenly shut his mouth.
Tulman smiled in response, looking as though he had caught a child doing something naughty: “It seems
like you indeed knew who I was from the very beginning. I’ll put aside your little trick on me from our
encounter for now, but I would certainly like an answer to my current question.”
Brendel raised an eyebrow. He was certain that Tulman was not really going to pick a fight with him over
his deception, but why was the scholar trying to hinder him?
2177
Chapter 184 – The Druids’ Choice (2)
“Grandmaster Tulman, if you ask me this question, could it be that you wish to help Aouine?” Brendel
asked curiously.
The great scholar was placed in the top three of his profession in the game, and he probably had his own
plan for this calamity.
“Your observation is astute, but you’re not answering my question,” Tulman said.
“I don’t know, but I can only try.” Brendel paused for a few seconds before shaking his head: “Are you
suggesting something, Grandmaster Tulman?”
“Rather than place one’s hopes into an uncertain possibility, why not choose something that is more
definite?” Tulman scrutinized Brendel as he spoke: “The Druids should abandon the Green Tower. Young
man, we do not have the right to gamble with the lives of others. The chance that you will succeed is
abysmal— If the tokens for this gamble are merely gold, I will bet on you, but you are gambling with lives
instead.”
“Brother Brendel won’t do that!” Sifrid felt like she was about to faint with anger because of the old man.
“Hmph. Using crafty words to sway others, that’s your common method of choice, you mysterious
bastards—” Faena who was standing next to Brendel scoffed.
The girl did not know that Tulman was someone who was on equal footing with William, otherwise she
would not have dared to mock Tulman, even if Veronica was there to guard her.
She suddenly realized that she was standing on Brendel’s side, even though she wanted to stab him a
dozen times. Still, she could not help but get upset when Tulman went against the youth. In the end, she
muttered that she hated people who tried to corner others.
“Hoh~ I didn’t think you will speak up for me.” But Brendel seemed like he wanted to pick apart her
words, even going as far as to speak in a tone of ridicule.
Faena was so furious that her neck flushed red, wanting to strangle him: “What manner of foolish prattle
is this, I did not speak up for you!”
Brendel’s mocking laughter persisted for a while before he turned back to Tulman.
2178
The great scholar’s words were not wrong, and perhaps it was even meant to happen in the game. The
Druids were destined to fail to protect the Green Tower.
It was a common sight in the continent’s history, after all.
But he was not here to give up on Aouine or the Green Tower. Tulman thought that it was a simple Mana
Wave and would soon be over. However, the term in the game was Waves of Calamity, proving that there
would be more Calamities, and the kingdom’s southern region would be completely destroyed if the
Druids failed here.
Perhaps one day the Blackthorn Council would eventually return to the Dark Forest and set up the Green
Tower again, but Tulman’s stance to help Aouine here would instead be crippling the kingdom in the near
future.
Brendel could not allow this outcome to happen.
“I have to use lives as my gambling tokens because the thing that I’m saving is lives, and I risk my own by
entering the most dangerous place. It is a fair trade.”
“Your bravery is to be commended, but you cannot expect others to be as brave as you.”
Brendel raised his voice and right fist, eyes glaring at Tulman:
“If that is the case— I shall request for the treatment that a hero is entitled to receive!”
His voice echoed in the hall, reaching everyone’s ears despite the noise from the heavy rain and lightning.
The Druids who were swayed by Tulman’s words suddenly felt ashamed, and the Great Druid Elder
nodded in acknowledgment.
Tulman was slightly taken aback, but he laughed and exchanged looks with William.
[Interesting.]
“Very well, young man, you have convinced me. I will give you a little more time. Now, my friends—”
Tulman turned around and glanced at the Druids: “What about you? Our young hero has extended an
invitation, and only the brave can join this game. Have you made your decision?”
His voice reverberated in the hall, and most of the Druids answered with their eyes.
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Brendel’s unwavering eyes and his confidence had affected them. Even Faena looked at Brendel from the
side with astonishment. The country bumpkin who did not seem to know the meaning of manners,
looked like he was incredibly……
Charismatic?
The Great Druid Elder patted Sifrid’s shoulders, and everyone made a path for her as she walked to the
center of the Magic Formation. The Elder Druids around her started to chant and completed their spell.
Light burst forth once again, even stronger than before—
Tulman spoke in his mind:
“Valhalla, it looks like you discovered something remarkable, old friend.”
“It wasn’t me who discovered it. I’m just someone who’s observing all these things as they happen,”
William answered, communicating through telepathy.
“But it is true that the Green Tower will be saved if Valhalla’s fabled Fire Seed is kindled.”
“Yes, and Aouine would also gain another piece of land because of this,” William nodded, believing that
Tulman was happy about this outcome.
“…… But why did you ask me to agree with his plan?”
“What? Did you not already agree to help him?” William was surprised at Tulman’s disapproval.
“No, I’m not fully convinced. You know very well that I hate uncertainties.”
“…… Or perhaps you have another reason to disagree. The Nine Phenix Kingdom has a saying, those who
are talented and ambitious invite suffering to themselves.”
“Indeed. You already have a faint notion in your mind about how risky this plan is, so why did you tell me
to agree to it?”
“Hmph, did you not hear the little girl’s words? She’s insinuating that the Silver Alliance is betraying the
Order and influencing the Druids who have never broken their promise!”
Tulman smiled: “True, it’s also one of the reasons why I agreed to the youth’s plan. We are all standing in
the same faction to maintain Order. The humans might have fallen, but the Silver Lineage must not follow
in their footsteps. The intensity of this Mana Wave has made me feel very uneasy, and I’m starting to
suspect the Black Prophecy has some truth to it.”
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“The humans have fallen? I think not all of them are so.” William looked at Brendel and smiled: “But it is
ridiculous to think that the Dragon of Darkness will revive. You and I know very well what existence the
Dragon of Darkness is.”
Tulman shook his head but did not refute William. However, it was clear that he did not agree with
William’s words.
A sudden explosion stopped their conversation. The Runestones in the Magic Formation had shattered,
and the Druids were knocked back onto the ground. It was a common occurrence of a Magic Formation
gone awry. If the Runestones were unable to endure the Mana Feedback, then the casters would receive
the damage.
The candles in the hall were snuffed out, but before everyone recovered their senses, Andellu had already
issued an order:
“Time is running out. Get up and reinforce our defense lines. We cannot allow the wolves that are capable
of flight to breach them.”
The dizzy Druids who were affected by the explosion regained their focus, and they started to get up to
join the others who were already competing to get to their posts. The chaos made the Great Druid Elder
frown, but it was different from the Druids’ low morale caused by the despair that they felt.
In a heartbeat, everyone’s courage had been stoked, and they were thirsting for glory and honor.
The Great Druid Elder tapped the ground with his wooden staff and sighed. Tulman came before him and
remarked:
“It is difficult to believe my eyes. Not only did the Druids put their trust in a human that came from the
outside world, but they renewed their beliefs and vigor from him.”
“A heart that is full of resolve is something that’s transferable. When one sees the most determined
person is still standing against impossible odds, then their hearts would become firm as well.”
“But it is a pity.”
The Great Druid Elder looked puzzledly at Tulman.
“Wisdom cannot be transferred. You could have requested me to send the little girl over to him. It would
be easier for me to do so, rather than have your Druids perform a Magic spell that you’re not familiar
with.”
Tulman spoke with a teasing tone as he glanced at the exhausted high-ranking Druids. It was clear that
they had spent all their Mana, and regret immediately filled the Great Druid Elder’s face.
2181
============ Brendel’s POV ===========
Brendel received Sifrid who popped out of thin air above the Magic Formation in his arms, and he let the
girl who was looking at him full of admiration down gently.
“Ahh, I see, the Lady of the Forest?” Comprehension dawned on William’s face: “You intend to have the
little girl open Valhalla’s gate?”
Brendel nodded.
“So the legends are true. The Fire Seed in Valhalla is kept in the Lady of the Forest’s hands, and it will be
awakened one day. It’s not strange for Tulman to suddenly talk about that prophecy when this particular
one is going to become reality. But is she going to open the gate?”
Brendel rubbed his forehead. How would he know? The walkthrough mentioned that as long as Sifrid was
brought along, the path to Valhalla would be open.
But the gate was still closed.
“I’m going to try a few things, it probably isn’t very hard,” he said.
The gamers succeeded after all.
“It seems like you don’t know how it works……” William raised an eyebrow: “I understand your plight,
but I suggest for you to think quickly.”
“Yes?”
The old wizard glanced at the valley once more. Mist was suddenly filling the valley: “That woman
seemed like she has managed to escape from her troubles, and it seems like it’s going to be your turn very
soon—”
Brendel’s expression paled a little, but he quickly replied: “I do remember that we had a promise,
Grandmaster William.”
William smiled with a nod: “Yes, and that would not be all. I will give you another piece of information.”
“Unfortunately, Andesha is not alone.”
“Not alone? What do you mean Someone else is here?” Brendel was holding on to Sifrid’s hand with a
confused look.
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(TL: Black Prophecy, as mentioned in Iamas vs Medissa way back: The Darkness will be born from no
mortals, and the Glorious Races will expire amongst the flames. Brendel received the Blood of Gods and
became an Acolyte, and one day he will kill everyone muahahaha.
No assurance of that previous sentence, ofc.)
2183
Chapter 185 – The final moment (1)
Brendel contemplated the canyon’s shape one more time.
The places that one could hide near Hati’s pit mostly consisted of small boulders and gaps, and given how
good at Andesha was tracking people, she would have encountered the person William was describing
very quickly. If she did not murder the person immediately, then it was unlikely for them to be anyone
good.
[Just who exactly could it be? Another member of the Tree Shepherds? Even if that person is not, he
would probably be one of the bad guys. Bad news, in any case.]
“How much time do I have, Grandmaster William?” He asked.
The old wizard’s intelligent eyes studied the pit, while his hand opened a dimensional portal and took out
a silver staff:
“Andesha seems to be stunned from discovering Hati. But she’s the Mistress of Withering Decay, and I
believe she will recover from it very soon. You have a few minutes before she arrives.”
Brendel nodded; the Archmage was hinting to him to open the gate now. This place was not a good one to
do battle with Andesha, and the youth was not sure how much William was going to help him.
He studied the rock gate closely. It was made with the hands of the Ancestral Citizens. The Great
Craftsman, Delluha constructed it approximately thirteen thousand years ago, transcending many Laws
and generations, standing quietly in this place with the mist giving it a mysterious air.
This bit of lore was written in the ancient chronicles.
The gate was carved with poems praising the light and fire in many different languages, and Brendel
eventually discovered them on the dark obsidian walls. The letters were written majestically and gazing
upon them made the youth feel breathless.
He touched the icy gate, and a blast of energy struck him, as though it was a message that came from
thirteen thousand years ago.
The sounds of spears and swords filled the entire area. Murderous roars filled his ears, and a vivid picture
of the ground stained with fresh blood assaulted his eyes. A bell high above the clouds rang out loudly, as
though it was signaling the outcome of this unknown battle.
2184
A pillar of green light pierced through the heavens, striking through the colossal dragon which had
unfurled its wings and blotted out the sun’s rays.
Brendel gasped and shook his head, waking up from the illusion. A fragment of history that left him out of
breath. Perspiration filled his forehead, and he glanced around to make sure he was not stuck in that
timeline.
William smiled when he met Brendel’s gaze:
“Not many people know about that era. The Sky Knights sundered the empyrean to bring us to a new
world, felled the Twilight Dragon and ended the generation of suffering. But at the same time, the races
gradually forgot the meaning of glory.”
Brendel’s eyes squinted as he considered a speech.
[But the suffering hasn’t ended yet! The people in this era have never lost the meaning of glory. This
world is always oppressing someone; heroes do not just exist in one’s memories, they are created
whenever the era needs one—]
He would have declared so in the game.
A perfectly standard answer to call forth a new quest.
But the youth was afraid of something crazy happening. There was no need to repeat the situation where
the Lionheart reacted to his nonsense again. This particular place was probably even more mystical than
the sword, and there was no telling what would happen if he tried to make a grand speech.
Furthermore, he was way past the age of a hot-blooded teenager.
His eyes stayed on William for another second before he turned to Sifrid. Time was running out, and
Andesha was probably moving past Hati by now.
“Sifrid, do you sense anything?”
“I hear a voice calling out to me, brother Brendel,” Sifrid said a little nervously.
She also went up to the gate, closed her eyes, and placed a white hand onto the ink-like rock. Her body
shook.
“Is it saying anything?”
2185
“The key within the gate, the radiance of starlight, heroic spirits of the past, the Lord who will guard
Order.”
“These lines come from the Druids’ Poem of Brambles. This is probably a code of some sort. Did the
Druids teach you about what the lines mean?”
“…… No, I only learned ‘The Way of Nature’, brother Brendel.”
“They only taught you that?”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s not your fault, these stubborn fools are really fond of wasting time. They didn’t even teach you
about ‘The Great Split,” Brendel resisted the urge to call them names, “perhaps they have been spending
too much of their time with the Elves and have picked up on their bad habits.”
“How much do you know about the Druids and the Elves?” William did not appear bothered by Andesha’s
threat and asked curiously.
The youth kept on surprising him.
Brendel did not respond. His mind was quickly shuffling through the walkthrough and the lore about
Valhalla from the forum posts. Despite his powerful memory, the urgent situation was interfering with
his ability to recall them.
“No. Not this. Perhaps….. The key within the gate? Sifrid, repeat after me and tell the gate these few lines. I
am the Daughter of the Forest, blessed by the Goddess and chosen by the Heroic Spirits, the wielder of the
Forest and Mountains’ authority.”
Sifrid’s eyes popped out when she heard Brendel’s words. William was stroking his beard with narrowed
eyes.
“Ah, I forgot, add in ‘Oh, Mighty Spirit of the Gates’ before you repeat my words.”
“Oh, Mighty Spirit of the Gates,” Sifrid slowly recited Brendel’s words as he repeated himself one more
time, “I am the Daughter of the Forest, blessed by the Goddess and chosen by the Heroic Spirits, the
wielder of the Forest and Mountains’ authority.”
A mysterious energy poured out from the little girl’s voice. A long moment passed, and Brendel was about
to think of another way to interpret the words, but a sudden rumble shook the valley.
“And?”
2186
A thunderous voice reached into everyone’s hearts. Sifrid’s eyes gleamed brightly and she looked at
Brendel with disbelief.
Faena who was looking at the situation with great cynicism, stuttered: “Brendel, i-i-it’s talking……”
William’s eyes were so narrowed that they were forming a line.
“What do I do?” Sifrid asked in confusion.
“Erm…… Please open the gates—” Brendel said with uncertainty.
“Please open the gates!” She shouted.
“Did it work?” Faena asked.
“Are the conditions wrong?” Brendel frowned as he muttered to himself.
He kept looking at the lore stated in the forums in his mind, but the more pressure he put on himself, the
more unfocused the words became. No matter how good his memory was, there was a limit to it.
William’s eyes suddenly glanced at the valley’s entrance. This subtle action did not escape Faena’s
observation, and she started to become restless:
“Hurry up—”
“Shut up!” Brendel exclaimed.
“You—” Faena was like an angry cat, hissing loudly, but she knew who was in charge and could only sulk
in silence.
“Brother Brendel, there’s another voice, and she’s asking me something.” Sifrid suddenly spoke.
“What?” Brendel was jolted out from his memories and he replied in a daze: “What is she saying?”
“She’s asking me, where is the Lord King who will guard Order?”
[…… The Lord King?]
The memory from the gate flashed through his mind again.
[Ahh— I see. The Lord King is Valhalla’s lord, the king of the Forest and Mountains.]
2187
Sifrid was the wielder and keeper of the Forest and Mountain’s authority. But the day would come where
the authority was handed to its true owner. The Lord King shall lead the Heroic Spirits of Valhalla and
guard its vicinity, just like how the chronicles described it.
Brendel placed his hand onto the wall, speaking within his mind:
“Oh past Lord Kings and Heroic Spirits, I am willing to receive your blade and guard this land against the
Chaos. I will never let it cover this land, and allow Order to break the fog of Chaos for all eternity. If this is
your responsibility, then allow me to take over; if this is the crown of glory, please coronate me. The Light
shall sunder the Wall of Clouds and allow the sun to illuminate the earth once more. The miracle that the
Ancestral Citizens witness shall be repeated.”
Brendel could feel each word carve into his heart:
“Many more than a thousand years have passed, but the Sacred Oath still remains—”
Time seemed to stop for a moment. And a venerable voice spoke:
“May it be, Successor.”
Brendel and Sifrid felt an invisible energy pushing them away from the door, and they took a step back.
There was a slight movement of the gates, with a faint rumble coming from above the Wall of Clouds. At
first, they could not sense anything, but the earth started to tremble and shake, and the rumbling turning
into resounding roars that came like an endless wave.
The pebbles around the gate started dancing like a king’s jester, creating tiny clacking noises.
Faena was so terrified that she backed away from the gate and crashed into a boulder without even
feeling anything. William was so astonished that his eyes opened wide to witness this spectacular scene.
The gate was slowly opening revealing a small dark gap between the doors, but a gust of strong wind
blew out of it, causing everyone’s hair to flutter freely. The wind was not musty and instead had a scent of
nature.
It was quiet after the doors were opened fully.
Brendel took a deep breath. Peering into the dark cave within the gate made him feel like there was a
fearsome beast lurking somewhere within it.
“S-s-surely we’re not going in there……” Faena stuttered when she saw the cave’s ominous darkness.
There was a sudden long cry that came from the cave, sounding a little like a bird, and it immediately
crushed her mental strength and turned her face pallid.
2188
“Sure, it’s not really necessary for you to go in. After all, there might be monsters that are more terrifying
than Andesha.” Brendel took out a strip of cloth from the bag on his waist and tied up Veronica’s sword to
his belt. He then pulled out Halran Gaia out from its sheath on his back.
“Y-y-you think you’re scaring me, I-I-I’m not frightened…..” Tears were swimming in the girl’s eyes and
threatening to spill out.
Brendel cast a final glance at her, patted Sifrid’s shoulder, and led her into the darkness.
“Archmage William……” Faena turned to the old wizard when she saw that Brendel went in without
hesitation.
“Little girl, your Lord is right. There is no telling what dangers lurk in the ancient ruins, but there might
be a possibility where it’s significantly less dangerous than what you encountered earlier.”
“He’s not my Lord!”
“I see, well then, at the very least, you wouldn’t need to worry about his safety.” The Archmage replied
with a smile, lifting up his staff and prepared to enter into the darkness as well.
Faena’s face turned red in shame, then turned white in fear, but she gritted her teeth and eventually
followed them. She did not know whether Brendel was scaring her on purpose, but a possible danger
could not compare with a danger that was all too real.
“That old man is right. That man rescued me from Andesha even though I did him wrong. I-I-I can’t leave
him when he might face a great danger. T-that’s right!” She muttered to herself and persuaded herself in a
twisted manner.
2189
Chapter 186 — The final moment (2)
“Scarlett.”
The call was softer than the howling wind.
The red-haired girl raised her head. Veronica was sitting not far away from her. The two of them were
hiding behind a black boulder that had a depression in it, shielding them from the natural wind. It was
not rare to see similarly shaped boulders in the area that was enveloped in violent winds and sand
storms.
Veronica wanted to break the silence but she did not know where to begin.
The girl in front of her was deeply guarded against her. Of course, she could not be blamed when they
were still enemies. Still, the female general had made the first move, and Scarlett blinked her pretty eyes
to look at Veronica with suspicion. The two of them had a subtle link to each other where they relied on
each other.
Though Scarlett felt her situation was a little unreal, she was mostly overwrought due to her Lord leaving
her behind, and did not care about the situation she was in. Her emotions were easily shown on her face.
Little wrinkles formed between her eyebrows as she knitted them together, and the corners of her eyes
drooped slightly.
Veronica finally found her words: “There’s no need to worry too much. Your lord will definitely be fine.”
Perhaps the comforting words made Scarlett relax a little; her hands were not formed into fists any
longer.
“There’s a saying in the Empire’s army, the boys who live long are blessed by the stars.” Veronica
continued with a smile: “There’s also a folk’s tale, if a baby was born during the moment where a sea of
shining stars can be seen, then they would be a Child of the Stars, blessed with the incredible ability to
turn misfortune into luck. I feel it’s very likely that he possesses this ability.”
Scarlett did not understand why Veronica started talking about Brendel, but she stared at the latter with
large round eyes as though she was questioning her if the myths were true.
“Where are both you and your Lord from?” Veronica suddenly asked, sensing that her relationship with
the girl was closer than before.
2190
“I—” Scarlett only uttered a word before she became on guard, looking suspiciously at Veronica. But the
female general only chuckled with a shake of her head.
“There’s no need to be so tense. I’m merely curious.”
Scarlett turned her head a little while her puzzled eyes narrowed slightly.
“I have seen many, many talented youths, but someone like your Lord……” Veronica shook her head.
Even though she was over a hundred years old, she still kept her energy up and appeared to be at her
prime. Calling her an incredible beauty would not be wrong, but she appeared to be a little haggard from
her exhaustion as she sat on the sandy ground.
“It is said that a talented person is born out of every hundred, but your lord must be someone who
appears once every thousand years. I have no doubt in his future, but I cannot help but doubt his lineage.
Even though he claims to be a small noble from the borders, that assertion is too much for me to believe
it.”
Veronica’s eyes that seemed to be looking into the distance suddenly went back to Scarlett, glinting a
little as though wisdom was flashing across them: “He came out from nowhere, like a heroic figure
described in the legends sung by bards and told by storytellers, but everyone knows a story is merely a
story.”
Scarlett looked at her blankly.
“Like I said, I am merely curious and mean no harm,” Veronica said.
“I don’t know.” Scarlett lowered her head and shook it.
The female general seemed like she was trying to discern if Scarlett’s words were true, but she did not
force out an answer, nodding as though it was truly a casual chat.
“That girl got to know him much earlier than you did, right?”
Scarlett somehow knew that Veronica was referring to Amandina and nodded.
“Such a mysterious little rascal.” Veronica licked her lips subconsciously. It was a habit of hers to do that
when she discovered a foe on the battlefield that she could not defeat. Her green eyes leaked out a wild
intent to do battle.
“Are you still worried?” Veronica asked after a moment of silence.
2191
Scarlett shook her head, unwilling to show weakness in front of a stranger.
Veronica gave a faint smile: “When the wind is a little weaker, let us search for him down there.”
The red-haired girl raised her head sharply, causing her ponytail to flail about, looking at Veronica in
surprise.
The female general did not speak again.
In truth, she rarely showed a friendly disposition to anyone, but the lonely girl before her brought out her
softer side. Veronica found Scarlett’s reactions to be interesting because—
She recalled the time when she was younger.
But there was a low voice that abruptly called out through the wind, interrupting her thoughts.
“The travelers behind the boulder, do you mind if I join you and avoid the wind? This weather is really
unfriendly.”
Veronica peered below. There seemed to be a small boulder sliding across the path, as though someone
was using it to block the wind and make their way across the steep path. The quick footsteps made by
that person sounded more like he was running rather than walking.
The female general instinctively reached for her sword when she heard the voice, but after failing to grab
it, she recalled that she had handed it to Brendel.
After a moment of hesitation, she answered with a raised eyebrow: “Come in, Count Mephisto.”
There was a stunned silence from below, but he immediately rushed towards the boulder where the two
women were hiding at. The dim lighting that illuminated the boulder’s interior was blocked by the
newcomer. Mephisto’s hand was on his sword and he looked down on the sitting Veronica.
“Veronica!” The Sword Saint of Ashes exclaimed.
============ Brendel’s POV ==========
After passing through valley’s massive obsidian stone gate, Brendel found that they had entered a
spacious cavern that seemed like it was without end, and was poorly lit by the mineral content on the
ground below them.
It was an Isolated Space that connected one place to another.
2192
The youth thought he could easily conjure a light, but there was no telling what was around them and it
might be dangerous to do so. Still, Brendel had to swallow a few times when he realized he was walking
on a huge ‘bridge’ in the shape of a pole, and not on flat ground. He immediately warned the others about
his thoughts.
[Shit…… I nearly fell down when I walked to the sides.]
It was not steep ground that they were climbing, but something like a bridge.
It was so dark that the group had to walk for minutes before they got used to it. They eventually managed
to see many other pole-like bridges that led upwards. There were obviously no railings on them, but the
width of these paths were tens of meters wide, making it relatively stable to walk on.
Brendel sometimes looked out to the sides, seeing nothing but endless darkness. He could not see an end
to the top, too. The strange ascension made him feel like he was walking on a ladder that led him from the
ground to the heavens. The more he climbed, the more he felt he was going to fall back into the abyss
below him.
It was all too easy to experience vertigo, and someone in the group was certainly experiencing it more so
than the others.
It did not take very long for Brendel to feel another hand grabbing on to his own other than Sifrid’s. He
turned around to see the terrified Faena next to him. Her face was completely drained of blood. She
looked laughably pathetic, and there was a pleading look in her eyes, seemingly asking him not to mock
her.
Brendel secretly giggled inside.
Her actions were quite visible to the others. William’s Perception stats was definitely higher than his
own, and Sifrid was next to him and would eventually discover Faena’s actions. Faena was lying to
herself.
“I don’t sense any creatures around, should we cast a light spell?” Brendel asked.
“Hmm. I’m sensing some kind of subtle interference, perhaps an anti-magic spell? You can try to cast a
spell of light if you want to, but I doubt it will work. Even artifacts like an Everlasting Torch would
probably fail.” The Archmage commented, as though he was not interested in lighting up the area: “But
you can try casting a high-level spell.”
There was a dramatic pause.
“Like creating a sun.”
2193
“…… Never mind.”
The Archmage’s joke was not exactly a lie. The spell really did exist, but it would probably blow up the
area they were in as well. The darkness in the area was not exactly a threat. In comparison, he was more
worried about the enemies behind him.
Just a while ago, William cast a powerful Magic spell that imprisoned Andesha and her helper in an
illusion, causing the latter to go around in circles. The Archmage was indeed living up to his name; who
could trap Andesha so easily? He even did so under the supposed anti-magic environment.
William caught Brendel’s expression and could not help but laugh with squinted eyes. He rubbed the top
of his staff and said with a little pride: “My spell can trap them for a little while, but young man, I can’t
help you any more than this.”
It was Brendel who suggested to implement a trap in the cavern in the first place. William had fought
Andesha several times, but he did not know her personality very well and doubted that she would enter a
suspicious place like this. The youth, however, was certain that she would follow them in order to get
back at him.
“Are the Tree Shepherds not enemies of the Silver Alliance?” Brendel could not help but look back and
asked: “Why not get rid of them here?”
He cast an imploring look at the Archmage, hoping for him to act so that Andesha could be rid forever.
“Continue to dream, young man,” William’s body was shaking with mirth, “though it is true that we are
enemies and I would be glad to do so. However, that woman is one of the twelve leaders of the Tree
Shepherds. I don’t know how you managed to draw her attention, but the chance of winning against this
woman is too low for me, which is why I will not act easily.”
[Even gauging a battle’s outcome is rounded to a number. It is no wonder why the ‘Wizard Craftsmen’
never truly lost in a war. Then again, any member of the Silver Lineage is a monster.]
Brendel did not really expect William to be persuaded. He more or less kept thinking that the people in
this world were somewhat game-like. At the very least, no high-level NPC would give a gamer such a
chance to cheat so easily by helping them directly.
“How about a sneak attack?”
“No. That’s enough, you rogue, stop thinking about it. My spell is working because Andesha doesn’t know
I’m here. If she did, the spell would be useless. She will eventually realize that it’s an illusion, though I
think it will at least delay her for thirty minutes. But the true reason is that I’m running out of time.”
“You’re leaving?” Brendel was stunned. The Archmage was his greatest ally but he was leaving so soon?
2194
“The Green Tower is about to fail in its defense. Surely you don’t wish your hard work from before to go
up in flames?”
William scratched his head, soothing an itch there almost like a dog. Brendel’s eyes looked suspiciously at
the Galbu’s leader.
“Oh all right, their plight has nothing to do with me; it’s Tulman who requested for my help and I can’t
decline.”
[Hmm. It’s surprising to see the Green Tower’s defense fail so quickly.]
Brendel did not realize that he had been unconscious for at least two days, and he thought the reason
why things progressed so quickly was the lack of gamers. If William participated in the battle against the
wolves, then the Green Tower would be able to hold on.
Though he needed to hurry as well.
William patted the youth’s shoulder and took out a box out of thin air.
“I’ll give this to you, boy. There’s a cape here that will allow you to bypass Andesha’s senses—”
“Wait, there are three of us here.”
“I know, which is why you should let me finish my words. This cape is meant for a Giant.”
“A Giant?” Brendel put on a strange look. Just what sort of settings was happening here?
“Indeed, but you can only use it once per day, as it will turn into an ordinary cloak after each use.”
“Are you sure there are no other drawbacks to using it??” Brendel received the box and thought about the
Galbu Wizards’ crafted items. Many of them were unpleasant.
“Hmm? It sounds like you know us very well. I’m reassured—” The old Wizard smiled, waving his staff in
the air and opening a silver door out of thin air: “Don’t underestimate this cloak, when it’s working, even
the Dragon King would not be able to see past the invisibility spell!”
“Dragon King? Bahamut?” Brendel stared at the box with slight skepticism.
Regardless of whether the Dragon King was referring to Bahamut or Fafnir, if the cloak did what William
said, this was an item of the Gods.
And it was just given away like this?
William was already in the silver door, but he suddenly turned around and spoke with a solemn tone:
“Young man, I have given you additional time, the rest is up to you—”
2195
“Yes, yes, I know! But you haven’t told me what the keyword is needed to activate this!”
But it seemed like William did not hear the youth’s words. The door made out of light vanished as though
it had never been there once the old Wizard finished speaking.
[What the hell!]
Brendel felt like he had been deceived in the worst possible manner.
2196
Brendel had a slightly confused look while he held onto the box with one hand. The silver door that was
made out of light disappeared without a trace.
“Pfff—” Faena suddenly snorted with laughter when she saw his appearance.
“Is it very funny?” Brendel’s tone was polite and pleasant.
“Hmph. The future Duchess of Flowers laughs at you. Do you think you can stop me?”
“I see. Hmm, I wonder whose claws belong to. They seem to shake every time when there’s a noise.”
Brendel looked at his left hand, shook his head, and sighed.
Faena withdrew her hand with lightning speed, her ears blushing: “H-h-how dare you! Mocking my
reactions—”
“What? Why can’t I talk about the scared little baby princess?”
Faena clenched her fist and her eyes were spewing out flames. She glared at Brendel as though she
wanted to eat him alive, before stomping on her foot and snarled:
“Just you wait. I’ll complain to General Veronica.”
“Complain? What will you say?”
Faena blinked blankly a few times before she stuttered with her cheeks turning red: “I….. I’ll say that you
took advantage of me.”
[This crazy girl……]
Brendel’s jaws dropped. He really did not think she would utter these words out. It felt like he was being
punched in the guts and lost his breath.
“Are you really going to say that?”
“Idiot, I obviously won’t do that!” Faena scoffed lightly: “My reputation will be damaged if I say that a
country bumpkin took advantage of me!”
2197
Brendel fell into silence.
[This witless and chestless woman— Never mind about Veronica, if she mentions anything to the Duke of
Flowers, shit— would he send out his Pegasus Knights after me?]
The youth’s eyes went back to the box after determining there was nothing he could do to stop her. When
he pulled off its cover, he discovered that it had a space deeper than what it could possibly hold from the
outside.
He tugged at the robe that was neatly folded in the box without holding back his strength, pulling it out as
though there was no end. He eventually discovered that it was actually larger than the box.
[Regardless of how awesome this thing is, it’s no different from a curtain if I don’t have the right words to
activate it. No, it’s even worse since it’s uglier because it’s so plain. Even a curtain is better since it
provides shade for us.]
He shook the robe, trying to see if there was any reaction to it. It was a waste to discard it, yet it was also
a nuisance to carry it. Ultimately, his greed won out and he tucked it under his arm and moved off. He left
the box behind as it was too unwieldy.
[The gamers’ post stated they walked for more than ten minutes in the darkness. They thought there was
a bug since they could not find an end to the cavern, and nearly attempted to forcefully retire by killing
themselves, before suddenly finding themselves in the Loop of Trade Winds’s heart. I’ll probably find
myself in the same situation.]
He looked upwards. The ‘bridges’ were starting to converge into one point. The more they climbed, the
more apparent it was. After calculating the remaining time he had, he led Sifrid and Faena forward
slowly. Their footsteps were clear and distinct, but they echoed softly in the enclosed environment,
sounding as though someone was following behind them.
It made Faena nervous, and she looked behind more than once, only to see nothing but darkness in the
distance. She thought of following Brendel closely, but she would always stop when she got too close,
recalling his looks of ridicule.
Brendel finally felt there was a change in the air. It was close to nearly thirty minutes.
[Finally, I feel the wind. The written walkthrough of the gamers’ is unreliable as heck— or this place is
actually screwing with my senses. They most likely recorded the gameplay and got the timing down after
all.]
2198
It took a few more minutes before Brendel came to another gate made out of stone, though it was much
smaller and its size was approximately a tenth of the previous gate. When he approached it, the doors
started to open outwards, causing light to shine in and dust to fall across the ground.
The youth took the time to marvel the intricate patterns on the doors as they opened slowly, applauding
the gate’s modern-like technology to sense visitors.
The scenery outside slowly revealed itself and stunned the group with shocked gasps.
At first, the light rays were like sharp blades, cutting into the darkness and the group’s eyes that had
gotten accustomed to the darkness. They eventually got used to the light, walked out of the cavern, and
started to admire the scenery before them.
They were now standing on top of the mountain range located within the Loop of Trade Winds’s heart.
Spiraling patterns of wind and mist could be seen below, and one could instinctively understand how the
smooth cliffs towering several hundred meters high were formed. It was unclear if anyone had set foot
into this place for the past few millenniums.
Brendel peered into the sky. The sun was visible and unhindered by the Wall of Clouds, and he knew that
they had reached their destination. The entire area around the stone gate was untainted by the Chaos and
unaffected by the violent winds. The Mana Wave did not seem to even reach this place, and there was
mostly tranquil silence, broken only by the flock of birds chirping in the air.
It was almost like a paradise that could only be found in books.
Brendel’s attention was suddenly drawn away by something. There was a tree with such an epic size that
its crown eventually disappeared into the blue sky. The youth initially was unable to judge what the tree
was, and he had to follow the mossy roots that spread across the mountain range’s ground to be sure of it.
[The…… World Tree?]
It was a legendary golden tree described in books. The Druids’ Circle of Skies was once called the Circle of
Worlds in the past, and they cared for a World Tree for generations and lived around it.
The wars of that era eventually destroyed the World Tree and the Tower of Babel, and from then
onwards, the Druids were split into two factions; The Circle of Skies, and the Tree Shepherds.
[There isn’t any documentation about a World Tree still existing in this world. Interesting, it doesn’t have
a golden hue described in the legends, but more of a normal tree. The moss and odd branches and leaves
near the trunk have a vivid green color.]
2199
His eyes went to the top of the tree again. The branches that he could see were spreading out outwards
before ending in a dome-like shape. One of the large branches was seemingly on fire, while another
covered in ice, and another had a rainbow over it.
“It sort of resembles Yggdrasil from Earth instead……” Brendel could not help but mutter to himself.
“Is this the World Tree in the legends, brother Brendel?” Sifrid spoke in awe.
Brendel nodded. He suddenly realized the ‘bridges’ they were walking on were probably the roots of this
tree. The forest before him was lush and filled with birds, untainted by human activity.
[Hmm. The game’s Valhalla was eventually destroyed after Aouine was lost. I heard it went out in a sea of
flames, such madness.]
“B-Brendel?” Faena suddenly spoke in surprise. She nearly bit her tongue and had to pull her cheeks
when she spotted something.
“Huh?” Brendel spoke absentmindedly.
“The tree—” She pointed at it.
“Yes, the tree is going to be all burned up in the end?”
“What are you talking about!” Faena exclaimed: “I’m telling you to look at the center of the tree!”
Brendel finally spotted a city built in the branches’ outer area, though it might be more accurate to
describe it as a huge palace surrounded by mist and lightning. It looked grand enough for ancient deities
and spirits to live there.
“Valhalla……” Brendel muttered.
“I heard you say that name to the wizard earlier. Valhalla is that city?” Faena asked.
But they were interrupted by another person’s voice not far away from them:
“Chaos above, the World Tree!”
It was Andesha’s voice.
Brendel and Faena’s faces paled.
2200
Brendel placed a finger on his lips and quickly showed this action to Faena and Sifrid. Andesha’s voice
had shocked Faena to the point where she nearly shrieked, but the youth’s calm attitude was enough to
stop her from making any mistakes.
The only sounds in their surroundings were the monotonous dronings of the insects, with a few small
rodent-like creatures darting through the vegetation at high speed that created rustling noises.
Faena could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. She was so tense that she felt her blood turn
cold, and her fingers were white and clammy.
“What do we do?” She mouthed these words.
Her haughty conduct earlier was nowhere to be found; she was now a normal girl who looked at the
youth with a pair of frightened eyes, realizing that he was the only person she could rely on right now.
Brendel glanced at Faena. The girl’s face was as dirty as a spotted cat, her pretty golden ponytails were
covered with dirt, but he thought she was cuter and better to get along with than before.
“Worry not.” He mouthed back.
Sadly, he did not think that this change would be permanent. She was still a duke’s daughter from
Kirrlutz, and her proud character was carved into her bones. Perhaps it was even safe to say that she took
advantage of the fact that he was reluctant to harm her, and she chose to quarrel with him throughout the
journey.
Soft footsteps could be heard from the cavern’s exit. Brendel listened to them carefully with a composed
mind. It seemed like Andesha had no intention of hiding her presence, and it was unnecessary to do so at
her level against him anyway.
[Damn it…… It’s been a while since I have to work so hard to hide myself.]
Brendel wished that he was the level 130 Warrior in the game. He at least had the sub-class techniques of
a thief even if he needed to hide. It was all fun and excitement in the game, but it was full of stress and
tension in reality. Andesha felt like an unbearable threat with every step she took.
Still, the youth was able to make a rational judgment because of his experience.
He simply did not move.
2201
Then he heard another set of footsteps coming from another direction, and he frowned.
[Another nearby exit from the caverns? It’s fortunate that this person hasn’t detected us.]
“It’s possible that boy has already left long ago. I didn’t expect that there would be someone else from the
Silver Alliance protecting him, other than the Druids. That earlier magic spell had a familiar Mana
signature to it; I wonder if it’s someone I know.” The Mistress of Withering Decay said.
Brendel held his breath.
A familiar male voice answered Andesha instantly:
“Ironic. I did not think a monster like you would regret making too many enemies.”
“Making too many enemies? What an absurd notion,” Andesha’s voice was a little high-pitch, and one
could hear the sarcasm in her voice, “listening to you has allowed me to understand why your faction acts
so cowardly. If you fear your enemies so much, why don’t you depart back to your dirty little nest this
very instant?”
“Fine, fine. I’m not here to pick a fight with you, Andesha. I’m more interested in learning about this area
here instead. I suspect that we’re the first group of visitors in a few thousand years.” The man said.
“The second batch, you mean. Don’t forget, the little boy…… and his other companions probably entered
before us.”
[Interesting. That woman doesn’t know how many of us are in here. As long as she is suspicious of our
numbers, she will be more cautious.]
“You’re right. It seemed like that boy knows what was in the canyon. That mysterious stone gate was
definitely locked earlier, and yet it was opened when we reached it. I took a while to study the gate, and it
appears to be a Legacy left for the foolish humans, but I refuse to believe he was able to open it without
any preparations. Even you have to admit that these creations from the Golden Lineage are splendid.”
[This man was in the valley before us?]
“What are you trying to say, Hamir, no, your current name is……” Andesha interrupted him with a
condescending tone, but the man continued speaking.
“Are you not worried that the Druids are preparing something? They have hidden what they learned in
the Dark Forest for centuries. A Sealed Fragment of Divinity was hidden in this area, while the damned
2202
long-living hypocrites from the Silver Alliance appeared at this strange timing. Who knows what other
shocking things could be found in this place?”
“More shocking things? This World Tree isn’t enough? No, perhaps the most valuable thing is this Sealed
Fragment.”
“The World Tree dates back to the ancient era when the Twilight Dragon still existed. You know this point
better than me. The things that are contained within……”
“…… Very well, I’ll admit it. I too am curious what is within it, now cut your nonsense and follow me—”
“Your personality hasn’t changed at all.” The man remarked.
Brendel was almost certain that Andesha’s perception was higher than him. Fortunately, it appeared that
Andesha was so interested in investigating the World Tree that she did not bother to track them. In
addition, Faena was surprisingly decent in masking her presence, probably a feat that was gained from
the excellent trainers from the Kirrlutz Empire. Sifrid was quite adept in hiding too, and the youth
recalled the time when she tried to sneak out of her village to surrender to Graudin in the past.
The trio waited in silence. Andesha and the mysterious man’s footsteps shuffled quickly and they left for
the World Tree. The last words that he heard from her were:
“They might have gotten close to the World Tree.”
Brendel waited for another ten minutes before he sighed.
Faena saw his action and collapsed to the ground while patting her chest in relief. She looked like she had
been taken out of a pool of water. Her forehead and back were drenched with perspiration.
“That’s good, right? They are far away from us now. Let’s return when we have the chance.” The noble
from the Kirrlutz Empire said.
Brendel pondered for a moment: “Return?”
“That woman believes we are near the World Tree, so before she realizes that we’re not there, we should
go back and meet up with Lady Veronica. We should leave this place now, right?” Faena’s eyes opened up
and stared at Brendel as if it was the most logical thing.
“No, no, you’re mistaken on one thing. There is no ‘we’ here, but ‘you’, you should return alone. It’s
actually a good chance for you. There’s no need to worry about Hati, it’s not going to wake up, and the
fake Hydra has been defeated by Andesha. I didn’t sense any monsters along the way as well, so it should
be fine. You do remember how to go back, right?” Brendel said.
2203
“I—” Faena looked at Brendel in confusion, her eyebrows moving upwards while being pushed together
into a frown: “Y-y-you intend for me to leave alone?”
“Huh? What else do you want?”
“W-w-without you?” She stuttered in disbelief.
Brendel’s mouth opened a little and he looked a little blankly at the girl. Just how spoiled was this girl for
her to think he would escort her back like a bodyguard? Did he present himself in a way that he was
protecting her selflessly?
“Why should I escort you?” He naturally rejected her suggestion.
“I…… You……” Her facial expressions changed a few times, looking like she was about to throw a tantrum
but always stopping at the point where she got angry: “Then…… Then why are you staying here?”
“Hmmm. Like Andesha, I’m curious about that hugeeee tree, my lady.” Brendel did not want to reveal the
truth about his plans for taking over the entire Valhalla, and he instead chose to joke about it.
Of course, anyone with a working mind would be able to see past his joking words.
“Hey, surely having a life is more important than being curious…..”
“Uhh?” Brendel first rolled his eyes at the dumb girl, then suddenly asked in a strange tone: “Are you
worried about me, or worried about no one escorting you?”
Faena’s face flushed and she roared furiously with flared nostrils: “No way, you fool! It was merely a
spontaneous question, and I don’t care about your life! I’m going…… If you die, d-d-don’t blame me……”
She took a deep breath and walked off. The youth flipped over his palms and shook them a few times
along with a shrug, while looking at her back with an incredulous expression. The girl was a giant ball of
contradiction.
[Now then, Andesha moving off to Valhalla is definitely going out of my plans.]
There was no choice but to fight over the Legacy. He started to walk to the World Tree as well, bringing
Sifrid along.
It might sound like an impossible task, but Andesha had no idea what was lying within the ruins, while he
had a pretty good idea on where his destination was. This would allow him to gain the advantage. In
addition, the Heroic Spirits and Ancestral Kings had most likely acknowledged him as the new king of
Valhalla.
2204
Once he accessed the Legacy of this mysterious land, he could borrow its power and defeat her.
[As long as I’m the Chosen One in my Divine Kingdom! My Heroic Sentinels would easily take Andesha
out!]
Brendel started to exaggerate a preposterous scenario in his mind. Though if he really managed to gain
the advantage of pulling things off under Andesha’s eyes, it would really be possible to chase her out.
Since it was a risky gamble, he had no intention of taking on something that would drag down his legs. As
long as there was an opportunity to send Faena away, he would definitely raise both his hands and agree
to it.
In fact, he wanted to send Sifrid to a safe place if he could. Faena at least had Veronica to guide her out of
the Dark Forest.
It was far easier for him to move by himself and not take unnecessary risks.
But it did not take long for Brendel to turn around as he heard running footsteps coming from the cavern.
“Hey—” Faena said, her face pale and hands shivering: “R-right, I suddenly remembered something, the
people from Kirrlutz, t-t-they don’t have the habit of abandoning companions. Even though we’re
enemies, y-y-you still saved my life…… You might be inconsiderate, but I mustn’t act like you and be
magnanimous…..”
[Fuck me. Why didn’t I escape at the very first second she went into the cavern!?]
Brendel immediately scolded himself.
2205
The forest was peaceful. Brendel tried hard to maintain that silence, gently pushing away obstacles and
vines. Even the birds were content to stay and watch his group as they made their way closer to the
World Tree.
The lush greenery was very different from the Dark Forest’s atmosphere. Looking past the layers of
greenery was a view of a broad basin, its center looked almost as though a finger had pushed down the
earth to form it. The mountain range had surrounded this area and prevented violent winds from
reaching it.
The World Tree was also in the middle of the area. Its roots expanded in all directions and caused the
ground to be uneven, with a few extending all the way to the cavern.
[Andesha and her ally must have traveled on one of the roots. If I follow some of the roots’ paths, they
actually lead to interesting positions that’s difficult to access if one travels on the ground. Hmm, but we
can’t follow too closely since she’s a half-Druid. We will get detected all too easily if she tracks us.]
Brendel studied the area for a while, before he suddenly caught sight of a few artificial marks on broken
stone fragments that were half-buried in the ground. He then led the girls to a small path overgrown with
vegetation. Even though time had hidden the secrets in this place, the youth was certain that he needed to
investigate the place.
There were four massive ancient trees with overgrown vines and bushes around the area. Two white
boulders were hidden behind dull green flora, and through the gaps, he discovered carved marks there
were like letters, though most of them were corroded and unreadable.
[These letters look like they are from the Silver Lineage. Not the Elves or Wizards, naturally, but another
race closely related to the forest. So someone ruled over this place, at least during the time when the
Dragon of Darkness was still around.]
Brendel tried asking Medissa through his mind whether she knew anything about Valhalla, but the Silver
Elf princess stated she did not.
“Valhalla existed long before we did, my Lord, outdating the Silver Elves, the Mist Elves, and the Moon
Elves. These three Elven bloodlines are the main Elven bloodlines of the Silver Lineage, dating all the way
back to our Ancestral Elven King Ljosalfheim, even before the Dragon of Darkness appeared.” She said.
2206
It was just as Brendel had assumed. The Twilight Dragon in the continent was a fuzzy symbol in the
Twilight Battle. Though the ordinary citizens in this era knew of the monstrous being’s name, it was just a
dead god amongst the stories of the gods in the past.
Even in the game, there was really no quests or lore about this primeval dragon, and the gamers only had
to deal with the evil cults who would put the name of Twilight or Chaos in their deeds.
“Am I wrong, or are those letters?” Faena asked in a tiny voice.
Since she did not dare to return on her own, she decided to openly follow the youth. He was not a
sycophant like the other nobles around her and even bullied her all the time, but at least he did not
physically threaten her.
“Urgh, stop bothering me and think on your own.” Brendel snapped.
“I recall that the last time someone from Aouine who attempted to claim the Wilderness was
approximately two centuries ago, Lord Roman from the Vieiro family, also known as the last Pioneer
Knight. The historical reports stated that the Dark Forest used to be bigger, and the entire south of the
Randner region was corrupted and lordless. No civilization had touched it before……”
Faena spoke as though she was reciting a textbook, then she pointed at the carvings.
“But if these carvings are actually letters of a civilization, then it proves that the Loop of Trade Winds is a
land that was lost to the Wilderness. The Dark Forest was not always part of the Wilderness formed by
Chaos, therefore the books are wrong….. W-what? Why are you looking at me like that, my grades in
history are excellent! I even received an award from Grandmaster Mahaein!”
“The famous dwarf who can decipher the contents that belong to the Poem of Skies?” Brendel asked.
“A portion of it. Also, even though Grandmaster Mahaein is a Dwarf, he’s a citizen of the Kirrlutz Empire.”
Faena was proud enough to raise up her chin and started bringing out her status.
“No, don’t tell me, he’s the one who wrote what you just recited. What kind of historical nonsense is that
dwarf writing…… Doesn’t he know that the Druids were living here before the Aouine kingdom was
founded? What did he mean by the south of the Randner region was corrupted and lordless?” Brendel
smirked and said sarcastically.
“You are the one who’s spouting n-nonsense! The Druids don’t have any interest in being the lord of a
land!”
“Unbelievable. Does the Empire dare to use this excuse and drive away all the Druids from their borders?
I should congratulate you now since your borders are going to expand yet again!”
2207
“Y-you……”
The real reason why Brendel was annoyed, was how the Kirrlutz Empire included Aouine’s history in
their reports. Kirrlutz’s citizens had never regarded Aouine as a kingdom, instead, they treated it like an
overseas province, and it was especially so amongst the nobles who supported the Imperial politics.
Naturally, this arrogance annoyed the gamers in the Aouine Kingdom.
Brendel was not keen on bullying a spoiled girl, but he wanted to kick her down before her conceited
nose touched the sky. After saying his fill, he turned back to the path.
[The four trees and the two boulders with carvings on them. These things make up a marker to denote a
certain area of a ‘city’, though I can’t tell what this place is for.]
He parted the vegetation and the group continued down the path, reaching to another section in the area.
They discovered the strange shape of the foliage were actually overgrown greenery over boulders that
were cut into buildings. Verdant plant life surrounded them, rustling gently from time to time against the
wind.
Brendel was about to step into a clearing, but Sifrid suddenly pulled his hand, causing him to go on his
guard.
“What is it?” He whispered.
“The bad woman is here.” Sifrid did not speak and mouthed the words.
Brendel felt a chill and mouthed back a word:
“Where?”
Sifrid pointed at the highest building. Brendel immediately stared at the spot and discovered that there
was a peculiar plant growing on top of the roof. His mouth fell open and gasped lightly.
That was not a plant at all, but Andesha. That half-druidic talent of hers made it difficult to discover her
presence, and she also hid in a clever spot, allowing her to hide and observe as well.
It was unfortunate that she was competing with the Lady of the Forest who was blessed by the Goddess
Nia.
Still, Brendel could not help but burst out a layer of cold sweat. He now realized that it was a wise
decision not to send back Sifrid; having her to help him in this forest had many advantages.
2208
“Stay quiet!” Brendel turned around to Faena and mouthed these words.
[This place should be a market. The boulders are placed in a way to form a something like a circle, and
this particular building is probably a temple for the God of Commerce, since it’s popular to have one in
the ancient times.]
Andesha was standing on top of this temple. As a member of an evil cult, she did not respect any gods
from the Order.
Faena finally spotted Andesha and was startled. She turned to Brendel in a hurry and mouthed: “Why is
she here?”
“If you have the slightest bit of intelligence, you would know that she’s obviously looking for us,” came
the reply.
The girl was at a loss, but she put on a sulking look: “It’s all your fault! I told you that we should leave this
place!”
Brendel rolled his eyes. Did he not ask her to leave earlier? But he did not want to deal with a spoiled
girl’s temper, so he responded:
“What? Huh? I totally can’t hear you. Your lips are flapping but it seems like I can’t read these complicated
words! Why do you always pretend to act tough and then cause trouble for me? Man, you’re such a cliche
and a pain in the b—”
Faena tried hard to read Brendel’s lips, but he was moving them so quickly that she did not understand
what he was trying to say, and she became at a loss for words when he added exaggerated movements
with his entire body.
When the youth finally had his fill of venting his complaints to the frozen girl, he turned back to ponder
on the problem before him.
[Honestly, if Andesha just rushes straight to the heart of Valhalla, I don’t think I can reach there before
her. But now that she stopped here…… It’s my chance to overtake her. Hmmm. I did check the area, but I
couldn’t find her companion. The exit to this market is…..]
Brendel suddenly realized why she stopped at the top of the building.
[There’s a man-made wall forming around the market, and its roots are covering over the wall and the
mountains. Almost like a natural barrier of protection…… But if I’m not wrong, exiting this market will
lead me to another enclosed area with a similar wall. If I am to use an analogy, it’s a fan-shaped city
leading towards the World Tree. Since the exit of the market will definitely be under Andesha’s
supervision……]
2209
It was probably difficult to understand the shape of the city if one did not look above it, but Andesha was
able to discern instinctively that one would have to approach and exit this market to reach the World
Tree.
If Brendel were to control the city, he would have been dancing with joy on how defensive this area was,
but now he could only taste the bitterness in his mouth. He was almost certain there was no other way to
the World Tree, since it was a fortification designed to fight the Twilight Dragon.
He felt a slight headache.
2210
Brendel took a few tiny steps before he suddenly felt a jerk to his sleeves and turned around to find
Faena’s hand. She mouthed her question and pointed at the streets covered with overgrown vegetation
with a finger:
“You want to go through there?”
Brendel nodded.
“Are you crazy?” Faena looked at him in disbelief before she thought of something that could explain his
actions: “…… Have you figured how to activate the cloak’s invisibility?”
[If I can I would have used it immediately. That old fool didn’t even give me a clue to activate it. How
should I know what to do with it?]
The youth rolled his eyes, gestured at Faena and Sifrid to stay behind, then went out to his destination
without responding. Faena could only look on with fright in her wide open eyes. Her fingers were digging
in so deeply into her skin that it left marks on it, but she did not make a sound despite her slacked jaw.
[Honestly, with Andesha’s Perception stats, I’m pretty sure that even with a ranger with level 10 Stealth
would have trouble hiding from her. I wouldn’t stand a chance.]
Brendel always had a clear mind. After hesitating a few times, he chose to risk it as he did not have the
habit to waste time. His current goal was to get a closer observation of the land before him. It was difficult
to conclude things when he was looking through from the dense vegetation.
He inched closer by using the cover of the shrubs and stared at the flowering heaths. His mind worked
quickly in the midst of the dead silence.
[No, I can’t think of anything. Andesha isn’t a fool and I’m one hundred percent certain that she will be
able to spot me. If this is a game…… Surely there will be a way to complete this mission?]
He searched through his memories, trying to find an inspiration from the battles he fought in the past
before he stopped at a certain flashback.
The game had just entered beta testing.
During that period, the gamers were making a ruckus over the game design.
2211
The typical game designers would create difficult trials for the gamers, but no matter how hard they
were, there was always at least one path that the gamers were able to use and complete them.
In a simple game, it was regarded as the easy way out. In a difficult game, it was a thorny path, but it was
still a path of completion.
But the Amber Sword had a distinct game design, and one of the developers stated a somewhat famous
line that stuck with the gamers:
“In real life, there isn’t a road in a forest until it’s built. Use your courage and intelligence to make one.”
At that time, the data-miners amongst the gamers put up the information of an unknown world boss
called the Emerald Dragon, which had the Element Power, Eternity. It even had the nickname, Immortal
Boss. The gamers thought it was a joke made by the developers when they gave it a loot table, but they
eventually accepted it as a challenge to break the rules.
[…… What’s the use of recalling this memory? Try doing this shitty quest in real life to get past Andesha,
and watch the gamers immediately give up and throw the game away. It’s the game element they are
after, not flexibility.]
Still, the youth regained his spirits about facing impossible odds. If there was no strategy or path that he
could borrow from, he could create his own.
[There’s no point to brute force our way through. Retreating and choosing the sidelines is a choice I can
take.]
He moved back slowly and crawled out of the bushes, only to find Faena’s pale face staring at him as
though he had committed atrocious crimes with.
“My lifespan has been cut by ten years just standing next to you!” She glared at him and mouthed the
words.
“If scouting the area is ten years, then the actions I’m going to do next might just cause you to drop dead
immediately.”
“W-what do you mean?”
“That section of the ruins over there, we will try to slip through there using it as cover. I inspected the
area quite carefully and that’s the best path for us. The others are basically dead ends.”
2212
Brendel slowly explained with gestures to present his judgment clearly, but Faena only took a glance to
refute him:
“It does look like a good spot since her line of sight can’t reach it, but the final stretch doesn’t have any
cover at all. No matter what we do, we will definitely be discovered right?” Her eyebrows were pointing
upwards. “That woman is one of the twelve leaders of the Tree Shepherds, would you stop treating her
like a fool? If she stays up there, it means that she’s definitely confident of catching us!”
“Yes, I know, I can see that. I’m certain that Andesha realizes this point as well, and it’s foolish to cross
over so blatantly.” Brendel shook his head, disagreeing with Faena’s assessment: “However, I don’t
believe that she considers us to be fools, not when we escaped from her repeatedly. That is precisely the
reason why she would not pay attention to that area.”
“I think I understand your logic, but we’re traveling across a courtyard without cover. If she happens to
cast a glance over there, she will discover us even if she’s not paying attention.”
Brendel did not answer. He obviously knew that there was no perfect solution, but he had to try and get
there at least halfway. The rest of the solution would be luck and hard work. At this point in time, it was
impossible not to take a little risk. There was no time to waste, as it was not certain how long the Druids
were able to last, even with William’s help.
Thus he shook his head.
“Hey!” Faena was so desperate she nearly cried out. She grabbed Sifrid next to her and mouthed: “Sifrid,
quickly persuade your big brother, this fool is trying to kill himself and I don’t want to accompany him!
Sifrid looked at both of them before she shook her head at Faena. She did not intend to object. In fact,
Brendel’s decision was her decision.
Faena was at a complete loss.
“Stay behind,” Brendel mouthed.
There was no reason to bring her along. It was indeed true that it could be a trip to hell. But the girl was a
little flustered and hesitant over his words. She stared at the both of them before throwing up a tantrum.
“No, you must bring me along!” She shook her fists up and down.
Brendel could not understand what she was thinking and mouthed back in frustration: “Don’t you ever
feel like you’re baggage?”
“You’re the one who kidnapped me to this place. Country bumpkin, you need to take responsibility for
that. Are you still a noble if you leave me behind?”
2213
[I’m not a fucking noble! Screw this shit. Don’t blame me for getting yourself killed if you want to follow
me.]
Brendel roared in his mind, but it looked like Faena was serious. Even if he refused, she would probably
follow him. It was quite the headache, but he gave up in the end. He had to bring along Sifrid, and there
was no difference to add one more person.
He sighed but he agreed to Faena’s words.
The girl seemed to be pleased and relieved that she won a verbal battle against Brendel.
“Are we moving off right now?” She asked.
[What do you mean ‘we’? It’s me who’s going to do all the work……]
But the youth nodded. It was easy for him to make his way across the ruins alone, but bringing Faena and
Sifrid made things complicated. He did not dare to allow them to follow him on foot, and he explained
that he was going to carry them over one at a time. It was actually better that way since he was at least
experienced in the Stealth skill.
His first attempt to bring over Sifrid was successful. He carefully went to the side where there was
abundant cover, then dove into the ruins. This area was facing Andesha’s back, and just like he predicted,
she did not pay much attention there. She would have discovered Brendel if she happened to turn her
head for a split second.
After putting Sifrid into one of the half-broken rock houses, he turned around to get Faena. His actions
were incredibly swift, passing through the grass with hardly any noise, and he was so skillful that Faena’s
eyes nearly popped out.
As one of the top-ranking nobles in the Kirrlutz Empire, she was well learned and knew that only the
most capable scouts within the army were capable of doing a feat like him. The typical nobles were not
required to learn it, unless they were working for the throne as ambassadors with the skillset of a spy.
She learned a few things from her father’s spies in the past, but they now appeared like frauds when she
compared their abilities to Brendel’s.
But Brendel thought otherwise and was greatly concerned about his actions. His ability was not corrected
by the system, and there was no competing against the professions in the game. As long as the Stealth
level was above level ten, the stealthy professions like a ranger or Night Oracle could hide right in front of
Faena and not be noticed. At level fifteen, they could even disappear right in front of her eyes, nearly
reaching the capabilities of a magical artifact, though it was not easy even for the main professions with
these skillsets to learn it. Invisibility magic could be dispelled but stealth could not.
2214
When Brendel carried the stunned Faena, she was so startled she squeaked out a sound, but the youth
was alert enough to cover her lips in time and glared at her to warn her to be careful.
The girl suddenly remembered the thrilling moments where he carried her.
Like jumping off a cliff and scaring her till she cried. Or throwing her into the air and past the Lernaia
Hydra’s mouth as it snapped at her.
When she realized that Brendel was carrying her in his arms, she suddenly felt her face burn up and
wished that she was still gawking over his skill. It was only after that she was placed next to Sifrid that
she recovered from her panic.
Brendel brought both of them closer to his desired destination by repeating the same steps. When they
reached the final house in the ruins, he patted Faena and mouthed:
“Are you really going to follow me? It’s possible that we will get killed.” Brendel tried to frighten the girl
one more time, but she still refused to let him go alone.
[What pills did this woman take? She just keeps staring at me and nodding.]
If there was one thing that the people from Kirrlutz and Aouine had in common, they were both unwilling
to abandon their comrades. Brendel felt highly uncomfortable at that thought.
“Fine. I tried my best,” he sighed.
He then peeked out at the clearing to investigate it again, but his expression contorted immediately.
Faena did the same thing, and she pushed her hands up to her lips with lightning speed to prevent herself
from making any noises from surprise.
There was a figure covered in red robes standing at the other end of the clearing.
[Bloody hell, this was a trap.]
Brendel cursed in his mind. He thought that Andesha had a small oversight, though it was still highly
unreasonable to think that it would work if he tried to cross over the clearing. What he did not expect was
Andesha to have a watertight surveillance. The youth backed away and gritted his teeth. He did not have
a backup plan.
Faena prodded him: “We’re actually close enough. Perhaps we can try using the cloak? Its magic should
be able to last for a while.”
[Cloak? The one that William gave us?]
“What are you talking about? Have you forgotten that the old wizard didn’t give us the keyword to
activate its magic?”
2215
He patted Faena’s hand away. Was the girl too terrified to think properly? Perhaps the old wizard’s
forgetful nature had spread to her head.
“Do you really think the cloak cannot be used just because that old man didn’t tell you the keywords to
activate it? Have you forgotten what my profession is?”
“Huh? What your profession is? Daughter of a high-ranking duke?”
“You oaf! I’m a Magic Swordsman, deciphering runes is part of my skillset!”
“Hah? Just how capable do you think you are? This cloak is a legendary item that’s only heard in
mythological tales. The Magic Formations on it are very much different from the ones we’re using in this
era. If I’m not wrong, my lady, you’re not even formally recognized as a Magic Swordsman. An apprentice
instead, yes?”
“It’s precisely because I’m a noble that I’m not recognized as a Magic Swordsman! There are many pairs
of eyes on me as a duke’s daughter and I can’t go out to get recognized as one! But the skills I’m taught as
an aristocrat are even more detailed than your average Magic Swordsman!”
Brendel tilted his head and looked at her with discerning eyes. She did have a good memory and even
won an award of sorts. His tone was a little earnest for the first time:
“Can you really do it?”
“Let me try, but I can’t guarentee it.”
Faena did not dare to brag about it, but she had a solemn expression and did not put on an air of
superiority like before. Brendel nodded and passed the cloak over to her. She extended the cloak up in the
air as much as she could with shaking arms. It was actually quite heavy and tough physically on her,
proving that it was indeed a cloak for a giant.
After several minutes of inspection, she suddenly uttered a delighted gasp, startling Brendel, and he
hurriedly checked if the robed figure hiding in the clearing noticed them, before he cast a glance at
Andesha. Fortunately, both of them did not react.
He turned back to glare at Faena. It was impossible for her to be a spy working for the enemies, but she
was definitely acting like one right now. She also recognized her mistake and stuck out her tongue with
an embarrassed look, but she quickly mouthed out in delight:
“I studied this particular school of Magic before!”
“You did!?” Brendel was shocked, but he also became delighted. It was quite the fortunate turn of events.
If she learned it before, then it should not be difficult to discover the keyword to activate it.
It seemed like luck was still on his side.
2216
2217
Professions like Magic Swordsman and Rune Knight were indeed capable of identifying items. Rune
Knights were able to use magic, but their true skillset was to analyze magic and fight wizards. They were
greatly specialized in anti-magic and well-versed in dealing with Chants.
The words to form a Chant were typically fixed. The only ones who were exceptions to this rule were
powerful wizards who could bend the rules. Witches who resided in rivers of concentrated Mana,
believed there were thirty-six thousand words in this world that had mysterious power in them.
These words made up the rules of all Laws, Runes and Holy Words. and they were frequently used to
activate magical artifacts. The most common words to activate old artifacts were the following.
Eaam was earth, Oss was wind, Vo was water, and Flamme was fire.
But they were not going to work for the cloak.
The magic artifacts created from the Golden and Silver Lineage were indeed old, but the earliest magic
artifacts were taken from the Elemental Planes.
Faena sensed the cloak had a powerful Earth Element leaking out from it. She first tried the words that
were from the races of the great earth, the Poem of Titans.
There were twelve hundred words in it. Trying them out one by one was nearly impossible, but she was
experienced enough to choose the suitable words for activating a magic artifact. It was narrow enough to
test them out.
After several tries, she moved on to the tale of ‘Yara’s teeth’, which represented the Shadow Element and
the Vibration Rune. Her eyebrows were lifted slightly up and looked up with an air of triumph as she
passed the cloak back to Brendel.
Her sky-blue eyes were full of pride and her pursed lips were slightly curved upwards. Brendel eyed her
for a second as he took over the cloak.
Once a magical artifact’s known usage and activation word was discovered, the game recognized it as
‘identified’.
Green words immediately flashed in his retina:
– King Bruni’s invisibility cloak.
2218
– Magic Resistance: 30%
– Activated ability: Enters a Shrouded state for a hundred and twenty breaths. The user would be as if
they have disappeared from this world.
– Activation keyword: Far
[Oh, it’s identified. Wait, the description for this……!]
The corners of Brendel’s eyes twitched. The game explained that the world was comprised of seven
layers. There were four Element Planes, two Energy Planes, and a Physical Plane. One’s existence was
anchored to one of these seven Planes.
An invisibility spell utilized the Air or Water Element to distort light and deceive the eyes, but it was just
a type of an illusion, and the caster could still be seen, heard, and even be touched.
A Shrouded state was significantly stronger. The most common use for this state was to pass through
walls. Under it, there were no ‘walls’ in this world.
[A hundred and twenty breaths. That’s about five minutes, but it’s just the right amount of time to escape.
This cloak is a god-tier item for those who need it. A 30% magic resistance is definitely a mythological
treasure. It definitely doesn’t bring shame to the King of Titans and is a fitting collection for his vault.]
Brendel unfurled the cloak to its fullest and covered both Faena and Sifrid.
“Far!” He said.
The cloak became invisible in an instant. The feeling that came from it was incredibly intriguing. It felt
like there was a layer of shimmering water all around them.
Sifrid’s eyes went wide and looked around her surroundings, before she turned to the youth with a
revered expression. Brendel was always capable of doing something miraculous or unexpected things.
He also took a while to get used to the Shrouded state. There were a few famous solo players who had
this equipment, but he had never seen one in action before.
“……Why do you know the activation keyword, I haven’t told you yet!” But Faena was completely shocked
and stared at Brendel.
The youth also stared back vacantly.
Then he realized he made a serious mistake. Gamers could directly see the activation keywords once the
artifact was identified, but he forgot he was not in a game.
2219

An NPC would have to prove that they had the bloodline of a Star Seer who could see the future. But if
they were a practitioner of Black or Blood magic, it was highly probable they would be burned on a stake.
Brendel stiffened and was a loss of what to say. It did not make sense for him to say that he had the
abilities to identify an equipment, since he had brought the two girls to a point where they were close to
their enemies. Why did he have to wait before Faena volunteered to identify it?
[Shit. I can’t say I don’t know about it, it doesn’t make sense. How do I know how to activate it?]
“Erm……” Brendel coughed once and his mind spun quickly: “Well…… You were muttering words from
the Poem of Titans! There’s a section within the Poem of Titans that are related to the Shadow Element,
and it’s either Yara’s Teeth or the Rune Words related to the Vibration— In any case, I tried one of
them……”
“And you got it on the first try!?” Faena’s jaws dropped. She was supposed to the expert here, but this
person had managed to solve it before her with a simple guess. Her confidence was greatly shaken and
her eyes trembled.
“No, no,” Brendel hurriedly shook his head and said. Faena was actually being useful for once and did
well, and he did not want to break her confidence and become more of a baggage than before: “You were
the one who confirmed the scope. I can’t sense the particular brand of magic Element that’s exuding from
the cloak…… I’m just slightly better in the knowledge of myths and legends.”
“…… Really?”
“Of course. I’m an Elementalist and even I’m unable to discern that the cloak is giving off the Earth
Element.”
“What kind of Elementalist are you when your swordsmanship skills reach the level of a Gold-ranker?”
Faena could not help but snicker with a disbelieving look: “The famous Grandmaster Makaine said this,
human lifespans are severely limited, and if we don’t put our fullest focus into a single thing, it’s unlikely
that we will be good at it—”
“Really? Did you forget that I beat you by using magic in the Green Tower? I took the Rock Key away from
you.”
“You’re such a rude lout! How reprehensible are you to snatch something away from a lady!” Faena was
angry that she made a tiny squeak of noise even though she knew where she was: “…… I thought you
were a fake noble at that time, hmph, but it seems like you’re a real one. Still, the nobles from Aouine are
indeed a rude bunch.”
2220
Brendel grabbed the cloak’s fabric with his hands and rubbed against them to remove his sweat. He was
really a faker.
[Yes, it’s rude to fight something over with a girl, but honestly, you needed to be taught a lesson. You
were the one who started it first by stealing my bargained item. And the Rock Key is something that I
needed to.]
“Well, it’s an event that’s in the past, and I don’t want to discuss who’s at fault right now.”
Brendel was in a great mood. He led the girls out leisurely while he tracked Andesha and the robed
figure’s movements.
Andesha was still staring out at the forest on top of the building. She did glance at the courtyard several
times but did not see the trio walking across it.
On the other side of the courtyard, Brendel found that there was a man’s figure wearing red robes
standing there. The latter did not detect their presence as well.
[This man’s figure seems a little familiar.]
Brendel felt a prod on his arm and found Faena mouthing words: “Hey, that person looks familiar.”
He was surprised.
There were many Tree Shepherds that he came across in the game, and it was reasonable to feel some of
them appear familiar, but for an aristocrat to know a member from an evil cult?
“Ah. Isn’t that Bishop Amman? My father and I had seen him many times when he was the regional priest
in our territory. He and my father got along with each very well. But why is he here?”
“Amman?”
Brendel nearly spat out the word ‘impossible’.
[Didn’t he die hours ago from the fake Lernaia Hydra’s fangs? One of them went through his heart. And
the only people who can survive that are people from the Golden Lineage. Even an angel cannot revive
him.]
But Faena cast a veil of doubt on him. The more Brendel stared at the figure, the more he looked like
Amman. He felt that was something wrong but did not think up wild theories just yet.
“That’s really Amman? You’re certain of it?” Brendel could not help but ask.
2221
“Why are you acting so strange? How can I be sure of it? He’s so far away and his figure is all unclear, not
to mention his face is under his hood. I only feel that he appears to be Amman, and it’s just a passing
remark. Why are you acting so serious?”
Faena grumbled but added another remark:
“But if he’s really Amman, then it’s truly shocking news. Think about it, a Bishop from the Cathedral of
Flames and a member of the Tree Shepherds working together!”
She even licked her lips, as though she found a piece of juicy gossip.
But Brendel’s facial muscles only tightened further.
[If this is really him, then it’s not as simple as a juicy gossip to be discussed over tea. There’s no legitimate
way to come back from the dead. But evil spells relating to necromancy…… I would have never associated
Amman with that. Yet, to work with Andesha…… Which means he’s a spy? Amman is a Tree Shepherd?]
All sorts of information were popping up in his mind. This piece of information was just too stunning.
Even the game did not leak out any information about him, and he thought that no secrets from an NPC
would be kept hidden from the gamers.
While he kept thinking of wild theories, a loud voice suddenly called out and echoed in the forest:
“Who’s over there? Stop hiding and come out!”
Brendel’s arms jolted. The sudden voice was a little hoarse, and it was so chilling that he felt like his
bones were cold.
Indeed, it belonged to Andesha.
But how was it possible for her to detect them?
Brendel’s eyes subconsciously looked to Faena and found her staring back at him in terror. Both of their
faces were pale.
2222
“Stop hiding there, coward!”
Andesha’s voice was like a hissing snake, echoing throughout the courtyard again. The group of people
under the cloak did not dare to move.
The Mistress of Withering Decay finally made her move and conjured a whip, but instead of attacking the
courtyard, she swung it at the other end of the forest. The vine whip of incredible length swept through
the forest, cut through the trees with overwhelming force and uprooted them with thunderous noises.
Soil and dirt fell through the air like rain, while someone emerged from the forest and approached
Andesha at lightning speed.
But before Brendel managed to see who the mysterious stranger was, he caught sight of the rain suddenly
stopping in its midst. The colors of the area were suddenly changed into greyscale, while Andesha’s whip
slowed down as though it was going through a sea of liquid that resisted it.
[The World of Ashes!]
It was a nickname given to Mephisto’s Element Power.
The Grey Realm was a boundary that changed the Laws of the area. It was an Elemental Plane with a high
concentration of Shadow Element and Grey Mana that was related to the Earth Element. However, this
particular Elemental Plane was destroyed in the Twilight War into many fragments, and they were
scattered throughout the continent’s Physical Plane.
Mephisto’s World of Ashes was a powerful ability that projected the Grey World into the continent’s
Physical Plane, bringing forth the power that was entrenched within the realm.
The slowing of time was one of them.
It was one of the most unique Element Powers, and Brendel was absolutely certain that it was Mephisto
who had appeared.
[Why is he here?]
He took in a deep breath and found his palms to be full of cold sweat. The situation was a little too
exciting for him, especially when Andesha took out a whip. Surely no one expected this sudden turn of
events.
2223
Andesha frowned as she put in more strength to her whip, causing it to speed up and chase Mephisto like
a living snake.
Mephisto had to change his direction in a sharp angle in order to avoid the attack. He did not advance any
further and patted the dirt away from his body before he looked up and said:
“Andesha, I presume?”
The Mistress of Withering Decay scoffed: “So it’s the defeated dog from the Kirrlutz Empire. The Sword
Saint of Ashes, Mephisto, why are you not going after the citizens of Kirrlutz, but appear in this
godforsaken place instead?”
Mephisto ignored her words completely and spoke as though he was talking to himself: “Since you’re
Andesha, then I apologize, I’m here to take your life—”
“This man is the infamous demon in our empire, Mephisto? But who does he think he is; he actually dares
to look down on that woman……”
Faena was shocked to learn of that man’s name. It was indeed a famous name in the Kirrlutz Empire.
Adults even used his name to scare their own children, telling them that the demon Mephisto would kill
them if they did not go to sleep early.
Unfortunately, once Faena saw that Mephisto was not a menacing giant with rippling muscles, but
someone who looked like a relatively handsome middle-aged man, her opinion of his name dropped.
Andesha was stunned as well. She did not expect Mephisto to fight after speaking twice. The greatsword
on his back was pulled out with two hands, its color grey underneath the bright sun, and he pointed it at
her.
“Get ready!” Mephisto’s voice was low-pitched.
“You!” Andesha’s wrath was clear: “Such arrogance!”
Dark clouds suddenly gathered out from nowhere in the sky after her furious scream, and it was as
though Lightning Dragons were breathing out in the sky; lightning flashes were accompanied with
thunders.
Andesha pointed her finger downwards.
Brendel vaguely saw three runes appear around her body before they disappeared—
2224
Countless lightning strikes hammered down from the sky, all of them converging onto a single point as if
there was a gigantic lightning rod placed there.
[The Druidic Call Lightning spell. The Runes used were ‘lightning’, ‘Fury’, and ‘Nature’.]
Brendel starting analyzing Andesha’s response. The spell she used could be separated and used as an
area-of-effect attack to strike multiple enemies, or it could be used to concentrate the lightning strikes
onto a single person. Each peal of lightning could kill a knight, and the spell’s power could be raised
accordingly based on the caster’s bloodline.
[As expected from a Tree Shepherd, each strike can easily kill a silver-ranker, and converging every one
of them into a single spot would increase its destructive power multiple times. But it’s not as if it can’t be
countered—]
But no sooner than Brendel thought about it, Mephisto showed that he had the same idea.
The Sword Saint of Ashes tossed his sword into the air, and it fell down into a neat arc and sank into the
ground. The lightning was caught and the laws of physics happened. The sword turned into a blinding
lightning rod of light. Normal metal would have been melted by the high temperature, but Mephisto’s
weapon was a magical sword capable of absorbing the mana from the lightning.
The spiraling electricity that descended from the sky only lasted for a moment. The ground that the blade
sank into was scorched black, while the sword had electricity the size of an arm emitting from it
accompanied with startling, cracking noises.
[Should I say that this is to be expected from the legendary swordsman who fought off the pursuers from
Kirrlutz countless times? Now his sword is actually enchanted from Andesha’s spell instead. That sword
is going to cause some serious damage for the next three strikes.]
“Why are you lost in your thoughts?” Faena pulled his sleeves and mouthed urgently: “Start moving!”
“You’re right. Let’s go. This is a chance for us,” Brendel patted Sifrid’s head and answered.
Faena nodded to acknowledge his words with lingering fear as she glanced at Andesha. Even though that
woman’s spell did not do its desired effect, it was a spectacular feat. The environment actually appeared
dim because the light was too overwhelmingly bright.
Mephisto did not even walk to his sword. He merely stretched out his hand and the greatsword returned
to him. In the next second, he faded into a blurry image and blazed towards where Andesha was.
Brendel noted Mephisto’s speed was slower than before when the latter chased him. It was probably
because Mephisto had to maintain the World of Ashes.
2225
Andesha immediately cast a second spell, summoning Spirits of Darkness and Decay. Wild deformed
beasts with blood oozing out from every crevice burst out from the ground like an exploding spring. The
largest creature looked like a buffalo with the size of a huge elephant, but there were bones protruding
out at many sections of its body, which were also covered with thorn-like protrusions.
It was a spell unique to the Tree Shepherds. It was similar to how Druids were able to summon holy
beasts to aid them, while the Tree Shepherds corrupted these holy beasts with the Blood of Gods and
bound them to do their bidding.
Andesha pointed at Mephisto and the creatures rampaged towards him, destroying the pebbles under
their feet and knocking down trees. There were even shockwaves coming from their feet. If a soldier were
to stand within ten meters of the creatures, they would be instantly killed even without being trampled
on.
But these creatures were merely capable of impeding Mephisto’s progress. Andesha did not rely on them
to subdue him. She waved her hand again. Countless vines sprang out from the ground and parted to
reveal a staff that had squirming vines. It was a little revolting as they flailed about like a sea creature’s
tentacles.
The Mistress of Withering Decay grabbed the staff and waved it. Her lower legs that were made out of
green vines turned into tough brown bark and extended outwards, covering her slim belly and chest to
create a suit of hardened armor. Even her hair had a layer of protection.
This was the first time she prepared to defend herself.
She raised her staff as her Medusa-like hair danced against the wind that was picking up, appearing
strikingly abominable like an evil deity that was only mentioned in myths.
[Shit, that crazy bitch is going all out! I know that Mephisto’s stronger than Veronica, but is he really that
strong to force her hand like this?]
Brendel and the others were hurriedly moving across the ground, feeling a sense of great trepidation
washing over them.
Mephisto’s method of killing the buffalo was of brutal efficiency. He did not even bother to get out of its
charging path. Once the creature lowered its horn to target him, he grabbed by its horn without even
dodging. There was a loud explosion of noise—
The seemingly unstoppable charge was halted with just a single hand.
2226
The powerful speeding creature that changed into a frozen state made everyone feel like their eyes had
been deceived, but the gigantic buffalo actually knelt down despite its muscular limbs. Another loud crack
reached everyone’s ears as the ground split in several directions.
Not a moment later, the creature was swung left and right, knocking away the other unholy spirits into
piles of bloody flesh. When Mephisto finally released his hand, the buffalo’s head was bleeding from all its
orifices, apparently killed at the very first moment when it was forced down onto the ground.
[Holy shit, is this guy still a human? This middle-aged man looks like a gentleman, but he’s such a violent
fighter when he doesn’t use his weapon…… Though I did do it rarely during certain occasions when I was
level 120 and above.]
Brendel was suddenly feeling a little battle-thirsty. This was how warriors should fight, advancing
without stopping and fighting till they reached their limits. Once they charged forward, the enemies
would shrink in fear.
Andesha was not afraid, but she was surprised at Mephisto’s strength. The majority of her face was
covered by the armored vines and there was no emotion that could be seen, but her eyes glinted once.
She clenched her teeth and hissed, waving her staff once: “Go forth, my children!”
An earthquake commenced. The buildings in the area started to shake and many of them crumbled into
broken rocks, including the building that Andesha was standing on. Massive roots broke through from the
ground and formed into something that resembled a gargantuan Sandworm, reaching for the sky before it
arched towards Mephisto.
“Conjure Greater Plant Wyrm!” Brendel remarked while his feet continued moving. The quality of the
duel was nearly causing him to stay right where he was to watch them. The standard of the battle was the
highest he had seen thus far after he arrived in this world.
Both parties were incredibly experienced in combat.
The normal players in the game could never be as good in battle as the famous NPCs in the game, and
even skilled players could learn a few tricks from them.
2227
Chapter 193 Part 1 – The final moment (9)
When Mephisto displayed his strength, Andesha immediately sought to subdue him by force.
Both were proud people who did not stand down.
Conjuring a Greater Plant Creature was a Druid’s spell of the Eighth Circle. The Tree Shepherd’s variation
of this spell distorted its nature greatly, raising its power and size by ten times by overloading it with her
Mana and her staff’s powers. The Greater Plant Wyrm was now as powerful as a Warrior who perfected
his control over his Element Power.
As the Wyrm’s head reached for Mephisto, part of its body suddenly scattered into countless vines and
formed a net to block off all of Mephisto’s escape routes, forcing him to face the monster head-on.
But the Sword Saint of Ashes did not panic and instead lowered his greatsword behind his back. He
looked up at the wriggling vine tentacles of the Wyrm’s head, appearing as though it was opening a
mouth.
The World of Ashes expanded—
He swung his greatsword.
Even though the distance between Brendel and the two girls were nearly a hundred meters apart from
the fight, they could feel the whole world turning dark. The only thing visible was the path of the
greatsword’s swing; a grey line that sundered the air and sucking everything into its vortex.
Then time stopped.
The picture of Mephisto and the Wyrm was neatly cut into two, and its upper half slid down for a second
before an ear-shattering crackle assaulted everyone’s ears and caused them to hear ringing in their ears.
Every single vine was spewing green liquid from its severed sections and the remains rained down from
the air.
Light returned and revealed the forest’s destruction; countless trees were cut down with an explosion of
dust and soil filling in the vacuum of the severed space.
Visibility was once again limited.
Mephisto planted his greatsword into the ground and took in a deep breath. It was clear that he had used
a significant amount of energy.
2228
Andesha suffered just as much. Her spell was broken in a single instant, and Mephisto’s sword technique
traveled through the vines and part of its power reached her. If she did not force an excessive amount of
mana to sever the link between the Wyrm and herself, her body would have exploded.
She coughed out painfully glared at Mephisto below her as pain throbbed in her left hand; it was bleeding
with green blood oozing out from her fingers. She had never suffered such a beating even when she
fought against the Archmagi from the Silver Alliance. The Wizards were cautious and careful to make a
move, but the crazy fool before her fought as though he did not want to keep his life. This mistake of
assessing her opponent wrongly cost her.
“Hamir, you bastard, how much longer are you going to watch?” She finally roared: “Are you trying to
reap the biggest advantage by standing on the sidelines until the last moment!”
[This woman has a helper? Even though I gained the advantage with that strike, I unleashed all the Grey
Element that I have. It will take a while for me to recover my strength. I can’t even gather the scattered
Element Power right now.]
Mephisto was surprised to hear that. He took another deep breath and started surveying the
surroundings, and he discovered a man with red robes that was meant for rituals walking out from the
smoke.
“You’re one of the bishops from the Holy Cathedral of Fire?” Mephisto was able to see his face.
Brendel also managed to see the robed figure’s face as the latter had raised his head to study Mephisto.
Amman walked past the trio who were hiding under the invisibility cloak, though even if he were to
collide straight into them, he would have simply passed through.
The youth could not help but feel stunned after confirming that the robed figure was indeed Amman.
However, the bishop had such a pale face that it looked it had a layer of wax on it. His arms had patches of
red on the skin, which was a sign of livor mortis. This was certainly not what a living person should look
like, and he instead looked like an undead.
[This seems like a particular spell to change a living person into an undead, and it’s famous because it
changes the person instantly upon death. But casting this spell requires one to make preparations in
advance, and the person who receives the spell needs to split part of their soul into a special container.]
It was not a vase or box that Brendel was thinking about. The way to store a soul was to store it in a living
person who did not have theirs, and the way to make a living person into a container was unspeakable.
This dark magic was strictly forbidden by every holy religion. Only Madara’s undead necromancers and
unholy sects would pursue this magic.
2229
Brendel was absolutely certain that Amman was a spy, but the latter’s relationship with Andesha was
strange. The bishop was probably not a Tree Shepherd, but since there were many evil cults around,
Brendel was unsure which one Amman belonged to.
However, the youth soon discovered a conspicuous black ring on Amman’s finger and narrowed his eyes.
It was the symbol of the Unifying Guild.
[Well, the Unifying Guild and the Tree Shepherds belong to the bigger cults in the continent. It’s not
surprising to find them here drawn to the treasures within the Dark Forest. But it seems like Amman
doesn’t intend to hide his identity anymore by displaying the ring so openly.]
“It’s really him, Bishop Amman!” Faena tugged Brendel’s sleeves and mouthed.
Brendel nodded: “The Unifying Guild is everywhere in the human world.”
Amman smiled at Mephisto: “You have a discerning eye, but that is merely one of my identities.”
“A bishop becoming a member of the evil cults. The people of Kirrlutz have fallen beyond imagination.”
Mephisto’s tone was condescending as he eyed him.
“Count Mephisto, I have to disagree with this statement. Bishop Amman is an extreme example of a
deeply hidden spy, and he’s not a citizen of the Empire too. How can you lump the Empire’s citizens and
him together?”
Another voice suddenly came from within the forest’s smoke and dust.
Brendel raised his eyebrow.
[Veronica? Wait, what’s crazier is the fact that Mephisto didn’t turn her into chopped liver. They
definitely met and came here together. But why? Isn’t he chop-happy with his sword?]
His thoughts about how he received unfair treatment from Mephisto were suddenly interrupted as he
noticed a green light from the forest.
Amman had raised his hand like he was about to cast a spell to attack the stationary Mephisto, but there
were noises of urgent flapping of wings that caused him to falter. In the next moment, green birds broke
through from the trailing smoke and flew straight for the bishop.
The translucent birds seemed like they were made out of light and the youth took a moment to admire
their colors and shapes. However, it was a different story for Amman, as he knew what kind of danger
was behind these stunning creatures; each of their feathers was sharper than a real sword.
2230
These birds were made out of Veronica’s Sword Energy.
“It’s Lady Veronica!” Faena could not help but whisper when she saw a familiar sight.
Amman promptly took a few steps back. Eight Runes appeared at his side and a huge six-sided wall was
constructed in front of him. Ripples could be seen flashing across the wall as the birds smashed against it,
but they eventually faded.
It was one of the strongest defensive spells within the Holy Cathedral of Fire. It was capable of defending
any types of attack, but the effect was greatly weakened when Amman cast it. After he had become an
undead, the compatibility of casting the Holy Spells went down significantly.
It would not be long before Amman’s flesh started to rot, and once it happened, he would lose his ability
to cast the Holy Spells permanently. But he was currently still a powerful bishop of the Holy Cathedral of
Fire.
Veronica finally appeared from the forest. Amman took one more step back, looking warily at the
newcomer. Brendel tilted his head slightly and stared at Veronica’s wielded longsword with a strange
expression.
If he was not wrong, that was Mephisto’s spare weapon.
[Erm, when did this two have such a good relationship? He even allowed her to use his backup weapon?
His hatred for the people of Kirrlutz is a lie? …… Or did Veronica seduce him? But she’s over a hundred
years old. Yes, sure, she looks like she’s just slightly older than thirty…… No freaking way, you can’t be
serious right? Wait, that dude isn’t that young either. I think he’s pretty close to her age.]
Brendel thought that it was a strong possibility. Veronica might appear to be attractive to Mephisto, and
perhaps he fell within love with her when she was in her weakened state? Maybe it was a fine line
between hatred and love?
“Hey, Faena,” he could not help but ask, “why are those two together? Did Lady Veronica seduce him?”
“W-w-what the hell are you talking about! Lady Veronica would never do something like that!” But Faena
was looking incredibly shocked as well and her words were not convincing.
Brendel suddenly felt worried in his mind. He glanced around, hoping that Scarlett did not come. But the
outcome disappointed him, as he quickly spotted the red-haired girl emerging behind Veronica.
He sighed.
[Damn it, you’re giving me trouble, Lady Veronica.]
2231
“Let’s meet up with Lady Veronica,” Faena suggested.
But Brendel immediately grabbed her arm: “Wait, we should take a look at the situation first.”
“What do you mean by looking at the situation. Even your little lover is here, are you going to make her
wait?” She looked at him from the corners of her eyes.
Brendel faked a soundless cough when he heard her words: “Tsk. Are you really an aristocrat? The way
how you form your words is just nasty. Also, stupid girl, we’re completely hidden and the enemies are out
in the open. We will lose our chance to strike their backs if we reveal ourselves.”
Faena took a moment to get what Brendel was planning, but she suddenly realized that she indeed
sounded unrefined and blushed: “O-of course I’m one. And I’m not as despicable as you, trying to stab
people in the back all the time. Are you even a noble?”
“Are you serious? Stabbing people in the back, poisoning, assassinating, these are all the specialties of the
Kirrlutz’s nobles. I think I actually fit your Empire’s values pretty well.”
Faena was at a loss for words and glared at him with clenched teeth.
2232
Amman was just as surprised at seeing Veronica, but before he recovered his composure, the latter spoke
again:
“Your Eminence, you have truly surprised me.”
“I have the same sentiments, Lady Veronica,” he replied with a grim expression.
“Indeed, it’s truly an eye-opener, the supposedly mighty Sword Saint of Ashes joining hands with
someone from the Empire.” Andesha glanced at her left arm, finding that Mephisto’s attack was more
deadly than it appeared. There was a large wound on it, but she did not seem like she was hurting and
merely continued: “Is the defeated dog’s memory so shallow that it has forgotten what the Empire did to
it?”
Brendel’s eyes went to Mephisto to see his reaction, but the latter’s expression did not even change a
little. It was as if he had not heard Andesha’s words at all.
The youth secretly nodded at Mephisto’s patience.
However, Mephisto raised his head and said one word:
“….. Huh?”
[Is your head in cuckooland?!]
Bremdel nearly choked on his spit, recalling how Mephisto reacted to him earlier when they met for the
first time.
The Sword Saint of Ashes, one of the most powerful warriors amongst the NPCs and worshipped by
countless gamers, was actually an airhead. Even though Brendel was not a rabid fanboy, he could not help
but feel that Mephisto’s image was destroyed in his mind.
Andesha’s expression was one of rage. The color of her face was turning to a particular shade of dark
green because of the blood rushing to it. She did not understand that Mephisto was dense in the head
when it came to insults, and thought that the bastard was mocking her instead.
[It has been two hundred years ever since I mastered my Element Power. And I have never been looked
down on ever since, certainly not to this degree!]
2233
She felt her blood was boiling as she pointed her finger at Mephisto, half-screaming:
“Mephisto, I heard that you were a genius that comes every one thousand years. The Kirrlutz Empire
perceived you as a threat and sent out soldiers to quell the Dukedom of Sutherland. You were fortunate
enough to receive the foolish Goddess Marsha’s favor, and yet you did not cherish it but joined hands
with your enemies instead! Indeed, you’re certainly gifted, but you are still far away to be my match. The
situation where I underestimated you will never happen again.”
Her finger moved to Veronica.
“You should work with me and kill her. That woman is known as the Goddess of Combat in the Empire,
and if she dies, it would be a considerable blow to the Empire. Surely you understand this point?”
Mephisto nodded: “Indeed, Lady Andesha, I know it well. But for now, I’m here for your life. As for my
enemity with the Empire, I’ll settle it later on.”
“Wretched fool, do you really seek to go against me?” Andesha spoke through clenched teeth.
She had roughly gauged Mephisto’s strength, and as long as she was cautious in dealing with him, there
was no chance for Mephisto to reach her. However, even though she wanted to end him, she did not trust
Hamir. The filthy worm from the Unifying Guild was very likely to stab them both in the back the moment
they did not pay attention.
“There is no number of threats that would change my mind,” Mephisto raised his greatsword and replied,
“you ought to know that faltering is the worst thing a swordsman can do.”
Veronica smiled smugly with folded arms and joined in the conversation, even flicking her hair back and
formed a beautiful pose:
“Indeed, and you know very well that we humans are all Mother Marsha’s children. We’re unlike the
twisted abominations like yourself. You are the biggest enemy before anyone else. Even if Count Mephisto
hates us people from the Empire more than he already is, it is still natural for us to exterminate you first,
right?”
“Then die! Die! I will make sure every one of you dies!” Andesha went berserk: “I shall let you witness the
ravages of time!”
A green boundary formed in front of Andesha, spreading towards the city and forest. Every object that
was caught within the expanding light turned into dust in an instant. Buildings that persisted for tens of
thousands of years and dated back to the era of the Twilight Dragon were not spared either,
disintegrating into fine sand.
2234
The boundary soon reached Veronica and Mephisto, and it was going to swallow them in the blink of any
eye. But the green light did not advance and stopped a hundred feet around Mephisto’s body. The rocky
paths broke down to reveal the earth beneath them. Vegetation grew rapidly out from the cracks before
they withered and the earth eventually turned dark.
But the area around Mephisto retained its appearance without a change at all.
[What?]
Andesha felt a slight chill crawling over her nerves. Mephisto’s control over his Element Power was
considerably weaker than hers, and he should not be able to resist her.
“What’s going on?” Faena muttered under the cloak: “How is that d— fellow capable of resisting her
Element Power over such a wide area? Is he as strong as Andesha?”
Faena changed the words ‘demon king’ into that ‘fellow’ when she saw Veronica standing at Mephisto’s
side.
“….. No, it’s an oppression of a stronger Element Power.” Brendel’s eyes were brightening up: “Andesha’s
Element Power, Withering Decay, is some kind of byproduct of the Element Power of Time. At best, hers
is an Element Power that affects the physical world. But the World of Ashes is the one of the strongest
Element Power that affects reality and changes the Laws within the boundary. It’s also related to time,
and just this fact alone renders the Withering Decay factor useless. Time slows down within the World of
Ashes, so how is Andesha’s power going to work? Furthermore, the Laws are changed, so the Withering
Decay won’t work.”
Brendel did not teach Faena the classification of Element Powers. There were six tiers of the Element
Powers a person could have.
The weakest tier was hard to detect and was something that anyone could possess as long as they were
born in this world.
The next tier was a passive Element Power, and an example would be adding strength to the body.
The tier that was in the middle was a visible manifestation of the Element Power, like how Brendel was
capable of manifesting a by-product of his Element Power that could freeze things, or Andesha’s
Withering Decay.
By mastering the full extent of the Element Power, it would once again be classified as one tier higher,
and came in the form of a true boundary. Mephisto’s Element Power was something that could rewrite
the Laws within that boundary, which meant that it was simply more powerful.
The second strongest tier was the control of powerful Laws that built the foundation of this world
2235
Finally, the strongest Element Powers were something that broke mortal comprehension. It could
surpass the limits defined by this world and rewrite physical entities and even whole consciousness.
If it was not for the fact that Mephisto was much weaker than Andesha, he could have used his Element
Power and overwhelmed the latter instead.
“My, my, it seems like we’re quite lucky, Count Mephisto,” Veronica stood behind Mephisto and said with
a laugh. She knew how dangerous Andesha’s Element Power was from her previous encounters, but she
still smiled without a single worry.
Mephisto glanced back once at the woman behind her, his eyes saying as though he already knew about
Andesha’s powers would not work.
“I see,” Veronica said. She extended a hand to push Scarlett back: “Move back. You can’t participate in this
battle.”
“There’s no need to coddle me, Lady Veronica, I’m a Gold-ranker.”
“Oh?” Mephisto was a little surprised: “Your young lord is a Gold-ranker as well, but what’s even more
impressive was his swordsmanship at his age. To think that he’s someone from Aouine…… Indeed, there
are quite a number of rising stars from this kingdom. I have heard of a young man called Buga, one who
has gained the teachings of the Cross Sword. Is he from your kingdom too?”
Scarlett nodded. Buga was even her vice-commander in the past, but she did not explain that he was no
longer a young man.
“What’s with that look, Mephisto?” Veronica said in exasperation: “Do you really think the Empire sent
their forces into your dukedom because of you? Besides, I’ll honor what I said, so stop worrying.”
“Very well,” Mephisto swung his sword twice, “I’ll take care of that woman, and you handle that bishop,
there’s no problem, right?”
“None at all. Amman is no match for me.” She answered.
“It might not end up that way. Be careful—” Mephisto said, paused for a moment, then added another
line: “I’m not worried about you, but I don’t want you dragging my feet.”
Veronica stared at him. No one dared to speak in that manner ever since she became famous. She was
even older than Mephisto. But the Sword Saint of Ashes continued to display his disrespect by ignoring
her and turned back to Andesha.
The conversation only took a few seconds, and by this time, Andesha also realized what the problem was.
2236
She was so surprised that the muscles in her face bunched up.
But even if her Element Power was oppressed, it did not mean that she was unable to fight Mephisto. As
one of the twelve leaders of the Tree Shepherds, she had more than one trump card. She gripped her
squirming staff tightly and shrieked, rotating it as she glared at the people below:
“The Chaos that is above everything, I revere your might wholeheartedly, may you rage and destroy the
limitless oceans of Laws and overturn the rules of this world, lend me the authority to wield you and be
your conduit!”
Her words sent shockwaves into everyone’s minds.
“In the name of the seventh moon, Ankaram, let Chaos unify into one entity! Descend onto earth, Dragon
of Chaos!”
[Shit, she’s borrowing the seventh moon’s Mana of Destruction and Shadows. By doing so she’s
replicating the Twilight Dragon’s energy. In addition, Ankaram is closely related to the fourth moon,
Akaana, Judgment and Rebirth.]
Brendel watched a pair of horns grow out of Andesha’s head. The sunlight suddenly dimmed as Mana
poured into Andesha’s body, and her body twisted and shuddered as though her bones were being
rearranged. Finally, a pair of scaly wings burst out from her back. She swung her neck that was extending
slowly, her fingernails becoming pointed, and her body grew many times in size.
“She’s definitely using her trump card now!” Brendel watched a tail spout out from Andesha’s lower spine
while she released bestial roars. He gripped Halran Gaia and spoke to Faena: “Hold on to the cloak and
bring Sifrid somewhere safe. Don’t get too close to the battle. Even the wind from it can cut your face into
ribbons, and if that happens, don’t blame me for not reminding you.”
“Y-you…… I, I’m not afraid. I’m going too, I’m also a swordsman!” Faena’s eyes seemed like they were
glued onto Andesha’s transformation. She reached for her sword before she remembered she dropped it
on one of the cliffs: “I-I can use magic to help you!”
“My lady, is your heart made of stone? You’re abandoning a small child like Sifrid alone?”
“I—” Faena was unable to respond and her eyes went to the youth: “Fine, I got it, but I’ll laugh at you
every time I see you if you lose.”
[Lose?]
Brendel glanced at the dragon. If they lost, everyone would be dead and there would be no need for her to
laugh. But he did not truly have the intention to get involved between Andesha and Mephisto’s fight. He
was completely outclassed even if he wanted to.
The youth slipped out of the cloak and hid behind a wall.
2237
His attention was on Amman, and when the bishop was fully committed to fighting with Veronica, he
would backstab him.
Faena would probably call him despicable and ruthless for that, but it was the most foolish thing to do if
he did not sneak up on people and stab them in the back.
[Foolish little girl— Know that this is the power of the gamers’ cheese strategy, and even something like
the power of Chaos would not be a match for it!]
Brendel tried to encourage himself when he stared at Andesha who had turned into a massive black
dragon.
[…… Ah. Wait. I forgot to ask that stupid girl something.]
2238
Faena directed Sifrid to a spot on the battlefield that was not particularly well-hidden. When the cloak’s
invisibility finally ran out, she soon felt someone pulling her away and discovered it was Scarlett. The
latter looked solemnly at her and said:
“This area is too dangerous, you need to move elsewhere.”
And before Faena could say anything, she was dragged away.
“Hey!?”
“Sister Scarlett.”
The red-haired girl stopped momentarily to pat Sifrid’s head: “Let’s go. None of us are capable of
interfering my lord’s battle. We are within range to be affected by it.”
“Hmph, he’s only relying on the Sword Saints to protect him. Just a while ago, he kept running away from
that woman like a frightened chicken.” Faena replied with annoyance, but she did not dare to continue
after seeing Scarlett’s angry stare.
“Sister Scarlett, look over there—” Sifrid tugged at Scarlett’s sleeves, and the latter looked at Sifrid was
pointing to.
Brendel was running to a certain location while Andesha and Mephisto fought. He was hoping to achieve
the same effect as a Golden Demonic Tree. There were constant rumblings as explosions rang out in mid-
air. The Mistress of Withering Decay at an overwhelming strength and had the advantage, while Mephisto
used his techniques to parry or dodge her attacks. When Veronica joined in the battle, Andesha
immediately backed away to prevent herself from getting flanked.
“Your helper isn’t going to be effective.” Andesha sneered.
Mephisto did not bother to reply. His calm eyes that remained unchanged also declared that he was not
even affected at all. The only response he gave was thrusting his greatsword into the air, and a grey
Sword Energy pierced through the air and traveled over a hundred meters.
Andesha dispelled Mephisto’s attack with a bellow, then launched herself into the air, speeding towards
the Sword Saint of Ashes. She unfurled her great wings right in front of him, and Mephisto guarded
himself with the greatsword. A high-pitch metallic scream could be heard as the dragon scales met steel,
2239
and the greatsword was knocked back, while the attack was followed up by her claws to grab at
Mephisto’s head.
At the same time, she chanted spell words and set up a boundary of lightning behind his back, trying to
use a Fifth Circle magic spell to seal his escape.
Her claws were swift and deadly. If Mephisto was directly hit with them, his head would be riddled with
holes. But she suddenly felt a subtle impediment to her Mana and her spell was cast slower by a single
step. The spell that was supposed to be cast instantly was delayed and that human Sword Saint escaped
through a gap.
Andesha was shocked. Even the slightest change to a caster would make one fret. Andesha lowered her
head and looked around warily, and immediately discovered Brendel’s little tricks.
Though it was probably inaccurate to call his actions “little tricks”.
Brendel had cut across his palms and was pouring his blood down onto a spot of grass that was still
undamaged. He walked in a straight line, with the vegetation growing madly to form a black border.
[He’s mimicking the effects of a Golden Demonic Tree!]
Andesha did not ponder on why Brendel knew the secrets of a Golden Demonic Tree, but she was all too
familiar with the Golden Demonic Tree’s effect on nature’s Mana. She was seething with stunned fury, and
immediately extended her wings and left Mephisto behind.
Brendel had to stuff his ears with his fingers when he heard Andesha’s screams. When he looked up, he
saw a huge black cloud gathering over his head.
Veronica’s face darkened and she went to Brendel’s side, prepared to defend him.
Mephisto naturally would not allow Andesha to switch her target so easily. Even though he did not know
what Brendel was doing, he could sense that Andesha’s spellcasting was affected, and it was probably due
to the youth. He pursed his lips and thrust at Andesha’s back.
“You pathetic worm! Die! Shadow Lightning!” Andesha bellowed. Her body was suddenly lit up by dark
energy clad in electricity, and the bolts of dark lightning shot in all directions. A few struck his
greatsword, causing him to feel numb on his hand, with a tremendous force from it that nearly caused
him to lose his grip. The Mana on the lightning bolt was peculiar, not only causing paralysis but also
bringing along a burning sensation that reached his heart.
2240
Mephisto transferred the sword to his left hand and inspected his right. There were no burns on it, but
the skin was turned black.
“The damage from her Withering Decay Element Power?” He was knowledgeable enough to discern that
the lightning bolt was infused with a type of Shadow Element.
While the Sword Saint of Ashes was distracted, Andesha had already flown close to where Brendel was.
She wanted to strike Brendel, but Veronica was ready with her sword and launched several green birds.
Even though Veronica was no match for her, she was capable of delaying her. Andesha hesitated for a
while she dodged the birds, and eventually extended her claws. Numerous vines spawned from the
ground with its ends as sharp a spear, speeding towards the youth.
These vines were corrupted by dark energy, and their numbers were like countless poisonous snakes
squirming on the ground. Veronica frowned and hurriedly dealt with them so that Brendel could do what
he wanted to do.
“How much longer!” She called out to the youth.
“Don’t fight with Andesha head on, work together with Mephisto and find chances to delay her!” Brendel
did not answer her question and squeezed his arm so that more blood dripped out from his wound. The
vegetation was now growing thorns and had no signs of stopping.
Andesha felt restless when she saw this sight. Even though these plants were not corrupted enough to
completely distort the Mana in this area, it was enough to affect her connection with nature. As a Druid,
she did not have physical capabilities that Mephisto had. She was probably no match for him once she lost
her ability to cast her spells.
If Veronica joined in the fray, her chances to win was even lower. Battles were usually won in an instant
at their level, and any subtle changes to the scales of battle would easily decide things.
Therefore Andesha decided to charge Brendel regardless of the dangers behind her. It was still a fair
chance to get the youth as Veronica was still busy with the vines that she conjured.
Brendel glanced back at Andesha, his eyes seemingly fearless when he saw her charging at him. The truth
was his heart was beating at its fastest. He had never felt this thrilling fear out of all the quests he had
done in the past. She was one of the Tree Shepherds’ twelve leaders and was now transformed into a
dragon. If he were to convert this data in the game, a direct beating from her wings would kill him.
But it would not be a simple case of losing a level if he died here, but real death.
Brendel’s head was never clearer.
2241
His eyes switched to Veronica and he made his next move almost instantly. He swung Halran Gaia, and a
burst of Sword Energy struck against the steel-like vines. There was no damage to it, but the youth had
already made his next move. He stabbed his sword into the ground and gigantic rock pillars burst out
from the ground to push out the twisting vines out of the way.
Veronica did not spare time to think and merely made her next move. She raised her sword and beams of
green light radiated from it. The unleashed Sword Energy around her was like thick globs of liquid that
converged together, and a green dragon of wind which was a tenth of Andesha’s size flew out with a roar,
shooting towards the evil dragon with astonishing speed.
Andesha was unable to change her course because she charged towards Brendel with all her strength,
and she had to watch the dragon passed through her shoulder. The chaotic Sword Energy ripped and
shredded her scales.
Blood rained down.
Andesha felt tremendous pain and she tumbled down from the sky, clawing at Brendel as she crashed
onto the ground as he slipped away to hide behind Veronica.
The Mistress of Withering Decay got up and she wanted to lunge at the youth, but a fearful sensation
assaulted her. She glanced back to see Mephisto rushing towards her. He had already removed the dark
energy caused by the lightning.
Even though Andesha was enraged with the outcome, she had no choice but to turn back to deal with
Mephisto. There was no way she would allow her back to be exposed without preparing any spells, and
his attacks that were infused with the Grey Element was even mightier than Veronica’s attack.
Brendel hurriedly went off to the next position to water the ground with his blood. The vegetation that he
grew needed time. The effect of the plants was not exactly strong, and he estimated that he needed four
patches of these corrupted brambles at different locations to disrupt Andesha’s connection with nature.
It was not an easy task as Andesha kept trying to disrupt his efforts. She continued to try and directly
confront him the first few times, but Veronica and Mephisto hindered her by working together. The more
blood Brendel spilled onto the ground, the slower Andesha’s spellcasting got. The battle was becoming
easier and easier. Eventually, the two Sword Saints even had time to attack her.
After another few exchanges, Mephisto decided to simply stay behind Andesha’s back like a stalker and
she had to stop chasing Brendel. The latter then targeted the plants that Brendel grew. Her Element
Power started to make them grow even faster, but they soon withered and shrank.
“Ser Mephisto, cover the plants with your Element Power!” Brendel shouted.
2242
The World of Ashes stopped Andesha’s attempt to ruin the plants, causing her to bellow and scream in
fury, but there was nothing she could do. The long black wall was built up bit by bit.
While Brendel was starting to feel dizzy from the loss of blood, Andesha’s powers were diminishing as
well. There was even once when her spell backfired and exploded in front of her face, engulfing one of her
eyes. It was fortunate that she was able to shut it in time.
Both Mephisto and Veronica thought that it was unthinkable that a nameless noble from Aouine was able
to drag one of the Tree Shepherds’ leaders into an abyss. Andesha’s anger had reached her peak long ago,
and she finally felt a sliver of unrest. If this situation continued, there were no other paths but defeat. The
gigantic dragon turned around and prepared to flee.
“Don’t let her escape!” Brendel was highly experienced in dealing with mythical monsters and
immediately realized Andesha’s intention. In truth, it was actually a little too late for Andesha to flee as
the corrupted plants had grown enough to fill the valley.
“My lord, watch out!” Scarlett suddenly screamed in shock, causing Brendel’s heart to squeeze with
trepidation as he sensed danger.
2243
Brendel turned his head back in alert at Scarlett’s warning, and he immediately saw a beam of Dark
Energy shooting at his face. The youth did not have the time to think, but his experienced mind reacted
subconsciously and his body lurched forward towards the ground. However, the beam streaked across
his back and dealt a glancing blow.
“Fuck!” A blast of pain spread across his body and he cursed loudly.
[That direction could only mean that it’s Amman. I slashed him hard enough to reach his bones. He got
impaled by Veronica next, and I even struck him with the Arrow of Stone, and he still lives?]
“Damn it, is that bastard an undying cockroach?” The youth muttered as he scrambled to get up. A bishop
was a light-armored profession. Getting struck by three fatal attacks should have killed him, even if he
was an undead.
He looked back again.
Amman was getting up as well, with dust and rubble from the Andesha’s battle with the others falling off
his body. The bishop’s face had a surprised look as well. He probably did not expect Brendel to avoid his
attack.
“How?” He mumbled to himself before he spoke aloud: “Even the knights in the Holy Cathedral are not
capable of matching your reactions. It seems like you’re not just a simple noble from Aouine.”
Amman even projected his voice over to Brendel by magic, afraid that the latter could not hear him
because of the considerable distance.
Brendel rolled his eyes. If he were really a simple noble, would he appear in this place? He quickly
brought up the Stats Window and looked at the Life Bar. It did not reach ten percent of his HP bar.
[Hmm. But the Vitality stats is an unhealthy yellow from feeding too much blood to the plants. My limbs
feel weak and the fatigue is slowing setting in my body. I really feel like dropping onto the ground to
sleep. I need to end this quickly.]
He shook his head vigorously, trying to keep himself awake.
Mephisto was fighting with Andesha in mid-air. The latter wanted to flee the area urgently, while the
former was waiting patiently to find a weak spot, making the battle at an impasse.
2244
Veronica had heard Scarlett’s cry and was rushing over to the youth.
[The disruption towards the Mana from the surroundings will increase as the corrupted plants continue
to grow. Andesha knows that she’s at a disadvantage as time passes by and will definitely seek an
opportunity to break this stalemate. The Tree Shepherds are a bunch of fanatics who will do desperate
things if push comes to shove, so the conclusion of Mephisto versus Andesha will be here soon enough. As
for Amman…..]
Brendel’s mind was working quickly. The bishop had most like predicted that he could not get away
despite using a teleportation spell and therefore feigned death. The youth believed that even Andesha fell
for Amman’s trick.
[Still, he chose to ‘revive’ himself at this moment. Did he do so because he saw that Andesha was in
trouble, or is it due to another reason? If it’s the latter, that would mean that he has the confidence to take
on all of us. At least…… It would be something that I would do. But if it’s this reason, just what exactly is
giving him the confidence to do so?]
Brendel’s thoughts were interrupted when he heard Veronica’s boots stepping on the rubble. She was
frowning as well, most likely having the same thoughts as Brendel. She disliked Amman even before he
was an Undead as she felt that he was always scheming something.
There was the scent of a trap.
Amman was smiling as though he had seen through what the two people in front of him were pondering
over.
“You must be wondering why I’m choosing to reveal the fact that I still live.” Amman took out a book that
was smoking at its edges. One glance at it and anyone could tell that it was some kind of evil object. “What
an incredible surprise. Valhalla truly exists! Regardless of your transgressions against me, I must thank
you.”
“Amman, what are you talking about?” Veronica asked with a frown.
“You don’t understand my goals? Valhalla has stabilized the Loop of Trade Winds for thousands of years.
If I destroy the Fire Seed in this place completely, not only Aouine will be affected, but even Kirrlutz too!
It is my pleasure to destroy the Empire with my own hands. Ah, but there is another myth about Valhalla.
A secret about the ancient past; perhaps I will even let you see it before I kill you.”
“You are truly insane!” Even though Veronica thought he was spewing nonsense, hearing that he wanted
to destroy a Fire Seed left her stunned with shock.
2245
“Indeed, you keep calling us crazed fools,” Amman shook his head with a sanctimonious expression: “and
yet we’re not that different. The Kirrlutz Empire had massacred people in order to conquer them. If we
are to compare each other’s deeds, are we not more refined in comparison to your hypocrisy?”
“You’re just resorting to sophistry!” Veronica’s eyebrows were knitted together so much that they
pointed upwards, and her last word was dragged in tone as she dashed towards Amman. Her sword
seemed like an extension of herself, clad in blurry green light.
Amman seemed to have expected this outcome and flipped open the book in his hand. A beam of dark
energy shot up in the sky, while a boundary of energy nearly a hundred feet wide formed around him.
Veronica smashed into it, but there was no effect at all. Instead, a strong beam of light shot at her. The
female Sword Saint guarded against it with her sword and felt a massive blast of force nearly prying the
sword away. She had to take several steps back before she managed to steady herself. However, the
immense feedback was so strong that she fell to her knees and grunted in pain a few seconds later.
“Sophistry or not, it isn’t important right now, Lady Veronica. Rather, if you have any last words, you can
go ahead and tell me freely. I will listen to it very carefully.” Amman’s head was raised high as he looked
down on her.
No, he spoke so arrogantly that it was if he controlled everyone’s lives.
Although Andesha was still engaged in a bitter battle against Mephisto, she witnessed every action that
Amman took. Even though she knew their ‘working relationship’ was worth less than a coin, she could
not help but bellowed: “Hamir, you clearly have the ability to defeat your opponents, why did you need to
play dead? Stop wasting time and kill these bastards!”
Amman glanced at the sky, completely disregarded that woman’s demands, then lowered his head and
continued to speak to Veronica: “My lady, have you thought about what you wish to say?”
Veronica’s fingers were completely numb. She stared at Amman within the Dark Energy that manifested
around him, utterly surprised that he was hiding such power. Judging from that single blast of energy he
fired at her, his current abilities were not below Andesha’s dragon form. This discrepancy of strength
chilled her heart.
Two Sword Saints and one unexpected youth who had the ability to seal Andesha’s magic barely managed
to contain her.
Veronica could not think of any way to win if there was another foe who joined in the battle.
But Brendel suddenly roared out just as she gritted her teeth:
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“Fucking bullshit! That’s just the power from that grimoire. The Wall of Chaos is only capable of activating
three times. Hell, I even bet that once that barrier is down, he won’t be able to cast it a second time!”
Veronica looked back at the youth in slight disbelief, but when she turned her eyes on Amman, she
discovered that the bishop’s eyes were so wide that they were in danger of popping out. It was as if a
meteor had struck his head and there was only ringing left in his ears.
Brendel’s words were completely right.
Veronica was ultimately the Goddess of Combat. One glance at Amman’s expression and she knew that
Brendel was stating the truth or at least a great portion of it. She made a quick plan and rushed straight
over to Amman with a raised sword.
“Damn you!” When Amman finally composed himself, it was already too late. He cursed as he retreated
with the book, releasing two spells of dark energy from his hand to stop Veronica. But there was a strong
difference in their physical capabilities; she avoided the beams and swung the sword at Amman.
He had no choice but to activate the Wall of Chaos again. The sword cut across the Wall with full impact.
[Damn this boy! Damn this woman! The Wall of Chaos only has one charge left—]
Amman was frantically coming up with a way to stall for time, but he suddenly caught sight of Brendel
taking out his longbow from the corners of his eyes.
“You wretched boy!” Amman roared.
Brendel’s actions always had perfect timing. Amman could not help but suspect that Veronica and the
youth were secret fighting partners working together for years. He could never have expected that
Brendel’s experience to exceed Veronica or Mephisto. It was more than enough to work with anyone.
The twang of a longbow could be heard, and the black boundary of Dark Energy was broken.
“Stop, do not engage him just yet! Mavekart’s Grimoire isn’t so simple!” Brendel hurriedly called out after
Veronica who wanted to seize the opportunity to advance.
The Goddess of Combat completely believed in Brendel’s words at this moment and forced herself to
stop. A few seconds later, the Dark Energy around Amman exploded in a radius, smashing the
surrounding boulders into fine powder. If she had taken another five feet forward, she would have been
crushed to bits as well.
After a frightening tremor, the courtyard was once again filled with dust.
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Veronica could not help but take a light breath to look at Brendel again.
“No, it’s not yet over, so don’t become relaxed! Amman still has the ability to fight back because he holds
the infamous grimoire.” Brendel’s blurry image could be seen through the dust and smoke. He was raising
his sword and his tone was not relaxed.
2248
The dust and smoke slowly receded to a thin layer. Even though there was only silence where Veronica
and Brendel were at, it felt even more ominous. The strong Mana had changed the shape of the landscape
as a deep gully had been formed by the Wall of Chaos’s destruction.
Mana suddenly surged again, causing Brendel and Veronica’s hearts to skip a beat. Amman’s earlier
monologue was to gain time so he could cast the Wall of Chaos. But he was currently nowhere to be
found. Perhaps he had used a teleportation spell again during that interval.
“Boy, what exactly is that thing……”
Veronica took in a deep breath. Even at her level, she felt the Mana pulses in the area to be increasingly
stifling. What kind of spell was Amman preparing now?
Brendel’s eyes were nearly shut. He could have an endless array of strategies when he had his
Planewalker’s abilities and even shrug off Andesha’s Element Power to a certain extent, but he could not
but feel like collapsing against the swelling Mana.
“Have you never…… heard of Mavekart’s Grimoire? To think…… that I will see it in this place.” Brendel
gnashed his teeth.
“Is it really that cursed book? Why does Amman have it!” Veronica finally recalled that name.
[But the book was rumored to be destroyed in the Twilight War. How could it appear in Amman’s hands?]
Mavekart’s evil grimoire. It was the Disciples of Chaos’s bible, an evil artifact that was created in the Sea
of Chaos where evil creatures resided, and was rumored to be a book that devoured everything to gain
forbidden powers.
Its power rivaled nearly all divine artifacts.
Brendel watched the black-colored Mana gather into a single spot. It was as if a black hole had appeared
in the center of the courtyard, sucking in the wind and fog in a spiraling manner. This phenomenon lasted
only for a short while before the dark energy exploded in a circle, and it was followed by a physical
shockwave that hurled Brendel and Veronica backward.
Several screams came from the nearby buildings. Scarlett pulled Faena and Sifrid, running away as the
Dark Energy shattered the walls into rubble. The fragments were flung into the air, while the girls were
knocked down onto the ground from the shockwave that reached them in the next second.
2249
Andesha and Mephisto felt the world shake even though they were in mid-air. Several showers of spark
rained across the ground as her claws met his greatsword. The Mana derived from nature was growing
increasingly thin and Andesha found that she was nearly unable to maintain her dragon form. Her fury
was causing her eyes to become bloodshot, but she finally tore her eyes away from Mephisto to peek at
the courtyard.
“What?”
“Hmm……”
Both Mephisto and Andesha felt a second pulse of Dark Energy that was no weaker than the previous one.
“Shit, he wants to kill everyone…… This spell is the Shadow Blasting Waves!” Brendel groaned.
It was a magic spell of the Eleventh Circle. Even though it was supposed to merely affect the ground area,
the Eleven Circle was touted to be the limits of what a human could achieve and it was never going to be
something straightforward.
The first phase of this spell was the ‘Chant of Forbidden Air’.
Mephisto and Andesha started to feel a great pull on their body. Mephisto was using his Element Power
to slow his descent at appropriate moments to fight Andesha in the air, and he was surprised to find that
he could not control his Element Power any longer. Andesha tried to beat her wings furiously but she
could not gain any altitude. Both began to fall to the ground.
“You’re attacking everyone indiscriminately! Hamir, you insane fool!” Andesha screamed.
Amman’s freaky laughter transmitted over the thin fog. He was clearly doing it on purpose:
“Andesha. I need to thank you as well. You gave me enough time so that I can prepare this ancient holy
artifact. It is unfortunate that you blood drinkers don’t understand the majestic dignity of limitless
power…..”
He was never more confident of his victory, but his hands did not stop. The Mana gathered in the area
was increasing at an exceptional rate. The third pulse of energy exploded once more, and this time it was
the strongest explosion yet. The black trail of energy was like a whip sweeping through the entire valley.
Veronica lost her breath. The violent winds were causing her wind to flutter painfully. She turned to
Brendel.
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“As expected of Mavekart’s Grimoire, that artifact is something close to the power of the Divine. We are
no match for him. Retreating is for the best.”
“It’s too late.” Brendel said through gritted teeth, struggling to get his words out: “If we run, we’re dead,
but if we fight now there’s a chance for us.”
“How do we fight back?”
“Even though Mavekart’s Grimoire is one of the strongest artifact related to Chaos, it’s much weaker than
the Twilight Dragon. In addition, the caster is definitely not from the Golden Lineage or even the Silver
Lineage. He’s just a mortal being, undead or not, therefore we have a chance.”
“I have to ask again, how do you know all these things?” Veronica’s green eyes were full of curiosity.
“It’s really a simple observation, not my understanding of the lore. I think you can see the pattern here,
Amman prattles on for a while before a new attack happens. Casting a new pulse takes time.”
[Is that really the truth?]
Veronica was doubtful of his explanation, but the youth continued speaking while he bit his fingers
anxiously:
“In any case, there’s no time to explain. This is our only chance!”
[The timing to stop him is extremely crucial……]
The fallen bishop’s spell could not be stopped anymore. The Mana was still increasing and the youth
could feel his skin blistering even from the considerable distance. Once it was released for the fourth
time, no one would escape unscathed.
“But how are going to defend against his spell, boy?”
Brendel did not answer and merely squinted at a certain direction; Andesha was screaming as she tried
to create a small boundary around herself to keep herself in the air.
Veronica immediately realized his intentions: “Boy, you can’t possibly be……”
But the fourth pulse of dark energy exploded yet again and Andesha could no longer keep herself in the
air. The clouds suddenly parted as the Dark Energy fired up into the air, revealing a black Magic
Formation that resembled a wheel.
[Arus, Cau, Tiamat…… Five seconds.]
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Brendel counted in his mind. The gigantic formation lit up with the Rune Words activating from the outer
formation before they led towards the center. Finally, when the center of the Magic Formation, a beam of
dark energy struck Amman.
“It’s here!” Brendel stabbed his hand with Halran Gaia. The pain traveled up to his mind and shook off his
body’s Frightened state that was dealt from the spell. “Let’s go!”
The youth activated his Charge ability and grabbed Veronica before he rushed to hide behind Andesha’s
back.
“How dare you pull off this trick, maggots!” Andesha instantly realized Brendel’s goal and shrieked with
fury.
Amman’s face was completely shrouded in darkness from the concentrated Mana, but his eyes started to
glow with a deep purple color and an unrestrained blast of energy was unleashed from his outstretched
hand that was pointed at Brendel’s back. The thin pillar of Dark Energy from the aerial Magic Formation
expanded ten times as it flowed down to Amman.
A thunderous crash shook the ground, but it was Andesha who finally dropped from the air and was
currently blocking the beam’s target. The dragon gasped as the clouds separated even further to pour
even more energy onto Amman who wanted to kill the youth.
It was no longer the pulsing waves of energy, but a beam of absolute destruction.
“Haaaamir!” Andesha wanted to shred him into pieces, but the black beam of light was over ten meters in
size and was shooting straight at her face. She could only extend her wings into a defensive shield in front
of her and pour her Element Power out to repel the energy.
There was a deafening explosion. Andesha screamed, but her voice was swallowed up by an even louder
blast of sound. A visible shield of light was conjured in front of her wings and it shook violently as the
Dark Energy collided into it.
Spiderweb-like cracks quickly appeared all over the shield.
The landscape was already ruined from the earlier blasts of energy. The ground was uneven and filled
with cracks, but this beam of energy turned the area beneath it into hollowed ground and destroyed
everything into powder.
“Ahhhhh!” Andesha screamed with terror.
She was unwilling to accept this outcome and glared at Amman with wrathful wide eyes. If she was at the
peak of her strength, she could have defended against the spell. However, the vegetation that Brendel
2252
grew did not just sever her connection with nature, it even distorted the Mana in this area. She did not
even have half of her original strength left.
The beam of light was now a tidal wave that warped Andesha’s shield of light. The scales on her wings
cracked and were torn off mercilessly. Blood spilled out in large amounts, and showers of blood drenched
the ground.
Her screams continued amidst curses.
“Ahhhh! Hamir, I curse you!”
The dragon was actually hurled far away by the Dark Energy. There was a tiny explosion, followed by
uprooted trees and soil flying into the air.
Brendel’s eyes lit up as the beam of Dark Energy finally subsided. Andesha did not exceed the limits of a
mortal body yet, and the Shadow Blasting Waves dealt quite the fatal blow on her. There was no need to
worry about her any longer.
“Now!” He roared. “I need just a few seconds!”
Veronica immediately reacted. She activated her defensive magic equipment and poured her Element
Power to form a light green barrier that reduced the burden of the pulsing Dark Energy on the youth.
Brendel calmly took out his Shale Longbow again.
He took on a closed stance to create a steady form to ensure a better frame alignment that was reinforced
with his back muscles. His feet shuffled back slightly as he drew the bowstring in one quick motion.
He exhaled violently.
All his senses were cut off. The sensation of the powerful gale against his skin did not register any longer.
Roaring sounds of the wind did not reach his ears. The scent and taste of the dragon’s blood were sealed
off. His eyes did not perceive the destruction of the landscape.
Amman’s shrouded figure was the only thing that he wanted to have in his mind.
There was a dim shimmering light on Mavekart’s Grimoire, and on it was Amman’s pale bony hand that
was shriveled up like a raisin. He laughed like a madman despite the hastened aging on his body:
“Andesha or Veronica, you’re no more than ants in my eyes…… Hahaha—” He laughed so hard that he
coughed a few times: “You make me laugh, hahaha……”
Brendel took in a deep breath and his senses came back again.
2253
It was impossible for him to match the truly talented archers in the game. They were capable of
superhuman feats. Firing point-blank shots, splitting projectiles in mid-air, or even catching the enemies’
arrows to fire them back. The videos about them leaping around by making use of their environment
made it seem like they rehearsed a choreographed dance, all while shooting arrows freely in every angle
possible. Some players even joked about them having a Mind’s Eye where they simply needed to think
where their target was and shoot with absolute accuracy.
But Brendel was nowhere as gifted as them. What he had was merely a polished system that he gained
through countless shots.
His current aiming style was different from his usual preference. It was a modern style that was catered
for sports, not for battle. But that was his goal. Three fingers from his right hand pulled the bowstring and
anchored it onto his lips, while the left hand held the bow’s grip loosely without letting his palm touch it.
It was going to be a single shot that required accuracy, not repeated firings.
[Distance. Slightly over a hundred meters. Time taken to reach target. Less than a second.]
The size of Amman’s figure was no larger than a thumb, but with his high Perception stats, he could see it
with reasonable clarity. The problem was the harsh wind and pulsing Dark Energy. It was as if he had to
thread the eye of a shaking needle with a thick string in a single attempt.
His arm was raised slightly. Even gravity affected his arrow, and therefore he had to account for the
angle. His projectile was not going to travel in a straight line.
He put his focus on the wind and adjusted his aim.
Time was not an issue.
Amman was continuing his monologue.
Another breath was taken.
But this time he exhaled lightly.
Finally, his right fingers released and straightened at the same time, while his left hand hung loosely. The
arrow was shot out as it bent left and right from the vibrations before it corrected itself, rising into the air
in a beautiful arc as the Shale Longbow rotated downwards smoothly. The youth’s form was almost
ethereal, and it looked like he was performing a ritual to send off the arrow to its victory.
The projectile sailed through the wind and Dark Energy that was now resembling a tempest.
Surely, it was an impossible feat.
And yet it somehow pierced through the shrouded figure.
2254
2255
“Impossible! Gah!!!” Amman’s haughty laughter turned into a scream.
“What? He’s not dead?!” Brendel was just as shocked.
Mavekart’s Grimoire was an artifact that was placed within the Unifying Guild’s sanctum, and it only
made its appearance late in the game. Brendel was very familiar with the Shadow Blasting Waves magic
spell. One had to constantly control their Element Power to guard against the pulsing Dark Energy at all
times, or it would burn away their Life Energy. The closer one was to the spellcaster, the stronger the
Dark Energy; Amman’s flesh had completely aged and his appearance resembled a desiccated corpse. The
activated spell was even capable of physical damage, and it was powerful enough to hurl a large figure
like Andesha’s dragon form away.
It was nearly impossible to approach Amman or injure him with Energy-based attacks since the Dark
Energy from the spell simply flushed everything away. But Brendel revealed the weakness with his
longbow by attacking Amman when the spell was in its charging phase.
[Are you fucking kidding me!? Amman is a Priest! This is a bug! Bug! I shot him perfectly through the
chest too!]
Brendel was screaming in his mind just as loudly as Amman.
The bishop sounded almost lively as he clutched his chest in terror: “My spell…… No! Mavekart’s
Grimoire, ahhh, I will destroy you all for this!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire wave of Dark Energy shook and exploded around the caster.
The courtyard was temporarily quiet, leaving behind an inky fog with a whiff of decay.
The spell was interrupted.
Amman’s full figure was revealed against once more as the fog dissipated. The color of his face was
completely white, while the corners of his lips were stained with dark splatters of blood. His eyes were
staring at Brendel as though he had killed his loved ones and was gloating about it.
[Huh. His glare actually looks like one of my past allies when I owed him a few hundred thousand Tor
coins…… Wait, how the hell did I—]
The youth remarked to himself before his eyes widened. Veronica was opening her mouth slightly as she
noticed the same thing he did.
2256
Mavekart’s Grimoire had an actual hole in it. Brendel rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times. He could
not believe that he shot through the book. That was the ultimate book of evil. It was an existence that
nearly rivaled a divine artifact, and he punctured a hole in it?
Amman’s lips trembled a few times: “I….. kill you.” The pitch of his voice changed because of his
inexpressible rage.
However, Brendel merely clapped in delight: “Hah! I understand now, that Mavekart’s Grimoire in your
hands is a fake!”
Amman and Veronica’s expressions changed at the same time. The former was completely stunned, while
the latter looked puzzled.
“A fake?” She repeated.
“Ah, no, I should say that’s a projection of the actual grimoire. An object that recorded information from
the evil book. A replica!” Brendel immediately explained: “Even though that fake replica has the same
power, it doesn’t have that powerful protection that the original—”
“Enough!” Amman hurriedly interrupted Brendel. The priest could not help but feel a chill despite being
turned into an undead. There was a monster here who seemed to know the outside and inside of the
Unifying Guild, and it was not Veronica or Mephisto, but an unknown youth.
[How…… Mavekart’s Grimoire hasn’t appeared in ten thousand years. How is he able to know so much?!]
“Even though it’s just a projection, its power is enough to wipe you maggots out,” Amman finally said as
his expression kept on changing, “as long as I cast another spell……”
“I see.” Veronica’s ears pricked up, and her green eyes looked at the priest were full of dangerous,
mocking mirth: “And do you think I will give you the chance to cast another spell, Amman?”
They looked at each other and made their moves at the same time.
Veronica was no match for Andesha even when she was at her peak state, so she was naturally unable to
handle the power from Mavekart’s Grimoire. These two were beyond mortal means; Andesha was a
monster who had lived for hundreds of years, while Mavekart’s Grimoire was even more ridiculous and
was created with the Sea of Chaos.
But Veronica was a genius amongst the mortals. As the Empire’s Goddess of Combat, her sword
represented the brilliance of what a human could achieve.
2257
Her sword that was filled with her pride, a brilliant green color that resembled an emerald gem, was
unleashed in the shape of a crescent.
Amman’s face was filled with despair.
“Ahhh, no!” His pallid face was twisted with regret and rage, while he gripped on the fake Grimoire as
hard as he could, hugging it as though it could save his life: “No, you accursed fools…… I will make you
suffer…… Even if I am to perish…..”
The undead bishop started to gurgle and mutter incomprehensible words, acting like almost like a wild
beast. His fingers started to flip the pages of the Grimoire quickly. Dark Energy suddenly surged from the
book and illuminated the area. The book was suddenly thrown up into the air, and the Dark Energy
suddenly condensed into a small black hole.
[The area is becoming dimmer? ……. And I feel a powerful pull, damn it, this crazy bastard. He cast the Rift
of Destruction!]
No sooner did Brendel figure out what spell Amman cast, the hole began sucking in everything around it.
A shimmering light appeared around the youth and he glanced at his feet in surprise, trying to find the
source, only to discover floating patterns around Halran Gaia. The lines were translucent, differing
between straight and curves to form complicated patterns. The spell from Mavekart’s Grimoire was so
powerful that it was wrenching the magic out of his sword.
Brendel could not help but cry out in dismay. The book was actually ripping off the Laws that were
carved into the sword. If the Magic Formations in Halran Gaia were ripped off, then it would be no
different from a heavy broadsword.
Amman was the first to experience the Rift of Destruction. He was apparently unable to control the spell’s
power and was torn apart into particles. Screams filled the valley as he was devoured by the black hole,
and everyone shuddered subconsciously.
Veronica’s sword, the Azure Sky, was the next object that was affected. It glowed twice and dimmed in
just a few seconds. Her weapon was a Fantasy-ranked weapon just like Halran Gaia, and yet it was ruined
in the blink of an eye.
Both Veronica and Brendel’s faces paled.
“Mavekart’s Grimoire is able to devour everything! We need to destroy the replica!” Brendel shouted.
Veronica did not need his explanation as she had the same idea. She shot out several green waves of
Sword Energy, infusing the Wind Element Power into her strikes, but they were promptly scattered when
2258
it reached the edge of the hole. The black hole instead expanded after absorbing the Sword Energy. The
immense pulling force was making Brendel unsteady on his feet.
“Get lost, you useless fools!” Someone called out with a cold grating voice that came in the direction of the
forest.
It was Andesha’s voice. She was no longer in her dragon form and she walked out with much difficulty.
Her body was covered with injuries, dirtied with blood and grime. The bark-like vines covering her chest
was torn off in various locations and her ample breasts were exposed proudly in the air. But Andesha was
not a human and did not care of her nudity.
She promptly shot a beam of energy into that black hole, which disappeared quickly.
“No! Stop!” Brendel’s face tightened but he was too late.
“How is this possible! It’s devouring the power of the Laws! What is this infernal thing!” She immediately
screeched with fright.
Brendel wanted to tear his hair out when he discovered that black hole expanded in size. He wanted to
smack Andesha’s face a few times and inform her that the Rift of Destruction was a Law that outclassed
her Element Power beyond her imagination. There was only pure Chaos Element Power within that hole
and it devoured everything. Her Element Power could not even dent it at all. Veronica fell over and she
plunged her sword into the ground to get a stable grip.
[It’s no good. We can’t escape because that idiot poured in too much power.]
The youth lowered his body and tightened his muscles. He leaped into the air with Halran Gaia readied at
his side. With the combined push of his legs and the pull of the black hole, he sped into the air even faster
than his arrow that he fire earlier.
“Ah!”
“Brendel!”
“My lord!”
“Brother Brendel!”
Mixed cries called out when they saw the result.
“Fuck! You stupid woman!” He roared.
2259
He reached into himself and drew out his Element Power as much as he could and covered his entire
body with a dense layer, then activated Power Break and thrust his sword into the Rift of Destruction.
There was a tremendous sound and a brilliant flash of light as Halran Gaia pierced through the black hole.
Brendel gasped and all the air rushed out of his lungs as he felt like he had crashed into a wall. His hands
were wet as his skin was torn and shredded from the impact, but he managed to hold onto his sword,
which was shuddering and vibrating as though a grinder was trying to crack it into fine fragments.
Metallic screams caused everyone to flinch but the sword somehow held on.
– Halran Gaia has been given the trait of ‘Indestructible’.
Green words flashed across Brendel’s retina, but his world was becoming dark. There was so much
pressure that he could not take in any air. His sword was sinking deeper into the black hole, an inch at a
time.
But each time the sword went deeper into the Rift of Destruction, the more cracks appeared on the black
hole. A few more seconds passed and a soft plinking sound somehow managed to reach everyone’s ears.
The black hole was broken into countless fragments.
2260
Chapter 199 – Revive the dukedom?
“Impossible!” Andesha was unable to stop herself from screaming when she watched Brendel fall lightly
onto the ground without any injuries.
But sometimes impossible notions were made into reality. Brendel added the attribute of Indestructible
to Halran Gaia with his Element Power due to the Stability trait.
The Rift of Destruction seemed like it was a force that cannot be destroyed or hindered and Andesha was
unable to affect it in the slightest, but it was ultimately because the grade of Andesha’s Element Power
was too low. It was the same for Veronica. The Magic Formations from her sword were ripped off even
though she was guarding herself with her Element Power.
Halran Gaia’s Magic Formations resisted the Rift of Destruction’s pull not because of the sword’s grade,
but because Brendel’s Element Power was powerful. The youth realized this fact when his arrow shot
across the violent winds and was hardly affected by it. He decided to trust in his Element Power when he
could not resist the pull from the Rift of Destruction; he carefully assessed the Grimoire’s position within
the black hole and thrust Halran Gaia into it.
[It succeeded? Really? Mavekart’s Grimoire is the representation of the Chaos Element Power. It should
have destroyed Halran Gaia even if it’s a replica. If my sword resisted that book’s power, doesn’t it mean
that my Element Power is at least amongst the level of the major Arcane Elements?]
The four Holy Sages. King of Flames, Gatel. Empress of Wind, Osorno. The Grand Priest, Farnezain. The
Saint, Eirelannt. They gained their fame because they possessed incredible Element Powers. Brendel
could never have imagined that he had an Element Power that rivaled them. Only the biggest pay-to-win
players managed to procure these Element Powers.
[Ah, but it’s such a pity. Judging from the early looks of it, this power isn’t the highest tier though.]
Brendel’s greed to have even more power passed in an instant. Right now he simply wanted to roar to
show off his delight. Not only did he managed to confirm the strength of his Element Power, but he also
cleared off the final obstacle and Valhalla was in sight.
[I wondered how the lucky players who managed to get Valhalla felt. The entire chain of events was an
endless number of death flags. I’m not even sure how I survived.]
First, it was the people from the Kirrlutz Empire, then it was the people who were interested in Halran
Gaia. Next, he had to deal with the Calamity of Wolves which was even more dangerous than he expected.
2261
Mephisto joined in the party, along with that fake Ancestral Hydra, Veronica, and Andesha. With Faena
dragging his feet all the time.
“Everyone wants a damned piece of me. Even S-rank missions are easier,” Brendel grumbled as he turned
around to face Andesha.
The Mistress of Withering Decay gritted her teeth when she saw Brendel’s dangerous gaze: “I surrender!”
She was decisive. There was no way she could fight against Veronica and Mephisto when she was badly
injured. Furthermore, Brendel was someone who seemed to have an endless number of trump cards, and
he even managed to shatter Amman’s final spell that was created out of spite.
In truth, she was actually more wary of that youth than Mephisto and Veronica combined. She suddenly
recalled the time where she could not take down the rock pillars that the youth conjured in the earlier
duel she had with him, not to mention the mysterious golden flames.
“…… Lady Veronica, could you watch over this woman?” Brendel considered for a moment before he
spoke.
He did not want to push Andesha into a corner. Even a cornered rat would bite back, and she was more
like an injured lion.
Veronica was still mourning over the loss of her sword. It was no longer shining with a green glow. She
sighed and nodded upon hearing Brendel’s words.
There were no signs of the Lionheart, which meant the Empire had wasted her time and instead cost her
sword. She could not help but feel downhearted over the outcome.
“Roquel is still a guest in our Empire’s Imperial Jail. It’s just as well that you can accompany him,
Andesha.” Veronica sheathed her sword as she spoke.
The Mistress of Withering Decay merely scoffed in response.
[What the hell…… That’s one of the Tree Shepherd’s twelve leaders, the Lord of Corrupted Blood. The
game hackers mined the game’s data and discovered his title and identity, but they never found him in
the game. Some even thought he’s the last boss of the Tree Shepherds, but to think he’s actually in a jail.
I’m laughing my head off.]
Brendel was finding it hard to contain his giggle. If Andesha got imprisoned as well, then the enmity
between the Tree Shepherds and the Kirrlutz Empire would certainly increase and end up as a blood
feud. And the youth was certainly happy to see that conclusion.
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When Faena discovered that the battle was finally over, she hurriedly ran over to Veronica. Scarlett was
her usual self and led Sifrid out to Brendel patiently.
“Commander.” The supposedly spoilt princess saluted Veronica and addressed the latter properly.
Veronica stared at the girl who had caused an endless amount of grief, but she eventually sighed and
shook her head.
At least the girl was not a treacherous snake like some of the nobles in the Empire, though she was just as
arrogant as most of the young nobles. The Empire had given the young nobles a glorious entitlement, but
they also fiercely guarded the Empire’s dignity with great pride.
[Still…… Offending this particular boy—]
Veronica glanced at Brendel who was petting Sifrid’s head without saying a word. Scarlett was staring at
him with considerable intensity.
“What is it?” He suddenly noticed the red-haired girl’s gaze.
“Nothing, my lord,” Scarlett said, secretly frustrated over the fact that she was unable to protect him. If
she did not put on a resolute expression, she thought she would show off a weak side to her lord. That
was something that she could not bear.
“Since we have settled things, let us go up there and take a look, boy.” Veronica interrupted them as
looked up at the World Tree that disappeared into the clouds.
Even though it was probably impossible to find the Lionheart here, she was curious about what secrets
the legendary tree held. They might be able to find the primeval Fire Seed that was created by the
Goddess Marsha and reactivate it to convert the Dark Forest into stable territory.
Mephisto pursed his lips in contemplation as he approached the group. Civilization was going to expand
again after centuries, and there was great meaning to this fact. Only Andesha gnashed her teeth and
looked livid.
Brendel suddenly knitted his eyebrows together and turned around to observe Veronica and Mephisto.
[Hold on. I nearly forgot because the earlier battle was too intense. So. Why are Veronica and Mephisto
working together again? He’s even looking like he’s relieved to hear Veronica’s words. Some kind of deal?
In theory, this guy should be sworn enemies with the Empire’s citizens. I actually thought that Andesha
had a pretty good chance to get Mephisto on his side.]
The youth was certain that nine out of ten players in the game would have the same conclusion, while he
thought the remaining one-tenth were crazy players who liked to see mayhem.
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“…… Lady Veronica, may I request for an explanation about that guy?”
“Hmmm? Explain? Why can’t Mephisto be on the Empire’s side?” Veronica pretended that she did not
understand the question with a faint smile: “Boy, I must inform you that Count Mephisto is a very
understanding person. The Tree Shepherds and the Unifying Guild are the common enemies of
civilization, so it’s not strange that we would put away our differences and work together to stop them.”
[Haha. Hahahahaha. The bloody Sword Saint of Ashes is someone who’s understanding? This madman
who wanted to catch me so he can lure you out? The same airhead who chased me around like a dog after
a bone? Bullshit. No freaking way. It’s more likely that this old lady used some underhanded means. Like
seducing him. Yeah. I mean think about it, she’s a really good match for him.]
Brendel nodded, but he was definitely not doing so to agree with Veronica’s words.
[Look at her. She’s in great shape and roughly the same age as him. And on top of the romantic
inclination, she’s probably a good candidate for a political marriage. Damn….. All those nasty cliche plots
about having some kind of personal relationship and vengeance. It’s definitely proof! Ahhh! Look! Look at
how Mephisto is looking at Veronica!]
“Oi. Brat. What are you thinking inside your head?” Veronica’s eyes were like lasers.
“Huh? What are you talking about? Nothing at all.”
Brendel shook his head rapidly.
How crazy did she think he was? If he spilled out his thoughts, truth or not, she would probably impale
him with that sword of hers.
“Hmph.” But Veronica had seen enough liars in her lifetime. She even managed to guess correctly what
the youth was thinking about and gritted her teeth with annoyance: “I merely made a promise to Count
Mephisto.”
“I knew it! You’re marrying him!” He blurted out unintentionally.
“Knew your fucking head!” Veronica lost her temper and tried to knock the youth’s head with her sword’s
hilt. Her veins were bulging as she explained herself: “I made a promise to restore his dukedom’s
territory!”
“Huh, restore his territory!?” Brendel blocked her sword with both hands, nearly biting on his tongue
while he looked on in disbelief: “Did I hear wrongly, you want to restore his land? The Empire will never
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agree to it. Your Emperor and imperial nobles are too proud to admit their fault in persecuting House
Sutherland. And restoring their land? Hah! Unless pigs learn to fly!”
Veronica was pushing the sword hilt down in a drilling manner, but Brendel continued to voice out his
thoughts:
“Ahhh, I retract that statement. Even if pigs can fly, the Empire will never give back the land back to the
Sutherlands. Lady Veronica, surely you’re not deceiving that guileless Sword Saint bro? We can’t handle
his fury later on. Don’t forget that Andesha is right next to us, and he might work with her instead……”
Brendel was going weak in his knees at the idea of another twist happening.
Unless Veronica was the Empire’s Speaker, no, even if she was the Speaker, she could not make this
decision.
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Chapter 200 – Dividing the loot and the plan to revive the dukedom
Veronica looked at Brendel with a perplexed expression. The youth’s perception of the Empire was
exceptionally bad. It was true that the Kirrlutz Empire and Aouine regarded each other poorly because of
the past feuds, but she could not understand why an astute person like Brendel would act so blatantly
hostile towards them without even conceding a little ground.
But she was mistaken about Brendel’s reasons for being hostile. It was because the Empire had a hand in
Aouine’s destruction in the future, not the past. Still, it did not prevent Veronica from admiring the
youth’s insight, and she had a faint smile on her face which unfortunately made the latter feel unsettled.
“You know this point better than I do, Lady Veronica, most of the Empire’s Imperial Council would never
agree to restore Mephisto’s territory. Even if your Emperor supports this idea, it wouldn’t pass because of
the objections…… No, in the first place, why would the Emperor even support it? Mephisto attempted to
assassinate him and killed countless young elite officers who were supposed the Empire’s future pillars.
Millions of Tor coins are offered as bounty for his head.”
“Hmmm. You seem to know the Empire’s events very well?”
“Certainly not, definitely no more than the gossipers amongst the noble circle.” Brendel hurriedly
changed his tune. There was no telling what this woman was planning if he continued to talk badly about
the Empire.
“Hmph! This idiot keeps on criticizing our Empire. It’s as if there’s some kind of secret feud with us and
he’s trying to study our history to find a weakness.” Faena interrupted them and rolled her eyes.
[Huh. Even though the snotty princess sounds like she’s mocking me, she’s actually trying to get me off
the hook by stating a ridiculous notion. But I feel like there’s a chill on my back…… Why is this girl trying
to be nice out of a sudden? There must be some kind of scheming involved!]
Brendel’s hair was standing up.
Veronica, however, nodded at Brendel’s thoughts: “You are right. The Empire will never agree to it.”
Brendel’s mouth opened and he could not help but feel impressed at Veronica admitting it so easily,
especially when Mephisto was in listening range. This woman was a politician, no, she was even more
thick-skinned and villainous than the average politician!
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“Is your head filled with nothing but cynicism? Why is the younger generation nowadays full of scheming
thoughts? As a commander of the Empire, my promise isn’t made lightly and I will definitely restore
Mephisto’s territory.”
“…… Didn’t you just agree with me?”
“Yes, the Empire will never give back his land. But you can.”
“Me? Huh?” Brendel suddenly realized what Veronica was trying to do: “Why would I help him restore his
territory? Even restoring his House is an onerous task. Also, why are you getting me involved in the
transaction that both of you made with each other!”
“Boy, what do you mean by you’re not involved?” Veronica’s words were slow and pronounced with a
pointed stare. “Mephisto and I risked our lives to aid you with Andesha. We could have walked away
instead. Don’t you think you owe us this favor?”
Brendel shook his head like a dog’s wagging tail: “The Empire owes Aouine a lot for what they did several
centuries ago. Didn’t I help out in protecting your little princess as well? So we don’t owe each other
anything.”
Veronica’s smile cracked. The brat was not acknowledging their efforts to stop Andesha? He did not owe
them anything?
She poked repeatedly at his forehead with a finger: “How can things be settled so easily? Besides, taking
part in this deal isn’t something that’s completely bad. I’m sure you know this point very well, so why are
you trying to plead with that big innocent eyes of yours!”
“I apologize, my lady, I do not understand what you’re trying to say,” Brendel’s mouth and eyes were
slightly widened, trying to show that he was surprised and puzzled.
Veronica’s lips could not help but turn up at the corners:
“Is that so? Then let me spell out everything for you. Earlier when I asked you for your aid to find Faena,
you refused me and said that you’re helping out the Druids? The Fire Seed in Valhalla, hmmm? It sounds
like you’re after this legendary land. I assume you already have the qualifications of a Pioneer Knight, and
you have the authority to own it the moment you light up the Fire Seed, yes? It’s a wonderfully calculated
move, but is it truly realistic?”
Brendel did not respond, so she continued to speak.
“Nobody has made it past the Loop of Trade Winds for centuries and no one even knows that a primeval
Fire Seed exists here. Once it’s lit up, the Dark Forest will be converted into stable land. Valhalla would
not be just limited in the Loop of Trade Winds but the area around it as well. In fact, the size of this
2267
territory could almost compete with the entire Aouine kingdom. This temptation is surely too much for
your kingdom’s nobles. None of these people would care whether you acquired this land legitimately, and
you ought to know that the word ‘legitimately’ is merely just a word. A primeval Fire Seed? It’s enough to
cause a civil war.”
“What about you?” Brendel regarded her a little warily.
If she suddenly wanted to stab him with her pointy blade and try to take this land for the Empire, he
probably could not stop her.
“Me?” Veronica looked like she had heard something funny: “Why does the Empire want a land that
requires at least a month of traveling to reach it? However, I might be tempted if the owner of this land is
next to the Empire.”
Brendel pondered for a moment and nodded. He understood what Veronica was trying to say.
[She wants me to share the land with Mephisto. He gets to restore his land while I gain an ally because
our interests are tied together. He won’t let the nobles from Aouine target this plot of land. Since I’m the
one lighting up the Fire Seed, I can get more of the land, but I would at least have to give up at least a third
of the territory to acquire this ‘bodyguard’.]
There was indeed an oversight in his plans. He had considered the dangers of Count Randner attacking
his territory, but what was going to happen if the nobles formed some kind of alliance to gain a slice of
this pie? In the game, the owner of a territory could only belong to one guild at a time as it was enforced
by the game’s system. However, this was a different place where ‘NPCs’ outnumbered the single gamer in
this world.
[It’s also not possible for me to form an alliance with the Royal Faction. We’re practically strangers and
we did not part happily in the previous encounter. Even though Princess Gryphine gave me that trinket,
would she really feel at ease over a mysterious stranger who had a territory that’s as big as the entire
Aouine kingdom? I am willing to bet that she trusts me, but if I lose this bet, it wouldn’t end with me
losing the territory but the entire future of this kingdom.]
The most annoying thing was how Veronica took advantage of this situation. She was using him to solve a
sworn enemy of the Empire without any effort at all. All his loot was now being divided up because of this
woman, and that smile of hers was annoying him to no end.
[A bloody general resorting to such trickery. What a scheming fox. I should try and resist the
conversation’s flow.]
“This is still a proposal that’s completely unfavorable to me. Instead of me tying up Mephisto to my cause,
he might swallow me up instead and usurp everything.”
2268
“Mephisto isn’t such a person.”
“Hahahaha, I’m also not a greedy person, do you believe that, commander?” Brendel spoke through
clenched teeth.
Veronica laughed: “You’re really quite sly, boy. Very well, I promise you as the commander of the Azure
Skies, we will support you in the shadows to build this land. With the Empire as your shield, Mephisto
will not have any other thoughts.”
Brendel nodded. Even though he was certain the Empire would never provide any true aid to him, this
promise was enough to give the nobles from Aouine pause, and probably Mephisto as well. The princess
would even rein in the Royal Faction tightly to preserve her relationship with Brendel.
“The revival of the Sutherlands will not be a simple thing. I’m sure Mephisto doesn’t merely want to be a
lord of some random people?” Brendel asked.
He was certain that Veronica would want to make her plot to work.
“Naturally. There are some former subordinates and citizens living in the Sutherlands’ former territory.
As long as they are willing to move, I will send them over through various means.”
Valhalla’s Fire Seed merely weakened monsters in the Dark Forest. It obviously did not convert it into a
city or a land fit for living. The first thing to drive out the weakened monsters, then cut down the trees
and build a place that was fit for living. Tilling the soil and mining the quarries were next. It was going to
be a great effort to convert the place into a thriving city.
Sending over Mephisto’s retainers and citizens meant that he had free labor.
As for the native Druids, the youth expected their population to dwindle down to a mere twenty percent
of what it used to be, and these members were also comprised of mostly the elderly and young. It was
going to be hard for them to participate in building Valhalla. He was going to have to move Trentheim’s
citizens to this place to aid the conversion.
“Lady Veronica, I understand that you’re removing a sworn enemy of the Empire, but your political
opponents might see this as an opportunity to attack you. Instead of hunting down Mephisto, you allowed
his retainers to escape along with him and build another kingdom. Are you certain that you’re willing to
sacrifice so much for the Empire?”
Brendel suddenly asked. Veronica snorted and fluttered her long eyelashes:
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“Are you trying to sow discord between the Empire and me? You’re too green, little boy. The Empire’s
growth is my best reward. And even if you managed to cause the imperial nobles in the Empire to go
against me, what kind of advantages do you hope to gain? Even if I want to swear my allegiance to
another, you’re not qualified to let me do so.”
She found the notion funny and laughed: “Instead, you should swear allegiance to me.”
“Haha.” Brendel did not mind her mocking tone and smiled as well: “It is my pleasure to work with you,
my lady. Since we are done dividing the ownership of this land, let us inspect the area as quickly as
possible. The Druids are still waiting for us to light the Fire Seed.”
“You are certainly cheeky.” Veronica gave a final prod to the youth’s forehead, but she found that the
youth’s confidence to be charming: “And I assume that you want Amman’s things for yourself?”
“Of course,” Brendel did not mince his words at all, “I was the one who defeated Amman and broke his
spell. It’s my loot!”
He answered with a tone that could only belong to a gamer.
2270
Chapter 201 – Great fortune is bound to come after a great calamity
“Very well. I’ll go ahead and investigate the western area of the courtyard while we wait for your
investigation of Amman’s remains. Don’t worry, I’ll inform you if there anything noteworthy, ‘Lord
Brendel’.”
Veronica had gotten the answer she wanted from the youth, so she started to cut back on revealing her
intentions and started to hide behind a smile.
[I can’t relax around her.]
Brendel’s lips twitched a little. For some reason, Veronica was quite tolerant of his greedy act and even
played along by making fun of him. If he was to put aside her status as someone from the Empire, he was
actually quite impressed with the way how she did things.
Having a personal relationship was with someone of her strength was quite advantageous, but if there
was politics involved, then they would be destined to scheme against each other.
[A brief respite is what I need to grow stronger. This reason is enough to be temporary allies.]
Both of them had a satisfactory result from cooperating with each other, so it was quite pleasant.
Veronica led Faena way with long elegant strides, walking towards Mephisto who dragged Andesha along
with him. Once the female commander was next to him, she scribbled something on the ground with her
sword and wiped it away after a moment. When the famous Sword Saint of Ashes read what Veronica
wrote, he actually glanced back at the youth.
Brendel and his group were the only people left in the area. Sifrid had waited patiently for the youth to
finish his conversation with Veronica, and he was suddenly worried that the girl was going to grow up to
resemble Scarlett. The little girl had a face that was dirty from dust, but she did not even complain or
show that was scared of the earlier battle.
He wiped Sifrid’s face and pondered. A meek and quiet personality combined with bouts of earnest
enthusiasm was an attractive point to some people, but he was quite worried about Scarlett’s behavior.
Scarlett found that her lord was looking at her strangely. Was there a mark on her face? The red-haired
girl frowned and rubbed her face with her sleeves, but her hands suddenly stopped.
[Is my lord going to offer to wipe my face? Should I refuse or accept it?]
2271
But Brendel’s eyes eventually moved away, and she hurriedly wiped her face again with considerable
embarrassment.
Amman’s body was gone, and so were his equipment and artifacts which were most likely turned into
worthless dust. The fragments of the fake Mavekart’s Grimoire top-grade materials were probably the
only things left, and Brendel paid strong attention to them.
The fragments of the grimoire had continued to suck in the area after it fell towards the ground, leaving
behind a deep smoking crater.
Brendel was feeling unused to the fact that the area was silent. This was the moment when all the gamers
wanted to snatch away the best loot from the boss.
He slid down the crater and discovered three black orbs floating in the air.
[These orbs are materials made up of powerful Laws. Chaos, Entropy, and Vigor.]
Brendel felt stumped when he approached the orbs. There was a powerful force that simply blasted at his
face when he moved towards them.
Even if it was in the game, he rarely had the chance to handle such materials. It was especially difficult to
handle the Laws of Vigor, and it would simply break the containers unless it was an artifact with the Laws
of a powerful Dimension Space to counter it.
[Well, Bahamut’s Grasp is a creation of the Dragon King, so it’s something that inherits powerful Laws
and I can hold these orbs…… Huh?]
Brendel reached out for the black orbs and his eyebrows were raised. He was momentarily stunned
before his emotions changed to intense delight. The orbs had similar properties to Soul Gems, and in
other words, these things could be absorbed by his system as XP.
[Oh. Ohhhh?! A boss’s XP, and it’s on a level of a half-divine god— Which means the fake grimoire
contains XP that’s even higher than a level 160 boss!!]
Andesha in this generation could actually be considered as a World Boss, but she was still lower than
Brendel’s original level in the game.
The players in the game were stuck at level 160, but the World Bosses in the distant past or future wars a
hundred-odd years later were over level 200.
2272
“Should I pinch myself to test it out? Ah, no, what am I doing, just absorb a little XP from the orbs to test it
out— Hohoho, twenty thousand XP just like that?”
Brendel took in the vapors and estimated the amount taken from the orbs. There was at least ten million
XP packed into each of the orbs.
[Oh shit, oh shit, what kind of luck is this? It’s the first time I got something this good with my own
hands!]
He tried to absorb the XP all at once but realized there was a strong resistance from the orbs. He had to
control his Element Power and peel off the surface bit by bit, and it would take a considerable time before
everything was absorbed.
[A single person receiving all the XP of a boss, I’m sure no one in the game has experienced that before.
I’m not sure I can sleep tonight since my face is already feeling cramped from smiling too much.]
The great exhaustion coupled with the intense emotions made him stumble when he raised both hands in
triumph.
[S-shit. I’m too tired. I need to find a way to keep these orbs safely. I can’t be holding them in my gloves all
the time. Maybe I should ask Veronica if she has a Bag of Holding. It’s the Empire after all, and they are
rich enough to give her one for this trip. Or perhaps Mephisto? Hunting down all the people from Kirrlutz,
I imagine he has to secure something of convenience. It might be difficult to ask Veronica for the bag, but
negotiating with Mephisto should be fine. I’m the one who’s going to help restore his lands, and it’s going
to be something like a deposit.]
He was prepared to find Mephisto and check if he had a Bag of Holding, but a familiar voice called out in
his mind.
“Huh? A fragment of a divine artifact? Where did you get this, boy?”
“Ser Orthlyss? You did not respond at all after…… Did you fall asleep?”
Brendel thought the Dragon of Darkness had done something to her. She was a subordinate of the four
Holy Saints who sealed the Dragon of Darkness, and he might have sealed the Ring of the Wind Empress
as revenge.
[But even if that’s not the case, what is going to happen if she discovers that I had taken the Dragon of
Darkness’s power? I need to confirm it.]
“Fool. I know what happened.” Orthlyss’s haughty voice scoffed in his mind.
Brendel’s lips trembled.
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“Then……?”
“You received his Legacy.”
Orthlyss did not sound angry at all and Brendel sighed inwardly with relief. The Wind Elves were quite
open in displaying their emotions. If she was upset with him, that it really meant that she did not mind
that he received the Dragon of Darkness’s Legacy. Still, he was puzzled over her reactions. In a way, she
had chosen him to inherit her Legacy, so why would she be fine with him inheriting the Legacy of her
sworn enemy?
“There’s no wrong or right on gaining power. What is important is the person wielding it. Surely you
don’t think that this noble one is a narrow-minded person? I chose you because I have confidence in your
character. Besides, I’m interested in that stupid dragon’s Legacy—”
“It sounds like you’re impressed with him.”
“Hmph.”
Orthlyss did not avoid the topic at all and spoke with a bit of reflection in her voice:
“He was the strongest opponent after all. He definitely had personality and charm since he reached the
pinnacle of strength. But we ultimately stood in different factions and our ideals are different. It is just
like how good and evil cannot co-exist. Now we’re all figures of the past and no longer alive. Our enmity
has disappeared long ago, and the only thing that’s left is the respect for each other.”
Brendel was silent. He did not really understand the past events very well and simply watched them
unfold with the eyes of a bystander. The things that he felt for Aouine’s factions were simply disgust and
frustration. Was the Royal Faction really worth respecting when they simply fought for their ideals? To
sacrifice people in order to achieve a greater good? Or should he admire the opposition for lusting after
pure power?
“Did the Dragon of Darkness do something to you?” Brendel asked after a few seconds of thought. The
Dragon of Darkness was still an infamous figure of pure evil in history.
“Not anything bad if that is what you’re wondering, but he passed down part of his Legacy to me. I wasn’t
able to get used to it for a while.”
[He passed down his Legacy to his enemy? Respect is respect, but you’re his enemy…… Is this some kind
of revelation or achieving higher morals after death? No matter how I think about this, it’s too strange. Is
that guy scheming something……]
2274
But Orthlyss did not seem like she was interested in discussing over what she received: “Hmmm. That
dragon has somehow awakened your blood? I sense a familiar kinship to you. You feel like someone who
was born in my era. I even feel like calling you ‘little brother’.”
“Hah?”
“I’m quite certain that your potential has gone up. Maybe I can teach you a few of my swordsmanships
and you will be able to pick them up easily. Hmm, or maybe that particular Sword Arte.”
Brendel muttered a few ‘huhs’ and ‘ohs’ and his eyes glittered as though the sky was raining diamonds.
2275
Chapter 202 – The victory loot that continues to give surprises
The era of the Holy Saints was one of the most vibrant periods where many had learned ancient combat
techniques. But the majority of these techniques, including the various swordsmanships, were lost.
Even intermediate-ranked combat techniques were considered rare.
The current Wind Elves who had guarded their history with considerable effort did not even manage to
keep even one high-ranked technique, and they studied intermediate-ranked techniques instead.
Even the White Raven Sword Arte that Brendel was using was an incomplete technique derived from the
Wind Elves, and it was considered to be a secret Arte handed down to Aouine’s royal members.
It was only a hundred-odd years later, when the Mana Wave reached its peak, that the Sage Slates reacted
and pointed to hidden areas. Various factions and adventurers finally discovered the ancient techniques
that were used in the past.
Orthlyss was a Heroic Spirit who worked as a personal knight of the Wind Empress who also fought
against the Dragon of Darkness’s forces. Brendel could hardly imagine what combat techniques she
possessed, and she was the very definition of a huge, dazzling, walking treasure mine.
“So what exactly can I learn?!” Brendel asked with slight disbelief.
“You sound like I’m going to go back on my words.” Orthlyss rolled her eyes before she continued with a
solemn tone: “When it comes to swordsmanships, it’s very difficult to go far if you don’t focus. Thus, even
though I know many swordsmanships, I intend to teach you just a single Sword Arte instead— The Wind
Empress’s Nine Luminaries.”
“W-what did you say?” Brendel stuttered.
“The Wind Empress’s Nine Luminaries.”
Brendel’s mouth opened large enough to fit several eggs in it. His nostrils flared in an ugly manner while
his eyelids opened up to show his bulging eyes.
The Wind Elves had several famous swordsmanships. Legend depicted that the Wind Elves were split
into three different factions after the final battle against the Dragon of Darkness. Kaelnir, later crowned
the Summer King, inherited the Dazzling Sun Sword Arte, and his Blazing Sun Knights successfully
snatched away the throne from the Wind Empress. Even now, the descendants of the Summer King’s
knights were the prevailing High Nobles amongst the Wind Elves.
2276
The personal knights of the Wind Empress Osorno inherited the Resounding Stars Sword Arte. But most
of them were killed in battle, and the remaining few did not pass on their Legacy. The last Wind Elf died
four hundred years ago, and the Resounding Star Sword Arte was forever buried in the annals of history.
But the strongest Legacy was from the Wind Empress herself. After Kaelnir successfully usurped the
throne, Osorno disappeared and her swordsmanship was forgotten. The members of her House quietly
vanished after the war, and no one mentioned the Nine Luminaries Sword Arte ever again.
[The Nine Luminaries Sword Arte! Navagraha! It’s one of the Great Three Sword Artes in the War of the
Holy Saints! I can understand if you possess the Resounding Star Sword Arte, but how did you get your
boss’s swordsmanship?!]
The Nine Luminaries Sword Arte literally summoned eight extra bodies to fight along the original body,
and they resembled the attacks of a nine-headed hydra. It was also coincidentally the symbol of the Wind
Empress.
If the Flash Strike Sword Arte was the limit for the fastest sword strike, then the Nine Luminaries Sword
Arte was the limit for the most powerful AOE technique.
“I can learn it……? This particular technique that’s ranked amongst the great three Sword Artes, Flash
Strike, Nine Luminaries, and Thunderous Nature?”
“Yes?”
“Nao?” Brendel bit his tongue out of sheer excitement and giddiness.
“I can certainly teach you right now, but I would suggest that you finish your task first. Learning a Sword
Arte isn’t accomplished in a minute.”
Brendel immediately sobered up at Orthlyss’s reminder. The Druids were still hanging on by a thread,
and he could learn the swordsmanship any time he wanted. But before he went to find the Fire Seed, he
needed to find a way to handle the black orbs. These things were unstable energy sources and he could
not just hold them in his hands.
“Ah, going back to the earlier question. These orbs look like they are the fragments of a divine artifact.
How did you get them?” Orthlyss asked.
“Not exactly a divine artifact. It’s a replica.”
“It’s still a remarkable feat to even create a replica, but how are you going to handle these orbs? They are
certainly a strong source of power and can be used in different ways if you know how to do so, but they
are also highly unstable at the same time.”
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Orthlyss was experienced enough to know that these orbs were pure Element Power of different natures.
Mishandling them could cause serious harm. The crater was proof of how dangerous they were.
“I have some experience in handling these things. The best way is to find something that has the
Dimensional Space characteristic.” Brendel said without skipping a beat.
“The Laws of Time and Space to hold them? That’s quite a good plan. They are capable of holding many
different types of high-level Element Powers, and these orbs are no exception…… Hmm?” Orthlyss’s tone
suddenly changed.
“What is it?”
“You are looking for an artifact that has the Laws of Space and Time…… Look over to your right.”
“Huh?” Brendel instantly turned his head but there was nothing to be seen.
The Rift of Destruction literally destroyed the vicinity and there was not even a piece of rock left.
However, he did not believe that Orthlyss was pulling a false one on him. He took a few steps before his
heart skipped a beat.
“Are you fucking kidding me!?”
His mind went through several reactions. From disbelief into astonishment before transitioning to
delight. It was as if he found an unbelievable amount of money on the ground. After checking the
repeatedly, he discovered a silver thread of light. It was so subtle that he was certain he could not
discover it if it was not for Orthlyss.
He slowly reached out to that familiar silver thread and gently pulled it away. It was as if space was sliced
away to reveal a perfectly cut sphere that did not fit in with the environment, and it flooded the area with
light.
The sphere was as big as a bank’s vault and he eagerly walked into it. He was smiling so hard that his
muscles were starting to cramp up.
“This……”
The youth gasped as he picked up a golden bodkin arrowhead amongst the seven that were placed neatly
on the ground.
“God-slaying arrowheads?!” Orthlyss gasped as well.
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These projectiles were not created with metal but were made with the Golden Tree’s wood and carved
with intricate runic patterns of the Holy Cathedral of Fire. They could sever almost every single type of
Element Power and Mana.
[These are the killer assassination tools that suppress tier 5 Element powers. The ultimate cheat who
would catch anyone with their pants down if they fail to guard against it. These things are super rare
because the only NPC who made them was Farnezain who had two Element Powers, Order and Chaos.
Even if players managed to get these two Element Powers, they needed to know how to craft it as well. In
truth, the gamers use them to hunt World Bosses and I haven’t seen anyone using them for PK.]
Anti-Element Power, anti-Mana, it was the nuclear bomb of all projectiles. And there were actually seven
of them.
Brendel carefully put them in the bag that was attached to his belt, then started going for the vials and
potions near them.
[Healing potions number 7…… 5, 13, 19. This is crazy. There are more than a hundred of them.]
“What is in the vials?” Orthlyss asked.
Apparently, Healing Potions were created after the War of the Holy Saints, and Brendel had to inform her
of the various types. She was quite surprised that Alchemy had advanced to a point where drinking these
potions could replenish life to the users.
Brendel was in such a pleasant mood that he continued to talk about how civilization advanced by
creating Magicite and even aerial ships that made use of them.
“Even though many of the combat techniques were not passed down and were lost, there were still many
talented people who— WOAH!” He suddenly shouted.
Orthlyss immediately looked at the vial in Brendel’s shaking hands. It still looked like one of the healing
potions, but the youth was muttering ‘Number 1’ several times.
It was the ultimate potion that the Holy Cathedral of Fire developed in order to ‘save someone from the
brink of death’ if there was a lack of Priests. It was the effort of countless people and money, and the
effect surpassed everyone’s expectations.
Even a few drops of the potion could restore flesh on a bone. However, the price was so exorbitant that
even the most powerful faction in the continent would be stressed greatly from procuring one. It was also
the reason why the other types of subsequent healing potions eventually became popular and mass-
produced, though their effects were increasingly diminished.
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Brendel had to take in several breaths before he managed to tear his eyes away from the vials and put
them into his bag. He felt like he was swimming in a sea of golden coins, no, there was really a sea of coins
in front of him.
“Wh— There are rare materials and suits of armor and weapons in this vault! …… Hmm, mostly from the
Holy Cathedral of Fire.”
Brendel was now certain that this vault belonged to Amman. It seemed like the Dimension Space that he
possessed had resisted the Chaos Element Power and prevented the destruction of these things.
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Chapter 203 – Underground fog
The Dimension Space had over five hundred sets of armor from the Holy Cathedral of Fire. These were
meant for their soldiers and were all low-class magic equipment, but there was also equipment meant for
paladins.
The exceptional suits of armor were carved with Magic Formations and were imbued with physical and
magic resistance. Longswords and broadswords were placed opposite of the armor’s location, and they
were easily identified as there was a fire symbol on every blade.
[These are definitely stolen equipment meant to spply the Unifying Guild, and their rarity is on par with
the Thorn of Light. Hah. Now they are my victory spoils and can be used to equip my White Lion Army……
Though some modifications to their appearances are required.]
There was a messy stack of random equipment floating in the air. However, he discovered that they were
not high-grade. Amman probably looted them from his enemies and did not bother to arrange them.
[Hmm? Wait. That’s interesting.]
Brendel discovered an accessory with a black gemstone in the center near the floating equipment. He was
sensitive to great loot and found the accessory’s shape familiar, and he could not help but grab it to
inspect it in detail.
The center of the black gemstone had silver runes in them that seemed like it was made by nature.
[Tear of the Witch Demon? It’s even rarer than Halran Gaia!]
– Tear of the Witch Demon (300 OZ)
– Adds Stoneskin trait to the user
– 300 HP, +1 Defense, Curse Spell Level +1
– Rune Activation: Instantly cast an Eighth Circle spell and below.
– Remaining Charges: 0/30
“I see, so it’s this thing that allows Amman to cast his defensive spells so quickly. This thing is really a
cheat item. As a Warrior profession, I have one of the higher HP count out there, and it’s at 411. Wearing
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this is clost to doubling my HP. No wonder Amman is like an undying cockroach. He probably has the hp
of a level 80 warrior.”
Brendel grumbled to himself. There were many types of fantastic equipment in the game, and it was a bad
thing to judge someone with common sense. There was a lot of truth in the sentence ‘Never
underestimate your enemies or your head is forfeit’ in the game.
“An equipment with 300 OZ, hmm. Even Halran Gaia has just over 100 OZ. Technically speaking my level
is too low to wear this accessory now. If I insist on wearing it a few weeks ago, I will have to strip myself
naked just to use it. But now I have insane Will stats, and my OZ limit is at 300 + 1240 OZ. Hahahaha.”
The youth immediately wore it. The Charges could be restored over time like the Ring Of the Empress’s
Wind Bullet, though he did not know how long it would take since it had such a large capacity.
He heard footsteps just as he was done admiring the pendant.
It had only been a couple of minutes.
“Scarlett…..? No, it’s not her.” Brendel’s ears focused on the footsteps, but they were heavy and stable,
while Scarlett’s footsteps were light and guarded.
The youth hurriedly dropped off the fragments of Mavekart’s Grimoire and dashed out of the Dimension
Space. He then poured his immense Will into it and closed the sphere-shaped hole into a silver line and
tethered it to his mind. As long as he lived, no one else would be able to access it.
This silver line was a weakness in this world that led to a different plane of a different time and space. By
tying it up with one’s Will, they would be able to carry it around. A Bag of Holding was a physical entity
created by wizards that did the same thing, but the difference was that the Bag of Holding ‘s durability
was no different from a normal bag.
In order to prevent these bags from being torn apart, some of the players in the game actually stuffed
them in their underwear. There was never any limit to being shameless. Brendel chuckled at this random
thought before he looked up at the approaching person. He squinted his eyes to look past the layer of dust
and discovered a tall figure.
The person was just as he had expected, Mephisto.
“You should come right now to take a look at what we found,” the Sword Saint of Ashes stood at the edge
of the crater and said.
His gaze was composed and serene. It was if the massive bloodlust that he had when he chased Brendel
was like an illusion.
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[How the heck did this bloody airhead get raised as a kid? Not even an apology for chasing me all over the
place. It’s like he believes he has the right to do anything he wants.]
Brendel wondered how to describe his personality. Arrogance? Smug? Excessive pride? How would one
describe a person who dared to challenge the Empire alone?
“What did you discover?”
“There is something below the ruins.”
[Something below this courtyard? No matter how I look at it, it’s just a simple market. What did they find
instead of going to the World Tree?]
Brendel nodded to Mephisto and climbed out of the pit.
“Are you sure you don’t want to be on your guard around this man?”
“Don’t worry. I know him better than Veronica.” Brendel answered.
Mephisto detested attacking someone sneakily. Honestly, it was rare for him to take an interest in anyone
if it did not concern his revenge for the Empire. Furthermore, their interests were currently aligned and
he would never disrupt it with his own hands.
Brendel leisurely walked ahead with Mephisto looking behind his back without moving a muscle. But a
flash of surprise streaked across the latter’s eyes. Either the youth was a fool or a genius at reading
someone. Since Amman was furious enough to throw his life away to kill Brendel, then the youth had to
be a genius.
The thoughts in Mephisto’s mind never stopped after he made a deal with Veronica. He naturally thought
about the possibility of Brendel failing to light up the Fire Seed, or that the deal would somehow be
reneged. Thinking that the deal would really succeed was actually placed all the way back in his mind.
However, after observing the youth and considering his earlier performance against Amman, there was a
sudden shift in his mentality. As long as Brendel gave him a third of this land, he would definitely be able
to restore his House. Perhaps working with this youth was not a bad thing, and it was a pleasant thing to
be allied with someone intelligent. The youth was merely twenty years old, and he already had a brilliant
achievement. It might even be possible that Brendel would be the one who could offer protection to him
in the future.
[I have never thought myself to be someone invincible or one who could continue to fight against the
Empire. Those fools from the other factions seemed to think that they are the center of the world and I
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would be interested in joining their worthless crusades. It’s a question whether House Sutherland is able
to continue after my death even if I restore it here. I’m not even sure whether I can find a successor.]
“Ser Mephisto. are you coming? I don’t know where I’m supposed to go.” Brendel turned around and
asked when he realized Mephisto was not moving.
The Sword Saint of Ashes’s mind was spinning its cogs rapidly, and there was a sudden change in his
tone: “It’s over there, I’ll bring you over.”
Brendel’s head shifted to the right and looked puzzledly at him.
But Mephisto walked off with large strides.
“Is it really wise to leave Andesha alone with Veronica?” Brendel suddenly asked.
“Don’t worry, Veronica and I discussed with each other and we decided to explore the courtyard first, and
only make our way to the World Tree when you rejoin us. But there is something of interest that I
discovered and want you to look at.” Mephisto said.
Brendel and the girls followed Mephisto, who led them to the courtyard’s corner. The earlier battle with
Andesha made the ground collapse and revealed an empty space. The black vegetation that Brendel grew
with his blood had extended downwards into the empty space as though it had been doing so for
centuries. It was because of the strange growth that Mephisto discovered the artificially created passage.
When they finally made their way to the end of the passage, Brendel immediately rubbed his chin in
contemplation. There was a Magic Formation, comprised of thinly crafted crystals a few meters wide and
two thumbs high, jutting out from the ground. A thin line of crystals that extended out from the Magic
Formation led deeper into the passage.
[Crystal Circuits? These are built to transfer an incredible amount of energy. And if it’s secretly built
under the courtyard…… The conspicuous buildings in the World Tree, and the ordinary courtyard that
has something so intricate beneath it. Therefore the World Tree is a distraction, while the true identity of
this courtyard is—]
Brendel could only think of one possibility.
The Fire Seed.
“Ser Mephisto, I think you have discovered what we have been looking for,” Brendel said in a grave tone.
The Crystal Circuits repeated themselves in one direction. As long as they followed it, they would reach
their final target.
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2285
Chapter 204 – Lighthouse in the dark
Brendel passed through a warehouse, barracks, and heavily fortified War Room. The passageway had led
to various defensive sections.
It was an underground fortress that was even more prepared than any of the Kirrlutz Empire’s castles.
Even Dwarven or Elven cities could not compare to this final bulwark built against the Twilight Dragon.
Every inch of the walls was fortified with runes and magic crystals. Pillars in the shape of ancient
creatures that were built from precious materials held the ceiling up, and the Crystal Circuits on the
ground seemed like modern cables supplying electricity to the various areas.
The tiles over the ground in the various chambers, which was polished till it resembled marble, was
remarkably free of dust.
When Brendel lit up the area with his magic, he could not help but tremble. This place was all too familiar
in its architecture.
His fingers shook as he sat down on one of the chairs and lit the Light Crystal that was embedded on the
round table in the War Room.
The first moment he laid eyes on the chair in front of him, he went over to sit on it as though he was
hypnotized. He was so exhausted that he went over in a daze. When he sat in the chair, he recalled the
surroundings of a similar ancient War Room shortly before he was transported to this world.
“Hey bro, you’re a warrior? We’re lacking a vanguard for the upcoming fight against Madara’s forces.” A
youthful voice echoed in Brendel’s ears.
“Sure thing.” Brendel’s smile was dazzling as he muttered under his breath: “Name’s S—”
The youth suddenly stopped himself from uttering the name.
This world was not his home.
This world resembled the game of his past world to a remarkable extent, but even then the game was just
a game. He was just connecting to the latter from his home. His past world was a place where he had fun
and was free from worries, though there were strong regrets that he wanted to change.
[…… Ah. I see.]
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The emotions and stress from the near deaths and excitement were getting to him. For one moment, he
wanted to be free from all the responsibilities in this world and simply go back to his former self who
simply enjoyed the game.
[I…… am homesick.]
He had been working towards getting Valhalla almost from the time he came to this world. Many people
looked up to him in gratitude as he went around Aouine and saved them in the process, but even more
looked at him like they wanted nothing more than to tear him apart. There was no one he could truly
confide to, and it was simply because he did not belong to this world.
“Boy, I want you to be honest. Are you really a citizen of Aouine?”
Orthlyss suddenly asked.
“What?” Brendel suddenly broke out of his stupor. “What do you mean?”
[This is bad. Did I give away myself? No, how is it possible that she knows that I came from another
world? I don’t think I revealed that much.]
“Just look at the others’ reactions,” Orthlyss could not help but express her disbelief at Brendel’s awful
denial.
Scarlett and Sifrid were pacing around the War Room with great wonder. The red-haired girl who usually
kept to herself was now a kid like Sifrid. Both girls gushed at the murals and statues that were hovered in
the air. The murals formed a strategic map of Valhalla, while the statues of soldiers and mounted knights
were pieces to represent armies.
There was even a flying dragon that circled around the map.
Mephisto’s eyes glinted with surprise when he saw this sight. Even Orthlyss was completely drawn to it
as well, but she soon realized Brendel’s first reaction was to sit on the near War Table and mumble some
incomprehensible words.
It was as if he was all familiar with this place.
Almost as if he belonged to the past era where the strong fought difficult battles.
Orthlyss was shaking her head: “An ordinary person’s reaction is completely different from yours. Just
look at the girls. Their eyes are glittering with wonder and awe. You look like you have been here
countless times. Even if you read the description of this place in history books, shouldn’t you at least
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express some kind of scholarly reaction to it? Your insight into certain things even seems to surpass mine.
Tell me the truth, are you someone from the Golden Lineage, or the Silver Lineage?”
She was suspecting this point. Why did the Dragon of Darkness give his true Legacy to Brendel?
Brendel showed a stupid face. How did Orthlyss come to this point? He shook his head immediately to
deny Orthlyss’s words.
“Of course not. You can trace my origins in Aouine. You clearly know my grandfather, right? Isn’t he the
one who possessed the Ring of the Wind Empress?”
“Maybe your family has more secrets than he led me to believe, hmph!” Orthlyss was still puzzled over
Brendel’s strange reactions, but his words refuted her thoughts: “Still, it doesn’t matter even if you’re
someone from the Golden or Silver Lineage or a descendant from either Lineage. The stronger you are,
the more pleased I would be.”
[Becoming a member of the past Lineages? It would mean that I’m straying even further away from the
people that around me in this world. I can’t say that I wish for that, though it’s probably a little late with
that drop of blood.]
Brendel extinguished the Light Crystal on the War Table and called upon the others to continue moving.
[There are countless things to do in order to save the kingdom. But if the day comes when I am done with
everything, should I try to find a way to go back to my original world?]
The group slowly passed through three defense lines. The temperature within this maze-like place
continued to rise as they went deeper to the heart of the underground city. If it were not for Brendel, they
would have taken a long time to make their way through.
[We’re finally out of the outer defense lines and in the fortress’s living areas.]
They found themselves in a huge cavern split into several districts. Residential houses, markets, temples,
and even a palace. It was a grand city with a huge sewage system.
Dwarven cities had similar designs, and it was also common for monsters to reside in the sewers. Players
often received quests to subjugate the monsters as they would often venture into the city.
Brendel could not help but think back on his past when he searched the area. Drinkable water was
transported around in water channels from a central reservoir in the city’s heart. After walking for
another minute, he eventually discovered the artificial water channel that he was looking for.
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The group eventually reached a large flooded courtyard with a fountain in its center after following the
watercourse. Even after several millennia, water was still gushing out from the fountain, but the stone
basin around the fountain had been eroded completely and ended submerging the area with water.
“It’s just like you said, brother Brendel! We found the courtyard!” Sifrid exclaimed in surprise.
Scarlett nearly reached Sifrid’s level of worship. Her lord was a fantastic scholar who seemed to have a
limitless amount of knowledge. The other nobles at Brendel’s age were jealous individuals, engrossed in
nothing but carnal pleasures in life, while he was on equal footing on incredible people like Mephisto and
Veronica.
“Yes,” Brendel nodded quietly, unable to share his companions’ excitement, but kept his brooding to
himself.
This courtyard was massive in size, making the youth believe that he was near the sacred halls that
housed the Fire Seed. The symbols carved into the nearby walls were familiar as the people of the past
believed in Goddess Marsha.
The faith of the continent had never changed.
Mother Marsha continued to bless the land and traditions were kept. There were some minor differences
in terms of aesthetics, but it was clear that the symbols represented the Holy Mother.
“I found it. The ramps over there.” Brendel said with a frown.
There were several grand buildings that made the youth pause, but he eventually made a deduction
based on the defensive layout of the area. Magic Formations were placed strategically to create powerful
barriers that made it tricky to assault this area.
[There’s another secret behind Valhalla. Indeed, the Fire Seed allows the Dark Forest to be stabilized, but
it’s not the reason why the guild controlling Valhalla in the game became powerful. Even though it’s
extremely unlikely for Mephisto or Veronica to find out, I need to be on my guard.]
It was the biggest hope of saving Aouine and there was no way he would give up this secret.
Brendel continued to lead the way, but Mephisto suddenly pulled the youth back. A dark shadow
emerged and Mephisto pulled out his greatsword and slashed at it. A tremendous sound echoed in the
area, and Brendel saw that the flying shadow was actually a huge scythe blade with glowing Runes on it.
It was definitely imbued with powerful magic, and getting struck by it would be quite fatal even as one as
powerful as Andesha in her dragon form.
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[This trap seems like it’s from the civilization after the Twilight Dragon’s era, so it’s actually avoidable for
me even if Mephisto didn’t pull me back. But this at least proves he’s on my side.]
Cold sweat broke out of Brendel’s forehead when he realized he was being careless. If this was a trap
from the Golden Lineage, then it would not matter if Mephisto pulled him back.
Everyone would have died there.
Still, Mephisto’s action won the youth’s goodwill and the latter nodded at him in gratitude.
“Be careful,” Mephisto said monotonously in response.
“Understood.”
There were indeed more traps along the way. Even though Brendel did not have a Thief profession and
did not have the system’s guide to spot one, he was experienced enough to test for them. These traps
were created by people from the Silver Lineage and were of no challenge to him. As long as he knew what
trap it was, he was able to figure out the range of the affected area.
Mephisto raised an eyebrow at Brendel, but he quickly assumed the youth was someone who had poured
a great amount of effort into studying Magic Engineering subjects. Orthlyss who had observed Brendel for
a long time was completely baffled at how the youth seemed to excel in every subject. The girls simply
acted like it was completely normal for Brendel to be capable of everything.
The Sacred Hall that the group entered was not overly complex in design, neither was it excessively
luxurious. The walls were carved from stone, while the ground was fitted with marble tiles and Magic
Formations. The four pillars supporting the ceiling were large enough to have a dozen people hug it.
Thirty poles were planted in a circle around a gigantic beacon in the center of the hall. The closer the
group walked towards the beacon, the stronger they felt the energy that was pulsing from it
[A ‘Lighthouse’.]
Brendel’s first thought that it was a structure that housed the Fire Seed.
Indeed, when he brought the Light Crystal up, he saw a gigantic crystal that was the size of twenty meters
hovering over the beacon. Runes shimmered across it like water waves with the rhythm of a beating
heart.
“The Fire Seed,” Brendel remarked amidst the stunned silence from the others.
2290
Chapter 205 – I anoint you as king
“Mother Marsha……” The people around Brendel finally spoke aloud.
It was a primeval Fire Seed that had been sleeping for several millennia. The dim glowing runes emitted a
slight warmth, almost as if there was a goddess extending out her hand with a gentle smile, beckoning her
children to come closer.
Every one was struck with wonder.
The goddess did not abandon her children. The flaming runes burned silently throughout the ages despite
the constant corruption in this area, waiting in the darkness till her children came again to ignite the Fire
Seed. It was a lighthouse waiting to shine with a gentle but brilliant power.
Brendel showed a solemn expression as he looked up. The predecessors had protected this place in order
to hand it to their successors. After numerous generations, the Fire Seed would ignite the flames of
civilization once again.
The honor of lighting it was now converted into inexpressible emotions running through everyone’s
veins. A divine mission that every sentient race yearned for; to bring forth the flames of order and light.
Promanthano was the person who lit the first Fire Seed in the dark Wilderness. Civilization took its first
step out of its primitive ways and began its unending journey to seek a world of light.
Brendel took a deep breath and looked at the others. Mephisto nodded at him, while Scarlett had a pair of
fretful hands on her chest and looked worriedly at the youth. Sifrid was a little bewildered at everyone’s
reactions.
The person who was going to follow Promanthano’s footsteps to bring light and order was Brendel.
“Then I’m going off to bring light to this forest,” Brendel said.
“Go.” Mephisto had an earnest expression when he looked at the platform that housed the Fire Seed.
The youth turned around and started to ascend the platform that led to the Fire Seed. With every single
step that he took, the Fire Seed became brighter, and particles of light seemed to materialize on Brendel.
Mephisto’s eyes widened when he saw robes forming on Brendel’s shoulders.
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“This is the scene in the Kirrlutz’s Poem of Skies…… Child, I grant you the wings made from light, and
thus, I shall anoint you as king.”
Even though his mind thought that it was nonsense made up by zealots, Mephisto felt his heart pounding
in acknowledgment.
Mother Marsha was going to appear and place a crown on the youth’s head with her own hands.
The light emitting from the Fire Seed was almost blinding when Brendel stood before it within arm’s
reach. He stretched out his hand to touch the crystal with a deep frown and spoke with a weary sigh:
“Mother Marsha, after thousands of years, your children have come before you—”
Brendel suddenly withdrew his hand and nearly stumbled down the steps. Something warm had touched
his hand gently. A voice responded in his ears in an ancient language:
“Indeed, it has been a very long time. My child, this journey must have been impossibly difficult for you.”
“W-what?” Brendel’s mind completely blanked out.
[The Goddess Marsha? She exists in this world? That Holy Mother that everyone praises in this world!?
How can this be possible!]
His mind was shutting down.
The Era of the Gods was over. None of the old gods had appeared in the game’s future timeline, or this
world’s past after the War of the Holy Saints. Everyone in this world believed that only the Laws were left
behind and Mother Marsha was gone. But it seemed like the divine goddess was still watching over this
particular Fire Seed and silently waited for its successor.
“My child, even though I am very far away from you and the others, I can still sense your beliefs for a
brighter future. I have seen your predecessors walk out from the protections of the gods to traverse the
land of darkness. They cut down the obstacles in their path, slowly made their way into the Wilderness
and founded a land of their own. I believe that you would be able to conquer every hurdle that comes
your way and achieve victory.”
Did she know the truth that he hid from the others?
He was unable to repress his burning emotions and a trail of tears flowed down when he heard her gentle
voice. Her warmth felt like it was the embrace of a mother that he had not felt for thousands of years, and
he was experiencing it once again.
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“It seems like dust has entered my eyes,” Brendel said with a little embarrassment.
“Cry not, my child. Even though I wish for your success, the roads ahead of you are filled with difficulty.
Are you truly prepared to light this Fire Seed and follow your predecessors? Each time an attempt is
made to progress beyond the twilight, countless sacrifices would be made, but even if they fall, another
person who follows their beliefs would walk in their footsteps. This history is in truth a poem filled with
bravery and incredible sadness—”
Marsha appeared within the crystal as she spoke. She shook her head slowly.
“This is a game that is meant for heroes, and every participant would become a part of this epic poem. My
child, are you truly certain that you are prepared for this?”
Brendel hesitated.
[Lighting a Fire Seed should be an automated process. But the goddess of this world appeared before me
and said all these things. Is she saying that I will never have the chance to return my original world? But if
I refuse and instead try to find a way back, then would happen to Aouine?]
“…… Naturally, I am prepared,” he finally answered.
Marsha looked at him for a while before she spoke again: “My child, would you permit me to ask you a
few questions.”
[Questions? Wait, I’m assuming too many things. Does the goddess truly know that I took over this body
and I’m just here to save Aouine? What did she say just a few seconds earlier….. Progress beyond the
twilight? Maybe she expects me to do some kind of crazy stunts that the ‘predecessors’ did, like slaying
the Twilight Dragon or something? …… Hmm, I have no clue as to what she wants, but it’s best that I nod
my head here.]
He nodded.
The goddess’s warmth was difficult for anyone to reject her.
Marsha smiled.
“My child, what are your beliefs?”
“My beliefs?”
“Do you seek the Fire Seed for glory? Power? Or perhaps to survive? This thought could be considered a
belief as well. If you have a goal, civilization would be able to progress.”
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[She doesn’t know what I have done to come here if she has to ask me this question. What was I expecting
here…..]
Brendel said: “Probably…… fulfilling my wish could be considered as a belief.”
Marsha placed a crown of light on Brendel’s head, her hand gently caressing his forehead amidst a field of
white light: “My child, do you understand the meaning of a crown?”
[The symbol of authority— is obviously the wrong answer. The person who becomes king is meaningless
to a divine being.]
“The person who wears a crown is called a king. Your predecessors became king and were always ahead
of everyone. It is because of this act, that their citizens could see their backs. As long as someone is in
front of them, these citizens would become strong and gain the courage to continue walking forward. Do
you understand it? As a king, you must radiate light and warmth so that everyone would be able to see
you in the dark. You must bring them to clear the obstacles that are in front of you, to bring the light in
this endless chasm of darkness. Only when you surmount all these hurdles, would it be declared as a
King’s Devotion.”
“Devotion…… of a king?” Brendel could feel the heavy crown that the goddess had placed on his head, and
his heart started racing.
“What do you think of the word ‘devotion’?”
“Devotion?”
Brendel was unable to see the goddess’s appearance clearly. She had been wearing a smile ever since she
appeared in the crystal, but he thought she was expecting something from him in her eyes. He gathered
his courage and replied with the desire that he always had in his heart.
“I believe devotion is to accomplish something that would satisfy my heart, and to do it without any
regret or blame.”
“Do you have something that you wish to accomplish, my child?”
“Yes,” Brendel answered simply.
The greatest regret in his memories of the game was the burning white tree in that palace. If there was
something that he had to change, this would be it. Perhaps it was the reason why he came to this world.
The youth understood this point when Marsha asked him this question.
2294
But pain flashed through his mind as soon his reply left his lips.
[Should I ask if there’s a way back to my previous world? Or the secrets as to why some of the ancient
languages match my world’s? If I don’t return, then what about my family and friends…… Am I not going
to see her ever again?]
The goddess’s expectations in her eyes turned to approval when she heard his answer, failing to see the
youth’s hands balling up into fists.
“Some are fated to be different from others. As long as light continues to originate in one’s heart, bringing
along unwavering determination to change this world, regardless of success or failure, the wings of light
that extend from their backs will make everyone feel safe.”
Light converged in the goddess’s hand.
“Such a person would be deemed a hero in history. My child, your answer has made me very satisfied. I
shall present you with a gift and hope that it allows you to fulfill your beliefs.”
– System Notification: The destiny of the ‘Chosen One’ has been acquired.
[D-destiny? Another? Didn’t I get the destiny of the ‘Fool’ from the Dragon of Darkness? Shit, is there a
bug in the system? It sounds nice and all but I feel this is a great trap! Look at how that dragon threatened
me!]
Brendel was upset.
With great luck came great misfortune. He was certain that he had to do some impossible task that
Marsha wanted.
[And why is it ‘Chosen one’? Isn’t Marsha’s Legacy supposed to be ‘Marsha’s Child’?]
Marsha seemed like she saw through what he was thinking and spoke with a smile:
“Indeed. I did not present you my true Legacy, but I have placed my expectations on you. My child, I
presented you the wings of light as foretold in the ancient prophecies, and thus anoint you as king. I hope
that you continue to act according to your will, and I can attain honor because of you.”
“Attain honor because of me?” Brendel was utterly baffled at her strange words.
But the goddess did not explain herself. Her eyes seemed like she was looking past countless veils and
darkness was becoming clear in her vision. Finally, she spoke again:
“Come, let us witness this moment again. Light shall return once more to this place.”
She raised her hand.
2295
A pillar of light pierced through the Dark Forest’s trees. Everything froze in that single instant.
All men and beasts trembled at the same time. The Laws within the area were gone. The immense Mana
Wave that affected the Dark Forest completely disappeared.
Those who witnessed the phenomenon thought it was impossible, and when they followed that pillar of
light, they discovered that it originated from the Loop of Trade Wind’s center. It had pierced through the
heavens as though it was breaking out of a shell.
The Fire Seed was ignited.
2296
Chapter 206 – Race?
=========== The Green Tower ==========
The darkness was fading.
The first ray of light was like a sharp blade that sundered the heavens, turning into a blinding pillar of
light that exploded within that single moment, and the surroundings seemed to dim because of the
contrast between darkness and light.
The Wall of Clouds was being pierced by additional rays of light as if was a cocoon being lit up from
within. The dark night was turned into a shade of light purple, then to blue, and the land was lit up from
the receding veil of illuminated clouds. The Dark Forest displayed a vivid green that the Druids had never
seen before, with light piercing through the holes between the leaves to reach the ground.
The mist lifted and shadows formed with clarity; it was as if dawn had arrived.
Someone had pulled off the black cloth that covered the mountains. Golden hues spread across the dense
vegetation, and the first ray of light reached the Green Tower’s walls, washing away the fatigue of the
warriors.
The battleground was completely silent. The cold fallen ancient Treants’ bodies stood tall with countless
dead wolves in front of it, almost like statues that were deliberately positioned. The rays of light
continued to move and illuminate the city, revealing the various battlefields and murky figures.
The heroic Tree Elves defended their positions with every corner they could find, but many were killed
after they exhausted all their strength. The monsters at the frontlines were also collapsing from fatigue,
but they were reinforced by even more of their numbers.
The major blockade was at the Elven Great Hall. The Tree Elves and Centaurs were forced back and forth
from the incoming storm of wolves, but they still secured the position miraculously. Almost every Druid
was locked into battle, with a staggering amount of spells sailing through the air. The two Archmagi from
the Silver Alliance were standing at the back, forming the strongest barriers in their defenses.
Nordas, who was from one of Aouine’s southern army, blinked his unfocused eyes. His muscles went rigid
when the rays of light reached the wolves’ back and he stared in surprise. Beside him was a row of
centaurs who also could not believe what they saw.
It was morning…… and the wolves were burning.
2297
The steel-like hides of the wolves burst into flames, and the monsters screamed in pain as they scrambled
to flee from the light, though even the ones hiding in the shadows were not spared. Very quickly, the
entire Green City seemed like a sea of fire had been poured down onto the monsters.
The wolves that were directly in the light seemed like they were being pierced through; holes started
appearing in them with flames bursting out from their wounds.
Even the bravest person in the Green Tower could not help but feel lucky for surviving this ordeal. The
frantic assault was completely dismantled in an instant as the monsters disintegrated into ashes.
Just exactly what kind of power was invoked?
But everyone believed in one thing.
“It’s just as I have predicted. He succeeded.”
William turned to his companion with a faint smile.
“Hah! It seems like a remarkable youth has appeared in our kingdom,” Tulman responded with a grin.
“My old friend, Erik, founded Aouine as the kingdom of hope within this darkness. I understand his
beliefs, but they have been twisted by his descendants for far too long. I wonder if he ever hoped to see
something like this happen today…… Perhaps someone is finally able to pick up the flag that had been
dropped onto the ground for far too long.”
“Indeed. It is a pity that I am unable to participate in restoring my homeland’s former glory, since it is
forbidden for a member of the Silver Alliance to do so,” Tulman said.
“But at least you won’t see it crumble completely, yes?” Wisdom twinkled in William’s eyes and he recited
an old adage: “The young will develop a new era, and the old era should be left in the past.”
While the two wizards of the Silver Alliance were exchanging their opinions, the Druids and Elves were
descending into sorrow after a short period of intense delight. The people who were standing survived,
but even more of them who were lying on the ground left this world forever. Every one of them had one
or more loved ones leave them. Even the long-lived Tree Elves who did not display much of their
emotions could not help but cry softly.
There was a layer of sadness over the courtyard.
2298
Nordas and the centaurs stood on one side, watching the Elves hugging each other and crying. The
centaurs viewed dying on a battlefield differently. Nordas had spent enough time crying over the Madara
War, though his heart still felt a little heavy.
“I think I can understand their emotions.” The tall Centaurian leader spoke: “Death should be glory for
those who died on the battlefield, but this battle only brought sorrow and loss.”
Nordas nodded. Aouine’s battle creed was similar to the Centaurs, but the reasons as to why the kingdom
fought might not give her soldiers a satisfactory answer.
He looked at the Elves and Druids, feeling a little pensive.
============ Brendel’s POV ================
Light poured from every corner of the great hall, and its scale and mysterious appearance were revealed.
There were a hundred pillars that supported the ceiling—
Everyone’s eyes were however on the Fire Seed that was dyed in a divine color. It was emitting pure
white flames, appearing like a divine fire, but those flames were actually Laws of Order, binding every
single type of Element Powers and Mana from the Sea of Chaos into silence as they ebbed under Marsha’s
Divine Order.
A still calmness of purity pulsed and extended outwards from the Fire Seed. Everyone’s body trembled,
and the weak Mana within their bodies were cut off from the Mana Wave.
“Hmm?” Brendel muttered.
He suddenly realized there was a difference in how the Primeval Fire Seed functioned. The Fire Seeds
created by mortal hands rearranged the Laws, while Marsha’s Fire Seed separated Laws, Elements, and
Mana. It was as if it was wiping away everything on a blackboard and writing new Laws on it. During this
period, the Laws that were allowed by the Administrator could be written down onto the Fire Seed.
Due to the separation of the various Laws, Elements, and Mana in its initial stage, Chaos could hardly
affect the land of purity. Every single person within the Dark Forest would have their strength
suppressed.
The youth’s mind was working quickly as he clenched and unclenched his fingers.
[We’re too close to the Fire Seed’s suppression. Mephisto’s strength is probably no stronger than the
typical adult male fighter right now…… If I calculate things, this process will last for a week. Hmm,
although the people at the Green City are affected, I doubt they will run into danger since the suppression
towards monsters is probably a hundred times stronger. At worst, they can’t get used to it.]
2299
Mother Marsha was already gone.
Brendel suddenly frowned and turned to the right as he heard footsteps. The people who were within the
Loop of Trade Winds should only be Veronica and her group.
Were there unknown natives in this underground city?
But it was certainly Veronica who appeared, bringing along Andesha and Faena. She had followed the
Crystal Circuits that had suddenly lit up on the ground, and she eventually made her way to the Fire Seed.
The Combat of Goddess’s eyes was attracted by the bright light in the center of the hall. She was surprised
when she saw Brendel and the others but recovered quickly.
“A Primeval Fire Seed?” Her eyes had a look of reverence just like Mephisto when she looked at it: “The
legendary blessings given to the mortals by Goddess Marsha. I have seen it in Marus.”
Marus was a city within the Kirrlutz Empire. A primeval Fire Seed sat in a temple that worshipped
Marsha. The power of the Fire Seed was strong enough that it deterred monsters for thousands of miles
for many centuries, and not even one person had reported news of their appearances. It was because of
that reason that Marus and the surrounding cities were the most thriving cities.
Brendel knew what Veronica was insinuating, but Andesha paid no attention to the latter’s words. Her
diamond-shaped eyes narrowed as she gasped:
“A primeval Fire Seed?”
She was able to recognize it immediately. None of the people around her matched her knowledge,
excluding Brendel. The Mistress of Withering Decay had a strange expression. The suppression of the
primeval Fire Seed was just too powerful. It meant that a new territory with the strong Laws of Order
would be formed if it was built well. A new Empire that could rival the Kirrlutz Empire was not
something impossible.
The Kirrlutz Empire became strong because of the Fire Seed in Marus.
Andesha’s eyes were glinting with danger. She wanted to gamble everything on her plan. If she
succeeded, it would mean that the Tree Shepherds would need not to worry about a second Kirrlutz
Empire appearing in the future…… It was the right time to strike, especially when it was still new. Leaving
it alone meant that it would eventually grow with vassal states.
“Andesha, what are you scheming?” Veronica felt that her ‘prisoner’ was acting strangely.
Even though Andesha’s injuries were great, she was in a stance and ready for battle. Mephisto and
Veronica pulled out their weapons at the same time.
2300
“Hehe, isn’t this the best chance?” Andesha licked her lips. Even though she was in a fervor, she did not
lose her rationality: “Under the suppression of this Fire Seed, we’re only capable of pulling the strength of
our races. Even though my strength is suppressed greatly because I’m a half-monster, the blood that runs
in my veins is much stronger than yours, you weaklings. Even if it’s one against all of you, it doesn’t mean
I don’t have a chance.”
Everyone shuddered, with the exception of one person.
“Are you serious, Andesha?” Brendel pulled out Halran Gaia and snarled: “Have you forgotten what you
have given me? You know very well that I’m not your typical God Acolyte when you fought me earlier!”
There was an awkward moment of silence with plenty of blinking eyes.
Andesha recovered quickly and drew out a thin whip that was coiled around her waist. No one noticed
this hidden weapon on her, but it was too late. She swung it at Veronica and Mephisto who retreated to
the walls. Brendel leaped off from the platform and thrust his sword at Andesha, but the latter
somersaulted a few times back and swung her whip in mid-air.
Because the youth had Bahamut’s Grasp, he managed to catch it with his hands.
[Power B— No, that isn’t it.]
Brendel nearly pulled the whip with all his strength before a certain memory of someone being flung
away flickered into his mind, and he swiveled around where he was instead. Andesha opened her hands
and had allowed the whip to slip out of her hands, completing the same action that she did to the vampire
trap, Morpheus.
Even though Brendel had reacted with his combat experience backing him, he was still late by a second.
Andesha had started to flee. If she was unable to defeat them, then she could just simply run away and
wait for a better chance to strike in the shadows.
[I can’t let this bitch esc—]
Suddenly there was a loud smack that interrupted Brendel’s thoughts. The Mistress of Withering Decay
was flying in the air with a scream of pain, and she ended up smashing into a pole and destroying it.
There was someone who was not suppressed by the Fire Crystal? Mephisto and Veronica’s minds had the
same question.
“Impossible! Someone from the Dragon race!?” Andesha screamed.
[Dragon Race!? That proud loli dragon is here?! Even if she’s done with her things, how did she track us
down? Considering the timing, it’s unlikely…… Erm…… It’s Scarlett? W-what’s going on?]
2301
Brendel’s mind felt like there was a system error happening in his mind and he stared at Scarlett with an
opened mouth.
2302
Chapter 207 – Scouts and information
============= Firburh ============
The seasons within the Dark Forest changed frequently, but the harsh winter in Firburh in the Year of the
Sword was just over, and the temperature had not gone back to its warm state.
It even snowed heavily twice in January, but it also seemed to hint that the city was going to have a
wonderful harvest.
The cold winds were still biting in the streets, and there was hardly anyone passing through.
The only bar within the city was a different sight, and the fireplace in it was burning strongly to fill the
bar with light and warmth.
Adventurers would gather in this place during autumn and wait for the snow in the forest to melt. Every
one of them who came into the bar would take out their robes that were covered fully with snow, observe
the entire hall, then took out their hat to show their respect to a young woman who was sitting far away
at the corner of the hall.
That girl’s forehead was very high, and it was smooth as a crystal. The light from the fire would make it
shine brightly, and her eyes were large and showed a little wisdom in them, and they glittered as she
looked at the people and goods around her curiously. She wore a beautiful formal dress, and though she
could not be considered to be a full adult yet, her chest was maturing amply. Her dress was tucked in at
the waist and perfectly accentuated the girl’s slender body form. It was just that the lady-like dress was
not very fitting for her as her actions were a little thief-like; she acted as if she had stolen the dress from
somewhere.
“Lady boss, this is the deerskin that you wanted. The forest has completely frozen up and we spent a
great deal of effort to chase after a herd of deer. Harduo even suffered a little frostbite. You can’t be
overly stingy with our rewards—”
There were a few people who were clearly hunters standing before her and negotiating. The leader was
apparently a nearby villager living in the hills. He wore a thick fur coat and there was a longbow on his
back.
“Hoh, Harduo has frostbite? That’s really unlucky for him.” Romaine blinked her eyes and asked
curiously: “Are there no more deer herds in the forest?”
“It’s because of those damned Subterrane Dwellers. They scared away the animals.”
2303
“Hmm, I heard that the Subterrane Dwellers stopped doing that before it snowed.”
“That’s…… In any case, it has something to do with it.”
“I want these deer hides so I can make a coat for Brendel. Are two hundred silver coins fine?” Romaine
carefully poked the deer hides with her finger as she looked up and asked.
“We’re definitely pleased to help our Lord and make him a large coat. I’m sure he will be even more fond
of you, lady boss.” The leader’s face did not show that he believed the lady in front of him would be able
to make a coat, but he still spoke respectfully: “But this amount is too little. Lady boss, please take into
account that Harduo is frostbitten.”
“But this deer hide is clearly from last year. Look at the top here. There are worms that bit through this
section,” the merchant girl innocently lifted up the deer hide.
“What—”
“An experienced merchant is in front of us—”
“S-surely it’s not too important how old it is, right? Besides, we really went to the forest. Harduo really
has frostbites.” The leader coughed as the other adventurers showed embarrassed looks.
“Which is why these deer hides are not worth a lot of money, and you know it well, right? The remainder
of the money is for Harduo, okay? Don’t go off and gamble away your money to that gambler Mano. I’ll
send someone to check on Harduo,” Romaine glared at them, “if he didn’t receive the coins, I’ll send the
Subterrane Dwellers on you and have them feast on your flesh.”
The hunters obediently received the money and left after being scolded. Even though they did not deceive
that lady, they did not show any dissatisfaction as if they were used to such haggling.
Romaine restlessly touched her leather shoes, and she looked around with her large eyes constantly as if
they never stopped while holding on to a large steaming mug of beer. She looked like she was waiting for
someone.
Ever since it was winter, the self-proclaimed great merchant had been sitting on that particular spot,
working on official business or working to buy the natives’ hearts. It was not without reason that she was
being respected. Not only was she the lord’s fiancee, but she also had half of the territory’s money and
was a goddess of wealth. But the biggest reason was that she was friendly and would never use her status
to oppress someone, and instead spent an afternoon to bargain over a few copper coins.
2304
Strangely, it was because of that reason that the natives did not feel the difference in status. The lives of
the adventurers were not easy.
Money was a very important thing, and they actually looked down on people who arbitrarily spent coins.
Amongst Brendel’s advisors, only Freya and Romaine understood this point. Freya knew it because she
was born in a poor village, but Romaine did it because she was simply fond of shiny things.
As the winter days passed, Romaine had interacted enough with the adventurers to be recognized by
them. Even though they were not very close, she was able to gain enough news that Brendel’s men did
not get.
The doors to the bar were pushed open once again, and there was a moment of hushed silence.
The Silver Elf princess, Medissa, stood in the snow. She was wearing a dull silver fur coat and she placed
both hands over lips and sighed. Her eyes looked at the packed hall a little tensely.
Humans were a little strange to her. The Elves did not like to gather in large numbers. The definition of a
friend was like a mental attachment of sorts. With time passing slowly for the Elves, their display of
emotions was perceived to be one of slight indifference.
But it was not the first time that she came here. She was here to transmit a message from the lord’s
squire, the wizard Ciel, to Romaine.
The people who saw the little Elven princess backed away to create a path made from an unspoken
agreement. There were people who teased her the first time they saw her and nearly caused the long-
eared girl to blush.
In the end, a rumor spread out. ‘The shy second fiancee of Lord Trentheim’ was Medissa’s new title, and
she could not help but glare at Romaine with every muttering and whispering that came at her.
“Medissa, do you want to drink beer?”
“No!”
“Fruit wine?”
“No!”
“How about mead?”
“No!”
2305
Medissa knew that Romaine did not drink wine. The latter held a mug of steaming beer to get warm, and
she was stingy enough not to switch for a new mug. Every time it got cold she would request for
reheating, and if she could, she would do it until the second day. But perhaps it was because of such a
stingy person, that the finances of the city were dealt in such an orderly fashion.
In fact, Medissa had a headache when she first saw the city’s account book.
The finances of the city were gradually moving on the right path. The money from the silver mines was
continuously delivered to Romaine, and she redistributed the money to the refugees.
This act was not a charity movement, but a planned result to have the forest in the north cut down into
usable land. Seeds had been planted onto the farms and were sleeping underneath the snow. They would
germinate once the snow melted.
Ciel and Bosley discussed how to receive more refugees from the north, while the operation to build a
road to the Dark Forest was slowly progressing. The population of Firburh was not significant, and even if
they added the natives from Fort Minst and Port Gris, they were still unable to meet demands. Odum was
still repairing the city and the workers could not be spared. Even the White Lion Army was lacking in
soldiers.
Food was the cornerstone for all their plans, and Romaine’s maturity and composure in accomplishing
her tasks had surpassed everyone’s imaginations. It was just like how Ciel had claimed it would be.
She had a natural sparkling talent in logistics.
It was something one could only be born with, and it allowed her to prepare everything in detail and
order without any panic.
The food that was bought from Ampere Seale was transported by sea, but Romaine did not hand them out
directly and instead passed them to the merchants. This method allowed her to recoup the money that
was handed out to the citizens.
After an unknown number of years under Graudin’s rule, the grain market was rebuilt in just a few
months, and she won the hearts of the citizens over from the shortsighted former ruler.
The merchant girl was currently considering to relax the amount of money to recruit people.
Brendel required more bodies, and she had to show a certain sincerity. Food was not a problem at all in
her eyes. As long as there was money to be made from Firburh, then the merchants from Ampere Seale
would be like sharks who got the whiff of blood and gathered around her.
2306
In truth, the first batch of merchants had arrived, though the group was not very big. The merchandise
that they had were sold to the city and quickly ran out, but it was fine since there would be even more
merchants in the future.
The money did not just attract merchants. The nearby refugees from Madara’s invasion were starting to
flock to Firburh. Free-flowing currency was even more delicious than a cake, as stated by Romaine’s aunt.
Medissa handed over Ciel’s report to Romaine. The merchant stared fixedly at Medissa and asked:
“Where’s Brendel?”
“My Lord hasn’t said anything about returning yet.”
“Then I want to talk to him.”
“No,” Medissa immediately refused. It was not the first time Romaine had used her as a messenger, and
she explained in detail: “Ever since my Lord entered the Loop of Trade Wind, my connection with him
was somehow cut off.”
“Haaaah—–” Romaine let loose a long disappointed sigh: “Then that Ciel fellow has other things that he
wants me to do?”
“Yes. He wanted to ask you why you spent so much money on a strange mission, and if you have
something planned.”
Medissa looked at the batch of deer hides on the table, wondering a little if Romaine was doing it purely
out of fun. But this thought quickly passed. As an Elven princess, the importance of property was very
faint. If it were Scarlett or Freya, they would have stared at Romaine with great suspicion.
“Ah, I wanted to talk about this,” Romaine showed an expression of surprise, “there are no more deer in
the forest. Do you know anything about it?”
As someone who lived before the War of the Holy Saints, and one who was raised as a Silver Elf
commander, Medissa’s expression became stern upon hearing Romaine’s words.
The animals in the forest would not disappear without a reason.
It was clear that the enemies have started moving. She looked at Romaine and understood that the latter
was sending out the adventurers to different areas in order to scout for unnatural things:
“What exactly did the adventurers report?”
“A few adventurers said that they spotted activities of the undead nearby. I think these bad undead things
from Bucce have reached this area. Brendel previously said that they are near Trentheim, right?”
It was Madara—
2307
2308
Chapter 208 – Rose, brambles, and lust for power
================ Royal Faction ==============
Madara was here.
Not only that, Count Randner had gathered an army of twenty thousand men in just two months in the
Palas region, including three retainer knights with land deeds and soldiers.
With the addition of the mountain natives and other tribal forces, this force was no longer looking like a
simple subjugation, but a show of force towards the people who dared to mock the Count.
This level of mobilization proved that Count Randner was a long way off from ‘retirement’.
He was still like a tiger that was narrowing its eyes, and once it opened them, it would be able to cause
the entire southern mountainous region in Aouine to tremble, which happened several decades ago.
The entire Trentheim region was still under the tiger’s paws, and many people were starting to mock the
fools who dared to tug at the tiger’s whiskers.
Grphyine’s Knight Commander, Count Assel immediately took this report when he received it, and
promptly left his office for the Princess’s. Lord Cobb saw and followed him:
“My greetings, Knight Commander, I’ve heard the news from the south.”
Cobb’s position within the royal faction was not high, but he worked under Grandmaster Fleetwood.
Since Fleetwood was princess Gryphine’s teacher and a court wizard, his position amongst the Royal
Faction was respected. Even the bigwigs in the Royal Faction had to lower their heads when they saw this
wizard.
Assel did not wish to deal with the trouble from Copp’s superior, so he nodded to acknowledge the
latter’s words:
“Her Highness favors the rebellion army greatly but it’s a pity; she will be disappointed. In truth, many of
our superiors doesn’t support the idea of getting involved with these rebels. It’s too dangerous since
Count Randner is someone with strong military might.”
Kopp faked a sigh and nodded:
2309
“Her Highness isn’t willing to speak with Duke Arreck. She’s just a child, regardless of how much the
outside rumors that praise of her intelligence. Indeed, a girl is still a girl, it’s unavoidable that she would
cling on to a few wishful thoughts.”
Aseel raised an eyebrow and replied:
“Politics is politics. The future of the kingdom is more important than anything else, and I believe that Her
Highness will be able to see this point. Achieving an agreement with Count Randner is our best outcome.
Only with it would the princess have enough clout to negotiate with that old duke.”
“Yes, but I’m worried about the princess being stubborn about it. Do you know this piece of information,
Lord Assel— I heard that she secretly communicated with the rebels. If the evidence of her collusion gets
to Count Randner’s hands, we will be placed in a passive position.”
“Don’t worry, Duke Lantonrand and Grandmaster Fleetwood and our knights do not agree to support
these country bumpkins that are lurking in the shadows. I am certain Her Highness will not continue her
ways that in light of this new information.”
Cobb secretly laughed. Princess Gryphine was much more stubborn than Assel thought, and it was not as
if everyone was against her support for these rebels. But he was a smooth person and would not say this
thought directly, and instead asked slyly:
“What of Lord Oberbeck’s position in this matter?”
“He……” Assel became quiet.
Indeed, that person who had the nickname of a ‘Wolf’ had an ambiguous attitude, making it impossible
for anyone to know his thoughts. What was even more of a headache was that Oberbeck was the leader of
his own clique, and his mind was no weaker than Makarov the ‘Cunning Fox’.
Because of Oberbeck’s silence in this matter, the opposition to the princess did not truly register.
And if all these voices were not aligned, then it meant that there might be a change to the perception of
these rebels. But Assel did not favor them at all and even thought that putting the fate of the kingdom on
them was akin to treating it like a game.
Cobb and many others had the same thought. In their eyes, Count Randner who controlled a large
territory and forces was a hundred times more likely to win against a bunch of thieves.
Perhaps they were even more likable than these damn rebels—
2310
Although the princess’s plans were feasible, it was just too dangerous. The alternate plans that she had
were treated like a young girl’s naive hope to control her own fate.
The nobles had seen such acts in history one too many times and did not make a fuss about it, and instead
had faces of pity and understanding.
A princess’s fate was to be used as a pawn for a political marriage. If the little girl wanted to struggle, then
they would allow her to do it as long as it did not affect the overall outcome.
Assel made a signal to Cobb to get the latter to leave as they approached the princess’s office, before
pushing the wooden doors open.
There were quite a few people in the study.
Oberbeck, Fleetwood, Makarov, Count Barre, and almost all the core members of the Royal Faction were
there. Assel was not surprised. Ever since the southern situation became tense, a meeting was held
almost in the study every day.
But the silent atmosphere in the room was a little stifling and uncommon. Assel presented the report in
his hand to the princess amidst the glares.
“Thank you, Ser Assel.” The crisp voice of the princess was calm, but Assel felt a little guilty upon hearing
it.
He was considered as a half-teacher to the princess since the skillful swordsmanship of hers was taught
by him.
“It’s my duty, Your Highness,” Assel lowered his head and answered.
The princess and the others did not look at the report, and he knew that they had received this
information already.
He could not help but steal a glance at the calm half-elven princess. She was still as composed as her usual
self.
Her beauty seemed to stand out in this oppressive atmosphere with her silver hair reflecting a soft sheen
from the candlelight, while her hands were placed on her thighs with an unflinching gaze and pursed lips.
But there was a rarely seen expression of graveness as she returned the stares from everyone.
“I understand, let us go ahead with your wishes,” she said.
It was a compromise, but her decisive voice did not allow any further negotiation.
2311
It was as though she was the one who made the decision all by herself, without being affected by their
bemoanings. Count Barre shook his head in disappointment. If this princess was actually a prince, then
how wonderful would it be?
Unfortunately, there were no ‘ifs’ in history.
A peace treaty with Count Randner, then an arranged marriage of alliance after holding talks with Duke
Arreck.
In the minds of every member of the Royal Faction, the damned invaders from the north would be treated
like the threat of a barking dog.
Once the snow melted and the battles in the future were over, the revival of the Aouine kingdom would
definitely be realized.
It was a perfect outcome.
============= Trentheim =============
Hadsh sneezed after a yawn. He rubbed his face and tried to stave off the cold from his face. Even though
it was a new year, the freezing cold did not seem like it was going to end soon. It was instead getting
colder, and the Gris river had a layer of ice over it from time to time. Trees were becoming as hard as
stone.
He was standing on top of a watchtower and placed his hands on the walls while he looked out to the
forest. Part of the forest had been cut down and the land was tilled, but the seeds had not sprouted yet.
The farmers had already left the area, and there were only soldiers and mercenaries along with a number
of knights. These military units were the best professionals from the various regions.
The watchtower he was in was a short distance away from Trentheim. There were many people who
knew there would be a great battle ahead, and they thought there was no doubt at all in terms of their
strength.
Even though Count Randner was slowly becoming an old man, his vigor had not decreased at all. His
orders to the various retainers that he had were still seen as authority. An army of nearly twenty
thousand was gathered in a short period of time. Most of Trentheim’s men also knew that there were
tribal natives and undead assisting Count Randner as well. Even the northern lords would take pause at
Count Randner’s strength.
But Hadsh and many natives had a different view from the other nobles watching the fight between the
Count Randner and the rebels. There were twenty men that came to this watchtower in the past three
days. But what was surprising to Hadsh and the others was that these men were true veterans.
2312
He was formerly one of Graudin’s ‘private knights’, and though he could not compare to the knights
working for high-ranking nobles, he was still considered as a skilled warrior, and there were no more
than fifty of his caliber in Firburh. Private soldiers or militia were no match for him.
In this era, the fights between nobles were usually a bloody affair.
These nobles did not really directly participate in such battles, though there were unlucky ones who were
shot by stray arrows. The soldiers and knights working for them were killed in great numbers, and Hadsh
had experienced several such battles.
People like him who survived the battles would be seen as veterans, and they tend to look down on new
soldiers who had trouble wielding a sword correctly and saw them as fodder.
A noble of considerable influence would have roughly a hundred men consisting of them and knights.
That was the limit for a noble.
First of all, these lords could not afford to pay them.
Paying for the Knights’ armors and swords already required a considerable amount of resources, let
alone paying off a seasoned knight like Kodan.
Secondly, there were not enough talented men. A small lord could not attract people with such skills, as
the ones with even a little talent would rather go to Count Randner or someone else with similar clout.
In truth, a lord with a hundred knights could be seen as someone powerful.
Even someone like Graudin who was given excessive power as a Baron had no more than a hundred
knights.
Yet Brendel was the exception that broke all common sense.
The men under this youth were gathered by coincidence, comprised of mountain warriors and
mercenaries from a faraway region.
Even though they did not participate in a battle of a large scale, they fought bloody battles throughout the
year and had keener senses than the typical soldier.
Jana, Raban, and Cornelius were the cream of the crop. Raban’s subordinates were formal cavalry from
the Karsuk Highlands and they were elite scouts who had fought off Madara’s undead. Each member was
more formidable than the ordinary mercenaries.
But they were not the strongest unit.
Leto and the mercenaries under him were even more impressive. They were not as strong as Raban’s
men due to their old age, but it was precisely because of their age that they had exceptional combat
2313
experience. Their identities were suspicious, and Hadsh suspected they were actually veterans who
survived the November War.
This conclusion was a little frightening but it was also the most likely hypothesis.
There were also other men from Bucce, soldiers and cavalry from Fortress Riedon who fought against
Madara. There were even Lord Macsen’s knights who surrendered to Carglise who had joined Brendel.
Therefore Brendel had close to three thousand men after recruiting new soldiers from Firburh, and
eighty percent of his men were veterans who had enough fighting experience who would not lose to the
knights under Count Randner.
The outsiders thought that Trentheim’s rebels were a disorganized mob, but Hadsh knew there was at
least two thousand knights under the young lord.
[Marsha above, two thousand knights could easily lead a hundred thousand men…… King Erik had only
two hundred knights when he founded Aouine.]
“There’s movement in the forest.” A voice suddenly called out behind him.
Hadsh jumped and turned around.
2314
Chapter 209 – Half-Dragon Scarlett
========== Brendel’s POV ==========
While the tension of Trentheim rose, Brendel and the others were descending into surprise.
Andesha was knocked unconscious with considerable ease by Brendel and Scarlett. The Mistress of
Withering Decay who was older than them could not get even a little advantage under their combined
prowess.
[But what’s going on?]
The red-haired girl walked over, her face as red like a cute apple, but she dared not to take in a single
breath.
Brendel stared at the girl who occasionally showed her sharp canines with a little unruliness on the side,
and he blurted:
“Scarlet, are you alright?”
The girl shook her head quickly to show that she was fine: “I’m not too sure, my lord. I feel that the Fire
Seed has suppressed my Element Power, but I don’t think my strength was affected too much.”
“If going by rank?”
“Perhaps a little less than a Gold-ranker?”
“You retained that much!?” Veronica gasped.
Her abilities had been reduced to an Iron-ranked warrior, and Mephisto was no different. Brendel’s
abilities went down as well, though it was mitigated greatly by the Dragon of Darkness’s blood.
Mana and Element Powers were added passively to a body’s Physique, Strength, Agility, and Perception.
An Unsealed Element Power was to perceive the Laws in one’s own body and the world’s Laws. By
achieving a perfect understanding of the Laws, one would be able to absorb and hold the Laws within
them to achieve a Shaped Physique for the body.
2315
The greatest advantage for a Golden Lineage was their Shaped Physique, and they were typically born
with an Unsealed Element Power, and they would automatically move towards perfecting their Element
Powers and bodies. Galbu’s wizards and Silver Elves had their own Shaped Physiques and were just a
step behind.
But there were other races that were not blessed. The Wind Elves and humans, even though they were
perceived as beings who were blessed by Marsha, had to start with a body that was poorly attuned to
their Element Power and had to take one step at a time to reach the top.
Still, the humans were flexible and had limitless potential.
The citizens of the Golden Lineage had to undergo a long journey to perfect their usage of Element Power,
frequently requiring centuries to do so. The Silver Lineage also required a long time as well.
The person who gained strength the quickest was the Sword Genius King Gatel. He was only seventy
when he reached perfection with his Element Power. The Dwarves’ record was a hundred and sixty years,
while the Wind Elves’ record took two hundred and ten years.
They were much quicker than any of the Golden Lineage or Silver Lineage to master their Element Power.
“Not a true dragon,” Mephisto remarked.
Brendel nodded as well. Scarlett probably had a portion of the Dragon’s bloodline, and it was relatively
common amongst humans. Dragons loved to change into human forms and leave their descendants
behind amongst the humans.
“Dragons are said to choose their mates every decade on the fifth moon. The Star Seers from the Tower of
Ten Borders claims that the first baby birthed on this month would have the blood of the dragon flowing
in them.” Mephisto continued his remarks.
Rumors frequently happened at the southeastern regions of the Dark Forest.
Brendel suddenly squinted. There was a little girl dragon that he thought of, but he quickly dispelled that
image in his mind.
“Scarlett, your parents are?” Brendel asked.
Scarlett looked puzzledly at her lord before she understood what he was thinking and hurriedly shook
her head:
“My lord, my parents are normal citizens.”
“Are you certain?”
2316
“Yes. I still remember things about my childhood. I’m definitely their child. My father told me that I
resembled my mother more, and I have a brother as well.” She seemed like she was afraid of Brendel not
believing her, so she added another sentence: “But my village was raided by bandits and I was rescued by
my former commander after they…..”
“I’m sorry.” Brendel was feeling a little guilty because he had forced her to think about the sad events of
the past and replied softly.
“No, it’s fine.” Scarlett shook her head and smiled, revealing her canines.
Brendel was nearly in a daze from looking at her smile. In his mind, he recalled that she rarely smiled,
and now she had a huge dazzling smile plastered on her face. He yelled a few times in his mind to recover
himself, and at the same time had a stronger doubt about Scarlett’s bloodline.
[Andesha shouldn’t be wrong about this. She’s one of the Tree Shepherds and sensitive to races with
powerful bloodlines.]
“The Blood of Gods?” Orthlyss spoke in her mind.
“No, that’s not it. Humans carry the bloodline of the Iron Lineage, and they wouldn’t magically turn into
someone possessing the Dragon’s blood or even the Golden Lineage after drinking the Blood of Gods…..”
Brendel continued with some uncertainty after considering a while: “I’m probably an exception because I
received the Dragon of Darkness’s blood and it had somehow awakened a certain bloodline.”
“My lord, look at this.” Scarlett raised both her arms.
Dark golden runes were flowing across her arms. It was a familiar sight, as it had happened before when
the Mana Wave came. He did not think much about it back then and merely thought it was the Golden
Apple that caused the tremendous flow of Mana to move in her veins, and it had resonated with the Mana
Wave.
But it seemed like that was not the case.
The Mana and Elements around this area were severed, so there should not be any resonations. These
magic Runes were definitely the power of a Bloodline. Brendel frowned. He did not study much about
Bloodlines and did not recognize the Runes, but Orthlyss shouted in a startled voice:
“The Blood of a Dragon?!”
“What?” Brendel asked in confusion.
“This girl had drunk the blood of a Dragon in the past, and it’s a living Dragon at that. A half-dragon’s
blood…… It’s not a Lineage, but it’s still something that’s good for her. She’s definitely stronger than you if
2317
she leaves the influence of the Fire Seed. It’s a great advantage for her, typically half-dragon humans learn
things faster by twenty or thirty percent.”
Brendel nearly choked on his saliva.
[Dragon Bloodline…… That’s a quest in the game that offers that Talent and it’s an “XP gain +20-30%”, but
that’s so rare that I have never seen a player with it. And drinking a Dragon’s blood? I drank plenty of that
stuff costing from several hundred to millions of coins. It adds stats, and I have never seen someone
drinking it and gaining a Talent. Do things work differently in this world?!]
Brendel wanted to smash his head against a wall when he heard the given advantage, but he quickly
recovered and asked carefully: “Is there any harm to drink the Dragon’s blood?”
“There’s no real harm, but the drinker will have form a unique kinship to the owner of the blood,” she
replied.
The youth could sense Orthlyss’s smirk.
“You have quite the number of enemies, and this little girl will be of great help to you, but you need to be
careful. If that dragon who gave its blood to her happens to be a male dragon who’s full of charisma, your
loyal girl would be seduced away by him.”
Brendel’s lips jerked a few times at the teasing words, though he was not really worried about it. He was
basically certain that the little dragon girl did something to the Golden Apple.
[Hmm. Wait. Did Rauze intend me to have this Golden Apple? Shit, I knew it, that loli dragon is up to no
good!]
Brendel was hugely relieved that Scarlett ate the apple. It was not a good thing to be fancied by a
dragon— He had seen enough unlucky fellows in the game because of the text ‘A Dragon fancies you.’.
The Dragons in the game solved things simply and directly.
They threw a Charmed magic spell on the players or NPCs and directly dragged them into their caves.
Players would not actually get affected by the magic and instead see this on their quest windows.
“A Dragon has expressed interest in you. It is casting a magic spell on you in order to take you away. You
can choose to accept or refuse, but it will still drag you away— Alive or Dead.”
“Please choose to accept or refuse.”
The majority of the gamers who had a normal IQ would choose the former. Technically, a dragon who
dragged such a person into their lair was not really going to do that particular pleasurable and
2318
entertaining thing that the masses enjoyed during their teenage and later years. It was actually a matter
of making the dragons delighted.
The most common method of making them happy was telling a story to them or coming up with a riddle
for them to solve. Most of the time it would take three full days and night.
Logging out was possible for the gamers, but it was necessary for them to work at least seventy-two
hours and perhaps longer to make these Dragons satisfied.
The rewards were satisfactory, but the majority of the gamers were unwilling to do such quests because
of the hassles involved. The Dragons’ memories were good enough to catch any stories that were
repeated. It was all too easy to make the gamers know how good the dragons’ intelligence was when they
solve the riddles quickly.
Brendel shivered when he thought of these things. Rauze gave away the Golden Apple instead of
charming him with a spell. This meant that her interest had surpassed the norm. She did not leave him
because of the lack of interest, but because there was something really important that she had to handle.
But despite the strong interest in him, a dragon’s thinking was completely different from a human.
She was most likely saying this: “Human, I want you to act as a toy until I’m greatly satisfied..”
2319
Chapter 210 – Valhalla Ruins
One of Faena’s hands clutched the edge of her skirt and raised it up. The others did not know when she
had approached and stood on a pyramid-shaped platform. The pale light from the Fire Seed lit up the thin
strands of hair hanging the sides on her face.
“What is this thing!?” She suddenly asked aloud and pointed with her other hand to a certain object.
It was a black metallic staff. Its body had roughly the thickness of an arm and was embedded in a large
crystal that was connected to the base of the platform. On top of the staff was a large crystal sphere.
Brendel was certain that this thing did not exist earlier.
He patted Scarlett’s hand. Both he and Orthlyss had guessed the answers to the puzzle that concerned
Scarlett. It could be put aside for now since the Dragon’s blood did not pose any real danger, and the
threat from the Dragon loli girl Rauze was still faint.
Brendel and the others went over to take a closer look at the staff. There were golden patterns inscribed
into the black staff’s body, though these patterns seemed like they were meaningless lines. They
resembled the aesthetics of the hall and was a product of the ancient eras. The crystal on the staff’s head
was fixed tightly and could not be pried off with strength.
Brendel’s current strength was many times of a normal adult but there was no sign of the crystal
loosening. It meant that the crystal was not affixed by physical means but magic.
The youth had already guessed this outcome at the first glance. He took a moment to look at the others
before he placed his hand back on the crystal sphere. In the next instant, a web made out of layers of
green light came into everyone’s eyes. It quickly extended to reach over a meter to form colorful images
filled with mystery.
[Just like I thought.]
A spark streak across Brendel’s mind.
“What is this?” Veronica asked.
“The core of this underground city,” Brendel answered.
“Oh? I know that the Wind Elves’ Fade Fortress has a crystal sphere in it. The wizards from Galbu made
them and it allows one to manipulate the outer defense systems. Is it similar to this crystal?”
2320
“Similar, yes, since it’s a replica of this crystal,” Brendel replied.
In the game, the Galbu Wizards crafted many replicas and sold them to players at a million Tor coins. As
expected, the imitation’s effectiveness was much weaker than the real deal.
Words formed in Brendel’s retina.
“Stao cu……d oaa s……A’rtee s…… (Request……. Templar…… Interrupted, broken…..)”
“Dum Ru……d oaa s……A’rtee s…… (Dawn Knights…… Cathedral, request….. Interrupted……”
“Pos’ssa……d oaa s……A’rtee s…… (Market area…… Request…….. Interrupted……”
The language of the ancient eras was complex. The shaped designs of the alphabets were prominent
twenty thousand years ago, spread throughout the continent at a certain year, but it was eventually
phased out and buried. Brendel recognized some of the words because he saw many of the deciphered
images in the game.
This language in the game was created by the AI and deemed a miracle by the public. Many players
studied the books collected in the various libraries scattered in the kingdoms. The history in the game
was tied to many events, and it was greatly enthralling to many players.
More words poured out over Brendel’s eyes like a waterfall, each sentence becoming more and more
complicated. The others were looking at the various images that had unrecognizable words hovering over
them, but they suddenly rearranged to form a map.
Brendel had issued a command to the system.
“This is a map of the entire underground city!” Veronica’s eyes glinted with a strange light when all the
layers of green light stopped moving.
There were three defense lines created across the images that resembled broken glass. Lines were drawn
across them like spiderwebs, and there were also three-dimensional pictures of the various rooms and
halls.
[It certainly looks like galaxy maps in the space-genre games.]
Brendel saw Veronica looking back at him with her green eyes:
“There’s even an image of the city above us…… Is it be possible for the crystal to control the above city?”
2321
Brendel nodded with excitement that could nearly be perceived as agitation, but it was not because of
what Veronica asked. It was common knowledge that a city’s Core Crystal was the operating system of
the city’s defenses.
What surprised him was that he could recognize the words that the images were showing.
[I see. So this is why Valhalla is perceived as a territory with a ‘legendary’ rating. There are some words
that I can’t read since I didn’t read enough ancient texts, but it’s enough for me to understand. Valhalla is
a Conceptual Land. The entire city is equipped with an ‘Eternal’ magic system.]
“This ‘Eternal System’ you’re seeing now is a complex magic formation that incorporates Element Powers
and Magic Spells for defense. It’s a Domain that’s self-sustaining and not affected by outside forces. Unless
you destroy the entire city to bits, the system would continue to function.”
Brendel remarked, though he left out certain information.
[It’s also a powerful form of Spirit magic. The citizens of Valhalla probably preserved their souls back
then. This system is capable of collecting Heroic Spirits from other regions. This means that it could
retain technology, armaments, and techniques. In short, it’s a data preservation center.]
The youth organized the windows in his retina. He saw Mist Elves, Negans, Dawn Knights, Dark Elves, and
a few other races.
The Dawn Knights were Negan warriors who worshipped the sun. They were from the Golden Lineage.
Each one was capable of conjuring the morning sunlight to resist the enemies of darkness and capable of
casting powerful healing magic, but these Dawn Knights were ultimately wiped out during the war
against the Twilight Dragon, and the Negan race disappeared in the annals of history. However, Valhalla
was able to preserve these Heroic Spirits.
There were also Angels of Death and Dusk Elves available for recruiting.
[The Dawn Knights are Tier 10, the Death Angels and Dusk Elves are Tier 14. Just a handful of the former
would be the equivalent of a medium-sized kingdom’s entire force in the distant past. Each individual
Death Angel or Dusk Elf is equivalent to a hero found in the War of the Holy Saints. Indeed, Valhalla is a
fitting name as it calls Heroic Spirits to this place—]
Brendel frowned a little. It was strange……
Even if this was a parallel world, what were the chances that the civilizations of this world used terms
that resembled his past world?
His thoughts were interrupted by Veronica’s gasp.
2322
“Just how much Mana is required to control the city through the Core Crystal? Doesn’t it mean that the
circuits are connected everywhere?”
The youth knew what she was thinking. This was similar to Galbu’s floating city. The Kirrlutz Empire
would definitely be interested in this land.
“No, it’s not just the entire city,” he shook his head, “it’s the entire region.”
“””What!?”””
It was not just Veronica who exclaimed. Mephisto and Faena joined in as well. Just exactly how
impressive this territory was?
“But you’re going to be disappointed.”
“Why?” Veronica was already tempted. She was still a general of the Kirrlutz Empire, and this was a
floating city that was bigger than the Galbu’s.
“Here, try it out for yourself.” Brendel removed his hand from the crystal and invited Veronica to try it
out.
The latter looked a little stunned.
“You want me to control this place?” Veronica was curious and puzzled over Brendel’s actions. He was
literally inviting her to control this place and fly it over to the Empire.
Brendel merely smiled and nodded.
Veronica did not ask again and placed her hand on the crystal. Her eyebrows first lifted up, then sank
quickly. She showed a face of understanding after a few moments.
“What is it, commander?” Faena asked eagerly.
“I see. I was thinking how a wily fox like you would be trusting enough to let me test out the system.”
Even though Veronica did not understand the language, she discovered that it was impossible to activate
any of the magic circuits in the city. Perhaps it was because there was severe damage to the circuits, or
maybe time had somehow corrupted them despite the system being ‘Eternal’.
“Is it possible to repair them? How bad is the damage?” She asked.
“Completely ruined, and I doubt anyone knows how to repair this place. The only thing that survived is
the Fire Seed.”
2323
“”It’s a pity.”” Mephisto echoed Veronica’s words at the same time.
“You’re too devious!” Faena glared at the youth, certain that he would not reveal this information if this
place still functioned.
Brendel merely nodded with an emotionless face.
[Indeed, it’s a pity. It’s a legendary place…… But at the same time, there’s a functioning spare Core Crystal
underneath this place. It’s too bad you can’t read the language, hahaha—]
2324
Chapter 211 – Leaving the Loop of Trade Winds
After lighting the Fire Seed and confirming that the Core Crystal had lost its use, the group began to
search the underground city to see if there were anything of use. Since it was an adventure, they should
not be returning empty-handed. Brendel had not felt such a pleasant time searching in an underground
city after Aouine was destroyed in the game.
The youth traveled to other kingdoms and grouped up with players, but it was not unusual to have
players kill-stealing and he had to guard against them. Many groups were also ambushed in dungeons,
and there were many who were lawless and troublesome to deal with.
Here, Veronica and Mephisto made Brendel feel safe. The female general kept her promises and she only
had eyes for precious artifacts. What Brendel wanted might not be things she wanted, and it was not as if
she recognized the value of the ancient artifacts. He would always gain the upper hand here.
Mephisto was someone who did not have any material desire, and instead trained in the path of the
sword like a maniac. If he was not bogged down by the fate of his kingdom, he would probably have
reached Andesha’s level long ago. He was also in need of Brendel’s help to restore his kingdom, so it was
unlikely that he would vie for something that Brendel wanted.
The youth brought these two powerful bodyguards around with confidence that he would find at least
one or two Legacy artifacts, but contrary to his beliefs, he did not even find one functioning magic artifact
despite searching the underground city for several hours.
The entire underground city’s Mana seemed to have been completely disassembled. Any artifacts that
they found had lost its power.
Several passages showed signs of violent battles, and the ground had broken weapons and armors strewn
across the floors. Magic patterns could be clearly seen on them, but there were no signs of Mana activity
on them.
Brendel also discovered some magic artifacts meant for daily life, like Illuminating Crystals and Mana
Stoves. But they were all void of Mana and could not be used again.
[A powerful Anti-Magic spell was cast down here and affected them. But what kind of power does that
spell have to sweep over the entire city?]
Brendel and his two bodyguards were a little shocked. The largest war they knew was the War of the
Holy Saints. The most powerful spells cast during that era were at the Fourteen Circle and it certainly did
not reach this magnitude. It was clear that this particular Anti-Magic spell was used against the monsters
from the Era of Chaos as a final desperate measure.
2325
Still, Brendel swept all this equipment into the Dimension Space. Trentheim did not have iron mines, and
melting these weapons and armor down made it possible for the metal to be reused. This equipment was
high quality and some of them were even made of Star Metal.
[This is such a wasteful use of Star Metal…… Just applying a little of it makes it possible to resist magic
spells. And it’s hard to procure Star Metal too.]
Veronica found it humorous when she saw Brendel’s greedy actions. If it were a young noble from the
Kirrlutz Empire, they would never do something so openly to loot a sacred place.
Faena mocked Brendel for being a slave to money, and the latter agreed with her assessment, though he
rolled his eyes at the notion of being a ‘noble’.
Trentheim and Valhalla were just starting up and it was difficult. He did not mind being greedier when he
needed money. The ratio of Trentheim to Aouine was like Aouine to the Kirrlutz Empire. It was a very
sensible thing to do.
“You…… stupid oaf!”
“Why are you interfering with my choice?”
Brendel’s thick skin made Faena angry. She did not understand why he did something so shameless and
ignored her goodwill, but she was unwilling to admit that she did not want Brendel to act in this manner
in front of Veronica.
They eventually exited the underground city and explored the ruins above. It seemed like there was
resistance at every street corner. Brendel thought the guardians of this place were all defeated as he
collected the equipment. He estimated he got at least a few thousand sets of armor and weapons, filling
the Dimension Space to the brim.
[If Amman had a grave he would turn his body over. Honestly, just having this Dimension Space alone is
already a reward.]
The group eventually stopped searching the area. They confirmed that Valhalla was completely destroyed
and there were no magic artifacts that still worked, and Veronica and Mephisto completely lost interest in
the area.
There were no signs of the Lionheart and Veronica lost two talented youths instead. Even though this
probably did not affect her authority in the Empire, she did not wish to stay on any longer.
“We’re leaving.” She expressed her desire to Brendel.
“Are you going back to the Green Tower?”
2326
“No. I’m heading back to my subordinates and leaving for the Empire. I don’t wish to deal with the
Druids.”
Brendel could understand Veronica’s mindset. The Druids had confronted the latter earlier and she
would not allow her probable enemies to see her awful state, but the also youth thought that the Druids
were probably suffering even more casualties than she did.
“Come to think of it, the youths that you brought are probably the weakest fighters amongst the various
mercenaries and factions, but it seems like you lost the least amount of men. That’s a little too much of an
irony. What are your plans now?” Veronica asked.
“I’m leaving as well. This place is currently a dead city and there’s no point to stay here.” Brendel
scratched his head.
The youth had discovered the second Core Crystal. It had a different shape compared to the conspicuous
crystal, resembling a grey walnut. If he did not access the information from the first Core Crystal, he was
definitely going to miss out on this thing, let alone Veronica and Mephisto.
Thus Brendel took possession of Valhalla.
[It’s not going to be easy to restore it. This Core Crystal establishes the Domain for approximately 2 miles
and supplies twenty buildings with Mana, which is more than sufficient since there are only that many
buildings. Building Wizard Towers, Nests, Magic Forge, or Magic Formations….. I don’t think it’s possible
for me to build even half of the buildings. I should focus on making a Hydra Nest and Magic Forge first.
Then a laboratory for Amandina to study Magicite. Even though she volunteers to be my advisor and has
some considerable talent, it’s a waste if she didn’t do what she was meant to do.]
The instructions given by the second Core Crystal was to build a large hall according to its designs and
plant it into the ground. Once it was activated, the Domain would be created and extended out. The
activation was akin to planting a seed, and the entire process would take two weeks.
Even though he thought it was bizarre to construct such a strange hall, he could not stay here for two
weeks. He had been cut off from the outside world after he entered the Loop of Trade Winds while
Trentheim was surrounded by strong enemies. It was possible to have a dangerous scenario and he had
to settle things as quickly as possible and bring back the advantages that he received from this adventure
to fight the possible enemies.
Building the hall for the World Tree could be tasked to Amandina, and it was also possible to get the
Druids to help out, so in his eyes there should not be a problem Veronica showed a little surprise to
Brendel’s response, but she was quite pleased to see the next action he would take. Mephisto naturally
followed them. He did not have any reason to stay behind, and his original intention was to pick a fight
with Veronica, but no one would have expected that he formed a temporary alliance with her as well as
Brendel.
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From that moment onwards, this little alliance would become take root to become something of
significance in Aouine.
2328
Chapter 212 – Preparation for war (1)
“Hmm?” Brendel froze for a moment after walking out of the Loop of Trade Winds.
“What’s wrong?” Veronica eyed him and asked.
“Nothing,” Brendel shook his head.
He felt that the connection with his summons restored the moment he exited the Wall of Clouds. Medissa
and Ciel reached out to him almost instantaneously once they felt the connection and they reported
Firburh’s situation to him.
Count Randner’s army had finished gathering in the Palas region, and it was not even a day before they
started moving towards Firburh, which was before the harsh winter was even over.
It was a little faster than what Brendel had anticipated.
“Medissa, help me to praise little Romaine for catching the enemy’s movements. Ciel, get the Druids
stationed in our territory to fortify our defenses along River Gris. If the battle starts, keep me informed of
the situation.” Brendel said.
Firburh had been preparing for this battle for several months. It would be ridiculous if they could not
hold out for several weeks.
[This communication system via the Planeswalker is just too good. I can actually direct a long-distance
battle. Sure, there are magic artifacts that achieve the same results, but it’s a low-level fight happening in
Aouine, not some important fight between the Kirrlutz Empire and another kingdom. Neither Count
Randner or me can afford to pay out the device or Mana Crystals to make it function— Huh?]
He suddenly sensed a weak cry in his mind, one that should not exist.
“—Morpheus?”
Brendel saw an image of a ‘boy who cannot be this cute until he looks like a girl’ in his mind. His black
attire was in tatters and he was covered in blood. There was even a naked shoulder revealed as he laid
sprawled across broken rocks as though he was unconscious. Indeed, he was unconscious after climbing
for several hours towards where Andesha had fought Brendel and him earlier.
It was only when he detected Brendel’s telepathic link that he fluttered his eyes and woke up. Perhaps it
was the special relationship between a Planeswalker and a Summon—
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“My Lord, you finally found me, I have been searching for you for a long time.” The ‘girl’ showed an
expression like he was dreaming. His pale, calm face was spotty with blood, but it still glowed with
radiance.
[I see. Morpheus didn’t enter the Graveyard after he was knocked down the valley. Looks like there are
two things that interfered with the communication system. Andesha, as well as the ruins in Valhalla. Well,
it’s not surprising that Morpheus survived after so many sacrifices were made to boost his level. Hmm.
How long has it been? A day? Maybe he was unconscious because I didn’t feed my blood to him.]
Brendel was relieved to see that the Vampire Trap was still alive. The latter was still a Gold-ranker, and
he could be boosted to higher levels to enhance the usage of his Element Power. It was a sizable unit for
his army.
“Are you alright?” Brendel was unable to treat his summon like a ‘card’, and he asked with a little guilt
when he took a closer look at ‘her’ wounds.
“I’m fine,” Morpheus shook his head with a blush appearing on his face, and he spoke with a little
embarrassment in his voice, “I’m just a little hungry, my Lord.”
It did not take long for Morpheus to appear. Scarlett’s face turned crimson, and Veronica looked at the
youth with an odd look.
There were two cute bite marks on his neck.
“Wait, I told you not to bite my neck—!”
Brendel was unable to accept that he was hugged and sucked on his neck by another man, no matter how
much he resembled a girl. He did not expect Morpheus to rush over to him with blinding speed and did
not allow him to react in time. A Vampire’s primary attribute was speed, and even Andesha had to engage
Morpheus in close combat despite having superior levels.
It was simply not possible for Brendel to avoid Morpheus when the youth did not activate Trance.
“It’s because I’m gravely injured and need blood from a pulsing artery, and my Lord’s blood is too
delicious……” Morpheus revealed two adorable canines with a faint smile and answered shyly with a
blush.
Brendel could only sigh and look up at the clouds in silence. It was because of him that Morpheus got
gravely injured so he could only accept the outcome. Still, he gave a strict order to Morpheus and forbid
the latter from approaching his neck unless there was permission given.
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The interlude was quickly over, and Brendel had his eyes on the upcoming battle. He wanted to see his
army’s increased prowess against the challenge from the north. After a day’s journey, they finally moved
back to the Wolf’s Blockade.
The Fire Seed had established Order to the Dark Forest and there was sunlight pouring across the cliffs.
The terrible sight of countless dead corpses in the area was gone. Was it because the wolves had
devoured them before they went for the Green Tower?
Silence filled the forest. Dew could be seen on the leaves. Everything was peaceful and there was no
tension in the air.
The group continued to make their way to where Amandina’s camp was, and a small commotion broke
out when everyone saw Brendel and the others appeared. The first person to rush out was Amandina,
followed by Felaern and her sister Dia.
As long as a Planeswalker’s card was in play, a reset would allow the resurrection of the fallen members
of the card. The others in the camp thought that Dia was merely lost and eventually made her way to the
camp.
Veronica’s subordinates came out in delight when they saw the female general, while the remaining Tree
Elves and Centaurs also rushed over to Brendel.
“My Lord!” Amandina was still wearing her fur coat. Mist poured out urgently from her lips despite her
calm expression, and the delight and relief were apparent in her eyes as she stood in front of Brendel.
“I’m back.” Brendel did not fail to spot the exhaustion in her eyes, but he merely gave a slight nod to the
girl that he had the most faith in.
It was sufficient. Amandina and he were similar people. Their minds worked well under stress, and they
could understand each other thoughts with a few words. Great partners did not need much to understand
each other, and it was unreserved faith in each other.
Even if the Kirrlutz Empire’s Emperor came personally to employ her because he saw value in her talents,
she might not be willing to leave this place. Other than the trust she had in Brendel, no one else
understood her and believed in her like the latter. This faith was exceeding the romantic interest between
a man and a woman, and was instead a pure form of dependency and need.
Brendel did not ask any questions. He looked past her and saw Carglise with a smile and a lowered head.
It was almost the formality of a retainer. The latter who was supposed to stand with the nobles had
chosen to stand with Brendel in a different kind of belief.
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The performance that Brendel had against the Calamity of Wolves had won the lasting trust of the youths.
They seemed to have discovered their goals in life, and each other them were reborn with maturity and
determination.
“My Lord!” The youths exclaimed together as they formed up in front of Brendel and quieted down.
The past few days were like legendary tales sung by bards unfolding before their eyes. They had
experienced it first-hand. Brendel entered the heart of the Loop of Trade Winds and lit the Fire Seed in
the darkest hour. The Calamity of Wolves was dispelled in front of their very eyes. That magnificent scene
was truly an explosion where the future and history were mixed together.
Just a day ago, the Druids, mercenaries, and other factions from the Green Tower searched the Dark
Forest for survivors. They managed to track down Amandina’s camp and expressed their thanks to the
youths when they discovered the latter was Brendel’s men.
The youths knew It was definitely true that Brendel was the one who saved everyone.
As each pillar of light from was extinguished on that fateful day, a single man lit the lighthouse that
illuminated the entire Dark Forest.
This time, it was a hero from Aouine, and the Kirrlutz Empire was not involved.
Brendel would not have thought that he had won even more friends lurking in the shadows. The various
people who survived the Calamity of Wolves had more or less received his goodwill. One could hardly
imagine the amount of gratitude induced when a stranger lent a hand to pull them out from certain death.
Everyone was convinced that the Darkness had triumphed against the Light at the most violent moment
of the Calamity of Wolves. The last sliver of Order was gone and the Fire Seed in the Green Tower was
about to be extinguished. Yet, that single ray of light like the morning sun appeared and completely drove
away from the shadows.
Those who did not know Brendel’s plan were stunned by this event.
When they finally knew what had happened from the Druids’ explanations, everyone was speechless
from their shock. While it was true that gratitude and awe faded as time passed by, these people would
more or less remember this event if they met Brendel.
But Brendel did not know that and was currently surprised by the youths’ sudden silence. He did
command a strong obeisance from the youths, but that was because he was the lord of a territory. Right
now, these men were looking at as though he was their king.
If they became knights in the future, they would answer Brendel’s call and fight for him as though they
were fighting for their kingdom. Perhaps these youths even dreamed of doing so. After the four Holy
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Saints, the only person that commanded such esteem in Aouine was the Ancestral King Erik. No one else
came close to be called a hero.
Brendel was satisfied when he looked at the youths. The White Lion Army was starting to form properly.
He took a step forward while he pulled out Halran Gaia.
“The Calamity of Wolves is over, but your real enemies are already approaching before our very eyes.
Form up and prepare to return to the Green Tower. Glory to Aouine!”
“Glory to Aouine!”
It was a sea of passion.
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Chapter 434 ‐ Volume 3 Chapter 213
Chapter 213 – Preparation for War (2)
The situation of the Druids surprised Brendel considerably. The Green Tower had more than a thousand
people in it, and the evacuated Druid apprentices and young Tree Elves that trickled in after receiving the
news of victory added even more numbers. The survivors in this world exceeded the game by four times.
Brendel thought he had to witness far more sacrifices since there were no players defending the Green
Tower, but it seemed like the several thousands of players did not do as anything close to what the two
Archmagi from the Silver Alliance did.
William and Tulman made the city’s defenses impossible to breach.
The Druids received Brendel and his men with the highest possible reception. Even though the city was in
dire need of various important repairs, there were over a hundred high-ranking Druids who took out
precious Mana from their reserves to create a road of fresh flowers that was over ten miles. When
Brendel finally reached the Green Tower, nearly all the entire city’s residents were waiting at the
entrance.
The youths were fidgeting because Brendel made a joke about how the pretty female Elves might present
a kiss to them, and there were a few young nobles who pricked up their ears along with gleaming eyes.
Of course, the kissing scenes did not happen. The young Elven girls were conservative and reserved,
hiding behind the trees and looking curiously at the heroes from a different race.
But even though there were no kissing, every one of them was garlanded with flowers, with Brendel
receiving two wreaths. Unfortunately, the latter was too busy greeting the Druid Elder Quinn to look at
the two Elven girls who placed the wreaths on his head.
The Tree Elf Druid walked up to Brendel to give a hug, then patted the youth’s two shoulders. This act
was the highest formality given to a comrade amongst hunters. Quinn recognized Brendel as a friend who
was worth laying down his life for.
“A’aton mess talar (May the forest and you stay evergreen, my friend.” Quinn took a step back and spoke
in his native tongue.
“A’aton os dar X’dor mun (The bowstring sings in the evergreen forest.”
A fragment of surprise streaked across Quinn’s face. The Tree Elves’ language was completely different
from the prevalent Wind Elves. He did not expect his human friend to understand it, and he was planning
2334
to explain the meaning afterward, but Brendel understood it and even answered with a perfect greeting
of his own.
The Elder Druids behind Quinn were also surprised. It was unthinkable that a human would know so
much about their habits and customs, not knowing of his ‘past’ where he had stayed in many places and
learned about such customs.
Quinn showed a warm smile: “You did not let us down, and we will not go back on our oaths. You are now
the Lord of this land.”
He raised both hands, presenting a white acorn.
“This is the White Holy Oak Tree’s seed? You’re giving this to me……?” Brendel was stunned.
Amongst the Tree Elves’ traditions, the White Holy Oak Tree was the protector of every soul in the forest.
There was a White Holy Oak Tree next to the Fire Seed in the Green Tower, which every Druid and Tree
Elf’s soul would return to when they departed the earth. By giving the acorn to him, Quinn was
recognizing him as the Lord of Green Tower. Under normal circumstances, only the Great Druid Elder
would have the authority to possess this acorn.
“I think you know our customs very well, Brendel.” Quinn presented the seed with both hands and spoke.
The youth nodded and looked at Quinn and the Druids behind him with a slightly bewildered expression.
Just because he saved this place, these people started to bow their heads? It was a little ridiculous.
Quinn seemed to have seen through Brendel’s puzzled thoughts and he explained: “Based on our customs,
the Tree Elves and the Druids are supposed to gradually move out to the edge of civilization and find a
new ‘Dark Forest’ to guard that area. But my Lord, we have considered your proposal carefully. If you are
willing to walk down of the path of the ancient Saints to develop the Wilderness, we will be willing to
submit under your leadership.”
“There’s the consideration of recuperating from the Calamity of Wolves as well, yes?” Brendel asked.
Quinn showed a look of appreciation. A Tree Elf hardly beat around the bush during discussions, and
Brendel was willing to engage with them with the same customs.
“Yes,” he nodded, “the Tree Elves and Druids need a few years to recover from this event, and these few
years would be enough time to witness your promise.”
“I think it will be insufficient to expand with just a few years, but if you merely wish to see if I’m going to
make it come true, I won’t mind it.” Brendel nodded, secretly delighted.
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Things were progressing more smoothly than he thought. He originally wanted to inform the Druids of
his plans and get the Centaurs and Tree Elves to stay behind in the city as well. Most of the survivors of
the probable ten thousand-odd population were elderly, children and women. The warriors suffered huge
casualties in the Calamity of Wolves, and even if they joined his army right now, they would not provide
much combat strength in the battles ahead. It was at most a long-term investment.
Brendel received the seed, but he did not make an immediate decision and pondered for a while.
“But I think we should keep our status quo. This is my territory, but it is your home as well. We have the
same goals and we don’t need complicated relations.”
“Why?” Quinn did not expect Brendel to refuse. He was certain that the youth’s original goal was this plot
of land.
“I need dedicated allies, not subordinates who are bound by rules,” Brendel replied. He knew that the
Tree Elves and Druids would not get used to the human ways of living. If that was the case, then he might
as well be generous and return the Green Tower to them. After all, the Druid and Tree Elven warriors
would definitely join his army to protect their home.
Quinn took a long look at Brendel and turned back to the Elders. They revealed satisfied expressions.
“You are the most unique human that I have ever seen. Brendel, can we become ‘friends’?” He asked
Brendel nodded. The Tree Elves believed that being friends needed time to witness their friendship; he
understood what Quinn meant.
“Then my friend, may I invite you to oversee our celebrations?” Quinn gave a small smile.
But he did not expect to see Brendel shaking his head: “I’m afraid not. Quinn, I need a favor from you.”
“What is it?”
“I have to leave here for a while and return to my territory immediately. But I need some supplies, armor,
and weapons. I also need horses that could carry us out from the Dark Forest as quickly as possible.”
The surroundings fell into silence.
Carglise and Kodan suddenly understood why they had to rush to the Green Tower. It seemed like
Firburh was in trouble.
“…… Have you encountered trouble, my human friend?”
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“Yes, my territory is under threat. I need to solve this small problem before returning to continue
fulfilling my promise with you.”
“Is it war?”
The tall Tree Elf showed an understanding gaze. He straightened his body and exclaimed to his clan
members: “Did you hear what our human ally said? He needs an army who can fight. He risked his life on
his own to travel deep into dangerous lands and rescued every one of us in our darkest hour. Now, my
clan members, are you the type who is only interested in your own lives?”
Brendel’s jaws fell as Quinn’s voice echoed in the Green Tower. He knew that the Druids’ conditions were
really quite unsuitable to continue fighting. But Quinn was trying to gather an army.
“Wait, you—”
“My friend, I want to fight next to you,” Quinn smiled, “you are right. This is your territory and our home.
How are we going to protect this precious treasure without battles and bleeding?”
There were no passionate answers.
But the Tree Elves walked out one by one from the surrounding trees. Most of them were female as the
males had perished in the Calamity of Wolves. Then the Centaurs rode out. They would not retreat as
they sought glory in battles. The Druids answered the calls as well. Even though they did not care about
the outside world, it did not mean they were cold on the inside— They had held their promise
throughout the years to protect the Dark Forest, and there was meaning to protect something in a war.
Even so, this army was only the size of a few hundred men. There were just too many casualties from the
Calamity of Wolves. But unexpectedly, another group of men walked out, comprising of mercenaries and
adventurers who wore various colored equipment, almost resembling an army made up of beggars, but
they were all standing there to form a group.
There was another bout of silence after everyone walked out.
A man amongst these mercenaries and adventurers was appointed quickly and he spoke:
“My Lord, thanks to your grace, we were fortunate enough to survive in this calamity. I hear that you are
in need of an army.” That slightly scoundrel-looking man who had a stubble asked lazily while shrugging:
“May I ask if you need a group of mercenaries who live to fight for battles?”
Brendel suddenly found himself nearly speechless again.
“What is your price?” He asked as though he was really trying to bargain.
2337
“A gold coin, is that fine?” That man asked.
“Good, you are now my knights. I will permit you to return to witness my victory with this gold coin.”
Brendel said.
There were no more unnecessary replies. The mercenaries pulled out their swords and raised them high
up. The sounds of grating metal filled the forest, followed by the Tree Elves wielding their bows.
Brendel felt moved when he saw this sight. The Elves and humans were standing together as allies after
hundreds of years. The holy oaths sworn in the past were being repeated again. No one would forget
today’s alliance, and the people who witnessed this moment would probably remember it for the rest of
their lives.
The youths behind Brendel also pulled out their swords. This scenario was just too shocking. Even Kodan
and Mephisto did not know how to describe this moment.
This hastily made alliance did not seem like it was secure, but it felt like it had the magic to change
everything in the end.
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In the end, the combined army of the various races was less than a thousand, but the adventurers and
mercenaries who sought for opportunities in the Dark Forest were all skilled fighters, each who could
only be found in one out of a hundred men.
They were made up of powerful Iron-rankers and some were even Silver-rankers. The Tree Elves were
roughly the same caliber; Silver-rankers who survived the Calamity of Wolves.
A mixed force of Iron-rankers and Silver-rankers was the equivalent as having an army that was entirely
made up of knights. Even the strongest army under Aouine’s generals did not have a luxurious formation.
Brendel wondered what Count Randner’s face would be like when this army suddenly appeared in the
battlefield. It was definitely outside one’s expectations.
However, the youth delayed his departure instead of leaving immediately. The Druids rushed overnight
to prepare equipment for this army, which was done at the Mana Pool that was naturally formed in the
Green Tower. It was a common structure that was found in major cities, but rarely found in smaller cities.
There was always an Elder Druid overseeing operations as the others forged steel equipment with Mana.
Even though they were not as sturdy as metal that was genuinely forged, the equipment had the
advantage of being lightweight.
The Centaurs’ workshops were also lit all night long. There were banging of steel that rang all night that
sounded throughout the market area, extending beyond several miles. The various weapons were
quenched in water and immediately delivered to the army.
The various factions staying in the Green Tower sent out their craftsmen as well. The Mountain Dwarves
volunteered to join in the Centuars’ workshops and oversaw operations. It was a peculiar sight to see
several Dwarves, Centaurs, and Elves standing together, competing with each other to increase
production. This scene happened before in the past, but it was only during the War of the Holy Saints.
The other factions sent out messengers to thank Brendel generously. The youth knew that most of them
did not have any discord with Aouine or were distant from the kingdom, but even the coldest faction
verbally supported Brendel by promising to boost his credibility to the Holy Cathedral of Flames.
The few Wind Elves ambassadors in the city asked the youth if he required reinforcements. These elegant
Elves even made a joke about their ancestors having a close relationship with King Erik, though Brendel
2339
could hardly perceive it as one. The Wind Elves were aggressive to the Kirrlutz Empire and actively
sought a chance to make Aouine’s neighbor fret—
Brendel rejected their ‘kindness’ gently.
The Wind Elves wanted to trouble the Kirrlutz Emperor and wished for his early death, but if they got
involved in Aouine’s civil war, then it could escalate into a Holy War between the Holy Cathedral of
Flames and the Divine Pantheon of Wind. He also did not want to face the wrath of the Holy Cathedral of
Flames.
Orthlyss also gave her input and told Brendel to reject the Wind Elves’ aid, even if she was one herself. It
was likely to end up as a political issue, and her insight into politics was far better than Brendel given her
vast experience.
Brendel saw a few unexpected guests a few days later— Count Austin.
Apparently, Mephisto slew the majority of the wolves at the blockade before he approached Brendel for
the first time, allowing the remaining nobles and Centaurs to escape to safety. Andellu then found and led
them to safety after Brendel lit the Fire Seed.
The youth had dispelled his prejudice against this group. These descendants of King Erik picked up the
flags that were left lying on the battlefield once again, carrying the will of the Lionheart.
[Though I must admit it’s a shock that he survived.]
Brendel stared at Austin who also did the same thing to the youth.
“We will consider persuading the princess to stand on your side.” Count Austin finally said.
“I’m surprised. Surely it’s not because I lit the Fire Seed or kept you safe during the Calamity of Wolves?”
Brendel said.
But Austin’s reply was simple.
“We had experienced life and death when we charged against the wolves on that fateful day. It felt like the
flags of our Ancestral King were flying brilliantly once again. Aouine’s flags have not been raised for too
long, and we cried on that day when the battle was over. Not because we feared the wolves, but because
of regret. We regret losing our glorious past, and we feel ashamed to face our ancestors.”
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Brendel trusted his words because Austin was firstly a general before a noble, thus his character could be
trusted. This was the first time that a noble had shown so much deference to Brendel. It was extremely
important to the youth because his final wish was not to stand against the princess.
“The only request I have is for you to always stand on Aouine’s side, to always stand on King Erik’s and
the other ancestors’ path.” Austin continued.
He had not felt the passion to earnestly seek the path of a knight for many years, not knowing who was
capable of picking King Erik’s white swallowtail flag and placed hope in the Corvados, but on that fateful
day, he saw something completely different in Brendel.
Makarov and Buga also saw the same thing in Brendel during that particular encounter, when the youth
swore an oath that many people from Aouine had forgotten, making one recall the gleaming Lionheart
and the belief of an Aouine that was free from corruption and greed.
Austin and the other nobles left after Brendel nodded. It was the first promise won from Aouine’s
nobility, and it bound them together on the same battleline in history.
The preparations of the alliance continued day after day.
Brendel originally planned to extend his stop for two weeks, but he received news from his Summons
that Madara was joining in the battle. There was evidence that the commanding officer was Incirsta’s
adjutant— The One-eyed Dragon, Tarkas.
It was definitely bad news. The current Madara was like a sharp blade to Brendel’s neck, and he had to
bring forward his plan and return in a few days.
Brendel did not idle during his return to the Green Tower. He peeled off the XP off the grimoire’s
remnants. It was like a treasure vault. He only took in a small strand from it in the Loop of Trade Winds
and he got over twenty thousand XP and raising the Mercenary level from 27 to 28 required only
130,000+ XP.
When Veronica was beside him, Brendel did not dare to increase his level since she was interested in him.
She was still considered an enemy behind the scenes, and increasing his capability every second would
make her suspicious.
Then there were many things to do after the return to the Green Tower. He had to set up the alliance
army and oversee the operations until everything was running smoothly before he found the time to
extract the XP.
He got Quinn to prepare a quiet room for him and started working his Element Power on the grimoire’s
remnants. It only took two minutes to get the required XP to level up.
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The youth was flabbergasted to see the system’s notification. It was like he fired a nuclear missile in this
place and wiped out a bunch of monsters, reaching sci-fi levels of incredulity.
He suppressed the agitation and shock in his mind. The rise of the XP bar was making him feel so great
that he wanted to break out in a dance. Still, it was not the first time he experienced something crazy, so
he quickly calmed down after taking a deep breath and continued to channel the stripped power into the
Laws of his Element Power.
Five minutes later, he reached level 29 after adding 170,000 XP.
Ten minutes later, level 30 after adding 220,000 XP. It only took thirty minutes to raise three levels. It
was illogical. Brendel stared at the three glowing black orbs. After stripping close to 500,000 XP, the
shape hardly changed. This meant that the XP within these orbs were far greater than he thought. His
body trembled uncontrollably a few times after realizing that fact.
He did not rush to increase his levels after reaching level 30, and he instead ran to a Grandmaster
Warrior profession staying in the Centaurs’ district to inquire about a combat technique. There was a
core technique that he could learn as long as his related Warrior profession reached level 30.
These core techniques were usually learned at level 30, 40 and 60. Anything beyond that was a different
concept, involving Element Powers and Shaped Physiques as a chain quest. The youth did not bother to
think about them.
Since he had visited the Green Tower in the past and knew about the NPCs after the Calamity of Wolves,
he searched for a Centaur Warrior called Manehoof. The latter’s appearance was no different from the
typical Centaur, but half of his bloodline was a Devil from the River of Scorching Heat. He was not the
most prominent Grandmaster Warrior NPCs in the continent, but Brendel knew that Manehoof taught
two powerful skills.
The first was Piercing Strikes. It was one of the strongest low-tier techniques a Warrior could use, and
even bested some of the mid-tier techniques. It had the chance to do double critical damage, and was one
of the essential techniques for a Warrior to learn in the early stages of the game.
The second technique was a strange one. It could only be used once and did not put itself in the list of
techniques. It was called Bloodline Awakening, a talent that a Devil could have.
This ability was actually used to reset TP and technique slots, and the only alternative to Mediation
Incense which was not obtainable in the early game.
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Chapter 215 – Preparations for war (4)
Learning both Piercing Strikes and Bloodline Awakening originally needed a considerable lengthy chain
quest to be done, but Brendel had the advantage of a maxed out reputation in the Green Tower.
Manehoof did not dare to refuse Brendel’s request, and he was actually honored to teach him these
techniques.
Brendel activated Bloodline Awakening and removed all the techniques under the Militia profession
without hesitation. He then placed Analysis under the Mercenary slot.
The unique riding skill of riding a hunting dragon was not needed anymore and was discarded.
Power Break and Frontal Assault did not work if they were placed together under the same profession
slot, so Brendel eliminated Frontal Assault.
The White Raven Sword Arte was also thrown away after a moment of hesitation, as it was not going to
advance in levels since he did not have the second half of the technique. He was also going to learn the
Wind Empress Nine Luminaries Sword Arte soon enough, so there was no reason to keep it.
The White Raven Sword Arte was merely derived from the Wind Elves’ sword technique, while the Nine
Luminaries Sword Arte was the ultimate technique of the Wind Empress, and there was no possible way
for it to be weaker.
After removing the various techniques, Brendel received a total of 6000 TP. He spent half of it and raised
Piercing Strikes to level 10.
– Piercing Strikes
– Level 10
– Does 425% bonus damage in a frontal cone shape of thirty meters
– 12.7 % chance to do a critical strike.
– Grandmaster trait: Increase 100% damage from Charge with a fixed percentage.
[With the combined Charge and Piercing Strikes techniques, there’s a chance to do more than 1500%
damage. It’s a low probability, but it’s still a chance.]
2343
Brendel had considered this arrangement even before he entered the Loop of Trade Wind. After he
successfully gained Valhalla and the Druids’ trust, he felt that he had gained the first step to control his
fate.
For an NPC living in this world, they had to put in a tremendous amount of effort to reach such skill levels.
But for a gamer, the characters that they played had the potential to possess such powers. Brendel’s goal
was to become the strongest just like the other gamers. He would use a single person’s power to shock
this era.
In the game’s terms, he must be a Carry, and be that Carry who possessed the ultimate equipment,
capable of saving the entire world in the game. While it was not truly necessary to be so extreme, he at
least intended to expend an immense amount of resource and execute a long-term plan to become one.
(TL: The slang ‘Carry’ refers to someone in a game who can totally flip a losing game into a victorious
one.)
[I’ll leave my Mercenary at level 30 and Elementalist at level 25. There are two professions available with
this combination. Frost Slayer, Ice Knight. These are professions suitable for Angurvadal.]
Brendel had started to aim for the future sword of Yula and Eke’s daughter. It was a Fantasy-ranked
weapon, the Icicle of Golden Flames. In the game, Irela Orphelon Lantonrand was the last royal member
who possessed this weapon.
[I apologize, future-unborn-girl, it’s necessary for the current Aouine. Ice Knight is a Dual-wielding
profession, so I can wield Halran Gaia in my right hand, and wield Angurvadal in my left hand. There’s
even the possibility of advancing to Elivagar Sentinel.]
He rubbed his forehead. An overall total of 80 levels, and it was necessary for him to reach the state of
‘River of Eternal Ice’ as an Elementalist. He could also become a Paladin as a side profession to gain the
skill Aura of Conflict. Ampere Seale was one of the cities that had a Bishop who could anoint knights. It
was also a journey that merely required him to travel a month or two.
Finally, he called Orthlyss to teach him the Nine Luminaries Sword Arte. This would be one of his ultimate
trump cards ever since he came to this world, forming the core technique of his long-term plan. He should
definitely learn it first.
But Brendel immediately stared in confusion when Orthlyss showed him the technique.
The technique at level 0 created an illusionary clone when he moved to make an attack, and there would
only be one clone with each move. The clone was able to deal 5% of his damage and was capable of using
techniques, but it would require Mana from him. It had nothing to do with physical capabilities like King
Gatel’s Flash Strike Sword Arte.
2344
[Considering that it’s the Moon Legacy…… It’s logical that the Nine Luminaries Sword Arte is a Magic
Sword technique. Mana is related to the moon after all. But what makes me speechless is the amount of
TP required. 3550 TP to learn this skill? My knees are already on the ground. Military Swordsmanship
only requires a few TP to advance to level 1. Military Swordsmanship requires slightly more than 10,000
TP after level 13. Does it mean it would be 3550 times 10000 at a certain level….. What’s with this insane
black hole?]
Brendel’s face was pale. Orthlyss even thought there was something wrong and asked with concern:
Brendel shook his head: “It’s too hard……”
The female Elven Knight froze for a moment before she laughed with a smug expression: “So there are
times when you would find it difficult too? My little brother, I actually thought you are capable of
everything.”
She eyed Brendel and teased him: “Haha, did you know that I reached the basics of this Sword Arte before
I was thirty-five? I was considered the most talented successor of this technique. Now, now, you must not
let this older sister be disappointed, indeed~~~”
The Elves aged much slower than the humans. The age of thirty-five for one was the equivalent of a five-
year-old human child. Brendel knew that how difficult the Sword Arte was when it required that much
TP. Orthlyss was indeed a genius to learn the basics at the age of ‘five’.
[Basics huh. That’s the first three levels, it’s still not a problem for me.]
Brendel was not going to let his ‘proud older sister’ look down on him. He punched in his remaining TP
into the Sword Arte, then took a step forward and left an exact clone behind him.
“Wha…… Yo……. Brendel, how can this be possible!” Orthlyss gasped and stared in disbelief, a huge
contrast from her earlier mature and confident behavior. It was almost cute. “T-t-this is just too
ridiculous!”
She had never seen something like this even with more than a thousand years of insight. She was
screaming in her mind that he was cheating and it was a scam.
Brendel had grasped the strongest technique in the Legacy of the Moon in just a few seconds. That was
the legendary technique that exceeded the other swordsmanships, something that defied common sense.
The Nine Luminaries Sword Arte was recognized as the pinnacle of techniques, one that rivaled the Flash
Strike Sword Arte. How did he learn it so quickly?
2345
[Is it really possible for such a genius to exist in this world!? Are the legends of the Ancestral Citizens
true!?]
Orthlyss’s ears were filled with roars from a thunderstorm in her mind.
[Just who is this little boy? How is it possible for an existence like him to appear in this era?]
Brendel was testing out his new technique, shocked at how powerful the Nine Luminaries Sword Arte
was, completely failing to realize that Orthlyss was completely silent. He took a step forward and his
clone seemed to come alive and move to a position. It was as if the clone had inherited his abilities and
judgment. Brendel took the time to analyze the position of his clone, and he realized that he would have
also chosen the same position if there enemies next to him.
The clone lasted less than a second and disappeared. Since there was no enemy, the clone did not pull out
his sword. The duration was short, but victory or defeat tend to be placed on a thin line. It was more than
enough.
[This is a divine technique! It’s possible to summon multiple clones and multiply my strength— Other
high-tiered techniques in the game cannot compare to this.]
Brendel opened the Stats Window and saw the skill written in dark gold letters.
– Nine Luminaries Sword Arte (Transcendent/Ancient)
Brendel completely immersed himself with this Sword Arte the next few days. He had never seen or
heard anyone possessing this technique, though there were plenty of rumors about the techniques used
during the War of the Holy Saints. The first thing to do when a game got such a powerful technique was to
max out the levels as much as possible.
Not enough TP? No problem, the grimoire’s fragments provided them, right?
The XP could be converted to TP. The 10:1 ratio from XP to TP was still acceptable to him. He pulled out
the XP from the fragments, converted and poured it into the technique. Other than performing the daily
necessities of life, no one saw Brendel leaving from the room he was in.
But the grimoire seemed to have a mind of its own. After Brendel caused the black orbs to crack from
absorbing too much of its essence, it began to resist the youth’s Element Power, slowing down the
amount of XP drained.
Brendel converted nearly all the XP into TP, increasing two levels in the next two days. Orthlyss was a
little numbed upon seeing that result. Every time when Brendel showed off his skill in the Nine
2346
Luminaries Sword Arte, she wondered if she was sleeping in the Ring of the Wind Empress and she was
actually dreaming.
– Nine Luminaries Sword Arte (Transcendent/Ancient)
– Level 5 (Professional)
– Creates an illusion during the point of attack in the body’s original location.
– 5 maximum clones, 35% damage of the original body
– Professional Trait: The main body is able to switch with a clone’s position once.
[There’s already an effect on the ‘professional’ level? I should express my shock, but the TP required after
level 5 is 100321. That’s fucking bananas. Are you kidding me?! Level 5 and you need a hundred thousand
TP? Then after level 10, it would require a billion XP! Mother Marsha!]
2347
Brendel gave up raising the Nine Luminaries Sword Arte after it reached level 7 for the time being. The
skill needed more than 250000 TP at that level, and the XP gained from the grimoire’s fragments could
hardly keep up with the requirement.
The Nine Luminaries Sword Arte at level 7 could produce eight illusions and deal 50% damage of the
base body. It was just a step away from producing the maximum number of illusions, which was nine.
The youth also realized that the illusion’s duration was affected by the level. The initial duration only
lasted a little longer than a second in the beginning, but each level increased the duration by
approximately 0.1 seconds.
[Hmm. Typically my physical abilities use my stamina points, but my illusions use MP instead. Charge
uses 6 MP, Piercing Strikes uses 20 MP. Since I’m a warrior, my MP is significantly lower than my stamina.
I only have 250 MP in total, and casting eight illusions along with a Charge and Piercing Strike will use up
almost everything.]
Brendel experimented with one of the illusions casting a magic spell.
[There isn’t really much time for the illusions to do any real casting, but let me try using the illusion as a
defensive tool. Barkskin— Hmm. It adds +1 to armor. Barkskin requires 50 MP, but if an illusion does it,
the ability requires 100 MP instead. That’s double the MP usage.]
He continued to experiment with the ability and called out Kodan to test out the Sword Arte. The illusion
could not cast another illusion on its own, and it did not seek to actively swap places with him even if the
main body was in danger.
But after Kodan fought the youth for a day, he complained in frustration and refused to do so any longer.
Brendel had become even stronger than before, and the Nine Luminarinaries Sword Arte was too bizarre.
The old man was literally a punching bag for the youth; a normal person would refuse to become one and
it was even more so for a Gold-ranked Swordsman.
Kodan did not show up on the second day.
But Mephisto came to look for Brendel. The youth did not know where the Sword Saint of Ashes heard
that he was looking for someone to train with, but the latter did not beat around the bush and bluntly
asked for a duel immediately.
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[This is a little puzzling. There’s really nothing to learn from me at your skill level. Your stats or
swordsmanships are vastly superior to mine. It’s more appropriate to say you are guiding me or
something.]
Brendel obviously did not refuse someone who was willing to aid him. What was unexpected was how
Mephisto limited himself with a handicap and fought the youth patiently.
Mephisto had more insight than Kodan and his eyes narrowed in recognition of the ancient technique.
“This technique is beyond my understanding, but your clones are using the same standard of your
military swordsmanship. There are some minor things you can do to improve it.” Mephisto said.
[As expected of a Sword Saint. His command of the Empire’s Military Swordsmanship is really something.
Even though there are some differences with Aouine’s Military Swordsmanship, they are somewhat
related to each other. I feel like I’m moving closer to level 17 Military Swordsmanship, though it’s a pity I
can’t get a +1 on my Military Swordsmanship like how I got it from Kodan and my grandfather.]
Brendel’s mind was itching. The effect for a Swordsmanship above level 15 was tremendous. The higher
the level of the Military Swordsmanship was, the more bonuses associated with it.
[If I seek out all the Sword Saints in the continent and get to learn from them, maybe I can reach the
Divine Realm? Or maybe not. There are more than ten Sword Saints, but these people have really peculiar
personalities. Some of them are even evil. Mephisto is really considered to be a normal person when I
compare them. A really normal person amongst normal people.]
It was an impossible task to raise friendship points for all of them, though Veronica jokingly said she
could teach him her swordsmanship if he defected to become a citizen of the Kirrlutz Empire. It was
naturally impossible for him to accept.
That was a loud clang which jolted Brendel from his nonsensical thoughts, and the tremendous feedback
that transmitted to his hand nearly tore his sword away. He hurriedly retreated and three illusionary
clones behind him rushed forward to stop Mephisto from continuing his attack, allowing him to escape.
Mephisto watched the illusions disappear in front of him, but he did not continue his attack and instead
put away his sword while he looked at the panting youth.
“You lost your concentration?” He asked.
Brendel nodded and took in a deep breath: “Yeah.”
“Then let’s call it a day.” Came the short reply.
2349
Brendel nodded again, but he suddenly blurted out with curiosity: “Count Sutherland, we haven’t got to
know each other for very long, but it has been fifteen days. I think I’m quite certain of your personality,
and you would never take the initiative to lower your head or express goodwill, right?”
Mephisto did not reply. Brendel’s words were acknowledged.
“I think you have an insight into my character as well. I don’t mind joking about the minor things, but I am
definitely not regretting or delaying the promise I made to Lady Veronica to restore your kingdom.”
Brendel paused for a moment.
“But I think your intention today is to teach me swordsmanship…..?”
“When do you plan to leave the forest?” Mephisto did not answer his question.
“The Druids have prepared all the necessary war equipment. The Elves and human mercenaries are
geared up and ready to move out, but it’s a problem to transport the food supplies over to Firburh on
such a large scale. Even with the natives’ aid, there are not enough horses to travel quickly.”
Brendel frowned as Mephisto threw out the most problematic issue he had. If the army was to travel on
foot, then it would take at least a month’s journey.
“But back to the question you asked, I’ll be leaving in a week by the latest. A portion of the army will
follow me separately to travel light and return to Firburh quickly.”
Mephisto nodded: “I’ve heard that your territory is under attack. How confident are you in winning this
battle?”
[So you’re afraid that I will lose?]
Brendel finally understood why Mephisto was teaching him. He took a long look at him and replied:
“Count Sutherland, I always wanted to ask you a question. Even though I’m not sure what kind of
agreement you came to with Lady Veronica, do you know that I have enemies all over Aouine? Choosing
to get on my ship is perhaps a bad choice.”
Mephisto peered back. The youth’s wits reminded him of Veronica when she was young. It was no
wonder why that woman admired his brilliance.
“Captain Brendel, your enemies are indeed numerous while I only have one enemy. What do you think of
this?”
2350
Brendel blinked a few times before he laughed.
Indeed, the aloof Sword Saint of Ashes only had one enemy from the start. The Kirrlutz Empire. If he was
not afraid of that enormous monster, why would he be afraid of the tiny creatures from Aouine?
“What exactly do you want from me, Ser Mephisto?” He asked.
Mephisto straightened up and asked in an earnest tone: “I wanted to ask if you’re willing to be my
successor and learn my swordsmanship.”
“Hah?”
Brendel was instantly stupefied. He resisted the urge to find a mirror and check his appearance to see if
there was any change. Why did it seem like everyone was treating him so nicely? But since he was already
being taught by a Heroic Spirit, he was not too stunned by the fact that a Sword Saint wanted him as a
student.
[No, calm down. Mephisto might want me as a student because there’s another attachment for me to help
restore his dukedom, and he wants to restore it because it’s his duty. He’s someone rare in this era
because of his purity, but this doesn’t mean that he’s a fool. I’m sure that he will protect his territory
when he’s around, but he will never put all his energy into leading this country, and his ultimate lifelong
pursuit is swordsmanship.]
Brendel’s mouth jerked once.
[But other people probably perceive me like a lord rather than a swordsman. For some reason, I get the
feeling that my flashy spell cards are what people remember me for instead of my swordsmanship. Then
again, I probably can’t match even Kodan’s passion for the sword. If I had the experience of becoming a
wizard, then I won’t choose swordsmanship, and instead choose a power that can help Aouine, not
technique.]
This was indeed Mephisto’s reason for feeling that Brendel resembled Veronica. She was a Duchess and
general of the Kirrlutz Empire before a Sword Saint. The name ‘Goddess of Combat’ was far more famous
than the Azure Sword Saint. It was why the gap between Mephisto and Veronica’s swordsmanships was
large, and why the former was known as a Sword Saint longer than she did.
Brendel’s head cooled down fully once he understood this point.
Mephisto’s swordsmanship was likely to be a skill tree of its own, and the quality was at least close to an
intermediate rank or above it. Having someone as skilled as him to back him was good, let alone learning
his skills.
2351
However, he was already being taught by Orthlyss. She might ignore the Dragon of Darkness’s Legacy
because he was someone from her era, and it was understandable that both of them had respect for each
other, but what about Mephisto? No matter how skilled he was in this era, he could not be on an equal
footing with her.
It was difficult to know what her opinion was, until she stated she did not object to it.
“I suggest you accept it.” Orthlyss felt a little satisfaction in her heart when Brendel asked for her opinion.
He did not regard her simply as a Heroic Spirit who was trapped in a ring, but a real teacher. Even though
she did not really think that it was an issue, she was still pleased to find an impossibly talented youth as a
successor.
“Mephisto’s swordsmanship is very unique and it is its own style. My view is limited to things that are a
thousand years ago, and what that bastard Ooinn gave you was a Bloodline Legacy. In comparison, what
he gave you might help you even more than what I can give you. There’s no need to pay attention to what
I think. Your older sister is willing to see you become stronger.”
“Thanks.” Brendel felt a little stir of emotion in his heart. The care from Orthlyss truly resembled an older
sister’s protection for a younger brother.
But he did not immediately agree to Mephisto’s request:
“I thank you for your kind intentions, Ser Mephisto, but please allow me to think about it for a day.”
Mephisto’s eyes showed admiration. He was very confident in his swordsmanship, and people would
probably faint from glee if they heard he wanted a successor, but Brendel retained his composure. Be it a
swordsman or a lord, it was necessary to remain calm at all times.
“It’s fine for you to choose, but you should know that I’m teaching you my swordsmanship not because
you’re a future lord, or that I want your aid in restoring my land, but the fact that I indeed believe that
you’re brilliant enough to inherit my swordsmanship. Even though I haven’t been with you for long…… I
believe in Veronica’s judgment.” He paused for a moment and added in another line.
“You knew Veronica from long ago?” Brendel could not help but blurt out his curiosity, though he
regretted it a little upon finishing his words. It was a little too gossipy. His habits as a gamer were hard to
change despite coming to this world for quite some time.
But he did not expect Mephisto to nod without minding the question: “My dukedom was always a part of
the Kirrlutz Empire. When I studied in the Empire’s academy, Veronica was living next to my room.”
“Damn! Really?” Brendel yelled, and his gossip soul immediately blazed. He only knew that Mephisto was
the Empire’s mortal foe and had fought with Veronica many times, but to think that they were childhood
friends to a certain extent.
2352
But Mephisto cut off Brendel’s question despite the latter’s growing questions: “Remember that I asked
about when your army is leaving?”
“Yes?” Brendel looked at the stoic Sword Saint in confusion. Mephisto had an expression like it was
carved out of wood.
“This isn’t actually a problem. The two Archmagi from the Silver Alliance. I have a little past with
Grandmaster Tulman, or perhaps I could say he owes me one, and I can get the two wizards to help out.”
Mephisto said.
“Mass Teleportation magic!” Brendel’s body jolted. It might sound a little crazy to teleport thousands of
people, but it was definitely not a problem to send out several hundred. If the rest of the army took swift
steeds from the Green City, then everything would be solved!
The youth delayed his trip in order to solve this problem properly. Even though the Druids were trying to
gather various mounts to transport supplies, how was it possible to do so when the Calamity of Wolves
just happened?
But Brendel inquired with a little hesitation and expectation after he recovered from his surprise:
“But Tulman belongs to the Silver Alliance, and they made an oath not to interfere with us mortals.”
Mephisto merely put his finger to his lips, signaling an “If you don’t speak of it, and I don’t, then who
would know?”
Brendel’s jaws dropped.
[Cheating!? This is absolutely cheating…… What the fuck…..]
2353
Chapter 217 Battle at the riverbank (1)
========== Hadsh’s POV ===========
“In the name of our Lord’s clemency, I will grant you one chance to lay down your weapons and
surrender!” A knight stood on an elevated ground, raised a flag, and yelled to the people below.
“Return whence you came from, and carry my greetings to your lord!” Hank pulled out his longsword and
roared back to him.
The knight shook his head as though he had already guessed this outcome. He mounted on his horse and
disappeared from the highlands.
“Why did you not consider surrendering?” Hadsh could not help but ask.
“Did you only learn how to surrender under Graudin’s command?” The veteran scout peered back with
dull brownish eyes. (TL: Hadsh was introduced in chapter 209.)
Hadsh was at a loss for words. He did not know who the old man’s identity was, but he guessed the latter
was a direct subordinate of that young lord.
[I heard rumors that he belongs the Red Bronze Dragon mercenaries, but I don’t buy it. This old man
moves like he’s an elite military scout. He was the one who managed to discover the movements of Count
Randner’s army and led us out of a predicament. But that old knight from the Palas region lives up to his
name. He used the native Highlanders as guides and ushered our army into favorable spots for their
armies— It’s as if they are herding us up like deer and hunting us one by one.]
It was difficult to discover the enemy’s intentions unless one was a very experienced ‘hunter’.
Hadsh did not exaggerate his thoughts.
The other guards stationed at the watchtowers did not detect any of the enemies movements, other than
the old man in front of him. The latter had to be one of the best scouts in the army, if his primary job was
indeed scouting.
The old man did not mind Hadsh’s stare and knocked on the latter’s chest: “Stand straight, boy. There’s
nothing to be afraid of. Abandoning someone like Graudin is the best decision you ever made. You’re now
a true warrior, so bring out the courage a warrior is supposed to have—”
The other scouts immediately laughed for a while. It was remarkable they were still able to laugh.
2354
The enemy Highlanders came late but moved quicker than them. Firburh’s defenders were delayed in this
forest and got surrounded by Count Randner’s army that was commanded by a few of his knights.
Hadsh’s face was slightly red. He knew that he had misspoken. Even though he was forced to submit to
that young lord, Count Randner would still perceive him as a traitor; the others could surrender to the
latter but it was not a choice for him. He was initially someone with considerable pluck, but his willpower
was gradually worn down by working for Graudin.
He took a deep breath and determined himself to be as hard as his blade.
Hank was admonishing the other scouts: “What are you fools laughing at, get ready for battle—”
The twenty-odd riders started moving off to various directions. The new soldiers in the watchtowers
were frightened and they had pale faces long ago under this desperate situation, not knowing what to do
when they were surrounded. But the experienced scouts held themselves with inscrutable expressions,
their breathing even, with bodies on edge as though they were like beasts seeking for a chance to escape
danger.
“Study where the enemy is going to attack and find a chance to break out of this blockade.” Hank’s sharp
eyes surveyed his surroundings like a hawk and issued an order to his temporary subordinates.
A sudden whistle pierced through the cold air, and Hadsh sensed one of the riders fall from his horse. His
hand quickly reacted as he turned around to look, stabilizing that falling rider on his mount. The arrow
seemed like it was a signal, as many more fell through the area like rain accompanied with buzzing
noises.
Hadsh was distracted by his own action and an arrow was already blitzing towards his head, but one of
the riders pulled out his longsword and intercepted its target. The scouts pulled out their weapons to
deflect the raining projectiles, creating a cacophony of metallic noises for a period of time.
If these riders were common soldiers that the nobles hired, they would have frozen in fear or scattered
like frightened rats.
It was not long before Hadsh and the others noticed that the concentration of fire on their flanks was not
as intense. Hank whistled and pointed to the right with his sword. The riders understood his command
and turned their mounts without excessive collisions or chaos, rushing to where their commander
pointed to.
Wilson, the knight who conversed earlier with Hadsh, felt a chill in his heart when he oversaw the battle
on the high ground. The report stated it was a bunch of rebels who killed Graudin and occupied Firburh,
2355
yet when he looked at the quality of these scouts, where and how did they resemble rebels? Some of the
highly regarded armies in Aouine did not even have their discipline.
He immediately issued an order to his subordinates to get the other knights to move out, hoping to reach
the enemies before they got to the archers who would not be able to fend them off.
But despite his quick orders, he felt uneasy in his heart.
Foot soldiers hired privately by the nobles raised their spears and poured out from the forest. Even
though these people were not a proper unit, they were still a threat to the Firburh’s riders.
Hadsh leaned back to avoid a spear that was aiming for him, and his longsword slid past that foot
soldier’s neck.
It had been a long time.
The feeling of a sharp sword breaking the fragile skin of the throat, cutting through arteries and causing a
shower of blood to spill forth. All the muscles in Hadsh’s body tensed, and he turned his head away to
avoid any blood splatter that might reach his eyes, only to see a rider get stabbed in his back by two
spears. The latter was someone who had treated him to wine just two days ago, and even though it was
not anything good, Hadsh clearly got to know him as a mercenary.
Right now, that mercenary was letting loose a dying gasp and coughing weakly, but his hands still gripped
onto the reins and he urged his steed forward, maintaining a charge to break through the foot soldiers.
There was a loud crash with shocked cries as men were knocked into the air. The mercenary was hurled
off his mount and struck onto the ground, hard, and when Hadsh galloped past him, he was already dead.
Hadsh inhaled deeply when he saw that situation and raised his longsword in fury, cutting down three
foot soldiers in front of him. The enemies were low Iron-rankers and there were some who did not even
reach that standard. With his current strength, these enemies were not really a threat to him.
However, there was a loud bellow blasting from a nearby horn and trampling noises from horses that
came from the right. Ten-odd knights broke through the thin veil of mist and appeared before the scouts.
“Turn around and engage the enemies!” The old scout’s voice rang out behind Hadsh.
The situation was getting dire.
The scouts were already surrounded by the foot soldiers. The latter’s morale was boosted by the sudden
reinforcements, and they were trying hard to delay the scouts to allow the knights to join in the fray.
There were less than twenty riders remaining.
2356
A black figure suddenly emerged from the scouts as they were forced to huddle by the foot soldiers. Hank
rode forward and snatched away a spear, cut down its owner down with his sword, then whirled his
horse and charged towards the knights.
A man and a horse, seemingly with an air of a reigning champion in the dueling ground, charged forward
as though there was nothing that could stop him.
It was not just Hadsh, even the knights under Count Randner were shocked. Both sides were lightly
geared, who would dare to charge forward so recklessly to do mounted combat?
But that momentary pause had allowed the old scout to ram into them. The nearest knight to Hank
screamed as he was impaled by the spear and lifted off his mount, and his outburst was suddenly cut
short as his life was snatched away.
The spear was clearly not suited for horse combat. The forceful impact had snapped the spear into two,
and Hank continued to unleash an assault in the knights’ formation. His longsword was swinging to and
fro, and another knight was cut down from his horse.
Hadsh nearly bit his tongue. In his eyes, the old man’s strength was not high, probably about the same
level as he was, but that smooth action of his was not something that anyone could achieve.
[Which army did this old man belong to in the past?]
He immediately wondered. Even Aouine’s current elite army could not raise such an excellent warrior.
This was someone who fought hundreds of battles, and it was definitely not something that could be
imitated.
He suddenly recovered from his surprise and yelled to the people behind him: “Arrows, arrows! Cover
him!”
Several riders were already preparing and did not need his reminder. They took down the longbows that
were behind their backs and shot arrows to disrupt the knights’ attempt to surround Hank.
The old scout easily charged out of the poor attempt to surround him, and he raised his longsword and
pointed to a certain direction.
“Seize this chance and break through the siege!” Hadsh was acting like he was possessed by a divine
spirit, understanding Hank’s intention immediately. He felt his body burning up, and the adrenaline
forced his eyes to become bloodshot. He directed his sword forward and the riders roared in response.
The foot soldiers could no longer hold the riders down.
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Count Randner’s knights had trouble controlling their horses that were moving chaotically, while their
opponents who had roughly the same skill were charging towards them……
Wilson nearly blacked out from watching this scene unfold. He thought he had grabbed onto a piece of
juicy meat, but it was instead a steel plate that smashed onto his hand instead. A hundred-odd men with
ten-plus knights were unable to surround less than twenty scouts, and these enemies were even able to
escape from them.
“Fuck! A veteran who survived the November War, how are we supposed to fight this battle!?”
Wilson was the best knight under Lord Palas. He had great experience in fighting due to the frequent
battles against the highland natives. The rebels should have been nothing to him, and even if it were a
formal army of Aouine, he might not even think they were worthy of a match, but this time Wilson
believed that it was the most bizarre battle he had ever fought in his life.
He had seen more things than Hadsh did and was absolutely certain that Hank was a soldier who
survived the November War.
[At least half of the soldiers who survived the November War were awarded the Candlefire Emblem. They
were even given a small plot of land even if they were not knights. Why would someone like that appear
amongst the rebels?]
Wilson started shaking, believing that he and his lord had fallen into an insidious scheme.
While the knight was agonizing over the pain from his losses, the reports of the frontline battles were
relayed to Lord Palas by scouts. Even though this old knight was working with two other army
commanders, he had such a vast experience in battles that these two other commanders were only fit to
be his adjutants.
The only person who could fight head-to-head with him was actually the famous commander Tarkas from
Madara. The undead officer was considered old by human standards, but he was perceived as young
amongst Madara.
There were many talented ‘youths’ in Madara who were appearing in this particular War of the Black
Rose. Lord Palas was sighing in his mind even though he was working with Tarkas. Aouine was like a frail
old man with an air of death compared to Madara.
For some strange reason, the old knight suddenly recalled that it was a young man who led the rebels. He
was starting to have a little interest in his foes, though it was definitely impossible to shake his beliefs.
According to the reports, their vanguard had fought against the watchtower guards. The truth was that it
was not an ideal exchange. Most of the reports were victories that had significant casualties, and there
were even battles that they lost.
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And yet it was his army who had the advantage in numbers.
The combat prowess of the enemies was out of his expectation, but it was not at a level where he found it
difficult. Regardless of the losses, at least these watchtower guards were forced to retreat to the north
back into River Gris, and the goal in his strategy had been achieved.
The next battle would be taking Port Gris and crossing the river to do battle.
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Chapter 218 – Battle at the riverbank (2)
=========== Ciel’s POV ===========
The scouts escaped from the forest and proceeded to cross River Gris, bringing back the news of the
enemy knights’ invasion from the Palas region.
Brendel’s young attending wizard wore a long robe, held a staff with his hands and stood on the
watchtower, looking towards the north as far as he possibly could, then turned around and spoke:
“The casualties are far heavier than expected. The scouts stationed in the north suffered a death toll that’s
higher than fifty percent. All of them are veteran soldiers with rich experience. In addition to this, we lost
another fifty men and have three times the number of injured men within three days at other defense
lines.”
Ciel took a pause before throwing down another line:
“If I’m the lord, I would have rolled up my blanket and flee.”
“Which is why you’re not the lord.” The Elven Princess who wore a suit of silver armor glanced at him and
answered emotionlessly.
Medissa wore a unique pointed helmet that covered her small face completely. Her lips were pursed
tightly and she looked dignified.
“He’s trying to remove our scouts. Is there some kind of scheme?”
“Maybe not. This most likely happened because Lord Palas know we have Subterrane Dwellers. He
probably doesn’t want to be attacked on the flanks during a battle, avoiding the mistake that Lord Macsen
made.”
“Truly difficult to deal with,” Ciel shook his head, his eyebrows were nearly about to bunch together, “I
wonder if we can delay them for another three days.”
The full army of Count Randner had already arrived—
“There are people in the nearby forest!” Someone shouted.
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The first glint of light appeared in the forest, and a knight covered in full armor appeared at the edge of
the forest near River Gris’s opposite bank. Very quickly, more men appeared behind him. That knight
raised the flag in his hand and stabbed it viciously into the riverbank’s loose soil. The flag unfurled to
show a sky-blue pattern.
The emblem of Lord Palas’s hunters.
“The north, even the east…..!”
“That’s a lot.”
The soldiers who wore intercrossed red and blue uniforms came gushing out; their numbers were no less
than a thousand. Ciel watched an archer shoot an arrow from River Gris towards the city, and the
projectile struck the ground approximately fifty paces from Firburh’s walls.
“Are they preparing to attack the city right away?” He glanced at Medissa and asked.
“Not yet. He’s testing out the distance. This army might try to attack us and test the water. But they will
probably observe instead.”
As the youngest princess of the Silver Elves, the number of battles Medissa fought could not be compared
to the other Silver Elves, but the atmosphere of the impending battle did not make her tense. Instead, she
felt it was a familiar welcoming feeling.
[But the enemies are too little.]
She shook her head.
Medissa did not predict wrongly.
========== Lord Palas’s POV ==========
Lord Palas was currently on a hill that was approximately a kilometer away, sitting on his mount with a
posture that was as straight as a sharp sword.
He was a retainer that Graudin formerly trusted in the most. His hand pressed down on the sword’s hilt
firmly, his eyes in their sunken sockets surveying the distant riverbank like a hawk.
The old knight was the oldest amongst all of Graudin’s retainers. Even though he maintained personal
contact with Lord Macsen, their age difference was quite far apart.
Lord Macsen was still in his prime, but Lord Palas’s sideburns were in patches of white. The old knight
had experienced hundreds of battles, and though his fame did not reach places like Ampere Seale or
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Bucce, he was a figure of terror amongst Trentheim’s barbarians, capable of silencing their children from
crying.
He had been to River Gris a few times and now that he was near it, he suddenly recalled that the land was
supposed to be a plot of flat grassland, but the current scenery made him wonder if his memories were
wrong.
A verdant forest had completely covered the land past the opposite riverbank. Still, there was proof that
they did not come to the wrong place since the river ended at the port with shallow water. This period
was when the water levels were at their lowest. Even a foot soldier could trudge across the icy waters to
reach the other side.
There seemed to be fortifications in the forest. As proof, watchtowers constructed tall enough to reach
the tree crown could be seen.
[The time that I came here was merely three years ago, but the trees in this forest don’t seem like they
can grow so quickly as to cover the land like this. Any of the trees would need two or three people to
wrap their hands around it. Perhaps ten meters tall? These trees are specimens that could reach for the
skies one day but they grow slowly. ……Never mind three years, they probably couldn’t reach this height
even after thirty years.]
“The scouts have just sent in their reports. There’s a stronghold in the opposite riverbank, and the
rumors of the Druids aiding the rebels seem to be true.”
“The Druids are capable of making a forest in such a short time? Is this an illusion or a forest that has
been transferred from somewhere?” Lord Palas asked.
It was clearly a dense forest that was easy to defend but difficult to invade. It was unthinkable that the
Druids could create a forest out from nothing, but it was just as difficult to transport an entire forest. It
was not as if he had not seen magic, but most of the spells are over in the blink of an eye. Even though
they were powerful, it was not unacceptable.
This forest was at least tens of kilometers wide, presenting itself before he and his men. This was not a
case of hallucination.
The other knights around him did not answer. The Druids were a bunch of mysterious people. No one
could describe exactly what they were capable of. There were plenty of rumors about the Druids, and
putting aside whether they were capable of casting magic spells, the Druids were said to be capable of
taming animals to fight for them, or that they were capable of becoming powerful animals to do battle.
Lord Palas eventually sent out a messenger to the wizard personally dispatched by Count Randner.
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“What? This forest wasn’t here in the past?” The old wizard was also greatly shocked. “The Druids are
capable of making plants grow faster, but it’s definitely not to this extent— Unless the number of Druids
is surprisingly high, or that they are Grand Druids from the Circle of Skies.”
“Grand Druids? That’s on par with a wizard from the Silver Alliance. That youth leader called Brendel is
capable of commanding someone like that? I refuse to believe it. How many Druids are needed to create
this
forest…… if the time restriction is two or three months?”
“Months!?” The old wizard’s voice was nearly a shriek, clearly intending to leave: “If this forest is truly
created in a few months, then there must be thousands of Druids!”
“Thousands? That’s not possible. The rebels definitely do not have thousands.” One of the knights
interrupted and denied the notion.
“Even if that’s the case, A Grand Druid, or at least thirty Arch Druids to form a Circle….. Thirty Arch Druids
are as good as a full-fledged military unit.” The Wizard said in a dark tone.
“That doesn’t sound right either. If our opponents are so strong, why are they waiting to be attacked?”
Another knight asked.
“Is it not possible that this forest is some kind of illusionary magic?” Lord Palas cut through the chatter
and inquired on a possibility with the meager knowledge of what he knew about magic. The wizard also
thought about this possibility, but it was the adjutant who answered first.
“Our soldiers have already tested them out, or at least the trees in front are all real.” He shook his head.
“Perhaps a combination? The trees in front are real, while the back is an illusion of sorts. But even then,
it’s still impressive.” The wizard groaned.
“Perhaps we can try using fire?” One of the knights asked.
“If we’re facing Druids, they would easily be able to extinguish the fire. Do not forget, these people are
protectors of the forest, and they are very capable of handling fire better than we do.” The wizard said.
“Regardless, let’s try out this method.” Lord Palas issued an order with a stoic face: “Have the soldiers
prepare fire arrows. We will test out the enemies. Whether the plan is a success or not, we will set camps
here and have the Grey Bear Knights cut down the trees.”
============= Ciel’s POV =============
A portion of Count Randner’s army moved out.
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A row of soldiers appeared in the forest, wearing dull green combat gambesons, wielding shields on their
hands with their longswords hanging on their waists. The three rows of soldiers behind the frontline
wielded lances that had a long grey triangular flag tied near their tips.
The northern Trentheim had three regions next to each other ruled by knights. The emblem of Lord Palas
was the Hound, Lord Raleigh was the Grey Bear, and Lord Kruss was the Crescent. These marching
soldiers’ raised flags were all crescents.
“I thought such a large forest would have paralyzed them with shock,” Ciel shook his head.
Even though the Druids presented their precious Magic Seeds and worked tirelessly day and night nearly
without rest to create this defense line, they still lacked a little time. Only a part of the forest that reached
the hastily built stronghold were real primeval trees, while the rest of the trees was actually an
illusionary spell created by him.
The soldiers from the Kruss territory advanced slowly. Their two flanks were accompanied by
highlanders who wore ragged surcoats over their thick leather skin, wielding sharp axes and round
shields. These three units made their way across the river water and were about to reach the other end of
the river.
“What does our Lord say?” Ciel raised his hand to give an order.
“‘These are not even classified as the lowest tier of soldier types! Private lancers and shieldbearers that
the nobles randomly hired? Just get it done and over with already, why do you need my orders? Fool!’”
Medissa imitated Brendel’s tone.
“Lowest tier of soldier types? What the heck is that?” Ciel’s eyebrows were already tied up into knots.
His Lord seemed to be fond of talking about strange things. The young wizard did not really understand
what the term ‘level up’ meant back then in Fortress Riedon, now there was the ‘lowest tier of soldier
types’?
But there was not much time to think about it. Count Randner archers had finally caught up to the
soldiers. These trained men were all of Lord Palas’s chosen elites. They took out their arrows and drew a
thin line across wet sand that was out of the water level, then took out a pouch on their waist and poured
the contents into the drains they created.
“It’s oil, they are using fire arrows!” The Elven Princess’s expression changed.
A fiery dragon suddenly emerged near the edge of the forest. The archers raised their longbows with
flaming arrows placed into position. There was a loud cry, and arrows were let loose at their
commander’s order.
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The next instant, almost everyone in the forest saw a fire cloud forming across the sky, dyeing the
surroundings with a sea of red at its apex, before it rained down onto the ground with fury.
“Fire arrows!” A sharp yell warned.
The arrows were buzzing through the air. It was fortunate that the trees were dense and most of the
arrows were affect the leaves at the trees’ crowns. There was a noisy din with thuds and clicks, but only a
small portion struck near the mercenaries’ stronghold.
There was almost no direct damage done from the Fire Arrows.
Lord Palas who observed the event from afar did not reveal any particular expressions. He was waiting to
see an effect, and it appeared like there was going to be one very soon.
The archers raised their longbows once again, and the second wave of fire arrows was on their
bowstrings.
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Chapter 219
The trees began to burn once the fire arrows struck them, with the moisture of their wooden bodies
evaporating amidst the flames and caused thick sooty smoke. The soldiers wearing dull-green gambesons
and the Highlander warriors took the opportunity to move under the cover of the smoke, advancing
towards the stronghold in the forest in the blink of an eye.
The invasion’s progress was incredibly smooth without encountering any enemy resistance. Lord Palas
could not help but raise his eyebrow slightly as he observed this outcome.
But there was a sudden peal of thunder that came over from the heart of the forest at that moment. Large
dark clouds gathered at a rate that was visible to the eyes, congregating above the trees. The old knight
caught a golden flash of lightning and accompanied with it were big raindrops that came without
warning, almost putting out the strong fire that was created a few moments ago.
Once the flames were out, the storm continued to spread with several bolts of lightning striking at the
edge of the forest, landing coincidentally into the midst of Count Randner’s men. There was a deafening
explosion of blood and flesh, with several large pits forming because of the destructive force of the golden
lightning, and the loose rocks caused by it flew in every direction and landed onto the people near the
pits.
Pained cries could be heard in that instant.
The morale of Lord Kruss’s soldiers plummeted. Be it the foot soldiers or the archers, everyone wanted to
escape, running away at ten times the speed compared to the time when they were advancing. Even
though the Highlander warriors were brave and fit, it was unfortunate that this battle did not have any
meaning for them. Since the soldiers fled, the Highlander warriors naturally fled as well, though the latter
moved orderly compared to the soldiers.
The two other Knight Commanders who traveled alongside with Lord Palas with were secretly shocked at
the Highlanders’ discipline, and they remained silent when they thought about Lord Palas gaining victory
over these men and even forced them back. Even though they naturally hated to be placed under Lord
Palas’s command, they could only keep their silence when they saw their army’s performances.
Black clouds gathered over the archers, and the commander-in-charge screamed:
“Retreat! Hurry up and run!”
But it was late by step. A large bolt of lightning— No, it was a net of golden electricity that exploded in the
midst of the archers. Lord Welkins was also struck by the lightning, but his magic resistant full-plate
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armor saved him. The adjutant beside him did not share the same luck, and he was turned into a charred
corpse.
The muddy Welkins climbed up from the ground, and wept in sorrow.
[The entire company of archers wiped out in just a single attack!]
In truth, only twenty percent of the archers was killed, but the others were so terrified that they would
not be able to participate in the upcoming battle, at least for a short period of time. Not to mention that
the dark clouds above them were still active, almost looking like it was about to launch a second series of
lightning strikes.
Screams surrounded everyone’s ears as they realized mortals had no defense against such power from
nature. The experienced knights under Lord Palas might fare a little better in this situation, but these
soldiers privately hired by nobles definitely would not be able to do anything.
Suddenly, chanting noises of long passages could be heard echoing in the forest, and there was an
invisible energy that seemed to form in the air. Pressure seemed to be lifted off from the surroundings,
and the dark clouds faltered, before disappearing bit by bit.
In the blink of an eye, the sun suddenly shone through and the clouds vanished as though they were
never there.
“Magic Dispel, there are at least three chanting points,” a druid covered with a robe made of grass said
after listening carefully to the wind.
“No, there are four points,” Ciel was listening in as well and shook his head a while after.
“Four?” The others did not dare to disagree.
The first batch of Druids sent to Firburh did not have any Grand Druids, and Ciel could be seen as the
most powerful wizard in the territory. High-level casters were rare, and someone as powerful as Count
Randner only had two Gold-ranked Wizards with him at his sides. It was unlikely that the enemies in
Trentheim had brought along one.
“Even though I said there are four chanting points, that doesn’t mean there are only four wizards. It’s
unfortunate to not know the exact numbers. The report stated that there are possibly more than thirty
wizards in the enemy’s army, and some of them are Silver-ranked casters. Judging from the battlefield,
this possibility is very real.” Cornelius who was standing in one corner answered.
He was the commander-in-name for the mercenaries. The more dependable Raban was actually sent out
to help command the eight hundred Subterrane Dwellers. Leto and part of his men were the replacement
for Jana at the silver mines. Count Randner was unlikely to know that the silver mines were lost, and
Brendel hoped that Leto could make a nasty surprise when the truth was revealed.
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This was a dangerous mission, but Leto and the others were veterans from the November War and were
more suited for this mission compared to Jana and her men.
As for Jana, she was relegated to defend against Count Randner’s army at the forefront. She was
immensely satisfied with this arrangement. Currently, this pretty female mercenary leader was standing
next to Medissa and she issued her own question:
“Why would the Palas region have so many mages? Even if that place is beset with battles all-year long,
it’s still not possible.”
“Don’t forget that Lord Kruss and Lord Raleigh are participating in this battle. But I think Count Randner
had also pulled some manpower from his personal group of wizards. It’s unlikely the enemies would have
Silver-ranked wizards if that was not the case.”
“A squadron composed of thirty wizards. There hasn’t been a battle like this ever since the November
War. Count Randner is really not sparing any costs to silence ‘the weak’!” Gaspard could not help but
ridicule the Count.
As one of the patrolling commanders in Fortress Riedon, he was like half a noble, knowing all the major
and minor battles that happened in Aouine.
Everyone smiled a little at Gaspard’s words. The Druids they had right now were more than a hundred,
even if they were to put aside the fact the young lord’s attending wizard was a Gold-ranked spellcaster.
The numbers of the army that Brendel brought with him to Firburh were not high, but the quality that
was unbelievable. The soldiers consisted of veteran personnel who fought in the November War, and
even the least experienced amongst them were people who had fought against Madara in the past. There
were very few classified lower than Iron-rankers, and there was quite a large amount of people who were
above the standards of a typical Iron-ranked warrior.
Apart from that, he still had a group of Subterrane Dwellers, a force that was definitely close to Silver-
rankers.
The total men from these two armies were close to three thousand. Adding in the Druids on top of the
existing spellcasters made the percentage more than ten percent. It was unthinkable in Aouine’s history.
If the news of this force spread out, then the outside world would be stunned with plenty of noise made.
The strength of Trentheim’s new lord would have to be analyzed one more time.
Brendel purposely suppressed this information. He knew very well that a surprise was more deeply
etched when the truth was revealed. He wanted everyone in Aouine to know his name, and that he was
the rightful owner of Trentheim.
Gaspard’s words made the uneasy darkness shrouding over everyone’s hearts fade quite a bit. It was as if
Count Randner’s large army in the forest was not as frightening.
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But Ciel till gave them a word of caution and waved his away:
“Even though we make fun of the enemies, their army’s strength still beats us by quite a bit. There are
three Knight Commanders leading the armies, with twenty thousand men from Count Randner and ten
thousand highland natives. That is to say—”
Ciel pointed at River Gris with a solemn expression: “We might be facing numbers that are thirty times
our size right now.”
Everyone sobered up. They knew this point a long time ago.
“In addition, these Knight Commanders have first-class knights that number at least a hundred, perhaps
even more, and all of them are at least Silver-rankers. We lack such a unit. Even though the Subterrane
Dwellers are capable of going up against them, but our Lord has said very quickly. If the Madara undead
don’t appear, the Subtterane Dwellers must not appear too. This is why our opponents have an absolute
advantage in terms of having Silver-ranked units.”
Ciel paused for a moment before he continued:
“With the exception of Lord Palas, it seems the other two Knight Commanders are Gold-rankers, and it’s
hard to guarantee that there are no hidden trump cards— Supposing that they only did bring in two
Gold-rankers to this battle, we are only equal in strength if Medissa and I encounter them. If there’s a
third enemy Gold-ranker, then we would be in a disadvantage.”
“Then what should we do?” One of the Druids looked a little cross-eyed once Ciel revealed this answer.
“It’s fine. We only need to follow our Lord’s words.”
“Lord Brendel’s?”
Brendel had asked them to delay Count Randner’s army from making their way across the river for as
long as possible, but the enemy vanguard’s numbers were not as terrifying as before. Now the armies of
the three Knight Commanders, native highlanders, and even Madara’s undead were looking in to get an
advantage.
The youth had promised victory in the past, but that was something in the past. Could they really win
now?
Many people who followed Brendel in the past had almost a blind trust in him. The promises he had made
always seemed to come true, and as long as he moved forward, then the sword he was pointing to would
always be the path of victory. The young lord was like the legendary heroes found in history, proclaiming
victory proudly and it would be as easy as putting it in his bag.
But the people in this battlefield could not help fall into a lull.
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These were warriors who could smile in the face of the most desperate battles, but this did not mean they
had lost it. Even without understanding Brendel’s plans, they were certain that victory could be achieved
if they delayed the advance of Count Randner’s army to the utmost limits, forcing them to retreat after all
their food was expended.
But this was a hefty price for both parties.
As a warrior, this was not unacceptable as they had pledged allegiance to Brendel, and everyone was
prepared to shed blood.
But the youth’s promise was to defeat Count Randner’s army completely and directly in battle.
How was that possible?
The Druids naturally thought that Ciel was merely trying to boost morale. But Jana and Cornelius who
had witnessed Brendel’s miracles for themselves were having headaches; both of them were thinking
hard but they were simply unable to know what Brendel was relying on to achieve victory.
Ciel and Medissa merely met each other’s eyes and smiled amidst the various types of stares. Indeed the
Loop of Trade Wind’s change would spread throughout the kingdom and even the whole continent.
The battle at Firburh would be the next event that would be recorded in history as well.
Ciel once again looked out to the forest.
Lord Palas did not sense that foreboding gaze. He was currently assessing the casualties from that
thunderstorm. The men under Lord Kruss did not suffer many deaths, and the advancing foot soldiers
merely had ten-odd bodies lost, but the archers were in no condition to return to battle.
[This is a little painful. A whole squadron of archers who are out of this battle, without even having the
chance to see even one enemy.]
The army he was controlling directly was around twenty thousand, but there were not many trained
soldiers. He only had another thousand-odd archer of the same quality as this squadron, and a large
portion of these men came directly from Count Randner’s private soldiers. It was difficult to explain
himself if he lost too many here.
“Is that lightning storm a spell of the Druids? These are Iron-ranked Druids right? How can they
command such frightening magic?” He could not help but bark this question at the wizard next to him.
The wizard nodded.
“The spell is Call Lightning, but the magnitude of the spell isn’t simply done by one or two Druids. This
spell is definitely cast together by at least ten Druids, and if these Druids are truly Iron-rankers, then they
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would need to rest for a full day. But if these Druids are Arch Druids, it’s a whole different story
altogether…..”
The old knight interrupted the wizard, refusing to believe there were high-ranking Druids in the rebel
army: “You mean to say that our opponents cannot cast that spell repeatedly?”
“Lord Palas, there is no need to worry even if they are capable of casting it repeatedly. It takes at least ten
of them to do so, while we only need three mages to dispel this magic. In addition, dispelling the Call
Lightning doesn’t require a lot of Mana. It is much easier for us to use Mana for defense than offense, and
I would not use this magic spell again if I were them. This spell is probably used to deter us from
advancing.” The wizard lowered his head and answered respectfully.
Lord Palas nodded. He did not need to worry much if that large area-of-effect spell could not be used. The
difference in military might was too far apart, and he did not need to use any excessive strategies at all.
The food expenditure for his army was too high and he did not want to waste time, thus his plan was to
use straightforward tactics from the beginning to end this war.
As long as they crossed River Gris, then it would be a matter of days to take Firburh.
It was within his acceptable range to finish the war within a week.
[Rebels, Aouine……]
His mind revolved around these two words, and all his other deep thoughts turned into a confident, faint
smile. As a general who had won countless victories, he did not have any reason that he would lose under
such overwhelming advantage.
The old knight snorted. It was a sigh that showed his pity for the enemies and this kingdom. There had
not been such a large rebellion for the past century in Aouine. Even though Count Randner displayed his
strength, it did not change the fact that this kingdom was becoming decrepit and corrupted.
[Even if you extend it another two hundred years, there isn’t a case where a noble is blatantly murdered
like Graudin was. Brendel, did I get your name right, let this old man be the last watchdog for this
kingdom……]
He threw his dagger on the table’s map, stabbing exactly onto Firburh’s location, as though victory was at
hand.
There was no more hesitation in him. Count Randner’s army would set camp for this evening and rest,
before launching a full assault and take the enemy’s defense line. He was completely unafraid that the
‘rebels’ would try and commit to a night raid, and he would never make an error to defend against such a
lousy tactic. If the enemies were that foolish, then he would not mind for the war to finish a little earlier.
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And the enemies’ leader was as sharp like he had thought. There was no disturbance in the night, and the
next morning came.
The real fight was about to begin at the crack of dawn.
Ciel and Medissa stood on top of a watchtower and saw unclear shadows at the other end of the river. The
sky was still dark.
“They are constructing bridges with wooden planks, taking advantage of the fact that we are lacking in
numbers,” Ciel said.
Medissa nodded.
[[It’s going to be a test from now onwards.]]
Both of them thought of the same thing.
The trees bega
TL: Just installed kingdom come deliverance today, and I discovered this game is crazy hard on any GPU.
Spent an excessive amount of time saving/loading so that I can knock the NPCs out and steal everything
from them lol, though I kind of feel sorry because they look super poor.
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Chapter 220 – The sword that resists fate (1)
Murderous cries flooded the environment.
The black stream of arrows shot across the sky and covered the sun with countless undead marching
over the scarlet earth. The noises that were transmitted behind Freya’s back could not be discerned
clearly. Was it despair, pain, or furious roars?
The young girl wanted to look behind her, but she could not move at all.
An undead knight covered with burning white flames sitting on a skeletal horse rode up to her, and it
stared down at her from above the mount with its flaming eyes. This was a dream that she had to
experience every night.
But the dream was so realistic to her that she could not utter a sound because of her tension. She merely
stared back with wide opened eyes.
“You should not have wakened up. The fate for Valhalla’s descendant is too heavy,” The knight spoke in a
hoarse tone, “do not sacrifice yourself for an unrealistic belief.”
The knight raised his longsword: “Back off, or there would not be any road left for you to retreat!” The
voice was like a strict warning, and it thrust its hand forward, plunging the cold blade into her heart.
“Ahh—” Freya screamed in fright and sat up from her bed in cold perspiration. She panted lightly and
could not help but clutch her chest. She did not know when this nightmare started happening, and
whether it was some kind of omen or that it was the stress from her recent training that caused it.
She could hear her heart pounding, but the hasty footsteps from the outside corridor quickly drowned
out this noise. The dim candlelight in her room gradually brought her back to reality. The footsteps
probably belonged to the knights that brought back information—
Ever since the war broke out in the south, the number of people bringing back reports had increased
several times. Factions of all sizes had been attracted by this sudden battle, even forgetting their own civil
wars that were on the brink of happening.
The south of Ampere Seale was only accessible after the snow had melted, and Count Randner’s civil
battle was something of an ‘appetizer’, as described by Oberbeck.
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It was quite the insult to be described in that manner, but the other nobles did not mind that description,
and merely laughed merrily to see how many fangs the old tiger still had remaining. Of course, the
majority was questioning how many fangs were remaining, and not the idea that he had no fangs left.
Only a few people in the Royal Knight Academy believed that Brendel could win, and Freya anxiously
waited for news of the frontlines every day.
The messenger passed through the long corridor and went into the dormitory’s back courtyard. All news
regarding the civil war would be first delivered to Princess Gryphine.
The half-elven princess studied the few lines on the parchment coldly, then placed it down—
Lord Palas’s army had engaged the rebels.
There was no substantial progress in this summary.
[Things will be settled in a day or two.]
“Copy the contents of this letter and send it to the other lords.”
“Should I gather the lords to come here?”
“There’s no need to do so, but there will be a competition this month and a hunting festival to celebrate
the end of winter. Help me prepare for these two events as I want to oversee both of them.”
The messenger bowed and left the room.
‘The cunning fox’, Makarov, looked at the report and shook his head with a slight smile. He then started
placing the report down on a bunch of documents that were stacked high on the table, but he thought for
a moment and stopped in the middle of his action, then took the report and left his room.
He went over to Count Barre’s quarters with the report in his hand, but he was intercepted by the latter’s
servants and got informed that his good friend had gone to the tournament grounds. It was only then that
he recalled there was such a competition, and he hurriedly rented a horse cart to travel to the
tournament grounds that was several miles away.
The Winter Games was a particular tournament that had a long history in southern Aouine. The
tournament’s events included horsemanship, swordsmanship, and jousting. It was primarily a chance for
the knights in various regions to gain glory, and it was a passionate activity for the youths. The public
could also satisfy their thirst for finding heroes.
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This tournament hosted by the Royal Knights Academy had a stronger meaning, and the knights-in-
training sought to prove they were the best knights of their batch, vying passionately for the crown that
was weaved with evergreen leaves.
Preparations for the Winter Games started before daybreak, and it was already crowded when dawn
broke. However, Makarov was indeed Count Barre’s good friend and knew him well. He did not take long
before he managed to find the latter in the crowd.
Count Barre paid great attention to his attire. He wore a purple robe lined with silver seams with three
silver leaves emblazoned onto his cuffs to represent his identity. He did not wear a hat, and his hand was
holding onto a goblet, standing on the highest position of a hastily made wooden stage and receiving the
cold wind there.
Barre raised his goblet when he spotted his good friend walking over to him with a smile: “Tordor’s wine
with a vintage that’s five to seven years. I know you dislike it.”
“Actually, I dislike drinking wine, not the wine itself.” Makarov’s exasperated reply came.
“I know, alcohol affects one’s judgment, but I’m not making one anyways.”
“You received the news about Trentheim?” Makarov did not want to waste time on that frivolous matter.
“You’re talking about the joke to see how many fangs that old dog still have left?” Barre said in a
pleasantly light tone.
“I’m asking you how long the ‘rebels’ can last.”
“What do you think? Do you think that youth doesn’t have the possibility to win?” Barre shook his goblet
playfully: “He has the Silver Elves and the Dragon race backing him.”
“The Silver Elves were merely passing by.”
“And the Dragon race?”
“The Dragon race will never participate in human affairs so recklessly. This will definitely attract the
opposition from the Holy Cathedral, and no one wants to start a Holy War. Even the most lawless dukes
from the kingdom.”
“That’s true. But that youth isn’t a worthless fool sheltered by a powerful family. Lord Palas’s character
might cost him to suffer greatly at that boy’s hands.”
Makarov sneered: “Is that so? I find that boy to be foolish to the point of laughing at him.”
2375
“What do you mean?” Barre asked intentionally.
“I thought that boy would drag Lord Palas into a stalemate. The expenditure of an army that has the size
of thirty thousand is an astronomical number. There is also the lack of trust between the humans and the
Madara undead, and Lord Palas will definitely lose once the war drags on.”
” But that youth constructed a defense line at River Gris, preparing to fight a direct battle with Lord Palas,
and this strategy disappointed our ‘cunning fox’, right? Indeed, it’s troubling that we lack someone who
could rein in Count Randner. I did hear that youth ran Trentheim quite well, perhaps he did it to ensure
the harvest for the next year. Have you ever thought that he would truly become a dangerous foe to Count
Randner if he manages to survive this battle?”
Count Barre raised an eyebrow and asked, only to be met with a stare from his good friend. He laughed
without making a sound:
“Indeed, I also think that he can’t win this battle, but perhaps there’s a miracle. You ought to know that
miracles tend to happen when people wish for it, and we need this miracle. So I have prayed sincerely for
it, and perhaps Mother Marsha will grant me a miracle for the sake of my prayers.”
It was unreasonable to place hope onto miracles, and Makarov knew that his good friend was merely
joking like his usual self. But their little discussion was unintentionally overheard by a girl who was
preparing for the competition.
“Freya, what’s wrong with you?” One of the female students prodded the lost girl, and the latter seemed
like she gained back her senses.
“Yes? Huh?”
“Well now, why do you look like you lost your soul, are you thinking of a boy?” That girl giggled.
“…… Y-you, what nonsense are you talking about?” Freya blushed immediately. These girls from nobility
were much bolder when it came to affairs between a man and a woman. Even though everyone stopped
at an appropriate point, the young girl who came from Bucce still felt that it was difficult to join in these
conversations.
But she was still interested in that topic she heard earlier, and she could not help but ask: “Tisha, do you
know who the man that those two were talking about?”
The girl Freya was talking to was a roommate. Tisha was a girl from a small noble family, and she was
chosen to be invited to the academy because of her talent in magic.
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“The platform above us? These people are bigwigs who have a social barrier since they are from a true
noble lineage. It’s like the difference between a commoner and nobility, and we can’t even go up to them
to speak without permission. It’s extremely impolite.”
She suddenly recalled Freya’s background and stopped herself: “Ah, my apologies, Freya, you know I did
not mean anything bad. Anyways, we should stop talking about the contents of what they said. You are
considered half a noble when you graduate from this place.”
Freya smiled at the girl’s answer, but her heart was in complete chaos. She did not know what Brendel’s
situation was, and even high-ranking personnel who controlled the kingdom’s fate did not think that he
would succeed. Did it not mean that the situation in Firburh was extremely serious?
She was still a native from Aouine, and the fear towards authority was not something that she could
change easily, or she would have wanted to grow a pair of wings and fly to that youth to overcome this
situation, or at least die together with him—
She did not know what she was thinking anymore. The memories of Brendel and her played back
segment by segment, though they were not entirely made up of good memories.
[During that event of the Golden Demonic Tree, I went to search for him and Romaine with good
intentions, and yet h-h-he intimidated me and even made fun of me and Romaine after that.]
Freya’s face turned red upon remembering this detail, but she did not know why she felt like she was
eating a small piece of candy in her mind. Though that sweetness quickly turned into fear and gloominess,
even making her unable to hear the voice that was calling out to her from the tournament grounds.
“It’s your turn, Freya!” Tisha was no longer able to continue watching Freya: “What’s wrong, do you feel
uncomfortable somewhere?”
“N-no……” Freya now recalled that she was here to participate in the tournament. She picked up her lance
in a slight fluster, only to meet with a pair of rolling eyes.
“The event right now is a swordsmanship competition……” Came a displeased tone from Tisha.
“AH!” Freya wanted to find a hole to bury her herself in.
“Never mind, but don’t force yourself.” Tisha sighed and looked a little worriedly at Freya with a sigh:
“Remember to get a good result. If I didn’t know you well enough, even I would think that you’re obsessed
with a boy……”
Freya was already walking out to the stage, until she heard Tisha’s words and nearly slipped onto the
ground. She would never admit that she was thinking about Brendel earlier.
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[But for me to get a good result…… How can that be easy? Be it jousting or riding skills, I’m practically
unqualified to participate in these events. Even though I’m a little better in swordsmanship, but I’m going
up against all the talented youths all over Aouine. It’s not sufficient……]
2378
Chapter 221 – The sword that resists fate (2)
Freya took a deep breath and walked up to the tournament stage.
The 10×10 meters stage made out of rock was specially crafted for the tournament. It was one and a half
meters high, and surrendering or getting knocked out from it meant defeat. Freya had won two rounds
earlier, but the opponents she faced later were becoming stronger and she was uncertain if she had the
confidence to continue winning.
The young girl felt a little upset at herself. Brendel sent her to this place so that she could become
stronger and protect everyone who survived Bucce’s ordeal. But she could hardly claim that she was
capable of doing so, and her original confidence was slowly worn down when she compared herself to the
monstrous talents in this academy.
She raised her longsword.
Her current opponent was a senior academy student. Maynild was at the sideline watching the
tournament as usual, but she frowned when she saw Freya’s condition.
“You cannot achieve victory when your heart isn’t focused.” The senior upperclassman also saw the same
thing and could not help but remind Freya.
The girl jolted and immediately concentrated, but when she looked at her opponent, her dream and the
reality in front of her overlapped. The red soil in her dreams extended endlessly below her feet, and her
opponent was once again that knight covered in wildfire.
She shook her head in a panic, trying to get rid of that illusion, but her opponent had pulled out his
longsword and rushed at her. The girl was startled as she remembered that moment where she was
stabbed— At that moment, she had completely forgotten about swordsmanship and retreated
subconsciously to avoid the enemy’s sword.
A burst of laughter immediately came from the surrounding audience. There were students from the
academy joining in the nobles as they had never seen someone fleeing from the tournament stage like a
frightened rat.
“Freya, what are you doing!” Maynild could not suppress herself and bellow with furrowed brows.
But a ray of light suddenly burst forth from Freya’s forehead and a pair of wings extended from her back.
There was a metallic ring as something knocked away her opponent’s longsword into the air.
2379
“What’s that!”
Several high-ranking nobles next to the princess stood up. Though they were laughing earlier, their eyes
were still glued onto the girl. A buzzing sound could be heard, almost like there was a resonance from far
away. A ray of light pierced through the sky from outside the academy.
“That light is in the direction of River Pine!” Someone from the nobles recognized where it was.
But before he finished his words, that ray of light suddenly seemed to bend and moved towards the
academy.
“Th…… This is……”
That ray of light crashed into the tournament stage under everyone’s stares, landing right in front of
Freya. The glowing light disappeared and revealed a longsword embedded into the ground. At that
moment, even the person who caused the phenomenon was confused.
Freya did not understand what was happening, but she felt like the sword was calling out to her. The
voice was friendly and kind, which was just like Brendel’s gentle encouragement.
But the girl could only feel her heart pounding and she did not know what to do.
For a moment, the tournament grounds was completely silent—
“F-Freya, y-your forehead has a strange pattern—!” Tisha exclaimed a few seconds later.
Freya subconsciously touched her forehead. There was a sharp pain, and when she brought down her
hand to look at it, she discovered there was blood all over it.
[I’m injured? But how?]
Freya was certain that something like a ray of light had knocked away her opponent’s longsword, and
there were no weapons that came close to her, so how did she get injured? She brought up the longsword
in her hands to use it as a mirror and looked at her forehead, only to discover that there was a beautiful
sky-blue pattern on it.
“W-what’s this?” She did not know that this emblem was particularly famous in the game. It was the
representation of the Goddess of War.
The proof of glory that Marsha had given to her, and the gamers in Aouine had put their faith into, the
light-bearer and flag of Aouine.
2380
But she was only confused at this moment. She raised her head a little fearfully, only to meet a pair of
black eyes filled with calm.
“Pick up this sword, Freya, it belongs to you.” Maynild had a hint of an indescribable torrent of emotions
in her eyes, but her words were resolute.
Freya did not move.
But Maynild nodded to her and that young girl inhaled deeply.
The latter looked at her surroundings and discovered that everyone was waiting to see what her actions
were. She hesitated for a moment before she gathered her courage and walked towards that sword. Her
hand grasped the hilt and a chill invaded her hands.
She pulled it up gently.
And a miracle happened—
The sword that was encased in rock poured out countless rays of golden light as it was pulled out from
the ground. Rock fragments fell off from the sword piece by piece and revealed a golden longsword. It
was over a meter long, with the sword guard appearing like an extended pair of wings. The emblem of the
Lionheart was carved onto the hilt, and the sword was as brilliant as crafted gold.
=========== Gryphine’s POV ============
“The Lionheart—!” Grandmaster Fleetwood, the princess’s teacher, a figure where all of Aouine’s nobility
had to give respect, yelled out in surprise.
“No, that’s not the true Lionheart. The appearance of this sword is different from the description in
history. I think there are Laws that had been changed.” The princess was apparently much calmer, but
there was also an inexpressible emotion running through her eyes when she stared at the longsword in
Freya’s hands.
“This appears to be a bloodline awakening from that earlier phenomenon?” She asked Oberbeck.
“It appears so.”
“As expected, the Everton’s bloodline isn’t such a simple thing. Let us pay more attention to her.”
“Just the Lionheart alone is enough to make us do so.” Oberbeck replied: “Come to think of it, those
northern nobles will be panicking since the Lionheart appeared and recognized its owner.”
2381
“But we should first ensure that lass is standing on our side,” One of the nobles interrupted with a little
worry, “if the Lionheart ends up in someone else’s hands……”
“There’s no need to worry. Freya is a simple girl. I believe she will stand on our side.” Princess Gryphine
gave that noble an impassive look and replied.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
But Oberbeck peered at the princess, his eyes seemingly filled with wisdom as though he had seen
through everything.
[Are you certain that she’s standing with “us”, Your Highness?]
Gryphine’s head slowly cooled and she could only put on a wry smile in her mind. She suddenly recalled
the young knight in that particular story. Indeed, she could not see clearly where Aouine’s future fate laid
exactly in whose hands—
[The Lionheart ended up in those hands. Is Mother Marsha punishing us for betraying the oath that we
made? But how can that youth be free from that punishment?]
============= Freya’s POV =============
“Ser Maynild…….”
The stoic knight turned her head back and looked at Freya who called out to her. She tilted her head as if
to ask what the question was.
“T-this sword…..?” Freya felt like she was still dreaming. The sword in her hands was no ordinary
weapon, but why did it choose her?
She was still feeling unsettled.
“This is yours,” Maynild answered simply.
“But……. This is clearly……” Freya started thinking about the legends regarding the Lionheart and her
heart started thumping loudly. She was a full-blood citizen of Aouine, and she had grown up listening to
those legendary tales. The idea of linking those events with her, be it the Ancestral King Erik or the
Lionheart, made her feel that it was too surreal.
“Freya, I once knew a girl who was similar to you. She was stubborn, determined, and she had her set of
ideals,” Maynild suddenly blurted as she looked at that young girl, “at that time I was still young. I had
always admired her, and I remember that she had a sword that’s almost like the one in your hands.”
2382
“What?” Freya was confused.
“Her sword was even sharper than the one in your hands, but it isn’t as resolved. I think this sword suits
you far better, and perhaps it could change everything one day.”
“W-what does that mean, I don’t quite understand when you speak like this, Ser Maynild……”
“I say, why not give the sword a name?”
“But isn’t this the Lionheart?”
“That was King Erik’s Lionheart, but it is no longer that sword.”
“Then what should I call it? I, I don’t have the talent to give names.” Freya was a little troubled.
At that moment, Maynild felt the Lionheart was crying in Freya’s hands. She shook her head and spoke
after sighing once: “Then call it Amber.”
“Amber?”
“Yes, Amber, the Amber Sword. There’s a sword in Kirrlutz’s Poem of Skies. It is a legendary sword that
allows the user to battle fate, and its previous owner was the legendary knight who split open the
heavens, allowing the stars to descend onto earth and created the second era……”
Freya hugged the longsword and nodded with a little conviction: “I understand, Amber, the name is
beautiful.”
The stoic female knight suddenly realized that Freya was telling the truth when she said she did not have
any talent in giving out names. But she merely shook her head and started leaving after finishing what
she had to say.
“Please wait, Ser Maynild,” Freya called out to her once again, “what happened after that…..?”
“After that?”
“I’m sorry, I meant the girl that you said resembled me, what happened to her?”
“After that?” Maynild glanced back and actually put on a little smile: “There is no ‘after that’—”
“How can that be!” Freya’s eyes opened wide.
But it was true there was no ‘after that’—
=========== Brendel’s POV =========
2383
Brendel was feeling a little anxious as he traveled through the forest. He subconsciously felt the Sage
Slate in his bag, discovering that it was vibrating slightly.
“What’s wrong?” The Tree Elf Quinn discovered his odd behavior and asked.
“No, it’s nothing.” The youth shook his head.
[The Lionheart? But why would there be a resonance at this moment? The last reaction was several
months ago, but this feeling makes me feel like it has entered into some kind of contract. I can feel
something familiar from the other end, almost as if I know it from somewhere.]
The feeling was too strange, but he had never felt such a connection like this before, even if he searched
his memories in the game.
However, he could only push down his thoughts, because the centaurs in front of him had cut down the
foliage to reveal a stretch of open grassland—
“We’re here.” Brendel took in a deep breath and raised his hand.
All the Tree Elves, as well as the mercenaries, stopped advancing. The land before them was the youth’s
territory, and every pair or eyes stopped on him.
The farce in Trentheim was about to end, starting from this moment onwards.
2384
Chapter 222 – Looking at victory in the distance
Count Randner’s army advanced with difficulty. They were currently engaged with the enemy
mercenaries. Even though the soldiers from the Grey Bear and Kruss regions scaled the fortress’s earthen
walls, the mercenaries’ will seemed to greatly surpass the imagination of the various Aouine nobles who
were observing the battlefield. The huge army was repelled at crucial moments several times, and they
did not break past the enemy’s defensive lines for consecutive two days .
The battle was extremely vicious and the soldiers’ blood stained River Gris red.
The unmoved Lord Palas gripped his longsword and observed the entire battlefield like a cold Grim
Reaper, stubbornly maintaining his army’s current pace. Once the battle had reached this phase, there
was no need to care about many lives were lost, because it would be victory when they took one more
step forward.
He sought to find the chance to deal the final blow— The geographical advantage that the rebels had was
almost peeled away, while his army still kept their high morale.
His eyes suddenly glinted.
“Get Lord Weld to advance in that direction,” Lord Palas pointed at an empty stretch of trees, “stop
looking at me like you’re questioning my orders, just get him to do it and he will understand where to
attack!”
The messenger was momentarily at a loss for words.
[Is this really an appropriate order?]
The messenger whose name Lord Palas did not bother to remember suspected for a moment that his
superior had become delirious after staying up for the entire night, but when he stared into Lord Palas’s
eyes, he saw the latter had determined and bright eyes.
That was confidence—
“I understand, my lord,” the messenger replied and bowed.
=========== Nightsong Tiger’s POV ===========
(TL: Nightsong Tiger = Leader of the Mercenaries of Lopes)
2385
The Nightsong Tiger whistled and got the surrounding men to gather. He pointed at a nearby area that
had a stream:
“See that area?”
Everyone surveyed and spotted a field of fiery red swallow-tail banners. The men carried lances that
were taller than some of the shorter trees, and they wore scarlet armor that covered their whole bodies.
“The Crimson Flagbearers, Count Randner’s private army.” One of the mercenaries remarked, recognizing
their signature appearance from the reports that he read.
“How generous of Count Randner!” Another mercenary spat in hatred, his saliva tinged with blood.
“How strong is their combat prowess?” The Nightsong Tiger asked.
“Tier 1 Soldier Class, Light Cavalry, their mounts are specially selected horses that are violent, and their
overall strength is the upper end of an Iron-ranker—” A tall Elf with slightly dull-green skin and a pair of
ears that were longer than the norm answered by relaying Brendel’s words. He was different from the
other hired mercenaries and was part of the Mercenaries of Lopes.
“Hmph, ‘Light Cavalry’ with full body armor!” The Nightsong Tiger tutted twice.
“The horses are not equipped with armor. Based on the burden and mobility they are indeed classified as
Light Cavalry. These men are also equipped with Hazell’s three-barrel hand cannons, which have
considerable ranged power in short distance engagements. Count Randner has put in quite the budget in
this unit.”
“Their intention is to attack our left flank. The mercenaries under Cornelius are exhausted, and it seems
like our opponent has quite the sharp eyes,” the Nightsong Tiger pointed at an area that thick foliage,
“unfortunately there is no reason to let that old knight have an easy time. I’m going to bring my men to
take down the enemies, how about you lot?”
The other mercenaries in the area were elites carefully selected by the various groups of mercenaries to
support areas that needed aid, and they had strength close to Silver-rankers. There was a full company of
one hundred men yesterday but now there were only forty-five of them left. It was clear how dangerous
their fights were.
“Killing one of them is enough to break even.” Someone remarked and there was a burst of venomous
laughter made from everyone.
The riders that appeared next to the stream increased in numbers, reaching the size of a full company.
2386
Weld was sitting on his mount and looked at his subordinates with satisfaction.
[Indeed, this is Aouine’s most elite army. They are not lacking compared to the royal family’s White Lion
Army.]
He thought in his mind, and even though it was just two hundred-odd men, he was confident that his men
would sweep away the enemies that blocked his way.
The riders crossed over the stream upon hearing an urgent whistle from him.
Medissa naturally noticed them once they appeared. The Silver-Elf princess had been standing on the
highest point of the fortress, and she waved a flag towards the direction of the newly arrived enemies,
and there was a shower of arrows that struck that location as though she had willed it.
The arrows made agitated sparks of water across the stream, but they hardly did any fatal damage to the
cavalry unit. The triangular arrowheads lost their momentum after piercing through armor, and even if
some of the riders had three or four arrows sticking out of their armor, they were still able to maintain
their formation.
It was not surprising to Lord Weld. Equipment was an important quality for an army’s battle strength.
The Crimson Flagbearers were all equipped with armor resistant to projectiles, and greatly reduced the
threat of ranged projectiles—
In his eyes, this resolved the greatest weakness of a light cavalry unit.
But he did not expect even in his dreams that his enemies were made up of a variety of races.
Mercenaries had complex structures and adventurers had even more varieties. Weld was just feeling a
little proud, but he did not know that the nearby Elven archers in the forest were targeting this
conspicuous unit.
“Hanno, you’re left, I’m right.” There was an Elven archer covered in leaves on top of a tree approximately
a hundred meters away, and he handed a green arrow to the human ranger behind him.
“The two in front?”
“Yes.”
Two bowstrings sang at the same time, and the first two riders who crossed the southern section of the
forest collapsed from their mounts. Lord Weld was greatly surprised, and he turned his head to discover
that the arrows were shot in between the gaps of the armor around the neck. Their throats were pierced
through and they died instantly.
“Sharpshooters, be careful!” Lord Weld felt his hair raise up and he immediately cried out.
2387
True sharpshooters were the nightmare of any heavy armor units, and that was because the latter’s
armor was no different than someone who did not wear any protective gear. Their arrows were always
capable of finding the weakest point and delivering a fatal blow.
It was rare to find good archers in a typical army unit, let alone sharpshooters. Nobles had to pay a
handsome sum of money to hire them, but the best sharpshooters were almost always Elves or rangers,
and these people preferred freedom.
[What the fuck is up with this rebel army? Druids? Rangers and Elves? A fucking alliance between the
denizens of the forest? Are we fighting a Holy War?]
He trembled once he recalled about the November War.
“Over there!”
The Crimson Flagbearers rode quickly and maintained their speed in the forest. To move quickly in the
range of sharpshooters meant survival, and these experienced troops understood this point clearly. It did
not take long for them to discover where their enemies were.
A shadowy figure moved swiftly across the fortress’s earthen walls that were fortified with vines.
This tall, lithe Elf had dull-green skin and he moved behind the battlements without giving away his
position, closing in the distance to the enemy’s cavalry unit. The Elf stopped to calmly observe with a pair
of narrow almond-shaped eyes, then he continued to move, exposed half of his body, then raised his
longbow to aim.
“An Elven archer!” One of the riders managed to spot him and shrieked, and the entire cavalry unit
unbuckled the shields from their mounts to guard their throats. To a child, the Elven archers were
legendary sharpshooters, but for a soldier on the battlefield, they were the definition of a nightmare.
It was especially so for Elves that had a greyish-green tinge to their skin. They were Windrunner Elves.
The Nightsong Tiger peeked out from a carefully hidden ditch, glanced at the enemy riders’ response, and
then tucked his head back.
“These soldiers are quite the veterans.” He gestured.
“But it’s useless, hehe.” The mercenaries’ eyes were somewhat hollow because of the constant battles that
they fought, but there was a streak of cruelty in them. They were smirking.
Indeed, the cavalry’s actions were useless.
2388
There was a beam of white light. That projectile actually pierced through the center of a rider’s shield and
neck. It even broke through the first victim completely to strike the rider that was behind him, and the
latter was sent flying to the ground with a massive thud.
It was only then that the first rider who got shot fell silently to the ground.
“A Silver-ranked archer!” Lord Weld instantly thought he had fallen into a huge trap as he stared at the
Grim Reaper on the fortress.
It seemed like that elf had turned into a cannon— Each time he raised his longbow, there would be at
least one rider amongst the charging cavalry who fell down his mount.
Lord Weld felt a painful headache assaulting him, but he was at least still a capable commander. He
immediately pulled out his longsword and ordered:
“Move closer and suppress him with the hand cannons!”
A Silver-ranked sharpshooter’s damage was too great. At the rate of two arrows fired in a second, Lord
Weld thought that the morale of his men would collapse first before they even got to fight anything.
The whistling in the forest caused by the arrows was like summoning calls for their souls, but the
Crimson Flagbearers displayed their tenacity as elites. They charged forward with high spirits despite the
circumstances, and they reached the range to fire their hand cannons quickly.
Lord Weld secretly exhaled with relief. He raised his hand and the riders responded by aiming with their
guns, and it seemed like victory was at hand as the crimson flags flew brilliantly. As long as they entered
the enemy’s defensive lines, they would be able to give a decisive blow to the rebels.
Unfortunately, the victory that they had envisioned could only be seen from afar—
The Nightsong Tiger snapped his fingers:
“It’s time for our performance.”
The uneven ground that was covered with dead leaves and snow suddenly parted and rows of
‘scarecrows’ suddenly stood up.
Naturally, these were the mercenaries who had camouflaged themselves superbly.
Lord Weld felt his heart plummet.
“Ambush!” The Crimson Flagbearers panicked.
The Nightsong Tiger licked his lips and threw out his axe that spun quickly.
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The nearest Crimson Flagbearer felt like time had slowed down, but there was nothing he could do to
avoid the projectile. There was a sharp cry as he fell to the ground face-down. The rider next to him
prepared his lance to strike the Nightsong Tiger, but the latter dodged without any excessive movement
and struck back with a broadsword on his left hand, cutting a deep wound across that hapless rider
across the waist.
A string of red liquid pearls scattered across the misty air along with a painful cry.
The impact on that man caused an imbalance on his mount and they both crashed onto the ground with
terrifying force. Lord Weld stared at this scene in shock. The enemies in front of them were most likely
knights, or at least they were incredibly experienced Silver-ranked mercenaries.
Hope shattered like a crystal statue thrown onto the floor.
“You fucking rebels!” Lord Weld felt a trace of sorrow in his mind, but he did not retreat and raised his
longsword instead. He charged towards the Nightsong Tiger with a resolute expression: “Die!”
An arrow pierced through that noble.
The Elf on the fortress put away his longbow.
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Chapter 223 – Dusk or dawn
The Crimson Flagbearers in the forest had their formation broken. One by one, the crimson swallow-tail
banners plunged to the ground.
Silence filled Lord Palas’s surroundings. The veteran general’s fingertips on his sword hilt whitened a
little more—
[To think this enemy unit kept on waiting patiently even though their allies were in a disadvantage. They
must be the Mercenaries of Lopes in the report.]
He closed his eyes, and there was a strong sign of fatigue that showed on his deeply wrinkled face. Lord
Weld was one of the youths he appreciated, but regretting was not permitted on a battlefield. Aouine had
shed too much blood.
There was only cold determination in his unlit face when he opened his eyes.
[Since the rebels have shown this card, then victory is all but confirmed.]
“The knights from Randner, go forth and add a victory stroke that’s full of ink on your achievements.”
There was raucous cheering from the crowd of Silver-ranked knights.
But it did not bring up even a bit of joy in Lord Palas’s heart.
Aouine was already sleeping just like he was.
The old man turned around to look at the setting sun’s light. Dusk filled the sky with a deep orange hue,
but it was a sign that darkness was coming. Victory did not bring forth the colors of hope, and there was
only the vivid color of blood in his eyes.
Just where did he make a mistake in this battle?
============= Jana’s POV =============
“The knights are moving.”
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A cold voice transmitted next to Jana’s ears, causing the mercenary to pivot her eyes to discover
Medissa’s stoic expression. The young Elven girl appeared quite adorable when she had bunched up her
face, and there was just that little hint of royalty or commander’s authority emitting from her.
The female mercenary commander nodded.
Even she could see that victory or defeat was at hand. But she was still unable to see where they could
gain the advantage.
The earlier battle had drained a great amount of her stamina, and she was unable to maintain her dignity
in front of Medissa, painting a little. Anyone could see that the defensive lines were shaking and about to
be overrun. Her eyes had a little incomprehension in them when she peered at Medissa.
Was it Elven pride or some unknown factor that supported her confidence to remain unfazed under this
situation?
[If it’s confidence, then where does it come from?]
“How are we going to handle the enemies?” She asked earnestly with anxious eyes.
It was the first time she threw down her pride to get an order from Medissa despite the fact that she did
not desire to do so, at least not to a girl who was still a child. Did this Elven princess really know what
was happening on the battlefield?
Jana was very doubtful—
But Medissa’s mind was crystal clear and she said:
“Blow the horns.”
Jana’s eyes were full of disbelief. Even if Medissa was encased in a full suit of armor, she still looked like
she was a child pretending to be a general.
“But what about Madara’s undead?” Jana asked.
Blowing the horns was the signal to activate the Subterrane Dwellers, but they were the final force to tie
Madara’s forces down. This was not a secret, and both parties were clear of this point. Whoever utilized
their final reinforcements first would be the first to lose the war.
Medissa simply grabbed onto the lance next to her and glanced once at Jana.
“Get my mount ready, I’ll lead them personally.”
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“I……” Jana was suddenly at a loss for words and she clutched Medissa’s shoulders like she wanted to stop
her: “My men can’t follow you to go out and die……”
“How about you?” Medissa’s head tilted a little.
“I……” Jana took a deep breath and nodded: “I’ll follow you, fair child.”
Medissa smiled.
The noise of blazing horns sounded in the forest like an ancient song. Both allies and enemies felt like
they were transported to a boundless ancient forest.
“The Dragonhorns’ bellow?” Lord Palas suddenly experienced vertigo. He felt like time was reversing and
he was transported to a period where there was only blood for blood on a sacred battlefield. The past
alliances were no longer in effect, and that war was one without glory, but it was also filled with awarded
emblems for the veteran soldiers.
He licked his lips that were a little dry.
“The Subterrane Dwellers.”
“They’re here.”
“Are they trying to fight to the bitter end?”
“These rebels….. are respectable enemies.”
“Where exactly did they come from?”
[Yes, where did these people come from?]
The old commander felt a little confused upon hearing the mutterings of the surrounding knights. This
army was not made up of typical rebels. No, these were the best warriors Aouine had to offer. But why
would these gifted people fight so bitterly and shed their blood?
He had a sudden urge to meet the youth called Brendel.
[If one day, the citizens of Aouine could rise up and act like one again…… But who is capable of uniting the
kingdom? The nobles in the north? That princess who is surrounded by people who are not really aligned
with her? But I don’t think I would be able to see that day.]
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He shut his eyes, seemingly wanting to dream of finding the footprints of the Ancestral King Erik.
“Notify Madara.” Lord Palas did not open his eyes again and answered wearily.
The knights nodded and left him, but there was a sudden cheer in the forest.
Lord Palas’s eyes fluttered to the source of noise. The elite knights directly under his service also did the
same. The cheering came from the wizards in their camps, and those constantly muttering fools seemed
to be celebrating something.
He frowned in displeasure.
“It seems like the noble wizards have discovered that the much of the forest past the enemy’s stronghold
isn’t real and instead an illusion. They had been trying to find a way to dispel the illusion and it seems like
they have just created a solution.” One of the messengers answered immediately.
Lord Palas scoffed lightly. This group of thirty wizards hardly did anything in the earlier battles, and
there were great losses to the talented youths under him. Even though these robed fools explained that
they were facing a wizard who was vastly stronger than them, he did not believe it.
If that were true, did it not mean that they were facing against a Gold-ranked wizard? How was it possible
for one to join the rebels?
[These unnatural bastards can’t be trusted, but at least they are still working towards a proper solution.
Even though it’s possible that they want to act like they achieved something in this war, it’s not
convenient for me to say anything more.]
He merely nodded to show that he understood. But he did not expect that the wizards to act quickly.
There was a sudden chorus of synchronized chanting. A powerful ripple of Mana swept past the forest
and caused the soldiers in the forest to shudder and feel their hair standing up on end.
If a normal person could feel this rippling Mana, then it would naturally be clear to the casters.
In truth, Ciel felt that commotion when the enemy wizards cast their spell. When one of the acolytes
asked for instructions regarding this matter, he merely shook his head.
“Ignore them. Let them dispel the illusion.”
“Let them dispel it?” The acolyte did not understand.
“Are you wasting my breath? That silly thing is meant to deceive the enemies into believing that we have
a large army of spellcasters, but what’s the use of it now that they still fight us head on without holding
back? Since those fools want to waste their Mana to dispel something useless, let them do it. How stupid
are you to actually stoop down to their levels and go crazy like them?”
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Ciel showed a look of disgust and prodded at that acolyte’s head:
“The head is utilized in a battle between wizards, do you understand?”
The acolyte received a verbal thrashing and he hurriedly nodded.
Ciel was absolutely not a good choice as a teacher. At least in terms of patience, he was definitely worse
compared to his lord.
He shook his head as he took another long look at the acolyte and the other wizards behind him: “I’m
reminding everyone of you to save up Mana and use it for the last battle. I did not bring you here for the
reason of letting you die here.”
Ciel shrugged.
“Of course, if anyone else wants to die a stupid death, then there’s nothing I can do.”
His words were interrupted by sudden cheers. Everyone looked towards River Gris and discovered that it
came from all the enemy troops. Even the Highlanders were doing the same thing.
The forest’s illusion was disappearing.
It seemed like this was a signal for their final victory, and the enemies had lost their last barrier.
Tarkas and his Black Knights were standing in a section of the forest. His golden irises that were
particular to the vampires glinted coldly. The outcome of this war seemed like it had nothing to do with
them. Behind them was an army comprised of thousands and thousands of undead units. They did not
need to breathe and the entire army was silent, almost appearing like they were a wall made up of iron.
The one-eyed general’s gaze landed on the Subterrane Dwellers who were covered in thick battle armor.
“The Stormtroopers of the Subterrane Dwellers.” He remarked as he wore his metal gauntlets, turning
around to address his army: “They are the final trump card of the humans. Let’s go, I want a Madaran
Victory— For the Emperor!”
The Black Knights pulled out their gleaming sabers and answered with a deep tone: “By the will of the
Mercury Staff.”
But there was another blast of the Dragonhorns, seemingly different in tone compared to the earlier one.
The long, sustained noise echoed in the forest.
Tarkas paused. He strained his ears to listen.
============== Lord Palas’s POV ==============
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[A signal to attack— They still dare to counter attack?]
Lord Palas’s lips were pursed as the cheering from Randner’s soldiers suddenly cut off. The disappearing
forest suddenly displayed something that should not be there.
“Notify our entire army to pay attention! There’s an unknown group near our left flank!”
“That group is not responding to our flag signals, it’s possible they are enemies!”
The shouts of the Lord Palas’s dispatchers kept echoing one after another.
==================== Brendel’s POV (some time earlier) ==============
Brendel saw rows of Elven archers riding on flying horses coming in from the sides when the centaur
parted the foliage. He turned around to look at Quinn and asked:
“So where is their chieftain?”
“The humans’ counterpart for that word is general right? I think he’s on top of that hill.”
Brendel looked at him in surprise and replied: “I was just following your customs.”
“No, we don’t have the usage of chieftain, that’s for the Beastmen.” Quinn could not help but display a look
of affront, revealing his teeth as he pulled back his lips.
“Did I remember wrongly? Well, it’s roughly the same thing anyway.” Brendel shrugged.
He stared at the trees in front of him. River Gris was showing hints of red in it, apparently from the blood
from the casualties in this war:
“I think Lord Palas isn’t foolish enough to reveal his position in such an obvious place. Hmm, that is
probably one of the lords from the other regions……”
He pondered for a while.
“But I think it should be enough for a surprise.”
He turned his head to a centaur: “Have the scouts cleared off the enemies’ guardposts?”
“Yes,” came the immediate reply, “but……”
“But?”
“We discovered a hunter’s hut.”
“A hunter’s hut?”
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2397
Chapter 224 – Beat them up
TL: Linguist experts, I have a question. ‘My Lord’ is only capitalized when it used at the beginning of the
sentence right? I.E, “My Lord, the king is here!” vs “The king is here, my lord!”.
It was common to see population becoming denser the more prosperous a city was. Workers, monks,
entertainers, and politicians worked in such a place to create commerce.
However, it was different in remote regions like Trentheim and Yusen, as many of their residents were
not staying in the city but in the wild. They were like scattered stars in the sky; farms were built near the
edge of the forest while hunters stayed in huts on the hills.
The Centaurs discovered a few houses and huts. A family was staying in one of them. Since the former
was afraid the latter were spies, they brought them over to the youth.
The Centaurian Warriors were imposing with their height and copper-like muscles. White and purple
lines were painted over their faces and shoulders to form battle tattoos. They brought over the shivering
man and his wife, as well as their children.
These unknown people wore tattered clothes and had oily dark hair that was forming into clumps,
looking more like refugees instead of spies.
“They are not scouts but refugees,” Brendel remarked.
“My Lord, we……” Panic dyed that man’s eyes. Deserters were usually beheaded if the nobles ever
managed to catch them. It was no secret that roads sometimes had headless corpses, and the majority of
them were deserters, while the minority was made up of bandits.
“Who’re you!” A child managed to loosen himself from his mother’s pale hands and yelled at the youth
and his men.
Brendel looked at the skinny kid in amusement, while the terrified mother ran over to grab hold of her
child and looked up with pleading eyes.
“My Lord, the enemies are moving towards the stronghold.”
The youth nodded and spoke to the refugees:
“I’m the legitimate lord of this region, and regardless of whether you’re a deserter or my citizens, as long
as you live in Trentheim, I will protect you. It’s enough to remember this point.”
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He pulled on the horse’s reins and prepared to leave, but that child refuted in a loud voice, surprising
everyone: “Liar, you’re all villains!”
“Hmm?” Brendel stopped and looked back puzzledly.
“My father said that we wouldn’t be fighting a war if you’re not here.”
“My Lord……” The child’s father pulled him over: “He…… He……”
Brendel shook his head. Everyone’s eyes were on him, wondering what he wanted to do next. The youth
dismounted and pulled out his sword, surprising them.
The poor woman immediately screamed in fright. Brendel gently patted her emaciated, bony hand.
“There’s no need to panic or worry,” he consoled her.
The refugee and his wife looked at him anxiously, but the youth had moved onto the boy as he patted the
latter’s head.
“You’re a brave little man. Then let me ask you a question.”
The boy glared at Brendel.
“If someone wants to take away your parents, what will you do?”
“I’ll beat them up if they dare!” The boy answered fiercely without any hesitation.
“Well said,” Brendel praised him, “then brave little man, if someone wants to take away your parents and
you away from me, even snatching away this kingdom, what do you think I will do?”
The boy looked at him in confusion.
“I will also beat them up.” Brendel had a faint smile as he got up on his horse again.
He pointed his sword to a nearby location where Lord Palas’s army was fighting Trentheim’s. The final
battle was close, and the political battle that took the entire kingdom by storm was about to end. Was he
capable of change the kingdom’s fate?
“You lot heard what I said?” He tilted his head slightly to his mercenaries, but his eyes remained on the
enemies’ location.
“Beat them up!” Came the reply.
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“Beat them up!”
The Centaurs also joined in with fervent cries. This was what they pursued in life. A battle that granted
glory. They would gladly participate in one even if they had shed their last drop of blood. Perhaps this
civil war was meaningless to them, but they would forever respect the notion of guarding beliefs and
protecting hope.
Brendel gently urged his steed to move and the mixed army began to follow him. The Tree Elves held
their bows before their chests and sang a battle song from the ancient past.
It was a period when the humans and Elves fought a war to defeat the darkness and allow light to
triumph, keeping the embers of hope alive. The grand eagle spreading their wings with bows raised
high—
It was a song in the distant past, describing the moment when all sentient races came together as one to
resist the Dragon of Darkness, signing a sacred and solemn oath…… But a thousand years had passed, and
did the continent still remember all of these historical moments?
“How are you going to fight them?” Quinn asked.
Both Brendel and Quinn had smirks on their faces.
“You can go ahead and lead the combined forces to stall the progress of the enemy’s main forces. Lord
Palas is going to send out the soldiers and knights from the Kruss region to poke at our left flank, so I’ll go
ahead and smash them. I’m going to teach these nobles a lesson since they seem to be fond of looking
down on people.”
Quinn looked at the youth in shock.
“You’re going alone?”
“Alone?” Brendel laughed and shook his head.
============== Lord Palas’s POV ==============
Lord Palas felt as though a sword was pointing at his back when he heard that the unknown army started
to move towards the center of the battlefield. However, the scouts reported that there were only several
hundred men in total, and he sighed with relief and he tapped his index finger on the smooth pommel of
his sword:
“Is there anything else from the scouts?”
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“No.”
Lord Palas nodded in acknowledgment. The knights around him started to murmur in relief as well.
“To think there are only several hundred men.”
“Their leader must be a fool to lead these men into the heart of the battle.”
Even though such proud soldiers would lose someday because of their overconfidence, no general would
dislike such men. He was satisfied with the sudden increase of his subordinates’ morale, and the enemy
seemed to turn into a joke in a heartbeat.
A new messenger appeared before Lord Palas and spoke:
“The sudden reinforcements suddenly stopped moving towards the battlefield! What are your orders, my
Lord?”
“Haha, they probably realized the scale of our army and are considering whether to join their allies safely
or perhaps even run away.”
“These cowards. If they rushed towards our men the very moment we discovered them, they might be
able to cause some damage.”
“Perhaps I should praise their skill for being capable of finding a good position in the fake forest. They are
actually in a good position to charge straight to our left flank.”
“Hmph, the scouts from the Kruss region are useless for not discovering them.”
Lord Palas could not help but shake his head. The men under him were mocking their allies and were
acting a little too conceited.
He sighed and spoke to the messenger:
“Get Lord Kruss to intercept this unknown army right away. He should be ashamed for letting the
enemies get so close to us.”
But Lord Palas still made use of Lord Kruss’s mistake to bolster his men’s morale.
“Let us set off.” The old knight pulled down his helmet’s visor and stood up from the rock he was sitting
on. An attendant brought over his mount. The knights around him had already equipped themselves and
were ready to set off.
A minor change in the battlefield did not alter Lord Palas’s decision. Even though he was cautious, he
possessed the decisiveness of a general. He nodded to his attendant and the latter took the warhorn from
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his waist and blew it. The clear sound pierced through the forest and the creaks of metallic armor could
be heard—
Countless soldiers started moving towards the forest. Each wore a surcoat that had blue and red colors
on it, armed with a shield, longsword, steel helmet, and iron knee-guards. The coordinated movements
made a unified melody as twigs broke under their march.
These men filled the gaps between the trees as more of them continued to pour in. The private armies of
the nobles under Count Randner formed into several huge formations, as though they were whirlpools
that sucked in even more water. Stray arrows shot onto the clustered men, causing a few to slumber for
all eternity, but the armies were immediately replenished.
The enemies seemed like they had infinite numbers which made the Trentheim’s natives feel helpless.
Count Randner’s huge army pressed forward. Some of the resisting mercenaries could not help but lower
down their bows as they felt the earth tremble before their feet when the enemies marched at the same
time.
Medissa could hear gulps around her when she rode on her mount. Her face was completely covered by
her helmet except for her eyes. She pursed her lips as she wielded her lance, observing the sight before
her silently.
Behind her was Raban, Jana, and an army of nearly one thousand Subterrane Dwellers. These creatures
were slightly hunched over because of the black hefty armor that had protruding spikes. They carried
lances that were even longer and heavier than Medissa’s, appearing like monstrous beasts.
However, they stood where they were without moving a muscle.
Medissa did the same thing and merely watched Count Randner’s army move.
Jana did not understand: “Are we not moving out?”
“Count Randner’s men are not our targets. I never said that we’re going to against them. Our target has
always been Madara’s army.” Medissa glanced at a certain distant hill.
“But…… they can’t defend against them!” Jana’s voice had a little tremor to it as she watched the enemies
moved closer to the battlefield.
“Our lord has his own arrangement,” Medissa looked back with a faint smile, and her calm eyes had
complete faith in them, “you’re too tense.”
“But he didn’t bring a lot of men with him when he left for the Dark Forest.” Jana was puzzled.
“That’s enough. I’m the commander of this army, and the first thing you need to do is obey my plans.
Furthermore, if our lord says he’s capable of handling it, then I will believe in him. Our target is Madara.”
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“…… I feel like I must have been crazy to follow you.” Jana muttered to herself.
Medissa laughed as she overheard the mercenary’s words. “Thank you for accompanying me, Jana.”
“You’re still a young girl after all,” Jana sighed as she recalled her younger sister who died under
Graudin’s hands. She gripped her sword, only to notice that her hand was colder than the metal hilt.
Suddenly a faint wolf’s howl interrupted their conversation, seemingly from a great distance away. A few
seconds later, countless howls answered the first cry, only to get louder and clearer, almost as if these
wolves were close to the humans.
The earth started to rumble as though hundreds of creatures were running across the ground.
Lord Palas pulled the reins to his horse, and the expression underneath his steel helmet changed slightly.
The knights around him froze and turned their heads towards the source of the noise.
Wolves, but they were not of the normal kind.
The natives that resided in the Dark Forest—
“The abominations from the Dark Forest!” The first group of people to panic was the Highlanders. They
lived close to the Wilderness and knew about the legends within the Dark Forest.
They could only think of one thing.
“The Calamity of Wolves!”
A sudden, panicked scream wormed into the old knight’s ears, and he paled in an instant.
Quinn was sitting rigidly on his mount when he saw the wolves swarming around Brendel. It was like he
was a wolf-shepherd.
“Enough of a force, yes?” Brendel queried with a smile.
Quinn did not reply and raised his longbow and gestured to the Tree Elves to move out. At that moment,
it seemed like there was a limitless amount of flying horses that covered the sky.
2403
Chapter 225 – Your sword shall shine for all eternity, Aouine (1)
A Direwolf was sprinting at the forefront.
Its fur was black and sharp as steel, eyes glowing as though there were green flames burning in their
sockets, and the wolf looked like a creature that was born from hell. Claws gleamed as paws shuffled and
dashed madly across the withered leaves on the ground.
The soldiers’ gazes could not catch up with the wolves’ speed, only to see them darting across the hills
and valleys. All their fired arrows did not reach the wolves as they seemingly managed to avoid every one
of them.
The officers could only watch the monsters come closer and closer. They ordered the soldiers to lower
and ready their spears, but the rows of nobles’ private soldiers under the Kruss Region instead moved
back.
A wave seemed to oscillate across their formation.
Lord Kruss and his knights wielded their longswords to fight the wolves, but these Wolves of Calamity
were ultimately the nightmares that plagued these citizens and their ancestors who lived in the forest for
generations.
The shadows that lurked in the forest was the infamous legendary omen that swallowed everything and
signified the end of days—
The knights had pale faces.
“Why are these damn things here!” Lord Kruss cursed aloud.
His men were still keeping in formation, but the highlanders were much more fearful of the legend.
Several tribes in the rear secretly retreated, while those in the front fell into confusion. The horrific tales
they grew up listening to were going to happen to them, and even their bravest warriors started
removing their heavy armor in fright, prepared to run away.
The men could only watch the wolves sprint towards their formation. The archers continued to shoot
their projectiles at them without any effect as they came closer and closer, and the distance was less than
a hundred paces. Lord Kruss was a Gold-ranker, and his eyesight was keen enough to see that the
seemingly soft fur bounced off the arrows.
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The lord from the Grey Bears region was a cunning opportunist who could not be relied on, therefore he
could not be relied on for assistance.
Lord Kruss could only order his soldiers to advance. He lived in the southern borders long enough to
know that humans could not outrun these wolves. Even horses were no different.
The forest air was chilling to the bone, but what was even colder was the chill within their minds,
seemingly freezing the soldiers’ ability to breathe. There were only several hundred black wolves, but
their speed was so fast that they seemed to move in a blur, giving the illusion that there were infinite
numbers. The soldiers’ hands had perspiration and their sword hilts felt slippery.
A figure suddenly dashed out from the trees on horseback.
At first, Lord Kruss thought it was one of his scouts ahead running away from the wolves, but he quickly
dispelled the thought. It was a youth who peered at him from afar, but the exchange of stares only made
him feel like he was being seen through completely.
“Who are you?” Lord Kruss sensed something was amiss, yelling out to the youth.
“Lord Kruss. Do you still dream of that final moment in the Kantnar battlefield? The glory that you lost
there— I’m here to bring it back to you.”
“Silence!” Lord Kruss roared, but his face was drained of color as though a vampire had sucked every
drop of blood from him and his hands were trembling: “How…… do…….”
The incident when he abandoned his allies and escaped. He thought no one knew what he did, but the
youth in front of him spilled out his deepest secret.
Brendel pursed his lips. In truth, he did not have the intention to mock him as he was simply there to
bring back the lost honor he had thrown away.
The wolves behind him gushed out like a tidal wave, charging past Brendel and sprinted towards the
soldiers. It was bizarre that the monsters left Brendel and his mount alone, and that outcome made
everyone in the vicinity scared.
The black ink smashed into the formation of grey and green colors.
Time seemed to slow down in Lord Kruss’s eyes as he witnessed the lances stabbing into the wolves that
were the size of horses. However, the metallic spearheads were also unable to go through the steel-like
fur.
Most of these soldiers hired by the nobles were not even close an Iron-ranker. Even if their captains were
Iron-rankers, how were they the match for the wolves that had no trouble taking down Silver-rankers?
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The seemingly impressive defense of an infantry unit comprised of a thousand-odd men was penetrated
in an instant and became a pincushion, with cries and screams punctuating the air.
Lord Kruss finally started waking up from the surreal nightmare, hurriedly ordering his knights to fortify
the second defense line. The knights were Silver-rankers trained in commanding, and they quickly
immediately tried to stabilize the formation with the soldiers.
But the wolves had torn out of a huge chunk out of their formation and their fangs were bared at the Lord
Kruss. But the latter did not retreat and simply stared at the impending outcome of the battle.
The knights split up the broken formation and turned it into two wings, eventually discovering that the
wolves were much fewer than they thought. After a moment of confusion, the soldiers were directed by
the knights to advance and encircle Brendel instead.
[Abandoning your own defense? What a bold decision.]
Brendel was a few hundred meters away from Lord Kruss. At this distance, it was neither near nor far,
and if it were a normal battle, then it would be a test for the two commanders’ bravery and wisdom.
[But it’s just like what I expected, using yourself as a bet to get to me. All or nothing to silence me.]
The two hundred black wolves were aided by another hundred-odd Shadow Rock Beasts, but they were
facing enemies many times their number. A retreat was impossible, but it was also a contest to see who
would take victory first.
Brendel raised Halran Gaia.
The wolves around him parted and sought to make a clear path for him. The youth nudged his mount and
it began to accelerate. This was not a mere horse; it was a gift from the Tree Elves. It had the blood from a
Spirit of Nature, a primordial horse called Kalenir, a legendary creature like the unicorns. This proud
steed was even capable of flight by manipulating the Nature and Wind Elements, stronger and quicker
than the other flying horses the Tree Elves were riding on.
Right at that moment, two translucent wings carried the white horse forward and painted a white line
across the scenery. Due to his low altitude, the archers did not attempt to shoot at him for fear of shooting
into their comrades, but Lord Kruss’s men stood in his path with pale faces. The youth responded by
drawing his sword. The blade moved so swiftly that it seemed like seven swords were moving around
him, and dozens of spears and humans were knocked away.
Brendel brought his left hand forward and laid it parallel to the ground:
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“Howling wind, grant me your authority!” He roared.
It was a spell of the Elementalist’s second Circle, Binding Currents.
An explosive bullet of wind burst out, causing a wall of wind to form and repel the obstacles in from of
him. A hurricane was generated behind him, while the soldiers in front of him were slammed so hard that
their bodies were forced into a crescent-like shape before they slid off from the invisible wall of wind and
hurled away into the air, eventually crushing the men on the ground when they finally dropped from the
sky.
The Direwolf that Brendel got from the Dark Forest was enhanced by the system. An armor of protruding
rocks was emerging out from its shoulders, forehead, and back. Its strength and defense were increased,
possessing a Gold-ranker’s prowess and none of the soldiers were able to approach it. A single snarl from
it sent the nearby men falling to the ground with trembling legs.
A single human and wolf cut out an empty path reaching fifty meters ahead of them, and their tail was
free of people, allowing the wolves to follow behind them. Two personal knights serving under Lord
Kruss dashed out from the sides to intercept Brendel, but the youth placed his sword horizontally before
swinging it at an unthinkable speed. A flash of light flickered once, and the knights along with their
mounts were cleaved in half, tossing their bodies high up into the air.
He slew two Silver-rankers in an instant.
The restless soldiers who thought they could try to overwhelm the youth with numbers were now
terrified, halting their movements with an unintentional synchronized timing. Average mortals like them
were not qualified to participate in a battle with a Gold-ranker.
Brendel once again urged his horse forward, and his enemies scrambled to get out of his way. It was as
though he was a fish parting the waters. Lord Kruss’s expression changed when he realized what he was
seeing.
[Such a young Gold-ranked swordsman in Aouine?! This is obviously a brilliant genius. You can even
count the people who can rival him on one hand at his age. Furthermore, his sword is gleaming with
Element Power—]
Lord Kruss felt the hope in his heart turn to ice as he muttered under his breath:
“What exactly is going on here, these rebels are……”
Brendel raised an eyebrow when he saw Lord Kruss stay at where he was. His mind worked quickly and
understood. He watched his surroundings intensely, and he quickly sensed two Gold-rankers releasing
their energy.
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[It’s just like I thought initially, Lord Kruss wouldn’t let his defense go down without reason. Are there
more Gold-rankers?]
Brendel did not have any sense of urgency when he saw the two unfamiliar faces rushing at him. They
were swordsmen who did not even have signs of an Unsealed Element Power, therefore they were low-
grade Gold-rankers.
[They are either hired or secretly trained. Either way, it certainly shows how rich the high nobles are.]
The youth raised his sword and swung it at the first charging swordsman, not even bothering to slow
down his mount, and instead he timed it so that his blade would meet the opponent’s. It was a swing that
had no hesitation, resembling a comet that simply sped forward regardless of the obstacles.
The swordsman from under Count Randner nearly jumped out his armor. He had never seen such an
insane rider, completely disregarding his own defense when it was a two versus one scenario.
It was truly an attacked that screamed ‘I shall cut you even if I forfeit my life’.
There was no technique to speak off, but at the same time, it drove Count Randner’s swordsmen crazy
with terror. The first swordsman was unwilling to die together with the youth, but the speed at which the
horse was charging in was simply too fast and avoiding it was not an option.
He could only swing up his sword to defend himself. It was extremely frustrating in his mind because he
was the one who had the initiative, but was overwhelmed by his crazy opponent. The only hope he had
was to rely on his partner to exploit the fact that Brendel had no means to guard himself. Since the two of
them worked together for many years, it was unlikely that the latter would miss it.
But the outcome that happened was out of his expectations. He saw Brendel strike at his blade and the
immense feedback nearly broke his wrist, forcing him to retreat as he shuffled against the ground
awkwardly to regain his balance. He cursed inwardly but when he finally got a chance to peek at Brendel,
he found the latter already ready with a new meteoric slash.
The swordsman felt his soul leaving his body—
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[How is this possible!]
The first swordsman under Count Randner had his eyes nearly popped out of his sockets. Brendel clearly
borrowed the additional speed from his horse to make it a perfect strike of power and speed. The
expected outcome was that he had to recover from the feedback.
People in this world called it ‘stiffness’—
But Brendel did not seem like he had that problem. No matter how the swordsman looked at it, the youth
was exerting his entire force behind the sword again, and it was no different from the earlier attack.
It was as if he had violated the laws of mechanics.
Almost as if it was two separate people meting two separate strikes……
The Gold-ranked swordsman under Count Randner could not understand, but there was no need to try
and do so. If he did not block the incoming attack again, he would be bidding his farewell to this world.
And yet he knew that if he tried to block it, he would be smashed to the ground as he had not even
regained his balance.
But there was no choice and he raised his sword to block the attack as a sheen of perspiration erupted
from his face. He only felt the entire world swirl as a massive force slammed down on him, causing him to
tumble across the ground as though he had been swatted like a fly.
The twin strikes from Brendel were accomplished in an instant, and to the soldiers’ eyes, he had
somehow split into two, striking down that Gold-ranked swordsman as though the latter had been
learning how to use the sword for the first time.
It was only at this moment when that swordsman’s partner was in striking range, who was gritting his
teeth with utter bewilderment.
If it were a normal duel where everyone was in striking range, then Brendel’s feat would not have
mattered that much as the swordsman could at least cover for each other.
The youth’s third move started once again— The second swordsman could still see Brendel’s sword
terminating at where it was supposed to end, but the youth’s weapon was already somehow raised above
his head.
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Supposing the second swordsman was instead a new player in the game, then he would have slapped the
ground with teary eyes: This bastard was cheating!
That man’s reaction was to frantically deal with the sight before him. If he still did not join in the battle,
then his partner would definitely be killed.
[All three of us are clearly Gold-rankers, but this boy dealt with my partner in less than three moves
without even breaking a sweat. How is this possible!]
He swung his sword.
Logically speaking, Brendel might have swung his sword consecutively, but he abandoned all notions of
defense. Taking advantage of this chance should be enough to rescue the swordsman on the ground,
surely the youth had to defend himself, right?
But the second swordsman found himself in a daze as he was proven completely wrong.
Brendel did not care about the incoming attack and continued running his sword into the disbelieving
swordsman on the ground. The latter’s expression was asking the youth seemed to be asking whether he
hated him that much till he would throw his life away.
But it simply ended with the fourth sword appearing above Brendel’s head striking at the second
swordsman.
With a perfect force exerted with his entire body.
“This simply cannot be possible!” The second swordsman wanted to fling his sword at Brendel’s head as
he roared out.
Brendel accurately struck the incoming sword and pushed it away, and the same event that just
transpired was repeated again. Six sword strikes and two Gold-ranked swordsmen were stabbed through
the heart as the final blow.
It was all over in a few seconds.
A normal person trying to kill a dog might not find it as easy what Brendel had accomplished.
The people on the battlefield who saw Brendel’s feat was silent.
2410
Brendel’s reaction was to wipe Halran Gaia on the second swordman’s clothes. He then observed his
surroundings. Wherever his gaze went, the soldiers retreated like a falling tide. This somehow chained an
avalanche of fear, quickly turning into registered information.
Several hundred soldiers screamed as Brendel started moving on his horse again. The frontline threw
down their weapons and fled, which in turn triggered the majority of the soldiers, obliterating the final
shred of confidence that they had, fleeing in large droves.
The remaining men left in the battlefield who still faithfully held on their positions were the knights of
Lord Kruss. Brendel looked at him once again, their distance between each other less than thirty meters.
The youth moved in closer while the wolves swarmed around him, but it seemed like the knights had no
intention of fighting. Instead, they separated and allowed a path towards Lord Kruss, who had drawn out
his sword.
In truth, Lord Kruss already knew that he lost, but he did not admit defeat.
This person had once left his comrades in the Kantnar battlefield, but he was now staying here steadfast
on his horse with his hand firmly gripping on to his longsword. He commanded his knights to stay where
they were as he challenged Brendel to a duel.
The aged swordsman stretched out his left hand, and the youth affirmed his thoughts:
A duel it was.
Brendel nodded.
Lord Kruss raised his longsword and yelled at the top of his lungs: “Your sword shall shine for all eternity,
Aouine!”
The wolves also separated.
Brendel urged his horse forward, his speed at a moderate pace.
Lord Kruss charged down from the hill, while Brendel leisurely made his way to the summit. Two people
crossed each other. The youth passed his longsword from his right to his left, then grabbed onto Lord
Kruss’s longsword with Bahamut’s Grasp. There was no fancy technique involved; it was a simple thrust
from his longsword to the opponent’s chest.
There was a loud metallic grind as Brendel’s longsword was forced through steel, and Lord Kruss crashed
noisily onto the ground from his horse. The veteran soldier who experienced the November War tumbled
a few times before he finally stopped with his dusty face looking up to the sky.
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He then used his last remaining strength to look at the youth who sat upright on his mount and spoke
with a thin voice:
“Your glory,” He coughed a few times, the echo within the metallic helmet slurring his words, “that you
bring……. I accept it.”
The youth bowed in return. “The truth is that they never blamed you. That war was not your fault.”
“…… How could that be? How would you know that?” His words were peppered with coughs.
“That oaktree from Dakota’s hometown. His last request was for you to take care of it. That was a tree
that his father planted when he was young.” Brendel answered in a soft voice.
“It’s really him……” The knight started to cry like a child: “I let them down……”
Brendel remained silent. The Kantnar battlefield was part of the November War, a war that was a
mistake. Lord Kruss’s story was a quest in the game and he was full of regrets to what he did in the past.
Ten years later, he would extend this mission to the gamers whom he recognized. It was a famous quest
called ‘atonement’. Brendel admired this old knight considerably because he was at least willing to atone
for his actions. In truth, he did not commit something of a heinous crime and merely followed an order.
Eventually, Lord Kruss’s sobs turned to silence. The youth sighed. The bloodshed on this battlefield was
all Aouine’s, but he had to do this act in order to stop the civil wars in the kingdom. Perhaps this kingdom
could only be rebirthed after experiencing a baptism of blood and flames.
He looked up at the remaining knights on the hill. Some of them were running the previous Lord
Graudin’s uniform.
“Leave,” he said, “this is no longer your battlefield.”
But the knights shook their heads.
“We don’t know what you meant, Ser, but our Lord said that you brought glory back to him. It is a noble
act, and we thank you. However, this is the place where we fight to the end.”
There was a chorus of swords drawn from their sheaths.
Brendel sighed.
Once he turned his head away, the black wolves swarmed towards the hill’s peak.
============ Lord Palas’s POV ============
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The Highlanders were fleeing because of fear. The death of Lord Kruss had broken the combined army of
that region. The lord of the Grey Bear region kept hesitating and did not advance his army.
[There’s still no sign of Madara’s army, but that’s how it is with dead people, they can’t be trusted. The
situation of the battlefield seemed to have turned in the blink of an eye. We had such a clear and stable
advantage and it’s gone in an instant. Now there is an empty void in that area because of how Lord
Kruss’s army fled.]
Lord Palas who was further back suddenly felt deep fatigue within him. When he looked around him, the
knights still had the desire to gain victory in their eyes. However, the dead soldiers on the battlefield
were currently stacked across each other with broken spears and shattered armor. Their white flags
were split and dyed in blood, resembling the sunset’s hue.
It was already defeat.
But he could still retreat to Palas and the rebels could not prevent him from leaving. As long as he still
lived, he could make another coalition army. Even though Madara was a snake and a rat, they could still
be a force to be relied on if they believed there was victory to be found.
And yet……
[Victory is so close that my hands are within reach. But why has it turned into bubbles in the blink of an
eye? Or is it an unrealistic dream from the beginning? Oh Aouine, why has this outcome happened?]
The familiar past was long gone, and the only things left were the memories’ taste. A senior knight
leading the younger knights to a battle, teaching them the kingdom’s creeds, and these beliefs would be
passed down from generation to generation.
Lord Palas was also young once, and he still could remember the sagas of the senior knights before him.
But they were no longer sung any longer—
This rotten kingdom was like walls riddled with holes. The old knight thought he was seeing light shining
through the holes, each ray seemingly reflecting hope. He greatly desired to see what was beyond the
walls, but it was fated that he would be crushed by the walls that collapsed onto him.
The news from the left and right flanks continued to pour in. He was unable to control the coalition army
any longer. Most of the soldiers from the other regions had fled, and many smaller lords escaped to the
backlines, but there was no use in mocking these cowards.
The old knight led his three thousand men from his own region and advanced; the colors of the sunlight
painted his helmet.
He was going to put the final punctuation mark on this battle……
2413
2414
TL reminder: Tarkas is the general who led Madara’s army in the early chapters to invade Aouine.
Madara’s haughty army that made people fearful ultimately did not dare to cross the final line to engage
Firburh’s army.
That was because there were two people who constantly stood in front of this undead army.
A man and a woman.
The female was an Elf, her proud composure as radiant as the stars in the sky. Her young age seemed to
be unable to express the fact that she was the commander of Firburh’s army, but it did not interfere with
her skills as one.
Medissa held a silver lance and placed it horizontally while she sat straight up on her horse, quietly
blocking Tarkas’s path less than fifty meters away. In her eyes, Madara’s army did not exist.
The man was a middle-aged swordsman. He did not even look at Madara’s army from the very start, but
the tens of thousands of undead did not dare to overlook his presence.
That was because he was Mephisto, the Sword Saint of Ashes.
“Lord Palas has started advancing.” A black knight whispered next to Tarkas’s ear.
The latter nodded.
“What does Lord Incirsta say?”
“His Lordship says, Aouine…… never lacks heroes. This is a decision of a military man, and we must
respect the glory in a battlefield.”
Tarkas nodded.
“Then let us retreat. Hopefully, we can still come back to this land once again if I still live.”
The vampire commander looked at Medissa and Mephisto as he spoke.
“We’re already dead, my Lord.” The black knight replied.
2415
Tarkas paused for a moment before he nodded.
The presence of the undead left bit by bit.
There were two thousand-odd men on the battlefield, and their encountered resistance was a small army
made up of several hundred mercenaries, Tree Elves, and Centaurs.
But the outcome was already decided.
These two thousand men under Lord Palas were Iron-ranked soldiers, with less than a hundred knights
in the Silver-rank. On the opposite end, they faced powerful Silver-rankers with a considerable amount
nearing the strength of Gold-rankers, veteran warriors who had survived the Calamity of Wolves.
The flying horses soared to the sky and the Tree Elves’ arrows never missed their mark. It was a one-
sided massacre. Lord Palas’s heart was strangled as he heard the screams of the young soldiers around
him. The future for Aouine that he saw……
[Indeed, it is supposed to be Aouine’s senior knights leading the younger ones, singing the battle songs,
gifting them the highest honor they can attain.]
But the old knight found that he could not do anything.
Their full-on assault had long been stopped ago. Putting aside the enemy army’s regular soldiers, he saw
at least four Gold-rankers fighting on the battlefield.
A red-haired young girl using a spear, a Tree Elf, a Centaur, and an astonishingly pretty girl wearing male
clothes.
This was the supposed rebel army.
No one knew when it started. The bright golden flags in the battlefield were dyed with blood. As the old
knight continued to watch each youthful face disappear from him, he felt that it was time to end this farce.
The spear in Scarlett’s hand was no longer her original lightning spear, as it was lost in the Dark Forest.
Even after a search was made, it was to no avail.
Thus she was now wielding an ordinary spear enchanted with some magic. Brendel promised her to find
a favorable weapon for her, but she subconsciously did not want to bother him with this matter, afraid of
making Brendel feel she was troublesome, and eventually getting to the point where he would abandon
her like Makarov.
But it would not be fine if she did not have a weapon. She was currently the strongest person under
Brendel’s retainers and friends after the dragon blood in her awakened, excluding Mephisto. The latter
2416
was much stronger than her, but at the same time he was not really part of Brendel’s force, and at best a
business partner.
Technically speaking, if Brendel were to look at her in terms of levels, she would be even higher than his
own. That meant that an ordinary magic spear would limit her combat prowess.
The anxious girl pursed her lips and used her spear to charge in and out of Randner’s army.
Count Randner’s coalition army only had Lord Palas’s troops remaining on the battlefield. The other
knights and Gold-ranked swordsmen had all ran away, and there was no one who could form a threat to
her. She and Morpheus pierced through the enemies’ formation, separating and destroying each section.
At that moment, she felt that the opposition was hanging on by a thread that was about to snap.
However, her spear was suddenly met by another weapon, causing her hands to shake a little. There was
resistance and it surprised the young girl for a moment. She looked up to study the men in front of her.
A group of knights was reflected in her eyes.
[The core knights of Lord Palas. These knights are the backbone of the enemy army. This battle will end
quickly if I take them down.]
She immediately rushed over as she pondered. But contrary to her expectations of the enemy knights
retreating and allowing the soldiers to surround her, they instead charged at her.
[These fools.]
These knights should have already known her strength by now and that they were no match for her. But
they had no hesitation when they charged in, and she saw nothing but determination in their eyes.
They were not very much older than her—
Despite their looks in their eyes, their bodies betrayed them. They were trembling from anxiety and had
full of holes in their attacks. At that moment, Scarlett recalled her past comrades who lost their lives after
Makarov’s betrayal. Her spear that was originally full of killing intent changed its direction, and she
smacked them all down from their horses instead.
She moved forward, intending to take down more of the knights riding on the horses, but there was one
particular knight that stood out.
“What?”
2417
He was clad in full armor and was also a Silver-ranker, but his experience was remarkable. He avoided
her attack and even fought back. Scarlett easily defended against the blow and countered, only for her
spear to be deflected away with skillful techniques.
Scarlett was slightly on edge, thinking that her opponent was a Gold-ranker who tried to hide his
strength. She pulled back her spear and attacked with a full lunge— which was a feint.
That knight lurched backward, appearing to be unconfident of deflecting the missile-like spear. Scarlett
then moved in to attach her spear to his sword, then forced it away to the side and struck at her
opponent’s chest. The three consecutive spears were done one after another without pausing. A loud
cracking noise could be heard as the spear was thrust into the armor with rays of light emitting from it.
“A High-armor!?” Scarlett instantly felt something was wrong. Her opponent was wearing something that
an ordinary knight would not have, rather, it was more fitting for a commander.
Surely.
There was only one possible person who would have this in the entire army.
There was a jolt of electricity running through her veins as she realized there was silence around her. All
the soldiers and knights stopped fighting, which eventually spread to the others like a rippling wave. The
entire battlefield froze like a miracle.
“Lord Palas!” One of the young knights who was smacked down from his horse immediately got up and
rushed to the knight who fell under Scarlett’s spear.
Lord Palas coughed as blood pooled around his injury, but his first reaction was not to staunch it and
instead push up his faceplate.
It was a weary face that belonged to an old man, full of wrinkles and a pair of snow-white eyebrows that
seemed to hold in all the stormy weathers of the kingdom. His dull grey eyes looked as though they had
seen too many things, which had seen a certain war where the senior knights bringing along the younger
ones into a battlefield that many of them did not return for all eternity, but also seeing glorious victories
amidst the sorrowful ones. Finally, they had seemingly seen the end of the kingdom’s final moment.
These pair of eyes sparkled for a few seconds before they quickly disappeared as his life was drained
away, and the images of his past were forever sealed away.
Lord Palas laughed.
He first shook his hand at the knight beside him, looked up at Scarlett and said:
“Lass, where exactly are you from? I don’t believe, you are simply…… rebels…..”
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Scarlett suddenly found herself at a loss for words. Logically speaking, this old man was their biggest
enemy in this war, but she found it hard to reject answering his question at this moment.
“I’m a citizen of Aouine.”
“Impossible, a peak Gold-ranker…… a peak Gold-ranker…… When did Aouine have such a young
prodigy…… a true…… prodigy……” The old man shook his head weakly in disbelief.
“I’m truly a citizen of Aouine, a Highlander within the Randner region, originally a mercenary until I met
my lord,” Scarlett spoke in an earnest tone.
“A stubborn person, eh? You certainly demonstrate the kingdom’s stubbornness. I do believe you are
one.” the old man smiled, but his smile seemed like it had used up of its vitality: “But a prodigy like you,
why would you lower yourself by being with the rebels……”
“What? No, I’m not lowering myself, my lord is even stronger than I am. But putting aside that, he’s also a
good person, especially compared to that Graudin. I think he’s the best lord in this continent—”
“Is that so? What is the….. name….. of your lord?” He asked between coughs.
“Brendel.”
“Brendel……Brendel……”
Lord Palas closed his eyes and breathed out a long sigh. He felt his limbs getting colder. He was losing
consciousness and breathing was becoming hard. But he still had one more question, and his eyes sprang
open once more, staring at the blood on the forest ground. All of it was Aouine’s blood.
“What is……exactly…… your…… goal?”
“I have no idea, but my lord says he is doing this to save Aouine.”
“Save Aouine?” Light returned to Lord Palas’s eyes, and he stared at the girl with a complicated
expression: “How…..?”
“I’m sorry,” Scarlett shook her head to show that she did not know, “but I believe my lord is capable of
doing so. Not one of us believes that you nobles are capable of doing that.”
“Us nobles…… us nobles……” The old man coughed repeatedly before he laughed with all his might,
shaking his head: “Listen well, my knights…… This is an order…… Surrender.”
This was a thunderous shock to the young knights around him: “My Lord, it’s not possible, if you die here,
we will follow you, this is our glory!”
2419
“No.” The old man closed his eyes weakly, his voice lowering to a whisper because of his fading strength,
“you must surrender, because…… this is the glory of Aouine.”
For the highest honor of Aouine.
2420
Chapter 228 – Wind sharpshooter (1)
“Count Randner’s forces lost?”
The parchment from Oberbeck’s hand slid away, but he quickly grabbed and held onto it like a snake. He
raised his head, revealing his face that was full of shock.
Princess Gryphine was listening at the side without making a move.
The outcome of the huge battle in the southern borders was not leaked immediately and it took several
days before the information spread.
Count Randner’s huge army was defeated soundly, and it caused the lords of the surrounding lands to be
at a loss for words.
The damage to the coalition army was not as large as one would have thought; the majority of the
soldiers was incited to escape as the Highlanders turned tail and fled. The army from the Grey Bear
region was completely unhurt.
A few thousand private soldiers were lost, but the true reason why everyone was talking behind the
scenes was due to the deaths of Lord Palas, Kruss, and Weld.
Numerous nobles, two region lords, and one retainer who served directly under Count Randner. This
meant that the northern Trentheim’s powers were gone. Even if Count Randner wanted to attack again,
he would not be able to gather an army to subjugate Firburh.
A few nobles speculated he would lead the army himself, only to be shot down by dissenting thoughts.
Which high-ranking noble did not have enemies? Count Randner had to deal with them all the time, and it
was precisely at this moment that he had to stay in his territory to prepare for any changes. Everyone
was already thinking that he was now a tiger without fangs, and even his own retainers were starting to
worm about behind his back.
Even though Count Randner hated Brendel to the point of gnashing his teeth, he had to first deal with his
own affairs before he could make his move freely. By that time, the youth was certain that he would not
fear that old man.
At the end of January and the start of February, when the earth was about to be unfrozen, there was a
discussion about this huge civil war in all of Aouine.
2421
The only exception was the Trentheim region, and those who participated in the war rarely talked about
it.
Firburh paid a heavy price as well, especially the mercenaries who were tasked to delay Count Randner’s
army. Their numbers were reduced by more than half. These were veteran soldiers who experienced the
November War and did not submit to the tragic and deadly battles, but they now slumbered beside River
Gris. Their graves were now in a pine forest, silent like an unread poem.
But the shadows of war were quickly washed away as the ice melted. Verdant sprouts sprang out from
the farms, a winter had passed, and the continent had once again regained its vitality and energy. The
city’s citizens could not believe they won.
“A victory was attained just like that? I didn’t even get to participate on the battlefield.”
Carglise sat on a stool without showing any signs of a noble’s etiquette, supporting his head with both
hands, looking at the dwarf Odum and the royal grandmaster blacksmith Bosley constantly moving
around a bunch of broken metal pieces— At least to him, these were broken metal pieces—
To be exact, they were broken weapons.
Because the training mission for the first batch of officers of the White Lion Army was temporarily over,
Carglise was so idle that he almost replaced Scarlett as Brendel’s guard by following the youth the entire
day.
The biggest gain from the war was the enormous amount of armor and weapons that the enemies
abandoned, and equipment was something that Firburh greatly lacked. Bosley estimated that they could
arm an army of three thousand to four thousand men after returning the spoils to the forge again.
[Ah. The Dimension Hole still has a mixed bunch of things from the ruins.]
Brendel suddenly remembered and dumped everything in the workshop, nearly filling the place to the
brim.
Bosley naturally became outraged and threw the youth and Carglise out.
But after a moment, the royal blacksmith half-ran and half-jumped like a kid, eyes seemingly burning
with fire and demanded an answer while grabbing hold of Brendel’s arms:
“My Lord, where did you get these weapons? Did you rob the Empire’s warehouse?”
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The youth shrugged off the blacksmith’s hands in distaste: “Do you think the Empire’s warehouse is akin
to a public toilet? Entering and leaving when you want to? Even if it’s a public toilet, going in and out
requires payment.”
“That’s because you’re ‘the’ lord right? Everyone out there is saying that you’re capable of doing anything
that you put your mind to. Listen, everyone else in the other regions is calling you ‘Brendel the creator of
miracles’,” the old man was grinning from ear to ear, “although I must say I have never heard of the
Empire having public toilets before.”
[Who’s the bastard who gave me such a disgusting nickname? It sounds like a protagonist of a third-class
story in the market. I thought I would get the nickname ‘Wolf Shepherd’ or something.]
The nickname to one’s popularity was quite important, like Oberbeck the Wolf Lord, or Crosshand Buga,
it was easy to know the personality or related strength of said person. But if you call someone like ‘dead
maggot’ or ‘rotten toenail’ or similar bullshit like ‘Brendel the creator of miracles’…… The youth wanted
to find a pillar and commit suicide.
But while he found it disgusting, Carglise had sparkling eyes as he listened on and could not help but
grumble:
“Darn it, if I came together with my Lord I might have a gotten nickname too. Well, if my lord is called
‘Brendel, the creator of miracles’, I obviously would not be able to compare to him, so I should get the
nickname of ‘Carglise the liegeman to Brendel, the creator of miracles’.”
Brendel stumbled and nearly kneeled on the ground. He snapped his head to look at this particular
noble’s scion with a despising look.
[Second son of Lord Macsen. I worry for the future of this kingdom, what the hell is this aesthetic?]
On account as future adjutant, and the sake of his White Lion Army, he decided to correct his mindset:
“This is just a small battle and there are plenty of opportunities in the future. The only thing I hope is that
you don’t grumble you’re tired about it.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Our enemies are not just our own kingdom, there is also Madara. Do you know why this bunch
of undead did not bring out their main force?”
“They didn’t?” Carglise’s eyes popped open. Bosley did not understand anything about Madara because he
was imprisoned, but Carglise had more or less about the force that invaded Aouine.
“Madara invaded Aouine because they are on the brink of a civil war as well. A new emperor had just
ascended to the throne and the authority of the court is shaking because of the endless quarreling. In
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order to shift their attention of the dissenting voices, the emperor ordered an expansion. This war is
actually a legal plundering, and the only nobles who immediately reacted to it are the ones who got
affected by this invasion.”
Brendel explained with a solemn face, paused for a moment before continuing:
“This expansion is a revolution for their outer appearance— The Black Lord Incirsta who led the invasion
at the frontlines was supported by the Tarkas family because of his talent. He chose to lead the attack in
order to seek the opportunity to walk on the front stage. Before that, he was just someone young who just
inherited a small piece of land. And in this war, there are many young undead talents as well. Incirsta isn’t
the only one.”
Brendel was conveying Madara’s threat for the first time to his subordinates, though he knew he was
probably not heeding his own warning.
But the two men listened to the youth exhaled coldly: “Then how strong is the true Madara force?”
“The main strength of Madara’s main army is comprised of Black Knights, Dark Cross Warriors, vampires,
high-level necromancers. Especially the Black Knights and the Dark Cross Warriors. They make up the
bulk of the army, but each of them is a Silver-ranker. Let’s call them a ‘Tier 3 soldier type’; the higher the
number, the stronger they are. Stronger battle units include Bone Dragons, Banshees, and Blood Lords.
When Aouine was first built, perhaps the Wind Elves might extend their help to us, or if it’s the earliest
White Lion Guards and Steel Knights under King Erik might have enough strength to do battle, but if it’s
right now……”
[All this talk about Madara, but they aren’t even the strongest force in this world right now. The Kirrlutz
Empire, the Wind Elves, or the Wizard Craftsmen from Galbu. All of them are stronger than this newborn
dark empire. The truly undisputed force of a territory definitely belongs to Galbu. They have their
Gargoyles and Crystal Dragons and would have defeated everything if they went to war, at least for the
foreseeable future.]
Brendel mused to himself, only to be interrupted by Bosley’s sigh:
“It’s a pity that the method to train the Steel Knights has been long lost. Even the doctrine to train White
Lion Infantry has missing pieces. The White Lion Infantry today is much weaker compared to the past.”
The youth nodded. He knew this point fully. The White Lion Infantry was the army that followed King
Erik to conquer the Wilderness, but the current batch of White Lion Infantry could be compared to the
Count Randner’s formal soldiers.
Perhaps one could say that it was fated since the current kingdom deviated from King Erik’s beliefs and
they were being punished for it.
2424
The Sentinels from the Wind Elves, an army that could be traced back all the way to the Silver Elves,
made a promise to Aouine to come to the kingdom’s aid if it needed help. However, the descendants of
King Erik and his men twisted this sacred alliance and caused it to be broken, and it even incurred
Marsha’s wrath.
[Cause and effect…… There’s a complicated relationship between Aouine, the Silver Elves, and the Wind
Elves. With their aid, the kingdom barely managed to survive till this day. Still, Madara clearly saw how
weak Aouine was and the latter slowly began to move towards death after the invasion. All history,
though.]
Brendel patted the two men’s shoulders: “Don’t worry, we can still work on it slowly. The kingdom isn’t
beyond salvation. Hmm, the doctrine to the White Lion Infantry was mostly lost because of the internal
royal war between the Corvado and Seifer dynasties. It’s said that one of the Seifers in the past took a
third of the doctrine and hid it in a graveyard in Maanstro. Perhaps if we have the time we can search for
it.”
Bosley thought Brendel was trying to console him, but the latter truly meant it. During that civil war, the
head of the Seifer dynasty split the doctrine into three parts, then handed them to his two sons and one
daughter. One portion was retrieved, with the other hidden in one of Maanstro’s graveyard. The final
part’s location was unfortunately unknown even in the game.
The complete White Lion Infantry was estimated to be Tier 4 amongst the gamers, and Brendel estimated
gathering two portions would at least get these soldiers to Tier 3. The training method for the Steel
Knights could be solved by alternative means as well.
Bosley tapped the youth for a response as the latter seemed to be lost in his thoughts.
“Ah. Grandmaster Bosley, right. I think the Crimson Flagbearers’ armor is pretty good. Can you try to
think of a way to improve it?”
“Improvement?” The old did not understand: “Even though the defense of this armor is very high, the
armor is not suited for heavy infantry. There is magic woven into the armor, enhancing its defense
against arrows, but it isn’t suited to guard against repeated strikes from a melee weapon. It does have the
same idea as the White Lion Infantry’s armor, but the latter uses excessive materials to ward off both
melee and ranged weapons.”
“No, what I mean is for you to redesign it and allow archers to wear them.”
“Archers?” Bosley stared at the youth with wide eyes. He had never heard of such excessive extravagance,
even having archers to wear magic armor.
It was not that the archers were not valued, but the position of archers are already placed in the backline,
and it was a little too wasteful to put magic armor on them: “Isn’t it too much of an expenditure?”
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“Not at all, what if these are the ones to wear the armor?” Brendel got the old man to turn around,
pointed at the young, tall and lithe female Tree Elves wearing longbows on their back and shopping in the
‘human world’.
“That’s……” Bosley could not find the words to refute him.
Anyone knew that the Elven archers were sharpshooters that could not be replaced. But Bosley could
hardly think of a sharpshooter wearing armor. In theory, archers sought for agility.
2426
Chapter 229 – Wind Sharpshooter (2)
It was not hard for a grandmaster blacksmith who worked in the forge for decades to alter the cavalry’s
armor to an archer’s.
An archer required his abdomen, upper shoulder and back to be free of obstacles, or it would affect the
accuracy of releasing a bow.
Bosley removed a portion of the armor and changed it with metal plates, coming up with a sample on the
very next day.
Quinn wore the prototype armor and stretched his upper body and showed a satisfied expression. The
Tree Elves’ bodies were long and athletic, but Bosley’s armor was quite fitting. The only demerit about it
was that the armor was slightly too small for Quinn. It resembled the Romans’ half armor in Brendel’s
eyes.
“It’s a little heavy.” The Tree Elf remarked.
“It’s not possible to reduce the weight.” Grandmaster Bosley replied in a flat tone.
It was originally heavy armor meant for a cavalry. No matter how much he shifted the balance, some of
the weight would still be on the shoulders. He was uncertain if the Elves found it too cumbersome and
affected their accuracy, and he looked back at the youth behind it, trying to discern what the latter was
thinking.
Brendel was rubbing his chin with his middle finger and thumb, looking satisfactorily at the artistic-like
armor. The old man used gold paint over the layered armor, and the rivets reflected light as Quinn moved
about, making the armor look dazzling.
“It’s easy. Just attach a rune to reduce to the weight. How many samples can you make, Grandmaster
Bosley?”
There were different types of runes that reduced weight. Freya’s magic armor utilized the ‘Wind Dance’
rune, which was one of the best runes available. The wearer would not be affected by the weight and even
feel like a wind was enveloping around the armor, adding agility to them.
“Numbers are not a problem, but why do you need so many?”
“Uhh…… You will know it very soon.”
2427
It was after this event that Bosley felt that he perhaps did not want to ever learn the answer.
Brendel took back the armor from Quinn, and this artistic piece of work started to heat up in his hands.
Everyone witnessed the reaction of magic, and the armor eventually turned into a torchlight that
illuminated the area. Cracking noises could be heard as a giant hole formed into the armor’s center.
It looked like a candle melting. The liquid eventually turned into solid once again, leaving behind a circle
the size of a fist on the armor’s torso.
Brendel shrugged.
No matter how one looked at it, this armor was destroyed.
Alchemy was a job that had a high probability of failure. It was especially so when Brendel had to test out
an effective method of applying Wind Runes on dense metal. He was purely learning on how to apply it
for the very first time.
The green flames in the forge over the next few days were not extinguished, and the beating and clanking
of hammers striking metal did not cease every night. Armor after armor was ruined in Brendel’s hands.
The youth began to change his methods and used cheap Wind Emeralds to serve as the core of the Magic
Formation. These gems were the most common and cheapest materials that contained Wind Element.
During the highest inflation in the game, these gems sold for at most several thousand Tor coins.
The experiment was not ideal. The best prefix the armor gained from the Wind Emeralds was ‘Clumsy’,
and the weight reduction was never more than 5%. There were even negative effects from time to time.
Brendel then tried Sky Blue Crystals, Viridian Olives, Azure Quartz, each material more expensive than
the next, with the best results increasing up to 15% in weight reduction. It was only on the fifth morning
that Bosley and Brendel came up with a ‘Nimble’ prefix.
“Nimble archer’s armor: Defense 4, +2 bonus against projectiles, 20% weight reduction.”
But it was still heavier than the target weight reduction. Quinn expressed that only the best Elven
sharpshooters would not find it an obstacle to wear it in battle, and the majority of them would not be
able to reach this standard.
By this time the number of spoiled Crimson Flagbearer’s armor had reached more than 10%.
2428
This result was not sitting well with Brendel. His goal was to raise the Tree Elves to the Tier 3 standard in
the game. The basic data for a soldier were comprised of several stats, Attack, Defense, Mobility, and
Special Abilities.
[It’s not possible to raise their Attack stat unless Tree Elf Longbows can be made. They are a standard
weapon for the archers, but that’s from the production fifty years later and I have no idea how to make
bows. So the solution is still raising the Elves’ Defense stats. But the results aren’t favorable. It’s not
realistic to make a new blueprint armor for the Tree Elves, and even if I did, there’s still the issue of
weight. Not solving this problem means that a suitable armor for them is a pipe dream.]
The solution Brendel wanted to get was the prefix “Agile”, which was a 30% reduction in weight. But the
fee for producing the current armor was already thirty thousand Tor coins. If he continued down this
path, he was certain that Amandina would come to him with a resignation letter.
“There’s no other way.” Grandmaster Bosley was laying sprawled on his table, his hair as messy as a
bird’s nest while he spoke wearily: “This is the limit. If you want to take away any more of the armor’s
metal, it’s going to affect the defensive strength.”
“Let the elites of the Tree Elves wear them first,” Tamar suggested.
He was recruited halfway by Brendel. This future grandmaster alchemist had been helping out Ciel and
Amandina with building a Mage Tower and Magicite Lab.
Magic was an important production resource, and the importance of a Mage Tower within the city was
without saying. Furthermore, a Mage Tower could serve as a resource pool for Mana, which not only
strengthened the casters but speed up the training of apprentices.
The Alchemist Lab was situated within the Mage Tower. Even labs with the lowest standards would
provide an additional Alchemy level, while an advanced one would provide different specializations for
the profession.
As long as there was a bit of money, no lord would be unwilling to build a Mage Tower. In fact, it could
draw in more wizards, so why would one not build it?
Brendel did not wish to interrupt Tamar’s progress, but Amandina noticed that the youth was sucking up
money like a black hole and she had no choice but to send Tamar to help out in restraining him, or it
might end up with Brendel expending the entire city’s budget to make a super army. In her eyes, her lord
seemed like a military nut who did not have any safeguards, always putting military power in the first
place.
2429
But Brendel shook his head at Tamar’s suggestion in the end. He did not merely want a group of elites,
because he did not lack them. He had the Planeswalker and Nest system. If he wanted to, he could create a
squadron of elites.
What he needed was a “main army unit”, with numbers like the Subterrane Dwellers, and this force had
to stand firm with numbers in the next war.
He pondered for a while and said: “The two of you continue to experiment with the same materials and
see if you can get a better placement for the Runes. I’ll think of alternative solutions in the mean time.”
[If it doesn’t work out with the armor, then it’s time to think about upgrading the basic soldier.
Dragonblood potions?]
It was not as if the Tree Elves were unable to shoot after wearing the armor, perhaps the accuracy and
strength would be affected, but if he was to get to the root of the problem, it was a matter of strength.
Therefore, why not increase the Tree Elves’ strength?
If he were to add their strength, then drinking the Dragonblood potions was the best way instead of
seeking another method.
[But the first batch of Dragonblood potions was already given to the White Lion Army. If I make the
second batch, I would want to give it to the allied forces who accompanied me to the frontlines during
Firburh’s siege. That’s two hundred potions, but what about the remaining thousand-odd Tree Elves
coming in from the Dark Forest later?]
Brendel thought about raising the Centaurs to Tier 3 as well. The blood from the hunted hydra in the
Dark Forest was not going to be enough. He needed to find more materials.
[Buying the materials? No, I don’t want to create the potions after I go to Ampere Seale. Maybe I can rear
hydras on my own?]
Firburh, or any other ordinary cities for that matter, naturally did not have the capability to sustain a
Nest, but how about Valhalla? It was a natural source of Mana. Brendel nodded to himself.
[Indeed, it seems about the right time to rebuild this fortress that experienced countless magnificent
deeds in the past.]
Brendel thus left the forge entirely to Tamar and Bosley, while he went to analyze Valhalla’s core Magic
Formation alone in his study. It was not a complicated thing to activate it, but it simply required an
obnoxious amount of Magic Crystals.
The youth would have banged his head on the wall in frustration if he did not find the Magic Crystal cave
in the Dark Forest.
2430
At this point in time, there were already new settlers coming in, and they constructed a small quarry in
the Dark Forest under the mercenaries’ protection. The first batch of Magic Crystals was not a huge
quantity, but it was sufficient for his initial requirements.
While Brendel concentrated deeply into the calculations necessary to activate the Magic Formation, he
did not abstain from worldly affairs. He knew by this moment that Princess Gryphine was prepared to
head to Ampere Seale to negotiate with Duke Arreck.
The princess already decided on a loose arrangement of their contract in January and was to formally
sign it in the next month. He was truly a little hesitant whether he wanted to let the princess and Duke
Arreck meet. Trentheim was not ready to enter into the center of the whirlpool just yet, but he quickly
made a decision.
Since he was for the princess’s faction, then he could not let history repeat itself.
He made a decision to play out a fantastic act before the princess headed to Ampere Seale. The stage was
naturally the biggest trading harbor in Aouine, Ampere Seale. The date was already fixed and he was
simply preparing for that journey.
Ciel and his wizards were sent out to look for Planeswalker’s cards. The youth knew that he could not
bring out a huge army to Ampere Seale and his black wolves could not follow him either. The only thing
he could rely on was the Planeswalker’s system and his own strength.
After the Dark Forest, his Planeswalker system was basically in a half-useless state. In order to revive the
system, he needed to find a new method of picking up cards from his graveyard.
All his current plans were in preparation for his departure to Ampere Seale.
He meted out new ranks to the contributing mercenaries and soldiers, piled up materials for materials
and the search for new cards was well underway. Trentheim appeared to be abnormally silent, but the
internal affairs were moving at a shocking speed.
This silence continued well after the first week until a piece of news was submitted to his desk.
2431
Chapter 230 – The city of trees (1)
If one were to look Trentheim from above, they would discover that each end of the region was high and
the middle section low. The south-west area was a plot of barren land with the city Firburh built in that
location.
Peering from this city would have access to the shape of numerous mountains starting from the west.
River Gris was in the intersection of these mountains towards Graham’s mountain range, and it was the
best hunting spot during the autumn season. This place was also where the forest trees were most dense.
To the north of the river was the Macsen region, and traveling further would lead to the Palas region.
The east of the river was the Schafflund mines which overlooked a particularly important passage
towards Firburh, and it was the best position in Brendel’s thoughts to build a fortress.
Even though the land was uneven, it was not a problem for the dwarves. It was because of the lack of
funds that this project only started recently. An army was now camping in that area to build a few
palisades on the path between Firburh and the Schafflund mines.
In the middle of a particular mountain near this area, the originally dense foliage and trees were removed
and replaced with boulders collected from the surroundings, forming a Magic Formation on the uneven,
dull-colored ground.
Repeating circles formed the base pattern of this Magic Formation, written with many mysterious Runic
words, and even if the most famous royal scholars in Aouine were to come here and study them, they
might not be able to recognize them. Brendel believed the words were much earlier than the era of the
Dragon of Darkness, and it probably dated all the way back to the Twilight War.
Divine energy ran across the Magic Formation, almost as if the forest was whispering; a type of Nature
Mana permeated the forest. Vines flushed with a deep verdant green was growing at a perceptible speed
over the boulders’ cracks. Even though the Magic Formation was only up for a week, it was as if the
surrounding area had been untouched for several centuries and overgrown with vines, seemingly
gathering the entire forest’s mana into this spot.
The completed Magic Formation for Valhalla.
In the center of the Magic Formation was an indentation, coinciding with the size of the Magic Core in
Brendel’s possessions.
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“This Magic Formation doesn’t have any external source of Mana. Instead, it gathers and absorbs the
surrounding natural Ether and converts it to Mana. Even us Silver Elves are not capable of invoking such
a powerful Law. My Lord, you’re truly a genius. I can’t believe how dense the natural Ether is.” Medissa
praised as she studied the Magic Formation.
“It’s not as if I created it,” Brendel answered with slight embarrassment.
“Even though that’s the case, you were the one who deciphered the information on the crystal in Valhalla.
Even the Elder Druids did not manage to read them. But you coincidentally read the ancient texts
regarding these runes, my Lord, perhaps it’s destiny.”
The older wild Elf sister, Felaern, also agreed with Medissa, to which Brendel expressed a smile.
[What ancient text? I understand these moon runes because of this strange status as a ‘player’. The
system in my eyes deciphers the information upon completing conditions, while any native in this world
would have to use artifacts or read the right documents to identify things.]
“Then when are you going to put the crystal in, Brendel?” Romaine asked.
“Probably right now,” he answered.
He had witnessed implementing a city’s Core Crystal before in the game. It was a lifeform that was
halfway to artificial intelligence, planted like a seed with Mana poured in to make it grow. There was also
another Magic Formation implemented to fortify it before pouring in the Mana.
The youth was now performing it for the first time. He took the crystal in his hand and embedded it into
the Magic Formation’s center, and immediately felt it vibrating in his hand. After a quick glance, he
discovered that there was a faint glow in the center that poured out like golden liquid onto the Magic
Formation’s runes.
He shook his head hurriedly.
– Unknown request received. Switching to City Mode.
[Am I seeing things?]
The system in his eyes activated this mode when he was recognized as Firburh’s lord by the citizens. The
windows shown by the system resembled a strategy game’s user interface, and he was able to observe
the efficiency of his city.
Now there were currently two menu options, Trentheim and Loop of Trade Winds. There was a (2/3
cities) icon on the menu, though he was unsure what would happen if he had three cities. There was
2433
information on estimated harvest, specialty, population, resources, and even public safety amongst
others.
There was even data from his appointed men, displaying the current leader of the task. As an example,
Romaine was in charge of the financial aspects.
If the youth transferred her to another department, then he could immediately see how the financial
aspects were affected. This system existed in the game, but it was far more effective since one could
immediately ‘order and delegate’ the task.
In this world, the system was more like an observation system.
Windows continued to pop up and the youth’s eyes landed on Schafflund’s finances. Out of curiosity, he
shifted Romaine over to a slot and saw that the income rose by 33% for the next three months. This result
naturally revealed Romaine’s ability that mostly went unnoticed because of her antics.
[Even though her sense for financial management is not as keen as her business acumen…… In any case,
the city has various types of income compared to the silver mines. For this reason alone, it’s far more
worth for her to stay there than to go to Schafflund.]
He still decided to let Romaine continue to be the administrator for Firburh’s finances.
Brendel’s thoughts went back to the green letterings in his retina. He paused for a moment before he
agreed to it.
[Allow the unknown request to link up.]
A new sub-system appeared under the City Mode, which was aptly named as Valhalla. But it was greyed
out and when Brendel tried to access it, he immediately saw a notification.
– Valhalla is currently under construction. The first phase requires 132000 Mana units.
[132000 Mana units!?]
The youth felt a jolt. It was a significant amount that could not be provided by mortal means. Even
Grandmaster Wizards like Tulman and William would probably be drained until they were mummies.
[Ah, no, I’m supposed to use Magic Crystals here. The weakest type is Moonstone, followed by Fire Agates.
I have never tried out the Wizard class or really looked into being a professional Alchemist in the game,
so I don’t know what is the conversion rate. Damn it, if the conversion rate is low, then this ‘Valhalla’
thing is really a black hole.]
2434
The youth took out a prepared Moonstone from his Dimension Hole. The quality of the Magic Crystals in
the Dark Forest was pretty good, or at least this particular crystal was far better than the ones he saw in
an ordinary market. He threw rhombus-shaped onto the Magic Formation and it immediately lost its
color to become something like glass, with the phenomenon happening in the blink of an eye. There was
also a change in the notification in his eyes.
– Valhalla is currently under construction. The first phase requires 131900 Mana units.
[1:100.]
The youth felt relieved. If the lowest tier of Magic Crystals was 100 units of Mana, then the higher tiers
would provide enough. He tossed another Fire Agate, and as expected, it exchanged for 2000 units.
With that exchange, then it would only take a few hundred crystals to fill up 130000 units. The amount of
Magic Crystals mined from the rich Dark Forest was calculated in thousands. The people in the city who
required these crystals were Ciel and his wizards, Bosley, and Tamar. Brendel took nearly half of the
mined crystals into his own pocket, not worried about the city having an insufficient supply.
But he quickly realized he was too naive.
After throwing a few hundred Magic Crystals down on the ground, and Valhalla’s Crystal Core absorbing
enough Mana for the first stage, the ground cracked open with audible sounds and large fissures.
Everyone watched that Crystal Core split open and within it grew a……
Tiny sprout.
“This bloody—!”
Brendel could not help but become cross-eyed when he saw this sight. It was ridiculous that he planted
the Crystal Core like a seed, but for it to really act like a seed….. After a moment, he regained his
composure and knew that it was not just an ordinary plant. Several hundred Magic Crystals wasted to
make an ordinary plant— No one else around him thought that.
The sprout quickly grew at an astonishing rate in a short period of time, reaching to Brendel’s height
before growing even further. The latter had to look up as it continued to grow and extend upwards with
branches forming. It was indeed like a divine tree guarded by the ancient Elves. In one minute, it had
grown up to the point that would at least take an ordinary tree a full decade to grow.
And it showed no signs of stopping.
Everyone could see a visible concentration of Mana around the leaves, while roots sprang up all over the
ground and knocked away the boulders as they grew rapidly and bunched up together.
2435
Several minutes later, that former ‘tree sprout’ doubled in size.
It looked like an ancient tree.
“T-this is……” Orthlyss who had been sleeping recently woke up from feeling the intense agitation of
Mana around her. She was at a loss for words when she saw the tree.
Brendel had shut his lips ever since he blurted out his first two words.
The tree now needed seven or eight people to hug it at its waist, but the height of the tree did not grow
and was only ten meters high. At this moment, the youth gradually discovered the shape of the tree’s
crown actually formed a natural courtyard.
[What the heck! Isn’t this courtyard similar to that World Tree we saw in the Loop of Trade Winds?]
He finally realized this point.
2436
The World Tree’s wide tree crown extended in all directions, seemingly unmoving against the wind, while
its dense leaves made one think that it was over a hundred years old. Sunlight pierced through the gaps
between the branches and leaves like golden swords. The solitary tree was grown in an empty clearing
surrounded by the forest’s trees, and it gave a feeling of tranquility.
Brendel gazed at the leaves and found green Runic patterns on each leaf, as though they were veins
spread throughout the tree crown.
An ancient tree was quietly sitting in the center of a mystical Magic Formation.
Romaine’s eyes were crossed with her jaws slack. It was as though she was uttering a silent ‘whoa~~~’.
Scarlett opened her eyes so large that her round irises could be seen clearly, but she less affected when
compared to Romaine. There was indeed surprise in her eyes, but she did not show any other emotions
beyond it. After all, the things that she had encountered after following Brendel in the Dark Forest were
always unusual
Medissa completely kept her composure as a citizen of the Silver Lineage, though her eyes glinted once.
The only person who maintained a true poker face was the older Wild Elf sister, Felaern. Rather than say
that it was her personality, she was someone who had been part of the Planewalker’s system and Laws
for a far longer time compared to Medissa who only recently became a ‘Knight’. Compared to a World
Tree growing in front of her eyes, perhaps having ‘immortality’ was something more incredulous.
“B-Brendel, that thing that you threw down to the hole was a seed!?” Romaine was the first to speak out.
She was showing exuberant curiosity instead of having confusion on her face, perhaps feeling that
Brendel had once again done something remarkable.
“How did this tree pop out, it grew so quickly! Am I dreaming, Brendel, pinch me now!” She hit Brendel’s
arm.
The youth came back to his senses and stared at her with narrowed eyes for a few seconds. Her thoughts
were not something a normal person could understand. Despite encountering Madara’s undead for a few
times in Bucce, she seemed to be fearless and asked whether the undead was interested in eating them.
Expressing her curiosity was added with ‘wow, this is amazing, Brendel!’.
“My Lord,” Medissa asked with a certain hint of intelligence glinting in her eyes, not directly making a
conclusion, “this is the World Tree in the Loop of Trade Winds?”
2437
“No, rather than say it’s that World Tree……” Brendel looked up at the tree that could be described as
‘huge’ and shook his head.
[Indeed, it resembles that World Tree in Valhalla, having branches that intersect with each other and a
similarly large tree crown, and I can say that it’s a mini version. But the shape of this…… fortress. It looks
like there’s a large platform formed with branches and covered by the leaves above it, complete with a
courtyard surrounded with wall-like offshoot twigs. There are handles to climb up to the top of the walls.
If I look at it with military eyes, the walls even have parapets along with guard rails.]
In other words, it’s a natural fortress.
“This looks like a small castle, how pretty……” Scarlett muttered as she was lost in her thoughts. She
thought of fairy tales where a princess was sleeping in a castle within the deep forest. This place had a
lush green color that could only be found in a dream. She went into battle from a young age with her hair
tied up like a true Highlander’s daughter, but she would sometimes think back on the stories in her
childhood.
[Instead of going out there to fight, I would rather be an ordinary girl with the right to dream. Though, if
my Lord is willing to allow me to have a castle like a princess……]
The red-haired girl could not help but fall into a lull.
Romaine, on the other hand, was starting to circle around the tree. It was clear that she wanted to climb
it. Suddenly, she exclaimed adorably as though she had discovered a chest full of treasure: “There’s a
staircase here, Brendel!”
Indeed, there was an obscure spiraling ladder that seemed to invite guests— or perhaps the owner of the
tree. The staircase was formed naturally from the vines hanging from the tree, but they did not look crude
and instead made one think that it was formed by human hands. The spacing between each step was
made just right and it was pretty and refined. Brendel cast a glance at the steps and knew that it would
not require much effort for one to move up the steps. It even gave out a warm and inviting air about it,
and it did not make one feel like it was a trap.
“Can we go up?” Romaine blinked her eyes and asked with a tilted head, her alluring fringe falling
sideways to reveal her smooth forehead.
The youth cast his eyes back out to the people behind him of reflex. It was a habit in the game where he
would ask for a consensus from the other gamers, though he immediately remembered he was the only
‘player’ here. A quiet princess of the Silver Elves, a ‘very annoying but would not disobey his orders Wild
Elf Secretary’ or ‘maid who shadows him all the time’, and Scarlett who would always follow him.
Romaine would also adhere to his orders if he really meant them as well.
[I definitely need some time to change this habit.]
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He could not help but shake his head with a smile.
But Medissa misunderstood his intentions and put on a faint smile: “The Silver Elves are very sensitive
towards the scent of nature. This tree gives me the feeling of warmth, not one of friendliness but more of
a ‘home. It seems to be inviting us.”
“Yes. To tell the truth, I feel the same.” Brendel nodded, but he hid his true feelings about it. The tree was
more of a subordinate as the city’s core was bound to him. He was certain like he could control what the
tree could do; he even felt he could command the spiral staircase.
[Pull back.]
There was a light rustling sound as he ordered in his mind. A miracle happened. The hanging vines were
pulled back to the branches as though they were alive, and they now appeared to be plants growing on
the branches instead.
“Ack!” Romaine got a fright and hurriedly hid behind Brendel’s back.
“You can order it to move?” Medissa asked in surprise.
The youth nodded. He was also very curious what the tree city had, and this curiosity had prediction
mixed into it. If he was right about it, then the entire situation would be outrageous. He quickly
responded.
“Let’s take a look.”
The others were more or less curious about the tree, and even the stoic Felaern could not help but
observe the vine staircase that was forming again. The steps were sturdy and as predicted, it did not
require much effort to climb them. It was almost as if the tree was lifting them up and everyone quickly
reached the end of the steps.
What greeted their eyes was a circular courtyard shrouded under the packed leaves. It was about a
hundred paces wide and slightly more spacious than Brendel thought. What surprised the group of
people was a layer of flagstones in the center. They thought they would only be wood-related materials,
but there was a small fountain erected on top of the flagstones and glittering cobblestones in the pool of
water. At one side of the courtyard was a hall; its design resembled the Elven architecture. It was made
out of only wooden materials with slender beams that supported the high roof to form a structure full of
elegance.
“An Elven Great Hall.” Medissa showed a look of disbelief as she recognized the building’s purpose: “This
tree is actually a Mana Conflux Town?”
“I’m afraid you are completely right……” Brendel felt like he was struck by an iron ball.
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At first he was just suspicious, but he was certain when he saw the great hall. Valhalla was actually a
living city growing on a tree, and this city grew naturally on its own and did not require anyone to build
on it. The leaves could provide shelter from the weather and the design of the city allowed it to be
defended easily.
[This is too freaking cool!]
This was a fief that Brendel desired. Even though Valhalla was still small and probably less than thirty
meters wide, it already had the initial shape of a magic city.
When the youth entered the hall, he quickly discovered a crystal embedded in a pillar that was grown out
from a branch, and it projected the entire structure of the city. The courtyard was empty, but there were
additional steps leading to a hollow section of the tree, distributed into naturally formed rooms where
citizens could live in, as well as warehouses.
The Great Hall also had a passage leading to three rooms below it, and these rooms contained natural
Mana Pools. These pools were connected to the ancient tree’s roots, and thus they were creating an
endless supply of Mana. They were also called Mana Nests, as Nests could be safely installed there, or
these Mana pools could be converted to create Mana Crystals or an alchemist’s laboratory.
“There are three Mana Pools? Surely the size of this Conflux Town should only be an elementary Arcadian
Grade fief!?” Medissa exclaimed in shock.
“Arc-adian Grade?” Several of the girls repeated her words and looked at the Elven princess with
incomprehension: “Mana something town?”
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“My apologies, I lost myself there……”
Medissa drew a breath and composed herself with a hand on her chest and continued her words:
“The term Arcadian Grade is used in the War of the Holy Saints, and it’s used to describe the strength of
the different fiefs. Trentheim is an unfounded Arcadian Grade land. The Mana in the air is typically
scattered, but with such close proximity to the Wilderness, it is pulled in and turned into Chaos energy,
which gives rise to corrupted creatures. Mana Pools can be constructed in places of abundant Mana.
There are natural Mana Pools as well, but they are actually lairs and dens of monsters.”
“So that’s how monsters are formed!” Romaine tapped her lips with an inquisitive finger: “But what do
these Mana Pools have to do with the strength of a fief? Strange…… Isn’t it dangerous to have monsters
appearing in the city because you have too many Mana Pools, right?”
Medissa laughed and explained:
“Be it the humans, Elves, or other races, they had fought in the past to vie for such places abundant with
Mana. These creatures raised in the city by sentient races, and they are loyal to them. In addition, Mana
Pools are useful for cultivating Mana Crystals. One can even build a Mage Tower on top of such a place.
These structures are used to empower the fiefs’ lords. Extremely powerful cities that have mature Mana
Pools are qualified to be called as Elysian Strongholds.
The concept of a Magic City is different from the definition of a territory. Many older races respect the
lords ruling over the Magic cities. A human noble like Graudin receives the fear and reluctant respect of
the ordinary citizens in Aouine, but in the eyes of the other races, this man is worthless.
But if there’s even just one Mana Pool in a city, then it would at least mean that the lord has some repute
of power, though I should remind you that the past is different from the current customs.”
Her eyes went over to Brendel.
Even though the youth remained relatively unknown, his current position had surpassed Graudin by far
in her era.
“Then how big must the city be to have a natural Mana Pool?” Romaine asked, keen to know a trivia
question.
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“Roughly……” The Silver Elf girl thought for a while: “Using the scale of Aouine’s system, the city would be
the size of a baron’s entire fiefdom.”
Scarlett was listening in with rapt attention. It was the knowledge that mercenaries and typical nobles
did not even know, especially at the rural borders of Aouine. She suddenly blurted out a question:
“Does Firburh have a Mana Pool?”
“Ah, you’re right!” Romaine’s eyes suddenly shone with understanding. She was always good with things
that were not relevant to her: “So that was why Ciel acted mysteriously for a period of time. I heard from
the mercenaries that he was frequenting Schafflund for a while, muttering to himself about building a
tower. So he was trying to find a place where Mana gathers?”
“Your little head is moving really quickly, huh,” Brendel scoffed with slight sarcasm.
“I’m always that good, it’s Brendel who’s too stupid, only realizing— ouch!” Romaine hugged her head
hurriedly.
Before her nose could point towards the sky, Brendel flicked her forehead once. He did not understand
why this self-proclaimed noble, elegant, great merchant would always put her intelligence in such
nonsensical directions.
“It’s true, Tamar and Amandina calculated that there’s a Mana point near Schafflund,” Brendel said.
“To think that Lady Amandina also has the talent of reading the stars,” Medissa praised from the bottom
of her heart.
The youth did not expect it either. Amandina had already mentioned this fact before he entered the Dark
Forest, but at that time there was not even enough Mana Crystals to forge the White Lion Armor, let alone
building an entire Mage Tower.
“Does a Mage Tower look like the ones in the stories, dumb Brendel? What is it used for, is it a wizard’s
home, a place where Ciel can stay in?” Romaine clutched her head as she dodged Brendel’s armed fingers.
A normal person would find it impossible to answer this question. Even Medissa did not know what was
inside a Mage Tower, but Felaern was an Elementalist. She bowed slightly and answered the question as
though she was reciting from a textbook.
“A Mage Tower is not only the home of a wizard, Miss Romaine. The highest floor of the Mage Tower is
fitted with a Resonating Crystal that’s cut from a gigantic Mana Crystal. It increases the power and
distance of many area-of-effect spells— extending their range to several miles, even reaching ten-odd
miles. The wizards are able to form a stout defense through this crystal and defeat their enemies from a
great distance.
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There are crystal balls placed within the tower to observe the surroundings. A low-grade Mage Tower is
enough to observe the entire region around Firburh, and it’s one of the most important defensive
structure of the city. In addition, there’s also an Alchemist laboratory and a public Mana Supply Storage.”
“Mana Supply Storage?”
“Magic apprentices improve and train by casting spells, but they would have to rest for long periods of
time after casting a few spells. A Mana Supply Storage greatly reduces the amount of time required for
them to recover, which in turn reduces the time to train these apprentices, Miss Romaine.”
“Please stop addressing me so politely with such a term, Felaern, it feels terrifying,” Romaine patted her
chest and said with a little trepidation: “In any case I understand. The Mage Tower is a very important
place, right?”
Both Brendel and Felaern nodded solemnly.
There were no mistakes in her explanation. Training a farmer into a passable soldier took three weeks in
the game, but training a passable apprentice took nearly a year. Having a Mage Tower reduced the time
by a factor of ten, and it took slightly more than a month to train an apprentice.
The apprentice could then continue to train as an Elementalist or Wizard. Basic spells included Magic
Arrow and Mana Shield, spells from the First Circle. Having a group of them casting them together had
considerable firepower.
There were even subtypes of what an apprentice could choose to go into. An Anti-magic Swordsman, or
an Illusion Knight, though these particular professions required the prerequisite basic training before
they could be attained.
Building a Mage Tower required a Mana Pool, so the latter was an important existence for a fief.
Once the purity of the Mana in the Mage Tower reached a certain standard, there was the possibility of
creating advanced structures.
Training Tree Elves’ Pegasi Knights required a Pegasus Nest and Celestial Gate, and these two structures
required a Mage Tower.
“It is typical that a naturally occurring Mana Pool can be found in Trentheim when one considers its size,
but Valhalla has three…… It’s a little incredulous. It’s as though this place is a Mana Plains,” Medissa said.
[So you also use the term Mana Plains?]
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Brendel turned his head towards Medissa who continued speaking:
“Elysian Strongholds that have at least ten Mana Pools are qualified to be called Mana Domains. There are
legendary places in the Wilderness that have many natural Mana Pools, and we recognize this plot of land
as a Mana Domain even if there are less than ten Mana Pools, and the Mana Plains is one of them.”
“Mana Plains is also called as the ‘Field of four-leaf clovers’. This plot of land has a high concentration of
Earth Mana, and the magic reagents that grow in this place would mature faster than any ordinary plot of
lands that have Earth Mana,” Brendel said.
“Yes, for example, Marsha’s Sentinel is a land that’s considerably unique with Earth Mana. The Dark
Forest, the Fire Plains, and Consecrated Conflict, are plots of lands that I have only heard and not seen.
My Lord’s planted World Tree has a natural type of Earth Mana that’s thicker than any of those I have
seen before. These three Mana Pools…… Even our hometown of us Silver Elves, the Silver Valley, does not
have such a degree of Mana concentration.
I read that the fortress in the ancient fables were all built on divine plots of lands. Our ancestors built
them as the last bastion against the Twilight Dragon. But all of them are lacking in comparison to Valhalla.
I don’t know why the original plot of land in the Loop of Trade Winds still hold so much power after all
this time, but the World Tree on it must be part of the reason. If I have to name this plot of land, I’ll call it
‘Realm of the Gods’……”
[Halran Gaia, the Golden Apple, Valhalla. The legendary items in fables are appearing one by one at his
side. If this was in the past when I was still alive, I might have attributed to luck and coincidence, but now
I wonder if this is destiny telling me to join his side.]
Medissa finished her monologue, suddenly a little expectant of the future.
“Realm of the Gods. This name is indeed a fine one,” Romaine expressed her acknowledgment.
Scarlett nodded too. She felt that the things that her lord had were worthy of such names. Brendel would
have blushed if he knew what Scarlett was thinking.
But the youth was actually quite surprised at finding three Mana Pools in the new Valhalla. It was indeed
a windfall.
A typical gamer would have to make a tough decision. The three essential magic structures that a tier 1
town:
Mage Tower, Mana Crystal Pond, and a Magic Forge. Only one of them could be chosen.
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But Brendel did not have such a worry. Firburh already had a place where natural Mana gathered, and
now he had three more. He originally planned to make Valhalla’s Mana Pool to be exclusively used for a
Hydra Nest, but it seems that he had more choices.
But he quickly discovered something else.
[Huh? The bottom Mana Pool is being used? What’s this ‘Whirlpool of Light’ structure?]
After fiddling with the system’s windows in his retina, he discovered it was a type of Nest, able to create
creatures called Light Spirits. The words sounded like Heroic Spirits or Light Elemental creatures when
he rolled the name with his tongue.
[A natural Nest in this fortress. It’s definitely a delightful shock. Special Nests in any particular era are
unique, unlike the common ones such as Black Wolves and Wyverns. A Nest from Valhalla would never
belong to the latter, and typically creatures from that era are powerful. I really want to find out what
these Light Spirits are.]
He immediately suggested exploring the lower sections. The girls naturally did not object to it, and only
Felaern stayed behind with the reason of leaving someone behind as contact in case there were
messengers bringing information about Firburh. If the mercenaries did not find anyone in the World
Tree, they might panic, so it would be good for her to stay behind.
Brendel could only praise the older Wild Elf sister’s meticulous thinking. Only Felaern and Amandina
would be particular about such details. The latter could not follow him on this trip due to the matters in
Firburh, and only this eternal poker-faced Felaern accompanied him with this trifling issues. Even though
she looked like she was always unwilling to do it, she constantly performed impressively.
Brendel and the others eventually discovered the entrance to Valhalla’s lower section, and they entered
the room where the Whirlpool of Light was.
The lower section of Valhalla was a hollow section of the tree. The walls and ceiling were made out of
wood, appearing as though they had been processed by artificial means to make them smooth, but there
were also random vines that decorated the place that made it feel natural.
There was a small area with glowing blue crystals scattered all over it, and vines twisted to from an
archway over a door. The center of the door was a whirlpool of golden light, reaching over three meters
which slowly churned in a clockwise direction. There seemed to be a tunnel in the eye of that whirlpool
bridging two worlds. A golden ray was pouring out from it, as though it was a bridge suspended in mid-
air.
There were some other vegetations in the room’s corners. They reflected different colors from the door’s
illuminations, making people feel like they were in a dreamlike place.
“Brendel, this place is so pretty!” Romaine could not help but exclaim.
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“This place is a Nest. It seems the door is some kind of portal that bridges two different worlds?” Medissa
asked.
Brendel nodded.
2446
Chapter 233 – The City of Trees
[A Nest with a portal in it. Looks like it connects to some other dimension. The way how it let us recruit
the creatures is probably by summoning and negotiating with them for service.]
Brendel looked at the gleaming portal and threw in two Moon Crystal. As expected, it did not take long for
the whirlpool of light to become even more dazzling than before, and a little head peeked out of the
portal.
It was a tiny humanoid figure three inches tall. To put it more accurately, that was a proportionately sized
miniature young girl with long curly hair, wearing clothes that were as thin as a cicada’s wings. Her body
was emitting light and she easily flew in mid-air without wings.
She observed the surroundings with her body still in the whirlpool, then flew before Brendel and the
others in an instant, greeting the youth politely:
“Salutations, Milourt.” Her voice was thin and her accent was a little strange. It was as if she was a
foreigner speaking the Kirrlutz’s language in a robotic tone.
The girl studied everyone with curious eyes, not showing signs of fear.
“The word Milourt sounds similar to ‘my lord’, but it’s different from the idea of nobility. In the eyes of a
magical creature, the person who possesses power is a natural ruler.” Medissa said.
“Hoh,” Romaine uttered a noise, though it was unclear where she understood the difference.
Brendel nodded without skipping a beat, different from the others’ reactions. He was familiar with these
magical creatures because of his gaming past.
“Your name, race, and your abilities?”
“My name is Monika,” the girl chirped and introduced herself as she placed a hand over her chest, “we are
Light Spirits, and answer to the request of protecting this holy land. We are citizens of the light and our
abilities are for nurturing this World Tree Fortress.”
[World Tree Fortress?]
Brendel suddenly felt a sharp pain in his mind and he frowned. For some reason, this term was very
familiar to him. He felt like he recognized it from somewhere, but when he searched through his
2447
memories carefully, he was unable to tell if it came from the game or he had heard about the lore in this
world.
“The World Tree Fortress, or based on Milourt’s own words, calling it Valhalla would be fine. However,
Valhalla is the second World Tree Fortress’s name, while is this is the third World Tree Fortress, and also
the final one.”
“What do you mean by second and third? What is the exact purpose of this World Tree Fortress?”
“That exact purpose is unknown to us. Milourt, our knowledge is derived from the Legacy of Ether. Our
memories are already in place from the time when we are born and I only know this point. Currently, the
World Tree is in its initial stage.”
Brendel nodded again. It was typical for knowledge inherited from Legacies to be images and broken
words. But his question was merely out of curiosity, and he was more concerned about Valhalla’s
potential in the future.
“You say your abilities are used to nurture the tree, how do you do so?”
“The World Tree will grow slowly once it sprouts. Think of us as the gardeners, Milourt.”
“So I can say that you are the workers that this city brought along all by itself?”
Monika nodded: “You can say that as well, but we can build this city according to your designs, Milourt.”
“What exactly can you build?”
“I cannot do it alone, the Light Spirits are not omnipotent! I need more of my clansmen to work with me.
If I have one, two, three more Light Spirits, I can help Milourt to build a Tree Nest.”
“What’s a Tree Nest?” Brendel was very familiar with Aouine’s building structures, including Noble’s
Barracks and Smithery, including a few high-end ones as well, but he had never heard of a Tree Nest
before.
“A Tree Nest nurtures Ancient Plant Whiskers, and these Treants are the most basic defensive framework
of the World Tree. Their strength is close to a Gold-ranker, but they are unable to leave beyond the World
Tree’s boundary. You can think of them as a defensive worker, or maybe the guards of this city. In
addition, these Treants are actually part of the World Tree, so they don’t need a Mana Pool to provide
energy. The Tree Nest can be built on the courtyard, or the top of the tree’s crown without being situated
close to the Mana Pools.”
2448
“Part of the World Tree?”
Brendel thought it sounded like the Decaying Beasts produced by the Golden Demon Tree. But he was
still interested in the creatures that can be produced without using a Mana Pool. They were essentially
free Silver-ranked guards: “How many of these Tree Nests can you currently build?”
“The current size of the World Tree allows, one, two, three, four Tree Nests. Each Tree Nest can create,
one, two, three…… ten Whiskers, Milourt.” Monika calculated earnestly.
[Forty of them. That’s quite a low number.]
The youth was disappointed. If there were one hundred-odd guards, then he could rest peacefully at night
without allocating any defensive resources.
[Well, even if the Tree Nests are capable of producing that many creatures, there’s no room for the tree to
hold them.]
He spoke again when he thought about this point: “Valhalla…… I mean this particular World Tree, how
long will it take before there’s a visible expansion?”
“That’s our mission as Light Spirits, we will use Mana to boost it in growing, but if it’s just Monika alone,
for the World Tree to grow into the next stage, it will need, one, two, three…….”
“Wait, stop counting, can’t you just give me an approximate number?” Brendel was starting to feel a little
perspiration on his back when Monika counted to forty.
“How would I know how many years it will take if I don’t count?” Monika looked at Brendel with wide
eyes, seriously wondering if her lord was a fool for asking this silly question.
Brendel was brought onto his knees. After waiting and urging her to count faster, he finally got the
answer of two centuries if she nurtured the World Tree by herself.
“Two hundred years!” Scarlett was shocked. That was almost the entire lifespan of a typical human being
and it was a barrier that one could not cross.
“Does that mean that if you have two hundred of your clansmen aiding you, you can reduce it to a single
year?” Brendel immediately calculated in his mind. Four hundred Moon Crystals were nothing much to
him.
“Let me count……”
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“Can’t you tell me yes or no?” Brendel’s lips were jerking. He realized that the Light Spirit was counting
one at a time and did not skip to tens. It was as though she liked to do things without skipping a single
step.
“Very well. Yes, we can, but if we are to finish it in a year, we will not be able to help you construct any
structures.” Monika thought for a while before she answered.
This was not a problem for Brendel. If these two hundred Light Spirits were tied up with upgrading, then
he could pay more Moon Crystals to get them to build structures. However, Monika seemed to see
through this thought and instantly shattered Brendel’s delusion.
“Milourt, the numbers that can go through the portal is limited. Are you thinking of getting thousands
upon thousands of Light Spirits to help Monika?”
“Limits?” Brendel’s daydream shattered like a mirror falling onto the floor. He did not expect a gate
before him: “What’s the limit?”
“Each month the Whirlpool of Light can withstand, one, two, three…… twenty Energy Jumps.”
“Twenty Light Spirits are the limits?”
A limit of twenty Light Spirits. Just summoning twenty Light Spirits required ten long months. If he
calculated the time for the World Tree to reach the next tier, it would be at least one-and-a-half years.
Brendel immediately felt dejected. He did not have so much time at hand, and he truly thought it would
become one of his main force in a short period of time.
But Monika’s next few sentences gave him hope. The summoning portal can be strengthened, but there
was a prerequisite of constructing a Moon Tower.
The youth was familiar with it. It was a subtype of a Wizard Tower, and the primary usage was to train
Star Seers. It was a specialized profession and their specialty was making prophecies as well as
channeling Mana.
Star Seers could focus the channeling Mana and raise the effectiveness of a Nest, or raise the effectiveness
of an Alchemist Lab.
Monika naturally wanted the Star Seers’ first usage. Even though Brendel had doubts about such a class
existing in this world, there were no objections from Medissa and the others. A Moon Tower could raise
the effectiveness of three different structures and was the equivalent of splitting the Mana Pool into three
different parts. It was not really a niche build for cities, but Brendel thought he was really a rare gamer
for building this structure first.
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Any typical city owner in the game would build a Wizard Tower or a Crystal Pool as their first choice.
People who built Nests as their priority were few, let alone a Moon Tower.
[I’m the oddest gamer out there for sure. But with this Moon Tower, the summoning of the Light Spirits
doubles to forty. I look forward to Valhalla’s growth. This city is a legendary city in the game, and it’s my
best potential trump card. As long as this fortress can be established, it doesn’t matter what cost I have to
invest.]
Brendel threw in more Moon Crystals to summon nineteen Light Spirits. The youth’s eyes twitched a little
when he saw there were no males amongst them, and each of them was a miniature pretty girl. They
chattered noisily like real pixies and he felt like he was traveling through Aouine’s busy markets instead.
The youth and his followers felt a little headache coming on when they saw a group of rowdy golden balls
zipping through the air. He could already imagine the future city having thousands of these Light Spirits
creating ‘a bustling city’ and wondered if the other residents could ever sleep.
When he asked Monika about the time to construct a Moon Tower, he was surprised to learn that it would
only take a week. If he got Ciel and his half-baked apprentices to construct the building, it would probably
take two to three months. It was roughly the same amount of time for Ciel to build the Wizard Tower too.
At the same time, Monika explained that the Light Spirits also knew how to build two structures unique
to Valhalla. A Valkyrie Hall and Wind Sharpshooter Garrison. They were structures that created the core
strength of Valhalla. Brendel realized that they were most likely able to summon Heroic Spirits. Since the
two structures did not require Mana Pools as well, he thought of implementing them as early as possible.
After all, he wanted Valhalla because of the powerful units it could produce.
[The time to construct a Valkryie Hall is a month with ten Light Spirits. The Wind Sharpshooter Garrison
requires three weeks. I’ll be having the hall built in the courtyard and the garrison built in the upper
section of the tree. The Tree Nest can be built on the tree’s crown. This will use up all the space the World
Tree has…… Hmm? Why is he here? Could it be that Bosley and Tamar have made some progress with the
armor?]
When he turned around, he saw Felaern bringing along several people in the distance. It was Carglise and
two Tree Elves. Carglise walked excitedly with sparkling eyes and spun his head to study the room,
completely without the demeanor of a noble. But the two Tree Elves were just as excited, looking
everywhere with surprise and awe in their eyes. They did not expect the World Tree to resemble the
Green Tower’s building style.
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Chapter 234 – Wind sharpshooter (2)
Carglise indeed brought the good news from Tamar and Bosley. He had brought an improved armor
meant for the sharpshooters. The remodeled equipment was close to perfection. Its surface was polished
carefully and carved with Elven emblems, and it appeared largely different from the earlier prototypes
that were hastily made. Magic from the emblems of lily and wild vines had turned the armor’s color to
dark green, and it glittered under the chromatic glass lit by the sunlight.
It resembled more like an art piece made out emerald, but Brendel ignored it and only paid attention to
the feathered cloak attached to the armor. It certainly seemed like it was added to the armor for the sake
of improving its aesthetics, but it was actually added to reduce the weight and cost of making a lighter
armor. Bosley and Tamar had tried various means, but they finally thought of a method to cheat, which
was to add a magic cloak.
The cloak was implemented with magic similar to the First Circle spell, Wings of Wind. The latter magic
could raise the receiver’s speed slightly and even allow them to levitate a little.
Carglise even brought along two female Elven archers to demonstrate the equipment in action. Their
performance exceeded expectations. They were moving a little clumsily because of their armor, but once
they activated the cloak, they moved as though there were wings behind them. Two blurry figures sped
along the branches and leaped across long distances while they fired arrows at the falling leaves in the
forest.
[What a stroke of genius. Hmm, those Elven hats that they wear are hiding part faces, revealing only their
sharp chins when they fire their arrows. Admittedly I lost myself for a moment when I saw those cloaks
fluttering behind them. They actually remind me of a legendary unit from the Silver— The Forest Song of
Blades. Silver bows and silver cloaks, but these Elven archers are just as cool as them with emerald color.]
Brendel was admiring the Elves’ performance when Medissa suddenly spoke:
“May I…… My Lord, may I lead this unit that you’re forming?”
The youth turned his head and found Medissa to be slightly enthralled. He did not expect her to request
for something out of her own initiative.
“Medissa? …… But they are archers?” He replied.
“I know…… Erm……” Medissa lowered her head and her voice became softer: “I’m sorry…… It’s just that
I’m a little bothered by it, my lord.”
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Brendel’s eyes turned slightly wide as he thought of a possibility:
“You were once the commander of the ‘Forest Song of Blades’?”
The Elven princess’s head snapped up and she looked at him in stunned silence.
“Medissa, you’re amazing.” Brendel praised her.
The Forest Song of Blades were the strongest open-combat unit in the Silver Elves’ army, even retaining
the fame of having the best archers in the continent. How much of an accomplishment was it to be their
commander?
It was truly something to be proud of.
Without this request to be the commander of the Tree Elven archers, he would not even know that
Medissa was actually capable of archery.
“Thank you……” There was a tinge of red on Medissa’s face as she replied.
The Tree Elves suddenly stopped moving. After a short pause, they suddenly started sprinting towards
Medissa. Brendel could see their shining eyes dyed with confusion and disbelief.
“You’re a Silver Elf? A commander? But…… how? The War of the Holy Saints was such a long time ago!”
“Commander Brendel, will you allow her to teach us archery!”
The two Tree Elves spoke so fast their voices overlapped each other, and the stunned youth had to take a
few moments to decipher the contents. He was once again pleasantly surprised. It was because it was
customary for the instructor for the Tree Elven archers to take up the position of a commander too, and it
meant that these two Tree Elves wished for Medissa to lead them.
[Honestly, Medissa’s request is a little difficult to grant. Even though the Tree Elves are under my
command, I still need to seek permission because they are my allies, not my direct subordinates. And
while these two Tree Elves are so eager……]
The youth inquired awkwardly: “Certainly…… But what about Commander Quinn?”
The representative of the Tree Elves had just returned to the Green Tower, leaving behind the Druids and
Tree Elven archers in Firburh. While Brendel could command them, Quinn was still this army’s true
commander.
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“Commander Quinn will have no problem with it,” one of the young Elven girl shook her head with a
smile and said, “his authority has been transferred to me and I can make this decision.”
“You are?” Brendel inquired while he studied her curiously.
“Finny, I have known of your name and face for a long time ago, but it’s the first time we’re speaking to
each other. I’m currently the acting captain of the archers. It is a pleasure, Commander Brendel.”
That Elven girl flashed a grin and stuck out her hand, surprising Brendel with this ‘human behavior’. In
his mind, the Tree Elves were cautious and rigid.
But he still extended his hand and shook Finny’s.
“If that is the case…… Very well, I’ll lend Medissa to you. She is my best subordinate, and I hope you will
work well with each other.”
“Absolutely. I did not even dream that one day a heroine who experienced the War of the Holy Saints will
personally lead us.”
“H-heroine?” Brendel stuttered. He stole a glance at Medissa. Even though she performed with excellence
in regards to many aspects, including decorum and personnel affairs, it was difficult to associate her
youthful appearance with the word ‘heroine’, which made one think of a weathered and aged person.
No matter how he looked at her, Medissa appeared like a girl who had not even reached adulthood. No
matter how she acted like a calm and mature adult, she was a like a younger sister that needed
protecting.
Medissa merely responded to Brendel’s furtive glance with a small smile.
“My lady, may I know your true age? Did you participate in the War of the Lilies?” Finny chattered.
Medissa’s eyes went to Finny and Brendel, then back at the former in quick succession:
“I’m currently in a spirit form. I was already taking my eternal slumber in my ancestral hometown before
the War of the Lilies. During that time, I was affected by the Darkness. However, my lord called out to me
and woke me up, almost as if was destiny calling out to me.”
“I’m sorry, I did not think that you’re already……” Finny did not expect that Medissa was already dead,
and she showed a sympathetic look: “My lady, you must be a Heroic Spirit, and the legend that a Heroic
Spirit will come to the aid of a wise king……”
Finny’s eyes could not help but be drawn to the youth, who coughed loudly.
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“No, it’s not something so ridiculous. A fairy tale is just a fairy tale.”
Brendel felt a nagging feeling that he somehow traveled to a parallel world in order to make up for his
regrets. His biggest current goal was to assist the Princess Regent to revive Aouine.
As for Finny’s words, he had never thought about it. It would be an unimaginable temptation for the
greedy nobles in Aouine, but it was nothing more than a burden to the youth. After a quick dismissal of
Finny’s words, his eyes went back to the armor that Bosley and Tamar made.
[As expected of the future Grandmaster Alchemist. I’m completely satisfied with this product. There’s
nothing to nitpick from this improved armor.]
– Winged Sharpshooter Armor
– Defense: 4.5, additional +2 defense against projectiles, Weight Reduction 20%
– Wings of Wind: Raises Agility by 10%, Dodging by 5%, lasts for 10 seconds.
[Even though it’s not exactly cheap to add a magic cloak, but it’s much simpler than applying three layers
of Magic Formations onto the armor. With these additional active stats, even if it lasts for ten seconds,
activating them will reduce casualties even if the infantry or even cavalry closes in on the Elves. The
enemies will definitely receive a shock.]
Brendel turned to Carglise and asked for the cost. Modifying the armor required approximately two
thousand Tor coins. Three hundred suits would be six hundred thousand Tor coins, and if the youth
relied just on the Schafflund’s silver mines alone, it would take six months to equip all the Tree Elves.
[But what about weapons? That will significantly add to the investment into the armor….. No, money can
be earned but a special unit is as rare as finding a Nest. If there is good metal to be found then it must be
used on weaponry. This is something that I firmly believed in the game. The Crystal Mines in the Dark
Forest is going to be in full production. Three standard sets of crystals are produced each day, so it’s
actually an ultra-rich mine. Although I just spent all the available crystals away on this tree, I’m going to
set aside the produced crystals and sell them. They are always used as currency in any era, so it will
certainly be a large windfall.]
Brendel thought about his long term plan and believed that he would not remain poor. There was great
wealth to be found once the former Dark Forest was developed, but what he currently needed was a
strong army to defend this wealth and keep away unwanted forces like Madara or tribal races.
Carglise found that his decision to follow Brendel was his wisest one. He realized that he was able to
constantly find new things, and he was especially intrigued by the spirits of light flying around him. He
even made jokes to Monika, while Brendel rolled his eyes and ignored the former’s actions. If this were
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any other humorless lord in Aouine or Kirrlutz, they would have kicked him out of their mansion and got
him to reflect on what the standards of a noble he should uphold to.
It was no wonder Carglise recognized Brendel as a wonderful lord who was to his liking.
“Oh, I nearly forgot, a moment of your time, My Lord?” Carglise suddenly stopped what he was doing and
called out to Brendel.
“Is there something else?” The youth merely replied.
“Yes,” came the reply, “there’s a letter for you, My Lord.”
“A letter?”
Brendel paused for a moment. His subordinates would not be doing something as silly as writing a letter
to him. It meant that it could only be that person who would send a letter. The youth once again ceased
his movements when he saw Carglise taking out a letter.
[What has the princess that I know of in history write this time in her letter?]
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Chapter 235 – Gryphine’s letter
============== Gryphine’s POV ==============
“You head towards the Ancestral King Erik’s flag, but whether the light is still with Aouine, as the
daughter of King Oberg, princess of the royal family, I am unable to answer you; Lord Brendel, you have
fulfilled your promise you had made in your previous letter.
Your resolve is shown through your words as well as your deeds. Currently, the northern rebels are
starting to swarm together and for that reason, the kingdom shakes. As a direct descendant of the
Corvado lineage, I cannot show any signs of retreating.
I thank you for your trust with much gratitude, and if hope still resides in Aouine, then it would definitely
be found in our hearts.
This letter is my wish to give you a reply. I promise to change this kingdom even if I have to dedicate
everything that I have.”
Gryphine Corvado Orphelia folded the parchment lightly. Her expression was relaxed as though her
worries and concerns did not exist in the sinking and decaying ship that she was in. But this was the calm
before the storm. Dark clouds and raging winds were gathering, and furious storms were about to brew.
A few knocks came from the door, and it was the attendant who wore a set of red gown asking for the
third time in regards to the arranged schedule. The carriage was already waiting outside the palace, with
Oberbeck and Makarov as well as other important retainers expecting her presence.
The meeting with Duke Arreck was pushing right in front of their brows. The Aouine right now had never
experienced such a personage who was able to affect the entire balance of the scales.
Gryphine did not expect the young men and women from the Vlada region to change the situation of the
civil war, and the only army that was prepared to resist the northern nobles now was the Verstein army.
Gryphine’s half brother had tried of ways to court Duke Arreck into his camp, but he was unfortunately
unable to put up a bid high enough to do so.
The princess knew clearly what that wily old man wanted. He wanted a successor with royal blood to
legitimately steal the Aouine’s throne, and his family had been plotting to do so ever since the Ten Years
Commandment.
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But she would rather cause a bloody war than allow that to happen. The people who broke the divine
oath made by the Ancestral King would never be able to inherit that bright flag. It would be the stain
made to the Lionheart, especially when the Arreck family colluded with the Unifying Guild for many
years. They thought their secret was safe, but such affairs were never possible to be always kept hidden.
Gryphine’s pursed lips could not help but curve upwards. It was a mocking smile of seething rage. Who
were they fooling?
The current weather was melting the season’s snow. Delaying this meeting would push Duke Arreck to
the other side.
[As a figure of the royal family, I should have made a decision long ago.]
Gryphine lowered her head, reached out her slender fingers, and combed the soft hair on her young
brother’s forehead away.
“Sister?” The future successor of Aouine raised his head and looked at her sister a little restlessly under
the flickering dim candlelight.
“You will become king, Haruze.” Gryphine said.
“I know, you said that before. I’m Aouine’s king,” the young boy said.
“Yes, I’ll pave this path for you, and no one will be able to change the revival of this kingdom. I have
arranged everything,” Gryphine’s voice was soft as though she was describing a scenery, “but you must
become stronger, Haruze.”
Her eyes went to the window, seemingly gazing into a tempest and past it, finding an ending of darkness
where assassinations and hidden schemes scattered around the thorny throne. But what came after the
rain of blood would be rebirth.
“I have become stronger, I’m practicing swordsmanship every day.” The boy pointed at the parchment in
her sister’s hand and asked: “Who are you writing this letter to?”
“A knight.”
“I want to be a knight too in the future. They say that you’re going to Ampere Seale?”
After a year of a difficult life, the boy had learned the wiles and shrewdness of a noble youth at his age.
“Yes.”
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“But what should I do if you’re gone?”
“It’s time for you to learn how to make decisions on your own. Do you still remember the things that I
taught you? You’re a man, Haruze, and you need to steer the ship.”
“Okay.” The boy was a little disappointed: “Then you must come back earlier, otherwise there would be
no one to test my swordsmanship.”
Gryphine could not help but give a wry chuckle. Her cowardly younger brother was learning how to beat
around the bush.
“That….. He……” Haruze suddenly wanted to continue the topic about the parchment, but he held himself
back and appeared to stutter.
“He?”
“That knight. Will he protect you?”
“What exactly are you trying to say?” Gryphine glared at him.
Her stern expression was frightening, and the boy could not help but shrink backward:
“I…… I don’t like the idea of you marrying Duke Arreck.”
“What?”
She was a little surprised. Her timid younger brother would never speak to her about political affairs, and
she immediately suspected that someone was using him as a mouthpiece. However, she immediately
rebuffed that idea. Be it Makarov, her wise teacher, or the other retainers on her faction, they wanted to
have Arreck’s aid. It was clear that they were able to see the poison behind this inticing trap, but no one
spoke of it.
The princess remained silent without protesting because she understood she still needed the support of
these nobles. Aouine was still a kingdom of nobles.
“I don’t like him.” The boy shook his head.
“But why? You have never seen him.”
“It’s……. I just heard……” The boy stared back and spoke with faltering words.
“What did you hear?”
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“They said that Duke Arreck already has several wives, but they all died, and that he’s a vampire who
specifically drinks the blood of a woman……” The boy suddenly lost the aura of a future king, and turned
into a normal, meek little boy, looking nervously at her sister.
“Nonsense.”
Gryphine spoke in a chastising tone, but her voice trailed off. The boy was astute enough to recognize
something about it. Given his older sister’s personality, she would have taken a more forceful tone if she
really thought it was mere drivel. But he misunderstood her sister’s position. She was merely sixteen
years old, and marriage to such a young girl was an unknown subject of fear even if she tried to accept it
with all her heart.
The attendant outside the door made the fourth attempt and knocked on the door. The loud repeated
raps seemed to steady her straying thoughts. She took a deep breath and once again regained her
composure.
Gryphine caressed Haruze’s forehead before she stood up and called the attendant in. Her hair was
combed and her dress straightened. Her hands were placed beside her sides carefully, showing that she
did not besmirch the Corvado family’s noble upbringing even a little.
This was her decision.
Once she left the door, a young knight from the Royal Cavalry Academy who waiting outside lowered his
voice and spoke: “My Lady, even if you choose to stay in the academy, we are willing to fight to the death.
The brightest star of the royal throne has no need to bend her waist for a treacherous man.”
But Gryphine merely turned back and answered in a collected tone:
“Aouine has no need to shed blood in advance because we have not reached that moment yet.”
She walked out to the carriage with dignity, raised her skirt as she got into it and there was only a
silhouette that could be seen from afar.
But it was this pair of frail shoulders that would carry the entire revival of the kingdom in the near future.
=============== Brendel’s POV ===============
Brendel lightly mouthed the words on the parchment in between his fingers, then sighed noiselessly. It
was as if time was turning back, and he was on the road where everything moved exactly in the game.
This was the moment to decide Aouine’s future fate, but the pieces were moving exactly how they did in
the past in spite of his actions.
But who could declare that fate was not going to change?
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“…… If hope still resides in Aouine, then it would definitely be found in our hearts.”
He repeated this line several times and found his mind wandering in a fog. Aouine’s hope existed in the
people who fought for it, but having a dream did not mean it could change fate. He experienced
personally that anguishing truth for himself already.
This time, he was going to control fate.
Carglise stared at his lord from the side. He had never seen the youth reveal such an intense solemn look
before; the young lord was always putting on a confident and relaxed expression. He wanted to see the
contents of the letter had, but when he stole a glance at it, he discovered that it was blank and was
obviously treated with magic.
“Who’s the sender?” He could not help but ask.
“Princess Gryphine. She appreciates our deed in Trentheim that has caused Count Randner considerable
trouble.”
Brendel recovered his mentality in an instant. After going through so many dangerous and difficult
situations, he had become hardened and was less affected to emotions when compared to he just arrived
to this world.
Carglise’s suspicious eyes were digging holes into his lord.
“Hah, I’m not falling for this trick. If Her Highness writes a letter to rebels like us, then wouldn’t the
people from the Arreck region to Pine Street who are hung to their deaths be honorable loyalists?”
Brendel eyed his retainer who compared him to bandits and tutted: “Didn’t I say that I’m a knight secretly
working for Her Highness?”
“Then I’m the attendant working under the Dragon of Darkness.” Carglise snotted derisively.
The youth’s mouth opened a little and he stared at the insolent fellow in shock.
“W-what?”
“No, I was thinking if you secretly went to Amandina and learn how to divine the stars.”
“Are you saying that I’m working for the Dragon of Darkness? My Lord, hahaha, you can’t keep on fooling
me with this old trick!” Carglise suddenly discovered that Brendel had a surprising sense of humor. The
latter was insinuating that he was the Dragon of Darkness, and he found that it was an astonishingly
clever joke.
But there was a series of silver bells that rang throughout the vicinity that interrupted them. Brendel
turned to Monika with a quizzing look.
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“It’s a communication device, there are unknown people approaching this area, milourt.” The spirit of
light sat on the youth’s shoulders and said.
“Why didn’t it ring when Carglise came earlier?”
“It was just implemented by us a few moments ago. This World Tree is a home to us Light Spirits. We
intend to place lamps as well.”
Brendel surveyed the outer areas. A figure wearing long golden-red robes and a staff came into sight.
Behind him was a fidgeting and cowering man holding on to a duck. Ciel and his apprentice
Mordenkainen walked towards the tree and after several minutes, they finally appeared before Brendel.
“This place is quite comfortable. It compares to your hometown Danir,” Ciel raised his staff as he leisurely
entered the courtyard, his eyes wandering all over the place.
[My hometown Danir?]
Brendel blinked several times before he shook his head vigorously. He was being toyed with. Indeed, the
Highland Knights were entrenched in Danir, and the fact that his squire spoke with such an earnest face
made him nearly think the former Brendel stayed in Karsuk’s region or something. He stared at Ciel with
considerable exasperation, but the latter appeared like he did not notice it and bowed instead:
“After a difficult uprising, we finally gained a foothold of our own. Many congratulations, My Lord. I am
here to give you another piece of good news.”
“Good news, you say?”
“Please take a look at this, my lord.” Ciel took out something from his robes.
Brendel immediately grabbed hold of the object.
It was a Card of Fates.
2462
Chapter 236 – The final preparation, tomb and female commander
The exquisite card was grey, had sigils on its back, and there was gold embossed on its edges. It was as
thin as a feather, and on the drawn side was the black city Ludes with high walls against a volcano as its
background.
Brendel moved the card away from the sunlight and the golden rays once again shone on Ciel’s luxuriant
fiery golden-red robes.
– Echelonius’s Furnace of Adversity
– Paradise of Adversity III
– Costs 30 Will
– [Barrier Nest]
– Attach Echelonius’s Furnace of Adversity to a Land card when it comes into play.
– Tap, pay 2 Will, sacrifice an Echelonian soldier, Echelonius’s Furnace of Adversity gains two Energy
counters.
– When travelers move across the Great Plains, they discover the northern Ludes’s volcano to be
shrouded with dark clouds illuminated by flames.
“This is……?” Brendel spoke in his mind.
“A group of mercenaries found it an underground city near the silver mines. They seemed to have heard
that we’re seeking cards, so they sent it over to me. I believe there are more to be found there. I believe
the creator of this card is Kelsie, a relatively successful planeswalker in the past three millennia. She
created a shadow world called Echelonius Plains. The famous deck she created is called Echelonius’s
Adversity, and the card in your hands is suitable to combine with other decks.”
“And how exactly do you know so much about her?” Brendel raised an eyebrow.
“I am privy to more knowledge about the Laws when my levels were raised, but there wasn’t really a
chance to show it.” Ciel gave a shrug.
“This card is amazing?”
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“Absolutely. Kelsie is quite a remarkable Planeswalker. If we’re able to discover her Legacy, we will be
rich,” Ciel spoke eagerly.
But Brendel was not particularly optimistic about it. While it was true that Schafflund was an area meant
for newbies, underground cities made by the Rune Dwarves were exceptions. It was also a question if the
treasures were still intact.
“Did they search extensively?”
“No. They only dug through several areas, and they found it in a place which they believed it was a tomb.
The architecture is old enough that they were certain it doesn’t belong to our era.”
[Perhaps a sealed city? That will be interesting, and searching it for the first time should yield quite a
good result. Come to think of it, didn’t my first Card of Fates come from a tomb as well? Should I consider
switching to a profession like Tomb Raider or something?]
The conversation between them only took a few seconds, but there was silence in the courtyard as
everyone waited for the youth to speak up. Brendel blinked a few times as he looked around before he
asked aloud:
“We should make a trip. How do you travel to this area?”
“Naturally by horse carriage, my Lord.” Ciel gave a small smile.
The youth nodded and his eyes went over to Carglise and spoke with a sharp tone: “Oi!”
“Y, yes?” Carglise was distracted as usual and he snapped to attention. Brendel felt the corners of his eyes
twitch with pain: “As one of the descendants from a long-standing noble family in Aouine, you should be
thankful that your father didn’t kick you out.”
Carglise grinned and scratched his head.
“Prepare a ship that goes to Ampere Seale,” Brendel said.
“Ampere Seale, I’m going there? My Lord, is there anything else you need me to do!” The eyebrows on
Carglise’s face were on the verge of disappearing into his hair.
“Not you. Me.”
“What, My Lord, you’re leaving Firburh to Ampere Seale, why?”
“You’re prattling too much. Are you going to prepare it or not?” Brendel snapped.
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Although the attributes on this fellow were considered to be first-rate in the Trentheim region, he was
lazy enough to cause a headache. Brendel felt a little sympathy to Lord Macsen. The latter probably lost
his temper more than a few times.
Carglise shrugged:
“Go, I’ll definitely go, why wouldn’t I go, this is my Lord’s order. A ship that leaves for Ampere Seale, I got
it, I’ll tell them that the passengers are a normal bunch of customers.”
[Hmph. That’s better.]
Brendel threw a dirty glance at him before looking at Finny: “Do you like it here?”
She was having a conversation with Medissa and nodded upon on Brendel’s inquiry. The Tree Elf archers
were currently staying together with the Druids at Firburh, but they wanted to find a suitable place for
themselves.
“But Valhalla isn’t big enough yet.”
“That’s fine. The surroundings are acceptable, My Lord,” the Tree Elf captain answered generously.
Her words reminded Brendel. A thought sprang up in his mind to move the Lycanthropes over. The
citizens of Firburh were still unable to accept the Senians right now, and having the latter to stay at the
lumber mill was not a solution.
[I should give this task to Medissa. She’s now the instructor for the Tree Elves, and she does have the
capability to persuade the Lycanthropes.]
After assigning the various tasks, Brendel finally set off with Ciel and got onto the horse carriage. Scarlett
did not leave his side, seemingly only at ease when she was around him. Little Romaine was naturally the
same, though it was more like she was a rock holding on to the youth’s leg.
The underground city was located in a valley three hours away from Schafflund. The group had to travel
for more than half a day in the verdant forest before they saw the emerald valley that ran through the
south and north Trentheim. Mountain ridges ran endlessly before their eyes, and a long stream flowed
below them.
There were a few scattered tents in the distant forest made by Ciel’s training apprentices and a group of
mercenaries, with the goal of preventing other local adventurers from claiming the spot.
Brendel recognized one of the apprentices.
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[What was his name…… Right, Alistair, the young magician whose companions were killed by Graudin.]
“That man Alistair stayed behind? I recall that he comes from a noble family.” Brendel asked.
“He stayed behind all this time after Graudin’s death. He’s one of my best apprentices.” Ciel replied.
Alistair bowed respectfully when Brendel alighted the horse carriage. His silent pair of burning eyes
during their first encounter was the reason why Brendel remembered him, but there was only a modest
expression on them.
“My Lord, our destination is underneath the valley. We have dug the area lightly and discovered a
passageway approximately fifty meters in length. We suspect it is a catacomb but the interiors have
collapsed and filled with soil and rubble. I had ordered the men to cast spells to detect if there’s magic or
metal in the area, but there’s no useful result.” Alistair reported in a clear tone.
Brendel was a little delighted to discover Alistair’s talent. It was easy to find veteran mercenaries in
Trentheim, but it was rare to find someone who had insight. They were either learned priests working
the Holy Cathedral of Fire or nobles who had a good upbringing. If he were to get mercenaries to be in
charge of things, he would be thankful if they did not cause trouble instead.
The youth continued to listen to Alistair’s report while he surveyed the surroundings.
[That stream…… It can become a river during the raining seasons, which would then flood the
underground dungeon. That’s the reason why the interiors collapsed and blocked with mud. In regards to
the Cards of Fates, however, only a Planeswalker would be able to sense them.]
“Have you try to dig away the rubble?”
“We attempted to do so and cleared it partially, but there was some kind of barrier preventing access to
the inner tombs. We tried many ways but we are unable to circumvent it.” Alistair answered in a slightly
dismayed tone.
“Magic barrier? Bring me there to inspect it.” Brendel’s interest was piqued.
“As you wish, My Lord.” The young magician bowed.
As the group of people passed through the camp, The mercenaries all looked up in reverence. They knew
that the young lord was someone who was unafraid of power and fought against Count Randner all
because of a promise made to a little girl.
The imprisoned nobles who were captured and imprisoned in Firburh’s filled prison were ransomed for
gold. Some were eventually released and they brought back the information to Count Randner where he
2466
killed two Gold-ranked swordsmen with just four strikes, making it known throughout the entire
kingdom.
This was a true man.
Everyone who was looking at the youth thought that.
[How unexpected. Jana’s here too?]
The red-haired, green-eyed commander was wearing a white shirt and tight pants that fully accentuated
her lower half’s curvy figure. She wore a loose belt and a pair of long boots, resembling a stereotypical
female pirate. She was tying her warhorse to a tree when she happened to look around. Her long hair
flowed against the wind like a waterfall, and she widened her eyes slightly when she saw the youth.
“Ah. Well, the mines are just too boring. I heard that a catacomb was found and wanted to look at it, but it
seems like I was caught slacking on my very first attempt. How unlucky,” Jana glanced at the surrounding
mercenaries, “but I must say that you are becoming more and more renowned, My Lord.”
The youth coughed awkwardly. This female commander’s figure was a little too hot. Her shirt was tucked
into her pants and a pair of ample white crescents were exposed to the air, even making it seem like her
shirt was about to burst. It was not just him, Ciel had great difficulty in tearing his eyes away from that
‘gulf’.
“That’s certainly stimulating!” Ciel blurted out in the telepathic channel.
Brendel’s lips spasmed, but he quickly composed himself and studied the uniforms around him. The
mercenaries and adventurers were all wearing an assorted mix of clothes, completely living in their own
ways. Now that he was recognized as Firburh’s lord, it was time to unify a set of uniforms. The uniform of
Aouine’s armies was navy blue, while the private soldiers typically wore the colors of the House’s
emblems.
But Brendel had a different idea in mind.
He nodded at Jana:
“That’s fine. Since the commander of my mercenaries is interested, how about coming along with me?”
“As you command,” Jana answered with a small smile, “but you’re too polite, My Lord. I am willing to be
your knight, please call out my name directly.”
[Knight? Retainer?]
Brendel felt the subtle meaning behind Jana’s words.
2467
The female commander was very cool about it. Ever since Count Randner’s defeat, she had been
completely won over. It was a dream for a mercenary to find a good lord to work for, and though she did
not know what Cornelius and Raban thought, she believed that they had the same thoughts.
2468
Chapter 237 – The catacomb
The entrance to the catacomb was located near the lowest point of the valley. Several broken pillars stood
in the dense foliage with vines creeping all over them. If one did not observe them carefully, they would
have thought the pillars were green boulders.
Brendel studied the passage that was dug by the mercenaries and gave a faint nod. The youth thought the
latter was professionals. He previously dug tunnels in the game as the physical work was left to the
warriors and he was quite good at it, so he could tell how the mercenaries performed.
His eyes turned back to the pillars for a second look.
[The corrosion of the pillar’s rock material is very deep. Are these pattern-like things actually words? No,
not Kirrlutz or Elven. Perhaps the native Highlanders of the old? They were the ones lording over this
place before the King Erik or even the Silver Elves. If this bit of history can be tracked all the way back to
the War of the Holy Saints, then this tomb is really old.]
Brendel turned on the system in his eyes but the patterns were showing up as question marks. The points
in his side profession, Scholar, was unfortunately insufficient. He initially wanted to pass himself off as a
noble but he now thought it as a waste of skill points.
The magicians working for Alistair were starting to chant and create magic orbs of light, and everyone
moved into the catacomb. Though the stale air within the catacomb had been let out for quite some time,
there was still the odor of decay. The rays of light were a little dim as they proceeded through the dark
catacomb. Recesses in the wall could be seen with skeletons laid in them. Some of the skeletons’ bones
were broken.
The mercenaries informed Brendel that the card was found in these grave niches. The youth tried sensing
if there were anything in them but he did not detect anything, though he felt a mana signature emitting
from the front and it caused a tremor in his mind.
Brendel started walking ahead to where he felt the mana signature. Ciel was behind him, while Scarlett
and Jana moved respectively at his sides.
The female mercenary commander’s hand was placed on her longsword. Her emerald eyes reflected the
dim light, making it seemed like there was a green fire burning in them.
Scarlett gripped her spear and silently watched for any movements in the dark with her amber eyes.
2469
The stench of decay gradually became stronger, and it slowly made the group restless. Romaine held on
to Brendel’s hand tightly, but her gleaming eyes had a slight tinge of excitement as they darted all over
the place.
The piled sandy soil in the catacomb hindering their path was quickly dug away, revealing a ghastly
assortment of light rays. Upon closer inspection, they found that it was a barrier that had runes on it. Its
center was thick while the sides were thin, and a look at it made one certain that it was some kind of
magic barrier.
“You said you encountered a barrier. Is it something like this?” Brendel asked.
“Yes, My Lord, and we tried various means but we are unable to dispel it,” Alistair promptly answered.
[It’s no wonder. It’s a Chaos Crystalline Barrier, a Sixth Circle Spell. The caster is at least a level 40 Law
Wizard. It would be weird if Alistair and the others managed to dispel it.]
“Can you remove it?” Brendel turned towards Ciel and asked.
“Easily,” Ciel replied in a relaxed manner, “now?”
The youth nodded.
The young wizard started to chant and stretched his hand to touch the magic barrier lightly. A black hole
on the agate-colored barrier appeared in the center of where his fingers were. The area of the black hole
quickly expanded and the entire barrier was gone in an instant.
There was a short moment of silence.
“A simple task. The barrier’s caster should only be at the Sixth Circle,” Ciel said.
He was at the Seventh Circle, and a full Circle was roughly the gap between heaven and earth.
“This spell doesn’t look like it’s meant to protect, but sealing,” Brendel remarked.
“Why?”
Ciel did not understand.
“The Crystalline Chaotic Barrier is a powerful defensive spell. It feels like it’s meant to prevent things
from entering it. Typically, barriers meant for guarding tombs or similar things include some kind of
attacking nature.”
2470
Ciel clearly did not realize Brendel had seen one too many dungeons in the past.
“You even know about such spells, My Lord?”
“Of course, I’m a Highland Knight from Karsuk,” Brendel kept a poker face.
This time Ciel felt his teeth hurt.
He obviously knew that his master was clearly not a Highland Knight or Highland Wizard.
But the other people around him believed in his words. Other than a Highland Knight, who would be able
to bring a wizard around as his squire throughout the city and know so much about an unknown magic
spell?
After the barrier was gone, Brendel led the others. He moved cautiously compared to the initial
expedition into the catacomb. A defensive barrier might be dangerous, but a sealing barrier meant there
was an unknown danger in the passageways.
[Usually sealing barriers tend to mean the area is sort of a mystery until it’s fully explored. There aren’t
many places that seal spirits in Aouine, and the most infamous one is in Ampere Seale…… And it’s also a
catacomb. I feel like we’re going to run into some serious trouble.]
It was a gigantic burial chamber behind the barrier. Ten-odd solitary pillars stood silently in the dark
area, illuminated by the weak light. Numerous coffins were laid in the center and even more recesses
could be found on the walls.
[There’s a lot of dust in this area. Undisturbed cobwebs at every nook and cranny. Clearly, this place was
not sealed from the beginning, but done so after very much later after this place was constructed. Hmm.
According to the barbarians’ customs in the game, the status of these buried people should be higher than
the ones outside.]
Brendel tested for signs of mana and discovered four points of blinking light, but there were no Cards of
Fate.
A morsel of meat was still meat, and a low-level dungeon would still have something good most of the
time. He pointed to the approximate locations of the objects and the apprentices immediately started
searching the chamber. Unfortunately, someone knocked over a vase, and the silent place suddenly had
grinding noise echoing throughout it.
It did not take long for Brendel to see a few dark figures pushing the cover of the coffins away and
climbing out.
“Zombies!” Several of the apprentices yelled with a pale face.
2471
These zombies were level 27 undead zombie mutations, Tomb Ghouls. They were close to Silver-rankers,
and those that they killed would also become undead creatures. They could be seen as the top killers of
low-level adventurers in a dungeon.
The youth watched the terrified men huddle together with amusement and recalled his own first
adventure. Because the scenes of the underground dungeons were too realistic, a few of his close friends
were so scared that they soiled their pants as they ran out.
He uttered

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1

Chapter 100 - Volume 2

Chapter 101 - Volume 2

Chapter 102 - Volume 2

Chapter 103 - Volume 2

Chapter 104 - Volume 2

Chapter 105 - Volume 2

Chapter 106 - Volume 2

Chapter 107 - Volume 2

Chapter 108 - Volume 2

Chapter 109 - Volume 2

Chapter 110 - Volume 2

Chapter 111 - Volume 2

Chapter 112 - Volume 2

Chapter 114 - Volume 2

Chapter 115 - Volume 2

Chapter 116 - Volume 2

Chapter 117 - Volume 2

Chapter 118 - Volume 2

Chapter 119 - Volume 2

Chapter 120 - Volume 2

Chapter 121 - Volume 2

Chapter 122 - Volume 2

Chapter 123 - Volume 2

Chapter 124 - Volume 2

Chapter 125 - Volume 2

Chapter 126 - Volume 2

Chapter 127 - Volume 2

Chapter 128 - Volume 2

Chapter 129 - Volume 2

Chapter 130 - Volume 2

Chapter 131 - Volume 2

Chapter 132 - Volume 2

Chapter 133 - Volume 2

Chapter 134 - Volume 2

Chapter 135 - Volume 2

Chapter 137 - Volume 2

Chapter 138 - Volume 2

Chapter 139 - Volume 2

Chapter 140 - Volume 2

Chapter 141 - Volume 2

Chapter 142 - Volume 2

Chapter 143 - Volume 2

Chapter 144 - Volume 2

Chapter 145 - Volume 2

Chapter 146 - Volume 2

Chapter 147 - Volume 2

Chapter 148 - Volume 2

Chapter 149 - Volume 2

Chapter 150 - Volume 2

Chapter 151 - Volume 2

Chapter 152 - Volume 2

Chapter 153 - Volume 2

Chapter 154 - Volume 2

Chapter 155 - Volume 2

Chapter 156 - Volume 2

Chapter 157 - Volume 2

Chapter 158 - Volume 2

Chapter 160 - Volume 2

Chapter 161 - Volume 2

Chapter 162 - Volume 2

Chapter 163 - Volume 2

Chapter 164 - Volume 2

Chapter 165 - Volume 2