The Disciples (1)
“…I command, those who step forth shall be bound by light and unable to tread upon the ground.”
Woong!! A massive magic circle flared to life, radiating brilliant light. The spell carried a powerful binding effect across a wide area. Only those permitted could approach, and any forced attempt to dismantle it would trigger an alarm spell. It wasn’t merely strong and intricate—secondary and tertiary layers had been prepared as well. Constructing magic circles of this caliber demanded extraordinary magical skill. Most mages wouldn’t even dare to dream of it. Yet the Magic Hero, Daisy Blossom, had already completed several.
“Hoo.”
Daisy stepped back slowly and surveyed her work. This should be enough to detect even her master—well, her grandmaster. No matter how stealthily someone tried to infiltrate, they would eventually be found out. The Royal Capital had already suffered one massive, brutal attack. Though the walls themselves hadn’t been breached, the fear lingered. What if enemies bypassed the outer perimeter and hammered at the walls and gates? Was this place truly safe from those horrific beings?
To erase that anxiety, this level of thoroughness was essential. The people needed to feel secure from any threat, and it was better to show them with their own eyes.
“This should do it.”
“…I have nothing more to say.”
Normally such work would be done in secret. This time, however, everyone had been allowed to watch—the royal mages, and even ordinary citizens of the capital had gathered to observe. Those who understood magic marveled at its solidity and precision. Those who didn’t were simply awed by its radiance and brilliance. Either way, it eased their worries and fears.
“Shall we move to the next location?”
Daisy continued to demonstrate an astonishing level of magic. Finally, the reinforcement and reinstallation of the last magic circle was complete.
That should be more than enough.
She had layered defensive and detection spells to an almost excessive degree. Now she could confidently say there was nothing left to do. No enemy from outside would be able to enter freely.
As she stretched her stiff body and took a step back, she failed to watch where she was going and tripped. Naturally, she began to topple backward.
“Uwaaaah!”
Just as she flailed and lost her balance, a woman swiftly caught her.
“Ah, thank you, Jenia.”
“…When exactly are you going to stop being so clumsy?”
The one grumbling in a cold tone was the Spear Hero, Jenia Violet. She was supposed to be traveling with the Sword Hero, Garam, but had yet to leave the capital. Garam’s treatment was taking longer than expected.
“Is Garam still receiving treatment?”
“She keeps insisting she’s fine, but Lily won’t let her go.”
“Lily probably doesn’t think she’s fully recovered yet.”
“Seems that way. Haah… Why does getting hurt have to tie us down like this? It’s so annoying.”
Jenia grumbled with clear displeasure. Daisy watched her for a moment, then smiled.
“…Why are you smiling?”
“Because you’re worrying while complaining.”
“Me? Worried? About who? Don’t tell me you mean Garam?”
“Yes. You’re worried about Garam, aren’t you?”
“What nonsense. Why would I? Why would I worry about that girl!”
“Is that so? Then never mind. I must have been mistaken.”
Even as she said it, Daisy kept smiling. It was the look of someone who clearly knew the truth. Jenia could only huff in protest.
“I really am not worried!”
“Yes, yes. Let’s go with that.”
“I mean it! Gerard and Iris left over a week ago. They should’ve reached the north by now. So when exactly am I supposed to leave the capital?!”
“Don’t be impatient. Master said we should wait until Lily confirms Garam’s injuries are fully healed. That way there won’t be any problems.”
“There are problems! I’ll end up doing even less than the fourth and fifth disciples!”
Daisy knew Jenia had been competitively hunting monsters to earn more of their master’s attention and praise. She wasn’t completely out of the loop. Until now, her rival had been Garam. But with Garam right beside her, there was no need to keep competing. Besides, cooperation mattered more than rivalry at this point.
…Maybe that’s why Master paired Garam and Jenia together. Now that excessive competition could become harmful, he simply put the rivals on the same team.
Daisy’s assessment wasn’t far off the mark.
“Ahem! Ahem! Enough about that… What about the magic circles installed in the capital?”
“I’ve finished reinforcing and reinstalling all of them. I even added a few new ones.”
“Really? That’s a relief.”
“Now I can leave with Lily! I’m looking forward to it. It’s been so long!”
“…Are you sure you can handle it? If you keep tripping over your own feet while following Lily and cause an accident…”
“I’ll do my best. Please believe in me! I’m a Hero too, you know!?”
“It’s not your combat ability I doubt. It’s everything else.”
If her combat skills were lacking, they could simply drill her until she improved. But Daisy’s magic and fighting prowess were flawless. Unlike other mages, she never grew exhausted after casting spells or gasped for breath. Nor did she falter when enemies approached. She could cast magic with one hand while beating mid-grade monsters to death with the other. Both Garam and Jenia had witnessed this while traveling with Namgung Hyeon.
The only thought we ever had back then was this:
Why did the heavens grant Daisy such power, yet also curse her with this strange clumsiness?
“What’s the news from the continent? The royal family said they’d share information.”
“There wasn’t anything new until yesterday, but something came in this morning.”
“…It’s bad news, isn’t it?”
Daisy quickly picked up on the shift in Jenia’s tone. The Spear Hero sighed and nodded.
“Word came from the northern noble territories. Several villages on the outermost edges have vanished without a trace. No survivors—just monsters everywhere.”
“That’s no different from before.”
“No. It’s changed. There’s a difference.”
Previously, attacks on villages always left survivors—whether they were miraculous escapees or Demon God worshipper informants. At least someone had always brought news. Now there was no one.
“They’ve become crueler. More merciless. It’s like they’re just going to kill everyone now.”
“If it’s the north, Gerard and Iris are already there, right?”
“They are, but they can’t split up. They have to move together.”
“…Which means Iris will probably be dragged around.”
“We’re strong. But the continent is far larger than we thought. There’s a limit to how much ground a Hero can cover. Attacks will keep happening in places we can’t reach.”
“And once they’ve built up the monsters’ numbers and quality, they’ll target a city.”
By the time she finished speaking, Daisy understood exactly what Jenia meant by the change. Before, the enemy had whispered to sow fear and lure people in. Now they were simply strangling throats and demanding surrender or death.
If the Heroes patrolled the outskirts, the enemy would strike deeper. If the Heroes stayed inside, the outskirts would be slowly devoured.
“They’re saying they don’t care about appearances anymore now that they’ve become public enemies of the continent.”
“Merciless, unlimited slaughter is beginning. Those with strong wills might endure, but ordinary people will submit just to survive.”
“This won’t be easy.”
“That’s why our role is more important than ever. Before, we gave people faith. Now we have to give them courage. Tell them to fight. To fight and protect what matters. Even if they die, to protect what’s precious to them.”
“Will it be that simple? Most people won’t be able to do it.”
“A strong mind comes from a strong body.”
“That’s something Master said, isn’t it?”
“Maybe he paired us up so we’d remember that.”
Daisy tilted her head at Jenia’s words. What did that mean? She didn’t fully understand.
“Until now, we only took people who were qualified to follow us.”
“I heard that. Knights, mercenaries, and so on.”
“Yeah. They had a certain level of skill and strength. Even if we didn’t watch them, they could at least handle the enemy’s fodder.”
“And now?”
“Now we’ll be traveling the continent teaching people who have neither skill nor strength.”
“…Excuse me?”
“If we can’t protect every place ourselves, we just need to make sure they can hold out until we arrive. Since the enemy has declared unlimited slaughter, everyone needs to pick up a spear and shield.”
Daisy raised a hand to stop her. Everything Jenia said made sense. The Heroes would handle repulsion and extermination, but they couldn’t provide fixed defense for every region. So they would train the soldiers, knights, mercenaries, and even ordinary people. They didn’t need to become as strong as Heroes. Regular folk who had never held a weapon should be able to fight low-grade monsters. Those with some basic training should be able to face mid-grade monsters. That way, indiscriminate attacks would become far less dangerous. Even if the enemy sent stronger forces, it would buy time until a Hero arrived.
But there was a problem…
“The royal family won’t like it.”
Arming the people of each region might help maintain order, but it also meant creating forces that could one day turn their spears around. Especially in chaotic times like these, that concern was even greater.
“Don’t worry, Daisy.”
Jenia simply smiled.
“Master already secured a promise. From now on, the royal family will cooperate unconditionally with the Heroes. Seriously, Master is the best. How did he see this far ahead and get that promise?”