Sacrifice in the Sands
"Um, excuse me... Piria?"
"..."
Randel finally managed to speak, but Piria didn't respond. She just kept her head bowed, mumbling something under her breath.
"-- --- ---."
Piria, murmuring so faintly that even Randel's sharp ears could barely catch it, suddenly snapped her head up and raised her staff high.
"Earthquake!"
"..!"
As Piria chanted the incantation, a massive wave began to radiate out from her center. The wave turned into vibrations, the vibrations into rumbling earth. By the time it collided with the horde of thousands of orcs, it had become a full-blown natural disaster.
Rumble rumble crash!
Chaos erupted. The earthquake in the desert whipped the dunes into towering waves of sand. Orcs stumbled and fell, unable to find footing; others were buried under comrades, choking on mouthfuls of grit.
But the quake didn't last long before fading. It was one of the few offensive spells auxiliary mages like her could cast reliably, but the mana drain left Piria with crushing mental fatigue.
"Randel!"
"..!"
Piria's eyes, calling Randel's name, no longer trembled with fear. He read the meaning in that gaze.
His chest tightened with emotion, but Randel bellowed loudly.
"Knights, form up around Piria! Use the orcs' confusion for a breakthrough—straight ahead!"
With Randel at the vanguard, the group surged forward. Their direction: Roswell Village. Retracing their steps, but the difficulty would dwarf their inbound journey.
Randel bit his lip until it bled.
...
"Truly... I offer my deepest gratitude to you both. I wish I could have entertained you better..."
The Selton Viscount bowed repeatedly, but Aisha waved him off.
"No need. What did I even do? Anyway, we've been delayed longer than expected—we really should head out now. Let's meet again sometime if fate allows."
"Yes. I hope the chance to repay this kindness comes soon. Farewell, Lady Aisha. And Sir Minwoo as well."
"..Lady Aisha, Sir Minwoo. I will never forget this debt."
Line, standing beside the viscount, bowed as well. She was dressed now in fine noble attire befitting a proper lady. It felt a bit mismatched for a beastkin, but... Minwoo decided to respect the viscount's tastes.
And he sincerely wished the pair a happy future together.
After bidding the Selton Viscount farewell, Aisha and Minwoo stepped onto the teleportation magic circle.
Once they were in position, the imperial civil mage dispatched from the capital activated the array.
As the circle prepared, Aisha tilted her head at Minwoo.
"By the way, when did those two get so close? It's surprising..."
"Yeah, tell me about it. But isn't it for the best? Peace is always the highest good, no matter what."
"True... They make a nice sight."
Blissfully unaware of the details, Aisha just nodded, seemingly touched by the union of human and beastkin—even if it started as a concubine arrangement.
"How's your body holding up now, Aisha? You were burning up pretty bad yesterday."
"Eh!? Y-yeah..! All good now. Totally..! Haha..!"
Yesterday's all-day romp with Minwoo had already faded into a dreamlike haze for her. The maids had tidied up any post-coital mess, leaving no traces to raise suspicion.
Feeling mischievous, Minwoo pressed her again.
"No weird dreams again, I hope? Come to think of it, I heard some strange noises from your room last night."
"Fyahn!?"
"Haha, just kidding. Glad you're better, though. I was ready to give you a massage if you weren't."
"M-massage..!?"
"Oh? You know what a massage is, Aisha?"
"N-no! I don't..! N-nothing like that..!"
Minwoo just chuckled at Aisha, her cheeks flushed crimson and floundering helplessly.
"Teleportation activating soon. Please remain as still as possible..."
With the mage's chant complete, the two vanished from the circle.
...
"Gah!"
"No! Revil!"
Revil, one of Randel's subordinate knights, took an axe to the leg from an orc.
The scouting party had carved through nearly a hundred orcs, pushing forward swiftly, but their pace was slowing.
The orcs, thrown into disarray by Piria's spell, were recovering faster than expected.
Injured but defiant, Revil slashed the orc lunging at him and shouted.
"Captain..! I'll buy time—get out while you can!"
"Nngh... Revil..!"
To fulfill the mission at the cost of life—that was a knight's duty. Heartbroken, Randel honored his man's resolve.
Revil, left in the rear, was soon swallowed by the orc swarm.
But hell wasn't over. Moments later, the last subordinate knight fell to concentrated attacks, vanishing into the sand without a final cry.
Randel could only pray for their souls in silence.
He no longer hoped to survive himself. If just Piria could escape and report to the empire, their deaths wouldn't be in vain.
Thrusting his sword through an orc's throat, Randel called out.
"Piria! Can you use flight magic?"
"Don't be stupid! I can only cast it on myself, and even then, it'd just make me a target for thrown weapons in this mess!"
"I'll handle that. Climb that dune ahead, then fly out of here!"
"..You're saying you'll die here?"
"Both die if we hesitate! Follow my lead!"
"..."
Piria had shaken off her terror, but human emotions lingered. They'd only traveled together a few days, but she'd grown fond of him. It started as idle attraction to his handsome face, but his knightly valor had stirred her heart.
Leaving him to die alone...
After a long silence, she spoke.
"..Fine. You're the captain... I'll follow."
"Heh... First time you've called me captain."
"What... You didn't like your name? Should've said so sooner."
"No. Quite the opposite."
"Opposite? What does that—"
Randel just smiled at her puzzled expression.
And soon, she understood.
"You don't mean..."
But time for talk was gone.
"No time left! I'll draw their eyes—start your flight chant, Piria!"
"Nngh..."
Tears finally spilled from Piria's eyes.
But she steeled herself. They couldn't all die pointlessly. One survivor to carry the news—or no vengeance at all.
"--- -- ----."
Piria began chanting swiftly. Unlike simple levitation or lightening spells, flight magic was advanced. Even for an auxiliary specialist like her, it normally required her staff—and focus.
But now, she chanted with unprecedented precision and speed, surpassing her limits.
"You ugly orc bastards! Your opponent is me!"
As her chant neared completion, Randel unleashed a mighty roar.
It wasn't mere volume. Knights infused refined mana into their voice for a momentary burst—the unique skill Battle Cry, sapping enemy morale and halting movements.
Young as he was, Randel's cry—earning him the empire's knight title—held firm against hundreds of orcs.
"Fly!"
The orcs froze for a split second as Piria's spell activated. Her body lifted slowly at first, then rocketed skyward, soaring well above orc height.
Randel..!
Piria could only whisper his name in her heart. No time to look down at his fight amid the orcs.
Flight demanded intense focus, but she wielded it more masterfully than ever. She could've aced the Imperial Magic Academy graduation exam like this.
Normally, she'd gloat. But now, Piria lamented her own inadequacy.
If only I were a better mage... I could've teleported us all out safely.
Unrealistic, of course. Teleportation was beyond even the empire's top mages without a circle.
But to her now, everything felt cruel and tragic.
Randel... I'll avenge you..!
Piria repeated the vow inwardly. Tears streamed from her eyes, scattering into the wind.
Thus, she escaped hell alone.
Or so it seemed.
"Guhk..!?"
Suddenly, agony exploded in her side—like a boulder smashing her gut.
The pain shattered her focus. Like a bird with clipped wings, she plummeted straight down.
Is this... how I die...?