Chapter 225
Chapter: 225
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 225
>Chapter Title: Air Raid (2)
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Thud. Thud.
A vibration shaking the earth came rushing in from afar.
Several soldiers hurrying toward the fortress in response to the emergency retreat signal exchanged puzzled looks.
It wasn't the time for glacier trolls to be roaming around, so what could this rumbling be?
And soon, they confirmed the source of the vibration with their own eyes. Massive ice monsters suddenly appeared around the bend of the winding canyon.
“Argh! Glacier trolls!”
“Run! Run away!”
Mere foot soldiers like them had no chance against those colossal beasts.
The soldiers spread their snowshoes as wide as possible and fled with all their might. Fortunately, it ended quickly.
“Hey, don’t go too far!”
“Stop! We’re allies from Sigismund Territory!”
…What?
The soldiers, who had hesitated and turned back at the shout from the ice monster, widened their eyes in shock for an entirely different reason.
Atop the shoulder of the lead monster stood someone they knew well: Great Young Lord Orden, his face pale and sickly.
“These are called… Bingsu. They won’t attack you.”
Bin… what?
“We’ve come to help with the retreat. No time, so hurry and climb on!”
“…Climb on? On glacier trolls?”
“His Highness has them under control, so rest easy.”
It was a statement that beggared belief, yet all three monsters knelt down simultaneously, lowering their bodies!
As the soldiers gaped in disbelief, they noticed passengers already atop the ice monsters: the prince, his guard knights, inquisitors, and even some fellow soldiers with terrified faces.
At that moment, the prince perched on Bing-su No. 1’s head poked his head out and called a warning.
“At least get up to the shoulders! That’s the spot with the least drop when they run!”
“……”
“Oh! Skip the third one. It’s tumbled several times on the way here. You might get buried under an ice heap if you’re not careful!”
Dazed as if entranced, the soldiers clambered up the ice monster’s body. Once they’d settled near the shoulders—
“Alright, let’s go.”
At the prince’s signal.
Rumble.
The three glacier trolls slowly rose with a heavy groan.
“Hold on tight! Don’t forget to protect your head and neck with aura!”
The prince’s last words were lost in the wind. The monsters suddenly accelerated, blasting a fierce gust across their faces.
The soldiers screamed, clutching at whatever ice chunks they could grab.
Thud! Thud!
The canyon air shook violently once more, dislodging clumps of snow from the cliffs above.
‘I’ve wasted too much time!’
Meanwhile, Seongjin, controlling the three Bingsu, felt urgency on multiple fronts.
Even with prior passengers and growing familiarity, convincing the first batch of soldiers to board had taken far longer than expected.
It was understandable, though. These were people who’d spent their lives battling beasts in the demon realm.
In his haste, he’d pushed the Bingsu to full speed, but the ride turned atrociously bumpy. He’d boldly claim even off-road racing with constant side-swipes would be smoother.
‘Never doing this twice. I had fantasies of giant robots as a kid, but this shatters them.’
At least aura protected their bodies; otherwise, concussions would’ve taken them out long ago.
“How much farther now?”
“Just two more outposts, Your Highness!”
Orden, who answered, gazed at Seongjin with newfound respect.
In truth, it was Prince Mores who’d anticipated the glacier troll assault and figured out how to control them.
Thanks to him, Bingbing Base had prepared in advance, and he’d even saved the lives of soldiers Orden had nearly given up on.
“Sigismund owes Your Highness another great debt.”
Seongjin shot him an exasperated look.
Everything’s a debt with you. You’ll go bankrupt at this rate, man.
“What’s so great about it?”
Indeed, Seongjin’s initial idea had been utterly simple.
How fast could 10-meter-plus Bingsu run at full tilt? They’d leap low hills in a single bound, rescuing even the stragglers.
Even if timing failed, they might slip through mingled with the incoming glacier trolls.
Of course, the backlash to the idea was fierce!
Masain had practically exploded at him.
“We don’t even know what devilish trick these things are! And Your Highness plans to ride one personally? How do you think that’ll look to others?”
“Then I’ll bring Sir Valerie as proof it’s safe. With an inquisitor—who speaks for the Inquisition—along, what’s the problem?”
“Me? Why me all of a sudden…?”
Since when am I the Inquisition’s spokesperson? Don’t I get a say?
Ignoring the red-haired inquisitor’s weak mutter from behind, Masain’s neck veins bulged further.
“Your Highness returned covered in blood just yesterday! And now you’re rushing into danger alone again? I absolutely oppose this!”
“Then ride with me, Sir Masain. If it’s dangerous, I’ll do it right in front of you. You can help if something goes wrong, right?”
“Urk…!”
Gotcha, Sir Masain. You hesitated just now, didn’t you?
“…But Your Highness! Leaving us aside, the soldiers seeing these Bingsu for the first time won’t just hop on! How did you even conceive of mounting beasts?!”
“Then bring the Great Young Lord as proof they’re safe! The heir of a prestigious domain can explain it convincingly. Right?”
“……”
Orden clamped his mouth shut, his expression saying he really didn’t want to.
Who’re you to refuse, Orden?!
These are your soldiers’ lives on the line! You have no choice!
And so they’d all piled onto Bing-su No. 1 and made it this far.
Coordinating three glacier trolls had made control a bit crude, but aside from Bing-su No. 3 rolling a few times, the plan proceeded smoothly.
Well, excluding the few aura-inept soldiers who vomited or collapsed from exhaustion.
A short while later—
“Argh! Glacier trolls!”
“Stay calm! They’re allies!”
“Skip No. 3, protect yourselves with aura!”
After repeating such scenes, Seongjin’s group finally rescued all the outpost soldiers.
“Your Highness, we’re out of time!”
At Orden’s shout, Seongjin focused sharply.
Sir Oscar, leading the rest to the canyon fortress ahead, had likely explained the situation. A bit of commotion wouldn’t cause panic.
“Everyone, hold tight!”
At the same moment.
Boom!
The three ice monsters kicked off the ground in unison. Frozen earth clashed with the ice bridge, sending small ice shards sparkling in the sunlight.
Whoosh—
“W-We’re flying…!?”
Amid the soldiers’ stunned cries.
KABOOM!!
The glacier trolls leaped a wide ravine in one bound and charged toward the domain’s border.
* * *
At the canyon fortress then, Sir Oscar was in the midst of a heated argument with the fortress commander.
The commander, Sir Hans, was a seasoned knight who’d retired due to injury and now oversaw all canyon-area security.
“So widen the fortress entrance as much as possible!”
“No, deputy commander, that’s absurd! Beasts are coming soon. We barely have time to seal and freeze it shut!”
“But the Great Young Lord said he’s bringing all the stragglers! How many can climb this ice wall quickly on pulleys?”
“We can’t neglect the fortress defense for that! The domain’s safety is at stake.”
At Sir Hans’s troubled reply, Sir Oscar lowered his voice intently.
“Among them is the Holy Empire’s young prince! You’d have him climb this height on a pulley?”
“That’s true, but…”
Sir Hans scratched his ear with a displeased frown.
Then, thud thud thud!
An enormous vibration approached from afar, strong enough to subtly shake the fortress’s ice walls.
“See! The Great Young Lord is finally—”
Sir Oscar turned excitedly, but his face hardened instantly.
Emerging from the canyon were dozens of glacier trolls swarming in a pack.
The enemy assault.
“…Great Young Lord!”
Sir Oscar gritted his teeth, his face grim.
They hadn’t made it in time after all!
“…They’re coming.”
Then, the exorcist, who’d been staring blankly into space, murmured softly.
The prince’s entourage was full of strong personalities, but she, the holy knight with an especially eerie aura, stood out.
Even now, she let out a creepy giggle in a shrill voice, muttering inscrutably.
“Yeees. Just as you say. Hehe. Because Mores is Mores, right? Ah, yes. Exactly. Mores is none other than Mores. Hehehe.”
Her bizarre, possessed-like demeanor.
As Sir Oscar eyed her with dismay, Lady Claudia suddenly hopped up and shouted.
“Ah! Look over there!”
She’d already enhanced her vision with aura.
“There! His Highness is coming!”
As she said, three familiar ice monsters appeared at the southern canyon fork, carrying people snugly on their shoulders as they ran.
“Your Highness!”
“Great Young Lord!”
But the group’s joy was short-lived.
Boom! Thud thud thud thud!
With a powerful impact, one enemy glacier troll suddenly accelerated toward the fortress. Clearly intent on intercepting the prince’s group!
Desperate, Sir Oscar yelled.
“I’ll go down! Lower the pulley now!”
“Ah, no, but…”
But someone beat him to it.
A knight snatched the rope right in front of him and leaped fearlessly from the 20-meter-plus fortress wall.
The resident knight, usually quiet and reserved: Lady Maria.
Whirr—
The pulley spun madly.
Soldiers belatedly grabbed the line, but Lady Maria slid down the ice wall like a falling stone, nearly reaching the ground.
She lightly jumped the remaining distance, then walked forward slowly, drawing her sword. Facing the enemy glacier troll head-on.
Likely not yet accustomed enough to snowshoes for running. Yet her precise movements carried a gravitas that gripped the knights’ hearts.
Sir Oscar, entranced despite himself, snapped to and seized the next pulley.
Thud thud thud.
The prince’s Bingsu had nearly reached the fortress edge. But the lone oncoming glacier troll was slightly faster.
The ice monster, unrestrained, barreled toward Lady Maria blocking its path.
“Lady Maria!”
She was a capital greenhouse knight facing a beast for the first time.
Yet the advanced knight’s aura, steadily emanating cold menace, utterly overwhelmed the charging monster’s momentum.
Step.
With a step heavy as a mountain.
Lady Maria’s sharp sword traced a circle, plunging deep into the thick ice.
Banahas Fifth Form, Sixth Stance. Wasp Nest Thrust.
Krakrakrakaboom!
The lightning thrust, a pinnacle of destructive power in the Imperial Knights’ standard swordsmanship, ravaged the glacier troll’s leg trunk at point-blank range.
Craaaack!
The beast’s foot exploded massively, throwing it off balance. Just then, Bing-su No. 1 pulled alongside and slyly tripped it.
Crash!
The colossal ice monster tumbled noisily to the ground, shaking the fortress momentarily.
“Lady Maria!”
As Seongjin extended Bing-su No. 1’s hand, she swiftly climbed atop and shouted.
“You nearly arrived too late, Your Highness!”
“Even so, what reckless stunt is this?!”
The prince, yelling outright, looked genuinely furious.
At the sudden scolding, Lady Maria blinked wide-eyed at Seongjin for a moment before letting out a soft “pfft” of laughter.
“I was worried too, Your Highness.”
“…Well.”
Seongjin awkwardly turned away, mumbling.
“Your Highness! Hurry!”
“No time left!”
Then he spotted his entourage stomping and shouting from atop the fortress.
Seongjin roughly gauged the enemy distance and bluntly informed Orden.
“Time’s tight. Looks like I’ll have to open the fortress gate myself.”
“Pardon? Your Highness, what do you—”
Orden asked in panic, but instead of answering, Bing-su No. 3 broke from the pack and surged forward.
Seongjin, now adept at controlling the Bingsu individually, took separate command of the empty, unburdened No. 3.
“No way!?”
Sir Hans recoiled in horror at the fearsome ice monster charging in.
“Clear the path, Bing-su No. 3!”
At the prince’s command.
BOOM!
The glacier troll’s mighty fist slammed powerfully into the narrow fortress entrance.