Chapter 236
Chapter: 236
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 236
>Chapter Title: Defense Battle (9)
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Buwoong-
A massive arm, heavy as full plate armor, swung horizontally in a wide arc.
Kurrk! Kyeng! Krheung!
Pitiful cries from lycanslopes echoed here and there.
The ice beasts' power was utterly overwhelming.
With each step, the sea of magic beasts parted helplessly, and with a single swing of their arms, over a dozen lycanslopes were sent flying powerlessly into the air.
No precise control was needed.
In a place teeming with lycanslopes everywhere, the ice beasts simply had to flail their limbs wildly.
Puk! Puk! Crunch.
For the lycanslopes already fallen to the ground, the situation was even worse.
Those blinded and unable to evade were crushed underfoot by the ice beasts, instantly turned into mush.
There was no chance of regeneration after being flattened by monsters weighing dozens of tons each. The paths the ice beasts took became thickly covered in lycanslope blood and flesh chunks.
"…I've heard tales, but seeing it with my own eyes is truly awe-inspiring."
Overwhelmed by the sheer might, Sir Sebastian paused mid-swing and marveled.
If even the stern garrison captain felt this way, what of the ordinary soldiers witnessing this miracle?
"Ahh!"
"The apostle… the apostle of the Lord God!"
Despair faded from their faces.
Just moments ago, when the ice wall outpost was under relentless assault, hadn't the glacier trolls seemed like demons straight out of hell?
Yet now that those monsters were on their side, nothing felt more reassuring.
'No ice wall needed!'
'…We might actually hold them off!'
The soldiers' morale began to surge.
"Charge! The Holy Emperor's blessing is with us!"
"The Lord God has not abandoned Sigismund Territory!"
Uwaaaaa!
The soldiers swung their weapons and plunged vigorously into the lycanslopes.
* * *
Meanwhile, the face of the man who had wrought this miracle was far from bright.
"This isn't good……."
Sungjin muttered with a furrowed brow.
He was currently withdrawn to the rear with Margrave Hendrick. From the low watchtower, the battlefield was visible at a glance.
It might look like they had the upper hand now, but this momentum wouldn't last long.
They had only partially offset their numerical disadvantage with an initial gambit. The mountainside leading to the ice wall still teemed with countless lycanslopes.
"Their recovery is faster than expected."
Already, some were starting to pull themselves together one by one.
He'd known they had strong regeneration, but he hadn't realized even their eyes were that resilient.
"Could we not try that method from earlier once more, Your Highness?"
Sungjin shook his head at Margrave Hendrick's question.
"Even mindless beasts won't fall for the same trick twice."
Of course, there was no way to retrieve the magic stone he'd tossed into the heart of the fray either.
"We were woefully unprepared for a situation like this. We had the high ice wall, so even as the territory grew rapidly, we never thought to build proper outer walls. This is all my failure!"
Margrave Hendrick's lamenting face seemed genuinely mournful at first glance.
But Sungjin felt not a shred of sincerity. The margrave's dry, hardened eyes still looked busy with calculations.
And that intuition was spot on.
'This incident is an utter anomaly. In fact, this beast uprising will likely suppress their activity for years to come. With no funds for rebuilding this year anyway, it might be more profitable all around to just reinforce the ice wall further. Perhaps use this as leverage to increase imperial aid…'
Sungjin glanced sidelong at the scheming margrave and inwardly clicked his tongue.
He could guess what the man was thinking, but the world rarely unfolded as planned.
At this rate, he might regret it big time someday. Sungjin couldn't quite explain why he had that premonition.
Feeling uneasy, Sungjin turned his gaze back to the battlefield.
In the meantime, the front line had pushed considerably up the mountainside.
"The Wolf Knights' valor is truly remarkable. Just as the rumors say. Though I was rather disappointed in the Decaron Knights."
He spat the words while glaring at the staggering old Vincent from afar. Margrave Hendrick responded with an innocently smiling face, pretending ignorance.
"How could this be solely the Wolf Knights' doing? This is all thanks to Your Highness bringing the glacier trolls."
"Hmm."
"And Sir Masain's prowess is beyond reproach! The youngest Guard Captain indeed—truly a scion of the Holy Emperor."
As he said, at the forefront, brilliant golden auras occasionally flashed vividly. No need to say whose—no one else's but Sir Masain's.
Crack.
Sungjin's hand unconsciously tightened on the handle of his nutcracker.
He'd judged unleashing four ice beasts more effective than charging in alone, so he'd obediently fallen back. But in truth, he itched to leap into the fray right now.
"Your Highness, your aura flow is highly unstable. Moving now would be reckless."
Noticing Sungjin's restless vibe, Captain Bruno firmly warned him from the side.
Bruno was currently Sungjin's guard. It was Sir Masain's decision, deeming it advantageous for himself to take the vanguard.
If they couldn't keep the prince pinned down somewhere, better to charge ahead and wrap things up quickly. That seemed to be Masain's recent mindset.
'Did I drag Sir Masain into this mess for nothing?'
A man who should have lived a flashy life as the youngest Guard Captain was now stuck roughing it at the front lines.
As Sungjin fell briefly somber, the Demon King snarked in his mind.
[Don't pretend to regret it, Sungjin. You'll forget it soon enough and cause trouble again anyway?]
'…Shut up!'
He was trying to reflect for once!
Meanwhile, old Vincent, who had been rolling on the ground, finally returned to the front line.
His vision was still a mess, but he forced himself up and swung his sword. He at least knew his place.
But his unrecovered eyes were bloodshot, and tears poured endlessly like a waterfall.
"Grgh! I was just curious how you'd do it! I thought with aura protection, I'd be fine!"
In any case, it was all his own blunder.
Gritting his teeth against the stabbing pain and chill, the old man clamped his mouth shut.
Of course, he thought he'd utterly lost face, but it had an unexpected effect.
His bloodshot eyes and twisted face as he swung his sword made him look like a vengeful demon crawled straight from hell—fierce enough to startle even the mindless lycanslopes.
"Why are you bastards moving already! I'm still hurting hereeeee!"
As if venting his rage on them, the old commander belatedly plunged deep into the line and rampaged wildly.
Sungjin diligently checked on his companions scattered across the battlefield.
They were faring better than expected.
Lady Maria, an upper knight, went without saying. Lady Claudia and Sir Carmen, faithful to fundamentals, steadily cut down beasts amid the soldiers.
Though called greenhouse knights from the capital, as they grew accustomed to fighting magic beasts, they began fully demonstrating their skills.
Even Sir Valerie, whom Masain had rated "non-combatant," was holding his own.
"Heh heh heh!"
Sir Sharon, grinning eerily as he swung his curved sword, was downright creepy.
Especially surprising was the synergy between Lady Claudia and Sir Carmen. They alternated advances and retreats, giving and taking in perfect organic offense and defense.
"Hoo."
Captain Bruno curiously stroked his mustache.
"…They fight like they've had each other's backs for years. I didn't think they were that close. Quite unexpected."
"Really?"
Of course, the standout was none other than Masain.
Shiiik-
A long golden afterimage slashed through lycanslopes.
Kwaaaang!
It soon erupted in a powerful blast. The pack ahead split top to bottom and perished instantly.
Aura burst.
A technique utterly foreign yet beautiful to the people of Sigismund Territory.
The Wolf Knights followed without delay, pushing the front line well up the slope.
Yet anxiety lingered on Sungjin's face.
'When will they come…….'
They still had hidden forces. He had that feeling.
And Sungjin's hunches usually proved right.
Sure enough.
Thud thud thud.
Soon, a new vibration—not from the ice beasts—approached from afar. The footfalls of dozens of massive giants.
"That's……!"
Allies on the front soon sensed the anomaly too.
The ominous ground-shaking rumble.
Soldiers who had guarded the demon realm for years knew its source.
"No way……."
"Glacier trolls……?"
Above their pale faces, along the gentle ridge to the ice wall outpost, dozens of ice monsters soon appeared.
Twenty-five glacier trolls.
A scale that instantly overshadowed the four ice beasts' majesty. Clearly the maximum controllable with ice hearts.
"So the ones targeting the canyon fortress came here!"
Sungjin quickly opened his divine eyes to manipulate the ice hearts.
〚Mode Set: Auto / *Manual*〛
He detached Ice Beast No. 1 from the group and slowly maneuvered it toward the slope.
Too far for fine control here, but rampaging in the melee risked trampling allies.
Better to charge straight into the enemy midst, even if slower……
Then Sungjin suddenly whipped his head north at a chilling sensation.
'…Huh?'
Listening closely, vibrations came from more than one direction.
Thud thud thud.
The new presence emerged on the northern road to the canyon.
Staring intently, over a dozen more glacier trolls shockingly appeared from there!
The direction blocked by the canyon fortress, one they hadn't expected attack from.
"Did the fortress fall……?"
An unbelievable reality. But absurdly, that wasn't the end.
Thud thud thud.
Now southwest. Another dozen-plus glacier trolls pushed through tall conifers.
That side had a massive lake and cliffs—supposedly impassable to beasts?
'Fifty glacier trolls total? From three directions?'
Damn it……!
Sungjin ground his teeth.
[Wait! Sungjin!]
The startled Demon King tried to intervene, but Sungjin's strong will forcibly induced sensory sharing.
Whoosh.
His divine eyes opened, filling his vision with rainbow light.
'How many are there! How many controlling the ice hearts?'
Throb throb.
Enduring intensifying pain, Sungjin strained to find the glacier trolls' intents.
Fortunately, amid the chaotic auras, he succeeded in detecting faint threads of will.
But the result was unexpected.
"No way……."
[Hey, Sungjin! Your eyes!]
Shockingly, all glacier trolls' wills converged on one point.
And at the end burned a thick dark green flame!
Per Sungjin's will, his vision zoomed sharply, the mountainside leaping into view.
There stood a woman in a vast emerald robe.
Ice hearts clutched in each hand. She truly commanded all fifty beasts alone.
'That one's a demon! Not a contractor!'
Sungjin knew instantly.
[Ah?]
Sensing his gaze, she looked up, staring into empty air.
Beneath her deep hood, red lips curved in a long smile.
[So it was you after all. The Spare.]
…The Spare?
[I hadn't heard you had divine eyes. Indeed, you must be the one who snatched the ice heart at the canyon. My master will be most intrigued to learn this.]
Cut the nonsense, demon!
You're dying by my hand today!
Thud! Thud!
Ice Beast No. 1 bolted per Sungjin's will, ignoring lycanslopes and glacier trolls alike, homing on that dark green baleful flame.
[Heh heh heh, where to!]
Roooar-
Glacier trolls charged to intercept, but Sungjin dodged roughly and pressed on. That eerie oneness from before returned, as if he were the ice beast itself.
But worsening headache and eye pain hindered his soul's full separation.
Throb throb.
Suddenly his vision blurred; something trickled down his cheek.
[Sungjin! Stop! It's too much now!]
I know it's too much, Demon King.
But if we don't take her down here, the territory's done for anyway.
[Don't be hasty! If you pass out here, that's when the territory really ends!
But Demon King, leaving her be endangers us all. Sir Masain, the resident knights—they'll die or get hurt.
Plus, I know it. For Delcross's sake, we must defend Sigismund now. Losing ground here means no recovery later.
Just one more step.
Hold on one more……
Ice Beast No. 1 crested the ridge with terrifying momentum.
[Huh, how……!?]
Only then did the demon flinch and backpedal slightly. She'd never imagined a glacier troll piercing all obstacles to reach her.
'Almost! Got……!'
Then.
Whoosh.
Vision abruptly hazed; darkness fell.
'Damn it! Just a bit more—it was right there!'
He frantically rubbed his eyes in panic, but the sight didn't return.
The anomaly wasn't just vision. Crushing fatigue crashed in with exhaustion.
'Missed again. Short by a single step……!'
Strength drained; his body tilted instantly.
Then clack.
Someone caught his falling form. A familiar presence.
"You okay, Sungjin?"
"……!"
Huh?
Sungjin's mind blanked for a moment.
Why? The capital's so far—why was he here?
"Stay still. Your aura flow's a total mess. And what's with your eyes? Blood's streaming from them."
A calm voice accompanied warm energy over his eyes. Holy power.
"Why are you messing around here? What's going on? Where's Brother Masain?"
No way. It really was Logan!
Sungjin blinked sightless eyes, trying to focus.
"…Logan? How the hell are you here……."
"Ahh. Saw a flash from afar, figured something was up, ditched the horse and ran. Thought it had to be you pulling some stunt, but didn't expect to actually find you here. What was that brilliant light earlier?"
What? The stone you gave me……
Lost in daze, Sungjin snapped to.
…The demon!
"Logan! Logan!"
Fumbling blindly, he clutched Logan's sleeve over his eyes.
He was certain.
In this Delcross world since awakening, aside from the Holy Emperor, the only one whose measure Sungjin couldn't take.
This guy could do it!
"No time for this here! Only you can. You have to catch that bastard!"
"You know how you look right now? If we ignore this……."
"You idiot! That's not the point! Catch her now or half the people here die! The territory's losses will spiral!"
"……."
"Listen. Beyond that slope, there's a demon! Young woman in a hood. Take her down now! Or else……!"
"Whew……."
Sungjin startled mid-ramble. That low sigh carried unprecedented irritation.
But Logan was Logan.
Quickly composing himself, he asked calmly.
"Got it. Calm down first and explain slowly. What do I need to do?"