The Spear and the Shield

“The Byeonbangbaek has returned!”

The soldiers, who had been waiting anxiously, all rushed toward Ho-yeong’s return.

“All right, all right. Calm yourselves. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of questions, so I’ll explain everything slowly. First, bring everyone over here.”

While he waited for the troops to gather, Ho-yeong selected two soldiers to escort Duonoraong back to Tamer Territory.

“My lord, what in the world are these things?”

Duonoraong stared in surprise at the potions and scrolls.

“Monster raids will probably come a few times while I’m gone. These are magical supplies to prepare for that. Sir Lilian will sort everything properly, so please leave them in her hands.”

“M-monsters?”

“They’re not the strong kind, just the small fry, so there’s no need to worry too much.”

There was still a long way to go before the official stage began, but in the meantime a few small-scale attacks had already been foretold.

Lilian should be more than capable of handling it.

Thanks to the effects of Influence and Edification Level, Tamer Territory was running smoothly without any major trouble.

The monsters have multiplied a lot, and we’ve got plenty of resources too. There are talented people everywhere, like Jae, Wa, and Pi’s party, or Sera and Macdonaf’s group from Rainpa. They’ll manage fine without me.

Still, he could not quite shake his concern, so he had prepared a backup plan.

“And please make sure this gets delivered properly.”

Inside the pouch Ho-yeong held out were several scrolls. On the outer cover were written the names of Duonoraong and the other administrators of Tamer Territory.

“Are these orders?”

“More like memoranda than orders. You could call them letters, too. In any case, please make sure they all receive them.”

Using what little spare time he had, Ho-yeong had written down various pieces of knowledge and words of caution.

“And this is a gift for the chief steward. It’s something I picked up on the way from the marquis’s estate, or rather, received.”

“Isn’t this a Speed Pen? A magic pen that writes down whatever the user thinks, worth several thousand gold pieces!”

Duonoraong’s eyes widened at the ornate pen.

“Yes, that’s the one. It also has a few other functions.”

It looked far more luxurious than the one the court secretary had possessed.

“But I don’t have any mana, so I can’t use it. Rather than letting it sit around as decoration, I thought it would be better to give it to the chief steward.”

“My word… To think you’d give me such a precious thing! I shall treasure it as a family heirloom.”

“Don’t feel too burdened by it.”

Duonoraong gazed at his lord with an overwhelmed expression.

『Hmm… My lord. It is strange that goblins would suddenly gather not as a loose band but as a proper unit. As far as I know, you are not a mage but a knight, so how do you know this?』

『Treasurer. You may not know this, but I have a special ability. And we do not have time. If the goblins fail to appear, I will resign from my post as lord on my knight’s honor.』

At their first meeting, the two had not gotten along at all.

『Hmm… Wouldn’t that actually be good for you, my lord...』

『Stop. If the goblins don’t show up, I’ll give you all my assets. Okay? But if they do, then no more “hmm” for you from now on.』

Duonoraong had openly distrusted the young upstart noble, and Ho-yeong had barked at him in turn to crush the local power broker’s spirit.

“My lord… please, take care of yourself. If you are not here, our territory will become a land of darkness once more.”

“Don’t worry. Please take good care of the territory while I’m gone.”

But now they trusted each other deeply.

“I’ll make sure to build a wonderful house before you return, my lord.”

“...The way you say that makes me weirdly uneasy. I’ll be back as soon as possible, so chief steward, you should head out quickly too.”

By then, everyone had assembled.

Boost morale, huh... While I’m at it, I should test the heroes’ skills too.

He called Meyril over, who was exchanging cheerful greetings with Peach.

“Meyril. I’m going to give a speech in front of everyone soon, and when I send you a signal, I need you to help me out.”

“A signal? Oh! I understand what you mean, yooo. You mean like last time in Tamer Territory or in Rainpa City, right? Leave it to me!”

“Heh. Meyril, you’ve really become a proper spellcaster now. You catch on to everything so fast.”

Ho-yeong patted her head, pleased at how quickly she understood him.

“Aah, the horn test.”

Thanks to the Amplifying Horn he had received ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from the marquis’s house, giving speeches was easy.

“His Majesty has declared the Cliad Sect the kingdom’s greatest enemy, and he said he hopes we’ll defeat those insane elves in his stead while he is away on campaign. If you help me complete this mission, His Majesty will grant everyone a great reward!”

“Waaah!”

“The people I call now, please step forward. First, Viscount Kristian and Young Master Keiji.”

The marquis’s sons, brought forward without understanding why, were shocked when they saw their youngest brother Garza.

“Do you see these magical supplies here? Marquis Iolid paid for them by emptying the family coffers. And that’s not all - the fifth son of the marquis’s house also risked his life to join this campaign. A true noble who fulfills the duty of nobility, House Iolid deserves a loud round of applause!”

While building up morale, Ho-yeong also took the opportunity to praise his financial backers.

“Though the angel called Cliad does aid those pointy-eared bastards, that is all it does. The other angels, excluding that unheard-of fraud, are helping us!”

With a serious expression, Ho-yeong pointed toward the sky. Meyril, catching the cue, gathered sunlight into a brilliant halo around him. They had already done this several times, so the timing was perfect.

“The Angel of Happiness, Myriad, has bestowed great gifts upon the leaders of each group. Vice-Commander, step forward.”

It was time to grant Demis his own ability. Ho-yeong had already arranged this with him beforehand.

『Vice-Commander, I’d like to give you the angels’ gift as well, an awakened power. Ideally, I’d like to demonstrate it in front of everyone. That way I can confirm exactly what kind of ability it is, and we can raise everyone’s morale at the same time. Do you understand what I’m saying?』

『To receive such a power from the angels is a tremendous honor, but to display it as though I were flaunting it would stain not only my own honor but that of every holy knight. I understand the Byeonbangbaek’s intention, but it does feel rather like being made a clown.』

Demis had voiced his displeasure with stubborn resolve.

『Even if you dislike it, you must do it. This is not a request. It is an order.』

Ho-yeong looked him directly in the eye and spoke with force.

『The entire continent is in danger right now. What use is honor if those fanatics swallow the world? Did His Majesty not say it himself? As commander, if I judge that crushing the fanatic elves requires material resources or manpower, then I may use whatever I need as I see fit. That is exactly what I intend to do. As long as this world can be saved!』

Demis’s eyes wavered under the force of his words. Ho-yeong drove in the final blow.

『You were the one who conveyed that message, and you’ve already forgotten it? To be bound by the yoke of honor and forget the duty of a holy knight - I’m disappointed!』

『Mm... I was shortsighted. The Byeonbangbaek is right. If it is to protect all the people of this land, then I shall play the clown if need be, and if the Byeonbangbaek must play ringmaster, so be it.』

『That’s the spirit. Then I take back the disappointment.』

That holy knight commander in the game was an incredible character, but since I’ve never even met him in this world... for now, making Demis Ezef a Pioneer is the right move.

Ho-yeong designated Demis Ezef as the Pioneer of the holy knight order.

When they had first met, his edification had been at F rank, but it had now reached A rank. The trouble he had gone through to raise it had clearly paid off.

“Oho! The angels have granted Sir Demis a tremendous power! It is called Shield of Faith! It consumes a great deal of divine power, but instead of praying, it makes all nearby allies invincible. It is an absolutely extraordinary authority!”

“Waaah!”

Ho-yeong, as though possessed by an event host, guided the bestowal ceremony. Meyril, perfectly on cue, wrapped Demis in a dazzling wash of sunlight.

“Let us test this power once. Just a moment... ‘Only those who are not disappointing by Demis Ezef’s standards can be protected’? What in the world...?”

Flinching at the strange penalty, Ho-yeong motioned to Demis.

“Vice-Commander, please bring me five people you consider dependable.”

“I shall choose these brave souls.”

Ho-yeong was shocked when the people Demis brought forward were not the holy knights he had expected, but the new recruits and lower-ranked soldiers among the post-station guards.

“Us, sir?”

“Despite facing an unprecedented evil and enormous monsters, you held this place admirably. You are truly the proud soldiers of Kain - no, the heroes of Kain! You have never disappointed this commander.”

Demis’s thoughtful choice sent the morale of the allied forces soaring.

“Then Sir Demis, prepare your prayer. And Young Master Garza of the marquis’s house, step forward. The Angel of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Fortune, Minariad, has protected us and restored this young man’s mana. Garza, show us the full force of your recovered power.”

“Understood!”

Garza stepped forward confidently.

If we’re going to test an invincibility skill, blocking some feeble little attack would look pretty pathetic. Since I’m also restoring Garza’s nerve, let’s make this impactful.

Ho-yeong whispered a powerful spell instruction to Garza.

『Can you use something like Meteor Strike?』

『Huh? You mean a meteor impact? A spell that powerful is still beyond me. Maybe my father could manage it, but I can’t yet...』

『I’m telling you, it has to be you, not Marquis Iolid.』

『Then how about a huge fireball? It wouldn’t be on the level of a meteor, but I’m confident in its power.』

『A big fireball, huh. Not bad, but a meteor would stand out much more... Ah. That’s it!』

After thinking it over, Ho-yeong brought Meyril over.

“Harmony!”

When Meyril’s card and Garza’s card were placed together, the alert window he had been hoping for appeared.

Yeah, this is it. In the game too, Meteor got stronger the higher your weather-magic stat was.

After everyone had pulled back for safety, the young male and female mages, still half in doubt, drew strength from Ho-yeong’s encouragement and began chanting.

“Meteor Strike!”

A massive meteor tore through the sky and came crashing down.

“M-my God!”

The onlookers were stunned, but the soldiers who would have had to take that direct hit were trembling so badly they could barely remain standing behind Demis.

“Have faith! You did not flinch even before a giant troll. Are you now going to flee from nothing more than a scrap of a star?”

Demis Ezef knelt and began to pray. A circular barrier formed around him.

“O-oh... ohhh!”

Even among holy knights, who were already a versatile class, he was one of the most exceptional of them all. Burning through an enormous amount of divine power in a channeling state, the barrier’s strength and size were both tremendous.

- KWAAAANG!

The giant meteor tore through the atmosphere. And the barrier erased it completely. Having absorbed all the impact, the barrier then vanished as well, but the faces of the watchers were filled with shock.

“Do you see it now? That meteor is what we’ll be feeding those elves! And their pitiful spells will all be blocked just like that!”

Instead ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the meteor that should have shaken the earth, the cheers of the people made the ground itself tremble.