Chapter 32
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Harmony Church
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During the remaining time, Woojin spent his days leisurely hunting with the wolves.
He had thought he'd need to head back to the barrier to join the expedition, but according to Bow's explanation, it was the opposite. If they waited here, the expeditionary force would come to them.
There weren't many dangerous beasts around the pioneer cities. That was why the Church Alliance planned to divide the expeditionary force into several groups, using the pioneer cities as forward bases to conduct localized battles.
There were eight official pioneer cities in total. Including the unnumbered ones, the count was even higher.
The first expeditionary force's role was to destroy the rift cores around the cities, purify the corrupted land, and reclaim the entire region.
'They said troops from the Harmony Church would be coming our way.'
The faction that Holy Knight Raymond belonged to. Since they were on good terms with Bow, things should proceed without major conflicts.
As he thought that...
Thud.
Something dropped at his feet. When he looked up, the wolf that had brought the inner core was wagging its tail happily.
"Sean, good work."
He praised the wolf's efforts and stroked its head. Soon, the other wolves returned one by one, each carrying spoils in their mouths.
'Sean, Yan, Misha.'
That's what he named them.
The wolf with deep brown fur was Sean, the husky-like one with black and gray mixed fur was Yan, and the only female, the silver-gray wolf, was Misha.
He had spent quite a while pondering names for the wolves... and ended up using names of sports players that popped into his mind. Fortunately, the wolves seemed to like them.
Woojin divided the inner cores evenly among them and prepared to leave the forest.
"Let's head back and grab some food."
He walked toward the city with the wolves.
But just as they neared the city entrance, an unidentified noise came from the plains. Woojin turned his head and stared at the horizon.
After waiting a moment...
Something sparkling appeared in the distance. Infantry clad in silver armor were marching forward. The clanking of steel and perfectly synchronized footsteps grew louder and closer.
The lead cavalryman raised a flag high. The Church Alliance banner fluttered in the wind. The vanguard of the expedition approached the third pioneer city.
It was an unexpected situation.
'...A bit early, isn't it?'
As far as Woojin knew, the first expeditionary force was scheduled to arrive in two days. Had some mix-up occurred during the messengers' back-and-forth?
It would be best to mention it. With that thought, Woojin headed straight to the training grounds, where Bow was sitting in meditation.
"Jin, what is it?"
"The expeditionary force is heading into the city."
Bow looked slightly flustered at the words.
"...Right now?"
"Yes. They'll arrive within twenty minutes."
"Then I should go out and meet them."
Bow rose hurriedly from his seat. He muttered in a worried tone.
"...I hope someone reasonable is the commander. This feels ominous."
Woojin voiced his doubt.
"Wasn't this arranged in advance? They should have notified us beforehand who the assigned commander is."
"Since it's the start of the expedition, there seems to be a lot of debate within the Church. They've narrowed it down to three or four candidates, but opinions are split, so they haven't decided yet."
This expedition would go down in history.
Thus, being the commander of the first expeditionary force was an immense honor. Several high-ranking knights from the Harmony Church vied for it, and choosing one wasn't easy.
Who had been selected as commander? The two men hurried to find out.
The expeditionary force soon came into view.
While Woojin fetched Bow, the force had drawn much closer to the city. One of the knights at the front rode toward them.
Soon, the knight faced Bow. Removing his helmet revealed long, wavy hair cascading over his shoulders. He was a handsome man in his early to mid-forties.
The man greeted with a friendly smile.
"Elder Bow! It's been a while."
"Roland... good to see you. From the looks of it, you're the commander. Quite the promotion."
"Haha! This time, I wouldn't yield to anyone. I've honed my skills a lot, so you can expect great things."
As they chatted, Roland's gaze finally turned to Woojin.
"And who's this young man?"
"I'll introduce you properly later. For now, come into the city and set up camp. Your men look worn out from the long march."
"You're right; that's the proper order. I'll visit again soon."
If the talk dragged on, the troops would be left twiddling their thumbs. At Bow's point, Roland nodded in agreement and returned to the expeditionary force.
Watching Roland's retreating figure, Bow let out a deep sigh.
"Hah... Of all people, Roland as commander."
"Is there a problem with him?"
"He's strong and capable, but... honestly, I hoped he wouldn't come. He's uncontrollable. Loves doing mad things."
Woojin felt puzzled.
Capable but uncontrollable—could those traits coexist?
"Hard to picture from words alone."
"You'll see soon enough."
Bow replied and walked toward the expeditionary force. Among the knights was the familiar face of Raymond, so he planned to chat with him.
Separately...
Bow acknowledged Roland's talent despite his frustration. The man must be exceptionally skilled to hold such a position.
'Wonder what abilities he has.'
He'd find out soon enough.
Two days later.
The rested soldiers and knights marched out of the city. Woojin, Bow, and the wolves followed behind.
Roland's forces consisted of 400 infantry, 14 Holy Knights, 30 Templars, and 6 priests. Sixty of the infantry were heavily armored with thick plate and shields.
Considering the expeditionary force was split into eight groups dispatched to each pioneer city, the total first-wave troops numbered around 3,600.
It seemed a small force at first glance. But since they were all vetted elites and the beasts near pioneer cities were weak, it was actually more than enough.
"Doesn't look like we'll have much to do."
Woojin remarked, and Bow nodded in agreement.
"We're at the entrance to the Demonic Realm, so neither you nor I will need to step in much. Struggling here would mean scrapping the expedition altogether."
"True... you're right."
Struggling here would make attempting the expedition pointless. A single monster from deep within could wipe out the army.
So for this hunt, he planned to sit back, observe, and gauge the Church Alliance's strength.
If they proved too incompetent, he'd leave. He had no intention of burning to death with clueless moths.
...Soon, the destination came into view.
A massive rock mountain riddled with large and small holes on its surface. It resembled a termite mound scaled up enormously.
Around the mountain roamed monsters half the size of an adult man. They looked like a mix of monkey and rat, each clutching a wooden spear.
'Kobolds.'
Weak, but intelligent, pack-dwelling pests that were annoying to deal with. How would the Church Alliance handle them...
"...Time to offer a melody to the Goddess of Harmony."
Roland suddenly muttered.
He set down the bag on his back and pulled out an object—a pristine white violin.
Tucking the violin under his chin, Roland walked alone toward the mountain. The soldiers stood still, watching their commander advance.
'What the hell is he doing?'
As Woojin wondered...
Zreeee—
Roland drew the bow across the violin. The strings wailed, echoing out. As he walked, he played furiously.
His hand sawed the bow roughly. The passionate melody born from the friction reverberated across the entire mountain.
Naturally, kobolds poured out in response. Dozens charged to kill the intruder.
Splurt!
Suddenly, kobold bodies were sliced open, blood spraying. Holy Knights had surrounded Roland and were busily cutting down the approaching foes.
Amid it all, Roland ignored the chaos, eyes closed, plucking the strings like a guitarist. His hands moved ceaselessly—a technique known as pizzicato.
The Goddess Ea of Harmony loved melodies.
Thus, among her priests and Holy Knights, many manifested divine power through song and music rather than prayer.
Roland's armor began emitting a pure white light. Finishing his performance, he handed the violin to a Templar and drew his sword from his waist.
"Charge."
Roland murmured softly. His voice carried a strange resonance, like a string instrument. It reached the soldiers' ears.
"Uwaaaah—!"
The soldiers roared and surged forward. A bizarre euphoria propelled them. Overwhelmed by the momentum, the kobolds fled in terror.
Watching, Bow clicked his tongue.
"Always like this with Roland... He ignores formations and tactics we drilled, just charges in. What's the point?"
"His morale boost is impressive, though."
Woojin could see why Roland led the vanguard.
Even elite troops wilted mentally upon entering the Demonic Realm, far from home. They needed a leader to rally their spirits.
Of course, as Bow said, it wouldn't work deep in the Demonic Realm...
'...Looks fun, though.'
Standing idle grew boring. Glancing aside, Rex and the wolves eyed him sidelong, sharing the sentiment.
Locking eyes with them, Woojin set down his gear bag. He rummaged inside and pulled out Skull Crusher.
"I'll go play a bit."
"Definitely... you're not normal either, Jin."
Leaving Bow chuckling in disbelief, Woojin dashed forward with the wolves.