Chapter 121
Chapter 121
Chapter 121
Southern Great Forest (4)
Golden Dawn Society.
This secret society, boasting a history of approximately 350 years, began as a gathering of dropouts expelled from magic towers or knight orders, and criminals who had fled after committing crimes, during the time when the Morian Empire was still a kingdom.
Initially, it was a typical underworld force dealing in loan sharking, human trafficking, drugs, and the like. However, since most of its members came from the upper echelons, it became the largest force in the underworld.
As time passed, its power grew stronger, and when those who knew the "secrets of the world" joined the organization, it had grown to a point where it could no longer be considered merely an underworld force.
At that time, the Kingdom of Morian, which was waging war and transforming into an empire, began internal crackdowns as soon as the war ended, and the organization that became the predecessor of the Golden Dawn Society was also included in those targets.
They moved to the neighboring Rohans Kingdom to escape the oppression of the Morian Empire, established themselves there, and enjoyed a long period of prosperity as a behind-the-scenes power, infiltrating Rohans from its roots while the kingdom had not yet properly established its framework.
That is, until Iblis and the demon race invaded and shattered them.
***
"I'll say it again. Quietly cooperate with us. It won't be harmful to you either."
"Don't make me laugh! You bastards are planning to use us as shields and then abandon us!"
"So what? Did you do so well that you were pathetically pushed back to the entrance like this? If it weren't for us, you would have been swept away long ago!"
"Grr...!"
The elves lowered their heads with humiliated expressions.
Those words were half right and half wrong.
While the damage had been minimal so far because those humans had been keeping the demon race in check, the demon race had no intention of fighting to the death with the different races of the great forest from the beginning.
If they did it properly, the demon race would also suffer great damage, and they had many others to worry about besides just the different races.
It was just that this situation had occurred because each side didn't know everyone's circumstances.
"Release our elven brothers! You beasts worse than animals!"
"What's this now?"
The members of the Golden Dawn Society let out derisive laughter as they looked at the green-skinned different race that had suddenly appeared before them.
"Isn't this an orc? This place should be quite far from orc tribal lands, shouldn't it?"
The number of orcs that appeared was roughly fifty.
This was practically equivalent to all the warriors of one tribe mobilizing.
"By the way, what did that lowly monster, who has nothing but its body to show off, just say?"
"I said to release our brothers!"
"I don't want to."
STAB!
"Ugh!"
A sword was thrust into the shoulder of a female elf who had been taken hostage.
That elf desperately held back the screams and tears that were about to come out.
"B-brother!"
"Really now, since when have orcs and elves been calling each other brothers? My common sense is being turned upside down."
The orcs fidgeted, not knowing what to do.
The number of elves captured as prisoners was roughly twenty.
Not only was the opponent's military force formidable, but with this number of personnel, there was no way to attempt a rescue.
"Grr! If only our troll comrades were here!"
"Ah, those trolls? They were certainly troublesome to deal with. That's why we started this business on the exact opposite side of their dwelling place. Once we subdue the elves, the rest will be easy."
One member who had been muttering quietly shouted again toward the different races.
"Bring the elf elder. That seems to be the only way negotiations will proceed."
"Is there really a need to go that far?"
"...Huh?"
The members' heads turned toward the source of the voice in an instant.
There stood Rudian and his companions, as well as the elite forces of Elven Forest led by the elf elder.
The Golden Dawn Society executive leading the members frowned and asked.
"Who are you?"
"You don't know me?"
"Why should we know someone like you?"
"Hmm, wasn't I supposed to be somewhat famous? For people supposedly targeting 'that day,' your information gathering is this lazy?"
The executive's slightly wrinkled forehead became completely creased.
"That day? If you're thinking of deceiving us with nonsense, I'll let you know it's a very wrong choice."
Behind the executive, someone who appeared to be a swordsman created an aura blade and aimed it at an elf's neck.
"Uaah...!"
A blade condensed with tremendous Magic.
He instinctively realized that even without applying force, just a slight sideways cut would make the head fly off.
"Hmm..."
Rudian turned on his eyes after a long time to observe them.
-Name: Barto Gomel
...omitted...
-Overall Combat Power: 6,985
He skipped everything else and only checked the name and combat power.
-Overall Combat Power: 3,690
-Overall Combat Power: 3,340
-Overall Combat Power: 2,995
-Overall Combat Power: 3,215
...
The one who created the aura blade was almost on the verge of Sword Master level, and most of the rest were hovering around 3,000, which was the highest level of Expert.
By 'surface world' standards, they were impressive elites.
'This one's got some skill?'
The one who seemed to be the leader commanding them.
-Name: Dormel Paon
-Race: Human
-Age: 79 years
-Title: Apostle of the Seven Dawns, Seeker of Runes
-Strength: 20
-Agility: 15
-Vitality: 70
-Magic Power: 396
Overall Combat Power: 13,360 (+1,250)
'Probably a Magician, and 8th class at that.'
The additional combat power was probably due to artifacts or magical tools, and even considering that, he wasn't someone to be easily dealt with.
"Final warning. If you don't come to negotiations, I'll cut off the necks of all the elves we've subdued."
"L-listen here...!"
The elf elder looked at Rudian's back with a desperate expression.
'Hmm, what should I do?'
Their level was certainly impressive, but that was only when applying surface world standards, and by the standards of main story, they were endlessly lacking.
In other words, they were decent real combat opponents.
'If I borrowed that guy's power, it would end in an instant, but then I'd be giving information to those watching this place from hiding. In that case, rather...'
Rudian sent telepathic messages to the elf elder and his companions, giving them several instructions.
The elf elder nodded with a determined expression, and at that moment, Rudian immediately kicked off from his position.
"...?"
Rudian's target was Barto Gomel, the one who had been aiming a blade at the elf's neck.
Barto was startled for just a moment, but like the excellent knight he was, he regained his composure and immediately grabbed the hostage elf's waist and held the blade to the front of the neck.
"Kyaah!"
"Negotiations have broken down! Kill them all!"
Just as Barto was about to cut the elf's throat upon hearing the command.
"Too slow."
Rudian, who had immediately approached right in front of Barto's nose, kicked and sent Barto's arm flying.
"Guk!"
Barto tried to take the elf's life even with his opposite hand formed into a hand blade.
But even that attempt was blocked by Rudian.
WHACK!
No matter how close he was to Sword Master level, his opponent Rudian's normal combat power reached a whopping 20,000.
As Barto was immediately sent flying, the executive Dormel turned pale and shouted toward his surroundings.
"What are you doing? Kill the elves right now... Huk!"
His body became as heavy as a sponge that had absorbed water.
"Uuugh!"
"Grr!"
"Wh-what is this!"
Dormel saw his subordinates who were kneeling and collapsed.
"Telekinesis? No, how can a mere elf have this level of telekinesis!"
Then, a bitter sneer reached Dormel's ears.
"It's not telekinesis. It's gravity."
At the end of Dormel's gaze was a young man who looked to be only in his twenties, extending his hand.
"Still, as expected, for a Great Magician of your level, it only makes your body a little heavy."
"You insolent brat!"
"But what about your subordinates? Can they even move properly?"
These were people whose individual military prowess was far inferior to Elvin's from the beginning.
Elvin, who had never been lazy in his training, was fully blooming his talents based on the Imperial palace decisive battle.
"Do you think I'll leave you alone!"
"Oh my, you should worry about what's behind you first, shouldn't you?"
"...!"
Around them, elves had already thrown themselves to save their kinsmen.
The elves and orcs each carried hostages on their shoulders and quickly retreated.
"D-damn!"
Moreover, there weren't only elves who had simply retreated.
"What the hell did you do to our sister!"
STAB!
Dormel felt a sword stuck in his shoulder and contorted his expression in pain.
"Wife! Did you forget what I said about not approaching that guy because he's dangerous?"
A dwarf who had a faint presence seemed to be stopping the elf who had thrust the sword...
"If you're going to do it, you have to do it properly!"
"...!"
CRASH!
Approaching as if to stop the elf, he suddenly changed his expression completely and brought down the giant hammer he was holding in his hands.
"Gaaah!"
He barely managed to block the hammer with a shield he deployed at the last moment, but since the hammer itself was imbued with aura, his internal organs were shaken by the impact.
"Husband, nice!"
"Silperin, you tomboy! Take Silpea and get out of here quickly!"
"Y-yes, I understand, Elder!"
Unlike a sword, the blow of a hammer that involved 'impact' thoroughly disrupted the old Magician's spell calculations.
'Th-this is disadvantageous!'
These elves had cleverly taken only the hostages without touching the subordinates.
If he let them escape like this, what remained would be the anger of the different races who had been oppressed by them.
"At the very least, I'll capture you as hostages!"
WHOOSH!
GRAVITY BIND!
Immediately, gravity at a level similar to Elvin's psychic ability caught the feet of the two elves and the dwarf.
"Damn! Really persistent!"
"Come here! You damn bastards!"
Originally, Dormel's skill was enough to not lose even if he fought all the different races here except for Rudian's party.
"Aaaah!"
The elf named Silpea, who had been hit in the shoulder by Dormel earlier, screamed in pain.
"S-sister!"
"Damn, the wound is starting to tear open!"
It was a situation where it would take some time for Rudian, who had sent Barto flying, to come this way.
Then, a young voice that saved them rang out clearly.
"Dispel!"
POP!
The multi-layered Magic formula was immediately dispelled, and the three people's movement became free.
"What? Was there a Magician?"
Dormel was surprised but continued to pour out Magic power to try to capture the hostages again.
"Hmph! Hyper Gravity!"
"Reverse Gravity!"
But the ability of the kid, who by age would definitely be just an apprentice Magician, was no joke.
He followed the Magic formula twisted dozens of times to the end and dismantled it.
"Impressive. In terms of sense in handling Magic power, it's already at the level of a Great Magician."
Eugene, who had been watching the fight between Gray and Dormel from the side, let out quiet admiration.
"Grrrr!"
Dormel was flustered.
This level of pressure would be easy if he exploded his 8th class Magic power, but it would put a great burden on his aged body, so he had deliberately led it into a Magic manipulation battle...!
"Th-this guy! Don't tell me he's 6th class or higher?"
No matter how much penalty he was receiving from Elvin's ability, a lower-ranking Magician could never unravel his techniques.
"Gah!"
The elf and dwarf in front of him who had made a fool of him had already escaped like mice and were giving him the middle finger.
'R-really dangerous! I need to request support from the other apostles...!'
There weren't just him but three more executives of the same rank in this great forest.
But unfortunately, they didn't know about this plan right now.
'If only I hadn't been greedy and tried to monopolize the achievement!'
The desperate Dormel tried to explode his Magic power to escape by himself, but...
"Hey now, where do you think you're going with such scheming?"
"...!"
Before he knew it, his technique was canceled by Rudian's hand, which had approached close range.
Not only that speed, but the tremendous power that immediately suppressed his Magic power!
'Th-this guy isn't just some ordinary young man! Perhaps at least Master class! Could he possibly be a supreme-level swordsman who has even undergone Hyper Regeneration?'
This phenomenon, commonly called rejuvenation, was a rare occurrence that only an extremely small number of Master-class experts experienced.
Magicians weren't unable to achieve rejuvenation itself, and unlike swordsmen, they could definitely reconstruct their bodies into young forms.
But that was only possible when one had stepped into the supreme realm of 9th class.
"I-if we die, you'll also be in great trouble! Let's consider this incident as if it never happened..."
"Stop that nonsense right there."
Rudian cut off the guy's words and smiled wickedly.
"Let's make one bet."