Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Disaster is Coming (1)
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Count Nordin.
He was the leader commanding the reinforcements that had joined the front lines.
With the title of count, he was a man who had nothing to fear.
And now he even had the chance to earn merits. There was no need for further words; it would only tire his mouth.
But upon arriving here and joining them, he was utterly subdued.
There was a reason the marquises had patted his shoulder when he received the dispatch order.
Who would have thought that reason was this?
"Ahem..."
At the mere sound of a cough, Count Nordin dashed over, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Yes! Lord Parmon! Did you call for me?"
"Hm? I just coughed. Relax."
This time, a sound came from elsewhere.
"Hmmm..."
Once again, the count hurried over.
"Yes! Lord Closel! Did you call for me?"
Closel stared at the count with a blank expression.
"I didn't call you."
"My apologies!"
Sweat poured down Count Nordin's face.
Title of count or whatever, it meant nothing before these two.
Even his late father, who had passed on the title to him, had always shown them utmost respect.
"Hmmm... Well, Count Nordin."
"Yes! Lord Parmon!"
"Your father and I were quite close. Do you know that?"
"I've heard you bestowed great favors upon him!"
It wasn't empty words; it was truly a great favor.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that thanks to Parmon, their family had received the count's title.
He was the kind of man who turned over all the merits he earned in war to his subordinates.
"Your father was truly an exceptional man. I remember him clearly."
"Th-thank you!"
After that, Parmon shared several more stories.
And as Count Nordin listened, his chest swelled with emotion.
Parmon truly remembered his father in great detail.
"So, what do you think after fighting the undead yourself?"
Rather than the undead's combat style, something else suddenly came to mind.
Since arriving here, there had been three battles.
And all three had inexplicable phenomena.
Parmon noticed his reaction and smiled faintly.
The count flinched.
His body stiffened at that expression.
'Before coming here, I'd never seen Lord Parmon smile...'
Perhaps the reason he could see Parmon's smile now was because they were in the midst of battle.
It was truly the demeanor of a war hero.
Parmon's voice reached the count's ears.
"That wooden statue by the gates must be bothering you."
"...Yes."
He had already heard the story from the soldiers stationed here.
But it was utter nonsense he couldn't comprehend.
A knight in the sky and a lady knight underground? He'd heard it so many times his ears were calloused.
And it all tied back to stories about one person.
"The one that Chris brought..."
"That's right. That fellow has many mysterious qualities."
A subtle expression crossed the count's face.
What kind of person could earn such overflowing praise?
Everywhere he went here, it was all praise for that man.
Even Closel, called a grand magus, spared no compliments.
And not just that—even now, mages were gathered below the walls, observing the wooden statue.
"What exactly is that thing that keeps the undead from approaching?"
"It's called a jangseung. Among those in the know, they're called guardian generals."
"A specially crafted artifact?"
No answer came to the count's question.
"..."
The open gates.
The soldiers' corpses being carried inside.
Parmon watched the scene silently.
"If I'd swung my sword one more time, the number of those lying there would be fewer..."
"You've already swung it more than enough, Lord Parmon."
Anyone would have answered Parmon that way.
The battle he'd witnessed upon joining could be said to have been led by Parmon, Closel, and the mages.
Especially Parmon's exploits—they were beyond description.
He had single-handedly swept through the undead outside the castle.
Without him, the casualties would have been unimaginable.
"I've heard they're on the mountain."
"..."
"The only way to reduce casualties is to eliminate them first."
The reinforcements were considerable in number.
They had enough forces not just to defend but to attack.
They had been assembled from the start to exterminate those foes.
Two more counts like him would soon join, each bringing elite troops.
And atop that, two superhuman powerhouses.
There was no need for further deliberation.
But Parmon's attitude was negative.
"You're the commander of the reinforcements. However, I advise against going there. Closel feels the same."
He had heard similar words several times already.
They must never climb that mountain.
If it had been anyone else, he would have scoffed and led his troops up anyway.
But these were Parmon and Closel speaking.
Few were more veteran in war than they.
There must be something only they could perceive.
That was why the dispatched nobles were holding back.
"May I ask the reason? I have no complaints. It's just that a prolonged defense benefits no one. They're tireless undead..."
"I'd like to hear your thoughts."
Count Nordin's eyes gleamed.
"We need to investigate what they're after first."
A necromancer who stayed hidden, sending only undead to attack—an odd situation.
And they had taken position higher up the mountain.
Even a green rookie could guess they were up to something there.
"The barony vanishing entirely wasn't just to create undead."
"What do you think their goal is?"
"Something that requires lives as payment."
If necromancers needed lives, their purpose was singular.
"I think it's to summon a demon."
"Ho..."
The goal was easy to infer, but there was another problem.
They were openly revealing their presence.
They surely knew an army would come, yet they acted this way, meaning they had something worth risking it for.
"We also need to figure out how they made the barony's people disappear in an instant."
It required more investigation.
They could overwhelm with numbers, but without knowing purpose and method, it could happen again.
Parmon nodded.
"Have you ever fought in a territorial defense?"
"Yes! I have!"
"You managed to protect your territory well enough."
Parmon's evaluation was quite curt.
Embarrassingly so for a count.
"You seem focused only on annihilating them."
The flustered Count Nordin stammered.
"Th-that's..."
"Do you think learning their goal and methods, then defeating them, ends it? Catching these won't make all necromancers vanish."
Parmon turned his gaze to the distant mountain.
"Whether we climb the mountain or not, they have a strategy to turn it to their advantage. That's the benefit of making the first move."
"..."
"It's not just about winning battles; first, seize the initiative so they can't gain the upper hand."
"...I'll keep that in mind."
"Broaden your perspective a bit more. You need to think in terms of all necromancers. This is likely just part of their plan."
Parmon continued, still facing the mountain.
"A commander's decisions hang countless lives. Don't lose subordinates in vain like I did."
The count bowed his head in response and quietly withdrew.
Not drawing further attention was the unspoken dismissal.
After Count Nordin left, Closel approached and stood there.
"His father must have been an excellent comrade. Seeing you go out of your way like this."
"Heh..."
Closel knew Parmon's heart better than anyone.
He didn't want him to suffer the agony of losing subordinates again.
"If their goal is summoning a demon, we can't just wait..."
Closel trailed off.
Yet they couldn't climb the mountain either.
Chris had pleaded so earnestly.
"Asking His Majesty to help Chris ended up for naught?"
"It's already over, he said."
Closel burst into laughter as if he'd expected it.
Parmon opened his mouth with a pleased expression.
"I thought as much. What we do might be meaningless to that fellow..."
"Obviously. Though the man himself seems oblivious to his own worth..."
The two knew Chris's value all too well.
Hadn't it been proven time and again?
"I've never thought my abilities as a mage lacking... but I feel increasingly insignificant."
"It's not that we're lacking; Chris is just beyond standards."
Parmon spoke once more.
"What use are strategies and tactics to someone who can divine the future?"
He knew where going meant death and where it meant life.
That alone gave him an immense edge in war.
And such a person had gone to fetch the holy knights and saintess.
"To the necromancers, he's a disaster."