Chapter 70 False Saintess (7)
The False Saintess (7)
The morale of the knights and holy knights soared sky-high.
As if perfectly timed, a dimensional rift tore open. Countless monsters began pouring through the gap.
The knights charged forward with veins bulging in their necks, roaring battle cries. Taking advantage of the monsters' momentary hesitation, their blades cleanly severed heads.
Though the knights and holy knights cut them down effortlessly, the numbers were alarming. The creatures were packed densely, each at least twice the size of any monster previously encountered.
Consequently, unlike before, the knights' sword strikes showed no mercy whatsoever.
Whoooosh...
Even Abel, positioned at the forefront, had no room for his usual composure. Infinite white magic circles materialized in the sky without a second's delay.
The torrent of spears raining from those circles formed a living barrier against the monsters.
Corpses lingering briefly before turning to dust obstructed the advancing horde pouring from the rift. In that split second, the holy knights and knights' slashes cleaved through them.
The coordination was flawless, yet an alarming number of monsters broke through, charging straight for the escort team—mostly smaller ones that slipped past.
Silphi assessed the monster count and shouted to me:
[Twenty total, Contractor!]
"I know!"
I wrapped wind only around my legs.
With the sensation of my entire body lightening, I took a deep breath before kicking off the ground violently, charging toward the monster horde.
My flashing rapier cleanly severed a monster's head. The Blue Wind compensated for my unnatural movements, allowing fluid chain attacks like flowing water.
"Haaap!"
Despite the staggering number of monsters I slaughtered ahead, more kept targeting me. Clicking my tongue at the sight, I tightened my grip on the rapier and assumed a combat stance.
At first, I couldn't comprehend why the Holy Kingdom and Empire would form an alliance over mere monster hordes.
But facing them now, I understood.
Without gathering warriors of this caliber, there would be no stopping these monsters.
Even with Abel—an Archmage—virtually annihilating them upfront, the sheer numbers pressing forward like this...
[Contractor! Snap out of it!]
Silphi's shout pulled me from the trance of endlessly swinging my rapier. I looked around, startled to find myself far ahead of my original position.
"Sorry, I spaced out for a moment."
[No, my fault. I should've monitored the situation first in a place like this.]
I was at a loss for words seeing Silphi—always composed—berating himself while rambling nervously.
Perhaps because of this, even the wind enveloping me trembled unsteadily. The blue wind coiled around my arm flickered before vanishing entirely.
Sighing at the sight, I flicked his forehead.
[Gah! What was that for?!]
"Payback for teasing me earlier, Silphi."
His face scrunched up as I grinned. Glaring daggers at me, he demanded:
[That's what you say now?!]
"Calm down. We need composure here."
[...Ah.]
At my words, he shut his eyes tightly and closed his mouth. Exhaling, Silphi began taking deep breaths repeatedly—mimicking my usual habit.
Then he bowed his head.
[Sorry, Contractor. I shouldn't have lost my cool.]
"Good that you realize it. We okay now?"
[Yeah.]
Well, seeing flustered Silphi was a first, so I could let it slide. It was also oddly fascinating watching Abel's form act this way.
"Let's go."
Silphi nodded silently in response. As if answering him, winds began swirling violently around us.
"O Wind."
With my utterance, the Blue Wind coiled around my entire body. Gripping the rapier tightly in my right hand, I focused ahead.
Simultaneously, a golden aura enveloped the rapier.
Glancing back, I spotted Yurph smiling while holding her staff. Grinning back at her, I kicked off the ground.
Crack—! The sound of earth shattering accompanied my shifting vision.
Retreating while methodically cutting down surrounding monsters, I ignored green blood splattering my face as I thrust and slashed with the rapier.
My swordsmanship—so clumsy when I first began training—had become remarkably refined by now.
'The essence of rapier lies in slashing and thrusting.'
Arin's advice, drilled into me until my ears ached. Moving according to her teachings—that relying solely on thrusting wouldn't unleash a rapier's full potential.
During this, she'd said that borrowing Silphi's Wind could make me a monster capable of troubling even seasoned Sword Masters, hadn't she?
I still wasn't skilled enough to reach that level of mastery, but at least I'd improved significantly compared to when I first started.
Whoosh.
Green flames erupted in midair and engulfed a monster that had been about to ambush me. In an instant, it turned to ashes, its remains scattering across the ground.
When I turned my head, I saw Arin standing there expressionless, a one-handed sword in her grip. She must have been worried about me, because she asked:
"Are you alright?"
"Yes, thanks to you."
"That's a relief."
Unlike Arin, who exhaled a slightly rough breath, her spirit Pii fluttered around her excitedly, waving both hands. Seeing that, Silpi clung closer to me, looking exhausted.
[Ugh?]
[Go away. I don't have the energy to deal with you today.]
Silpi sounded thoroughly fed up as he spoke to Pii. Well, after being constantly pestered by her during the past month of training, I couldn't blame him.
[Then tomorrow...]
[I'll think about it.]
[Yay!]
[I didn't say I'd do it?!]
Despite his rough tone, the fact that he couldn't outright refuse probably meant they got along in their own way. As I thought that, Silpi shot me a look like I was being ridiculous.
"Then I'll return to the extermination team."
"Alright. Do your best, Master."
"Ahem, you too, Disciple."
She seemed slightly pleased at being called my master, the corners of her lips visibly lifting. Waving her hand briefly as if to say do your best, she strode forward.
Pii, looking a little disappointed, waved at me a few times before turning her head back toward the front. Taking a deep breath, I surveyed the battlefield again.
When I glanced to the side, I noticed Yurp had approached me. She asked in a curious voice:
"Your master?"
"Ah, yes. My spirit magic instructor."
"That's the Knight Order Commander, right?"
Arin, Commander of the Black Crow Knights. Given the long-standing cooperation between the Holy Knight Order and our knight order, her reputation was well-known even among them.
Arin, referred to by the grandiose epithet Knight of Green Flame, was living up to her title, burning through monsters at the frontlines.
Knowing that the master who taught me spirit magic was recognized like that by others made me feel oddly buoyant. Though, considering this was a battlefield, I should probably suppress such emotions.
"That's right. By the way, Yurp, aren't you too far forward?"
At my concerned question, she shook her head and gestured to Kal standing beside her.
"It's fine. I have Kal with me."
Her voice was gentle—not dismissive like before, but warm, as if speaking to me. Kal, though he didn't show it outwardly, seemed slightly pleased, his tone lifting as he spoke.
"Right. There's no need to worry too much."
Had she gained some kind of realization from my words over the past few days? The way she treated him had noticeably changed.
Even Silpi seemed surprised, his eyes widening as he alternated his gaze between Kal and Yurp.
[...What happened?]
'Who knows...'
I had given her advice, but I had no way of knowing what kind of emotional shift had occurred within her. Still, seeing her in much better condition than I expected lifted my spirits.
Oooooon...
A deep, resonant cry echoed through the air. The sound, spreading from the dimensional rift, put not just me but even Kal on high alert.
Not long after the sound reached us, a massive whale appeared, soaring through the sky.
A whale with pitch-black skin, its crimson-glowing eyeballs rolling wildly in their sockets. Unlike me, who silently observed it, Kal's arm trembled slightly.
"Th-That's..."
"What is it?"
"Why is the Oblivion Whale here...?"
Oblivion Whale. A monster name I'd never heard before.
Frankly, wasn't it strange for a monster from the Other World to even have a name? Just as that thought crossed my mind, the morale of the Holy Knight Order visibly plummeted.
"This can't be happening."
Kwooooooargh!
A roar so thunderous it felt like my entire body went numb. No—it wasn't just a feeling. My body practically locked up.
Among us, only Yurp, who had covered her ears in time, could still move freely.
The Oblivion Whale's crimson eyes flashed as it charged straight toward us.
The moment its gaze met mine, my mind went blank. It was the same sensation I'd felt when I first locked eyes with a calamity-level monster during the Hunting Festival.
I gritted my teeth, trying to force my body to move, but my paralyzed limbs refused to obey. It was like standing before a predator, frozen in fear.
Thud.
A small hand shoved me roughly aside. As if struck by an immense force, my body was flung forward.
Summoning every ounce of strength I had left, I barely managed to turn my head—only to see Yurp in the distance, Holy Power swirling around her arms, smiling faintly.
At the same time, the whale's massive jaws opened wide right in front of her.
"Thanks for the advice, Id unnie."
"Huh?"
With those final words, Yurp's body was swallowed whole by the whale—without a trace left behind.