Chapter 97: Raid
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 97: Raid
Two men stood at a distance, looking down upon the village.
“So, that is Hestia Village.”
“Indeed.”
“Can a place really change this much in just a few months?”
The Big Guy couldn't hide his astonishment.
The Far East was a wasteland where no one dared to set foot. Seeing a proper village established in such a land, so close to the border, stirred deep emotions.
“Wasn't it said until just a few years ago that it was impossible for a new village to take root here?”
“It was impossible. Public perception of the Far East was that abysmal.”
“Then how is this possible?”
“One can only call it sheer resourcefulness. With the full support of the Pascal Trading Company, the alliance with the Iorga side, and the addition of the southern Halim region, it’s as if they’ve performed alchemy, hasn't it?”
“Alchemy… Well, since it’s a place where money flows, calling it alchemy is fitting.”
Transforming such a wasteland into a literal gold mine was more than just surprising; it was miraculous.
“And all of it was accomplished under the name of Ferda Valdrova.”
“He is a dangerous individual. If he continues to expand his influence like this, our plans will run into trouble.”
“Hmm…”
The man looked down in silence. Watching his back, the Big Guy made a suggestion.
“How about we reveal ourselves now?”
“No. That does not align with our plan.” The man replied sharply, his judgment cold. “What we need, first and foremost, is the isolation of Valdrova. What do you think would happen if we stepped out openly and destroyed Hestia Village?”
“Wouldn't they lose their centripetal force?”
“No, they would unite. Just like they did during the Dragon-Demon War.”
The Dragon-Demon War.
Upon hearing those words, the Big Guy’s excitement cooled instantly. For the Demon Race, there was no event more humiliating than that.
“To humans, a ‘cause’ is a terrifying thing. They once gathered under the banner of eradicating demons. Even now, with only remnants left, they are still trying to wipe us out.”
“True.”
“That is why we must leave them be. We must ensure their descendants lose their sense of vigilance against the Demon Race.” The man murmured as if reciting poetry. “It is peace that rusts the sword; it is peace that withers the fortress walls; and it is peace that dulls the spirit of man.”
The Big Guy agreed with the plan. However, unable to shake the unease settling in his chest, he asked another question.
“But if we leave them like this, won't their power grow?”
“Of course. That is also something we cannot overlook.”
To destroy it would ruin the grand design, but to remain hidden would only allow their influence to solidify. Everything had begun when Ferda Valdrova accepted the engagement.
“So, wouldn't it be fine to sow a few seeds?”
The man revealed a finger hidden beneath his robe. His skin was slender and deathly pale. That finger traced a vertical line in the air.
Immediately, a shimmering, multicolored Rift tore open before him. What emerged from it were wolves.
—Grrr…
No, they were monsters in the shape of wolves. One by one, they slowly stepped out of the Rift and lined up. Their eyes were devoid of reason, yet they were perfectly obedient. They waited like hounds serving the robed man as their master.
The man commanded in a polite tone.
“Sweep them away.”
—Woof! Woof!
The moment they heard the command, the monsters lunged forward. Beings filled only with the malice to destroy, they raced toward Hestia Village.
* * *
“Wartime situation! Mobilize all soldiers and notify the adventurers! I repeat—this is a wartime situation! All officials are to evacuate the residents, and all combat-ready soldiers are to assemble!”
Isabella, who held command authority in emergencies, shouted her orders.
“Number of approaching targets?”
“Fifteen!”
“Fifteen, I see…”
Isabella was busy sending out telepathic messages for the mobilization. Meanwhile, Erica remained silent, looking down at the ground.
Something is wrong.
She stepped back and looked at the situation from a broader perspective.
A sudden appearance of monsters. And fifteen of them at once.
She considered the recent incidents and the current state of affairs. Even while entertaining leaps of logic that might seem forced, she searched for the answer that best fit the situation.
Perhaps…
Erica looked at Isabella and spoke.
“Bella! You’ll be fine without me, right?”
“Are you not joining the battle?”
“There must be a mastermind behind this monster invasion. I intend to find them.”
Five streams of telepathy were constantly pouring into Isabella’s ears. She glared fiercely with a deep scowl and replied.
“The children of the Great Iorga are guarding our rear. Do not worry.”
“Thanks.”
Erica calmly assessed the situation and deployed a magic circle. Unlike ordinary humans who drew a single circle, five rings were revolving around her. This was the true power of Erica, the renowned Tower Master of the Blue Eye and the leader of the Blue Dragon Spawn.
Multi-casting.
She could chant two spells at once and keep five spells prepared. Erica activated the first magic circle.
“Go, and be my eyes.”
The mana condensed in the magic circle scattered in all directions as dozens of blue sparrows. Imbued with motion and mana detection magic, they tracked anyone acting suspiciously. True to her alias—the Tower Master of the Blue Eye who monitors all magic—no one could escape her pursuit.
Something caught the eyes of the sparrows that had spread past the village and into the dense forest in an instant.
“Found you.”
Erica immediately deployed one of her prepared magic circles on the ground. It was Teleport magic. Instantly setting the coordinates, she dropped down above the blue sparrow that had triggered the detection. What had appeared only as mana signatures began to take clear shape before her eyes.
Erica didn't hesitate. She had decided to treat anyone releasing monsters as a demon without exception. She immediately unleashed a prepared magic circle toward the visible targets.
“Bending Time.”
A high-tier spell that made time flow infinitely slow at a designated point. For a mage of Erica’s caliber, it was even possible to stop it entirely. Everything affected by the magic froze on the spot.
Two magic circles remained. She fused those two circles to form a new type of geometric pattern. This bizarre magic was something only Erica could wield.
Elemental Demolition.
By utilizing the repulsive force of two opposing elements, it was a destructive and savage spell capable of blowing away everything in the vicinity. It was excessively destructive, but Erica didn't care. It was a testament to her will to leave no openings for the remnants of the Demon Race, who had once tried to rule the continent.
However, Erica’s sixth sense sharpened as she prepared the spell. The heightened senses of a Dragon Spawn screamed. Something within her field of vision was reacting.
Impossible.
Time was literally frozen. If one was within the range, nothing should be able to move. However, she did not blindly trust her rational judgment.
And she was right to do so.
Something flew toward her from within the space where time should not have been flowing. A large, black object with a hideous face reached out a hand the size of a pot lid. The moment Erica saw that hand, she knew instinctively: if she were caught, she would die helplessly.
The hideous hand grabbed her leg—no, it grabbed the spot where her afterimage remained. She had already escaped the danger using Teleport magic.
Erica landed on the ground and adjusted her stance. Analyzing what had just happened took priority over preparing another magic circle.
Was the stasis magic neutralized?
The trembling of the leaves and the crawling insects were all still frozen there, devoid of color. The magic was still in effect. Yet, there was one thing moving within that space. A man draped in a gray robe. He alone was looking at Erica, ignoring everything else.
How is that possible?
To counter Bending Time, one would typically deploy resistance magic. However, there had been no resistance until the moment of activation. Everything was frozen and defenseless. That was why Erica had tried to land a finishing blow. How could he move alone within the frozen space?
“You seem quite surprised,” the man’s voice rang clearly in her ears. “Even though the descendant of the Great Iorga and the wisdom of the Twelve-Member Expedition is no stranger to facing the Demon Race.”
The man’s voice was mocking. Erica regained her composure and maintained a dignified front.
“You’re right. I’m surprised that there’s still something left to surprise me.”
“That is good news. It means we haven't regressed.”
A moment later, the Big Guy, who had leapt into the air, landed on the ground.
Thump!
The vibration of the ground was as deep as his heavy mass. The man stood behind the robed figure on one knee. Without looking back, the robed man asked him.
“Did you fail to catch her off guard?”
“Her judgment was faster than I expected.”
“Isn't that obvious? Our opponent is one of the Twelve-Member Expedition and the head of the Blue Eye. It would be stranger if she fell helplessly.”
The man’s eyes were briefly visible beneath his robe. Obsidian-like pupils and red irises. The leisure and contempt contained within them provoked Erica’s deep-seated rage.
I should kill them all right now…
Contrary to her heart’s desire, reality was not so simple. The price of failing to cast high-tier magic was too great. The mana backlash had not only drained her reserves but also disrupted the mana flow within her body.
It can’t be helped.
She set aside human magic for a moment. Erica carefully reached behind her to a canteen fastened to her belt. She popped the cap.
Pop!
As soon as the cap opened, the contents inside swam out along her fingers. The water filled the air, forming a ring that surrounded her.
One of the Big Guy’s eyebrows shot up. “A ring of water?”
“Iorga is not just about magic; it is the Aspect of Water.”
“Hmph, what can you do with mere water?”
As the Big Guy sneered, Erica thrust her hand forward. Part of the water ring turned into droplets and floated above her hand.
“I can do this.”
With a snap of her fingers, the water droplet became a bullet and flew in a straight line. The Big Guy reached out his hand to block it.
“Ugh?!”
The high-pressure water bullet pierced through cleanly, burrowing straight into his heart.
“Gah!”
It tore through his chest and out his back, then flew toward the young man standing behind him. However, it bounced off the mana protection surrounding the robed man's body.
“Ugh… what was that? Just a droplet of water…”
“Didn't I tell you? Iorga is the Aspect of Water and Magic. Naturally, magic wielded by their leader would pierce your skin.”
“You should have told me that sooner.”
“Don't you prefer feeling things for yourself?”
The Big Guy’s face was filled with disbelief. However, Erica was even more shocked as she watched the two of them conversing nonchalantly.
I shot that with the intent to kill them both…
Her water droplets boasted lethal power. When it pierced the heart, the rotational force and water pressure should have twisted and shattered it. Even for a demon who was several times stronger than a human, a fatal wound should have been unavoidable. Yet, the demon who had been pierced stood right back up, treating it like a minor injury.
Furthermore, I couldn't even pierce the demon in the back.
The simple mana protection he wore was at that level.
To think remnants of the Demon Race would be this strong.
At least Noblesse-class. And a Noblesse-class bordering on Emperor-class at that. Now that Bending Time and Elemental Demolition had both failed, she had no more tricks up her sleeve.
I have to retreat and regroup.
She deployed a Teleport magic circle. The circle manifested and enveloped Erica’s body. However, her body did not teleport.
“Cough!”
Instead, blood sprayed from her mouth. She stumbled in pain, coughing up blood without knowing why.
My internals… feel like they’re twisted.
She knew what this side effect was. It was the phenomenon that occurred when one cast an imperfect Teleport spell.
I messed up the magic circle?
That was impossible. Erica had lived for over a thousand years and had used Teleport magic hundreds of thousands of times. She was so proficient that she could draw a Teleport circle in her sleep.
Which means that man played a trick.
She had been played like a fool. Erica looked at the man with a resentful expression.
“Did you think you could leave as easily as you arrived?” A thick smile could be felt in his voice.
Whether she should be angry or cold, she could do nothing but groan while leaning forward.
“Since the Tower Master has greeted us so passionately, I must give you an answer in return.”
He raised a finger from beneath his robe. His hand was not black, but pure white. That finger pointed in front of him and traced a vertical line. A multicolored Rift appeared, vomiting out its contents.
—Skree!
—Skree!
They were monsters modeled after Wyverns. They flapped their wings and rose into the air. There were more than twenty of them, at a low estimate. It was an utterly desperate situation for the cornered Erica.
The man’s finger pointed at her.
“Take her life.”
—Kieee!
The wyverns lunged toward Erica all at once.
It was then.
A heavy gale swept toward them. An object so large it blocked Erica’s vision became a barrier. The lunging wyvern monsters were killed in a single strike.
Boom!
Dust billowed as the object slammed into the ground. Erica opened her eyes and looked at it.
It was an axe. A battle-axe with a blade so large it looked like it belonged to a giant. Erica knew the owner of that axe. A petite frame, contrary to the hideous weapon she wielded. A silver-haired girl whose martial prowess was so great she earned the alias ‘Nightmare of the Frost Giant.’
“Greetings, Lady Erica.” It was Ruri Silverwind. “I heard you were visiting the territory and came running as fast as I could. Was my interference unnecessary?”
Erica wiped the blood from her mouth with her index finger. “I’ve shown a pathetic side of myself to Valdrova’s maid.”
“I do not mind. However, from now on, it would be best to mind your posture a bit more.”
There was no need to ask what Ruri meant. Erica soon felt the presence of someone walking toward them.
A pitch-black suit, gray hair, and blue eyes. He was tall, with a slender frame that caught the eye. Yet, no one could think of him as weak. His eyes were fixed on the enemy without a hint of wavering, as if he carried the strength of a thousand armies.
Ferda Valdrova.
He stood beside Erica with a majestic presence.