Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: Village Salvation and the Purple Advance
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“The interference magic that sent everyone who entered the gate flying to the Empire? I destroyed the magic device at Berwickness Port on my way here. It won’t be operational again for a while.”
I said it as casually as if I’d just bought some snacks on the road today, and Carlton froze, his face blank.
“The situation has changed! Open the gate immediately and load the army onto the warships! We land and launch a full assault! It’s time to bring the hammer of justice down on those brutal Empire bastards!”
Regaining his senses, Carlton bellowed. The gate had been out of commission, making it hard to supply troops and resources, but that problem was now solved.
“Woooooo!!”
“Let’s go, let’s go! Move!”
The Western Continent Alliance forces, made up of all sorts of races, sprang into orderly action.
“This way, please. I’ll open the gate for you right away.”
I followed Carlton to the magic circle.
“Please relay my situation to Jaein as well.”
Standing before the gate the mage had opened, I said to Carlton.
“Understood. And take this communication orb with you. Long-distance communication is blocked by interference magic in Empire territory, but if there’s an alliance unit within a hundred kilometers, a green light will appear on the orb. Infuse it with mana then, and you’ll be able to communicate.”
“Thank you.”
“That’s what we should be saying. Thanks to you, we might just turn the tide of the war. Good luck, then.”
“You too, Carlton.”
We exchanged hurried farewells, and I stepped through the gate. I was worried about Nayoung.
As soon as I emerged from the gate, alliance soldiers stood at attention with swords and spears at the ready.
“Lord Jiseok, we’ve already received word from Lord Carlton.”
A wolf beastman who looked like the commander bowed his head in greeting.
“Pleased to meet you. Sorry, but I don’t have time—I need to head straight to the Eastern Continent.”
“That direction will get you to the Eastern Continent via the shortest route. Nayoung’s unit took the same path. Good luck.”
“Thank you. See you.”
I greeted him and immediately launched myself toward the sea. I shot up diagonally into the sky like a rocket, then repeatedly kicked off the air to accelerate.
“We march as well. Send out the prepared warships first!”
The Western Continent’s commander issued the order to advance the moment I departed.
Flying through the sky, it wasn’t long before the Eastern Continent came into view.
Knowing Nayoung’s personality, she’d head straight for the heart of enemy territory.
I set my course for the capital and raced across the heavens.
I was flying pretty high, but the sky was clear without a single cloud, so the ground below was perfectly visible.
Empire troops were deployed in a long, wide formation along the coastline.
That massive army was proof of the Empire’s power. But.
Beyond the troops, a small village came into view, revealing the Empire’s dark underbelly.
The ground was cracked from drought, and corpses lay in the streets, ignored by all.
If there were someone with an ability like Aqua’s, they could easily draw fresh water from the sea or even create a small river.
Even without that, with an army that size, the possibilities were endless.
I couldn’t comprehend the Empire’s decision to wage war even as it let its own people die.
Seeing a child lying sideways toward what looked like its mother’s corpse, I descended from the sky.
Boom!
My landing was louder than expected. I need to refine my control over my strength.
“... Is there more for you to take?”
The child didn’t move a muscle, just stared at me with its eyes.
It looked no older than elementary school age, but its speech wasn’t childish at all. Its voice, as if it had given up on everything, was cracked and hoarse from disuse.
“What?”
“We already gave all our food to the army. We have nothing left.”
“I’m not Empire troops.”
“I see. It changes nothing. There’s nothing here. Or do you want this worthless life that won’t last much longer?”
Its words carried lost anger and accusation.
“How many people are here?”
“Who knows. There used to be at least two hundred, but I don’t know how many are left now.”
I kicked off the ground and took to the sky again at the boy’s words.
After flying for about five minutes, I spotted a forest. It was only five minutes for me, but too far for villagers to hunt from.
And that wasn’t the only problem. In just those five minutes, I’d spotted several more villages in similar straits.
“Damn... This won’t end....”
For now, I scanned the forest’s life force and located the largest creature.
In the middle of the forest, I found a massive bear. It was scratching a tree, its paw reaching ten meters up.
I drew my sword and severed its neck in one strike.
Grabbing the bear’s back hide as blood gushed out, I flew back into the sky.
Boom!
I landed in the nearest village.
The villagers looked confused, unsure whether to fear me or the giant bear carcass more.
I sliced off one of the bear’s legs with my sword. It alone weighed hundreds of kilograms.
If used well, it’d be enough food to last them a while.
Then I fired an aura beam at the ground.
Kaboom!!!
The villagers clutched their heads and collapsed, letting out weak screams.
I kept decomposing the soil with aura, digging deep.
Whoosh...
Water gushed from the hole I’d aimed at an underground aquifer.
I picked up the rest of the bear and repeated the process in the other villages.
Finally, I landed in front of the boy from the first village.
He was startled by the bear at first, but his eyes quickly turned to hunger. Then his face twisted in disgust at himself for lusting after food with his dead mother right there. His speech wasn’t normal for a kid, either.
“Survive, even for your mother.”
“Who the hell are you?”
“An enemy of the Empire.”
“Why help us?”
“Who knows... I just couldn’t pass by.”
“It means nothing. This might keep us alive a little longer. We might eat it, gather strength, and scrounge more food—maybe last weeks or months. But the moment the Empire army comes for conscription, it’s all over.”
“Don’t worry. The war will end soon.”
I kicked off the ground and flew away.
As long as the emperor lives, this war won’t end. So there’s only one thing to do.
I was already heading to the capital to find Nayoung, so the direction was the same.
* * *
Nayoung and the Purple Goddess Church volunteer unit were advancing toward the capital like a juggernaut.
“Goddess! Empire troops spotted ahead! They say there’s a Master too!”
Billy relayed the scout’s report to Nayoung.
“If we don’t deal with them, they’ll block our path. We strike first before they can attack. I’ll go in ahead; follow behind.”
“It’s dangerous! We’ll go first.”
Nayoung always charged first, and they always tried to stop her.
“Billy, you know I’m strong, right?”
“... We’ll follow right behind.”
“You know? No unnecessary enemy casualties. But if our allies are in even a little danger...”
“We understand.”
Nayoung cast a levitation spell and flew low.
After deeply regretting having to just watch Jaein fall, the first thing Nayoung learned was flight magic. Of course, magic isn’t something you master in days just by resolve, but her understanding of it had already surpassed human limits.
Flying close to the ground, she landed lightly and walked forward.
The Empire troops didn’t take a lone woman seriously at first.
“...V-Violet... Violet Witch! Battle stations!!!”
One soldier recognized her. The Purple Goddess Church had already spread to the Eastern Continent, and the troops believed the infamous rumors spread by Empire officers.
They said she cursed humans to death, turned them into undead minions, and bound their souls in eternal slavery.
The soldiers advanced with spears and swords.
The rear drew bowstrings and prepared spells.
But ripples of Nayoung’s violet mana spread from her body like circles on water. The moment it touched the Empire troops, all who’d been about to attack fell asleep and collapsed.
“Huff... Retreat! Regular soldiers, retreat! Only knights and above stay up front! Where’s the Master?!”
Terrified soldiers scrambled back, and alliance troops burst from the forest behind them.
This seamless coordination was one reason Nayoung’s unit had landed in the Empire and marched undefeated.
Nayoung used mental interference to feed real-time battle info to her entire force, making the unit move like a living organism.
Even the lowliest soldier received direct mental orders on when and where to strike, allowing them to crush the enemy most efficiently.
Of course, it was only possible because the Purple Goddess Church followers willingly allowed her mental interference.
“Anyone who wants to live, drop your weapons! Rebels die!”
Though fewer in number, the beastmen and otherkin with superior base abilities crashed into the Empire rear like waves.
While Nayoung drew attention up front, the sudden alliance ambush from behind overwhelmed the Empire soldiers.
“C-Can’t... win...”
One soldier dropped his spear and staggered back.
Slash!
A massive halberd cleaved the retreating soldier’s neck.
“Flee, and I’ll take your head myself. Fight! For His Majesty the Emperor!”
It was Jackson the Butcher, one of the Empire’s Masters.
The Empire troops hesitated. Alliance forces ahead, and behind them, Jackson slaughtering allies without hesitation. He was infamous for his foul temper, earning the moniker Butcher.
Their hesitation was brief. Cowed by Jackson’s terror, the Empire troops charged the alliance.
“Push them!”
The two forces clashed head-on.
But with Nayoung single-handedly neutralizing half the Empire army, and the alliance moving organically under her mental directives, they easily shoved the enemy back.
Jackson charged at Nayoung, who walked like a living nightmare. He knew they couldn’t win without capturing her.
“Witch! Today’s your last! Priests!”
The priests who’d been healing allies piled buffs onto Jackson.
“Butcher!”
“Protect the Goddess!”
Dozens of soldiers, Billy included, threw themselves in the Butcher’s path toward Nayoung, knowing full well they couldn’t stop a Master.
Nayoung retracted her widespread violet mana like a black hole sucking it in. The fallen Empire troops stayed down.
Aiming her staff at Jackson, she unleashed a torrent of mana dozens of times denser than before.
The priests’ layered barriers around him shattered like thin glass.
Violet mana engulfed him, but Jackson felt nothing.
“Ha! That’s all you got?! Die, witch!”
Jackson swung his halberd to bisect her.