Chapter 153: The Lich (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 153: The Lich (3)
Despite Yus's sacrifice, Frillite's party was blocked once more.
"Go on ahead. I'll follow shortly."
The first to sacrifice himself was Rod.
He swung his axe valiantly, clearing a path for Frillite.
"Please tell my sister something for me. Tell her to find a decent guy, not some bum."
Next was Yuri.
He didn't hesitate to lay down his life, his only concern for his younger sister.
"Just keep going in this direction. I wish you the best of luck."
Finally, it was Alex.
After showing Frillite the way on a map, he charged toward the horde of undead without even a moment to say goodbye.
With each subordinate who sacrificed themselves, Frillite's heart felt like it was being torn apart. Guilt and self-loathing. Those two emotions weighed down her every step.
If only I had been a little stronger.
If only I had anticipated the ambush.
Such thoughts refused to leave her mind.
Even though now was not the time for them.
—Groooan...
Frillite froze at the sound of an undead's cry from up ahead. Leaning against a tree, she peered forward and saw a line of undead marching, led by a Rag Golem.
Frillite clicked her tongue.
We were so close.
According to Alex, just a little farther from here was a city. It wasn't as large as the duchy's capital, but it was sizable.
If they could just get inside, they could somehow plan their next move.
They had a rough idea of the enemy's numbers, so forming a countermeasure would be easier.
Should I try to break through?
They weren't far from the city anyway. Maybe she could just ignore the undead and make a run for it.
But what about the children?
She wasn't alone; she was with a young brother and sister. If she attempted a frontal assault, could she protect the children from the necromancer's grasp?
Frillite couldn't be sure.
If she were by herself, perhaps. But she had no confidence she could break through the encirclement while keeping the two fragile children safe.
What should I do?
Should she hide the children nearby and come back for them with soldiers from the city?
No.
There was no guarantee the children would be safe until she returned. Besides, there was no way ordinary soldiers venturing outside the city walls could handle this endless legion of the dead.
Was there another way?
No.
There might be, but nothing came to mind.
And even as she stood there deliberating, the legion of death drew closer.
I suppose... there's only one thing to do.
Frillite set down the brother and sister she had been carrying.
"Sister...?"
The girl, two years older than her brother, looked up at Frillite with a terrified expression. But Frillite didn't meet her gaze.
Nor did she stop walking.
—Groan...?
An undead spotted her and was about to cry out an alarm when she drew her greatsword and kicked off the ground.
CRACK.
The ground beneath her feet caved in, and in the same instant, the head of the undead that was about to scream went flying through the air.
The undead, startled by Frillite's sudden appearance, tried to rush her, but it was too late.
Frillite plunged her greatsword, condensed with mana, into the ground. As she released the mana that had been compressed to its limit, crimson blades of sword aura erupted in all directions, centered on her.
The bodies of the undead charging toward her were sliced to pieces the moment they touched the dense aura.
—GRAAAAAAAH!!!
The Rag Golem that had been leading the march belatedly charged forward. It swung a massive axe held in its eight arms straight down.
Frillite pulled her sword from the ground in a sweeping arc toward the Rag Golem.
Red mana enveloped her blade.
But it didn't stop there. The blade's surface area began to expand, taking the form of a colossal sword.
A secret technique of the Ferdiac family.
[Dragon Slaying Sword]
SLICE.
The massive axe blade and the Rag Golem were bisected in a single stroke.
Frillite glanced back at the fallen undead.
Unlike on the battlefield, they weren't regenerating.
It seemed the regeneration was a trick of that necromancer.
She withdrew the mana from her greatsword.
Looking at the siblings, she pointed toward the city with her sword.
"Run that way, and you'll find a city. Once you're inside, tell them to prepare for an attack from the undead legion. If you show them this, they'll listen to you."
Frillite took off a ring engraved with the Ferdiac family crest and placed it in the girl's palm.
"W-what about you, sister...?"
"I think I need to stay here for a little while."
"Please, can't you just come with us...?"
The girl tugged on the sleeve of Frillite's tailcoat. Sensing the child's anxiety, Frillite gently stroked her head.
"I'll follow you soon. I'm just staying for a moment."
"Liar! The men from before said the same thing, and they never came back! If you're not going, I'm not going either! I'll fight the bad guys too!"
The little boy grunted as he picked up a spear an undead had been holding. His arms trembled, and the spear shook precariously. Frillite took hold of the shaft and gently reasoned with him.
"Thank you for the thought, but you're not yet of an age to protect someone. You're the one who needs to be protected."
"Don't treat me like a kid! My dad said so. He said I'm a proper warrior, too. I can protect people!"
Frillite's eyes widened. Then, with a small smile, she knelt to meet the boy's gaze.
"I'm sorry. That was shortsighted of me. Age has nothing to do with becoming a man."
Frillite took a self-defense dagger from her coat. It was a dagger made of the rare metal Orichalcum, housed in a sheath bearing the Ferdiac family crest. She handed the precious weapon to the boy.
"Take this. You should be able to wield this well enough."
The ultramarine dagger shone with a brilliant light.
The boy took it carefully.
Frillite stroked his head.
"If you're a true man, you know who you must protect first, don't you?"
"..."
The boy's gaze shifted to his sister, his only kin.
Frillite's smile deepened.
"While your parents are gone, you are the head of your family. Now go. As the head of the family, protect your only sister."
"...Okay!"
The boy clutched the dagger tightly in one hand and took his sister's hand with the other. He started running toward the city. His older sister looked back again and again, but the boy ran on without ever turning around.
—To sacrifice one's life for two mere children... I wonder how long it has been since I've seen a hero so worthy of the name.
A grating voice seeped into Frillite's ears. Her smile vanished as she turned around. A skeleton, its robe fluttering, was floating in the air.
Below it, the ground was filled with undead that had pushed through the trees and undergrowth.
"You speak as if you've met many heroes."
—I am a mage who has lived for a thousand years. Of course, I have seen countless heroes. Some were selfless like you, while others were selfish. Personally, I prefer heroes like you.
"I don't recall asking for your preference."
Frillite inverted her greatsword, resting its tip on the ground.
"Listen, Necromancer. I, Frillite de Ferdiac, declare this to you. You shall not pass this point."
—What an amusing bluff. Hero, you may be able to defeat me, but it is impossible for you to defend that place. For I am a legion, while you are but one.
The Lich let out a laugh and raised its left hand.
—Still, I am curious to see just how long you can hold out. Let us have a look, shall we?
With a snap of its fingers, the undead, which had been still until then, began to charge forward like starving dogs.
A few of them rushed toward Frillite, but they were the minority.
Their target was the brother and sister fleeing behind her.
Frillite was merely an obstacle in their way.
"I have made my declaration."
Or rather, she had been an obstacle.
A red aura began to rise from Frillite. It spread rapidly, forming a massive circle around her.
"I said you shall not pass. My word is law, and those who break the law shall pay for their sins with death."
The ground glowed crimson.
Upon it, weapons made of red mana were created. Blades of all kinds—swords, axes, spears—materialized and punished the undead who dared to defy her command.
The undead that fell this way did not regenerate, even with the Lich's magic.
Frillite issued one final warning.
"Heed my words well."
Frillite de Ferdiac.
<Unique Magic>
[Sovereign's Edict]
It was magic on an overwhelming scale, difficult to believe it was the work of a single person.
At the sight, the thousand-year-old mage, far from being intimidated, burst into delighted laughter.
—Is that so? If I am a legion, then you are a sovereign! A battle between a legion and a sovereign. How intriguing. Hmm! This will be very amusing.
A ghastly blue light flared within the skeleton's empty eye sockets.
—Frillite. I admit it. I have underestimated you.
RUMBLE.
The ground split open, and two Rotting Dragons that had been hidden beneath the earth revealed themselves. The two dragons flapped their decayed wings and soared into the sky.
KIEEEEEEEK!
The Rag Golems let out sickeningly loud cries.
The pride of the Polizia Duchy, its barbarian warriors and grand dukes of old, were now undead, their minds lost, burning only with battle lust. The members of the Platinum Knight Order, the continent's greatest knightly order, silently raised their silver swords.
—From this moment on, I shall be serious.
The Lich waved its hand, and magic circles of all sizes began to cover the sky.
—Do try not to die too quickly and disappoint me.
The Lich snapped its fingers.
The undead under its command were no longer a disorderly mob of rabble. They had become a true legion, and they advanced on Frillite.
*
"Aiken Hard?"
That was the name of the city where Frillite and the remnants of her forces were retreating.
The name was unfamiliar, so I asked Leslie.
"How long will it take to get there?"
"Two days, at the very least."
Damn it.
I mounted my horse.
"Where are you going?"
"You said it'll take two days, right? We need to start riding hard now."
"You don't have to do that."
"What?"
"There's a faster way to travel."