Chapter 106
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Northern Frontline
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"Sigh. Old man Lumen's way too sentimental, that's his downfall."
The Empire's northern frontline.
Scarlett, who had been goofing off by flicking her fingers to summon black flames and juggle them with a bored expression, clicked her tongue upon hearing the news from the capital.
"But... did I hear that right? The Saintess?"
"You heard it right. I double- and triple-checked because I thought I'd misheard, but it's true. The church's one and only Saintess—who hears the voice of God herself—is apparently accompanying Sir Lumen."
Clark, who had heard the news first and come to find Scarlett, wore a look of genuine surprise himself.
The Radiant Hero had suddenly declared he needed to return to the capital and headed there without permission. Naturally, everyone expected severe punishment for abandoning the frontline without orders upon his return. But now this—the situation had turned bizarre with the Saintess unexpectedly siding with Sir Lumen and heading to the imperial palace alongside him.
"So why's he suddenly going south all of a sudden?"
"Word is, that weird rumor-making newborn dungeon in the south is still kicking around. And get this—the subjugation force dispatched to tackle the southern dungeon just got completely wiped out by it."
"Huh? Wasn't that the one that iron-wall grandpa staked his life on conquering?"
"I don't know the full details. But because of that, Sir Lumen's insisting on heading south personally to take down the dungeon."
Normally, deploying a 5-star Hero—one of the Empire's absolute top assets—required layers upon layers of caution. But with the Radiant Hero digging in his heels and a figure as lofty as the Saintess backing him, Sir Lumen's deployment was all but guaranteed.
"Which means... we're stuck holding down the fort here by ourselves? Sigh."
"Don't sigh, Scarlett. You know full well how critical the northern frontline is."
"Still... don't we just need one of us here? Let me head back too, and you can hold it alone, right?"
There wasn't much to do in the barren north, so Scarlett kept grumbling as she hurled spells beyond the walls. Despite three 5-star Heroes being dispatched due to an impending northern crisis, nothing crisis-worthy had shown up so far.
"Why'd they send three 5-star Heroes in the first place? We hardly ever need to lift a finger."
"You. How long have you been up north, and you're just now asking that...? Hoo. The reason is..."
Clark rubbed his eyes wearily at Scarlett—who apparently didn't even know why she'd been sent north—and was about to explain why they had no choice but to be stationed at the northern frontline.
"Kraaaaaargh!!"
"...!!!"
"Th-this is...!"
Beyond the walls, where only small-fry demon scouts had been poking around, came a chilling roar that made their spines tingle.
The playful Scarlett froze, shot to her feet, and some of the soldiers with weaker wills fainted on the spot from the sound alone.
And on Scarlett's face rose a spark of excitement.
"...What the hell, Clark? Why didn't you tell me sooner? That half-baked lizard bastards were gonna show up!"
"It was already in the scout reports. Please read the damn reports for once."
Clark lightly scolded her before the two of them rushed up to the ramparts together.
-Flutter! Flutter!
Not the pathetic monsters and demons they'd seen so far, but thousands of demons properly geared in menacing armor swarmed in like a black tide. Factoring in the thousands of beasts they commanded, it was a horde nearing ten thousand strong.
"Whew... these bastards actually got their shit together? Since when do they stop infighting?"
"Probably because of them."
"Kraaaaaargh!!"
And high in the sky, flapping massive wings, were a handful of imposing figures. Each roar unleashed a spine-chilling pressure wave, and the beasts hearing it grew frenzied, their ferocity surging.
The Half-Dragon Tribe. Demons known to carry dragon blood.
According to the Holy Empire Yukram, among all the demons scattered across the continent, they ranked as the absolute strongest in raw power.
The calamity of the northern frontline. Inhabitants of one of the unreachable demonic realms: the northern demonic realm, the "Nest of the Demon Dragon."
They had descended upon the northern frontline.
[Hear this!!]
"Ugh...?!"
A voice boomed from the airborne Half-Dragons, carrying such raw power that even they recoiled in shock.
Repulsive humans. Kin who dare trespass on the Great Lord's domain.
Arrogant fools who lay hands on the Lord's subjects.
By the command of the exalted Lord, we shall carve despair into your souls.
"The Lord's land my ass...! Half-baked lizard shits like you...!"
Their arrogant proclamation—as if the entire north belonged to their "Lord," the master of the demonic realm—rubbed humans the wrong way. Humans viewed themselves as the continent's rightful owners, with demons as mere parasites.
Thus, Scarlett amplified her voice with magic to clap back.
"Hey! Lizard!"
[...What did you say?]
The Half-Dragons' reverse scale—the ultimate insult of calling them "lizards"—drew their glaring yellow pupils straight to Scarlett.
"Not your minions. Where's your boss? Oh, busy fucking another lizard? You lot are what happens when that 'Lord' bangs a lizard..."
[You bastard...!!!!!!!!]
Scarlett unleashed her signature sassy attitude, provoking them with flashy trash talk. The Half-Dragons, fanatically devoted to their Lord, lost their minds.
She dropped the amplification spell and turned to the knights and heroes staring at her like she was insane.
"I'll handle the Half-Dragons. You guys take the minions."
"Scarlett...!!"
-Boom!!
Ignoring them, Scarlett cast Fly and rocketed into the air—needlessly triggering a massive explosion from her custom-modified spell formula.
The heroes caught in the blast cursed her inwardly but couldn't voice it. Only one person present dared speak up.
"Scarlett! What the hell—damaging allies right from the start?!"
"Ah, I'll cover their shares too! Perfect timing—you followed me! Clark! Back me up!"
"I'm here to back you up, not...!!"
-Crack! Crunch!
As Clark fumed at her recklessness, an ominous sound emanated from the dozen charging Half-Dragons.
Their once human-like forms, with only reptilian wings on their backs, warped—bones twisting as tough scales covered their bodies, limbs shifting to draconic shapes, and demonic energy exploding outward.
[Die.]
Now laced with even deadlier draconic tongue. Their words alone became top-tier curses of murderous intent, lunging at them. Ordinary folk would've dropped dead on direct hit.
"See? Total lizards, right?"
"Scarlett. Enough...!"
But these were two of the six 5-star Heroes in existence. Such weak curses vanished into their overwhelming mana torrents before they could even react.
Scarlett calling them lizards again snapped their reason. They drew their ultimate weapons without hesitation.
-Suuuuck...!!! Pfooooosh!!!
The deeply inhaling Half-Dragons unleashed blasts of purely compressed demonic energy from their maws.
Breath. Their strongest weapon: ultra-refined mana from their draconic hearts, fired raw. Cataclysmic power to erase everything in its path surged toward the two Heroes.
"ᛗᛖᛏᛖᛟᚱ...!"
⟨ Meteor ⟩
"Hey, Scarlett, you...!"
Scarlett began her incantation without a single defensive measure, standing her ground. Clark freaked out and jumped in front.
"Stop!!"
-Kiiiing!!
"Kroak!?"
The moment Clark stepped forward and thrust out his hand, the obliterating demonic streams halted dead. The panicked Half-Dragons poured more energy, but their breaths hung frozen, as if time itself had stopped.
"Nice! Good job!"
"Scarlett!!!"
"Back me up! Same as always!"
"...Grit!"
Having dumped defense on Clark, Scarlett ignored his rage and unleashed her completed spell. Clark, about to erupt, saw the Half-Dragons scatter and charge—gnashing his teeth, he extended his hand to her this time.
-Rumble...!!!
In that instant, a massive magic circle bloomed in the sky, summoning a meteor wreathed in pitch-black flames.
The demons and beasts on the ground fled in terror from its radius, but the closest Half-Dragons merely snorted.
[Too slow.]
As if no way they'd get hit by such a sluggish attack.
"Yeah?"
Scarlett smirked at their confidence. Then, from Clark—who had his hand on her—came the sound of ticking clock hands.
-...Tick.
"ᛗᛖᛏᛖᛟᚱ...!"
⟨ Meteor ⟩
[Wha...!]
Scarlett's grinning form rewound in a flash—to moments before finishing her chant. Not just appearance; her wand's glowing mana was actively weaving the spell.
-Rumble...!!!
Simultaneously, another massive circle appeared, spawning a second meteor. The Half-Dragons finally paled and tried to dodge, but...
"One more!"
"Hoo..."
Scarlett prodded Clark again. With a weary face, he rewinded her once more—to pre-chant completion. Scarlett unleashed another meteor.
"Slow, right? Dodge it then, half-baked lizard spawn."
[Human!!!!!!]
-KABOOOOOM!!!!