Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Frontier Zone (4)
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Galen, having rested thoroughly and prepared in the first village before turning in early, rose at the crack of dawn the next day.
The party's attire was markedly different from the day before when they gathered for an early breakfast. The priests, in particular, had transformed almost beyond recognition. The hefty luggage they'd brought on horseback had all been for this gear, it seemed.
They weren't clad in full plate mail as one might call it back on Earth, completely encasing their bodies, but nearly every vital area was protected by iron plating: head, chest, back, shoulders, arms, thighs, and shins.
It was superior to the gear of ordinary mercenaries, and even most city guards. Only the Silver-rank warriors of Terti, or the Gaud and Narok factions, might equip themselves so finely.
"Um... I heard that those of you accompanying us are priests who have specially trained in martial arts."
Galen asked in a quiet voice as the priests finished their preparations after breakfast. Jenny nodded slightly and replied in kind.
"That's correct. The church's teachings aren't limited to scholarly pursuits. We encourage brothers with talent in martial prowess to pursue that path."
"Must be great support for it, huh? Just the equipment alone must have cost a fortune."
"Given the regional circumstances, the church needs some level of armed force. Of course, we can't equip every priest like this— we buy a few sets and rotate them as needed..."
"Impressive nonetheless."
The transformation was limited to the priests, though. Jenny, who had no reason to fight on the front lines in armor, looked the same as always. Lilia, for her own reasons needing no such protection, simply strapped a sword to her waist and slung a mace over her back. It somehow matched her pristine white robes oddly well.
"Alright, let's head out!"
They departed the first village right at sunrise, veering off in a direction untouched by other travelers.
They leisurely rode along, dispatching the occasional minor fiends they encountered. Around noon, something appeared in the distance.
As Galen drew closer, he realized it was the remnants of a ruined village. Scattered broken palisades and collapsed houses dotted the landscape.
"We'll have lunch here!"
After a quick scan of the village interior, the group set up camp by a small stream a short distance away.
While eating their simple meal and resting, Jenny shared the tale tied to the village.
"No one knows exactly which fiend species attacked this village."
"How's that possible? Oh— everyone died?"
"Yes, unfortunately. The location seemed decent for settling, but they skipped a thorough safety survey."
In the frontier zone, location was important— ultimately for claiming land— but safety came first.
The standard approach was building new villages near existing ones, like clusters of grapes, gradually expanding territory.
But there were always land speculators or thrill-seeking mercenaries who, spotting a prime spot, would plant their flag even if it was a bit remote.
Success made them bold pioneers; failure branded them reckless fools. This village was clearly the latter.
"They rushed to build without hiring enough mercenaries. Coldly speaking, skimping on costs led to disaster."
Fiends had intelligence but lacked true intellect, so their behavior stayed close to beasts.
They stuck to fixed territories and ignored humans outside them. No overlap meant no encounters, no concerns.
That's why pioneering was feasible. Clear out the fiends claiming an area, and it became unclaimed land. Villages rose that way.
But one clearing didn't end it.
Fiends bred quickly and fought among themselves, so displaced ones often wandered back into range of new villages.
"Usually the weak get pushed out, but not always. Or a fiend with a vast territory might go unnoticed until it strikes."
"So, thorough scouting before building is key, but these folks slacked off."
"Yes. Even with care, bad luck can strike... but not to the point of zero survivors."
"Maybe an overwhelmingly powerful fiend?"
"No records of anything that strong in the mapped zones. Not yet, anyway."
Jenny paused with a faint sigh, her gaze on Galen turning a touch sharp.
"Exceptions always lurk, though. Normally, we wouldn't come near. But what can you do? Brother Galen fell hook, line, and sinker for Sister Lilia's coaxing."
"...I thought you two had agreed on this."
"Lilia begged relentlessly, and with Brother Galen's exceptional skill, we consented. We can avoid the worst outcomes."
"Don't worry, Sister Jenny!"
Lilia chimed in with a carefree voice.
"If truly dangerous fiends show, we'll retreat! That's why we brought horses— for running!"
"That's exactly why I worry. Your definition of 'truly dangerous' differs greatly from mine."
"W-well, we'll discuss it then!"
Lilia averted her eyes from Jenny's pointed remark. Galen chuckled softly.
That was when it happened.
"Hm?"
Lilia's tilted head turned further. Her ears perked, and her eyes widened slightly.
"Everyone, up!"
"Pardon?"
"Faint ground tremors! Something's coming!"
Thanks to her Miracle of Fortification, Lilia had the sharpest senses in the group. Everyone sprang up reflexively behind her sudden rise.
Soon, faint dust rose from beyond the hill beside the village. Fiends emerged.
"Ah, what is it. Just Noils."
Lilia muttered with a hint of disappointment. Jenny's tension eased too.
Over thirty Noils charged them, but that number posed no threat at all.
"We'll handle this one!"
"Go ahead."
Catching Noils yielded negligible experience now, so Galen nodded readily. Lilia rallied the priests.
"Count on you, brothers!"
"Yes!"
The five priests clustered in a circle, extending hands to the center. Lilia's hand topped theirs last— like a team cheer.
Lilia's eyes glowed. Their hands followed. Platinum radiance flowed through the stacked hands, enveloping the priests' bodies.
That was why these priests— equipped well but Bronze-level at best, no match for Galen or Lilia even combined— tagged along.
Priests' miracles worked on others too.
The Miracle of Fortification was no exception.
Not as potent as on Lilia herself, but in that moment, the five priests' physical abilities surged to near-Silver rank. And they had trained to harness such boosts.
"Hah!"
"Yah!"
About on par with the bandit leader Galen and Doni faced early on. Barely scraping Silver, but overkill for Noils, weak fiends to begin with.
Slash! Slash!
Each sword stroke felled a Noil. Five swings from five priests dropped five. Noil corpses piled to ten, then fifteen in seconds.
"Hm...?"
Galen furrowed his brow. Lilia glanced back, tilting her head at his expression.
"What's wrong?"
"Those Noils. Aren't they too passive?"
"Passive?"
"Dying too meekly, almost. Skill gap plays a part, sure, but they could flank or target the horses."
"Huh, now that you mention it..."
"Are they even targeting us? Feels less like charging and more like..."
Fleeing, with their path just happening to cross ours.
Galen's eyes widened mid-thought. Lilia's and Jenny's did too.
Shadows hurtled from beyond the hill. Flying, literally. Chasing the Noils.
"Wyverns!"
Jenny shrieked sharply. Not one, but three— fiends ranked above even Trolls.
"Brothers! Fall back!"
"Y-yes!"
The startled priests snapped to at Lilia's voice. Her unchanged tone steadied them.
As priests retreated, Noils fled instead of engaging. Confirming that, Lilia eyed the rapidly closing wyverns, then glanced at Galen.
As she'd hoped, Galen wasn't frozen in shock.
Gurgle!
The instant he spotted the wyverns, Galen unleashed his spirit full-force. Water from his dangling left hand poured like a burst dam.
Enough to flood the area, yet it neither overflowed nor soaked in. All under Galen's command, dancing in midair.
From wyverns cresting the hill to charging them: barely ten seconds.
In the brief span Lilia pulled back the priests and turned, countless slender, spear-like water masses— resembling cavalry lances— floated around Galen.
Their eyes met for a split second. Galen flashed a faint smile; Lilia beamed back.
Sometimes understanding passed without words. As Lilia nodded slightly toward the wyverns...
Whoosh!
The water spears launched en masse. The sky briefly filled with them.
Thud thud thud!
Wyverns maneuvered freely in flight, but at that range? Charging straight-on, no dodging the straight-flying spears.
Pity their scales were famed for toughness; the spears didn't pierce deep.
But Galen hadn't aimed to one-shot them. Rushed magic in seconds couldn't fell three top-tier fiends at once, or they wouldn't hold that rank.
"Kieeeek!"
Galen targeted the weakest spot: wings. The lead two wyverns' wings shredded like rags. Flightless, they plummeted in erratic spirals.
The trailing third barely saved its wings, shielded by the first pair.
Someone with hawk-like eyes watched the twisting wyvern slow...
Swoosh!
Lilia, self-buffed with Miracle of Fortification, kicked off hard. She soared, slamming into the wyvern.
Twisting midair to dodge its frantic claws. Her drawn sword whipped through with the spin's momentum, elegant and lethal.
Riiip!
The wyvern's wing cleaved neatly in two.
As it screamed and fell, Lilia dropped atop it. Her free hand gripped a mace, somehow drawn from her back.
The iron club smashed down on the fiend's back with full force.
Splat!
