Chapter 232: Sweep Them All Away! (2)
Chapter 232: Sweep Them All Away! (2)
The Hydra.
A monster of the dragon lineage with nine heads, it was the ultimate predator typically found in the deepest swamps.
While it was broadly categorized as a national disaster-class monster, there were tiers even within that classification. The Hydra was a creature on an entirely different level, incomparable even to an Earth Dragon.
Its scales were harder than steel. Its maws were large enough to swallow an ogre as easily as a mouse. The acidic breath it spewed could melt solid rock.
According to the records, the last time such a beast appeared was in the Flame Kingdom, located in the northern part of the continent. At the time, the Flame Kingdom was enjoying its greatest golden age since its founding.
The king of that era was a man deeply blessed by the Spirit Royal Family—a monster of a human who wielded power surpassing even that of a high-level spirit. Under his rule, the Flame Kingdom’s national power soared, allowing him to hold the hegemony of the northern continent in the palm of his hand.
Yet, that very power was shattered by the appearance of a Hydra.
The king himself eventually stepped forth and defeated the beast. However, in the process, more than half of the national territory was trampled, and military casualties exceeded a hundred thousand. It was the event that reduced the Flame Kingdom, once a rising superpower, to a minor nation all because of a single monster.
Though not quite on the level of a true Dragon, it was a calamity ranked just a step below. And now, such a being had appeared before their very eyes.
‘I knew that thing wasn't just a normal Alpha, but still...’
Baron Schneider bit his lip hard.
In this moment, any chance of victory for the Schneider territory had vanished. Perhaps if the entire military force of the domain were gathered here? But with only the forces currently remaining in the city, they could not stand against that calamity. If that was the case...
“Open all the gates!” Baron Schneider shouted, his voice filled with grim resolve.
“My Lord!”
“Open every single gate! And mages, broadcast this to the entire city. Tell them to flee immediately!”
“My Lord, if we open the gates, we won't be able to stop that monster!”
At someone’s desperate plea, others nodded in agreement. However, Baron Schneider spoke firmly.
“Even if we keep the gates closed, we cannot stop it.”
“...”
“Open all the gates this instant. Issue an evacuation order for the entire territory. We must save as many as we can.”
Even in a battle where no victory was in sight, Baron Schneider did his duty until the end. To save even one more citizen—that was his mission.
“Dammit... let’s take this to the end.”
“Hahahaha! It’s a fine day to die. A damn fine day!”
“Woooooah!”
The warriors bolstered their fighting spirit. Their will to fight had momentarily crumbled at the Hydra’s appearance, but Baron Schneider had given them a reason to stand.
Even one person... if they could save just one more soul.
If they could delay that monster’s advance by even a single minute, a single second... then was that not reason enough? Reason enough to fight in the face of death.
“Leave the skies to us!”
The Magic Swordsmen soared above the walls of the Schneider territory. Against dozens of wyverns and a swarm of ghouls that seemed to number in the hundreds, the twenty Magic Swordsmen looked pitifully few. But if not them, there was no one else to protect the skies of this land.
Fortunately...
“Memorize complete!”
“Good. Everyone, raise your staves!”
“Yes, sir!”
Though they couldn't stand on the front lines with them, there were those who could provide support. The mages finished charging their mana and raised their staves once more. And then...
“Everyone, follow me!”
“Yes!”
The elves, who had been firing arrows from the walls, cast aside their bows and took up spears before leaping down in unison. They sprinted forward, centering around the Elven Knight Faeorn.
Their target was the Earth Dragon.
The Hydra still had some distance to cover before reaching the walls. However, the Earth Dragon was already at the city’s doorstep. Therefore...
“We stop that thing first. Flare! Metron!”
Faeorn summoned the high-level spirit of fire and the high-level spirit of earth simultaneously. It was the moment an Elven Knight, said to surpass a 7-Star Knight by human standards, revealed his true strength. Dozens of elven warriors followed behind him, spears leveled.
The fourth wave of the Stampede.
That desperate ordeal had begun.
* * *
“Run! Run faster!”
“Forget the luggage! Just leave it and run!”
The citizens scrambled out of the city like madmen. In truth, they should have left when the first evacuation order was issued. But abandoning most of one's property to go into exile was never an easy choice.
Moreover, the Schneider territory was protected by walls that looked reassuringly sturdy. Most decisively, they had been too safe for the past ten years. Even in the Eastern Region, which was constantly plagued by monster threats, the Schneider territory had enjoyed a period of peace thanks to the protection of the orcs and the prowess of the knights.
Being told to abandon all that and flee didn't immediately register as reality. But now... they knew.
They knew their Lord hadn't given that order for nothing.
The roar and vibration, sounding like a continuous earthquake, had persisted for half a day. Despite the territorial army fighting with everything they had, the destructive power of the enemy was terrifyingly unsettling. And the moment the mages announced via amplification magic that they could no longer hold...
“Aaaaah!”
“Run!”
“Mom! Mommy!”
“Kevin!”
The citizens were seized by panic as they ran toward the exits. Even the heart-wrenching cries of a woman who had lost her child in the chaos could not be answered. Everyone simply hoped to get even one step further away from the scene.
And there were those fighting desperately to buy them the time to escape.
“Aaaaaaaagh!”
“Uwooooah!”
Boom! CRACK!
Oliver leaned his back against Turanta’s, swinging his sword as he spoke.
“Are you alright, Chief?”
“I am fine, Soldier A.”
“I’m Knight A now.”
“Same thing.”
“Dammit...”
The corners of Oliver’s mouth quirked up. Was the curse word slipping out because his lot in life hadn't changed even after becoming a knight? Or was it...
“Because of this shitty situation?”
Enemies, enemies, enemies...
No matter where he looked, there were only ferocious monsters. Baron Schneider had ordered Oliver to retreat with the orc warriors, but that order had already failed. The moment they joined the fierce melee below the walls, Oliver and the knights were swallowed by the chaos.
There were no formations left; they simply moved and swung their swords at anything that moved. He was one of the lucky ones, having someone to watch his back. He had no way of knowing what had happened to his other subordinates.
“Dammit...”
“Calm yourself, Knight A.”
“...”
“A warrior’s rage is not beneficial. Fight with a cool head.”
“Damn it. I know. I know!”
“Let’s go!”
The moment their backs separated, they lunged forward, unleashing savage attacks upon the monsters. Oliver swung his sword like a madman. He no longer had anyone to guard his back. As he fought frantically, he found himself separated from the others, struggling alone.
Still, a quick glance around told him the battle was still in full swing.
“Falcon!”
“Cherubim!”
The flashes of fire and lightning erupting in the sky were proof that the Magic Swordsmen were fighting a desperate battle against the flying monsters. Despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered, the sight of them fighting so fiercely in the air made it clear why the reputation of Magic Swordsmen rang so loudly across the continent.
And some distance away, the elves were unleashing terrifying power against the Earth Dragon, which was half-buried in the ground.
“Concentrate your fire! We must end its life!”
Faeorn, who had trapped the Earth Dragon using earth spirits, shouted at the top of his lungs. At his command, the elves—who had learned the Supreme Purity Mental Method from Patrick—mobilized their spirits and aura to assault the dragon.
Flames, boulders, cutting winds, and whips of compressed water lashed out at the Earth Dragon’s massive body. The dragon howled in agony under their assault, yet every swing of its tail or forepaw unleashed horrific destruction.
They were doing their best... they were doing their absolute, heart-wrenching best. But...
“Aaaagh!”
“Kwargh!”
The screams of allies echoed from all directions. No matter how desperately they fought, all they could ultimately do was buy time.
Limit. Defeat.
Words that invoked despair flickered through his mind. At that moment...
“Kwooooooah!”
An ogre loomed before him, raising its club high. It was an attack he could avoid if he tried. But...
‘Have I done enough?’
His stamina and energy were at their limit. More than anything, his fighting spirit would no longer rise. Just as the strength was about to leave Oliver’s sword-grip...
“Charge!”
A familiar voice thundered across the battlefield. A voice he knew all too well. Yet, it was a voice that rarely, if ever, rang out with such booming intensity.
BOOM!
Reflexively dodging the attack, Oliver turned his gaze toward the source of the sound.
“My Lord!”
Tears suddenly welled in his eyes. Clad in old armor and wielding a humble iron sword, Baron Schneider had led his soldiers out of the gates and was charging toward the monsters.
It was foolish. It was reckless.
Baron Schneider’s swordsmanship was, at best, at the 1-Star level. Despite decades of training, he possessed not a shred of talent for the blade. Why was he, a middle-aged man past his physical prime, doing something so reckless?
But that didn't matter now. If Oliver was a knight, there was only one thing to do.
“Protect the Lord!”
A knight is one who must die before his master. Oliver cut down the monsters blocking his path, wiped the blood from his eyes, and sprinted forward.
* * *
‘Father. Did you feel this way too?’
Was it because death was staring him in the face? Memories of the past flashed through Baron Schneider’s mind like a revolving lantern. They were memories of his late father.
His father had been a bit better than him, but he hadn't been particularly talented with the sword either. Yet, whenever news of monsters entering the territory arrived, he was always at the front, fighting alongside his knights.
He had respected his father, but he had also felt anxious watching his mother wait fretfully for his return. Once, he had even voiced his frustration.
Why be so reckless? Even without his father, the strength of the knights wouldn't change much, so why take such risks? He had asked if a Lord shouldn't stay in the rear and maintain his position as a leader.
Back then, his father had simply given a bitter smile and said:
[You’ll understand one day.]
He had thought it was just a clumsy excuse. His father had always been a man of few words. But...
‘Yes. I think I understand now.’
You were like this too. You wanted to protect them. Because there was something more precious than your own life, you shed your blood like that. And because there was someone to follow in your footsteps, you could afford to be reckless.
‘To think I’ve only realized this at my age...’
Even if he died here, there was someone to take his place. A successor a hundred—no, a thousand times more brilliant than himself.
‘Father, I may be a lesser Lord than you. But your grandson will be different.’
A monster reached him. A troll. It was one of the weaker monsters present, but to him, there was little difference between it and a Hydra. Still, he did not retreat; he raised his sword and lunged.
“Aaaaaaaaagh!”
‘I’ll see you soon, Father. I have so much to tell you.’
He swung a clumsy strike, fueled by the resolve to die. The troll swung a massive fist toward Baron Schneider. The moment that solid fist collided with the Baron’s sword...
KABOOM!
A terrifying explosion erupted. Simultaneously, the troll was blasted backward, reduced to a pulp.
“...Eh?”
Baron Schneider stared at his sword with a dazed expression.
“When did I gain such terrifying destructive power...?”
The voice that answered his bewildered mutter was...
“Are you... talking... nonsense?”
“...Huh?”
“I’m... I’m seriously about to... explode from stress... My life expectancy... dammit...”
The disjointed, exasperated reply came from right beside him. There stood a familiar face, pale with fright.
“Pa...trick?”
It was his son. His most dependable son in the world was standing there with a look of pure horror on his face.
“I’m going crazy... seriously...”
Patrick, the peerless, was so out of breath from his frantic sprint that he couldn't even catch his wind. He took a deep breath and spoke to the Baron.
“Later. Let’s talk later, Father!”
Patrick grit his teeth. Looking around, everything was a mess. His home. This place that everyone had built with blood, sweat, and tears was being ravaged by the enemy.
Grit.
Patrick raised his sword high and roared.
“Sweep them all away!”
With that cry, a group of warriors poured out from behind the Schneider walls like a raging tide.
The main force of the Schneider family had arrived.