Chapter 148
Chapter 148
"Aegis, the Shield of the Gods. It truly must live up to its name."
"It will. Don't worry."
Logan smiled confidently, trying to ease his father's unease, but Patrick's expression remained heavy.
"You, Ronian, your fiancée, even that boy Victor—you're all talents too precious to die here. In the worst-case scenario, at least you all should—"
"That won't happen, Father."
Logan's firm interruption made Patrick force a smile.
"...Right. It shouldn't."
"We've poured every resource into this fortress, built to maximize our weapons' potential. Even if it was constructed hastily."
"Right, squeezing people dry. Your infamy precedes you."
"It was unavoidable..."
"That was a joke, boy."
Logan thought it was a terribly unfunny joke but kept that to himself.
They had done their best, yet victory was uncertain.
This was no time for empty reassurances.
"Regardless, the knights' role is as crucial as the fortress itself. We must eliminate any knights who scale the walls as efficiently as possible. And if a Transcendent appears, as I've told you—"
"Yes, it's drilled into my skull. You don't need to repeat it. But are you truly capable?"
"I am. Have I ever claimed to do something I couldn't? I've already shown you proof."
"Right. You did."
Patrick's expression brightened slightly as he recalled what Logan had demonstrated days prior.
Then, realizing his own emotions, he smirked self-deprecatingly.
Have I grown old? Why do I keep feeling this unease?
He forced courage into his voice and managed a laugh—
When a familiar voice chimed in beside him.
"Even without 'that,' Lord Logan has withstood a Transcendent's attacks multiple times. Have faith, my lord."
"My dau— Ah, Lady Eileen. Ahem."
"Address me as you please, my lord."
Eileen, clad in strikingly beautiful armor and wielding an unusual blue-glowing sword, smiled warmly. Seeing her, Patrick steeled himself again.
I can't show weakness in front of my future daughter-in-law. Right. I have to live long enough to see my grandchildren.
Patrick softened his expression, suppressing his creeping anxiety.
Of course, had Logan or Eileen known his thoughts, they would have paled instantly.
Good. Even in the worst case, if these children survive—
Just then, another voice interrupted, echoing similar thoughts.
"Sister-in-law. How can I not worry? Brother, are you really going to be alright facing a Transcendent alone...?"
Ronian's expression was far from bright.
Though Eileen's spirits had soared after mastering the Divine Sword Secret Art and obtaining the Class-4 artifact Frigus, Ronian feared her confidence had grown excessive.
Logan patted his younger brother's shoulder.
"Have faith in me. Unless Juan Douglas or Duke Jordan personally intervene, I can hold my ground."
No—even if he couldn't, he'd find a way.
"And Master Clayton is here too."
As if sensing the mention, the middle-aged mage with a rugged face nodded at Logan from afar.
Though his own tension was visible, it was understandable.
After all, the key to this defensive battle lay in Logan and him.
The entire strategy hinged on the assumption that the two could withstand a Transcendent's assault.
Logan's expression hardened at the thought—
"Enemy spotted!!"
A shout from outside made his face stiffen further.
"The MacLaine castle is in si— No, wait. It's not MacLaine Castle. Another fortress is visible!!"
The First Prince Faction's command reacted swiftly to the scout's report.
"A fortress without gates... An earthen fort. Massive for its type, but it looks newly built."
Wycken Calria scrutinized the distant earthen fortress and relayed his observations to Juan Douglas standing to his right.
Even as a Transcendent specialized in elemental attributes rather than physical prowess, his Aura-enhanced vision far surpassed that of a mage.
Yet, for some reason since the Battle of Harun Castle, the master craftsman's attitude toward him had grown subtly cold.
"Did they build this for the battle?"
"Impossible. Even I only learned of His Excellency's orders afterward. Constructing this in two weeks would be unthinkable, even as an earthen fort."
"True. If they prepared this long ago, that brat would be a prophet."
"And if he were a prophet, he wouldn't have pulled such a reckless stunt."
Both Transcendents simultaneously recalled the same image—
A cocky red-haired, red-eyed brat.
Not even the lord of the land they were about to conquer, just that insolent whelp.
"Hah. Truly, a lunatic with nerves of steel. Digging their own graves, knowing they'd be the first targets regardless of who wins. I thought they were just mad."
"Calling them 'just mad' undersells the scale of their schemes, Your Excellency. Had we not planted spies to watch Sword Duke, we'd never have noticed. We must consider the possibility they have other tricks."
Juan Douglas frowned at Wycken's words.
History had proven that overwhelming force rendered tactics meaningless.
The moment their schemes were exposed, MacLaine's fate was sealed.
Yet, a sliver of unease remained.
"Indeed, the damage they've inflicted in a month surpasses what we've suffered in half a year. Both our faction and Jordan's. Ironically, their involvement has dealt fatal blows to both sides."
"What do you mean?"
"These pests, unsettling even when silent, have dug their own graves. Now, we must bury them thoroughly. Carefully."
"Understood."
"But before Jordan, we must crush that brat first."
"Yes."
"Good. Watch closely."
Without further orders, Juan Douglas stepped back.
Wycken Calria, watching his retreating figure with puzzlement, took command and issued directives to the entire army.
Soon after, the Second Prince's forces, stationed slightly apart, stirred into similar motion.
And before long, the combined faction armies began their march toward the earthen fortress—Aegis—built in less than a week.
"All troops, prepare for battle! Drive out the invaders and defend our land!!"
The moment Logan's booming voice echoed across the fortress, the soldiers and militia's faces flushed with fervor.
The thick anxiety that had gripped their hearts transformed into fighting spirit.
While the common folk might have been swept up in the battlefield's atmosphere, the knights, sensitive to bodily changes as Force users, all turned toward Logan.
'His presence slightly stabilizes blood flow while accelerating circulation...'
'Is he using some artifact?'
'This is new...'
But since their lord had always displayed unexpected abilities, their doubts soon turned to admiration.
Though not a magical effect granting overwhelming power, the ability to subtly bolster morale was undoubtedly advantageous.
The knights' thoughts converged as always—
-As expected of our lord!
Their fists clenched, voices rising naturally.
"Quickly, move!"
"Plant arrows in those invaders' skulls!"
Unlike the oblivious soldiers, the knights, their morale lifted by their commander's prowess, shouted encouragement.
Among them—
Victor lowered his visor halfway, then turned his gaze toward the twelve mages waiting deep within the fortress walls. More precisely, toward his sister standing at the far end.
-Don't. Worry.
Seeing her silently mouth the words, he could only sigh and turn away.
How can I not worry? Master Clayton isn't even here.
Fortunately, his lord's orders allowed him to focus solely on protecting his sister this time.
Standing before stacks of Liberatio—
Assigned to guard the inner wall shielding the mages, Victor's heterochromatic eyes gleamed as he stared ahead with a hardened expression.
No one gets past me.
"Move steadily! Aim east, but stay alert—some may circle back!"
A woman's voice, unlikely to carry far in battle, made most militiamen glance back.
And then—
"Eyes forward, not on me! Keep staring, and I'll gouge them out!"
The piercing threat from the female knight sent them hastily turning back, a scene repeating in waves.
"A woman?"
"Wow... stunningly beautiful..."
"Who...?"
Given the militia's composition—young men in their prime—their fascination with the female knight didn't fade instantly.
Though they quickly averted their eyes under the pressure of a Force user's aura, whispers continued.
Eileen's brow furrowed as she overheard.
Still...
While she was somewhat known in MacLaine Castle and Town, many militiamen from other territories still eyed her with curiosity.
A woman joining the knights, and the lord's fiancée to boot—an unprecedented case.
Her position in the MacLaine Knight Order was uniquely ambiguous.
The youngest knight, yet one even the captain and family head couldn't treat lightly.
Thankfully, she never exploited her status, training harder than anyone and proving her worth in battle.
And now—
"She's the future lady of the house! Any disrespect, and I won't stand for it!"
A nearby knight's sharp rebuke instantly shifted the militiamen's tone.
"The lord's future wife?"
"Ah, we'd never speak ill!"
"Right! Let's fight to protect our future lady!"
Though their respect was tied to the MacLaine name—to Logan—it didn't displease her.
Only the title "future lady" instead of "knight" pricked at her pride.
But if chatter about her eased the battlefield's tension, she saw no reason to stop it.
She was the youngest of MacLaine's three prodigy knights, a mid-tier knight capable of matching their captain, and now—
The commander defending Aegis' northern wall.
"My lady, should I silence them—?"
"Let them be, Sir Henderson."
"But..."
"If talking about me helps them relax, it's fine."
Eileen's sincerity was evident, and Henderson could only nod.
"...Understood."
"And I should apologize in advance."
"Huh?"
"If the worst happens, I may have to rush to the eastern wall. So consider yourself in command from the start."
A blatant admission she'd disobey orders.
Yet the burly knight only grinned and thumped his chest.
"Of course, my lady. Don't worry."
Their gazes turned toward the eastern wall—
Where a red-haired, red-eyed young man stood firm against the approaching tide.
Though everyone knew he was the strongest among them, the Transcendents he faced were no ordinary foes.
Eileen, who'd loudly urged others to trust Logan, was secretly the most anxious.
If it happens again like last time...
She vividly remembered Logan coughing blood and collapsing in battle.
The sinking feeling in her chest.
She never wanted to feel that helplessness again.
If it happened again, she wouldn't just stand and watch.
Even if she was lacking, this sword—Frigus—could buy him a moment's respite.
This time, I'll protect him. No matter what!
The hilt, meant to feel cool, burned hot in her grip.
"All forces, advance!"
"Uwaaaaaah!!"
The sight of over forty thousand soldiers charging forth was overwhelming, enough to constrict the heart.
But Logan's expression, standing atop the wall, remained unshaken.
Though it might not be visible from outside, nearly ten thousand defenders stood ready.
"All archers, prepare!"
"Ready!"
"Fire!!"
At his command, soldiers pulled their triggers in unison—
As the mages' golems hurled red-hot stones in preparation.
The battle that would decide MacLaine's fate had truly begun.