Alden's Intervention
Alden.
The former champion of that Colosseum I'd known before.
He'd fed me delicious soup back in my childhood and taught me all sorts of martial techniques and Aura cultivation methods—the man who was essentially my master and benefactor.
But after breaking his ankle shackle and fleeing during that ogre match, there'd been no word from him for years. Why the hell was he here...?
Ah.
Come to think of it, he was a knight of the fallen kingdom.
"...Are you with the Lugar Kingdom remnants?"
It seemed plausible enough, so I asked.
"Yeah, that's right."
He answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Aigoo, how'd that happen?"
"Nowhere else to go."
"What about the Empire?"
"Still, I came to my homeland first, you little shit."
Sheesh.
Of all places, he had to end up there.
"You do the demon worship thing too?"
"You crazy? Those fuckers are insane."
I'd asked just in case, but apparently not.
"...I heard they've teamed up."
"Our foolish princess made the worst choice imaginable."
Princess?
Did that mean the remnants were led by the kingdom's princess?
"Then don't you have to at least pretend to worship? Since you've allied?"
"Hey, asshole, I've got my pride."
With that, Alden lowered the foot he'd planted on me.
"...Can I get up now?"
"If you're gonna attack, go ahead, you worthless shit."
"Nah."
Was I crazy?
I'd already seen that monstrous display.
Besides, this was Alden. No need for me to risk my life.
So I brushed the dirt off my grimy armor and stood, shaking it out.
"If you're not into the worship, why'd you come?"
"Our foolish princess begged me to."
"So, can you take down the captain over there?"
This was a genuine question.
He seemed like top-tier among Aura users.
Had he reached Aura Master?
"I came to deliver the finishing blow on an Aura Master they'd already worn down, but nah, he's not beat."
But Alden replied that he hadn't reached Aura Master.
...Even without being a Master, he was that strong.
How insanely powerful must the Masters be?
"So what now?"
"Gotta head back."
It was funny, saying he'd just leave after knocking out four knights...
But still, what a relief. Just Alden not drawing his sword right away was a win.
"No thoughts on the Void family? They feed you well here."
"Fuck off."
He shot down my hopeful probe like a blade and turned away.
Looked like he was leaving for real.
It was a short reunion after so long, but I had no reason to stop him, so I just watched.
Then.
Fwosh!
A black-hooded man appeared in front of Alden.
"Champion, where do you think you're going?"
He'd materialized right in front of Alden in the blink of an eye.
... Fleet?
No, more like magic.
A demon worshipper mage?
"Back home."
"Finish off Arthur Clayton first—that was the deal, wasn't it?"
"Can't take that guy. He's full of vigor."
At those words, I glanced at Arthur Clayton, still battling the ogre.
...Yeah, not a scratch on him, brimming with energy.
You could see he had plenty in reserve.
But.
"Fulfill the contract!"
The hooded mage, refusing to accept it, grabbed Alden's shoulder.
"What?"
Crack!
But right after, Alden reversed it, seizing the mage's throat.
"Hey, fucker, you think I won't do it? I said I can't."
Thud!
He slammed the mage into a nearby tree, intimidating him.
...Classic Alden, but was this okay?
"If you wanna kill him, do it yourself, you spell-slinging shit."
From that teleport-like magic, he seemed like a skilled mage.
But under Alden's pressure, he couldn't fight back.
At that range, what could a mage do?
Especially with his throat gripped.
"Th-this offense... I'll make you pay."
"Who's gonna punish me? You? Then I'll just snap your neck right now."
Alden glared at the mage with genuine disgust, like when he'd cursed the demon worshippers earlier.
"Hey, fucker, I told you—the ogre's a pushover. Look, he's getting shredded."
He pointed at the ogre with his hand.
...If it's a pushover, why didn't you kill it back in your champion days instead of fleeing?
The words rose to my throat, but the mood was too tense, so I held back.
"That thing's already using its image. You could win then, right?"
"If I'd won, I'd be an Aura Master by now."
Crash!
Alden hurled the mage away by the scruff.
"You should be able to see it, asshole. He's obviously holding back, waiting."
"..."
"Don't treat me like those other fallen kingdom idiots just 'cause we're from the same place."
Crunch!
Then he stomped on the mage's chest, just like he'd done to me.
"And don't give me orders."
"...I'll remember this."
After that.
The mage, crushed under Alden's foot, vanished—probably using magic again.
"...Is that okay?"
I asked Alden as I watched him disappear completely.
He replied.
"Fuck yeah. Those shits think we're easy prey just 'cause we're from the fallen kingdom."
Classic Alden response.
But still—were the Lugar remnants looked down on by the demon worshippers?
Makes sense. A destroyed kingdom would seem like easy pickings.
"Yeah, whatever."
"You little shit—you just thought the Lugar Kingdom's a bunch of outdated losers, didn't you?"
"...Didn't go that far."
"Sigh, if it weren't for those rigid scholar fucks, that battle..."
Alden, getting worked up alone, trailed off in a voice thick with regret.
That's when.
"Edgar's here!"
From beyond the clearing, the voice of Edgar, captain of the Royal 3rd Knight Order, rang out along with soldiers' cheers.
Seemed the rear guards and reinforcements had linked up.
"Tch, guess this place is done. I'm out."
Hearing it, Alden turned without hesitation.
"Yeah, take care."
"Cold-hearted bastard."
Then Alden vanished—probably using Fleet.
After Alden disappeared into the forest.
"Surround them all!"
"Capture them!"
"Don't let a single one escape!"
With Edgar's soldiers encircling the clearing and mages unleashing spells, even the demon worshippers who'd held their own against the knights were systematically exterminated.
And the ogre...
Boom!!
"Woooah!!"
"The captain's won!!"
As soon as the main force joined, Arthur Clayton shifted momentum, crushing it with a Rush that severed its head.
The sheer power suggested some esoteric technique—maybe an Esoteric Rush.
Makes sense; the Clayton family was renowned for their martial secrets.
After mopping up the clearing.
"Those without injuries, follow me."
They headed straight for the cave next.
They'd wiped out the demon worshippers enough to cripple their operations in the Kaine Mountain Range.
Probably aiming to grab any remaining intel from the base.
We returned to the cave and descended together with the soldiers this time.
"There's a door here!"
"Open it!"
Deeper in, a massive stone door loomed in the cave's heart.
Grrrrrind!
Elite soldiers strained to shove the enormous door open.
Beyond it lay an artificial cavern.
"This is..."
"They carved out the cave like this?"
Floor to walls to ceiling—a vast chamber, meticulously hewn.
Passages branched off everywhere.
Extinguished torches on the walls and evenly spaced decorations confirmed this was their main base.
"Search every inch!"
Soldiers fanned out, mages casting detection spells to probe each passage.
"Breeding pens here!"
"This... ugh! Bodies..."
"Those crazy bastards...!"
The demon worshippers had left behind horrific traces.
Rusted cages held juvenile monsters for experiments; human corpses and grotesque amalgamations littered the area.
"Worship altar over here!"
True to form, there was even a foundation for demon rituals.
"What the hell with these bodies..."
"...Sir Duren's remains from the fallen knights are here."
Heaped with countless corpses—including those of knights and scouts lost in the raid—offered as sacrifices.
"Those fuckers..."
"They're utterly mad."
The knights' faces twisted in fury.
"Another passage beyond the altar!"
A soldier reported a hidden tunnel.
"Onward."
Edgar, leading the investigators in the weary Arthur Clayton's stead, charged ahead.
Soon, the other knights and our scout team followed into the passage.
Beyond lay another colossal space—so vast in height, it was hard to believe there was ground above.
And there.
"...A statue?"
A massive stone effigy loomed over us.
"Goblin?"
"Looks like an orc..."
Tens of meters tall, its ambiguous features sparked debate.
One thing was clear: green skin.
That rugged, ugly face and proportions screamed greenskin.
But.
"Gigant...?"
Asran, the scout leader beside me, muttered.
"What's a Gigant?"
With my question, eyes from the scouts and knights turned to Asran.
"Eh, you all don't know?"