Chapter 181
Chapter 181
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 181
Chapter Title: The Stand at the Foothills
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I thought we could catch up in no time.
The elite Holy Knight Orders in line to inherit the Empire's next throne were all supplied with the finest warhorses, but the 2nd, 4th, and 7th Holy Knight Orders stationed at Ballista Fortress had received particularly exceptional steeds.
This was no ordinary post—it was a fortress facing the Shield Family, one of the greatest obstacles in the conquest of the Southern Continent.
So, no matter what that greenhorn from the minor kingdom had prepared, Schuttat was confident.
Confident that the Shield Family's belated Hexagon formation, rushing in panic, wouldn't even catch a glimpse of the brat's corpse.
But the situation unfolded far differently from what he'd anticipated.
"Gah!"
Again.
Another knight suddenly reined in his horse, then began wandering aimlessly like a madman.
"Damn it all!"
A crude curse unbecoming a Holy Knight finally burst from Schuttat's lips.
He'd lost count of how many times this had happened. Hadn't he himself fallen for that beggar-tier trap already?
The landscape around him would abruptly shift, leaving him disoriented, only for it to fade back to the Urk Plains like mist clearing after a short while—a crude illusion.
It posed no threat to life, merely delaying them a bit, so no one had fallen behind. But in this situation, no trap could be more infuriating.
Schuttat's arrogant predictions aside, he'd spared no effort in preparations beyond just tracking the barbarians through the Empire's 'eyes.' He'd equipped them with every artifact imaginable for contingencies.
Regardless of ease, this mission's importance surpassed any he'd undertaken before—he couldn't afford half-measures. If he'd ever taken missions lightly, he wouldn't be in this position now.
Thus, he'd prepared perfectly for magic, traps, or any surprises.
Yet, as if mocking his thoroughness, the Shield Family brat's traps slipped past the artifacts' detection effortlessly.
They evaded both alarm spells for danger and detection spells for mana.
The reason the artifacts didn't react was simple.
They weren't traps that threatened lives, so no alarms triggered. And powered by something other than mana, they dodged detection spells entirely.
"Goddamn it! So the brat's got some real tricks up his sleeve, huh?"
As Schuttat gritted his teeth and pursued, his warhorse stepped on a pile of rocks.
Whoosh!
The scenery enveloping Schuttat shifted once more, just like before.
Not the Urk Plains, but somewhere else entirely.
"Arrrgh! You bastard!! I'll kill you for this!"
Roaring in fury, Schuttat drew his sword and unleashed torrents of massive aura, smashing through the formation Jerome had laid out.
It would dissipate on its own soon enough if left alone, but every minute and second counted for them too.
* * *
Was it the result of Luna's pre-made potions from Ballista, force-fed to the horses time and again as they hurried?
The endlessly doped horses, full of vigor, galloped at full speed, and the endless plains began to change bit by bit.
"Young master, I can see the foothills of the Dragon Mountains!"
"Good. Looks like a lot of them made it."
They'd reached this point near the rendezvous unscathed thanks to the mazes—illusory formations—laid down frantically during the escape.
'Artifacts and magic couldn't detect them, so they were caught completely off guard.'
This was precisely why rulers, including the Holy Empire, feared Black Lions with Heterogenous Powers to such an extreme degree.
Impossible to detect with holy power or magic, deliberate ambushes left no countermeasures.
If Black Lions numbered more than they did, the continent's master might have changed hands.
'No, if there were more Black Lions, countermeasures would probably have been developed.'
Conversely, their scarcity—too few to warrant the time and resources—enabled such blind-side strikes.
No one could have imagined a direct Shield Family heir mastering a Heterogenous Power.
Still, it was just a delaying tactic. The mazes, quick to set up but lacking lethality, could only buy time—nothing more.
They'd panic at first, losing time, but after a few tries, they'd realize how to break them.
That would shorten the mazes' effectiveness even further.
And that prediction proved spot on.
From horseback, I twisted slightly to gaze back at the horizon we'd crossed.
A dust cloud rising rapidly in the distance. No mistaking who was kicking it up.
'They're catching up faster than expected.'
I turned to the foothills Miron had pointed out.
The Dragon Mountains loomed massively, seeming close, but we still had about half the distance we'd covered left to the rendezvous.
'...This might be a bit tight.'
Click!
I uncorked another potion from Luna and slowly poured it into the horse's mouth.
Luna's potions were flawless.
I felt speed returning to the horse's legs, which had begun to slow as stamina waned.
If we hadn't obtained formations in Philador Kingdom.
If Luna weren't a priestess with exceptional healing talent.
We might have been caught before even sighting the foothills. No—definitely seized long before.
Despite our horses' relentless sprint, as the foes closed to over halfway, their silhouettes—once mere dots—became visible to the naked eye.
Just 1km to the foothills, but I needed to draw them deeper in.
As I whipped the horses' flanks, urging them for a bit more despite the strain—
Swoosh!
A sharp killing intent prickled every cell, aimed at my nape.
I jerked my head; a small arrow grazed where it had been a second ago.
"...Halt!"
The savages—no, the 7th Holy Knight Order—had closed in and begun loosing arrows from point-blank range.
"Damn. Those horses are filthy fast. How the hell are they already this—Whoa!"
Not just the horses, but their archery remained eerily stable amid this frantic chase.
'The 7th Holy Knight Order are war ghosts proficient in all weapons, as the continent says. The reputation holds true.'
Fortunately, they weren't shooting at Luna, one of the Twelve Archbishops.
Naturally, Miron sticking close to her escaped most attacks too. Or maybe dismissed as a minnow and ignored.
Pew! Pew!
...But judging by the arrows focused on me, they really wanted me alive—or dead.
By the time they nocked more arrows, the target point was nearly here, but they'd closed to under 100m. Time for a decision.
'No choice.'
Miron responded calmly to my sudden telepathy, unflustered.
He'd probably read the flow of battle himself. Once he'd have blindly obeyed; Miron had grown.
I sent a slightly playful tone; Miron nodded gravely.
Smack!
While Miron whipped his and Luna's horses to accelerate, I veered slightly and slowed, widening the gap with them.
Naturally, the distance to the pursuing 7th Holy Knight Order shrank rapidly as I decelerated.
Thud!
Kicking off the galloping horse's back into a mighty leap, their gazes naturally followed upward.
"Arrogant cur! Think jumping airborne makes you safe? Fire!"
Pew pew pew pew!
Arrows nocked anew targeted me mid-air from drawn bowstrings.
From a moving horse, adjusting seamlessly to a suddenly shifting target—it was seamless.
Indeed, archery befitting the war ghosts of the 7th Holy Knight Order.
'But.'
Not quite Minerva-level, but without bow master realm, they couldn't scratch me.
"Hup!"
Woooom!
Iron Body activated with steady breath; aura-infused arrows clashed against it.
Ting ting ting ting ting!
Arrows ricocheted like beans in a frying pan; the 7th's eyes widened in shock.
As they bounced off—without even channeling aura—I felt the knights directly below staring up.
Yes, such a freak phenomenon without raised aura would baffle anyone.
But that brief daze seals your doom.
Whoosh!
Dropping faster than I'd risen, I slammed an iron heel into a knight's head at my landing spot.
Crack!
In full plate, it would have been metal-clanging thunder instead of bone-shattering dullness.
But lightly armored now, it was different.
And light armor meant—
'A situation utterly in my favor!'
I kicked the collapsing knight—head smashed by iron heel—onto his horse.
The steed, sensing the new rider, bucked briefly but soon submitted to my presence and galloped obediently.
Now amid the knight formation, I channeled energy into my right hand.
A small vortex swirled atop it, soon erupting into a massive storm sweeping ahead.
"Vortex!!"
Kaboom!
Aura and steel-blended slashing energy shredded the exposed backs of defenseless knights ahead.
"Gurk!"
"Arrrgh!"
Five knights failed to evade, torn apart by Vortex's fury.
"You bastard!"
Swoosh!
Startled by the sudden ambush only momentarily, sword strikes targeted my vitals from flanks and rear.
I body-blocked rear and left strikes, smoothly gripping the right knight's blade.
Yank!
"?!"
Pulling hard with blade seized, the knight—unprepared—stumbled forward.
Crack!
Right arm fixed on blade, left elbow-smash pulverized his shoulder.
"Ngh!"
A mere grunt despite shattered shoulder; I yanked him off his horse. Tumbling, he curled into a perfect roll.
As the right knight fell, the 7th reformed their charging line.
Adjusting path subtly, they'd encircled me.
Just five from a rear Vortex ambush.
And reorganizing to surround me in that brief moment of downing one—their agility was unreal.
The Empire's elite title was well-earned.
Clop clop.
From the airtight encirclement, one man stepped forward.
His garb much changed, but the face I knew: 7th Holy Knight Order Captain, Schuttat.
"Damnable wretch. You dare kill my men?"
"Well, I don't see why killing those trying to kill me deserves curses."
Mistaking my leisure for bravado? Schuttat's face, once murderous in pursuit, now relaxed.
"Blather on, scum. That bizarre power you used—definitely a Heterogenous Power, right?"
Shing!
Drawing his longsword, Schuttat assumed the Empire's knight sword stance.
"Defying the Lord's will wasn't enough; wielding filthy, heretical power too. For that sin alone, you won't live. Repent in death."
Schuttat's killing intent made grasses and trees tremble in fear.
Shing!
At his cue, ninety encircling Holy Knights drew swords in unison.
"Abandon futile resistance and accept your end. Even if the heavens split, you won't best our order."
He was right.
Even irregular Vortex ambush killed fewer than ten elites.
Fighting solo like this, I'd drop maybe thirty—no, twenty—before burying my bones in these cold foothills.
Yes.
If I were truly 'alone.'
"Lucky for me."
"What?"
"Your Empire's horses are top-grade. Thanks to them, we made it here in short time."
"What nonsense!"
Schuttat's face twisted at my cryptic words.
But soon, he grasped the meaning.
"You're right, Schuttat. Alone, I'd never beat you."
Rumble rumble rumble!
The lightly shaking foliage erupted like an earthquake.
"Seems you've made a huge mistake, so let me correct you."
Suddenly!
The wild shaking stilled; familiar faces emerged from the greenery.
"I never planned to fight alone from the start."