Chapter 94
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: A Royal Mess
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1.
After a four-hour rest, Karrons party immediately headed south.
Now that the location had been narrowed down to the vicinity of the Southern Great Forest, finding the exact spot wasn't too difficult.
-To think I've been reduced to a common guide dog... You're the first master to ever use me this way, you bastard.
Have you had any masters besides the First Ancestor and me?
-Thats why I said youre the first.
Thanks to the excellent guidance of the guide known as Guillotine, Karrons party was able to advance toward their destination without wasting any time.
As they neared the Southern Great Forest, the trees grew taller the farther south they went.
Crackle.
...Whats wrong with these trees?
Leo frowned, looking down at the tree root he had just stepped on.
The trees crumbled like dust.
This place should have been brimming with green vitality, but the trees here were a murky black.
Karron answered Leos muttered question as if it were obvious.
Its a mana disease. It means theyve been contaminated by black magic. It also means were getting closer to the source.
Judging by the smell seeping into his nostrils, it wasn't just the trees that were rotting.
The stench of someones decaying corpse was mixed in as well.
Karron, shouldn't we rule out the possibility that the elves are completely unaware of this?
Rion said, fiddling with a blackened leaf.
The leaf turned to dust at her fingertips and scattered in the wind.
Karron nodded in agreement.
She was right.
If the contamination had progressed this far, the situation in the Southern Great Forest was likely no different.
This is a bit different from what Neria told me
Neria hadn't mentioned the contamination being this advanced.
There was no reason for her to hide it, so this corruption must have occurred recently.
Yes, youre right, sister.
Karron discarded his previous assessment and made a new one based on the changed circumstances.
The elf patrols will be on the move.
Elves were a species extremely exclusive toward humans.
Thus, the Southern Great Forest was a forbidden area for humanity.
In the first place, the forest itself did not accept humans.
The moment an unpermitted person set foot in the woods, the entire forest would transform into a deadly place.
Once the intruders were isolated, it was the elf patrols who took their lives.
Hunters who reaped the lives of trespassers.
The patrols were the primary military force representing the elves.
The Southern Great Forest must be contaminated as well
The three-way battle he had only imagined.
That scenario was now highly likely to occur.
What if the notoriously exclusive Holy Kingdom and the elves were to join the fray?
The situation would spiral out of control.
This was never a mission you and brother should have been sent on alone in the first place.
Karron unreservedly criticized the judgment of the family elders.
Every last bastard with black magic is insane. The only answer is to wipe them out on sight.
The monsters that appeared four years ago in the granary region west of the Leston Duchy.
And the black mage in Baron Bellus's territory.
And even the succubus that appeared in the imperial palace.
The signs had been there for quite some time.
Youll know once youve been on the receiving end. Ah, so these are the bastards wholl turn my life into a living hell.
Rion quietly studied Karrons face.
A deep hatred flowed from his eyes.
All blood relatives of the Leston Ducal Family harbored animosity toward black magic, but none like Karron.
However, Rion and Leo could fully empathize with his words.
The villages that the monsters had laid to waste.
Nothing remained in the places those creatures had swept through.
So Im going to kill them with my own hands.
A smile spread across Karrons lips.
Be it elves or fanatics, I have no intention of yielding this opportunity to anyone else.
With those words, Karron dashed forward.
Leo and Rion watched his retreating back, then met each others eyes.
...Should we request backup now, sister?
Our communications are down anyway. We cant just turn back after coming all this way.
No matter how I look at it, this isnt a problem the three of us no, the four of us can solve.
Just then, Utulla, who was standing beside them, pounded his chest.
We can do it! Leo Leston. Warriors are stronger together!
This is driving me crazy.
He had no idea what was going on inside that head of Karrons.
But Leo had no choice but to run after him without another word.
Karron was a madman, but he was a madman who got things done.
The only problem was that he always got things done in the loudest way possible.
It would surely be the same this time.
Pfft.
As Leo suddenly laughed, Rion asked him.
Whats so funny all of a sudden?
Its just starting to sink in that Karron is back.
Stirring up trouble, diving in without hesitation.
Wasnt all of this just so Karron?
For some reason, just looking at that back put Leos mind at ease.
And so, they began to run through the forest again in silence.
2.
Before long, Karrons party arrived at the source.
I wouldve found it even without you.
-I agree.
Karron said to Guillotine as he surveyed the state of the source.
The reek of blood filled the air.
Monsters roamed everywhere.
And above all.
You crazy son of a bitch.
A wall built of corpses.
Karron had been to his fair share of battlefields, but this scene alone evoked a visceral disgust.
And if even Karron felt that way
...Gods above.
How can someone wearing human skin do such a thing
Leo and Rion seemed to be in considerable shock, unable to speak easily.
But Karron didn't berate them for it.
Instead, he calmly examined the structure of the source.
A fortress built with a wall of corpses.
Not only were there monsters, but undead were also visible everywhere, and he could even identify a patchwork golem made of stitched-together bodies.
-The fortification is complete, master. It looks like it was built quite a while ago.
Guillotine remarked casually.
Still, I know what kind of bastard is behind this.
There was only one type of group that would commit such a filthy act.
A black mage.
Demons didn't make a show of displaying corpses like that.
And most importantly, the source was fully fortified.
Since a black mage could be considered a type of mage, they were extremely adept at building fortifications.
This ones on a different level from the guy we met in Baron Bellus's territory.
The black mage he had faced back then was 6th-circle.
Of course, even that had been dangerous enough for Sabina to cut him down herself.
But the one holed up in that fortress now seemed to be at least 7th-circle.
There was no other way to explain that staggering number of monsters and undead.
Looks like theyve been set up here for quite some time.
If the Keas Kingdom had been in a normal state, they wouldn't have dared to even think of pulling something like this.
No kingdom would stand by and watch a black mage build a fortress within its territory.
But the Keas Kingdom had exhausted a significant amount of its national power due to a long war.
A nation that couldn't even maintain public order properly had no chance of detecting a black mages plot.
...Sorry, Karron. You saw me in a sorry state.
While Karron was lost in thought, staring at the fortress, Rion, who had regained her composure, spoke in a small voice.
It's fine, sister. Are you feeling okay? People who see something like that for the first time usually throw up.
Im fine. But Leo is
...Ill tear those bastards to pieces.
Leo was still glaring at the gruesome structure without a word.
No matter how many different situations Leo had experienced on missions, this was likely the first time he had ever seen such a sight.
This was hell.
A living hell created by the vermin known as a black mage.
Karron spoke in a placid voice.
Think of it as getting your vaccinations early, brother. I have a feeling youll be seeing this kind of thing countless times from now on.
Karron gazed at the wall, his brow furrowed.
If they had arrived sooner, it might have been easier to conquer.
This wasn't the result of a day or two's delay.
If they had come at least two months earlier, before the fortification was complete, and torn it down, it wouldn't have been so difficult.
Now, what to do about that.
Break through with just the four of them?
That was insane. No, not insane, it was a suicide mission.
Even with Guillotines power, breaking through a fortress meticulously constructed by a black mage was impossible.
Besides, given Rion and Leos state, it was obvious they would collapse from exhaustion before they even breached the wall.
Infiltrating secretly was also out of the question.
The place was already fortified; an alarm spell was sure to go off the moment they set foot inside.
Is a direct approach the only way?
The method for taking down a mages fortress was simple.
Either bring in more mages, or bombard it with an overwhelming amount of gunpowder weapons.
At present, neither option was available to them.
Having reached that conclusion, Karron slowly nodded his head.
Change of plans.
He was scrapping the plan to break through the fortress with the four of them.
Well wait here.
They would wait here for those who would create a crack in that fortress.
And while they drew attention, he would enter the fortress and take the casters head.
Others take the risk, we take the reward. Everyone understand?
At those words, Utulla stomped his foot lightly, as if displeased.
I want to face them head-on, Karron Leston.
Isnt taking the enemy commanders head the greatest honor of all?
...Now that you mention it, thats true! Very well. I will follow your lead.
Utulla laughed heartily and sat down on the ground.
Leo and Rion did the same.
Leo, who had regained his composure, spoke with a nonchalant expression.
Wow, I was worried you were going to tell us to charge headfirst into that, Karron. So youre a madman who can still think, huh?
You dont have to hide your feelings. Your legs are shaking.
...Cant you just pretend you didnt see that?
Karron patted Leos back a couple of times in encouragement.
Then he turned his head to look at Rion.
Sister, if you have any good ideas, please feel free to share them anytime.
Rion gave a strained smile and shook her head.
Not at all. I agree with the plan. Theres no need for us to force our way in.
Excellent. Lets sit and rest for a bit.
It didnt seem like they would have to wait for very long.
3.
As Karron had predicted, it wasn't long before a certain faction began to approach the black mages fortress.
Whoooooosh-!
A tempestuous wind began to rise.
Cruuuumble-!
Something massive stirred from the enraged earth.
Fwoooosh-!
Flames danced in the sky.
Craaaash-!
A great torrent of water shot out from the forest and began to pound against the fortress wall without delay.
This is a bit unexpected.
Karron muttered as he got to his feet.
He had expected the fanatics from the Holy Kingdom to arrive first, but that wasn't the case.
Karron.
Rion called his name in a low voice.
Karron nodded in response.
Its elemental magic.
Magic in its purest, natural state, drawn from the power of spirits.
There was only one race in this world capable of using elemental magic on such a massive scale.
I didnt expect the elves to get here first.
Elves rarely ventured outside the Southern Great Forest. This was an extremely unusual event.
It seemed the black magic seeping from this place had thoroughly kicked the hornets nest.
Thwiiiip-!
An arrow shot out from the forest, piercing a monsters head, and massive elementals began to attack the fortress walls.
Soon after, elves mounted on white wolves emerged from between the trees.
Leo, who had been staring blankly at the scene, mumbled.
Do we even need to get involved?
There were at least five hundred elves.
The elemental magic they cast in succession was enough to inspire awe.
But hearing this, Karron snapped sharply at Leo.
Brother.
Yeah?
Why give something so delicious to someone else?
...A black mage isn't delicious, Karron.
Karron shook his head firmly at Leos words.
It is to me. Isnt that right, Guillotine?
-Now youre getting it. Thats the spirit.
Get ready to feast until you burst.
A chance to devour the black magic of a 7th-circle black mage.
Karron was not one to miss such an opportunity.