Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: The Strongest Survive
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The Union team crouched low on the hill, looking down.
Below them, in a desolate, grassless wasteland, a building of crudely stacked rocks was built into the face of a stone cliff.
Despite its crude construction, it was quite large.
About the size of five or six decent houses combined.
There were quite a few men who looked like Libertha members around it. Too many to count at a glance.
"More than I expected."
"They must have sent their main force away, but it looks like they couldn't leave this place completely empty."
"If the security is this tight outside, I can't imagine what it's like inside."
"We can't just attack recklessly. The safety of the children inside isn't guaranteed..."
Loan nodded in agreement with the opinions shared by the senior members of the Stability Division.
The problem was that the distance was too great for even Loan to get a clear look inside the building.
Commander Hans drew everyone's attention and spoke.
"The ones inside are more of a problem than the ones outside. We can't let them feel threatened, so it would be best for a small group to provoke them and draw them out."
The idea was to pull them all outside first. It made sense.
Loan cautiously raised his hand.
"If it's a provocation, I think Lucas and I would be a good fit. Since we're young, they'll likely let their guard down."
He remembered the whispers about them back at the diner.
And the attitude of the Libertha men in the bridge district.
After all, though Loan and Lucas wore Union uniforms, they still had the distinct air of boys.
Hans didn't disagree.
"That's true, but I can't allow it. It would be like we brought you two along just to use you as shields."
"It's fine. I was taught that the Faith Division is the vanguard of the Union. The same applies now. We're just trying to do our part."
"..."
Hans couldn't immediately refute Loan's response.
This time, Lucas added his own thoughts.
"We can't just make them let their guard down. We need to inflict some real damage while still making them feel like they have a fighting chance. And if we can make them want revenge, even better."
With that, he pulled a handful of something from his pocket. They were the buckles used to fasten the Libertha's mufflers.
"They belong to the guys we caught on the way here. I collected them as trophies, but I think they'll be useful for pissing them off."
Loan was both proud and surprised to see Lucas using his head for once.
Then he noticed Lucas's gaze fixed on someone and was dumbfounded.
‘Is he doing this to look good for Angie?’
He had, after all, swung his sword with extra vigor in front of Sienna before.
He was the type to get a surge of strength or a burst of cleverness when a girl he liked was watching.
Loan was both amused and intrigued by this new side of his old friend.
Of course, the person in question, Angie, seemed burdened by the attention and hid behind another senior Runner.
Hans spoke.
"That buckle plan doesn't sound bad. But not just the two of you. Too few people will make them suspicious. Let's add two members from the Stability Division."
A young male and female Runner were added to the advance team.
"I'm Nikos."
"And I'm Belle."
Angie, who wasn't chosen due to her lack of experience, was both disappointed and relieved.
Lucas seemed relieved that Angie was in a safe place. She could still witness his heroics from here, after all.
Nikos, who was leading the team, spoke to Hans.
"We'll head down now."
"We'll be watching and will join you right away. Don't be too hasty."
They made their way down and around the hill.
Lucas asked.
"Do you two in the Stability Division use offensive magic?"
"Holy magic has no external offensive properties. So we mainly use our bodies. You could say we channel divine power into our fists and feet."
As he spoke, he casually raised a fist, revealing a silver knuckle duster inscribed with ancient words.
It was a magic tool that shimmered with a blue haze.
"So you're more like martial artists."
"If you had to categorize us, yes, you could say that."
"Loan's pretty good with his fists, too. He beat the Crown Prince in a sparring match recently. He used magic too, of course."
"Oh, did he? That's impressive. I heard the Crown Prince is quite skilled in hand-to-hand combat."
When Belle showed interest, Lucas glanced at Loan and winked.
Loan didn't know what it meant, but if he had to guess, it was probably a clumsy attempt to set him up with Belle.
Loan let out a long sigh but didn't say anything to Lucas.
Lucas was incredibly hyped up right now because Angie was watching from above.
He was the type to perform above and beyond his usual abilities when he wanted to impress someone, adding to his natural spirit and boldness. It seemed best to just let him be.
They walked until they were on level ground with the enemy.
Hiding behind a small rock, Nikos raised a fist.
"Careful."
As they got closer, Loan could begin to faintly see the mana inside the building.
There were quite a lot of people inside.
What was strange was that while the concentration of turbid mana was high, the vessels containing it were small, meaning the targets themselves were small.
‘Are they all just children...?’
If that was confirmed, it seemed better to just subdue the ones outside all at once.
Loan spoke.
"I don't think we'll need to draw them out."
And then he immediately summoned Aul.
"Aul?"
"Yeah. That thing inside."
The wide eyes of the Stability Division members grew wider when Aul opened its mouth wide, and wider still when Loan stuck his hand inside and rummaged around.
Finally, he pulled his hand out. A vortex of dust swirled above his palm.
A mass of mana with the properties of earth.
‘This should be good.’
The air was too dry to easily create a destructive water cloud, and a spell cast from a fire cloud seemed too noisy for the situation.
So he had chosen the element best suited for the current environment.
‘They're too spread out. How can I use this?’
After a moment of thought, Loan's eyes met Lucas's.
Lucas, eager to show his skills to Angie, had a sparkle in his eyes.
It was as if he were asking Loan to help him do something cool.
"Lucas. Can you gather them all a little closer, even the ones far away? Without making a commotion, but drawing their attention and buying some time."
"Hmm... I can do that. Right now?"
"Yes."
Lucas peeked his head out from behind the rock and threw a buckle at the man farthest away. He did this several times.
The men picked up the buckles that had landed at their feet, looking for the source.
After a brief nod to the Stability Division members, Lucas stepped out into the open.
Then, as if to ensure he was seen well from both the front and above, he drew his claymore and began a sword dance.
Whoosh—whooosh—
The massive sword drew smooth arcs, scattering the intense afternoon sunlight in every direction.
Dust kicked up from the ground, only to be scattered by the wind pressure.
Like a male bird with brilliant plumage performing a passionate courtship dance for a female, it was a display so beautiful and full of bold spirit that it captured the attention of friend and foe alike.
Thud—thud.
It was highly effective.
The men slowly drew their swords and began to approach Lucas, forming an encirclement. They made no sound, trying not to alert the focused Lucas.
Watching them, Loan borrowed the power of the mana mass, broke the Convection into fine pieces, and created dozens of Narrow Paths.
Then, like the roots of a tree, he began to extend the tendrils of mana beneath their feet.
Sixteen in total. After staining the ground beneath the Libertha members a deep, earthy color, Loan.
"Thorn Bones."
...merely whispered the image that came to his mind.
Pshuk!
Gack!
Sharp stone pillars erupted from the ground, impaling the Libertha men in a single blow.
A sudden, fatal attack that left them no time to even scream.
For those who didn't die instantly, Lucas's claymore quickly found them.
By the time Loan approached, no one was left breathing.
There was no stir from inside the building either.
Lucas asked.
"How was I?"
"You did great. It was cool."
"You think Angie thought so too?"
"I'm sure she did."
With a satisfied expression, Lucas said magnanimously to Loan.
"Your magic was awesome, too."
"Well, of course."
Loan shrugged.
Just then, Nikos and Belle came over.
They both wore dazed expressions, which had surely been looks of pure shock just moments before.
"Are you two... really from the Faith Division?"
"I've never seen anything like this, so I don't know what to say..."
The reactions from the others who came down after them were much the same.
Hans calmed everyone down.
"Let's deal with the situation inside first, shall we? We can exchange pleasantries later."
His expression looked quite grave.
For some reason, Loan felt like he knew the meaning behind that expression.
‘Can Commander Hans see mana, too?’
The inside of the building was no different from when they first arrived.
He'd thought it was quiet because there had been no major disturbance outside, but as he got closer, he could feel a sort of tense standoff concentrated within.
Hans gave a nod to the group and began to walk to one side.
Not to the nearest door, but one on the side.
Even Loan would have chosen that door, where no one was.
‘He can see mana, just as I thought.’
Could this incomprehensible divine power be the same as the special ability he possessed?
If so, was his ability also a gift from a god?
As he was thinking, the door opened.
Creeaak—
The sound of dry hinges was swallowed by the wind and quickly vanished. No particular presence was felt from inside.
Led by Hans and Loan, the Stability Division members filed inside. Lucas made a point of walking in front of Angie.
"Nikos, Loan."
Hans called their names and gestured to the left and right.
He meant for them to check the rooms lining both sides of the hallway.
All the doors were open.
Were they dormitories? The small, barren interiors contained nothing but shabby beds.
Loan checked a room, then came out and shook his head. Nikos did the same.
The subsequent rooms were also empty.
Instead, a child lay fallen in the hallway up ahead.
He couldn't have been more than ten.
The sight of a dagger plunged into his chest made Loan's heart ache.
The strange thing was that the dead child was also clutching a dagger in his hand.
A sense of foreboding washed over him, and it soon became reality.
The number of children's bodies grew.
All of them were holding similar weapons.
And finally, at the end of the corridor.
In a hall-like space built against the cliff face, a dozen or so children stood in a standoff, weapons in hand.
They were all around the same age, between six or seven and ten. Every one of them was covered in blood.
"Ah..."
Someone let out a sound that was close to a lament.
The children had been killing each other.
And now, none of them could make a move, each warily watching the others.
Loan, too, let out a long breath.
He didn't know the reason, but he could guess.
In the children's appearance—like little beasts, devoid of any discernible reason—Loan sensed the traces of Le Tell.
Did they order them to kill each other?
Was it to turn the survivors into Libertha's loyal hounds?
Or was it a simple experiment?
‘It doesn't matter either way.’
Without realizing it, his heart began to pound violently. The Convection hardened along with it.
Just as his rage was unconsciously shaping into an incantation.
Hans spoke.
"We will not kill a single one. Disarm and restrain them all."
Nine members of the Stability Division shot forward as if gliding.