Chapter 127
Chapter 127
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: Jewel in the Palm
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"Our strategy is not to annihilate the enemy."
Bind the enemy's feet and keep them from moving for as long as possible.
The center of the Blade Canyon they were currently passing through would bring cold air down from the north when the sun set, creating a biting wind that sliced at the flesh like a blade.
"I'll handle the enemy commander, so please block both sides of the canyon and sow confusion among the enemy."
I turned my head and looked at Bess.
"The front will be covered by Sister Valentine's Moonlight Knights, so Bess, move to the rear and deal with the mercenaries."
Bess pointed at the soldier figurines placed on the map of Blade Canyon with his finger and asked me.
"If we can prevent a battle from breaking out, can we just send them back?"
"That would be ideal. But do you think they'll come all this way just to turn around?"
"I think I can make that happen."
"How?"
Bess called forward the knight Juliana, who had been standing blankly behind him, and continued.
"If I bring my adjutant Juliana, it should be more than enough."
"Juliana?"
"Yes. Using her ability, we can easily force the mercenaries to retreat."
"What ability is that?"
A single demonstration is worth a hundred words. With that in mind, Bess ordered Juliana to use her ability.
Smoothly—
She neither summoned her Guardian Spirit nor altered her Aura. She simply looked at me and blinked once.
'Oh ho.'
A jolt like electricity shot through my body as I faced her. Those pitch-black eyes must hold some special power.
That was my thought.
Because in my previous life, I'd heard about her ability. It was a power possessed by one of the northern minority ethnic groups, as I recalled.
"Impressive. My whole body is tingling like I've come face-to-face with a dragon."
Juliana shyly lowered her head and replied.
"A dragon? That's too much praise."
"How long can you maintain that power?"
"Shortest is ten seconds, longest about a minute."
So it can't be sustained for long. It's only suitable for instantly beheading the commander or issuing a warning to the enemy.
"Then let's do it like this."
I pointed to the enemy forces on the map and continued.
"The mercenaries will likely keep following behind Fenrir, just as Bess reported."
This was to synchronize the movement speeds of the different units. Magicians skilled in individual combat don't know how to command knight orders, so they'll just take the lead and have the rest follow.
"Sister Valentine will seal the front of the canyon."
I then drew my finger behind Fenrir on the map.
"Bess, cut their waist."
Bess tilted his head.
"Their waist?"
"Yes. They'll definitely rest before exiting the canyon. Before entering the jungle where the river narrows, they'll let Fenrir drink."
"Ah—"
"Then we strike at that moment, pouring rocks from the cliffs above, and Bess and Juliana send the mercenaries behind the severed waist packing."
Bess nodded as if he understood my plan.
"Why block the road with rocks? The Glazer magicians know levitation spells anyway."
"It's not for the magicians. It's to instill psychological unease in the mercenaries."
"Psychological unease?"
"Yes. They're mercenaries hastily assembled through the Adventurer's Guild. There surely won't be an experienced commander capable of controlling the entire unit."
"...You're right."
"If we block their line of sight so they can't see the magicians—who are like their hosts—they'll flounder like headless snakes."
"Ah!"
"Once that's done, even after Juliana's ability fades, their will to charge us will break, letting us execute the plan even faster."
I gave Juliana a small smile.
"And you're the key to this operation. Can you do it, Juliana?"
Juliana stammered in flustered panic before quickly nodding.
Bess lightly patted her head, finding her reaction cute, and answered in her stead.
"She can."
"Then that's the rear settled."
I turned my gaze to Sister Valentine.
"Sister, can you make Fenrir rampage, like you mentioned earlier?"
Valentine shrugged her shoulders.
"Not hard."
"Then when Bess cuts their waist and I go out to face the commander, I'll leave Fenrir to you."
"Got it. But if Fenrir rampages, I won't be able to control it either—not just the enemy. That okay?"
"Fine. This operation is all about a quick hit to bind their feet and withdraw anyway."
Rumble!
Rocks began pouring down from the cliff above. They piled up behind Fenrir, blocking the path, instantly severing the line of sight between the leading magicians and the trailing mercenaries.
'Success.'
I curled the corner of my mouth in a mocking smirk at Edward.
"What now? The mercenaries you worked so hard to gather are useless."
Edward glanced at the piled-up rocks nonchalantly before charging at me.
Pop!
"They were just trash I brought along as shields anyway."
Calling his own soldiers trash.
I hadn't faced him in my previous life, so I didn't know, but he must be the same type as Hysteria.
"Fun."
Clang!
My blade clashed with his steel arm and began to freeze.
Crunch.
'Oh ho.'
He showed no sign of chanting a spell, yet he wielded magic of such high caliber that my blade froze in an instant.
'And.'
What was that arm, so tough I couldn't cleave it with my sword?
"Alchemy?"
Edward shrugged at my question.
"Quick on the uptake."
"Plus, casting magic without chanting suggests you've drawn spell circles in the palm of your hand."
His real body probably can't use mana, so the steel arm must be pre-enchanted to deploy spells on command.
"Am I wrong?"
Edward didn't answer and instead chanted a spell at my face with his other hand.
"Fireball."
Boom!
Flames exploded at my face.
'No.'
To be precise, the fireball he'd launched spun rapidly right in front of my face before being blocked by mana and detonating in midair.
Haze—
As the smoke cleared, Edward furrowed his brow deeply.
"...How did you block it?"
I infused my sword with Aura, shattering the frozen blade.
Crunch.
I sheathed the sword behind my back and assumed a stance ready to charge at any moment before answering him.
"Figure it out yourself."
Edward curled the corner of his mouth.
"You're right. This is fun. Fun."
"What is?"
"What else? This fight."
Powerful mana began flowing from his body. It exuded an endless, ferocious momentum that could rival my Aura.
Haze—
'Indeed.'
There was a reason my father in his previous life had forced a pretext for war with the Glazers and hastily killed this guy before I could grow.
'Amazing.'
His growth speed was far faster than I'd imagined. In terms of talent for handling ki and explosive growth potential alone, he could rival my previous life as the Sword King.
'But.'
Not yet.
He couldn't beat me right now.
Maybe the me before meeting Timeless, but against the me approaching the era when I was called the Sword King? Insufficient.
"Uwaaa!"
Edward roared as he charged. His steel arm unleashed ice-attribute spells while the other spat fire-attribute spells.
Ice and fire raged from all directions, swirling with explosions as if to devour me.
Boom! Kwang! Kwaaang!
"Why do you only run, Berddin!"
He pressed on relentlessly with a mad expression. Each time, I countered the magic with Aura-infused sword strikes or dodged by reading his movements in advance, maintaining distance.
'Crazy bastard.'
The ice magic could split cliffs on a mere graze, and the fire magic reduced rocks to grains of sand upon exploding.
'How could I not block or dodge?'
If I didn't want to die, that is.
'Good thing, really.'
If I hadn't met Timeless, I never would've stood a chance.
I hadn't expected Edward to be this strong.
Because I'd assumed I'd win no matter what happened.
'...Enough.'
Time to end it.
We'd bought plenty of time.
Whoosh!
A gale swept through Blade Canyon.
On that signal, Valentine and the Moonlight Knights, who had been hiding ahead, revealed themselves.
Thud thud thud thud!
Dozens of knights wielding tower shields large enough to cover their entire bodies and swords as long as spears blocked the path.
"Form the wall."
At Valentine's low, gravelly command, the Moonlight Knights lined up with shields forward.
Clank, clank clank!
Their silver square shields aligned in a row looked just like a castle wall.
"Aura release."
With each word from her,
the knights echoed in unison.
"Aura release!"
The Moonlight Knights released their Aura. At the same moment, the shields began to glow. The magicians supporting Edward tried to intervene belatedly, but
"Scram, you vermin."
they couldn't recklessly charge at Valentine's appearance.
-Cawww!
Hundreds of crows took to the air from all directions, darting through the canyon and disrupting the magicians' spell chants.
"I'll handle Fenrir, so hold position and make sure the magicians can't escape!"
The Moonlight Knights roared in response.
"Yes, Lady Valentine!"
"Yes, Lady Valentine!"
The Glazers are no pushovers.
Even Roys couldn't settle things with Hagen alive—his movements were unpredictable far too often.
"Let's go."
Hagen's unit, having infiltrated to the heart of the south, arrived at Strange Castle.
Twenty men—not too many, not too few. Excluding five magicians, the rest were scribes and porters.
Their plan was probably to divert attention with a declaration of war pretext, ensuring Edward's safe arrival in the south.
But what he thought was a clever stroke produced the most absurd result.
Crack!
A silver mace smashed down on Hagen's skull.
"Where the fuck do you think you are, crawling in here, you bastard!"
Of all times, he'd come when Rox—who knew nothing of noble etiquette or morals—was guarding the castle.
"You wanna die? For real."