Chapter 89: Time of Purification (3)
Chapter 89: Time of Purification (3)
Moving from the Wandering Castle to North Fork had been arduous, but the reverse was easy.
"Scouts watching for monster attacks are enough. There is no need to range far just to find the way."
Eugene gave the order to the Black Hand Tribe scouts drawn up before him.
"Are you sure? One wrong turn in this barren land and it's hard to recover."
Rex gazed at the horizon with concern. As nomads, this was the kind of terrain they disliked most.
There was nothing to use as a landmark, and the swirling sand-laden wind made it an easy place to get lost.
There were not even any water sources. One mistake could make an army collapse like a sandcastle without fighting a single battle.
"I could find the castle with my eyes closed and my ears plugged. Just keep heading straight that way."
Eugene calmly pointed in a single direction.
"All we see is the same wasteland in every direction."
"May I ask how you can be so certain?"
The clan scouts asked cautiously.
It was not because they distrusted Eugene. Their question came from anticipation about the fateful bond between him and the Wandering Castle.
"It's like a dream. You've probably all walked through distant foreign lands, swum in the sea, or looked down on the world from a mountaintop in your dreams."
"Certainly. I've even flown through the sky like a bird."
The clan scouts chuckled and each chimed in with a story. With entertainment scarce, dreams were excellent amusement and conversation material for people of this era.
"What happens when you wake?"
"You'd open your eyes in bed, of course."
"That is the relationship between the castle and me. No matter how far away I'm wandering in a dream, when I wake, the soul returns to the body lying in bed. In the same way, I can always tell where the castle is."
One soul, two bodies.
Just as a compass always pointed north, Eugene could clearly sense the Wandering Castle.
"Indeed!"
"That is remarkable."
They were warriors who knew nothing of magic, but they seemed to understand the bond between Eugene and the castle well enough. They rejoiced that their faith had been correct.
Rex watched them with satisfaction and spoke.
"Since the castle appeared, the factions that wanted to search for cities or unexplored territory have shrunk dramatically. More than half the clan now thinks as we do."
Until just a year ago, only a handful had believed the Wandering Castle was the Cradle. Even Rex himself had not believed it.
"That's tremendous progress."
"After seeing that castle, they can't help but change—whether they feel a fated pull or simply mistake their desire to possess it for one."
It had not been only human nobles who stared up at the castle on the Rostock Plains, burning with the desire to explore and conquer it.
The Wandering Castle itself gave off the scent of treasure, captivating those who saw it and setting their desires ablaze.
At that moment, a messenger arrived from those Eugene had sent ahead on a special mission.
"Sir Knight, we found the marked trees you mentioned and fulfilled the oath."
"Well done."
They had found the two trees that had helped Eugene, Varda, and Homi.
They dug around the roots without damaging them, filled the soil with rich earth and fertilizer, and gave the trees more than ten times as much water as Eugene's party had received.
The landscaper who went with them removed dead branches, while the laborers carefully exterminated parasitic pests.
Having heard the detailed explanation, Varda let out a sigh.
"Is that enough now?"
"Yes. You can sleep easy starting tonight."
"I am still a little worried. What if something was lacking, or they tended the wrong trees? If I had my way, I would check them myself."
Eugene worried that Varda might suffer the consequences of breaking her oath. If things had not been so hectic, he would have gone to check in person.
"Surely your subordinates wouldn't handle your orders carelessly. If you're still worried, we can check again after this operation."
"Still, the oath was sworn on Varda-nim's name..."
"A mage's oath is troublesome, but convenient in some ways. When the bargain is with something without a soul, like this time, my own conscience determines whether I have fulfilled it. As long as my conscience is clear, a delay in carrying out the promise does not harm my magic."
Of course, that did not mean Varda took promises lightly.
With his mind much more at ease, Eugene surveyed the marching troops.
Human heavy infantry marching from respect for their employer, hopes of profit, and a thirst for adventure.
Dark-elf warriors burning with a sense of duty toward the future of their clan.
The Hammer Brotherhood, marching silently with a professional spirit forged by characteristic dwarven stubbornness.
Their motivations differed, but morale was high throughout the army.
Eugene spoke especially often with the newly joined dwarves.
"I've heard much about you, Sir Knight, from Torim."
The centurion was called Rampage. The fact that he went by a nickname suggested a mercenary with a story behind him.
Unusually tall for a dwarf, he had smashed countless shields and enemies with a two-handed warhammer over a meter long.
The nickname "Rampage" was simply praise for his fighting ability. His personality was that of a typical dwarf warrior: loyal to his employer.
"You know Torim?"
"We're from the same homeland. We both ran away for our own reasons, though."
Rampage mimed gripping something and pounding it forward.
"He was obsessed with battering rams, and thanks to you, Sir Knight, he finally got his wish. I'd never seen him laugh with such relief before."
Eugene had come to value the Black Hand Tribe's skirmishing ability highly, but dwarves were still the pinnacle of the mercenary profession.
Unlike humans, who often thought first of fleeing when things went wrong, dwarves regarded never retreating from battle as a basic principle. Nor did they cause friction with employers or other units the way dark elves or centaurs sometimes did.
Solid in both attack and defense and skilled at fortification and repairs, they were versatile warriors sought after by every noble.
"I never thought I'd see our hammers shining silver."
Rampage's hammer and those of the veterans had been silver-plated at a North Fork smithy.
"As I said when we signed the contract, most of the enemies we'll face will be undead or something similar. Smashing them with those hammers should be quite a sight."
"I just hope they're a little tougher than skeletons."
The force was so formidable that lesser monsters did not dare attack.
As they marched straight across the wasteland, the mercenaries eventually stopped chatting.
"T-that!"
A hazy shape began to emerge on the horizon. Its enormous silhouette, impossible for even the sandstorm to hide, drew every eye as if by magic.
"It looks even more like a ship from a distance."
"Right? Was the ark the priest told us about something like that?"
The majestic Ancient Kingdom stonework was imposing enough on its own, but the wasteland made the sight even more striking.
A castle standing like a mirage where no castle had any right to exist—that was what seized their hearts. 'It truly is a magic castle.'
"By my beard, I've never seen a castle that looked more solid than this."
"How in the world did the ancients build such a thing?"
The immortal structures left by the Ancient Kingdom held special meaning for dwarves, natural-born architects. A relic on the scale of the Wandering Castle deserved to be called a holy site.
The enormous gate stood firmly closed. As Eugene rode toward it alone, everyone watched with wide eyes.
When Eugene extended his hand, the gate answered.
CLUNK.
The massive gate that had refused to budge despite every challenger in Rostock swung wide open. Its interior, hidden for so long it had passed into legend, was revealed to everyone.
Gulp.
At the sight, Rex and the clan warriors felt their hearts race even though the battle had not begun.
"Shield-bearers and pikemen, forward."
At Eugene's command, the heavy infantry stepped forward.
Following their training, the shield-bearers formed a wall at the front while those carrying silver-plated pikes took position behind them.
The dwarves readied their hammers, prepared to rush to any breach and smash monster skulls.
The clan archers gripped their quivers full of silver arrows and steeled themselves for battle.
The moment they stepped inside the Wandering Castle, everyone felt the change in the air.
The wasteland's dry, dusty smell vanished, replaced by clean air at a pleasantly cool temperature and humidity.
"A ventilation system?"
"But there are no operating sounds or fan blades."
The dwarves, well versed in engineering, looked around and whispered among themselves.
"This is the work of magic."
Marbas sensed the mystic energy flowing through the castle walls and explained it to them.
"This really is a living building. It's on an entirely different level from seeing it outside. This vitality, this warmth, this mystery... At last, my lifelong wish is coming true."
Marbas's eyes glistened with tears. Thirty years had passed since he first stepped into the mysteries of other worlds. He had finally arrived at the banquet hall that had been sending him invitations all those years.
"Take care not to damage the lights during battle."
Rows of magical lights lined the ceiling above Eugene. Their clean white glow, beyond comparison with torches or candles, brightly illuminated the castle interior.
"Understood."
"We will treat them as more precious than our own lives."
"Easy. You don't need to go that far."
Eugene smiled wryly at the clan warriors' resolute response.
But they were serious. Those lights would be a second sun, serving as the eyes of their clan for generations to come.
They were lamps for the clan elders whose eyesight was fading and for all the children yet to be born.
The hall beyond the gate was so vast that it could hold the entire army with room to spare.
Everyone tensed when they noticed bloodstains and signs of battle scattered across the floor.
"As you heard in the briefing, these signs of battle were left when the monsters of the Demon Forest were released inside."
Eugene entered on horseback, carrying his flail for the first time in a while.
Riding through his formation and swinging the flail was the best way to reinforce whichever part of the line needed help at a given moment.
JINGLE.
The mercenaries in the front ranks relaxed at the familiar sound of chains above their heads.
"It's reassuring to have Sir Knight behind us."
"When we hear that sound, it feels like we can't lose, no matter the battle."
The mercenaries spoke without taking their eyes off the front.
Eugene's flail had also been silver-plated. Its three vicious mace heads gleamed silver, a sight like calamity itself to every evil creature in the world.
"Everyone, stay sharp. During my escape, the unwanted guests in the castle chased me all the way to this hall. Even if you cannot see anything now, battle will not be far off."
The door had been shut in time, allowing only Eugene's party to escape. But the creatures were surely waiting not far from the hall.
"SKREEE—!"
As if in answer, a hideous shriek rang out. From beyond the hall came the stench of rot and something darker still—a wave of malevolent energy.
One of the mercenaries, seeing the enemies they would have to fight, murmured without thinking.
"Demons."
Even veteran mercenaries with extensive experience fighting monsters found their voices trembling before enemies none had ever seen.
They walked on two legs but, unlike most monsters, had no body hair. Their skin looked like the gnarled bark of an ancient tree from an old witch's hut.
Skull-like faces, eyes glittering with malice, and chaotic rows of teeth that seemed made not for eating but for inflicting pain.
"Oh, God."
Boundless malice. If a race of flesh and bone could be molded from that one ingredient alone, it would look like this.
When such demons died and rose as wights, they became several times more revolting.
"Get a grip! Demons, my ass—they're already dead, aren't they? They're softer, weaker, and stupider than they were alive."
At the bellowing reprimand from the dwarf centurion Rampage, the human heavy infantry tightened their grips on their weapons and shields.
They were ashamed of having been intimidated even for a moment. As members of such a powerful force, what did they have to fear?
'Dwarves, all right.'
Eugene marveled at the stalwart warriors, utterly unshaken.
There was a reason the dwarves were acknowledged as the sole infantry capable of withstanding a knightly charge.
"My refuge, my other half."
As if answering Eugene, a spiritual resonance spread through the entire castle.
Even ordinary warriors who knew nothing of magic could sense welcome and joy within that inexplicable resonance.
"Spread our scent. Draw out the vermin infesting every corner within you."
At that moment, the dwarves sensed through their beards that the direction of the air in the hall had changed.
Marbas and Varda also sensed the mystic energy flowing like a river through the inner walls being blocked in some places and opened in others.
"Truly, he is the master of the castle."
The dwarves and Marbas gazed at Eugene with reverence.
They had seen lords sit on thrones and arrogantly look down upon everyone around them. In that moment, all of those lords seemed insignificant.
To communicate directly with the castle and control even the flow of air with a word—this was the true power of a castle lord.
"Grrrrr—."
"Krrrk—."
The wights gathering beyond the hall included several kinds of demon, among them imps.
There were also suits of living armor possessed by the vengeful spirits of ancients who had died in the castle, along with evil spirits drifting through the air as hazy shapes.
Undead were not the only enemies Eugene's army would face. Living monsters were mixed among them too.
"Grrrrr-."
A ghoul born from a womb of demon and monster corpses salivated at the smell of fresh meat.
'It's about time to start the fight.'
Eugene hefted his spear.
To bring out the full strength of the army he had led here, they needed to form up in a wide space like this hall.
Defeating the enemy piecemeal was attractive, but Eugene had a reason for deliberately luring them out with the castle's ventilation system.
Even so, letting too many gather at once would be a problem. It was time to clean some of them out.
WHOOSH!
The javelin, hurled with tremendous force, skewered two wights at the front together and knocked them down.
The taut thread of tension snapped.
"Kraaaaaa-!"
At the ghoul's roar, hundreds of evil monsters surged toward Eugene's army.
THUD!
Dozens of large shields slammed into the floor and locked firmly in place.
The silver pikes that had been pointing toward the ceiling dropped in unison, leveling forward.
"No retreat! Drive these evil beings from the world!"
"This is our chance to add our names to the great battles of our ancestors!"
The Hammer Brotherhood raised their weapons in a single motion.
Blessed by God, dwarves were born with an innate resistance to evil. Demons crawling up from hell inspired greater fighting spirit rather than fear.
This was one of the reasons Eugene had brought them to this battle.
"Every member of our clan who was not here will envy us forever."
All the tribal warriors, including Rex, nocked silver arrows to their bowstrings.
Rattle, rattle.
Everyone stood ready to fight bravely, but here and there spear points and arrowheads still trembled.
It was only human nature to fear demons instinctively.
"..."
As Homi nocked a silver arrow, she felt a tingling in her heart.
The blood of battle running through her stirred an instinct that told her she had something else to do. For beastkin, following instinct came easily.
AWOOOOOO!
Homi's battle cry rang through the castle.
A clear resonance seemed to pass through armor and skin and straight through every soul.
"...!"
"...!"
The trembling spear points and arrowheads steadied at once.
It was the moment warriors of different races, lives, and ways of thinking became one united army.
FLASH!
Had the castle also rejoiced at the moment of destiny it had awaited for countless ages?
As if wishing the warriors good fortune in battle, the lights behind them blazed with powerful radiance.
"SKREEE—?!"
The charging ghoul shrieked when the light struck its eyes, and even the pain-insensitive wights stumbled.
Though the battle was taking place inside the castle, the warriors felt as though they were defending a fortress from behind its walls.
They all realized that the protection of the living castle was with them.
"For victory!"
That realization swept away even the last speck of anxiety remaining in the warriors' hearts.