Chapter 71
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Frozen Blood (4)
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"This is Cornick Fortress, right? I came here once before, following Lady Kaela."
He strode ahead with a smug look on his face.
"In a ruin like this?"
I attached a sphere of light to the front of Varkus's body. His path lit up thanks to it.
"This place was occupied by the Demon Emperor's army long ago. All the people and soldiers living here died overnight, and they say their screams echoed all the way to Flavia."
"A black dragon flew across the red sky, and the river below was dyed red with blood."
Varkus pressed on without hesitation, and we followed behind him.
"That was ages ago."
It happened during the Demon Emperor's reign.
What's more, I knew the truth.
It wasn't the Demon Emperor's 'army' that came here, and they didn't 'occupy' it.
A dragon might have flown overhead, but the screams wouldn't have reached Flavia.
The river... well, that probably was stained with blood.
"Lady Kaela's always been interested in ancient history. When we came to scout the place, we heard rumors of ghosts appearing here, but she was thrilled by it."
"Ghosts... Come to think of it, didn't the knights mention something like that earlier?"
Wedin's face paled as he brought up ghosts.
He'd always hated scary stories.
"They say the people who lost their lives overnight wander around as ghosts. Makes sense, I guess."
Varkus chuckled as he stepped into a dark, narrow corridor.
We wouldn't have found it if we didn't know the way—we'd have just passed it by.
At the end of the corridor was a weathered wooden door.
"Here."
Varkus kicked the door handle hard with his foot.
The rusted handle broke off, and the door creaked open.
Cold night air greeted us.
After being trapped underground amid all that dust, stepping outside felt like finally catching our breath.
"Much better out here."
I nodded at Varkus's words.
The door from the castle's underground led to the outskirts of the inner city.
The city was ruins too, but the air was far fresher than below.
An ancient silence hung ominously over the ruins of Cornick. Moonlight quietly illuminated the collapsed buildings and crumbled streets.
"We need to head that way."
Varkus pointed to a massive gate visible in the distance.
The castle's main gate towered above the rooftops of the ruined buildings. It was the only exit from Cornick Fortress.
"Gotta cross the whole city..."
Wedin swallowed a sigh.
We had to traverse ruins so treacherous even taking a single step was a challenge.
"Let's go."
Clemence gripped Wedin and me tightly.
"Varkus, please lead the way."
Varkus nodded and took the lead.
Clemence and Wedin followed him, while I brought up the rear, scanning our surroundings.
Moonlight overlooked the alleyways, so we didn't need extra light.
"So everyone who lived here just... died?"
Clemence shuddered as we passed a building reduced to ashes.
It had been a tavern long ago.
Everything combustible had turned to ash, leaving only the stone floor and decorations behind.
"Yeah. Lots of soldiers guarding the fortress and their families lived here."
"Then why leave it like this without rebuilding? It's been so long."
Varkus, walking ahead, shrugged.
"Maybe 'cause of the ghosts?"
Wedin said it, then shivered as goosebumps rose on his skin.
I let out a sigh.
"That's even more reason to rebuild it. Besides, this fortress is the first thing you hit after crossing the Quint Mountains."
"Weird thing is, after that day, the Demon Emperor's forces never attacked again. They just vanished."
Varkus added that, and Wedin shuddered, muttering that something was definitely up.
I gave up trying to argue.
The Demon Emperor's army never attacked the Lesion Kingdom again because they'd realized how infuriating it was to cross the Quint Mountains.
Once you got past the Quint Mountains and Cornick Fortress, Elgrace was just a straight shot with no obstacles.
'That's too easy.'
Berkis used to giggle and say that.
I shuddered at how vividly that voice still echoed in my mind.
Seeing me shrink, Wedin gave me a sympathetic look, as if to say, You’re scared of ghosts too, huh? It’s okay, and patted my shoulder.
"No, there’s no such thing as ghosts..."
Thud.
Just as I started to retort in exasperation, something dropped behind us.
We all whipped around at once.
We tried to play it cool, but our spines prickled anyway.
A section of the massive castle wall was crumbling bit by bit.
From within the collapsing wall, a gatra's elongated head poked out.
Then its sharp claws and short, thick arms gripped the wall and pushed outward.
Wedin and Clemence froze, holding their breath as they stared.
I yanked them into the shadow of a ruined building.
I couldn't tell if the gatra had spotted us yet, but we needed to slip away quietly and quickly.
"Varkus."
Varkus was gawking blankly up at the gatras.
I whispered his name and tugged at his sleeve.
A rumble echoed as the castle's ancient bricks crumbled and tumbled down.
Under the moonlight, two more gatras emerged behind the one exposing its upper body.
Varkus was still out in the open.
We'd get caught like this.
"Stay there and you're in danger. They'll spot us."
Urgently tugging his clothes again, Varkus turned to me calmly.
"Nah, it's fine. I called those guys."
"...What did you say?"
My mind went blank, like I'd been smacked in the head.
What did this guy just say? Who called the gatras?
"What do you mean..."
Footsteps from a group of people echoed nearby.
From across the plaza. The gatras' eerie cries followed in quick succession.
Bang! A massive door burst open as knights tangled with gatras spilled out.
"Your Grace! This way!"
"Hold them off!"
Duke Lesis and his family knights were fending off the gatra ambush as they escaped the castle.
About a dozen gatras scattered upon exiting the gate, trying to surround the knights.
The family knights numbered around the same, but several were wounded and couldn't swing their swords properly.
The duke was protected and unharmed, but this wasn't the situation he wanted.
Clemence, seeing it, collapsed and covered her mouth in shock.
The gatras' metallic screeches came from behind us too.
The three that had burst through the wall turned toward the commotion at the castle entrance and started moving.
"See? We're fine..."
Varkus didn't finish his casual remark.
One gatra opened its massive maw and charged straight at him.
The moment he widened his eyes, I yanked Varkus with all my strength.
The gatra that missed lowered its body and glared threateningly at us.
The other two stood beside it, poised to hunt their prey.
I hauled the pale-faced Varkus to his feet and reached for Wedin and Clemence.
"...Run. Now."
We bolted without catching our breath.
"Th-they're from a different pack, I guess!"
Even amid the pounding footsteps and crashing walls, Varkus spouted nonsense.
He bolted ahead faster than anyone.
I shoved Clemence and Wedin forward.
The three gatras doggedly pursued us through several alley turns.
If they closed the gap any further... I had to deal with them now.
"Clemence!"
Duke Lesis bellowed upon spotting us—spotting her.
We'd just reached the circular plaza.
Varkus halted in front of the shattered fountain, and the duke and his knights stopped on the opposite side.
To the left of the plaza yawned a deep pit in the ground. To the right, gatras—seeing everyone but themselves as prey—swarmed over alleys and buildings in pursuit.
"Get over here now, Clemence!"
The duke reached out to her.
His family knights were barely holding off the gatra onslaught, so safety wasn't guaranteed, but he stretched his hand out solely to save his daughter.
A second chance, in other words...
"G-go, Clemence."
I shoved her toward the duke.
She looked back at me in confusion.
The gatras were menacing, and the family knights' skills were underwhelming, but the duke would protect his friends.
"Wedin, you too. Varkus, run!"
Every time I glanced at Varkus, his claim of summoning the gatras echoed in my head, but I shoved it down for now.
We'd interrogate him after surviving and getting back to Flavia.
No point making enemies here.
I turned back toward the way we'd come.
Thud!
The three gatras pursuing us slammed hard into a building wall.
The old wall crumbled, and they tumbled to the ground, but they still bared their teeth at us.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
Wedin grabbed my clothes.
Seeing his face streaked with tension and fear made me chuckle despite myself.
"I'll show you a mage's way."
I pried Wedin's hand off and faced the three gatras.
No staff to boost control, but... I had to do it. I would.
I took a deep breath on the first step, drew in mana on the second, and felt it boiling up from my feet on the third.
That was enough.
Swinging my empty right hand, mana shot toward the lead gatra.
The red-tinged mana hit it and instantly turned the cold black blood swirling inside into red crystals.
Crack!
The red crystals pierced its thick hide and swelled in an instant.
The gatra collapsed with a twisted neck, unable to even scream. Black blood splattered everywhere.
Clemence let out a short scream behind me. Wedin and Varkus gasped.
No. Focus.
I gritted my teeth and concentrated on the spell.
I had to keep enough distance so the magic didn't consume anything but the gatra.
The other two were splattered with blood from the first.
After that, the process was out of my hands.
Like a plague, the red crystals spread from liquid to liquid, life to life, crystallizing everything.
Fresh red crystals erupted from the black blood on the two gatras, engulfing them in sharp spikes until they died.
"Wh-what the hell was that?"
Wedin stepped forward, face slack with shock. I flinched back a step.
"Don't come closer."
"Lib, your eyes..."
"G-go, now!"
I yelled, hastily releasing the spell. Wedin jolted back.
I couldn't face Clemence's ashen expression and turned away.
The crystals vanished cleanly upon release, leaving only the mangled gatra corpses behind.
As I drew in mana, I glanced down at the viscous circle of mana swirling at my feet.
The sensation of piercing the gatra's body flowed back through the mana I'd pulled in.
Screeeeech.
The gatras' eerie cries rang out in succession.
The ones the family knights had been holding off sensed the mana and turned toward me.
Just what I wanted.
I'd fully expected the gatras to swarm me once I used magic.
Deep breath. Focus again.
"Lib!"
I ignored Wedin's call and charged at the gatras.