Chapter 248 : The Master of the Aurora

The third day of reconnaissance.

I came out beyond the barrier early, around sunrise.

"Hooo..."

My breath scattered hazily.

I chased away my sleepiness by taking in the chilly air from beyond the barrier.

At some point, I had gotten used to the chilly dawn air beyond the barrier.

I closed my eyes for a moment and repeated my deep breaths.

Then, when I stealthily opened my eyes...

I saw the owner of the white cloak, who was sluggishly moving over there.

It was the great black mage, Adrian, who was receiving all of Sherwood's support and expectations.

Actually, it was just my own expectation, and it was still too early to call him great.

But I called him that anyway.

If you ask why.

It's my business.

[Show-off.]

I looked at the sluggishly moving white cloak for a moment, then widened my view.

Then, his friends from the previous day came into view.

I had seen them before.

Their hideously shaped faces were quite endearing.

Thanks to the strong first impression, I couldn't forget them even if I wanted to.

Who could see their faces once and forget them?

As I was quietly admiring their unique and creative features...

"Hmm?"

I found some guys I had never seen before.

No, now that I looked, there were more than one or two guys I had never seen before.

The number of grotesque creatures had doubled from what I had seen the day before.

Thump, thump.

I walked toward them as if possessed.

Soon, Adrian, who had sensed my presence, turned around.

"Ah, Sir Ashuban! You're here."

"Sir Adrian. What is all this?"

"Haha, how could I just stand still when you're supporting me so much, Sir Ashuban? I, Adrian, have shown off my skills to the fullest."

The number of grotesque creatures, and their indescribable grotesqueness, had also developed one step further.

To become even more hideous than that? Was that even possible?

"Hahahat! What do you think, my masterpiece!"

I examined Adrian's face, who was laughing as if something was so funny.

There were dark shadows under his eyes.

"Hey. You black mage."

"Yes?"

"Don't tell me you were out here all night?"

"Hahahat! It's fine. I didn't freeze to death."

"No..."

I wondered if I had given him the cloak for nothing.

Regardless. Adrian was so excited that he began to explain his works.

Adrian pointed to a particularly hideous one among them.

"Do you see this one here?"

"...Unfortunately."

Was it because it was so ugly?

It was a creature wearing a mask made of the bones of some unknown beast, and its hideous beauty could be glimpsed through a slightly cracked crevice.

And that wasn't all.

All sorts of unidentifiable bones were stuck all over its body.

It looked as if the remnants of a full-body armor that had been shattered several times had been gathered and sewn onto its skin, piece by piece, like a puzzle.

The Heavenly Demon, unable to watch any longer, said a word.

[How disgusting.]

I agree.

It's disgusting.

Just by looking at it, it created an indescribable sense of displeasure.

"Isn't it cool?"

"No."

"I even gave it a name. Bernheim."

"..."

"I put two B-rank magic stones into this one. A double core, I tell you, hahahat! I dare say, even an A-rank magical beast will have to be a little nervous in front of this one."

Adrian turned his head and looked at me.

A strange light flashed in his eyes.

"It was thanks to you, Sir Ashuban, for giving me so many magic stones that I was able to create such a masterpiece. As I was able to use the magic stones without reservation, all sorts of ideas just kept popping up, you know? Only then did I realize. My creativity was trapped in a box!"

"Ooh..."

"Due to the realistic condition of a lack of materials, I was unknowingly confining myself to a limit. Only after you, Sir Ashuban, broke through it for me did I open my eyes. Aah! All this time, I was no different from a blind man with open eyes."

Adrian spread his arms and lamented.

...The thought that I had done something unnecessary was slowly creeping in.

It seemed like the madman was trying to reach a new level he had never seen before.

The mad black mage, Adrian, looked at me with clear, sparkling eyes.

"You must have seen through all of this, Sir Ashuban, right? That's why you gave me an excessive amount of magic stones as a hint, right?"

"..."

Would I have?

I had just been annoyed with carrying them around, so I had just thought it was a good opportunity and poured them all out.

I had no immediate use for the magic stones, so I had just given them to him, thinking I'd give it a try and see if he could do something in a time when every hand was needed.

When I didn't answer, Adrian interpreted my silence in his own way.

"Aah! The merciful apostle of Ketel came to the poor Adrian and said, 'Do not confine yourself within your limits.' And then a miracle happened! The poor servant who followed Ketel finally opened his eyes at the touch of the apostle!"

"..."

I looked at Adrian's sparkling eyes.

They were eyes that were gone in a slightly different sense from the others I had seen so far.

This one seemed to be a bit more severe.

Was it because he was a mage? It seemed to have a bit of a religious color to it as well.

"Hmm."

He was so happy, so it was a bit awkward to break the mood.

In any case, it seemed he had gained some kind of enlightenment.

As they say, the interpretation is more important than the dream. I decided to let him misunderstand as he pleased.

It wasn't difficult.

All I had to do was keep my mouth shut and look at him with a solemn expression.

"Oh, what a joy! Oh, what a delight!"

When I left him alone, Adrian, who was praising to no end, began to dance a strange dance.

It was more like a struggle than a dance.

It was a pathetic dance skill.

"O Ketel, do you see? The antics of this foolish servant!"

"..."

The Heavenly Demon, unable to watch any longer, said.

[Stop him. His condition is serious.]

If I left him alone, it seemed like he would grab a passing magical beast and ask it to dance, so I lightly hit him on the back of the head to stop him.

"That's enough."

"Yes."

Fortunately, his eyes returned to normal immediately.

I looked at the nearly twenty grotesque creatures and asked.

"Do they move?"

"Of course. Shall I show you?"

"No, it's fine. Just show me properly when the second wave comes."

"Of course. I will not disappoint you."

"Then that's that. By the way, did you not use the A-rank magic stone?"

"Yes. I have not used it yet."

"Why not?"

"Because I have not yet found a suitable body for it. If I put an A-rank magic stone into a mediocre one, it will just explode, unable to withstand the output."

"Hmm."

So, an A-rank magic stone had to be composed of the body of an A-rank magical beast.

Seeing the traces of something having exploded here and there, it seemed to be a recently acquired piece of knowledge.

Adrian suddenly called me in a serious voice.

"Sir Ashuban."

"What is it?"

"You will not regret the grace you have bestowed upon me."

The guy who had been dancing just a moment ago was now looking at me with serious, sunken eyes.

Come to think of it, not only were his under-eyes dark, but his eyes were also so bloodshot that they had a reddish tinge.

Now I see. This guy had a particular reason for being out of his mind.

It was because he hadn't slept a wink.

"I know, so go inside and get some sleep. You'll collapse at this rate. Don't you know that managing your stamina is the most important thing?"

"I'm still full of energy."

Feeling that I wouldn't be able to get through to him, I immediately grabbed Adrian by the scruff of the neck and dragged him toward the wall.

"Aah, seeing your gallant back, Sir Ashuban, another inspiration...!"

"Shut up and go take a hot bath and get some sleep."

I threw Adrian inside the wall, and then, as usual, greeted the princess who had waddled over today.

Lilia, who had become a snowman by wrapping all sorts of fur clothes around her body, held my two hands and chanted a magic spell.

"Hup! May strength surge!"

I could hear Dofang muttering from the side.

"Aah, Princess Lilia is the strongest."

"Why?"

"Because she's cute."

"Aha."

The Heavenly Demon also expressed his agreement with a low laugh.

We received the princess's encouragement and threw ourselves into the white, snowy plains.

"Hahaha! See you later, little brother."

The thief and the alcohol-loving ice mage ran off into the forest on the right.

—I'm going!

Schmidt ran off to the plains on the left.

With the very grumpy Linda on his back.

It seemed he was going to torment a lot of magical beasts today as well.

We can't lose either.

I glanced back and said.

"Sir Monde. Are you ready?"

"No."

"Let's go too. Beyond that!"

As I said that, I ran toward the grand white mountain range that was faintly welcoming us in the distance.

For some reason, I felt good as I ran.

"Hahahaha!"

Sir Monde muttered a curse and followed.

"You crazy bastard."

* * *

"Hmm?"

Ashuban, who was running across the white, snowy plains, stopped.

For some reason, he couldn't see any magical beasts.

Just yesterday, magical beasts were everywhere.

Ashuban stopped for a moment and looked around.

Whoooosh—

Only the blizzard was blowing relentlessly.

There was no sign of a magical beast anywhere.

Ashuban turned around with a bewildered face.

"Sir Monde."

"What."

"Did you see any magical beasts on the way?"

Monde, who had stopped following Ashuban, looked left and right and then answered.

"Not yet."

Come to think of it, it was strange.

Even if they hadn't crossed the 'Hill of Beginnings' yet.

To not have seen a single magical beast?

The snowy plain where they stood was too vast for just the two of them.

Even at the very beginning, before even reaching the 'Hill of Beginnings', it was not difficult to see magical beasts wandering around.

It was a little strange, but that was no reason to stop the reconnaissance.

Rather, finding out the reason for that would be the purpose of today's reconnaissance.

Ashuban, who had stopped and was looking around the snowy plain where white snow powder was flying, suddenly raised the corner of his mouth.

"Aha, I get it."

"What?"

"These cute little guys must be playing hide-and-seek."

"..."

Monde stared blankly at the captain of Sherwood, who was talking nonsense.

"Hehe... are you asking me to find you now? Is this a new game? Alright, then I'll play along."

"Wait—"

"Hahaha! The seeker is coming! Hide well! Or your hair will show!"

Without giving him a chance to say anything, Ashuban ran toward the mountain range in the distance like a gale.

"Sigh... how did I get involved with such a madman."

Monde let out a deep sigh and then ran after him.

As he ran after Ashuban, the 'Hill of Beginnings' appeared in the distance.

From that hill, the wind became rougher, and the number of wandering magical beasts increased dramatically.

It was the beginning of the true white hell.

The name 'Hill of Beginnings' was not given for nothing.

At the same time, it was also the beginning of the real reconnaissance.

The starting line of the reconnaissance.

It was a rather high hill, so if you stood there, you could see the scenery all the way to the foothills of the mountain in the distance at a glance.

So, they would usually stand on the hill and plan a route to reach the mountain range, avoiding the magical beasts as much as possible.

"Hahaha!"

Ashuban ran up the hill without hesitation.

Ashuban, who had reached the top first, suddenly stopped laughing and stood still.

Monde, who was following him up the hill, looked at his back, which had suddenly stopped.

'What's wrong with him?'

Monde walked toward him and spoke.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

At that, Ashuban turned around with a creak.

"...Run."

"What?"

"I said, run!"

And then, he came running down the hill he had just climbed up.

Monde watched Ashuban, who had passed him in an instant, with a dumbfounded face.

"What? What's going on?"

Monde, who had followed Ashuban to the top of the hill, soon found out the reason.

Monde's eyes slowly widened, and his mouth fell open.

"You crazy..."

It was a wave of magical beasts.

It was rushing in from beyond the white mountain range in the distance, blackening it.

The fiercely rushing wave was relentless, and the magical beasts, which were the droplets that made up the wave, were bumping into each other and rushing forward greedily.

Hazy snow powder rose like dust.

Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble...

The faint rumbling of the ground from the distance spread through his feet to his ears.

Faced with that overwhelming sight, he couldn't help but freeze.

A shout came to Monde, who was frozen and staring blankly at the wave of magical beasts.

"What are you doing!"

Monde, startled, came to his senses and immediately turned around and ran after Ashuban as if his feet were on fire.

"Aaaah!"

* * *

DANG, DANG, DANG, DANG, DANG—!

The top of the wall was in an uproar.

"The wave has begun! Everyone to your positions!"

"Move! Move!"

"Load the cannonballs!"

"Load the cannonballs first, and the archers who have finished loading, load the crossbows as well!"

"Move, move, move!"

The soldiers ran around the top of the wall as if they were flying.

But even so, there was no chaos.

They moved in an orderly fashion without their paths getting tangled.

It was thanks to the training they repeated every day.

"Your Grace."

Duke Elsbears stared beyond the barrier.

The white hell was being covered by a black wave.

It was now time for it to become a black hell.

The duke opened his mouth heavily.

"It's going to be a tough day."

It had only been two days since they had stopped the first wave.

But for it to be rushing in already.

It was different from the usual, which came at an interval of one to two weeks.

Furthermore, it was only the second wave, and yet it was of that scale.

And he could also easily observe large A-rank magical beasts that had not been seen in the first wave.

It was an unusually harsh winter.

But protecting this place was the mission given to him.

No matter what or how much came.

The fact that he had to block it did not change.

The duke looked at the rushing wave of magical beasts, then spotted six dots running dangerously, as if being chased by the wave, from each direction.

It was the Sherwood Mercenary Corps that had gone out for reconnaissance.

The duke's gaze was on them for a moment, then naturally moved to the bottom of the barrier where they would arrive.

"...?"

The duke's eyebrow twitched.

"What is that?"

Some hideous magical beasts were standing with their backs to the wall.

The adjutant answered.

"Ah, it's Sir Adrian."

"...The black mage?"

"Yes."

Indeed, looking closely, a man in a white cloak was hastily drawing a magic circle on the ground behind the magical beasts.

'Come to think of it.'

He had heard about him from Ashuban.

The adjutant looked down at Adrian and asked.

"Should I tell him to retreat inside the wall?"

"No, leave him be. But keep passage 13 open. So he can fall back at any time."

"Yes, sir."

The duke looked at the approaching wave of magical beasts.

He grabbed the hilt of the sword at his waist.

Woooong—

The sword trembled and shimmered with a deep green light.

"Fire."

"Fire!"

Magically inscribed cannonballs flew in a parabola.

KWAGWAGWAGWANG!

Listening to the explosions from afar, the duke closed his eyes and slowly drew his sword.

Wooooong!

The sword, which had finally revealed its turquoise blade, howled.

The duke raised the sword so that its tip pointed to the sky, then snapped his eyes open.

A brilliant green light flashed from his eyes.

At the same time, the light extending from the sword reached the sky.

The green light that reached the sky instantly spread in all directions, dominating the sky.

A mysterious sight unfolded in the sky, which was all dyed green.

An indescribable shape shimmered.

It was as if a huge curtain of green light was embroidering the sky, and it was also as if a huge monster was looking down from below.

Wooooooo!

Some of the soldiers stared at the sky, mesmerized for a moment.

It was so mysterious that it was even frightening.

It was a wondrous sight.

Giyer Elsbears.

The king of the north and the guardian of the northern wall.

The master of the Turquoise Sword, Aurora, one of Aphosis's nine demonic swords.

When he brought the Turquoise Sword down.

Wooooooo!

The aurora that had spread across the sky howled lowly and extended its hand toward the ground.

(End of Chapter)

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