Chapter 105 : Chapter 105

Chapter 105: The Road Ahead Will Be Long (5)

Moras gazed steadily at Joel.

His eyes held a look as if he were rediscovering a child who had suddenly grown into an adult.

He spoke softly.

"Let’s move, Joel. We need to find Sir Roland quickly."

Joel nodded.

The two hurried across the corridor.

High-ranking priests struggling to manage the chaos occasionally caught their eye.

Some, belatedly grasping the situation, were making a fuss in a flustered manner.

Raised voices overlapped here and there, making the corridor even more chaotic.

"Moras! Joel!"

Not long after, they encountered Roland in the middle of the corridor, surrounded by mercenaries and issuing rapid orders.

The mercenaries, following his commands, quickly dispersed to their assigned positions.

"Damn it, Moras! What the hell is going on? How could the magic circle collapse so suddenly?"

"I’m sorry, Sir Roland. It’s my failure. I should’ve been more vigilant."

"Forget it. What’s the use of lamenting now? It seems the Archduke somehow brought in a skilled Great Mage. Otherwise, there’s no way the circle would collapse so abruptly without any warning."

Even Roland’s usually neatly combed bangs were disheveled.

For someone called a sage, this detail showed just how sudden the situation was.

"We’ll have to execute the contingency plan after all."

In truth, it was less a plan and more a way of accepting defeat.

It was, so to speak, a final struggle to preserve the last shred of dignity.

"We’ll divide the Order’s personnel into three groups: the Solari Order priests, combat-ready personnel, and the refugees."

Roland methodically outlined the final "cleanup procedure" he had devised with Adeline.

"Moras, gather all the Solari Order priests in the main hall’s courtyard. If the Archduke’s forces storm in, don’t resist—surrender immediately. They might treat you harshly, but the Archduke won’t purge the priests right away."

"Sir Roland…"

"If you can buy time, do it as much as you can."

Roland’s gaze shifted.

A complex expression flickered in his eyes as he looked at Joel.

"You’ll have to bear the brunt of it, Joel."

"Yes, just give me your orders."

"I’ve stationed all combat-ready personnel at every entrance."

There was a reason Roland kept referring to the troops as "combat-ready personnel."

The forces Jayden and Bolero had taken with them were essentially the entirety of their strength, squeezed out to the last drop.

What remained in the Order were the wounded and a handful of martial priests, most of whom were mere apprentices.

"Joel, keep an eye on the situation and concentrate our forces where the Archduke’s troops are pressing hardest. If they attack from multiple fronts simultaneously, it’ll be hopeless, but in that case, I’ll leave it to your judgment."

"Understood."

"When you’ve held them off as long as you can, don’t push it—retreat."

Joel raised an eyebrow.

"Retreat… to where?"

At that moment, hurried footsteps approached from the end of the corridor, drawing the group’s attention.

Henry and Ayan, out of breath, came running up.

"Master! As you instructed, we’ve separated the Kingdom’s people and the Empire’s people into two annexes for safety!"

Joel looked at Henry with puzzlement.

Separating them for safety?

Roland nodded and turned to Joel, as if ready to answer.

"The eastern annex. I’ll be there with the Kingdom’s people. It’ll essentially be our last line of defense."

"Why did you separate the Empire’s people and the Kingdom’s people…?"

Roland didn’t immediately respond to Joel’s question.

After all, this was all Adeline’s way of repaying and showing consideration for Bihen Benkou, who was fighting desperately outside.

"She said she’d keep her promise to the end."

Roland hadn’t been able to break her stubbornness in the end.

Adeline prioritized her promise to Bihen Benkou over her own safety.

If she could draw the Archduke’s attention to herself, the Empire’s refugees, hidden far away, could be saved.

This was her final measure.

"Well, I suppose I can hold out with just my life, right? Don’t you think so?"

Roland gave a wry chuckle, his expression oddly light for such a dire situation.

The surroundings grew quiet.

For a sage to crack a resigned joke in such a moment, it truly felt like the end.

Of course, Roland wasn’t laughing out of despair.

He was simply relieved that they had avoided the worst.

"Truly, the heavens have helped us. Yes, indeed."

It was a blessing that his stubborn lady wasn’t here.

That was enough.

At that moment, Henry, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.

"Master, isn’t it a bit too pessimistic? If our allies outside, along with Bihen, can strike the enemy from behind, and we manage to coordinate somehow…"

Roland shook his head.

His expression hardened again, as if he couldn’t dismiss his disciple’s question lightly.

"I didn’t give Jayden and Bolero the map to decipher the magic circle. We had to consider the possibility of them being captured by the enemy. As a result, with the circle’s sudden collapse, those within its range are likely lost. Their retreat path is probably blocked. Moreover, without the magic circle, the Order is no longer a fortress. We don’t have the strength to hold out with what’s left. Tactics based on uncertainty in battle are nothing but gambling. Remember that, Henry."

As Henry stroked his chin, Ayan quietly raised his hand beside him.

Given permission to speak, the boy hesitated before stammering.

"Um, what about… the Spatial Transfer Gate? I-I mean, if I… if I could be of any help…"

It was a simple idea: couldn’t they use the Spatial Transfer Gate to move everyone?

Ayan’s voice trailed off, and he eventually lowered his head.

He felt foolish.

What help could he possibly be?

He didn’t know how to do anything.

"…"

Roland couldn’t bring himself to respond as readily as he had to Henry.

The Spatial Transfer Gate he had opened for Bihen to track the Blood Devil.

That was the last one.

Since then, he hadn’t been able to draw the spell formation as he used to.

It was as if black ink had been poured into his mind.

In the end, wary of potential spies, Roland hadn’t revealed this critical fact to anyone except Adeline.

Like a patriarch hiding a grave illness to avoid burdening his family.

"…I’m sorry, Master."

Ayan, misinterpreting his master’s silence, bowed his head repeatedly.

Roland didn’t add anything further.

He was about to order everyone to move when—

From the opposite direction Henry and Ayan had come, Bill came running, panting heavily.

"Huff, huff, huff! Sh-she’s not here! Killian, the Second Son! Haaah…!"

Bill, barely managing to report through slurred words, collapsed flat on the ground.

He was truly on the verge of passing out, with no regard for decorum.

Of course, Roland wasn’t the type to care about such things.

"Killian, that guy…"

All sorts of possibilities flashed through his mind.

But he soon stopped thinking.

The enemy was at their doorstep.

"Alright, everyone, get moving. None of you are allowed to die without my permission."

The group scattered in all directions.

Bill, lying on the ground with his eyes squeezed shut and breathing heavily, only belatedly realized what was happening.

Propping himself up, he looked around, but everyone had already disappeared.

A sudden sense of betrayal and disappointment washed over him.

"Ah."

At that moment, his eyes met Joel’s.

Joel had paused some distance away and was looking back at him.

Bill grinned widely.

"Hehe. Joel, you’ve got a surprisingly warm side. Guess you can’t judge a person by their face alone."

Joel, frowning, scratched his head roughly.

Then, as if making up his mind, he strode over and yanked Bill up by the ear.

Bill’s scream echoed through the chaotic interior.

* * *

The sudden neutralization of the magic circle didn’t just throw the Order’s people into disarray.

The Archduke’s soldiers, abruptly positioned near the Order, were equally bewildered.

Among them were logistics units responsible for supplies at the rear, not the frontlines.

They had only heard vague tales of the Order’s magic circle and didn’t know the details.

"Huh? Is this really the Order’s building?"

Pfft—!

The curious soldiers who couldn’t resist were the first to lose their lives.

By contrast, those inside were already steeled for a fight to the death.

Though their bodies were far from whole due to various injuries, they were fully prepared.

"Everyone understands, right? If the enemy comes in numbers we can’t handle, retreat to the eastern annex immediately."

The enemy hadn’t yet organized their ranks, giving them a brief moment of respite.

Joel used this time to visit the positions Roland had assigned, relaying instructions to the mercenaries.

"Hey, Joel. You know, right? The pay I’m owed—it’s piling up big time. The Young Lady wouldn’t stiff me, would she? I’ve got family in Norfolk, you know."

A mercenary leaning against a wall near a door smirked as he spoke.

He had lost a leg during a nighttime patrol after an unexpected clash with the enemy.

Joel furrowed his brow.

Apart from the man’s unfortunate injury, he was irritated by the mercenary’s irreverent words in such a moment.

"…And?"

"Look at this guy, getting all grumpy. Anyway, if something happens, make sure you pass it on."

Joel swallowed a sigh.

"Do it yourself."

Joel moved on.

There were still many places to check.

He had no time to indulge in emotions.

"Wow, Joel. You’re something else. Not even fazed by those grizzled mercenaries. Janson can’t even squeak in front of them."

"Don’t compare me to that guy."

"Yep, I’ll make sure to tell Janson. Heehee."

Joel, walking briskly, suddenly stopped and glanced back at Bill.

His eyes carried a hint of disdain.

"You can laugh at a time like this?"

"Huh?"

"Aren’t you scared or nervous? Even your friend Janson might be dead or alive right now, and you don’t know."

Bill’s shoulders stiffened.

The grin on his face slowly faded, leaving only an awkward smile.

"I’m scared. But if I keep thinking about scary stuff, it just gets scarier. That’s why I’m really worried about Janson."

"…"

"…Really."

Joel closed his eyes tightly.

Everyone faces the same situation differently.

But whether it’s the flippant mercenary, the pathetic Bill, or his own anxious self, they all have just one life.

"Even someone as noble as Master…"

A breath escaped his nose.

Maybe Bill would be the one to survive the longest here.

The idea of fighting for someone might just be an illusion.

The sky was gradually darkening.

The Archduke’s forces, whose attacks had been sporadic and shallow, began to intensify.

"Get in! Get in! We’ll be the first to take the Young Lady’s head!"

Boom! Boom! Crash!

Mercenary mages stationed in the watchtowers of the annex and main hall unleashed their spells.

Fire, frost, and flashing lightning rained down in turn on the soldiers trying to breach the Order.

But it wasn’t enough to hold them back.

The enemy numbers grew steadily, and the spells were often too weak to even pierce the shields raised above their heads.

Pfft—Thud!

"Urk…"

Mages in the high watchtowers, struck by arrows, fell like hunted birds.

"Now’s the time! Push forward!"

"Adeline, the Young Lady, is in there!"

Enemies with spears and shields surged in like a tidal wave.

The Order’s mercenaries and apprentice priests on the ground barely held their formation.

They were reaching their limit.

Joel was fighting in the midst of the chaos.

He yanked his sword from the side of a soldier who had crossed the threshold and shouted.

"Everyone, retreat! To the eastern annex!"

Joel ran around, yelling.

Bill, his face pale, followed closely, relaying the order.

"Jo-Joel!"

It was Bill’s voice, cutting through the chaos with surprising clarity.

Joel turned.

The mercenary who had been joking earlier lay dead, his eyes still open.

"…"

Joel stared blankly at him.

He wasn’t sure what he was feeling.

At that moment, enemies rushed in.

Gritting his teeth, Joel swung his sword.

After cutting down a few, he barely had a moment to catch his breath.

Suddenly, a chilling presence crept up behind him. A shiver ran down his spine.

Step, step.

The sound of footsteps seemed unusually loud.

Joel’s head slowly turned.

A shadow gradually fell over his face.

A man carrying a massive bastard sword on his shoulder was approaching.

He was close now.

It was Archduke Callence.

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