Chapter 86 : Chapter 86

Chapter 086: A Lie Greater Than the Truth (4)

* * *

While Bihen, having fought a decisive battle with the Blood Devil, narrowly escaped death and traversed the Morundayle Mountains, engaging in fierce battles across Belmont, Easton, Haspeld, and Ludglen, the Black Rose Mercenaries, hiding in Sylphiroa, were showing signs of internal discord.

Despite their past, especially after surviving two near-death experiences together—once in Talrug Canyon and again during a surprise attack by the Archduke’s forces—they had believed their trust and bond were unshakable.

Thus, the current situation felt all the more critical.

The Archduke’s gaze had finally reached Sylphiroa.

Opinions among the mercenaries diverged on this matter.

“What’s there to debate? We were only planning to stay here briefly anyway, right? It’s just time to move on.”

“I agree with the kid. If the Archduke’s forces are bold enough to come here, their momentum must be overwhelming. How are we supposed to fight back?”

“Exactly. The Ludglen guards are still lax, so let’s hurry and leave Conwell before it’s too late.”

The prevailing opinion leaned toward practicality.

It was only natural.

For mercenaries, honor was a nice-to-have, but not essential.

Survival was the foundation of everything.

“But we’ve been busting our backs working for the Young Lady…”

“Starting from scratch somewhere else now feels daunting.”

“Let’s be honest, there’s no place in this Kingdom as good to live in as Conwell. We all know that.”

There were those who opposed the majority, but their voices were inevitably subdued, divided by differing convictions and methods.

“Come on. We didn’t do all this for free—we got paid for it. Why are you whining now? The Young Lady’s life is hanging by a thread.”

“I heard from that mage who stopped by earlier—the Solari Order’s defenses will fall soon. No matter how much Bihen Benkou stirs things up out there, if the Young Lady’s head rolls, it’s all over.”

“If you’re just gonna sit on your cozy backside, why bother being a mercenary? Pathetic.”

Both sides were equally sensitive.

The usual rough banter felt unusually grating this time.

“Pathetic? Forgot how I saved your sorry hide already? Ungrateful beast. Should’ve just let you die back then.”

“Try killing me now if you’re so confident.”

As the two men thrust their faces at each other, others rose in a clamor.

Sharp words flew back and forth in the heated shouting.

“…Any of us got mana?”

The low voice instantly silenced the uproar.

It was Kendrick, perched on the windowsill, staring outside.

He didn’t even glance at his bickering men, as if he had no interest in their squabble.

Someone answered in a small voice.

“Before we came here… Hans died, didn’t he?”

“I know. Just checking if there’s anyone else.”

His gaze remained fixed outside.

He seemed lost in deep thought, as if his arguing men were irrelevant, existing in a world of his own.

“Still can’t get used to it. Damn, how’s it so big? Is that really a tree?”

Kendrick tapped the window with his fingertips.

The Spirit Tree, Sylphiroa’s landmark, filled more than half the view, its end out of sight, reaching toward the sky.

“Aren’t you guys curious? That Spirit Tree. Is it real? Keeps feeling like a scam to me.”

The mercenaries, who had been raising their voices moments ago, were struck speechless.

Their faces showed exasperation, as if to say, Here he goes again.

The one who should be leading and resolving conflicts was acting detached, leaving the group frustrated.

When did it start?

Since arriving in Sylphiroa, or perhaps since returning from Talrug Canyon?

For some reason, their once-ambitious and driven leader had become an enigma.

“What’s wrong with you, Captain? You wanna quit or what?”

One mercenary, unable to hold back, stepped forward, gripping his axe as if ready to swing.

Only then did Kendrick turn his gaze, his expression as indifferent as ever.

“Thought about it, but seeing your ugly mugs makes me reconsider…”

“Captain! Snap out of it!”

“Hey, I’m not deaf. Keep it down.”

Kendrick blew on the pinky he’d used to dig in his ear.

His men felt a wave of exasperation watching him.

Knock, knock—

All eyes turned to the door where the sound came from.

They couldn’t help but flinch.

Earlier that day, the village chief had visited, repeatedly urging the mercenaries to stand against the Archduke’s forces encroaching on Sylphiroa.

They were indebted to the village, so they couldn’t outright ignore the plea, but they’d managed to deflect and send him away with excuses.

Creak.

As the men glanced at Kendrick, the door opened.

A stranger, draped in a long robe, stood there.

It was immediately clear they weren’t from Sylphiroa.

“Oh, you’re all gathered here?”

Kendrick shot to his feet.

It wasn’t a familiar voice.

Instinct kicked in—a chilling shiver ran down his spine.

“Which one’s Captain Kendrick? I’d like a word.”

The man pulled back his hood, revealing a twisted smirk beneath long bangs.

* * *

The Blue Mist Forest, was it?

Perhaps because of what I’d heard beforehand, the atmosphere felt somewhat striking.

The leaves were unusually vibrant, tiny lights glowed like fireflies in broad daylight, and the air felt refreshingly crisp.

But that was it.

I’d been walking with Ghost Eye activated for a while, but I hadn’t sensed anything resembling a flow of mana.

“Strolling through the Blue Mist Forest during a war? I’m not sure if this is okay, but I’m loving it. Hehe.”

It was Linda, walking with her hands behind her back, eyes half-closed, looking genuinely delighted, as if savoring a forest bath.

Come to think of it, she was cloaked in a mana barrier.

“Feeling anything special?”

“Yes! It’s like… My body feels lighter. They say the pure mana floating in this forest has a purifying effect, and it’s true.”

“Hm.”

“Maybe I could even fly?”

Linda flapped her hands playfully.

Unsure how to respond, I decided to stay silent.

…Maybe it’s a placebo effect or just the simple benefit of clean nature.

To change the subject, I asked Kendrick, who was leading the way with his men.

“Still nothing?”

“Just a bit further.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to hunt down the mages hiding nearby before heading to Sylphiroa? Save ourselves the extra trip.”

“Not so easy to find them first. They don’t have a fixed base and move around the forest periodically. Clever bastards leave no traces.”

“Making things complicated. We can’t afford delays.”

“Don’t worry. They show up in Sylphiroa like clockwork, so we can track them then.”

The path to Sylphiroa cut through the Blue Mist Forest.

Despite being frequented by mages and nobles, the well-maintained road showed the care taken for the sake of the revenue they brought.

Soon, the greenery parted, revealing Sylphiroa’s vista.

“Wow!”

Linda gasped in awe.

Understandably so—I couldn’t help but be impressed with myself.

That’s the Spirit Tree…

It stood out immediately, towering at the village’s center.

The houses clustered around it looked like toys in comparison to its overwhelming size.

“Captain Kendrick!”

I was about to activate Ghost Eye on the Spirit Tree when an elderly man from the village entrance rushed over with others, all visibly excited.

Kendrick bowed his head, looking embarrassed.

“Ch-Chief.”

“Oh, you’re alive! Alive! What a relief! Do you know how worried we were? No word since you left—we barely slept, thinking something terrible had happened.”

“…”

“What’s with that look? What happened out there? Are you hurt?”

It wasn’t just Kendrick.

His men also avoided the villagers’ gazes, looking uncomfortable.

“And that couple…?”

The chief pointed at Linda and me, standing behind them.

Couple? I thought, when a sudden sensation brushed my arm.

Linda, clinging to my arm out of nowhere, spoke to the crowd with a lively voice.

“Are you the chief of Sylphiroa? You have a keen eye. I am Linda Theodore, the youngest daughter of Lord Theodore and this is Bihen Benkou, known as the Sword Fiend.”

“…!”

The villagers’ eyes and mouths widened in unison.

The chief staggered, almost fainting from the shock.

“The Sword Fiend, Bihen Benkou…!”

The chief and villagers looked to Kendrick for confirmation.

When Kendrick nodded silently, gasps of relief or astonishment rippled through the crowd.

“Good heavens!”

“The Sword Fiend has finally…!”

Bowing was the least of it—some knelt and lowered their heads, acting as if a deity had appeared before them.

“You’ve come, Bihen Benkou. Thank you, truly thank you.”

The chief, stumbling forward, clasped his hands respectfully.

His bald crown dipped toward my waist, and I quickly stopped him.

“I appreciate the kindness, but this is too much. Please, everyone, stop.”

I shot a glance at Kendrick.

Thankfully, he wasn’t entirely clueless.

Stepping forward, he helped the chief up and asked,“Chief, did those mages stop by while I was gone?”

“Oh! They came by this morning.”

The chief’s face darkened abruptly.

I asked,“What did they say?”

“…They gave us until tonight. Starting tomorrow morning, they’ll begin conscription.”

As he finished, the chief glanced at the group behind him.

A young man stepped forward briskly, as if responding to the cue.

The chief said,“This is Kevin, the head student of Sylphinus and our recordkeeper. Introduce yourself properly, Kevin.”

“Uh, greetings. It’s an honor, Sir Bihen.”

Caught off guard by the introduction, I asked,“What’s Sylphinus?”

“Oh, you didn’t know? Sylphinus is the proud, time-honored magical academy of Sylphiroa, inheriting the spirit of the Great Spirit Sylphinu.”

“A magical academy…”

“Please don’t misunderstand. Sylphinus isn’t a profit-driven academy. We strictly avoid political activities. It’s a pure magical academy dedicated to research in Sylphiroa.”

Pride shone through his expression and tone.

I’d been puzzled why a group calling itself an academy acted like a bunch of thugs, but now it made sense.

Its meaning got twisted. Those cunning mages have been scheming too much.

It’s the same everywhere, even in the Empire.

The smart ones with rotten intentions always cause trouble.

“The Archduke ordered all Sylphinus students to be conscripted. He plans to use them to break the magical formations of the Litania Solari Order.”

I looked at Kevin, who flinched under my gaze.

“Can you really break those formations?”

“I haven’t seen them myself, so I can’t say for sure… but unless it’s a spell designed by a transcendent being, all earthly magical formations can be deciphered. Of course, it’ll take some time.”

The chief, standing between us, clenched his fists, trembling with rage.

“Not only are they dragging our children to the battlefield, but they’re exploiting Sylphinus’s noble knowledge for their own ambitions… Neither I nor Sylphiroa can accept this.”

I’m no expert in this area.

No need to overcomplicate things.

It’s simple.

If the Archduke takes Sylphinus’s students, Adeline’s last stronghold collapses.

“I’ll deal with them myself tomorrow.”

In official matters, I cut to the chase, a habit ingrained from my past life as a soldier.

I spoke as usual, but my firm tone seemed to strike them differently.

“Waaah!”

The crowd erupted in cheers.

Words like As expected of the Sword Fiend and Truly heroic flew around, making me too embarrassed to lift my head.

“…”

My wandering gaze landed on Kendrick’s group.

They alone stood apart from the fervor.

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