Chapter 741

Chapter 741

Let’s Show Them. (1)

After Ghislain entered the forest, the remaining group stayed on alert. They had to move the moment he contacted them.

In the meantime, Lionel threatened them daily.

“You bastards! Do you think you’ll get away with this?”

“……”

“I will make sure you pay for this!”

“……”

“I’ll drag out not only this crime, but every single one you’ve ever committed, and make you answer for them!”

“……”

“Do you take the Holy Empire lightly? With the Holy Empire’s decree, you won’t be able to set foot anywhere on this continent!”

“……”

Everyone listened with expressions that showed they were either resigned or bored.

At first, some mercenaries were frightened, after all Lionel was a knight of the Empire.

But threats, when heard repeatedly, lost their edge. By now, they all treated it like, ‘Here he goes again.’

Lionel couldn’t understand the mercenaries’ attitude at all.

“You scum! Are you not afraid of the Holy Empire’s power? Do you really think that madman will succeed?”

As Lionel shouted until veins popped in his neck, Kyle picked his ear and scowled.

“Ugh, so damn noisy. Is it because you’re a knight? Your voice is annoyingly loud.”

“You brat! If this goes wrong, you’re all dead! No, even if it goes well, I won’t let you off!”

“Seriously, don’t you get tired of making threats all day? Hey, Mr. Knight. You don’t get what’s going on right now, do you? Never met guys you can’t reason with like this before, huh?”

“……”

At those words, Lionel bit down hard on his lips. Honestly, he couldn’t understand why a bunch of mercenaries weren’t scared at all.

No matter how famed or powerful the mercenary corps might be, they couldn’t compare to the might of the Holy Empire. And someone like him should have easily been able to intimidate a group like them.

As if expecting this, Kyle leaned in close to Lionel’s face and grinned.

“You look like one of those local thugs who spit around the neighborhood just because they’re a little strong. Sure, thugs like that can be scary. But you know what’s scarier than a spitting thug?”

“…What?”

“A thug who drools.”

“……”

“Because you never know what the hell a guy like that might do.”

“……”

“To us, Ghislain’s that kind of guy. He’s scary because we don’t know what he’s going to do. But you? We can see right through you.”

“……”

The other mercenaries all nodded. What made Ghislain truly terrifying was the unpredictability of his actions.

Deneb gave an awkward smile and spoke.

“Kyle, that comparison’s kind of weird.”

“Why? It’s not like I said anything wrong, right?”

Deneb had nothing to say. It sounded wrong, but in another way, it didn’t.

She tried to calm Lionel down.

“Ghislain’s actions might seem extreme, but there’s always a reason. I’m sure this time will bring good results too.”

“A mere lowly priestess, and you dare to speak so arrogantly, thinking you know anything?”

“I-I just…”

“Do you think you’ll be safe? I was going to overlook it because you’re a priestess, but you’ve overstepped your bounds. You will pay the price for tarnishing the honor of the Order. I will personally conduct your Inquisition. As of now, you are excommunicated.”

Deneb was the only one here that Lionel could pressure through rank.

At his threat, Deneb’s face turned pale.

A priestess excommunicated and subjected to Inquisition would face a level of severity incomparable to others.

It was the Order’s doctrine that betrayal by one who served the Goddess deserved the harshest punishment.

What hurt her even more was the sudden excommunication itself. For a devout priestess like her, being cast out was the worst punishment imaginable.

“W-wait a moment! I…”

“Silence! I’ll begin the excommunication procedures as soon as I return! And—”

Lionel’s petty threats were cut short. Before anyone realized, Julien had drawn his sword.

He spoke in a cold voice.

“Before you do that, I’ll take your head.”

The mercenaries swallowed hard, tension rising.

Julien was usually a warm and kind man, but he never forgave those who messed with Deneb.

Because of that, even the roughest mercenaries dared not treat Deneb carelessly.

At Julien’s threat, Lionel twisted his lips into a sneer.

“Fine. That mad mercenary’s bound to fail anyway. Might as well settle things here and now.”

Lionel drew his sword too. As the mercenaries also moved to draw their weapons and surround him, Julien raised his hand to stop them.

“I’ll handle him alone.”

At those words, Lionel’s face contorted.

“Insolent bastard. A mere mercenary, daring to…”

The two of them stepped forward, eyes locked, but before they could close the distance, Deneb stepped between them.

She looked at Julien with pleading eyes.

“Don’t.”

“Move.”

“Don’t do it. Please. We can’t fight among ourselves. If we just wait, we’ll be able to clear this misunderstanding.”

Julien clenched his teeth at Deneb’s plea. He said nothing and simply glared at Lionel.

Lionel also glanced around and gripped his sword tightly.

‘That guy Julien is no pushover. And that Kyle guy too.’

So, his plan was to strike first by surprise, then immediately deal with the others around.

Just as things were teetering on the verge of explosion—

Dark, perched on Kyle’s shoulder, shouted.

“Emergency! Emergency! You pathetic fools! This isn’t the time for this! Save the fight for later! I’ll be the judge of you all!”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Dark. He quickly continued, voice urgent.

“Check your gear and move out! The target is the center of the forest! There won’t be any elves blocking the way! Some of you, head to the city and tell the mayor to mobilize the troops!”

The Julien Mercenary Corps immediately grabbed their weapons and packs. Without asking for details, they took off running.

They knew Dark would explain everything along the way anyway.

But Lionel still couldn’t adjust to how this mercenary corps operated. He followed behind them, flustered, shouting.

“What is it? What’s going on?!”

He was desperate. He thought Ghislain had been discovered and that a fight had broken out.

Dark spread his wings wide and soared into the sky, shouting:

“It’s war! The Salvation Church bastards have come with orcs and black mages! We’re fighting alongside the elves! This is our chance to raise the name of the Julien Mercenary Corps!”

“Puhahaha!”

Kyle burst into laughter as he ran. That was Ghislain for you. Wherever he went, whether by coincidence or design, outrageous incidents always followed.

The other mercenaries laughed too. Their deputy commander always brought chaos wherever he went, making sure the corps was never bored, not even for a second.

All except one.

‘War? Salvation Church? Orcs? Why? What is this?’

Only Lionel remained with a blank look on his face, unable to make sense of anything.

* * *

The trees had stopped whispering, and even the wind seemed to hold its breath.

The sky was dyed gray, and the dew gathered on the tips of leaves hung heavy, as if foretelling the silence before the battlefield.

At the exact center of the forest stood a tree larger and lusher than any other.

Beneath it, several elves dressed in refined attire had gathered.

“All who can fight have assembled.”

At the elder’s words, the Great Chieftain of the Elves, Ilaniel, nodded silently.

She remained quiet for a long time, simply closing her eyes and listening to the voice of the forest.

The ten elders stood with grim expressions. In all their long years, never had the forest been in such danger.

In the heavy silence, Ilaniel slowly opened her eyes and turned her head.

Where her gaze landed stood a young elf with a nervous expression.

“Ereneth. Did your human friend say he would buy us time?”

“…Yes.”

“That human was an intruder. You must have heard the news about an intruder as well. So how did you become friends with him?”

“W-we met by chance during a walk and ended up fighting…”

With a trembling voice, Ereneth explained how it all happened.

After hearing her out, Ilaniel asked,

“He claimed to be the Seerer. Did you believe him? Did it not occur to you that it might be a lie to steal the Blessing Stone?”

“I-I…”

Of course, Ereneth hadn’t truly believed him. But she couldn’t say that now.

She had used that as the excuse for moving with the intruder.

So, she shut her eyes tightly and spoke.

“I-I really did believe him! He was incredibly skilled! That’s why I trusted him! It’s not wrong to believe in someone, is it?!”

For a moment, a flicker of pity crossed Ilaniel’s eyes.

She had already seen through Ereneth’s lie.

An elf, lying even before the Great Chieftain herself, there was no avoiding the bitter sting of disappointment.

‘I can no longer suppress that child’s nature.’

She had always known Ereneth longed for the outside world, always wanting to leave the forest. But Ilaniel had continuously opposed it.

Because she understood that Ereneth possessed the desires and tendencies akin to those of humans.

Yet now, it seemed impossible to stop her anymore. The more she tried to suppress Ereneth’s nature, the more resistance it stirred.

With a faint sigh, Ilaniel spoke.

“Very well. I understand. But forget what that human said. Him being the Seerer was a lie. He must’ve come under the Pope’s orders, aiming to steal our Blessing Stone.”

“Yes…”

“But one thing he said… was true.”

“What?”

Ilaniel lifted her head slightly, gazing toward the northern sky.

“Thanks to that child, we were able to prepare for this battle. If we had been ambushed, the damage would’ve been immense.”

Ereneth’s face brightened.

“R-right? I told you he was really skilled! So, what happened to Astion?”

“I don’t know. He might’ve escaped…”

Ilaniel trailed off. Because he might have been captured and killed.

Ereneth sensed the meaning behind her unfinished words and asked in panic,

“Can’t we search for him? If he’s still alive, Astion could be a huge help to us!”

Ilaniel shook her head.

“We cannot afford to spare any attention for that child.”

Thud! Thud! Thud!

From a distance, the sound of the forest collapsing could be heard. It was the noise of the vanguard clearing a path for their advance.

By now, the orc horde and black mages had already entered the forest. The pace at which the forest was being destroyed was accelerating.

“The forest is dying…”

Ilaniel’s expression hardened. She raised her hand as if to gently stroke the nearby trees, trying to sense the forest’s energy.

But what returned was a sharp resistance. A foreign presence, as if all pain had been bundled together into one.

It meant that the black mages were openly corrupting the forest.

In a quiet voice, Ilaniel said,

“We cannot retreat. This forest is our home, our very heart.”

The World Tree stood here. That alone meant that no matter what, even if every elf were to die, they could not flee.

To lose the World Tree was the same as the extinction of the elven race.

Therefore, they had to stop the enemy no matter the cost.

“Let’s go. We cannot allow them to reach this place.”

Her soft voice spread throughout the forest.

At that moment, elves began to appear one by one from the deep woods.

They were no mere soldiers. They were those who could read the paths of the forest, who conversed with nature, and who brought death from within silence.

They were hunters who had lived for centuries, spirit-wielders who commanded the powers of the elements.

Dudududududu…

A resounding roar shook the land throughout the forest.

Then, massive tree roots burst through the ground, and Ents raised their heavy bodies.

Oooooooh…

The guardians of the forest, who had slumbered for hundreds of years, the ancient spirits of trees that breathed with the earth raised their heads.

In their eyes glowed deep anger toward those who had invaded the forest and a mission forged long ago.

All the elves leapt up into the trees. Their movements were like the wind, and their footsteps like the breath of the forest.

Fwaaaaaa…

Countless spirits flew with them, cleaving through the sky. Flames and wind, waves and lightning surrounded them.

The enemies had attacked suddenly. There had been no time for tactics or planning.

But the fury of the forest was far more terrifying than any strategy. It was time to show what became of those who defied nature’s will.

The elves moved toward the enemy without a word. And finally, the approaching wave of enemies came into view.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The entire land was shaking.

As if the forest had stopped breathing, the sound of hooves reverberating from beneath the earth drew closer and closer.

The ground trembled constantly, as though crushed by some colossal weight.

Craaaaaah!

A roar filled with madness erupted from beyond the forest.

The ten elf elders at the front line gazed silently past the trees.

The first to appear were five priests.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The aura they emitted made the forest trees scream and fall.

Even ancient trees that had grown for hundreds of years were helpless before them.

Behind that dreadful sight of nature being torn apart came a boiling crimson tide.

Craaaaaah!

The orc horde had arrived.

All of the orcs were mounted on monstrous, horned wild boars called ‘Brutters.’

They tore through trees, ripped apart vines, and rampaged violently through the forest. Wherever the beasts passed, trees fell, earth flew, and animals fled.

Behind them came eight black mages. Curses dripped from their fingertips as they planted darkness into the forest.

The cries of spirits spread on the wind, and the forest began to rot and die.

And finally—

The two armies came close enough to feel each other’s breath.

Words were unnecessary. There was no room for persuasion or warnings.

In the midst of it all, Ilaniel closed her eyes.

“O World Tree, grant us your blessing.”

KABOOOOOM!

Like a lightning strike, the first clash erupted.

The elf elders and the priests of the Salvation Church—

They were the first to collide head-on.

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