Chapter 73: Wind (1)
Thousands of the Marquis’s troops marched into the Mirinae forest.
The Marquis who stood in front frowned as he saw the bright red magi.
Just looking at it made him lose his fighting spirit, he didn’t want to move any closer. Instinct was telling him to go back, to get out of there as he couldn’t handle what was beyond.
“Lord.”
The commander of the Mountain Knights, who was by his side, called for the Marquis.
As the knights, they were directly under the control of the Marquis. It was his role to protect the Lord.
“It is dangerous.”
The commander tried to dissuade the Marquis.
He too, had a hard time walking up with the magi ahead.
The ‘contempt for the weak’ of the demons was terrifying.
In particular, it has a higher effect on the weaker ones.
“Our soldiers are in bad shape.”
Marquis Bell looked back.
They were all moving because of the orders, and they weren’t in a good condition.
The same was the case with the knights.
The only ones who were enduring this pressure were the Pier Knights of Welton.
As knights of the Welton family, they were able to stand against the demon’s power too.
It wasn’t that they were immune.
‘Even they…’
Should they turn back?
But Jamie was inside.
He couldn’t leave his grandchildren and turn back.
The child was supposed to have a bright future ahead of him. Above all, it was the Marquis who called them here.
If he went back, he wouldn’t be able to look his daughter in the eyes.
“Where is Sir Sable?”
“Don’t talk about him.”
“Huh?”
The commander went silent as he saw the face of the Marquis darken.
Could it be that Sable took responsibility in the case of [Daemon] and went away? Or was expelled?
‘Then he wouldn’t be this upset.’
At the time when the demon appeared, Sable was being treated like a sinner.
There was nothing more to be said.
But they weren’t in a good situation now.
‘Sir Sable’s skills are amazing.’
Even higher than the commander’s.
It was a mistake by the Marquis to remove a strong person like him before a battle.
But the commander didn’t say anything.
It was his duty to follow, not question.
And that was when one scout who went in was coming out on horseback.
The commander led the horse and asked.
“Did you get anything?”
As he asked, he was wondering what was happening inside.
Looking at the red pillar and the magi in the forest, he could already guess how scary the enemy was.
And if the scout went to it, he could have some additional details.
But the words from the scout’s mouth were different.
“T-that…”
“What is it?”
“This place…”
The scout handed a letter to the knight’s commander.
The knight’s commander who looked at the letter asked.
“What is this?”
“I was told to show this to the Marquis.”
“Without any report, you want me to show this to the Marquis?”
“That…”
“Give that to me.”
As the commander hesitated, Marquis Bell approached and took the letter. He opened it and checked the contents.
And his wrinkled eyes widened.
The Marquis looked at the Mirinae forest in shock.
“What is it?”
“… he stayed here?”
“Lord?”
“He was waiting here in case something unexpected happened.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
The Marquis ignored the question and read the letter again.
[Dear Marquis,
Do not bring anyone into the forest. It will just be a futile death. I will take care of the demon.
-Beryl Onyx]
‘What is he thinking?’
Marquis remembered the organization to which Beryl belonged.
The name of the organization which uncovered the secrets of the world ‘Frontier’.
What does the organization of that dangerous ideology want to get?
The Marquis couldn’t figure it out.
What was that?
Jamie tilted his head and looked at Venna, who seemed like a different person.
Where did the pink-haired girl he used to know go? Now a red haired one was ahead of him. And with yellow wings on the back and a hammer in the hand, she was a different person from what Jamie knew.
“Are you alright master?!”
But the voice belonged to Venna.
Venna fluttered her wings and approached Jamie.
“Have you awakened the power of Valkyrie?”
The butterfly wings were something that Valkyrie had. But he never heard of hair color changing.
“I think so.”
It was supposed to be yes or no, not I think so.
Jamie looked at her hammer. On taking a closer look, the design definitely changed.
It was normally a pink hammer, but it now had a gold design on it.
“What happened for it to change again?”
“I don’t know. I just heard a voice in my head and then this happened.”
“You heard a voice in your head?”
“Yes.”
But why was she saying it as if it was nothing?
It would be a serious thing if one heard a voice in their head.
He wanted to ask more but Leueta stood up.
“Hmm.”
He stood and looked at his hand.
Then at Jamie and Venna.
“You are good.”
He laughed as if he found a new toy.
The mood was now ferocious.
“Stand back.”
““You, what are you doing?
As Venna stood in front of Jamie, he frowned and pulled her by the shoulder.
“Master, you are tired right now. So take a little break. Until you recover, I will hold him.”
“What?”
“I am stronger than him. So it will work out somehow.”
She didn’t say ‘win’.
Because Venna also knew how capable the opponent was.
Above all, the voice in her head, which Jamie couldn’t hear, understood the situation.
[That demon is very strong. You won’t last long.]
Even if she awakened it, a demon was a demon.
The moment she turns careless, her life would be taken away.
“I will come back safe!”
“Venna.”
Without time to listen, she rushed at Leueta.
Jamie looked at her back and clenched his fist.
The fact that even Venna was helping him out hurt his self-esteem.
But on the other hand, it was reassuring.
‘I have time.’
It didn’t matter how long she could hold back the demon, Jamie managed to escape the demon’s sight.
So he took a seat at a vacant spot and put his hands on the ground.
‘I’ll surely give you something to hurt.’
Even if that meant using everything he had.
[Push!!]
The hammer opened and the blue jewel shone.
Kang!
The explosion swept the surrounding area.
Leueta took out magi and looked at Venna who was rushing in.
She kept coming at him without a break.
As if she knew that if she stopped, she would be attacked.
“Haa!”
When she hit the hammer to the ground, a pile of dirt rose into the sky.
Vision blocked.
The black flame eyes of the demon moving from side to side.
Leutea reached to the right.
A hammer appeared from the dirt. He gripped onto the hammer strongly. However, the force which was pushing him overpowered him, making him crash into several trees.
“Hmm.”
“Uhh!”
Venna jumped high and struck her hammer again, but Leueta avoided it easily.
Again, another impact with the ground.
This time Leueta smiled.
[Attack is coming. Fly up.]
She didn’t know what the voice was, but Venna blindly followed it.
Because the voice’s instructions were a lot better than her own inexperienced self.
And as expected. When they moved, the magi scattered around rose from the ground like thorns.
“Oh- avoided this?”
He didn’t think that the kid would notice his moves.
This one seemed a lot more fun.
It was upsetting.
If the first opponent was the woman and not the kid, he would have enjoyed this even more.
“I need to finish it now.”
Contract has to be fulfilled.
Because this happened because of a condition.
And he could play after that.
Leueta’s momentum changed on a terrifying level.
[It is really dangerous now. I recommend that you run away from here.]
The voice warned.
[If you keep trying to gain time, you won’t live.]
‘I know.’
No matter how inexperienced Venna was, she could feel when the opponent’s mood changed.
She was feeling numb.
And her desire to fight was diminishing. It was because of the power of Leueta which increased.
But she couldn’t run away.
She looked where Jamie was.
‘Am I still far?’
Despite awakening her Valkyrie power, she was still weak.
The opponent was strong, but that bitter thought lingered in her mind.
Venna gripped her hammer.
[Are you going to fight?]
“Huh. I need to buy time.”
[Unreasonable.]
“But there is nothing I can do. Because that is what my master needs me to do.”
[… stupid being.]
The voice sighed knowing Venna made up her mind.
[Annoying partners. But I guess I will do my best.]
A faint golden light shone from the hammer.
[Keep in mind. My name is Philion. A hammer made by the great blacksmith for your queen.]
The pink color disappeared and a pure white metal appeared.
Venna’s eyes widened at that splendid appearance.
[Annihilate all your enemies!]
“Yes!”
Venna moved towards Leueta.
Dark clouds gathered in the sky.
The rain was pouring down with lightning and thunder.
The Pyro church led their men to the Mirinae forest.
At the forefront was Lars, the best power that Apton had now. As a newcomer to the Holy Executioners, he couldn’t face a demon of Baron level.
Sable landed in front of the Apton church in the pouring rain. Most of the troops left.
“One can never know what will happen, how could they all just leave?”
Of course, no one thought that someone would break in.
It didn’t even make sense for someone to come when everyone left.
And the one who came to kill the Goddess’s Apostle was the leader of the Seven Knights.
Who could even stop him?
Even if Lars stayed back, he could do nothing.
“I didn’t think that we would be having guests.”
Sable stopped walking.
Someone was standing alone.
An old man with a long white beard.
Sable knew who he was.
“I never thought that I would meet you like this, Sir Sable.”
“… you stayed back?”
“Shouldn’t someone stay here?”
Pyro church’s archbishop Sephira smiled.
“Get out from here. As long as you respect the Goddess.”
“So if I don’t respect you then I get to stay here?”
“Then I will have to use my hands.”
Sable raised his eyebrows.
The scent of flowers flowed in the hall. Sephira frowned.
“I didn’t know you had such great strength.”
“I am also amazed to see you here.”
“I guess this is what God Zenith wants.”
Sephira looked at Sable’s fully drawn sword. Although he knew nothing about swords, he felt such energies many times as he was an archbishop.
The power from Sable was equal to the power of the demon which was coming in from the forest.
“As of today, Pyro church will be slaughtered.”
“You are too greedy, this is the realm of the Goddess.”
“The head of the Apostle will fall because of excessive greed.”
“Let’s see that too.”
“Sure…”
Different powers began to come from Sable and Sephira.
Two lights engulfed the church.
Ricky felt the two holy powers flashing in distance fade away.
“Archbishop…”
It belonged to the Pyro Goddess.