Chapter 123
GbQ“It’s a nest…!”nkjqCy1
5sJ4GzO“Really… a nest?”bTSaN
OTprRk“How could it get this far without us noticing?”aRS
x8QxA few cultists descending south was completely different from them establishing a nest.ls2
LvY10S2When a nest appeared, the land became tainted. The corrupted ground devoured mana and converted it into corrupted magic, which in turn further empowered demons and demonic creatures, complicating the entire situation.zJ1I
RiXCcmO‘…At least, that’s what I know.’31EV
cTtOWas that dark purple staining the snow… corruption?DJmWD
TnOTFernan stared at the violet-stained ground and swallowed hard. The ominous magical energy was unmistakable.5cG
zV0— Kyuuu! Kyu!zuSxLU
ZhKFWooden was reacting nervously too, pounding on Fernan’s chest.7An8
lVQHe wanted out immediately, to return to his full size and wipe out everything.XAJeCS
Qs41bHe couldn’t stand to see the land tainted.HyYqS
eOPm1LDWooden’s unusual urgency startled Fernan—until he understood.osG
BYAY6oW‘Ah… of course. Wooden was a forest spirit drawn to the World Tree branch.’Uurj2
JMKmNow it made sense.P2KL
wQ3A spirit born from pure energy, who also carried a fragment of the World Tree—the purest mana source—would detect corruption easily.SgM9iB
Bkc‘This is an unexpected advantage…’ZUqeF
GTGje9fIn the face of the looming demonic incursion, having a “detector” almost as sensitive as Aint Armian was a reassuring asset.CJXv
ngxlB“We must exterminate the demonic creatures and purify the ground.”DJ4a
d5UnWL“They’ve sent scouts in all directions. Clearly they intend to expand their territory quickly. We can’t just sit by.”plJnHBj
tukz08…Though first, they had to survive this situation.CNn
NoJb9‘Calm down, Wooden. Not now.’CyC
ATYzYX6— Kyu…UfUy
gXh1H9‘Don’t give me that disappointed face either.’b4ng
vgcq— Kyu!Qqs
K49hz‘That they’re your mortal enemies? Don’t be ridiculous.’x4EkF
UQA7In the end, Wooden went quiet.FZkCJ
6IosMeanwhile, the White Lion knights decided to face them head-on, not retreat.HgFxUJI
tje“We cannot allow demonic creatures to establish a nest right at Bercheff’s doorstep.”2boJ5U
yVSqThey didn’t know exactly how fast they could reproduce or how dangerous the corrupted land would be. But they did know that if they didn’t act, it would turn into a flood that would consume Bercheff.daUdv
GRkAnd for a land only just recovered, that would be a death blow.aAlB
NaC6b2G‘And there’s no guarantee this is all there is.’jrs
fz3ITLNo matter how many there were, up until now they’d only seen lesser creatures. What if there were stronger demons hidden nearby?XWF
4HM1m“Sir Fernan. We’ll protect you with everything we’ve got, but we can’t guarantee your absolute safety.”9n3OYAK
1JCBE“Don’t worry about me. In fact, as part of the patrol, I’d like to contribute as well.”Hx5
WWrTFor example, ensuring that not a single one of those beasts escaped.uuyn0pw
KIVNcAyThe captain grew interested.nJOHgIv
7WQm1N“You’re a guest, Sir Fernan. But tell me—how do you plan to do that?”a1rj
XgesT“You may have heard—my specialty is earth magic.”XEL
KS4A00“We’ve heard that.”LdH
pxioC“And what do earth mages do best?”gCT
msJAtCFernan drew a circle in the air, pointing around the valley.JxIMb2
1o6D“Raise walls.”GzfYi
hi3R“They’re rank 7, and there are hundreds of them. It’s not easy to contain them.”imdVqr
saFe1“Didn’t Luina tell you about me?”4WyUfHr
pbzyR“What do you mean?”IaN
tcckLuina whispered something in the captain’s ear. Fernan didn’t catch everything, but he did hear a few words—“elixirs,” “excess mana,” “potions.”9yyVr
9lNThe captain nodded, convinced, and extended his hand.cf1zUu7
kq1CncG“Fernan, from this moment, you’re part of the patrol. I’m counting on you for the strategy.”thdlSB
q9fAnd so, Fernan was formally integrated.m1w
vcy***ezc52WN
sMyWhen did knights shine brightest? Without a doubt—in battle.Qa6yYX
RmaSince childhood, they’d been trained to kill men, monsters, and beasts. They were living weapons.69yuFPy
NumNTEbThey mainly used swords, but could wield nearly any weapon. Their versatility and ferocity were hard to describe.MTr8p
cmBJlQ0And among all battles, there was one moment when knights reached the height of their glory.i7f0HgA
XF1wMGThe cavalry charge.MifFTGw
cKwXD9HIt was the flower and essence of knightly orders.chctql
N1ZzPNAnyone who hadn’t seen dozens or hundreds of knights charging in unison could not imagine such devastating power.7ldd22f
lgmFernan, lying beside Luina in the snow, watched the White Lions form up for the charge.R40j8
WtTMMThe horses began to advance slowly through the snow.dPHoD
95iThe knights lowered their lances.7px0CiS
IpUVBIt was already a spectacle—but the best part was yet to come.rjZeR5l
bls3Wooong—4DPA6
ESWXThe knights shared aura and combat techniques. They learned to synchronize.IewL
YKV4tWooooong—9uqt4
Bfw9A white glow of aura began to radiate from the lances. Amid the snowstorm, it looked like a sublime vision.lhPBvdP
2IkMThe aura resonated, expanding and covering the knights, the horses, the entire formation.quu29ju
2XP1WSvDudududu—PTXpBm4
H1mCUC7The horses, influenced by the energy, neighed like wild beasts and picked up speed.apQWQ
thooKruaaargh!Iy2ml
CO59Kyaaaah!jawX3X
LywrfThe demonic creatures finally sensed the threat. But it was already too late.9X6
qj1JxKuWhen they bared their fangs at the White Lions, the formation was already upon them, ready to tear out their throats.wcwPQF
jQpnc6─────!oQnr
SOHKsq2Gyaaaah!Rcjp
s4NGrooarh!rnvc
lRi57The roar shook the heavens and earth.7AG
oqmEelsIn an instant, dozens of creatures were destroyed, bursting into bloody chunks.OVOuX
CZ9LHThat was only the beginning.RXgjy
GaGbThe formation pierced through one group, and without stopping, charged into another.HtipXF
DPEdThe smell of blood drew even more howls and assaults.KYyc
ZbfAt that moment, Fernan raised his staff and activated the prepared magic circle.4DakqJc
yQ8XwbDRumble—D4V9dGv
67cCNaA massive circular wall rose around the valley, enclosing everything.dtAy
jHdyFernan and Luina looked up at the wall growing skyward.0i1Z
PBH“Hmm…?”tvmqx
v1ae“What’s wrong?”h2jUFR
lk6NH“…The mana cost is higher than expected.”Wgp6
p47TiFernan quickly drank a potion.4kB
2JpGquHe looked at the blackened earth beneath his feet.ML8
TByf‘Of course… one more reason to purify this.’UoQZx5
ePG2pP0Magic didn’t depend only on personal mana—it also drew from the environment.RCLa0
MUOBut the corrupted land had no mana—only corrupted magic.TJ7
S1i38KK“So the corruption blocks mana flow. We’ll have to be careful in the upcoming battles.”nKJ
B9TcyWithout ambient mana, any aura or magic consumed reserves much faster.fcfZwyb
ujVVqGyaaaah!ayRxz
haeq4kgKraaaagh!R8lwJx0
P4kTCMeanwhile, the battle reached its climax.Ymf83KU
b3bThe demonic creatures charged like an unending tide. The knights didn’t stop for a second.qA2EzT
RUYIn the midst of the darkness, the White Lions shone like absolute predators.CjH
09tA spectacle that sent shivers down the spine.OHh9
TAJC8“What do you think?”l82KqB
rUhJ“Incredible. Even if they’re rank 6 demons, I now understand why they didn’t flee… and why the White Lions are called Bercheff’s first knight order.”lwC
wGkjhk4The demons’ fangs and claws couldn’t pierce the resonant aura generated by the knights.AYRms
QEhpgAnd wherever they passed, corpses were left without fail.vZ0bgn
KM9LlM“The White Lions are the first knight order of the continent.”AkSIZm6
JEdPride was evident in Luina’s straightened shoulders.Gh8z
JSaz“……”vLN3M6
GdLLg6pWatching her boast didn’t sit well with Fernan, so he threw out a dry comment.rjQOr
7RvSNUJ“But you’re not them, are you?”I0T6B
6peq“…I can fight too. I stayed to protect you.”oYZ0R
TH4ie“Even though your aura technique is different?”JY9ZO
Jy1“All Bercheff’s aura techniques derive from the family’s secret technique.”XOrj
Ue4I“I know that.”mCz
OwUFf“…Are you mocking me?”XvLH
gFxFlTCFernan let out a small chuckle.9mSP0uc
V1HYSw“You definitely shouldn’t be a merchant.”vAsLVzB
ThL0W“What’s that supposed to mean all of a sudden?”LvB
E8s“It’s written all over your face.”8Div2
tqgIR“For a knight, honesty is a virtue.”6Y5dz9r
PpDSLf“But for a merchant, it’s not.”5zf3rrT
37pKjWQ“Anyway, I never planned on becoming a merchant.”B1NXQ
MIh“That’s what I’m saying.”i3glmkz
teRYn9“…Huh?”uFbcNn
9jXZXLuina tilted her head, feeling like she’d lost at something without understanding how.BBCSot
IIwAt that moment—uikdI
LQcZYmM“It’s over.”6Ltx
HFaFeeding mana into the stone wall no longer made sense.o07
xqnkAll the demons had reacted to the presence of living beings and, without exception, had thrown themselves at the White Lions—only to end up as corpses.1YXow1c
tRhbc“Is the pursuit over here?”6bcJi
swE0497“For now, yes. We’ve strayed quite far from the usual patrol route, and it’s very likely this isn’t a phenomenon limited to just this area.”SqB
XLaMitIt was clear they had to return as soon as possible and report to the margrave so countermeasures could be drawn up.hRSSzN
xW9PDtuAfter all, no matter how strong the order was, just thirty knights couldn’t exterminate every demon in the vast north.oYs
B6rgUKFFernan dispelled the magic. The tall walls sank back into the earth.CuqHT3S
jELB6DH“Burn all the demon corpses, then we’ll head back.”oq3
SofAgNAs Luina had said, even though the White Lions had found a trail leading farther north, they didn’t follow it.bK4d
81FHa1“And the land tainted by dark magic? It looks like it spread even further after absorbing the demons’ blood.”fwoP8
dowEJsa“Hmm. For now, we’ll burn it.”8TbH1s7
txmvThey lit fires. Although the snow made it difficult to burn cleanly, even after the red flames passed, the contaminated earth remained impure.EyK
kA7“…There’s nothing else we can do right now. We must report to the lord and request help from the Cult of the Dragon God…”rAWs7
bKqAt that moment, Fernan pulled something from his subspace and poured it on the ground.OXa4Zf
JiMMNShhhhhh!YAbdStC
uDhpkA thick smoke rose, and after the reaction, a portion of the blackened land returned to its original state.QFnV
6B9j“……!”vwJKt
MjC3“……!”U06J
mUSUualThe knights’ eyes widened.KWq9Bv
S1N0bEn“…Sir, what is that?”55n5ekg
cRFJWz“Holy water, produced by the Cult of the Dragon God.”FUa
g2CNwCd“How did you get it…?”B81uq
hCiy2Z“Didn’t I say I came prepared?”IbQHb
9iaJOf course, when Jace had given him that amount of holy water, Fernan never imagined it would be this effective and versatile.g8hL8r
XDpr‘They’re bastards, but their product is worth every coin…’A0Spka
2y5THis opinion of the cult rose a few notches.dZhS
Hly“I see. If you have enough of it, could you purify the land with it?”ZIzJr
ilH“There’s too much area to cover everything here.”Jd21O
pu5Lb“That’s what I thought…”ayask
qQ0“…But if you let me keep the demon corpses, I can give it a try.”XZK0a
bsXP“Take as many as you want.”QK81Gj0
IrAuA“Then it’s a deal.”iETwB7i
EPGH9Fernan tossed dozens of glass vials filled with holy water into the air and, with a spell, made them explode into a mist.EfQ
rkwwHVmThe liquid, mixed with mana, turned almost into a fog that covered the entire contaminated area, fighting the dark resistance and gradually purifying the land.IJn
FIXC“Whoaaa…”HIao4
QjQeT“That the Cult of the Dragon God’s holy water works so well is encouraging.”O9mZ
G6eiDThe captain of the White Lions, until just moments ago worried about the magnitude of the corruption, let out a sigh of relief.drUwNP
hXEqHfwBut then—GYkUCGo
RwRbRH— Kyu kyu kyu kyu!oXQwp8F
1cpWooden began pounding him even harder and more frantically than before.tIbM
GqBxybU‘Stop! You hit a bone! What now…?!’aRvbTB
UFS3At that moment—xDagr1
xrOmRtGCrack—gle7eG
LRDy“Huh?”54oHUci
b6B“What…?”Jusd9O
8mKIWith no prior warning.6G3a
cpYoThe very ground of the valley beneath their feet suddenly collapsed.JqkXGC
ZmHm“Th-the ground…!”F6F
9Sh“Watch out!”FO6x
uA2tv4dThe crack swallowed all thirty White Lions, the eldest daughter of Bercheff, and the heir of Pellenberg.SrYroq
1FcThe valley fell silent.sZUtLj
TmIbNAs if nothing had ever happened.h1V
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