Chapter 87

That was it.

“Next?”

A beautiful spectacle.

“Next?”

And at the same time, a satisfying one.

“Would the next one please come up?”

Each time Luina’s sword danced, the knights of Altrierc fell like straw dolls.

Her spirit, which did not yield even before a demon, would not do so before mere knights.

Her sword, forged in Bercheff and perfected at the Academy, shone with unmatched nobility.

Five cadets from Class 1 had already fallen to her blade, and even a knight of Altrierc who could no longer bear it had charged at her, only to kneel just moments ago.

That meant Luina had reached a level far beyond that of a mere student.

Or perhaps, that the knights of Altrierc were below expectations.

Of course, they weren’t from the Order of Iron Knights, nor from Wild Blood, nor from Noble Blood, but even so, the knights of Altrierc were by no means mediocre.

It was simply that Luina was in another league.

Further proof that Fernan had not been wrong in believing in the prophecy book and betting on Luina Bercheff.

“Ohh.”

“No wonder she won the jousting tournament…”

The murmurs of admiration only reinforced Fernan’s conviction.

“Still, two knights defeated by a mere Academy student?”

“What a disgrace. And they call themselves cadets of the knight academy of Altrierc…”

Of course, not all were praise. Just as Luina felt rivalry with Altrierc, the animosity was mutual.

“I’ll go this time…”

“How about we leave it at that?”

A knight tried to step onto the stage, but Grad, arms crossed, stopped him.

“She’s already defeated five cadets and two knights. Letting a Noble Blood knight fight her now would be disproportionate, don’t you think?”

The Order of Noble Blood Knights was one of the three great orders of Altrierc.

Perhaps a bit below the Orders of Iron and Wild Blood, but not for lack of quality.

“Right, Luina?”

“Yes, that’s true.”

Contrary to the firm voice with which she had called for the “next,” Luina obediently sheathed her sword.

Back in the improvised waiting room, she sat down to wipe her sweat.

“Professor Grad holds you in high regard.”

“Since when were you there?”

The low voice at her ear startled her.

“You can’t even sense my presence?”

“I thought you’d sit next to me, not whisper in my ear.”

With her face slightly red, she touched her ear.

Fernan offered her a chocolate, and Luina accepted it without hesitation, eating it immediately.

“Were you sure you’d win?”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb.”

“I’ve never faced a Noble Blood knight, so I don’t know…”

“But?”

“If they’re at the level of Bercheff’s Crimson Lion Knights, yes, I would’ve won.”

In truth, Grad hadn’t stopped the match to protect Luina, but to protect Altrierc. Though she was Bercheff’s heir, she was still just a student.

They couldn’t allow the backbone of Altrierc to suffer the humiliation of losing to someone like her.

After all, they were rivals, not enemies. And while they were on Altrierc’s land, appearances had to be maintained.

At that moment, another Academy student stepped onto the stage.

“I’m Aint Armian, first year. Pleased to meet you.”

“Armian?”

“Aint Armian?”

“Now that you mention it, it’s been almost a century since an Armian entered the Academy, hasn’t it?”

The surname sparked murmurs of anticipation among the cadets.

“I want to face the Armian and see his sword!”

“Me too!”

“…Ahem, one at a time, please.”

And the duels continued.

***

“My lord.”

The butler approached and whispered. The count of Altrierc’s brow furrowed slightly.

“It seems the duels between the Academy students and our academy are over.”

“Oh, really?”

“They say all of the Academy students won.”

“Am I supposed to be surprised?”

“It’s not surprising, it’s logical. Though I admit it stings the pride a little.”

“I don’t see why it should.”

The one who responded, with an impassive face, was Rosalia Bienderk.

“In the end, what we gather here are those who couldn’t get into the Academy, isn’t that right?”

“That’s true.”

The count nodded.

“Of course, no one says that out loud in front of me.”

“The tea has a pleasant aroma.”

A heavy silence followed.

“I didn’t expect a single one to win. And they say Luina Bercheff defeated not just cadets, but even two knights.”

“All of them are among the top three of their generation. And Luina was this year’s jousting tournament champion.”

The level difference was clear, but that didn’t mean Altrierc was in decline.

After all, many of their knights were also Academy graduates.

“But they’re still first- and second-years.”

“Talent transcends age.”

“And how is the duke?”

“I am not Duchess Rosalia Bienderk now, but Professor Rosalia. Don’t forget that, sir.”

“My apologies.”

“Then, the departure will be in two days.”

“…Departure?”

For the first time, Rosalia’s mask of serenity cracked.

“With all due respect, wasn’t our mission to support the defense from one of the fortresses?”

“It was, but the plans have changed.”

“So suddenly?”

“At dawn, in two days, you will depart for the Taklakan Desert.”

“What does this mean?”

“The Order of Iron, Wild Blood, and five hundred elite soldiers will accompany you.”

Rosalia’s eyes widened. With that kind of force, they could easily overrun a minor kingdom.

“And for what purpose?”

“Even I don’t know.”

“…Excuse me?”

“That was a joke.”

The count let out a low chuckle, but Rosalia didn’t smile in the slightest. It wasn’t funny at all.

“My lord.”

“You resemble your father greatly. No wonder you’re a professor at the Academy at your age.”

“My lord.”

“If you want answers, don’t ask me. Ask one of your own companions. It was one of them who altered the plan.”

“…One of my companions?”

It couldn’t be Grad, who exuded laziness down to his bones. That left only the students.

And among the students, only one could have moved something like this.

“Fernan Pellenberg…”

The count shrugged, as if confirming her answer.

***

“Explain yourself.”

“I found a lead on the Corrupteds. I shared it with the count, and thanks to that, we were authorized to take part.”

With that concise explanation, Professor Rosalia didn’t ask why the professors had been left out.

She simply asked the next question calmly.

“And what is this lead?”

“It’s about a Corrupted who summons monsters. He uses life as a sacrifice to call forth new spawn. And what kind of life can be found easily in the Taklakan desert?”

“The desert clans.”

There were the Empire and Alprosen, but both resisted behind walls. In comparison, the nomadic desert clans were far more vulnerable.

“So the goal is to intercept him in advance.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Not a bad strategy.”

Rosalia pulled a black cigarette from her subspace and lit it.

“Tired?”

“I wasn’t, but that boy named Fernan has tired me.”

Chack. The ember lit.

“What do you think, Professor Grad?”

“What else can we do?”

Grad shrugged.

“If the count already decided, we have to obey. Even if the source is dubious, if it’s true, it’s a smart move.”

“I can’t reveal the source, but the information is reliable.”

“I’m not saying you’re lying. You wouldn’t be stupid enough to make something like this up.”

He was right. Since the decision had already reached the count, there wasn’t much the professors could do to reverse it.

“Then it’s settled.”

“That means extra work for us. We thought it would be a wall defense, and now we’re doing a blitz operation in the desert.”

“Everyone, gather up!”

Grad’s voice thundered.

***

Meanwhile, in the desert.

Tatatatata—

A red horse kicked up sand as it ran. Bairan Osmond covered his mouth and nose with his cloak, shielding himself from the sandstorm.

‘Damn desert.’

Though after accepting the power of the Great Ones he no longer suffered from heat or cold, the desert was still unbearable to him.

‘But it ends today.’

He only needed one thing.

Aint Armian.

That cursed bloodline which, unfortunately, had managed to banish Andromalius. If he killed him, it would all be over. His miserable life in the desert would finally end.

By eliminating his enemy, he’d gain recognition, and the Great Ones would raise him to a higher rank.

‘Damn, I’m running out of time…’

Most of the sacrifices he had spent years preparing for his summons had been consumed in the Monster Wave. He’d gathered what he could from corpses, but it still wasn’t enough to ensure Aint’s death.

‘Even if it was luck, that bastard killed Andromalius. I can’t afford to underestimate him.’

He needed even more monsters.

All that was left was to separate Aint from Altrierc’s forces. If he had enough creatures, he could isolate him.

“Finally.”

In the distance, through the storm, he spotted the yurts of a desert clan.

“This will be the fifth.”

After the Wave, most clans had fled south. That had been possible only because he had allowed it — he needed them alive as sacrifices.

“I should’ve gathered them all in one place.”

Now they were too scattered, and hunting down just five clans had taken longer than expected. His original plan was to collect at least ten.

‘It’s already been a week. There’s no time left. I’ll have to settle for five.’

Though it troubled him, he couldn’t waste the chance now that Aint was walking into the lion’s den.

“Stop!”

“Halt there!”

Three warriors from the clan appeared at the village entrance.

Bairan didn’t stop.

“I don’t have time to waste on insects.”

He blew a whistle charged with demonic magic.

Fwoooosh!

Monsters emerged from the sand like hungry sharks.

At the same time, he unleashed a torrent of magic at the guards. He was certain that in an instant they’d be corpses to feed his beasts.

‘…Wait.’

The aura he felt in front of him wasn’t that of ordinary warriors. Something was wrong.

Claaang!

An icy slash deflected his magic.

“What…?”

The impact was so strong it forced him to stagger back.

Before he could react, his opponent’s sword coiled around him like a serpent.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Sparks flew in a flurry of five clashes. Taking advantage of the recoil, Bairan leapt from his horse and retreated.

“Who the he—?”

Then he noticed it. The desert heat had vanished. The monsters stood frozen.

Everything was locked in a world of white ice.

“…What the hell…?”

A glacier, a prison of ice, had risen around him.

And in that very moment, a rumbling shook the ground.

Tatatatata!

But they weren’t monsters.

They were hooves.

Rhythmic.

“…The Order of Iron? The Order of Wild Blood? What are they doing here?”

The two most powerful orders of Altrierc.

“What are we doing here? Very simple.”

A harsh voice rang in his ears.

“We’re going to do to you what you planned to do to them.”

And a massive block of stone came crashing down on his head.