bookandnovel Chapter 115 : What Happened That Day (6)
Chapter 115 : What Happened That Day (6)
What Happened That Day (6)
Chief's Tent of the Red Rooster, Jonar's tent.
The rabbit beastkin's eyelids fluttered open.
When his pink pupils slowly revealed themselves,
the fox strategist who had been anxiously awaiting his movement shouted out.
"Chieftain! Aishdin has opened his eyes—!"
Clack!
Aishdin grabbed the fox strategist's snout and spoke.
"Don't you know you're not supposed to shout next to a rabbit beastkin? You oblivious fox."
Aishdin roughly let go of the hand he had been gripping, making the fox strategist gag and cough,
while Chief Jonar swallowed dryly and stared at Aishdin.
"... The result? What happened?"
The rabbit brat's expression, now back in his original body, didn't look refreshed at all.
This was the rabbit who'd confidently declared that he could be relied on—
'Did he fail, by any chance?'
Jonar had realized through intuition after several battles following the resumption of the war.
If they fought as before, relying on brute strength, there would be no chance of victory.
Especially the blonde company commander and the green-haired fighter's growth had surpassed his expectations.
Even if he faced them directly, he couldn't be confident of victory.
'What on earth was it about that outsider's food?'
In the end, Jonar decided to use the artifact earlier than planned,
and sent Aishdin's clone among the human prisoners.
But Aishdin's face was far too hardened.
It wasn't the expression of someone who had succeeded.
This fact only irritated Jonar further.
"Hey. Can't you hear me? Huh?!!"
Crack! The armrest of the chair Jonar was sitting on shattered.
His chicken comb was quivering, and if this had failed, he looked ready to dispose of Aishdin on the spot.
Of course, Aishdin only found Jonar's attitude pitiable.
'How much longer do I have to play along with a fool who doesn't even know he's being used?'
Finishing his complaint to himself, Aishdin stood up, removing his padded armor, and said,
"It was a success."
His tone was emotionless,
but the faces of all the beastkin within the tent brightened.
"The human chief has been cursed. He's not dead yet, but his life is as good as over. Those leatherheads must be in a panic right about now."
A rat beastkin soldier quickly approached the naked rabbit beastkin and fetched his equipment.
Though his face was tense, afraid Aishdin might kill him,
Jonar's black eyes were shining with joy and desire.
"Kahaha! Yes, well done, Aishdin! As expected, a rabbit beastkin is something else, right?! Kahaha!"
As Jonar and the beastkin officers grew excited,
the fox strategist asked Aishdin, now equipped,
"Did anything happen among the humans?"
Unlike usual, Aishdin wore a grim, stiff expression.
It made the fox think the curse had failed.
But instead of directly replying, the rabbit raised just one corner of his mouth in a crooked grin.
'Did anything happen? Oh, something definitely happened.'
Aishdin had been in high spirits up until he succeeded in activating the artifact more easily and swiftly than expected.
But just before his clone disappeared,
he'd seen something all too familiar—and all too detestable—on the chest of the black-haired human.
'Why... why her magic...?'
The type of mana, the technique, even the enchantment method.
All of it was her "unique magic".
Just remembering her made Aishdin's face grow savage with anger,
"You did well, Aishdin! Tell the Tower Master that I'll be sure to repay this debt!!"
His pink pupils turned to Jonar.
At some point, Jonar had donned his battle equipment,
and the other officers were leaving the tent to command their units.
"What are you doing? Aren't you going?"
Jonar jerked his chin as he spoke.
According to the plan, Aishdin was supposed to leave immediately and return to the Magic Tower.
If he died here, the artifact's curse would be lifted.
But Aishdin's feet felt glued to the ground.
"......"
Aishdin remained standing until all the officers in the tent had left.
To Jonar, his behavior looked excessively insolent.
"How long do you intend to just stand there?"
"I have something to say."
"No. There's nothing you need to say to me anymore."
Jonar approached Aishdin.
Step, step.
His menacing footsteps halted right in front of Aishdin's nose.
The fox strategist, flustered, hurried after his chief, but of course, couldn't intervene.
"I won't say it again. Get lost, rabbit."
Even with killing intent swirling around, Aishdin kept his gaze locked on Jonar and thought,
'Should I just kill him here?'
He was going to die soon anyway,
so would it really change anything if he was the one to do it?
'Hold it in. Just hold it in.'
Barely restraining himself, Aishdin returned to his usual nonchalant expression and spoke.
"I'm sorry, but the Tower Master doesn't wish for me to leave yet. It seems I'll need to remain here a little longer."
Having seen her unique magic enchantment, Aishdin couldn't simply let it pass.
Of course, it felt creepy having to lie and use the Tower Master's name,
but because it involved her, he thought perhaps even the Tower Master would forgive him.
However, Jonar would not.
"You arrogant little rabbit... I go easy on you, and this is what I get."
Jonar glared as if he was about to kill Aishdin.
In fact, energy gathered on the five claws of Jonar's hand.
But Aishdin replied as if nothing was wrong.
"Why? Going to kill me? Kill me, and the curse on the human chief will be lifted, you know?"
At some point, a magic array had been drawn at Aishdin's feet,
"Summon—Activation—Forest of Spears!"
Thorns burst from the ground.
Crack!
Their razor-sharp points aimed straight at Jonar,
causing the fox strategist to quickly wedge himself between the two beastkin,
"Chieftain! If it's the will of the Tower Master, you must respect it!!"
After several seconds of tense silence and confrontation,
Jonar was the first to withdraw his energy.
"If you die before the human chief does and ruin everything, the deal with the Tower Master is off."
"Hm. Do you really think I'd die? Don't worry."
With those words, Aishdin left the tent.
Jonar, watching him go, turned to vent his anger on the fox strategist,
"C-Chief! I have a great idea!"
The fox said proudly, so Jonar asked again.
"And what is it?"
"The human chief will die soon anyway. When that bald guy kicks the bucket, let's kill that wretched rabbit right after!"
"Oh-ho, not bad at all."
For the first time in a while, the Red Rooster Jonar found the fox strategist's cunning to his liking.
*
Hank's current state was strange indeed.
The surrounding mana and the energy of the earth were drawn toward him.
But unfortunately, this wasn't an inheritance.
If it had been, everyone present would have noticed it.
However,
'The mana is glowing green?'
It meant he was almost there.
Just a little further, and Hank would reach the 5th rank.
That's why even Lantz couldn't stop him,
and the same went for me.
All I could do was watch as Hank, surrendering himself to madness, let his mana and energy run wild.
"Hank Company—!!"
Hank's voice boomed out,
his green eyes shining with an extraordinary light.
"From now, we attack the Heroni garrison! Everyone, battle formation!!"
At the commander's call, the soldiers of the North responded.
"Waaaaa!!"
With a roar, a third of the camp's troops charged forward.
In the end, Zaiya and Ricky, who had been blocking the soldiers' path, had to step aside.
'Damn. What now.'
Hank was rampaging in order to save the battalion commander.
But this rampage meant he was knocking on the door to the 5th rank.
It was truly a double-edged sword.
'It's dangerous to rush the beastkin camp like this, but if he becomes 5th rank, we might stand a chance against Schutmann.'
What should I do? What choice here would best secure my survival and benefit Granfen?
With my brain burning in pain and a drop of cold sweat trickling down my chin,
"Heh. Of all times, why now?"
The eye die landed on 10, and the battalion commander vanished with a pop.
'Damn it!'
Unlike 1 through 9, getting a 10 meant traveling to another dimension to confront the Shadow Legion.
I knew the method and strategy, so the battalion commander wouldn't lose there,
but his stamina would be greatly reduced as well.
'For roughly the next three minutes, he can't communicate.'
With the highest commander gone,
Hank Company's subordinates began moving toward us.
At the forefront was 2nd Company's 1st Platoon Leader, Pab.
His gaze, too, blazed with madness like Hank's.
That was how much the battalion commander, Kratan—the old man—was absolutely supported in Granfen.
'Damn it.'
Should I block the advance of Hank Company, or just let them go?
If I tried, could I even stop them?
With no battalion commander?
As I was torn between options—
Chak, chak, chak.
Another company commander stepped out next to Hank.
'Even Lantz?'
Until just moments ago, he'd seemed to be struggling with the same dilemma as me,
but not anymore.
With a determined face, he spoke quietly.
"I can't fall behind you, Hank."
While I hesitated and calculated,
Lantz had already made up his mind.
"Lantz Company—!! Attack!!"
Lantz, too, had resolved to save the battalion commander.
Even with traps and death looming before him,
his desire to save the battalion commander was even greater.
"Waaaaa!"
Lantz Company, too, charged out of the camp.
That's the way of the North.
Somewhere between honor and idiocy,
between barbarity and romance.
'This is driving me crazy.'
Now, only 3rd Company—Ralph's unit—remained at the camp.
I turned to look at Ralph.
Fortunately, Ralph wasn't swept up by the two hot-blooded company commanders.
Instead, Ralph was gazing not at our bustling camp,
but at the opposite side where the beastkin were gathering.
His brows were tightly knit in a frown.
I approached Ralph and tapped his shoulder with a thunk.
"What's wrong, Ralph?"
Since I couldn't see anything, I asked,
but Ralph didn't even glance at me as he replied.
"It's strange. The beastkin are up to something."
"Huh?"
"Something's not right!"
Again I looked toward the area Ralph was watching,
but I still couldn't see anything.
Was it something only Ralph, who held the Fragment of the Firmament, could sense?
If so,
"Ralph. I'll check, so can you make a finger lock like this?"
"You mean throw you up?"
Nodding, I placed my right foot on Ralph's clasped hands.
"Throw me as hard as you can."
"Don't worry, focus. Here we go! One,"
"Two, three!"
"Two, three!"
Whoosh!! Matching Ralph's upward heave, I leapt high.
For a moment, the thrill of doing something impossible in a game overtook me,
'Damn, that's way too high.'
My forgotten fear of heights rushed back,
but I didn't have time for such thoughts.
I curled my index finger and thumb into a ring, used it as a Mana Scope, and surveyed the enemy camp.
Zooming in, in, and in yet again.
"... Shit."
For the first time in a while, I cursed out loud.
Despite supposedly retreating, the enemy's forces were rapidly turning back toward the camp,
and their remaining troops already looked poised to attack at any moment.
"Huuuph!"
I inhaled sharply and free-fell back down,
relaxing my body to match Ralph's timing as he caught me.
Whoomph—catch!
Landing perfectly in a princess carry with my big-chinned prince, I said,
"The beastkin are preparing a full-scale assault. They'll strike soon."
Ralph's face contorted dramatically.
He'd hoped what he sensed was just paranoia, but it wasn't.
"Instead of attacking, we need to hold the line."
"Yes."
I slipped from Ralph's arms and shouted toward Lantz and Hank.
"Company Commander Lantz! Company Commander Hank!"
But the two didn't even glance my way, only watching the companies advancing toward them.
'Even Lantz...?'
At some point, a faint golden glow was rising from both Lantz's mana and energy as well.
Just seeing it made me swallow dryly.
'Can I stop those two?'
Right now, we needed defense more than offense.
If only the battalion commander were here, he would have calmed them down.
"Please, both of you, just listen to me!!"
I screamed at the top of my lungs and ran toward the two company commanders.
When words didn't work, I thought I'd have to block them physically,
but at that moment—
"?!"
It was as though some invisible something stomped the ground.
A chilling wind blew, and a massive shadow fell between Lantz and Hank, blocking their path.
"How energetic, you two. But..."
It was Schutmann.
His gaze atop his inverted-triangle mask shone cold as ice.
An oppressive presence heavy enough to stifle breath consumed the entire area,
so much so that even the roars of the soldiers seemed to vanish.
"Have you forgotten the battalion commander's orders? Not advance, but defend. We're to hold this position and fight. Wasn't that it?"
His voice was low, heavy as a rolling stone.
Ironically,
now, Schutmann was the most rational one present.