I Am a Villain, So What?

Chapter 207: Winterguard [10]

"How’s the barrier side looking?"

"Well, it’s somewhat repaired, thanks to the time provided by your spikes," Roderic answered, walking beside me along the snow-covered parapets. "But if attacks like the ones before keep hitting us, it won’t last long either. The masonry is basically held together by freezing water and Princess Celestia’s magic."

A wall held together by glacial ice is naturally weaker than the original reinforced stone, leaving aside the terrifying question of how long Celestia’s massive magical barrier would actually hold under continuous assault.

Maybe I should pay Commander Arthur a visit tonight and finally hand over the Titan’s Heart, I thought. See if that could be integrated as a permanent replacement for the failing Frostward Core.

Thankfully, Celestia was here. She was an invaluable asset in this frozen environment, and Princess Rumina was a devastatingly powerful mage in her own right. When the monsters launched an all-out attack, every single high-tier caster was a vital necessity.

"By the way," Roderic said, looking at me.

"Yes?"

"Your outfit is different than before."

I pulled the thick, fur-lined collar of my heavy winter coat up higher around my neck. My head was completely covered by a deep, dark hood, pulled low enough that my face wasn’t visible unless you looked directly from the front.

In fact, this was a completely normal outfit for Winterguard. Most of the men were dressed similarly to fend off frostbite. But I had been wearing relatively light tactical gear until now because my natural mana circulation usually kept my body temperature regulated.

"It’s colder than I thought standing up here for hours," I replied smoothly, keeping my hands tucked into my coat pockets. "Maybe my body is still weak from the... backlash."

"Well, you should rest more then. We’ve got the wall covered for now," Roderic smiled grimly, tapping my shoulder before walking down the stairs to check the archer positions.

****

Another day passed, and the 50% physical stat debuff from the System finally vanished.

Today marked the ninth day of my incredibly stressful ’vacation’ in Winterguard.

And if my tactical guess was right, the true, large-scale attack from the Wilderness would occur anytime now. The enemy commander wasn’t stupid; they were just reorganizing their shattered vanguard for a massive, decisive push.

Meanwhile, the main agenda of my trip to Winterguard had not yet been achieved.

To retrieve the Pilgrim’s Goblet.

But it was so far outside the fortress walls, deep in the frozen, sacred forest. I was absolutely certain Commander Arthur wouldn’t allow the heir of the Ashborne County to just take a casual stroll outside the gates, especially not after my recent magical stunt had painted a massive target on my back.

Should I just sneak out?

That was a viable option. But I had to find a flawless opportunity. The security here was incredibly strict; there were lookouts on every tower, twenty-four hours a day.

The only realistic window of opportunity would be during a massive monster attack, when every single set of eyes in the fortress was completely focused on the meat grinder below.

But I will need a decoy to keep them from realizing I’m missing.

I mentally called up the System panel, quietly browsing the shop interface in my room. During the last week, I had accumulated quite a vast number of points from farming the aerial monsters and the mass slaughter with the bedrock spikes.

After scrolling past the weapons and potions for a while, I found exactly what I needed.

[Purchasing: ’Doppelganger’s Silhouette’ - 5,000 Points]

*****

Later that day.

"..."

At the horrific sight before his eyes, Winterguard’s senior watchman, Hugh, completely froze.

He didn’t raise an eyebrow. He forgot to breathe.

In Winterguard, there had always been an elite lookout assigned to the highest spire, tasked solely with watching the movements of the monsters in the deep fog and ringing the great bell in case of a full-scale emergency. Hugh had not stepped down from his post in over ten years; he possessed the sharpest eyesight and the steadiest nerves of anyone in the garrison.

"What in the Gods’ names is that...?" Hugh whispered.

Today, Hugh cursed his excessively keen vision.

The monsters were coming. But it wasn’t a skirmish force, and it wasn’t a vanguard. It was a literal army.

A tidal wave of corrupted shadows overlapped each other from the far left end of his sight all the way to the right, their sheer, terrifying mass increasing in size as the dark fog rolled back.

It was a scale like none he had ever seen before. No, it was a scene that a sane human couldn’t easily imagine. It wasn’t just the sheer, suffocating numbers; the absolute size of the behemoths leading the charge was unlike anything Winterguard had faced in the last century.

Upon spotting an anomaly, a lookout was supposed to immediately grab the heavy rope and ring the great bell inside the pillar. But for those first few horrifying seconds, Hugh couldn’t move a muscle.

Ringing the bell this time felt like he was announcing the literal end of the world.

"...Ugh!"

Hugh violently bit his lip, tasting blood, and forced his paralyzed limbs to move. He threw his entire body weight onto the heavy rope.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

He pulled it incessantly, wildly. There were specific counts and intervals for ringing the bell depending on the tactical situation, but none of that mattered now. The frantic, unceasing tolling of the bell clearly indicated what the situation was: absolute catastrophe.

Hugh leaned over the railing and screamed down at the courtyard, his voice tearing.

"Large-scale monster horde spotted! Scale unestimable!! Prepare for total siege!!"

The knights were already rushing outside. Even without Hugh shouting, every veteran had guessed the severity of the situation just by hearing the panicked rhythm of the bell.

They took their designated positions on the walls. Down in the inner courtyard, safely behind the secondary gates, stood Princess Rumina and Princess Celestia, surrounded by the elite Royal Knights.

"Your Highnesses, please stay away from the main barriers," Commander Viktor said, approaching them with a grim, solemn expression. "Among the horde, there will be beasts that fly and those that hurl massive projectiles. You could be struck by a blind attack if you stand too close to the masonry."

Celestia nodded firmly. Insisting on standing on the parapets right now would only hinder the frontline knights and force them to act as human shields instead of fighting.

"Understood, Commander," Rumina said smoothly, her amber eyes reflecting the dark sky. "We will make our own judgments regarding our safety. Please, concentrate your mind entirely on the battle."

"Yes, Your Highness. And..."

Viktor bowed deeply, the heavy plate armor of the Ashen Knights clinking.

"If the main barrier falls... do not look back. Flee to the Capital. I will lead the remainder of the garrison in a suicide charge to buy your carriage time."

"..."

Celestia’s breath hitched, but she didn’t argue. She had come here to inspect the situation, but no one had expected an apocalyptic wave. It was absolutely unthinkable for the royal bloodline to perish in this frozen wasteland.

Viktor turned his back to the royals and climbed the steep stone stairs up to the main barrier. Whatever was said, the brutal decision had already been made in his mind.