novelraw Chapter 114 : Chapter 114
Chapter 114 : Chapter 114
Chapter : 114
Seeing the silver-plated weapons prepared by the religious order dispatched from the Prince-Bishopric of Cologne, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
‘Hmm, I was complacent. I should have prepared a bit more.’
Of course, they say you can purify undead with fire, but you never knew. Powerful undead that couldn't be easily purified by fire might appear.
Therefore, I immediately asked the priests of the religious order to start consecrating holy water.
At the same time, I called Azuela.
“What? You're telling me to help those people from the knight order? Your Excellency?”
“Yes. Doesn't your mystery have quite a significant effect on such wicked things? According to Magician Agpiel, the mystery of healing is the opposite of the undead's wicked mystery?”
Azuela cursed inwardly.
A mage should have a moderate amount of mystery, but she was being exposed too much. Yet, she couldn't say anything to Magician Agpiel, who was called the Great Sage of the Forest.
“Ohoho, wouldn't the people from the monastery dispatched from the Prince-Bishopric of Cologne dislike it? Your Excellency. I am the Emperor's court mage, you know?”
“...Now you bring that up?”
“.......”
It was a remark intended to slip away unnoticed, but in reality, it was a remark that couldn't even recover the principal. At my retort, Azuela's face turned bright red.
Considering what Azuela herself had done so far, it was truly close to nonsense.
“S-Still, we should listen to their opinion too....”
“They said it's good? Rather, they liked that a renowned mage would lend a hand. Magician Agpiel has already gone there anyway.”
At her lengthening excuse, I cut her off sharply. Azuela's pouting lips were probably just my imagination, right?
But what could she do.
If told to peel, she had to peel. Azuela, while grumbling, eventually was forced to join the holy water consecration work.
Azuela knew it too. That she couldn't easily refuse my request because of what she had already committed.
“Thank you very much for sending your subordinate mages. Your Excellency.”
“Not at all. Isn't it something I asked for? Rather, I should be thanking you.”
“Haha, no. Didn't you come to help for the sake of our Prince-Bishopric of Cologne? God will also be satisfied with Your Excellency's beautiful dedication.”
Knight Order Commander Barman, speaking softly with a smile, looked truly benevolent and kind.
If only he didn't have that armament and the brutal scar crossing half his face.
What priest on earth was this huge and fully armed in steel armor from head to toe?
They said each priest of the knight order was like a well-trained knight, but I felt a savagery even greater than that.
This was practically....
‘They look like great warriors of a barbarian tribe.’
Of course, I couldn't say this out loud.
I cleared my throat, afraid my inner thoughts might be caught, and stealthily changed the subject.
“K-Khum, right. Where is the place we are going? I hear it's near here.”
“Ah! It is here. A place called Budenbern. It is a fertile village with a small river and a vast forest in the hinterland.”
“Oh, indeed.”
Looking at the map Commander Barman unfolded, I nodded. Even at a glance, it looked very wealthy.
However, it was an excessively open plain area, so it looked difficult to defend.
As expected.
“Recently, they say they received a large-scale attack from undead and monsters. It's quite a large village, so it's surrounded by a wooden fence and they managed to block it.... But in my view, it looks dangerous.”
“Hmm, I think the same.”
A wooden fence on such an open plain actually didn't mean much. It was better than nothing, but it was hard to expect meaningful defensive power.
Of course, thanks to that, it looked good for the elf knights and the knight order people to run wild.
“Then when shall we depart? It looks like time is of the essence. The villagers must be waiting for us desperately?”
“Actually, I intended to go as soon as the consecration is finished today, but....”
“But?”
“Would it be alright? Your Excellency. We might arrive late at night.”
“Ah, eh?”
Wondering why he was speaking so cautiously, I smirked after hearing the story and waved my hand.
“It's fine. Camping in the cold wind or a sudden night battle might be tough, but would it compare to the hearts of the Budenheim people waiting for us anxiously? Besides, it might fall if we're not careful, right?”
There was nothing more futile than going all the way only for it to fall. Moreover, staying in a village occupied by undead and monsters was truly terrible.
It was better to go quickly, subjugate them, and rest inside a comfortable and cozy village.
“Ohhh, Your Excellency. Indeed, your heart thinking of the people is naturally pious.”
Of course, Commander Barman, unaware of my thoughts, was deeply moved.
* * *
Since it was decided, the movement was fast.
As soon as the holy water consecration was finished, we immediately started moving towards Budenbern.
“Aaaah! What? Move immediately?! I haven't been able to rest and have been working until now....”
It seemed like I heard Azuela's howling voice from somewhere, but it must have been just my imagination.
I let it flow in one ear and out the other, sending the elf knights ahead as scouts. As it was a forced march moving urgently, we needed to prepare for sudden attacks.
“Your Excellency! There is a group of about twenty ghouls over the hill ahead.”
“Discovered about ten kobolds!”
“We found vagrants who appear to be refugees. What shall we do?”
And whenever the elf knights returned from scouting, they reported various situations. Indeed, it seemed true that undead and monsters were rampaging on all fronts.
We could unusually encounter small groups of undead, monsters, and refugees.
“Exterminate the undead and monsters, and gather the refugees and send them to the rear!”
Each time, I gave orders within the bounds of common sense and managed the situation so there would be no damage to the troops as much as possible.
How regretful would it be if we suffered losses from pointless battles before even entering the full-scale subjugation?
“I should get ready soon.”
“Hmm? What do you mean. Agpiel.”
“I'm starting to feel the cursed mystery more and more. I swear, a mystery this powerful would be in the top five of what I've experienced.”
Magician Agpiel, who had been following on horseback for a while, spoke with a serious expression.
As we got closer to the destination, Budenbern, the evil mystery was continuously grating on Agpiel's nerves.
If the wavelength of the curse was this much, it meant Budenbern was virtually no different from an undead nest.
“Is it that bad?”
I asked cautiously, examining Magician Agpiel's expression.
“It is. If we go without preparation, we'll be in big trouble.”
It was one of two things.
Either there was a very powerful dark monster, or there was a tremendous number of undead.
Whatever it was, it was clear that a big problem would occur if we encountered it without preparation.
“Hmm, understood.”
I nodded and gave orders to the surroundings.
To immediately apply the consecrated holy water to their armaments and prepare.
Everyone was puzzled, but they soon found out why.
After advancing for a while like that.
Near the destination, Budenbern, arrived at just as the sun was setting.
“Y-Your Excellency! A tremendous number of undead and monsters are approaching!”
The elf knight who had gone ahead returned, his already pale face turned corpse-white.
“The number is.... Two hundred.... Four hundred.... No, it's about a th-thousand!”
It was an undead swarm.
* * *
As soon as we crossed the hill, countless undead swarmed enough to suffocate us.
“Kuwaaaaaah!”
“Kikikekekekekukeuk.”
“The living.... I smell the sweet scent of the living.”
“Come here. Let's live an eternal life together! Kurururruk.”
The uniquely gloomy aura emanating from the dead made the living shrink back naturally.
Especially such a large number.
“O-Oh my god!”
“Oh God.”
-Ding!
[Notification: You have faced an overwhelming aura of death. Your unit falls into confusion.]
[Status Effect: Confusion]
Thanks to that, the elf knights and the monks of the knight order who followed all tensed up and stiffened.
The tremendous number of undead they had never seen before gave a huge shock both visually and mentally.
“Prepare for battle!! Do not panic! God is with us.”
I couldn't just stand there blankly.
I raised my spear with all my might and shouted loudly.
-Ding!
[Stern Rebuke!]
[You receive a correction for high combat power stats.]
[Notification: Status effect confusion is lifted.]
Only then did the elf knights and the knight order people come to their senses. However, they still hadn't shaken off the aftereffects of the shock from a moment ago.
If it went on like this, we would likely suffer great damage even if we won.
I bit my lip and gripped the spear shaft I had raised.
-Kwaaaaaah!
Condensed power loaded onto the spear shaft, screaming. Soon reaching the peak, I threw it straight at the rushing undead.
-Paaaat-!
-Swaaaaaaak!
A sound of murderous air tearing was heard, then it struck the undead in the front.
-Kwagagak!
-Kwajiic Kung!
“?!”
The rushing undead were crushed in heaps by the powerful javelin throw, unimaginable to have come from a single spear shaft.
The destructive power was so strong that even the undead, who had only endless craving for the living left, flinched while rushing.
“Ohhhhh!”
“His Excellency is with us!”
Conversely, for the allies who saw it, it was truly a tremendous morale-boosting effect.
-Ding!
[You have displayed overwhelming martial prowess.]
[Inspiring Commander effect activated!]
[Notification: Ally morale increases.]
As if they had never been afraid or confused, they shook it off and raised their swords and spears.
“Let's show our valor!”
“Raise your spears!”
“Kkiyoooooht!”
“For honor.”
The elf knights immediately formed a dense formation side by side and started a lance charge toward the undead.
-Kwadudeuk!
-Kwadeuk! Kwang!
Indeed, knights were knights.
And they were the best, the elf knights.
As if the confusion was a lie, they were showing their ferocity without filter.
Just a cavalry charge of about 50 units had pierced a huge hole in the undead swarm numbering over 1,000-!
“We can't lose to the elves!”
“Knight Order! Stand in front. It is time to show our resolute oath to the Archbishop of Cologne and the pious Excellency.”
At the same time, as if refusing to lose, Commander Barman of the knight order shouted.
Although they didn't have outstanding horsemanship like the elf knights, they at least had something unique.
“Our omnipotent God, give us strength. So that we may inherit your will....”
It was the hymn of faith and silver-plated weapons.
They were soon enveloped in a mysterious mystery indescribable in words and began to swing their silver-plated weapons mercilessly.
-Kwajiic. Kwak.
Armed with solid armor all over their bodies and blessed by God, the knight order was unstoppable.
It wasn't a nature that the dare impure undead could touch.
“Good!”
I nodded, feeling the changed atmosphere of the battlefield.
-Seureureung!
“Sir Biden! Follow me. We will strike them just like this.”
Drawing my sword, I shouted.
I will run like the wind and crush them-! Now was the time to end the battle.