novelraw Chapter 86 : The Stone Speaks
Chapter 86 : The Stone Speaks
Chapter 86: The Stone Speaks
If one were to ask the imperial citizens whether they had ever seen a dragon, they would answer that they had not.
Very few humans remembered the existence of dragons, creatures that appeared only in legends.
The strongest of beings, said to make the earth tremble when they set foot upon it, and to summon typhoons when they spread their wings.
Dragons, who lived through immensely long spans of time approaching immortality, possessed a special power.
A power that made things come true exactly as spoken with intent. Dragon Speech.
Depending on who spoke it, that power was strong enough to bring forth miracles with a single word.
Crack.
When Robin crushed the stone in his hand, Calimacos and the rest of the mercenary band were struck speechless by the unbelievable sight.
Even though they had covered both ears with their hands, they could not completely block out the sound.
Because of that, they were able to hear it, if only faintly.
“Kneel.”
The majestic shout reverberated like an echo.
At that single word, every enemy within sight dropped to their knees.
Despite having his ears covered, Calimacos focused all his will to keep his knees from bending.
Robin pulled out his earplugs and shouted.
“Now!”
What Robin targeted first was the Demon Tribe.
Taking advantage of the confusion, he severed No. 6’s neck.
That was as far as his luck went.
The reason the Demon Tribe was strong lay in magic.
Restricting their movement was good, but that did not mean they were unable to use magic.
The remaining Demon Tribe members immediately counterattacked.
Thanks to his previous experience fighting the Demon Tribe, Robin did not recklessly close in.
He swiftly dodged and looked back to check whether the mercenary band was safe.
He found it strange that they did not evade the incoming magic, but he grasped the situation quickly.
‘Felix is critically wounded…….’
If there was any consolation, it was that the others could still fight.
There were no permanent injuries such as lost limbs, but there was hardly a single spot on them that looked unscathed…….
“I used too much power on the manifestation. I’ll support you from the rear.”
At some point, Serena had already widened the distance and sent the spirits back.
In exchange, the bodies of Robin and the mercenary band felt noticeably lighter.
It was support using wind spirits.
That alone significantly improved the mercenary band’s movements.
Their being pushed on the defensive was largely due to the Demon Tribe’s magic, but the unceasing pressure from the surging monsters and enemy forces could not be ignored either.
Freed from the close-quarters combat that had been constricting them from all sides, the very nature of the battle changed from that alone.
The individual martial strength of the mercenaries was not weak.
In a one-on-one situation, they could certainly guarantee victory.
Though their bodies were battered and torn, the tide had turned.
Calimacos and Pul dashed forward.
‘They’re repelling magic?’
Something he had failed to notice due to having no time now caught his eye.
Their swords, wrapped in fighting spirit, pushed back the magic.
Some attacks were not completely negated and dealt damage, but they held firm.
Calimacos aimed for No. 1, and Pul for No. 2, but their blades failed to reach.
No. 1 carved out only part of the ground where he was kneeling, as if digging it out, and floated up into the air.
In that opening, Torgen hurled a throwing axe and charged at No. 3.
No. 3 seemed to be trying to deploy a defensive barrier, forming an earth-colored veil, but he could not stop Torgen’s axe strike.
Crunch!
Torgen struck down again at No. 3’s neck, which had not been cleanly severed.
Only after killing him completely did Torgen curl the corner of his lips upward.
Discomposure spread across the faces of the once-arrogant Demon Tribe.
No. 1 suppressed his resentment and spoke in a strained voice.
“You’re lucky. We’ll withdraw for now.”
A black whirlwind wrapped around the Demon Tribe’s bodies.
Watching them try to flee, Calimacos sneered.
“That sounds like a third-rate villain’s line. Wash your neck and wait. When we meet again, I’ll kill you for sure.”
“…….”
Starting with No. 1, they disappeared in order.
Brandok did not wait politely.
Woom. Woom.
A blue light gathered at the tip of Brandok’s arrow.
When No. 4 vanished and it became No. 5’s turn.
Shweeeeeek.
The arrow that left the bowstring pierced straight through No. 5’s heart.
The black whirlwind surrounding No. 5 grew faint.
With an expression of disbelief, he looked at Brandok.
“How can you…….”
“There’s nothing more infuriating than beating someone up and then running away.”
Around No. 5’s heart was an empty space, as if a perfect circle had been carved out.
A level of destructive power that could not be explained as merely being pierced by an arrow.
As the Demon Tribe withdrew, worry settled onto the faces of the enemy forces.
‘The immediate crisis is over.’
But it was still too early to rejoice.
Robin shouted toward the mercenary band.
“We have to retreat!”
“Understood.”
Calimacos did not question him with needless words.
His trust in Robin was firm, and he was quick to read the situation.
Torgen hoisted Felix onto his back and immediately ran.
While running, Robin spoke.
“An arrow barrage will fall this way.”
“That’s beyond normal arrow range, isn’t it? Well, I guess they prepared some kind of artifact or something.”
“Yes. We need to get out quickly so we don’t get caught up—.”
“They’ve already fired.”
From far away, arrows surged upward, filling the sky.
Calimacos smiled bitterly.
He had expected it, but seeing them try to dispose of them once they were no longer useful left him with a heavy feeling.
Just as he was about to take out the artifact he had been saving.
Serena opened her mouth.
“Everyone, stay close.”
A massive wall of water enveloped them in the shape of a dome.
Mirian and Torgen knew that Serena was a spiritist, but the rest marveled at the sight, seeing such a phenomenon for the first time.
Not long after, a hail of arrows rained down.
Pyu-pyung! Pyu-pyupyung!
Arrows had apparently been treated with something, carrying about twice the power of ordinary arrows.
As she increased the thickness of the wall made of water, Serena broke out in a cold sweat.
Ten seconds passed, and the rain of arrows ended.
“Phew, that wasn’t easy.”
The water lost its form and seeped into the ground.
Hundreds of arrows, or so it seemed, clattered down all at once.
Brandok quickly gathered a few of them and put them away.
Calimacos turned around and surveyed the enemy forces behind them.
As if skewered by dozens of iron spits, the monsters and enemy soldiers had been annihilated.
“We won.”
“Is everyone okay?”
“Not okay. That was really dangerous. Thanks, Robin. Thanks to you, we lived. And thanks to the spiritist over there too.”
“You know that, and that’s enough.”
Serena accepted the words of thanks as if it were only natural.
Perhaps the reality of having narrowly escaped death had set in, because one by one, they plopped down where they stood.
They survived. That was enough.
The injuries were severe, but with gold coins, getting treatment would not be a problem.
‘Sis and Torgen’s bodies…….’
Robin could not bring himself to continue.
Mirian likewise avoided meeting Robin’s eyes.
The edge of her ear had been cut away, and her entire left arm looked as if it had been burned, the skin grotesquely distorted.
Her leather armor had lost its function and was on the verge of falling apart, and even the underclothes worn beneath were torn in places, soaked with blood.
Even now, she must have been enduring tremendous pain.
“Mm…….”
“Felix, are you coming to?”
Fortunately, Felix regained consciousness.
Torgen carefully set Felix down.
Felix had lost consciousness after being hit by magic that eroded mental strength.
Deep wounds remained on his body as well, but they did not hinder his movement.
“That was one of the toughest fights I can count on one hand.”
“But you look the most intact out of everyone, Captain?”
“That just means I ran around that hard.”
Having regained some composure, Calimacos spoke to Robin in a joking tone.
The troops of the Wilcock family who had fired the arrows were advancing.
Robin opened his mouth.
“With this, Wilcock will drive out Betterot, right?”
“Hard to say. Normally, we could push through like this, but…….”
“……?”
“That won’t happen.”
Leonolf was more than a little surprised by the unexpected outcome.
He knew the mercenary band was skilled, but surviving—he had not expected that.
Originally, he had not planned to win this operation.
According to intelligence, the forces Count Betterot had gathered were by no means negligible.
From central nobles to the private troops of minor nobles in the northwest, a large force had been mobilized.
He did not know by what means Betterot had exerted such influence, but if they clashed head-on like this, it was obvious that Wilcock’s losses would be great.
‘I didn’t expect it, but they fought hard.’
The scenario he had envisioned was that the Imperial Knights, unable to overlook the Demon Tribe’s excessive involvement, would step in to mediate.
At that point, Wilcock would withdraw around now, conclude a peace treaty, and lie low for a time.
By waging an information war as if the other side had drawn in outside forces, they would split apart the army that Betterot had gathered.
Contrary to his expectation of a long war that might take more than ten years, the situation had changed.
In a direction favorable to the Wilcock family.
‘If that troublesome Demon Tribe has retreated, it’s worth a shot.’
He felt a bit sorry for the pigeon that had brought him the information, but he could not let this opportunity slip.
‘Was it called The Hand of Liberation? I should prepare a few hideouts in the north.’
Despite his cold gaze, Leonolf’s mind was working furiously.
Revising future plans according to the changed circumstances, he moved the troops.
The chief of staff asked beside him.
“Do we proceed with a full-scale battle as planned?”
“Yes.”
“I will prepare.”
Watching the chief of staff depart to relay the orders to the commanders, Leonolf murmured.
“Let’s sweep them all away while we’re at it.”
Only after seeing the approaching allied forces did Robin finally breathe a sigh of relief.
He had worried that more enemy troops might rush in, but Betterot’s army merely held its position and did not move.
The first people to come looking for Robin were members of the Calimacos Mercenary Band.
Somehow, they had obtained potions and brought them to treat the leaders’ wounds.
“Ghhhhh.”
Torgen and Mirian laughed as if half out of their minds, glancing sideways at the new flesh growing back.
Given that their bodies had been in the most horrific condition, even hearing about it made the pain feel palpable.
“With the leaders in this state, if we’d been there, we would’ve been wiped out.”
The next people to arrive after the mercenaries were Admiral and Imelda.
Admiral bowed his head in greeting.
The response was lukewarm.
They were allies, but allies who could not be trusted.
The mercenary band was not foolish; they had noticed.
The Wilcock family had tried to abandon the mercenary band.
They knew there was a risk of death, but seeing the leaders in such a wretched state made them realize it had been an impossible mission.
If not for Robin, the captain and the leaders would have been annihilated.
“Leave the rest to us and withdraw to rest.”
“No, I’ll watch it through to the end. You lot aren’t exactly trustworthy.”
Admiral could not stop Calimacos.
Even with ten mouths, he had nothing to say.
Though the supreme commander was Leonolf, Admiral, who bore the Wilcock name, felt responsible.
“The war isn’t over. There may be a major battle soon—will you stay?”
“A major battle? You don’t know much.”
“…What do you mean?”
“You’ll see.”
The mercenary band, having recovered their strength, pulled back slightly from the very front and followed behind the advancing army.
As they slowed their pace and walked, before long they came face to face with Leonolf.
Calimacos opened his mouth in a mocking tone.
“Well, what do you know. We came back alive.”
“Heaven must have helped you.”
“You’ll need to prepare every last gold coin you promised, without missing a single one.”
“Of course. After achieving results like that, what are gold coins? If there’s anything else you want, say the word.”
Calimacos gestured for Leonolf to dismount.
A nearby knight bristled and tried to stop him, but Leonolf dismounted without resistance.
With a hand smeared in blood and sweat, Calimacos pressed firmly on Leonolf’s shoulder and whispered something into his ear.
“…Will that be enough.”
“I won’t refuse if you give me more.”
“You’re impossible to pin down.”
Calimacos let out a short laugh and turned away.
A moment later, Robin’s eyes met Calimacos’s.
He flashed a grin.
Just as Robin remembered him. As always.
“What did you say to the commander?”
“You don’t need to know. More importantly, let’s take better care of ourselves now.”
“You sounded like you were going to stay until the end—what’s this?”
“One step back for two steps forward. We need to replenish our stamina, even if just a little.”
The army led by Leonolf stopped with just over a kilometer separating them from the enemy.
Messengers bearing their families’ banners met in the middle.