“Hurry up and move! Just take your valuables and leave all the other junk at home.”
Soldiers are controlling the residents of Somerset Territory and moving them to Somerset Mansion.
The expressions of the territory inhabitants setting out for evacuation were filled with anxiety.
“What on earth is happening?”
“I heard the soldiers say that the neighboring territory, Sleepy, has already been devastated.”
“The Lord won’t evacuate us for no reason, so we should just follow!”
Since the Borus Empire was always the one invading and had never been invaded, this was the first time the territory inhabitants experienced a situation like this where they had to flee.
Thus, it was understandable that control would be difficult, but contrary to expectations, all the territory inhabitants moved in an orderly fashion, following the soldiers’ commands.
The reason they felt anxious yet did not fall into chaos was simple. They all knew that their lord, Count Bradley, would not do anything to harm them, so they followed his orders.
“We are noticing enemy incursions from the east and north of the barrier.”
“Faster than I expected.”
“Yes. Considering their mobility, they should have arrived much sooner.”
The barrier set up by the allied forces responded only to Night’s Kin.
Having installed it at the territory’s border, the fact that they were only now receiving intrusion signals indicated that the neighboring Sleepy Territory had delayed the enemy longer than anticipated.
This was the result of the last vanguard led by Baron Sleepy, who had held onto the enemy until the end.
“Now, let me share the view from the boundary of the barrier with you.”
The mages from the Mage Tower began sharing the sight of the barrier’s boundary with the allied forces through magic.
“What’s this number? This isn’t the number for a mere branch!”
“This level? If we had met them unprepared on the move, we would have surely lost!”
“Wait! I see the faces of Sataniel’s twelve direct subordinates scattered among them.”
Typically, Night’s Kin would stealthily move to evade the Empire’s eyes.
Yet, they felt discomfort at the sight of them so openly committing slaughter within the Empire’s territory, a sentiment shared by the Crimson Wardens.
And that discomfort was not misplaced.
The number of Dark Elves visible in the mages’ shared sight alone looked to be at least a thousand.
Considering that each branch of Night’s Kin usually consisted of about 50 to 100 members, the number gathered here could easily be assumed as their total strength.
“They are serious about this.”
Cypris thought of Count Bradley, who had insisted on erecting the barrier all the way to the territory’s border.
At that time, she had thought it was an excessive precaution, but now it seemed like the best decision.
If they had only installed the barrier at the mansion, the attacking Night’s Kin could have more easily wreaked havoc among the inhabitants of Somerset Territory, just like those of Sleepy Territory had suffered.
“Prepare for battle. Once the people have evacuated, we’ll have to fight the enemy here.”
The leader of the Zion Knights, Alexander, spoke up, prompting one of the allied mages to propose, “Given the barrier, won’t they retreat?”
“If their strength is gathering, that means their leader is here as well. So, it’s only a matter of time before the barrier is breached.”
Everyone in the allied forces fell silent at Alexander’s words.
They all understood who he referred to as “them.”
The former leader of the Elven sentinels, the blood of the Crimson lineage, the killer of the sword master.
All these titles pointed to one individual; Sataniel was surely present here.
*
“A triple barrier… Quite a bothersome setup you’ve made.”
Zzap.
Sataniel’s hand seemed to hit an invisible wall and could no longer advance, sparks flying as if an electric shock had occurred.
“I apologize, Lord Sataniel. My subordinates are currently tracing the materials and the formations of the barrier, so we will get it sorted as quickly as possible…”
“Enough. I’m not expecting anything more from you all anyway.”
Sataniel replied without even looking back at the report.
The basic method for breaking a barrier is to locate and dispel its core materials or formations.
Thus, the triple barrier set up by the allied forces meant there were three methods to dismantle it, making it clear that waiting for each one to be broken would only give the enemy time to escape.
“It’s been a while since I’ve exerted my own power.”
After defeating the sword master a few years ago, Sataniel hadn’t stepped onto the front lines until now.
The form of the Dark Elf reborn as one of Night’s Kin.
Sataniel was the one who could wield it most perfectly, being their progenitor.
Typically, no race can utilize 100% of their physical capabilities.
For example, elves, known for their speed, could potentially run faster than arrows shot from bows at their maximum speed.
But they couldn’t manage that because at such a pace, their breathing wouldn’t keep up, preventing their muscles from enduring, allowing them only to achieve such speeds for very brief moments.
But the Dark Elf Sataniel was different.
For him, there were no physical limits. Even serious overexertion was no hindrance.
Like a flash of light, he dashed toward the barrier, breaking through at a single point.
Bang!
It was hard to believe that the sound was made by his body colliding with the barrier; it sounded like a cannonball hitting the castle gate.
Crrack.
Small cracks began to appear in the seemingly sturdy barrier.
“So it seems one try isn’t enough.”
Sataniel spoke as if it were no big deal, yet his subordinates watching could only be horrified.
‘To think he could cause cracks in a barrier we could barely approach.’
Though they, as Night’s Kin, had become surprisingly powerful in every way, their only shortcoming was their vulnerability to natural and divine forces.
Yet Sataniel was breaking through a barrier that had repelled them, as if treating it with indifference.
An entirely different level of strength.
This was something only Sataniel, who had inherited the Crimson bloodline from among Night’s Kin, could display.
If he were to obtain the Blue Flower and surpass even this current form, it was an undeniable certainty that nothing would be able to stop him.
*
“Could I borrow a sword?”
Edric asked Kroon.
“Actually, it’s something I made just for fun…”
Kroon discreetly presented a sword he had crafted for Edric.
“Excellent. It’s perfectly balanced, needing no fine adjustments.”
As Edric lightly swung the sword handed to him, Kroon’s face displayed an unmistakable pride.
‘A sword? Why are you making something so fearsome!’
While developing new objects was certainly enjoyable for an artisan, creating weapons like swords was something he found utterly irresistible.
However, whenever Kroon attempted to make such items, Rupert would always question the cost of the materials, making him hesitant, so he was pleasantly surprised to see someone recognize his secretly made sword.
“The core of the sword is made of Northern Mountain Steel! I mixed in a bit of mithril for surface treatment, so it won’t dull easily.”
“Indeed, and I recognize that the leather on the handle is from an Aryl!”
“To notice that! You have a good eye!”
Aryl. Commonly referred to as Drake among civilians, but it included not just Drakes but also Wyverns or Burrow Snakes—beasts with similar traits to dragons.
The hide of an Aryl had unique properties, being exceptionally adept at adapting to environmental changes.
That’s why Aryl leather was popular for armor, but applying such a rare material to the grip of a sword was a crucial aspect Kroon intended.
Since the Aryl leather could adapt to the user’s grip, it allowed for a sustained sense of connection, a minute yet significant difference that only the user would notice.
Only an artisan capable of delicately working with Aryl leather could demonstrate such a technique.
“I think I can help with this.”
Edric, who had come to Somerset to learn painting, was worried about not having a sword, but he was relieved to have found such an excellent one to borrow.
“Edric, it might be wise to retreat for safety…”
“Rather than live like this, it’s better to die.”
Kyle, who was preparing for battle beside Edric, cautiously suggested, but it was in vain.
“With the ones who killed my master right in front of me, this is the only place I can be.”
Already, members of the Comic Club had been asked by Rupert to stay put for their safety.
This was understandable considering that the third prince of the Empire, Edric, Kyle, the second son of the Duke, and Adrian, a prince from another country were all present.
If anything happened to any of them, it would surely escalate into a major issue—no, it was guaranteed that it would.
Yet not a single one of them had budged from Somerset Mansion, leaving Rupert in a state of panic.
“The Northern region has always struggled with food shortages, leading to frequent monster attacks on human settlements.”
The Northern area was famous for its barren environment.
As a man of Count Prious’s household, who had taken on the role of a shield guarding the Empire, Kyle declared that if he fled from such a situation, his father would likely disown him.
Adrian added,
“I can’t just leave after staying here without paying for accommodation.”
Though Adrian could be considered defenseless, the knights protecting him from the Kingdom were handpicked from Sylvania, making them a significant help.
And,
The first master who had taught Edric swordsmanship in his youth.
– At this level, I believe you can express the sword techniques you have in mind, depending on your actions. It was an immense pleasure to teach the prince.
May you stay healthy.
Having bid farewell and departed at some point, the sword master, Cal Origen.
For Edric, who found it hard to believe that his master was dead, he soon realized that he had only one way to mourn.
“I’ll compose a requiem for my master using your screams.”
It was the first moment Edric, who always maintained a polite demeanor with a frosty expression, revealed his anger before others.
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