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Episode 457: The True Story
The large flying boats and the magic stone supply ships match their vertical altitude while maintaining the same speed.
Then, Cheolph's flying machine activated the magic circles <Connection> and <Release> to arbitrarily fix the distance between the two. This was a necessary process to ensure that there would be no physical misalignment during the process.
“Hmm.”
The wrinkled wizard, Huffner, counted the number of sacks containing magic stones and pulled his chin heavily.
“It’s just as I reported before. It wasn’t particularly difficult, but you worked hard anyway. You should go and rest now, Trante.”
“I, that.”
“Do you have anything else to say?”
“I also really want to do my own personal research, but, you know, if I get caught in the middle of this, it won’t be a good thing. So I’ll check it out until the end.”
Count Ceolf is currently very uneasy due to the weakness in the East.
If you get caught in the wrong eye, you could die. They killed that soldier right away just because he brought news of defeat in a great war.
Huffner smacked his lips as if he understood what she meant.
“Well, Your Majesty, you are making irrational decisions in many ways. But I doubt you would carelessly kill a third-rank magician… Well, even so, it would be best to avoid doing anything that would get you in trouble. I understand.”
"thank you."
“If anything happens, you will be held fully responsible, but don’t forget to check thoroughly so that no sparks fly. I will briefly see His Majesty and go to the lab, so come back and report when you are done.”
“Yes, Mr. Huffner.”
Trante made a slight gesture.
Drrrrrrrr… … .
The crew members who had been waiting in advance loaded the sacks containing the magic stones onto a cart and carried them away. The sound of heavy wheels being dragged could be heard.
Hares, disguised as Trante… …, managed and supervised them and walked towards the warehouse where the magic stones that would replenish their power were stored.
The room became busy in an instant.
After watching the work for a while, Huffner turned around and looked at Count Ceolf.
and.
Isabella, who had hidden her appearance and presence with the 5th-tier magic <Invisibility>, moved silently and followed Huffner.
* * *
“───I will now take my leave, Your Majesty.”
Huffner cautiously left the room, announcing that the supply ship had arrived.
Cheolph, who had no time to reply, stared into space, lost in thought.
'All the strategies in the East were designed with the focus on the Volcano Island's Magic Tower. That was the best and most optimal choice.'
Melconi Bloud, a 6th-rank lieutenant wizard and member of the Andranov Council of the Volcanic Island Tower, is a truly asymmetrical force in war.
Most people assume the worst when making plans, but Melconi's defeat was so extreme that it was not even considered.
That is why the front line formed by the East collapsed in an instant.
'The great lord of the North, Kadrick, has been captured.'
Moreover, three fortresses have been captured so far, two of which were strategic points of considerable size.
The intrepid fugitives, a huge mercenary band hired by Liam Arlane, are not a big threat.
They are known for being so persistent that they are a thorn in the eye, but the nature of the group is such that they focus on defensive battles.
However, the reason things ended up like this was because of two magicians I had never heard of.
Yunia, and Cain.
The two people who introduced themselves with those names were known to be siblings on the outside, but their reported strength was absurd.
One of them subdued Melconi Bloud in a one-on-one magic duel.
Another one took part in the war himself, single-handedly defeating the knights and commanders of the Eastern army from the front.
Hurt.
Cheolph, feeling a headache, put his hand on his forehead.
“Just, just in the north…… How can the Holy See possess two more national-level forces? And without anyone knowing? This fucking…….”
I muttered, but nothing changed.
And it's not just the North.
The Mercenary King, who noticed Melconi's absence, attacked with great force, resulting in two consecutive defeats in large-scale battles.
Highlord Toren managed to escape, but at the cost of losing nearly half of the army he led.
The West, which is putting pressure on us every moment.
As a result, the East was left in a desperate situation, trapped between the two powers.
'Although the Great Lord, Hedowar, still remains, it is impossible to turn the current disadvantage around… …!'
I have to admit it.
It is impossible at this point to force out the North and West, who are running wild above and below the conflict zone.
So far, I've killed about three soldiers who reported the war situation.
Still, the bad news continued.
There are occasional reports of victories in minor skirmishes, but damn it, they mean nothing.
Because I'm losing all the battles that will determine the direction of the competition.
'We're in big trouble.'
Cheolph's head grew cold.
‘If I lose the competition like this… … .’
If we return to the East without gaining anything, we will have no choice but to lose something. It will not end with us being ashamed.
Cheolp himself promised victory and came forward as a representative.
Even losing a large amount of territory in the conflict zone does not end there. A huge ransom must be paid to the Great Lords who are held hostage by other forces.
Giving up is out of the question.
If we simply abandon the Great Lords in that way… … the trust between the Great Lords that make up the Eastern Power will be broken.
Who will take responsibility for all of this?
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'Of course, the representative of the competition… … me.'
Judging from experience, if you cause this much damage, you deserve to be purged.
The purge here is not simply a stepping down from the position of a high lord and stepping down from the front lines, but rather a clean cut off of the shackles that are currently attached and handed over.
With everything I've acquired so far… … .
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
He drank the whole bottle of strong liquor.
My vision was blurry, but my mind was clearer than usual.
A cold sweat ran down my face.
'There are only three ways as of now.'
One is to take the plane and leave the competition, and go into exile somewhere very, very, very, very far away.
Another is to persuade the Marquis of Gerdom, the highest of the great lords, to beg for his life.
And the last one is… … .
“What the hell are you doing, Mordoc! Hurry up and kill that little brat Liam Arlane…!!”
Eliminate the North through assassination by a former Grimnax executive, and only deal with the Western Mercenary King to make up for the failure a little.
Cheolph had to find a way to survive somehow.
It was at that time that I was spending my time worrying over and over again.
───Kwaaaaaaaaaaah!
A loud explosion was heard from somewhere on the plane.
* * *
“What, what is this…?!”
The entire aircraft shook several times as a chain of explosions occurred.
Screams are heard from afar, and the alarm bells from magic items pierce your eardrums loudly.
Soon after, a knight came running and reported.
“Your Excellency Cheolph! A fire suddenly broke out near the magic stone warehouse at the bottom of the aircraft, and it is engulfed in flames!”
If you lose your magic stone, you lose power.
“Hurry up and send in the wizards to suppress───”
Suddenly, a feeling of anxiety came over Cheolph.
Could it really be a coincidence that an explosion occurred on the plane under these circumstances?
Maybe someone did it on purpose.
“Find the Grand Master and send him to me immediately, and send the rest of the wizards except for the Water Magician to where I am as soon as you find them! And search the entire aircraft! If you see anyone suspicious, capture them all!”
“Yes, yep!”
Ceolph, who gave the order, kept three knights by his side and did not leave the place because this was the safest place.
The most important thing here was the safety of the large flying boats and Cheolph himself.
That moment.
Squeak.
The door suddenly opened.
Then, the woman who had been transparent suddenly appeared.
“I knew you’d stay still.”
Isabella Deiros.
She quietly closed the door and walked away slowly.
Cheolph opened his eyes wide.
The back of my neck, which had already fully recovered, began to ache without me realizing it.
“Yes, how did you get here…?”
“Our information power is quite impressive.”
Isabella answered briefly and activated the magical circuits throughout her body.
“If we catch you, the East will be eliminated, right? According to the rules of the competitive match.”
Cheolph shouted.
“Kill him!!!”
The knights rush in.
As a direct escort of the Great Lord, he was equipped with a great deal of equipment and skill, but… … unfortunately, his opponent was not good.
Magic <Erosion>
Isabella's alien magic erodes the magical resistance of living beings, making them as vulnerable to magic as inanimate objects.
In short, it means that anyone who cannot withstand her magic even for a moment cannot even dare to oppose her.
───!
The magical power that stretched forward tightly wrapped around the three knights.
“The resistance isn’t that high.”
Also, Isabella's realm is in the top 6th tier.
Of course, since it was a rapid growth, I lack the knowledge and experience to match, but if I am not up against an opponent of the same level, there is no problem.
<Nerve control>
Isabella's unique magic.
The knights, stripped of their ability to control their bodies, aimed their blades at their own necks and slashed them sideways in one swift motion.
“Ugh.”
The immediate escort was annihilated at once.
Next, as Isabella concentrated her mind to capture Ceolf, a loud noise was heard from above and the ceiling collapsed.
Kuung.
An eastern warrior emerges from the rubble, wielding a giant double-edged sword.
The bastard glared at Isabella and licked his lips greedily.
“Kuuuu, the prey has come to me on its own feet.”
“Ugh, it’s dirty.”
<Wave>
<Frost Nova>
The fierce waves created by Isabella rush in, frozen by the waves of cold.
Ice picks piercing through the front.
The warrior jumped high and dodged the magic combo, kicking off the remaining part of the ceiling and flying diagonally downwards.
Isabella bent her fingers.
<Hemophilia>
He extracted blood from the corpse, formed dozens of projectiles, and immediately fired them all with a flick of his wrist.
The great warrior cut through the magic with his large sword, but it was impossible to block it all.
The falling speed of those hit by the blood drop naturally decreased.
In the meantime, Isabella took a big step back.
Kwaaang!
The sword strike missed.
The great warrior who had shattered the floor shook his shoulder muscles.
Isabella observed him.
'He suffered abrasions, but no significant damage. Furthermore, his body's innate resistance is exceptional even before he can manipulate energy.'
It seems like it will take some time for that savage-looking warrior to be corrupted by magic.
Or else cover your body with something deeply imbued with magic.
The great warrior laughed ferociously.
“Your movements are quite good. I don’t think you’ll die easily. I’ll cut off your limbs and leave only your head and body to decorate the wall.”
“What you say is vulgar. I wonder what you will say when you die.”
Despite what she said, Isabella had no intention of taking the fight too far.
Because there was no reason to do so.
Boom!
“Your Excellency, are you alright?!”
Two wizards, Hufner and Trante, joined Isabella, who entered through a hidden back door rather than the one she had entered through.
A color came to Cheolph's face.
“Come on, help the great warrior kill that woman, no! You must catch her! It doesn’t matter how you catch her, just catch her alive!”
“Okay……”
<Earth Claw>
The claws of the Earth, located on the fifth level, dug into Huffner's back.
Penetrated lung and heart.
His mortally wounded body collapsed limply and he died.
Hares, disguised as Trante, followed behind the bewildered Ceolf.
He grabbed her head and aimed a dagger at her neck.
“T, Trante, what are you doing now…?!”
“Put down your sword, Grandmaster. Unless you wish to see Ceolf die before your eyes.”
Cheolph groaned deeply.
Trante betrayed… … No, maybe someone is disguising themselves.
Swish.
As the great warrior tried to move without paying any attention, Cheolph urgently tried to stop him.
“W-Wait a minute, warrior! You said you’d kill me!”
Rapid breathing.
Even though the tip of the sword was piercing his skin, Cheolph, who rolled his head like a great lord, squeezed out his voice.
“Hey……! Woman! Talk, no, negotiate! Yes, negotiate!”
"negotiation?"
“Liam Arlane is in danger right now!!”
Isabella paused.
Cheolph, who saw him, persuaded him with his eloquence.
“You, you too have probably heard of Grimnax, who makes a living as an assassin in the Continental political world. An assassin from that place recently went after Liam Arlane…! He was hired by another great lord. If I don’t give the order right now, Liam Arlane will be dead within a few days!”
He skillfully mixed in lies, but of course he was not caught. Cheolph was a man who rose to the position of lord of an ownerless land through politics.
At that, Isabella laughed.
“Well, I guess there won’t be any problem there?”
* * *
He killed a baron's family in an accident, causing the remaining baron to commit suicide.
He assassinated the commander of a certain marquis's knights and left his head on the marquis' bed.
A certain prince murdered all the illegitimate children he had created in the red-light district, then dragged the prostitutes out of the city and fed them to goblins.
Mordock, who had been neatly completing these requests, was recognized by Grimnax and was promoted to the position of executive at the end.
And after paying a huge bribe, he was allowed to retire from the organization with his life still on hold, under limited conditions.
Mordock is a master assassin.
That being was now lying on the cold dirt floor.
“Ugh, creak…… Ugh……!”
Two hands grabbing the neck.
Even though I was applying strong pressure, the bleeding from the cross section did not stop. I could feel life flowing out little by little.
A forest where traces of battle remain.
Adrian looked down at the fallen Mordock insignificantly.
“I didn’t know you’d hire Grimnax from the East… but you came to the wrong place. Do you think this is only the first or second time I’ve dealt with assassins like you?”
In the past, Adrian had quite a few enemies due to his fierce and proud personality, not even showing respect to anyone except his teacher.
This was especially true for nobles and royalty from small countries who were treated with contempt in front of everyone.
The humiliation he suffered in front of a prosecutor who was a commoner soon turned into murderous intent.
When he sent assassins personally but failed repeatedly, he eventually reached out to Grimnax.
But it all came to nothing.
Adrian's teacher was a renowned swordsman, and he tried to find someone with whom he had a close connection, but there was no way to trace their past actions.
The poison that had been spread throughout the food at the inn where Adrian was staying was quickly discovered.
Even if you make a surprise attack, the result is the same.
It was always the assassin who died.
Hana Grimnax did not retaliate when an assassin belonging to the group was killed due to a failed request.
Because I don't have money.
However, many people wished for Adrian's death separately, and with the successive failures of his requests, Adrian's price continued to rise.
Later, when Adrian became one of the four powers of the Central Continent, the requests were completely cut off, but the record still remains.
“Yes, you. Ah, Adrian… Chen, bus…!”
That's why Mordock knew Adrian. Even the purple sword and the abnormally fast movements.
“You, who have disappeared, why are you here…!”
“You don’t need to know.”
Adrian picked up the magic sword, Cedence.
Mordock vomited blood as he looked at the shadow cast over his face.
“I got, more, money, hey……!”
Crunch.
* * *
“Big…….”
Cheolph, who had a gut feeling that negotiations would not work, rolled his eyes busily.
'If you get caught here, it's over.'
The High Lords will pay the price for the hostage and tear Ceolf to pieces.
The East has never left a great lord defeated in war after inflicting such damage.
We have seen several great lords who have shown incompetence so far be brutally murdered.
It shouldn't be as hot as a blizzard.
Isabella warned the Grandmaster.
“We would like to capture Count Ceolf alive, but we don’t mind if he dies. So I will say this one last time. Put down that sword right now. If you don’t want to see your High Lord die.”
Sigh.
The dagger dug slightly into Ceolf's neck.
“Great, great warrior……! I’ll compensate you several times over later. For now, for now, cooperate……!!”
“…….”
The warrior's eyes twitched.
After a moment of silence, he sighed and relaxed his grip.
“Oh, well. I guess there’s nothing I can do.”
The man began to slowly lower his sword, bending his upper body and knees.
As if he had no intention of doing anything.
Meanwhile, Hares, who had taken Ceolf hostage, moved towards Isabella.
Shh.
The great warrior laughed.
Isabella shouted as she immediately summoned her magical power.
"damage!"
The great warrior rushes in like an arrow.
He swung the double-edged sword vertically while contracting the muscles of his entire body that were pulled taut.
“?!”
Hares stepped aside.
The only thing left in that trajectory was Cheolph.
"uh."
Boom! Crunch! Crunch!
Count Ceolf was split.