NOVEL NEXT Chapter 26
The Western Gate was originally a quiet place compared to the other gates.
But now, with the monumental event of the Fortress’s appearance, this place was like a cauldron of chaos.
“Hurry up! We need more backup!”
“Currently, many adventurers are injured! We need the Church’s help!”
“Quickly grab your gear! The reinforcements are leaving soon!”
Shouts and screams echoed throughout the gate.
The first to arrive was Serelin.
Then came Rapirie and Ariya, and finally, the Hero arrived.
“Rui?!”
“I can’t see her! There’s too many people!”
The four immediately began searching for their last companion, the Mage.
But neither her signature white robe nor her big white staff could be found.
“Where is the guard captain of the Western Gate?!”
As Serelin exclaimed, a middle-aged man approached, panting heavily.
“Yes, Lady Serelin.”
“I’m sorry for calling you when you’re busy. But it’s really important. Have you seen our companion?”
“Huh? Your companion… are you referring to that Mage?”
“Yes, the small Mage we saw before.”
“We’re looking for her too, but she disappeared right after the commotion started, and no one has seen her. I’m sorry.”
“Wait, Captain. You’re looking for Rui?”
“Ah, yes, Hero. Actually, there’s talk that the reason the walls are still standing is because of her.”
What the heck does that mean?
Serelin spoke up.
“I saw Rui casting a spell on the walls with her staff; could it be a wall enhancement…?”
“Exactly! But the person in question is nowhere to be found! Where could she have gone…?”
“Everyone has arrived.”
At that moment, the subject of their conversation suddenly appeared from behind.
*
“Uh, Rui?”
“What the heck! Where have you been!”
“Ugh.”
Rapirie suddenly rushed towards Rui, nearly knocking her over.
“Ah… I was just gathering some information about that Fortress.”
“Ah…”
All gazes turned towards the gate beyond.
A huge black castle stood tall against the sunset.
“The overall size is about half that of Alphares. On the side that faces the Eastern Gate, magical creatures are constantly pouring out.”
“Where in the world are they coming from…?”
“Demon Race.”
“Demon Race? Ah…”
What came from everyone’s mouths was not a gasp of horror, but rather a sigh of understanding.
Well, magical creatures wouldn’t cause such a massive disturbance. Only the Demon Race could pull off something like that.
“So… which Demon Race is behind this? We lack information on them…”
Unlike the scale and types of magical creatures that have been somewhat established, even the Imperial high command lacks accurate information on Demon Race.
They are generally sneaky individuals who rarely reveal their true identities while orchestrating chaos.
Even if one were to encounter them, it might only be one or two at most, so information on the Demon Race is painfully insufficient.
‘I know, but… I can’t tell you.’
Unlike the information about the Fortress, the knowledge on the Demon Race can’t be waved away with simple alibis.
So I decided to give a roundabout explanation.
“First of all…”
“Huh?”
“Considering that they could build a gigantic ‘Fortress,’ there’s a high probability they possess intelligence superior to that of ordinary Demon Race. They might have evolved in a similar form to build that Fortress, or they may be adept in techniques like magic.”
Although it’s unclear at the moment, the Twilight Fortress is designed to suit human body proportions.
If the owner of that castle were a giant like an elephant, everything would be scaled to that size.
In other words, they’re humanoid-like.
And it’s highly unlikely that the Demon Race built that structure brick by brick; they probably utilized their specialty for magic.
‘A humanoid Demon Race that is skilled in magic.’
Their fangs are extremely sharp.
“Specialized techniques. For now, that’s all we need to consider.”
“……Sure. Then let’s devise a strategy.”
Even now, magical creatures continue to pour from the Fortress like a steady wave.
Mercenaries, adventurers, and guards are responding, but their stamina is sadly lacking.
Therefore, our party needed to join before that gap widened.
However, this time it seems we won’t act individually as before.
“If the Demon Race has that Fortress, the danger will only increase with time. So we must finish quickly.”
Strange.
‘Did I miss this part?’
But still, it wasn’t a bad thing.
I added to the Hero’s suggestion.
“Magical creatures won’t be pouring out forever. With numbers like that, they’ll surely stop after a while.”
“So this time it’s not just us fighting, and it’s not each person fighting individually?”
“We need to fight alongside the mercenaries and adventurers, and with the guards.”
“Like… a war.”
Ariya’s last words were correct.
This is war.
“Alright, the formation will be as we’ve done before: Serelin and I will be at the front, Ariya in the middle, and finally, Rui and Rie at the back.”
“Roger. Guard Captain. From now on, the Hero’s party will join the battlefield.”
“Understood. I’ll share this information with others.”
“Please let the adventurers and mercenaries know too.”
“I’ve already contacted the Church on the way here, so assistance will arrive shortly.”
Despite the sudden situation, the Hero’s party calmly began forming and executing a plan.
I felt a quiet joy in being their ally.
“Alright, everyone. Let’s not get hurt. Now, let’s move!!”
The first battle against the Twilight Fortress began.
The Hero’s party joined the fight.
*
The magical creatures pouring from the Twilight Fortress are several times stronger compared to regular magical creatures.
Their bodies and abilities adapt to the powerful magic exuded by the Fortress and its owners, the Demon Race.
Thus, the majority of troops dispatched to block the Western Gate were struggling like never before.
“Damn it, fix the formation! This is different from usual!”
“We have casualties here!!”
It was pandemonium.
But as the Hero’s party arrived, the situation abruptly turned around.
“It’s the Hero’s party!”
With someone’s shout, all eyes focused in one direction.
Swish!
A dark-haired man swung his pure white sword, slicing through the magical creatures rushing at him in one clean motion.
Be it a white magical creature or two hundred of them, the Hero bravely strode forward.
“Serelin will provide support!”
Beside him was a blue-haired Female Knight, swirling through the battlefield.
With only the basic swordsmanship of the Empire, her sword clashed with others’ with several times the might, like a blue storm.
“Come to me if you’re injured!!”
Behind them, a blonde Saint shouted.
“Look down and watch over us. Descend and grant us peace…”
As her hands came together with the chant, a golden flash began to spread throughout the area.
“Whoa…! All the wounds are healed!”
With a single prayer, the power she wielded was tens of times greater than that of regular clergy.
This was the power of the woman claiming to be a divine representative.
“Hey, watch out behind you!!”
“Huh?”
An adventurer, momentarily distracted by the sight, became careless.
Swish!
“Snap out of it! This is a battlefield!”
Before long, the sound of arrows flying rang out, taking down a magical creature.
Where the adventurer’s gaze fell was an elf scolding him.
She surveyed the battlefield and aimed her bow at where they were struggling.
As the wind began to swirl around her, a green arrow appeared, different from before.
Boom!!
The arrow flew with a noise that seemed impossible from a bow.
In an instant, it crossed the battlefield and reached the targeted group of magical creatures.
Bam bam bam…
Magical creatures were swept away in a small tempest.
The mercenaries engaged in the fight from afar expressed their gratitude.
With their morale boosted in an instant, they rose to grab their weapons one more time.
Together with their comrades, they stepped forward to face the magical creatures before them.
About two hours passed.
They put in the effort, and the Hero’s party worked even harder.
“Ugh!!”
But the number of magical creatures still didn’t dwindle. Ultimately, when the Saint Ariya could no longer attend to the wounded, the casualties began to rise one by one.
Even when Ariya quickly healed them, it couldn’t change the fundamental disparity in strength.
However, if the Hero and his companions stepped forward, a gap would form in another area.
“Hah… Hah…”
Rapirie breathed heavily as she nocked her next arrow.
Just as she was about to continue her attack, the nearby Mage stopped her.
“Rapirie, stop.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that…?”
“This will never end at this rate.”
The Mage, who had been continuously supporting the Hero’s party with golden letters using her pen, put it away and withdrew her white staff.
“I should have set up a spell in advance for situations like this. It’s my mistake.”
A mistake? What kind of spell required preparation, taking merely two hours to make?
“Master Key, due process… Done. Just a moment.”
The Mage muttered something as she stepped forward.
Her gaze remained on those engaged in battle.
The staff held in her small hand spun slightly.
Along with that, two small white rings at the end began to spin furiously.
“Range setting. All battle forces in the Western Gate of Alphares.”
All battle forces?
What kind of spell could define such a vast area that even Ariya couldn’t fully cover…?
“Multiscale-Enchanting.”
“Huh?”
At that moment, the rings unleashed a golden flash.
No, on closer inspection, countless golden letters were pouring forth.
Those golden letters flew into the sky and fell to various points below.
Directly onto the weapons and equipment of everyone.
“Fatigue relief, weight reduction, propulsion, increased speed, enhanced cutting power…”
It looked like golden rain was falling.
It wasn’t surprising that those fighting paused in disbelief.
“Hah…”
Taking a deep breath, the Mage shouted one last word.
“Activation. Right now.”
The next moment, waves of golden energy emanated from everyone’s gear and weapons.
Simultaneously, gasps of astonishment erupted from all around.
“W-what is this…?”
“The feeling of my weapon and gear has changed…?”
While everyone stood bewildered, one adventurer swung their sword at a nearby magical creature.
Slash!
“Huh?”
In an instant, the magical creature was split in two.
The others watched in disbelief, and with a glimmer of hope, they engaged the magical creatures once more.
Soon, they would realize that their hopes had become reality.