Book 16 Chapter 14
Episode 81
After burying the remains of the second lioness, 'Lulu', the advance of the mercenary group [Lion's Song] continued.
“Where do you think you are right now?!”
“Fireball.”
“Ugh!”
Madman!
“This is a place that the [Seven Souls] have ordered us to protect; we cannot let you through!”
“Fireball.”
“Ugh!”
This fireball felt a little different from the previous one. The difference wasn't just in its power; it was because the mathematical formula used was different.
Because the caster was different.
Pencion Ludwig, who had been mimicking and using the magic Rin used, scoffed and crossed his arms with an arrogant smile.
“Listen carefully, Rin of Osarius. I haven't lost to you yet. You and I simply specialize in different battlefields. Our true qualities can only be properly judged by continuing our last duel—”
“—Fireball.”
“You crazy—!”
“Ugh!”
Crazy madman!
The fireball barely missed Pencion's head, who had urgently ducked, and struck the Black Church remnants who were preparing an attack from the mast!
“Sir, what did you just say? Sorry, I really didn't catch that.”
“Guh, guh, guh, guh, guh…!”
Leonia looked at Rin, who was humiliating Pencion with overwhelming skill, and her girlish heart burned for the 88th time today!
“As expected of Rin! So chic and cool! That’s why I like him!”
The lionesses 'Horu' and 'Senru' raised their heads high and roared, agreeing with her words.
“Krr-hong (I like him too)!”
“Eoh-hong (I agree)!”
“Gyu-ung (Me too).”
That's how it was.
As they continued to run forward, suppressing enemies along the merchant ships connected to the canal railway, a stone wall, displaying its grand majesty, appeared in the dawn.
‘We’ve returned again….’
Leonia, immersed in feelings that were both like memories and musings, gazed at the royal capital, which she had seen since childhood, from a distance.
‘The royal capital, <Horusen>.’
<Horusen> could hardly be said to have been built in a naturally strategic location. Just as most of the national territory was rugged, the royal capital was also built on rugged terrain.
Before the canal railway was built, the kingdom's roads were disconnected, and the kingdom had grown as self-sufficient entities rather than a unified collective.
However, upon the wealth, prosperity, and communication brought by the canal railway, the kingdom had greatly flourished.
‘But because of the Abyss (深淵)….’
The Abyss clung to it like moss, eroding the stone walls, and the sight was truly horrific.
“I've taken part in Abyss subjugations quite a few times with the witches, but I can't even imagine what in the world is happening here.”
Executor Jushy said, carefully observing the stone wall. It was then that Cobb instinctively strung his bow.
“Many presences are approaching.”
“Are they the [Seven Souls]?”
“No. Given there’s no aura of the Abyss, it doesn’t seem to be the Black Church… but their numbers are considerable.”
Leonia slung her double-bladed axe over her shoulder.
“Rin and I will hold them off, so the three of you complete the evacuation.”
“We'd need three to deal with that many enemies.”
“Then the three of you deal with them. Rin and I will evacuate the people.”
“?”
“Why! Can’t we be alone for a bit? You guys are so dense; how will you live if the mercenary group disbands?”
As they were chattering, a crowd of people appeared from among the bushes.
The emblem engraved on the flag fluttering in the morning breeze was ‘Soaring Eagle’! It was the symbol of the Hosen royal family.
They were the Royal Guard of the Hosen Kingdom, mostly archers. The Hosen Kingdom had independently developed archery suitable for rugged terrain, and the Royal Guard were selected exclusively from master archers who had passed this test.
“Princess?”
“Prach?”
“Oh my goodness, Princess!”
As the man at the forefront prostrated himself in tears, all the Royal Guard knelt and wept.
“Please kill me. I failed to protect His Majesty the King and have survived in such a wretched state. The Royal Guard captain also fell in battle then….”
“What are you talking about? It's a relief that you're even alive. Don't ever say such things again.”
“Please kill me. We had intended to drive out the Black Church and recapture the royal palace today before Your Royal Highness arrived, but you came so quickly!”
Leonia plunged her fist into the top of the Royal Guard deputy captain's head, who was called Prach.
“I told you not to, you bastard.”
“Gasp, I apologize. Please spare me.”
“Alright.”
Thus, the mercenary group [Lion's Song] learned various information through the Royal Guard assembled outside the castle.
“So, Father has been imprisoned in the underground dungeon, right?”
“Yes, and the common people transported via the canal railway are reportedly being mobilized for some forced labor underground. We couldn’t find out the details, but it’s said to be so grueling that most don’t last even a week before dying.”
“Those bastards… What about the troops?”
“Out of 600 Royal Guard soldiers, over 500 died in the Black Church's attack, and fewer than 60, including myself, survived. These soldiers are private mercenaries conscripted from nearby nobles, totaling about 1,500, a large army.”
“Numbers don't mean much against those guys… But it's alright. We have Rin!”
Leonia shrugged broadly and pointed at Rin with her axe. The Royal Guards' eyes widened!
“Rin?”
“Rin!”
“If it's Rin!”
Rin's [Reading a Grimoire to a Pig] mode, as he sat on the ship's rail reading a grimoire, detected the attention focused on him and automatically produced a sneer on his facial muscles.
“Hmph….”
Deputy Captain Prach, speaking on behalf of all the Royal Guard, said:
“Who in the world is he?”
A second fist plunged into Prach’s head! Is this the sorrow of a middle manager! Leonia summarized Rin's greatness in three lines and conveyed it.
“Oh my! To think he became a Gladus (4-star) mage at the age of thirteen, and this time, he even finished off two of the [Seven Souls]! I was so ignorant not to recognize him!”
“Now that you know, it's fine. So, what's the plan?”
“First, it was to retrieve His Majesty the King from the underground dungeon before those guys could use him as a hostage for a siege.”
“The enemy must be guarding that place like an iron fortress.”
“Yes. It's an extremely dangerous mission to infiltrate the underground dungeon disguised as prisoners. If our identities are discovered, we'll surely die.”
“Jushy, who would be best to go?”
Just then, Rin closed his grimoire with a thud and stood up.
“Can I go?”
A momentary silence struck everyone's hearts.
Why, you…?
He wasn't a member of [Lion's Song] or a citizen of this nation, and in fact, he had only come here as if kidnapped, so why? Pencion shouted fiercely.
“Are you serious, Rin of Osarius? We are mages. If we disguise ourselves as prisoners, we'd have to wear restraints, and mages like us would be unable to do anything and would die immediately if our identities were discovered in that state! Yet you say you'll go? For what reason?”
For what reason…? Rin couldn't answer that question.
How could he say, "Because it's one of my [Strongest Mage Bucket List] items"?
He thought he had achieved it last time in <Central North>, but since he was the only prisoner in that prison, it was right to consider it a no-count.
‘This is the perfect opportunity to make up for that failure.’
Therefore, he decided to answer vaguely.
“Because I have to go….”
“So why, why exactly do you have to go?”
“Because it’s fate….”
The fate of one who aims to be the [Strongest Mage]!
‘Rin….’
However, Leonia, who had misinterpreted it beautifully, once again felt a heart-shattering pain in her chest!
‘So he wants to earn points with my father, who will soon be his father-in-law! To systematically eliminate obstacles to our marriage, he's so thorough and cool! That’s why I like him!’
The lionesses ‘Horu’ and ‘Senru’ raised their heads high and roared, expressing fervent agreement with their mistress’s heart!
“Eoh-hong (I like him)!”
“Krr-hong (I like him)!”
“Gyu-ung (I like him)!”