Chapter 115: Helmut

From atop the towering Malidan Barrier, how might the outside world look?

Climbing up from the underground prison’s staircase, Uldiran found himself wondering.

And the moment he stepped outside, he realized Silverna had chosen the perfect words to describe this grotesque structure.

It was a sculpture in the shape of a demonic beast.

Its face was that of a lion, its body a giant serpent, and even horns protruded above its head.

Its length alone must have been at least fifty meters.

Perhaps some would say the sculptor had poured a great deal of effort into it—it brimmed with a disturbing amount of lifelike detail.

Winged transcendents carried the sculpture over the Barrier, tied to ropes.

They knew there were no more arrows to shoot or spears to casually fling on this side, so they brazenly crossed over.

“…How vile.”

Just from seeing it, Uldiran could easily guess what was about to happen.

He was sick and tired of fighting transcendents, and their rituals always brought nightmarish results.

This time was no different.

The moment they crossed over the Barrier that exuded its own chilling aura, the transcendents simply let go.

That massive demonic beast, frozen in stone, began regaining its color and exhaled.

By the time it reached the ground, it had already reclaimed its original form, roaring inside the confines of the Malidan Barrier.

“Disgusting creatures.”

If there was one thing he had learned about rituals, it was that there is always a price to pay.

He wondered what the price had been for turning such a colossal beast into stone.

Uldiran did not know, but whatever it was, he ground his teeth, sure that it paled in comparison to the blood of the comrades who would die in this battle.

-Arandel’s rival? The only man who could stand against him?

-What nonsense. You know it yourself.

-You’re nowhere close.

Even amid the thunderous roars of the colossal demonic beast that crashed into his ears, Uldiran still seemed to hear Heukgyeon’s voice from moments before.

If only Arandel were here—.

“…If only you were here.”

He would quietly take up his crimson greatsword and step forward.

His descent would darken the skies, forcing everyone to fall back.

He was a man even the transcendents acknowledged.

People around him called him an equal match, but in truth, he himself always felt he was far behind Arandel.

He knew. He was not oblivious.

And yet—

“Huh.”

Uldiran let out a faint grin.

The words from Heukgyeon felt somewhat childish.

“Silverna, you heard what that Primitive-blooded fellow said…didn’t you?”

“….”

Silverna’s eyes widened, and she couldn’t answer.

The timing was too perfect. She didn’t have to reply, because at that very moment, it arrived.

Uldiran let out a self-mocking laugh, recalling how his daughter had looked out for him, and gripped his spear.

“He wasn’t wrong.”

“Father, I—”

“Denying it would only make me pathetic. It’s clear that I can’t match that friend’s skill.”

“….”

Silverna couldn’t say anything more. She, too, had fought Arandel personally.

It wasn’t an overwhelming gap, but to be realistic:

If they fought ten times, Arandel would win nine.

Yet who else could even claim one victory against Arandel?

Among the kingdom’s ranks, aside from Uldiran, there was no one.

“Still, I have never once felt like I was inferior to him.”

“….”

“Silverna, my daughter.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Survive.”

Thud!

The tip of his spear struck the ground.

All around, the rampaging demonic beast was coming to its senses.

Even so, every soldier turned their gaze toward the Guardian of the North.

Thud!

The earth reverberated heavily.

It was merely the ripple from the tip of one man’s spear against the ground.

Thud!

The vibrations grew deeper and heavier.

As Uldiran stepped forward, other soldiers, inspired, began beating their own spears against the earth.

And soon—

Every soldier looked only at Uldiran, clutching their spears.

Standing foremost among them, Uldiran glared at the colossal beast with fierce, unyielding eyes.

Behind the creature, more transcendents were transporting additional demonic beasts.

Still, there was no retreat.

Before he knew it, countless soldiers had gathered behind him, supporting him.

Such was the man known as Uldiran Caldias.

****

Five days after retaking the North.

Their advance was swift, to say the least.

Having changed strategies, Eisenwolf was marching north at top speed.

And the incidents they had expected were happening all too frequently.

“Transcendents sighted on the right wing—!”

“A request for support from Central Command! Three bat-like transcendents have landed!”

As the unit advanced, more transcendents continued to appear, wearing everyone out.

“I shall head over to the command center.”

“I’m counting on you.”

The Grandmaster spurred her horse and rode swiftly toward the middle of the ranks.

As for the right wing, Helmut was there, so it likely wouldn’t be a problem.

Once the Grandmaster departed, taking in the sight of the main force on the front line sweeping away demonic beasts—

“Above! Above! The sky!”

They were so alarmed they could only shout the bare minimum.

Raising their head, they saw space distort. Then, a transcendent with horns and a tail—wielding a hammer—appeared.

Boom!

A massive figure.

“Where…is this?”

The creature hesitated for a moment, but soon grasped the situation and swung its hammer in a wide arc, sending nearby soldiers and horses flying.

“Uwoooaaaar!”

The fiend bellowed as if in a final frenzy.

On our side, there was one man who certainly didn’t lose out in terms of sheer presence.

“Behold! Rayahn Leivice of the Leviace Family shall be your opponent!”

With those words, Rayahn Leviace unleashed a dazzling rainbow-colored aura, raising his sword in challenge.

In that instant, Isaac realized how the Leivice siblings had once made their names renowned in a previous era.

They were, like him, what one might call dual-wielding swordmasters.

To be precise, Rayahn and Marlin.

Combined, the two wielded a single unified swordsmanship.

Marlin hid within Rayahn’s display of light, then darted behind the target.

Striking swiftly with her blade, she landed a hit on the transcendent’s flank.

“Hmph!”

But just as its tough, rigid hide suggested, the transcendent showed little concern for the wound.

Having already fought transcendents a few times, Marlin resisted any urge to press further and withdrew, while Rayahn merely held its attention without advancing.

At that exact moment, both of them stepping back, Isaac’s blade flew forth, radiating a sharp and deadly aura.

“…!”

A transcendent wouldn’t be a transcendent if it weren’t formidable.

It angled its massive hammer to intercept the path of Isaac’s blade.

Slash!

Isaac’s katana-like sword slid past so smoothly it looked almost effortless.

By the time the transcendent blinked and checked again, half of its hammer lay on the ground.

A long slash streaked across its chest.

Its vision flooded red as it staggered backward. In that moment, the rest of the unit charged in unison.

Thud!

Though it flailed about with tail and fists, trying to fight to the bitter end after losing its weapon, its head soon fell. There was no doubt it was only a matter of time.

“Hah… Hah… Dammit, that was close.”

“Ugh, my arm’s swelling from that tail whip earlier—I think it’s broken.”

“Be more careful. The mages are raising hell because they’re already short on mana for healing spells.”

It had only been three days, yet whether it was the Pure flow association or other knights, they’d all become rather accustomed to fighting transcendents.

‘Should I be grateful for that or not…?’

The casualties kept piling up, and the tide of battle turned at a dizzying pace, but they adapted.

They had to adapt or die.

“Haha! This must be what they call a friendly rivalry—a competitive bond!”

“Well fought.”

Rayahn Leviace and Marlin Leviace approached.

“Don’t go getting any strange ideas about a rivalry.”

When Isaac frowned, Rayahn let out a hearty laugh.

“Hahaha! We are comrades in arms, are we not? I may have looked down on you before, but let’s put that behind us!”

“…My apologies for my brother. He can be a bit self-centered.”

“I’m aware.”

He was almost so straightforward that one might call him simple-minded.

Even as he spoke, Rayahn wouldn’t let the matter drop, asking,

“We’re nearing the Malidan Barrier, aren’t we?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Under normal circumstances, the towering Barrier would have long been visible, yet beyond the horizon there was only a snow-covered mountain range.

“….”

Walking along this paved road brought back memories of the day Isaac first arrived in the north.

Silverna had once shouted down at him from the top of the rampart, mocking him—simply because he bore the name Helmut.

Now it was almost amusing to recall.

‘Silverna…’

As he thought of her again, the Grandmaster returned from the command post.

“Well done. How are things on your side?”

“Five knights have died. Tsk. One of them was the one who shared his drink with me last time. A shame.”

Surely, no one expected to get through this without a single casualty.

“The commander has issued orders to the left wing. We’re close to the Malidan Barrier now, so they’re to go ahead and assess the situation.”

They had nearly closed the distance, and there was no apparent swarm of demonic beasts between them and the rampart.

Rayahn Leviace, commanding the left wing, mounted his horse and led his forces forward.

Only the harsh, hurried sound of hoofbeats reverberated in the air.

‘Please, let there be some clue waiting for us there…’

All Isaac wanted was to discover something that could help reclaim the Malidan Barrier.

If there was nothing there either, they would be more desperate than ever.

Isaac prayed intensely for good fortune as they reached the vicinity of the Malidan Barrier.

The first thing to greet them was the scent of roses.

It was the same fragrance Silverna had once called a ‘foul honey smell, a fragile floral scent’.

A scent impossible to encounter anywhere else in the north blanketed the area.

Some parts of the Malidan Barrier remained, but most of it was gone—

As if something had taken a massive bite out of it, the structure was unnaturally sheared away.

One could tell from the clean cut it hadn’t been destroyed by ordinary means.

Then, at the center—

A man sat, waiting for them.

Isaac felt a strange overlap with a scene he had once witnessed.

Roses strewn across the ground, surrounding skeletal remains of buildings, and a red-haired man.

It resembled the final moments of Arandel Helmut. In that surreal sight, the man wore a faintly gray smile.

He was not Helmut.

That much was certain.

For Isaac had never seen a man like him in House Helmut’s estate.

And yet—

No one could have seemed more fitting to bear the name Helmut.

Holding something in his hand that might have been a sword, or perhaps a staff, he greeted them with a languid composure.

“So, you’ve arrived.”

– – The End of The Chapter ––

 

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