The Dead

Rakis doesn’t call its borders and outskirts “castles.”

Though they’ve stacked up castle wall foundations, that place isn’t where citizens live, but is rather viewed as a primary means of blocking foreign invasion.

Therefore, to Rakis, the 13 castles starting from inside the outskirts could be called the real thing.

The 13 Castles symbolizing one’s authority together with the people.

During Rakis’s long history, there were quite a few enemies who crossed the outer walls, but no one ever captured the 13 Castles.

That place was the fierce battlefield of those who’d struggled to earn titles, and a space where they burned life’s final flames.

Even fierce resistance often collapsed unable to withstand the 13 Lords’ tenacious Magus Arts.

The people praised the 13 Lords, and their prowess shook the world beyond Rakis.

The 13 Lords was a title referring to absolute beings.

Rakis was invincible.

At least until facing Pernok.

BANG!

Before even 2,000 cavalry charged, Pernok’s chilling sword swept through enemy lines.

A single sword stroke curved like a crescent moon and split apart hundreds of heavy infantry.

Rakis’s elite soldiers who’d been like a mountain hesitated while gripping their spears.

The 10,000 troops gathered here were being overwhelmed by just one person.

“When soldiers are here! How can a general hide behind without even showing his face! Are all of Rakis’s 13 Lords cowards!”

A resounding voice shook the battlefield.

As soldiers blocked their ears and sat down, intense mana transmitted from the distant castle.

In an instant, sparks flew and Viscount Gedden of the 13 Lords revealed his appearance.

“A kingdom that lived clinging to Rakis has become arrogant!”

“When a nation you looked down on raises a banner, there must be reasons for that.”

Pernok examined Gedden with Observation Eye.

“You bastards don’t seem to properly understand the fury of kingdoms oppressed and exploited.”

The soul’s composition was opaque.

Though there was clearly a person before his eyes, it felt ambiguous as if it would scatter between fingers.

There was only one case like this.

“Did you think you could deceive my eyes with such trivial, worthless Magus Arts?”

“…!”

Only after Pernok approached before his eyes did Gedden belatedly burst out mana.

‘This speed is like Duke Chris’s……’

No, because he’d sparred with Chris several times, he could tell.

At least when Chris shot his long needle, Gedden had leeway to erect magical barriers. But Pernok shook perception itself.

By the time he noticed, his sword was already slicing through mana.

Swish!

Whether the title Magus wasn’t a hollow name, Gedden gave up both arms and barely saved his life. But no rest was given.

Before he exhaled one breath, his heart was pierced.

“…?”

That one move where the sword curved like a snake to ride down mana diagonally and stab without him feeling any sense of discord didn’t seem like swordsmanship at all.

Because no swordsmanship Gedden knew showed an appearance where phenomena reversed like Magus Arts.

“Put away the crude farce. And clearly convey this to the bastards watching this place.”

That moment, Gedden got creepy chills.

Because Pernok had seen through his Magus Arts not known to other nations.

“If you keep hiding in mouse holes and pulling worthless tricks, all your castles will fall into my hands.”

When Pernok pulled out his sword, Gedden vanished into sparks with eyes wide open.

A thin form where the soul’s composition was opaque.

That meant the main body was distant from this place.

Gedden’s Magus Arts was clone creation.

It didn’t simply stop at dividing himself, but the moment a clone disappeared, sparks immediately permeated everywhere to boast lightning-like aggression.

However, Pernok accurately traced the clone’s pulse with Observation Eye and extinguished it.

Even if the main body had been at this spot, this result wouldn’t have changed.

Because clones shared the same physical abilities as the main body.

‘They’re moving as expected.’

Pernok placed more meaning on the fact his thoughts aligned than the thrill of cutting Gedden.

While coming to this place, he’d met countless troops, but the 13 Lords hadn’t revealed appearances.

It meant they were scouting like Gedden now or avoiding frontal confrontation.

And the fact the bastards only continued observing was the same as saying Arad was planning something.

‘He’s preparing something. Once that finishes, he’ll prefer frontal confrontation.’

He didn’t even care about castles being taken.

Something massive enough to abandon pride was lurking.

From here to Rakis’s capital, roughly one month and a fortnight.

Arad would try to endure until then.

Normally, that is.

‘But before that, he won’t try to completely hide himself. If he was going to, he wouldn’t have bothered observing me with the 13 Lords.’

Arad was a belligerent figure who personally led armies to counterattack Barganta. He wouldn’t just hide and cower.

No matter how starving, a beast had the ability to bite prey to death when openings appeared.

Sending a clone Magus first seemed intended to confirm where openings existed.

‘However, you aren’t a pathetic emperor who’d ignore even the situation where your capital is threatened.’

If the opponent was leisurely relaxed, just create an urgent situation.

Traps were installed everywhere, and he advanced at the forefront expecting excited bastards to take the bait.

Bang!

While sweeping through 10,000 great armies, he split a castle without a general in one stroke.

Beyond the collapsing castle walls, terrified citizens were embracing each other.

Who could have even imagined that castles the 13 Lords guarded would be invaded?

While lightly achieving something never accomplished once in Rakis’s history, Pernok planted Barganta’s flag on the castle.

“Organize the soldiers and head straight to the next castle.”

“Without settling this place?”

“Just let the citizens be as they are. Public sentiment isn’t too late to secure after organizing everything. So.”

Pernok marked the straight distance heading to Rakis’s capital on the map and smiled.

“We’ll trample seven castles and head to Rakis’s capital.”

Gedden panted and raised his body.

“Huff. Huff!”

“Are you alright, Viscount?”

“It felt like having a terrible nightmare. Even when I heard the words that Duke Chris was killed, I thought the high priest or other tricks were mobilized……”

He couldn’t block Pernok’s swordsmanship even while watching.

The strike that pierced through a Magus in one breath looked as if it resembled Chris.

“……It won’t do. No matter how I look at it, Pernok has no openings.”

“Even if we bring all the 13 Lords?”

“Yes. It won’t do. Even if Duke Chris returns alive, it’s hard to guarantee victory.”

“Hmmm……”

“Let’s change targets.”

“To who?”

“Flemyr.”

Count Gashfaldt nodded.

“Certainly…… if we eliminate him, a key power and pillar of Barganta, Pernok will also stop his feet.”

“Yes. We can buy the time His Majesty commanded.”

The two immediately moved.

They hadn’t intended to mobilize troops from the start.

Right now, the alliance army’s forces were greatly divided into five branches.

Other 13 Lords were dispatched to the coast, and Pernok was confirmed today by matching strength.

Arad sent a knight order to the Holy Kingdom main force Arisha led.

After separating three places of enemy key power, relatively inferior forces appeared.

Ludmila and Flemyr.

Especially Flemyr moving with only Barganta’s army looked like very good prey.

‘The bastards will thoroughly pay the price for dividing forces!’

Gedden and Gashfaldt arrived at the outer castle Flemyr occupied.

Crossing castle walls while avoiding soldiers’ eyes was as easy for them as clasping a palm.

Preparing for any possible situation, Gedden spread small clones everywhere, and Gashfaldt used earth Magus Arts to hide in Flemyr’s quarters.

And Gedden and Gashfaldt faced Flemyr wearing armor.

“The 13 Lords of the world making a midnight surprise attack.”

It was as if he’d anticipated their coming.

But the two knew.

Flemyr hadn’t removed his armor even once from the moment he was deployed to the battlefield until now. He was a true general who concentrated on the battlefield while remaining tense every moment.

Because they’d grasped this information beforehand, Gedden and Gashfaldt drew up mana without being greatly surprised.

“Disappointed?”

“No, I merely express respect at the appearance of not refusing even muddy water to protect your own nation.”

That moment, Gedden and Gashfaldt’s faces hardened stiffly.

“I’ve always anticipated whether my sword would reach the 13 Lords, but please understand I don’t have such leisure now.”

Mana surged from all directions.

The appearance of Magus not in the intelligence.

Gedden looked east, Gashfaldt looked west.

Pure white robed priests were surrounding this place.

“How are the Holy Kingdom’s priests……”

“His Majesty anticipated you would come.”

It was already too late after Gedden sent clones.

Pernok had dispatched priests before that.

Cold judgment that rendered midnight surprise attacks futile as if mocking their thinking that Arisha and priests would naturally be together.

Pernok was standing atop the two people’s heads.

“After making such a fuss in Barganta, if you thought we couldn’t even prepare this much defense, you’re the ones backed into a corner. So desperate that you couldn’t even think of other means.”

As Flemyr’s sword was dyed bright red, priests’ mana entangled to erect a massive barrier here.

Resolute will that they could never escape permeated the bleak wind.

“I don’t forget the border incident.”

The S2 priest withdrew his benevolent smile and descended into the room.

“The crime of killing and mocking the Sacred Emperor.”

“I will condemn you bastards’ arrogance for letting countless believers sleep in foreign lands.”

The priests deployed Magus Arts first.

Gedden and Gashfaldt tried to respond belatedly, but from the capacity of Magus Arts to the number of Magus.

The moment all things Rakis had boasted of were conversely overwhelmed.

A bright red blade dug into the two people.

Bang!

They couldn’t properly block the joint work four Magus created with just two.

In the first exchange both hands were torn off, and even clones were blocked by the barrier and wouldn’t activate.

Glaring at the two people who’d fallen into a thorough trap, the four Magus’s mana maximized.

“At least one bastard……!”

A fireball resembling the sun swallowed even Gedden’s clones.

The barrier narrowed to trap heat, and a storm swept in to raise momentum, so while Gashfaldt was endlessly pushed back, a blood-dripping sword dug into his embrace.

Swish!

The enhanced cutting power pierced through Gashfaldt’s earth barrier in one breath.

Even rock masses weren’t worth cotton before the Blood Sword.

The moment of being cut too easily, Gashfaldt manipulated Flemyr’s ground.

When digging deeper, he intended to pierce his back.

But three more opponents still remained.

Not even one minute passed from Magus Arts activating until Gedden became ashes.

Overwhelming mana led by an S2 Magus detected and responded to impure mana in the area.

Bang!

The storm wrapping Flemyr’s body blocked the rock taking the rear. And coating fire onto the Blood Sword, the rock melted before being cut.

The moment the barrier bound Gashfaldt’s two feet, Flemyr left crimson afterimages and cut the 13 Lord’s neck.

The rolling head spilled blood without even closing eyes beside Gedden who’d turned to ash.

Flemyr soaked his sword in blood and wore a chilling smile.

“You bastards will thoroughly pay the price for mocking Barganta.”

Ruin was waiting at the coast.

For the moment when Pernok’s expectations all aligned, when their traps skewered the 13 Lords.

“Association Head! We report!”

All gazes rested on the silent Magus guarding the coast like a solid castle.

“Enemy 13 Lords targeting Duke Flemyr repelled! Confirmed as Viscount Gedden and Count Gashfaldt, and they say they’ll advance to the vacated castle!”

Ruin sprang up from his seat.

The different races who’d held their breath beyond the horizon for long.

And to the priests and alliance army executives who’d established the coast as a stronghold, he calmly announced.

“Let’s finish what we couldn’t complete back then.”

Ruin pointed his staff beyond the coast, at the fortress existing after passing three castles.

He indicated Breia’s castle.

“We will eliminate the empire’s elder and the marquis bearing the present.”