Declaration of War

A member’s corpse.

Where flesh and blood melted into a handful of demonic energy, low-grade demon beasts sprang forth.

The moment Pernok trampled the demon beast and Zeef’s eyes widened—

RUMBLE!

The entire mountain range shook.

Massive demonic energy burst from the summit.

“Finally…”

Pernok looked beyond the clouds turning pitch-black.

“…The master is moving.”

* * *

The barrier stone still showed no reaction that demon beasts were escaping.

But all who felt the summit’s demonic energy gathered in one place.

The castle’s conference room.

The expressions of those sitting at the circular table were stiff.

Pernok slowly spoke while surveying them.

“I heard you erected a monument. But the barrier stone still shows no reaction.”

Zeef glared at the deputy knight commander.

The deputy knight commander shook his head with cold sweat.

“That can’t be. We definitely erected the monument and even installed traps around the barrier.”

“Thanks to the traps, we can at least know the barrier is fluctuating.”

Without the traps, they would have mistaken the barrier as broken—demonic energy kept bursting from the summit.

But it couldn’t shake even the ground.

“It’s only a matter of time before the barrier is breached.”

“The barrier was solid!”

“Really? Even seeing demonic energy overflowing, you still believe the barrier can confine the master?”

“That’s…”

“The master will break through the barrier. At this rate, how long do you estimate, Sir Zeef?”

Zeef answered indifferently.

“A week.”

“Will you believe my words now?”

Zeef turned his gaze to Pernok.

“How did you know our member was contaminated by demonic energy?”

“Similar to discovering the monument’s anomaly. I can’t explain it, but I’ve distinguished abnormal flows mixed in mana since childhood.”

“Why didn’t you inform us earlier?”

“When I was trapped in the guild, how could I identify spies? Today is my first proper meeting with the knight order.”

Even at words with bite, Zeef had nothing to say besides biting his lips.

“What’s the point now? Look above. In a week, the master will smash the barrier and descend below the mountain. While commanding powerful demon beasts.”

“…”

“Will you deny even this?”

Zeef frowned while tapping the table with his finger.

After pondering something deeply, he spoke.

“I’ll send communication to the royal court, Count Borden.”

“Will you dispatch reinforcements?”

“How could we send troops from the capital here within a week? Absurd talk.”

“Then why contact them?”

“Briefly write this place’s situation and that the Royal Guard Knights will subdue matters by re-sealing the monster in the mountain range.”

As Borden blinked unable to continue, Pernok asked sharply.

“Sir Zeef, you know why we descended directly from the summit, don’t you?”

Zeef sneered.

“Because it absorbs the mountain range’s mana and revives even when killed. But isn’t it preparing to descend to ground now? Then the moment it descends to ground, sever its limbs, twist it, and crack that core once more—that’s it.”

“Even if you reduce it to near-death again and seal it at the summit, it’ll someday await revenge and revive.”

“This time I’ll chew it to pieces. So it absolutely won’t recover even after hundreds of years.”

“But Sir Zeef!”

“Imprison it, erect a new barrier, then add surveillance! Can’t you understand this simple method, so you’re now insolently wagging your tongue?!”

Zeef struck the table hard.

“If you plan to advise me, do it after becoming a Magus! Where are greenhorns who don’t even know mana’s fundamentals discussing national grand plans and trying to ignore a Magus’s judgment!”

“Marquis Zeef, but still this…”

“Listen well too, Count Borden! The royal court told me to properly handle this place’s situation. Still don’t know why I personally came?”

Borden closed his mouth, and Zeef said firmly.

“When such worst situations strike, handling them with the Royal Guard Knights’ power is His Majesty’s will.”

“Guild Leader Pernok’s judgment that the mountain range will return to normal even killing the mountain master should also be respected…”

“Why take such unnecessary risks? Can’t you feel that demonic energy?”

Zeef clicked his tongue while surveying the assembly.

“It’s a creature that draws and emits the mountain range itself’s demonic energy! If such a creature disappears, are you arbitrarily judging whether to kill it or not, knowing what will befall the mountain range?!”

“Your Lordship, the castle may be in danger.”

“Hahahaha! I’ll quickly handle the monster and sweep even demon beasts. Why are you all so tense over mere demon beasts? Hah, really. Even valiant Rezhen has become the past.”

The confidence of a Magus supporting one nation silenced the assembly.

“Get military support from nearby castles. Ah, and the association deploy mercenaries too. I’ll arrange for the royal court to provide compensation.”

“Understood.”

When Baltus obediently followed, Zeef grinned.

“There are many skilled mercenaries here. Join forces with them to defend only against approaching demon beasts. I’ll handle the rest, Count Borden.”

“Yes…”

“That monster is also foolish. If it wanted to break the barrier, it should’ve handled things quietly. Where are idiots who can’t prepare when demonic energy bursts blatantly?”

Zeef rose from his seat.

“Defend against demon beasts that’ll swarm after a week. Just in case, I’ll also request other knight orders’ dispatch from the royal court. No need to worry even if it becomes a long war. And deputy knight commander.”

“Yes, Commander.”

“You didn’t even know a member was toyed with by the monster’s tricks at the summit?”

“My apologies.”

“Tsk tsk tsk. I’ll overlook this mistake just once. Make up for it with achievements.”

“Yes!”

Zeef nodded and shouted to the assembly.

“The association cooperate with the castle, and all guilds focus on protecting the castle.”

After shouting arbitrarily, Zeef donned his robe and exited the conference room with the deputy knight commander.

The castle’s leaders also quietly left.

Baltus and Borden, left behind, buried themselves deep in chairs and burst into hollow laughter.

“In the end, as you said, Zeef stepped forward to cooperate.”

“The advice to hide the castle’s ‘mana cannons’ in storage fit perfectly too.”

Eyes overflowing with admiration fixed on Pernok.

Pernok calmly drank water.

He’d known Albert was eroded by demonic energy from the moment he descended the mountain range.

He immediately informed Borden and Baltus of the mountain master’s movement to observe here.

Major defense facilities within the castle were well hidden without being discovered.

And by killing Albert, he finally drew Zeef’s participation.

“An impatient guy with high ambition. Exactly as Count Borden described, not difficult to exploit.”

When the master descended to ground, Pernok didn’t plan to fight immediately.

He planned to build strength killing demon beasts and utilize hidden cards the moment the master weakened.

Thus, he needed a powerhouse to face the master—that was Zeef.

Zeef’s nature was arrogant, evaluating people by bloodline and ability, and liking to command.

Initially he tried not to take the forefront, but the moment Pernok made him plant a monument in the mountain range, his actions proceeded according to Pernok’s will.

“Of course he didn’t believe my words that the mountain range would be fine even killing the master. Because I’m just mercenary trash. Hahahaha!”

The master is strong.

With Zeef’s mana grasped through Albert’s ambush, he can’t handle the master.

‘They say Magi govern laws. Even if he has trump cards, it doesn’t matter.’

Most ideal is mutual destruction between master and Zeef.

But Pernok was confident Zeef absolutely couldn’t defeat the master.

‘Like me, he knows how to absorb mana. If equal-level powerhouses go to long battle, the side receiving continuous resupply ultimately gains advantage.’

The master ultimately kills Zeef.

Pernok absorbs Zeef’s Magus Arts.

Then the master and strengthened Pernok clash.

From the moment he heard a royal court Magus would be dispatched here, Pernok’s laid plan proceeded smoothly.

“Hostility directed at me can rather become weapons to press enemies.”

By killing Zeef without dirtying his hands, there’s no reason to antagonize the kingdom.

Zeef caused all situations.

Named receives no damage, kills the master, and raises its name as the guild that conquered the mountain range summit.

Elevating honor while gathering more mercenaries.

With swelling forces, seizing the Hollow Eye and drawing in Ruin.

And Zeef’s Magus Arts.

Spiritual power and mana.

How sweet will a Magus’s knowledge and experience be?

Pernok smiled thinking of seizing all that and finally leaping to high places.

“Everyone’s preparations are finished, right?”

Baltus and Borden nodded.

Even before Zeef came, they’d gathered all possible capabilities preparing for the mountain master descending to ground.

The castle’s citizens also evacuate temporarily to other castles starting today.

This place is a fortress and will be recorded as the historic location conquering the summit.

“Let’s begin hunting preparations.”

* * *

Though they couldn’t persuade over half the Ten Assembly, Zodiac and Jad declared participation.

Zodiac and Jad led guild elites following Sallio and Enri.

Hurrying the path, they drew near the mountain range in four days.

“The sky is dark.”

At some point, the sun grew dim.

“Is the demon beast mountain range like this?”

Jad, who’d never come to the mountain range, looked around the darkened path curiously.

“No. Places where people live are all similar. Mostly sunny days.”

“The path’s too rough for that?”

Jad smiled and looked at a pitch-black puddle accumulated to the west.

Low-grade demon beasts emitting demonic energy spawned there.

“Weren’t demon beasts supposed to live only in the mountain range?”

Before Jad’s voice finished, Enri spread poison.

The demon beast melted without even screaming.

Examining the cleanly purified puddle, Sallio said with a stiff voice.

“These aren’t demon beasts that should originally spawn in such places.”

“Is that a special phenomenon?”

When Zodiac asked, Sallio nodded.

“Not just special—a dangerous sign. Because it escaped the barrier stone.”

Pernok said that the moment the mountain master fully exerts influence, demon beasts will spawn outside the mountain range in stages.

This is a vanguard.

Faint mana undetectable even by barrier stones flows out, creating holes for low-grade demon beasts to frolic.

Holes gradually enlarge until barrier stones finally detect them—that moment demon beasts pour to ground.

“War will begin.”

Sallio hurried the path.

Others also felt the situation wasn’t simple and ran releasing only breathing sounds.

The castle they arrived at after one more day had ominous weapons deployed just by looking.

Observing mercenaries and soldiers standing on battlements, they entered the castle.

Having heard news, Pernok came leading Named elites.

“I received the Ten Assembly report. You worked hard.”

“Not at all.”

“Are you two Zodiac and Jad?”

Zodiac and Jad stepped forward.

“Good to meet you.”

“Does the mountain range greet people in streets?”

“Even though we signed contracts, isn’t the welcome too grand?”

Pernok smiled.

“Because this isn’t a situation to hold banquets. Understand. We might deploy to battlefields immediately.”

When Zodiac and Jad tilted their heads—

BANG!

All guild members covered ears and knelt.

Mercenaries and soldiers on battlements collapsed.

Only level 4 and higher mages widened eyes and gathered gazes toward the mountain summit.

Like a volcano erupting, stone chunks bearing demonic energy fell everywhere, piercing pitch-black clouds.

And eerie demonic energy bursting from the summit.

The moment demonic energy blowing like wind grazed their skin, Sallio, Enri, Zodiac, and Jad’s spines chilled.

“One week for you to summon the Ten Assembly and return here.”

Pernok spread mana to wash away demonic energy hanging over this place.

“Prepare.”

Zeef and the Royal Guard Knights climbed battlements, and the castle’s weapons revealed ominous forms.

“They’re descending.”

Whoooong!

The central barrier stone inside the castle fluctuates.

Barrier stones planted throughout the mountain range detected abnormal demon beast behavior.

Forests collapsed, and demon beasts’ march began shaking heaven and earth with screams and demonic energy piling in layers.