Chapter 293

Chapter 293 - Advent (2)

Alzhar was the leader encompassing both the summoners and mages beside the Emperor. Since he himself possessed outstanding summoning skills along with political acumen, he received favor.

At first, the Emperor's power was strong, and considering the respect nobles held for summoners, his authority was immense.

However, as numerous acts of tyranny continued, the Chief Advisor Alzhar had also shared the resentment. Currently, his life was the most endangered within the Emperor's camp.

One could tell just by looking at the slogans the nobles shouted when they raided the Emperor's worship service a few days ago.

-Kill the summoners!

-Kill the mages too!

-The wicked sycophants swaying His Majesty!

From Alzhar's perspective, it was truly frustrating nonsense. If the Emperor was the owner of a poultry farm, the summoners and mages were merely the hens laying eggs.

Calling them sycophants deluding the monarch was an immense overvaluation. The reality was that they had to diligently lay and offer eggs every single day just to avoid having their necks wrung.

-His Majesty! His Majesty has been struck by a sword!

-What are the summoners doing! Treat him at once!

Fortunately, the suppression was successful, but the Emperor collapsed again with severe injuries. The summoners mobilized all sorts of secret elixirs and sacrificial rituals to barely mend the wounds.

-His Majesty is safe. He will soon appear before you again in robust health, so please wait a little longer.

-Lord Alzhar. I distinctly heard a sword pierced His Majesty's chest...

The gathered nobles trailed off with sullen expressions.

Unlike priests who bestow divine miracles, summoners heal wounds by sacrificing other lives. This was essentially a trade. Exchanging flesh with otherworldly entities.

Given that the Emperor's life was critically on the line right now, it couldn't be helped, but the nobles were terrified that they might be sympathizing with heresy.

"Whatever the method, it is fine. Raise His Majesty as quickly as possible."

"I will do my best."

While Alzhar was sweating profusely in front of the loyal subjects, a heated debate was taking place inside the Emperor's tent.

"It seems he has already developed a tolerance to the sleeping pills we used. We must use a stronger sedative."

"If it's a stronger sedative, there's only Eternal Slumber Herb, isn't there?"

Eternal Slumber Herb is a near-poison with a 10% fatality rate. It is mainly used to put monsters to sleep.

"Do you want 100%? Or do you want 10%?"

"What do you mean by that?"

At the mage's question, the summoner smiled sorrowfully.

"Anyway, when His Majesty wakes up, we will 100% die."

In fact, Alzhar was lying to the nobles. While he blabbered outside about raising the Emperor, in reality, they were continuously putting the Emperor to sleep using powerful magic and sedatives.

The reason is simple. Because right now, the Emperor's body was not the Emperor's.

-These insolent infidels!

When the rebel knights stormed in during the worship service, the Emperor was furious.

-Your Majesty. Please surrender quietly. Then we swear to guarantee your safety.

The Emperor, who lost his reason due to overwhelming rage, staggered for a moment and grabbed his face.

-⬛⬛⬛⬛. ⬛⬛⬛.

-Your Majesty?

And the muttering that came out was not of this world's language.

A moment later, when the Emperor removed his hands, the rebel knights were rendered speechless. Although it was undoubtedly the face of their liege they had seen countless times, a completely different person was glaring at them.

The breath of the Emperor, muttering in an unknown language, smelled of brimstone. From his eyes leaked an orange light brighter than a candle, yet infinitely ominous.

-The people are yearning for me.

Everyone present intuitively realized that the people the Emperor spoke of were not them.

-No matter how many stones you pile up, you will not prevent our reunion. I shall reward that loyalty with a holy communion.

The voice was the Emperor's, but the intonation was different. A few minutes later, all the knights who had staged the rebellion were corpses.

As if recalling the memory of that time, all the summoners in the tent hardened their faces.

"Let's just kill the Emperor."

A certain summoner with a vicious face spoke.

"Are you joking? You want us to assassinate the Emperor?"

"The name 'summoner' carries a duty. We are the lighthouse keepers of the world. The ones who face the approaching black tidal wave earlier than anyone else."

The noble summoner calmly continued speaking in front of the appalled mages.

"If we destroy the Emperor's body now, whatever is dwelling inside it will also be banished to the other side of the world. Didn't you all see the 'entity that moved the Emperor' in the chapel? That is absolutely not an entity friendly to our world."

"Just in case you forgot, if the Emperor dies, our lives are forfeit too."

"..."

"You're insane."

There's a reason the public image of summoners is good. Unlike mages who are strictly individualistic, some summoners truly tried to rectify the situation at the risk of their lives.

"You can do what you want with your own lives, but don't try to drag my life down with you."

"I have to live too. I have a wife and children."

Mages and summoners who prioritized their lives blocked the path to the Emperor, their eyes glinting with murderous intent. Although they were more numerous, they were also the ones more tense.

There is no one in the world scarier than a summoner resolved to die.

"Friend of the abyss who has been with me for 40 years. I offer you every single piece of my flesh, so leave me only my free soul."

[...I accept the contract. I will remember you, Summoner.]

The brazier placed in the center of the spacious tent began to burn several times more fiercely. Everyone here sensed the intense mystery gathering within it.

"Damn it! Move the Emperor out of the ten..."

"Guaaaagh!"

Thus, a massacre ensued inside the Emperor's tent.

* * *

"Outpost ahead!"

"It's empty! No movement is seen!"

The Allied fOrces advanced without facing even minor interference. Everyone knew the tide of the war had tilted too far. With even great lords like Viscount Mikhail fleeing, there were no mercenaries who would stand against the Allied fOrces' massive army.

At every mealtime, Duke Leray gathered the nobles and briefed them on the locations of the allied and enemy fOrces. Befitting a commander as crazy about logistics as Eugene, he always offered a tribute to the food.

"I thank the Count for preparing fresh and delicious meals every time. No matter how advantageous the situation, if it weren't for the Count's logistics, the army's morale wouldn't be this high."

"You flatter me."

The Duke held a sandwich in his hand. It's a delicacy with bacon, cheese, and fresh vegetables between fried bread. The other nobles also held a sandwich each. It was a scenery ill-fitting the era, but common since Eugene took charge of the meal provision.

"I confirmed from the intelligence that just arrived. It is certain that Gaius's main fOrce is not heading to Syble."

Syble is a large city directly governed by the Aureus family. It possessed a population and resources considered among the best in Roman.

It was also the driving fOrce that allowed Gaius to hold out even after Damian, who occupied the capital, declared himself King. Because the family's direct territories were still under the control of the direct bloodline, Gaius.

-He is truly persistent even in this situation.

-That is the power of bloodline and history. The only way to sever Gaius from his family is through death.

Eugene sighed, recalling his conversation with Valda.

"That's a relief. If he holed up in Syble and held out, it would have been annoying."

"It's understandable that his subordinate nobles rose up. Right now, holding out in the direct territory would be the best move, yet he is acting in an absurd direction."

The Allied nobles were relieved. Syble wasn't a place with great defense, but it was a large city nonetheless. If they attacked, significant casualties would occur on their side as well.

"Then where are those guys going?"

"Looking at the route, there is a high probability it's the Onkalo Monastery."

"...Why there?"

At the completely unexpected location, the nobles blinked their eyes.

"It's a place I've never heard of, what kind of place is it?"

Eugene, who wasn't familiar with Roman's geography, asked.

"It is the largest monastery in the central region. It doesn't have much contact with Gaius. Because they don't accept laypeople there. They supply hands by adopting children from orphanages. To join the order, one must sever ties with the secular world."

"It feels similar to the Rasta Monastery."

"You observed accurately. The Onkalo Monastery also seals a dungeon. They don't run it closed-off for no reason."

Marbas, who was attending as an advisor summoner, gave Eugene a glance. Eugene also nodded.

'That bastard Gaius. Did he really sell off his soul?'

Eugene proposed to the Allied nobles to further increase the marching speed.

"We are moving quite fast even now. If we increase the speed more here, there will be stragglers among the infantry."

Duke Leray expressed reluctance as the representative, but Eugene pushed strongly.

"The enemies have neither the army nor the morale to ambush us anyway. Even if there are stragglers, we can just tell them to follow slowly."

It was a somewhat ignorant opinion, but the situation was so advantageous that they couldn't really refute it.

"Gaius is someone who has fallen into suspicious magic and rituals. As everyone saw during the river crossing operation, he also commands several competent summoners. Assume that the charges of pagan worship raised by the capital's nobles are true."

When other nobles said it, the reaction was 'Ah, let's keep it moderate!', but when Eugene spoke, the nobles listened carefully.

"If Gaius has truly fallen into heretical faith, it's not something to be taken lightly."

"Since the mages and summoners who will support him are also with him, something big might happen..."

"But things like this are unprecedented so far."

The nobles also slowly felt anxious, but the majority opinion was still close to 'No way'.

"Devout gentlemen. Please listen to the words of this old priest."

However, when Bishop Patricio joined in and earnestly persuaded them, they eventually agreed to increase the marching speed.

* * *

Thus, the Allied fOrces caught up with Gaius's main fOrce while generating several stragglers.

"Fight bravely!"

A fierce battle was already taking place there.

"Those bastards can read human facial expressions! Never show a terrified face!"

"Being afraid is the same as throwing food to the enemies!"

The central knights wielded their blood-soaked swords and encouraged the mercenaries.

In front of them were monsters with skull-like faces, malicious red eyes, black horns, and lifeless gray skin. Their size was around the level of an ordinary male, but they were armed with sharp teeth, claws, and weapons collected from corpses.

"Lord. Aren't those the monsters that filled the Moving Castle?"

"What did you say their name was, Im..."

Rex and Rampage recalled the battle from the Moving Castle purification operation.

"It's a demon called Imp. The vanguard of hell. The ones we saw last time were wights, but this time they are vividly alive."

Unlike Eugene's subordinates who maintained their composure, the Allied nobles were all deeply shocked.

"Oh my god..."

"The capital nobles were right! His Excellency the Count was also right!"

The roars of the demons and the screams of the Imperial army intertwining from everywhere.

"We must help them right now! The civil war is over now! All humans stand on the same side, and the only enemies are the monsters!"

The monks under Bishop Patricio spoke passionately with faces bordering on madness. Most of the Allied knights had also drawn their swords.

If it were monsters like Goblins, Orcs, or Trolls causing a mess there, they would have watched. Because it was a good opportunity to reap the benefits of the clash.

But the opponent is demons. Monsters are ultimately just beasts. They do not covet anything more than meat from humans. However, demons want everything that makes humans human. Flesh, oaths, morality, and even souls.

Meanwhile, the Imperial faction army was so frantic that they didn't even notice the Allied fOrces had reached a stone's throw away.

"Maintain formation! The enemies are fierce but unarmored. WhAAether it's a sword or a spear, if you thrust, it will stick right in!"

Everywhere, commanders kept the fleeing soldiers in check. At the same time, they cursed the ones presumed to be the culprits of this disaster.

"Alzhar, you son of a bitch! Do you think you can keep your life after committing such a wicked act?!"

"It's an absurd false accusation! I didn't summon these monsters!"

Alzhar felt wronged. While he was busy dealing with the nobles and knights, an explosion occurred in the Emperor's tent, and the monsters of hell poured out.

"Then who summoned them?"

"That is the entity that took over His Majesty's body..."

"You basteeeerd! You're selling out His Majesty to save your own dirty life?!"

"No, fuck!"

Alzhar, who had been worked like a dog just to stay alive, was on the verge of jumping mad. However, the nobles were united. It seemed they were itching to somehow put Alzhar on the stake.

The reason they were leaving Alzhar alone right now was because the power of the summoners was desperately needed against the demon army.

"Lord Alzhar! The rifts are all closed! We just need to wipe out the demons that have come out now and it's over!"

The shout of a certain summoner bleeding profusely from his nose gave hope to the struggling Imperial army.

"Support us immediately!"

"We're on the verge of being breached here too!"

There was no place where the knights didn't request support. Alzhar ran to the place that looked the most serious among them.

"Rise!"

Summoning magic activated from the ground Alzhar pointed at with both hands.

Bulge!

"⬛⬛?"

"Uwaaak!"

The imps and the Imperial army who were fighting desperately suddenly lost their balance and fell on the shaking ground. But a slight rise in the ground was all.

"...Is this all?"

The fighting knights looked at Alzhar with bewildered faces, but he had no energy to answer as he focused on the summoning.

"Rise! Rise even greater!"

As he activated the summoning magic again, the ground shot up rapidly and took the shape of a human.

"Golem!"

"Amazing! Summoner!"

He wanted to spit on the nobles who changed their stance in an instant, but it was not the time. It was a time to plant a positive image somehow.

As the 4m clay golem made of mud stood at the vanguard, the mercenaries and knights in the area roared.

"Kieeek-!"

"Kyareuk-!"

The imps rushed in screaming, but there was nothing they could do with their teeth and claws.

"Kehek-!"

"Kellok! Kellok!"

They only produced a comical scene of coughing after getting mud caught in their throats from biting. A huge shadow fell over their heads.

The clay golem raised both hands, clasped them, and smashed them down. Befitting an entity made of mud, the two fists merged into one and turned into a giant hammer.

Thump!

Three imps battered by the overwhelming mass were smashed to pieces.

"Uwaaaah!"

The Imperial army, their morale boosted, cheered hotly.

Hwooooosh!

The golem clapped its hands towards the demons rushing in angrily.

Bang!

The moment its hands collided, it exploded, and mud rained down everywhere like rain. It stuck to the demons' limbs, making their movements extremely slow.

"Our summoner has sealed the movements of the wicked demons! Annihilate them!"

The spears and swords of the mercenaries ended the lives of the flailing imps.

* * *

While the Allied fOrces finished preparing for their charge, Eugene watched the battlefield with his aides.

"Lord Marbas was right. They are holding out better than I thought."

"It's an elite army encompassing not only the royal guards but also the Emperor's direct fOrces, summoners, and mages. They should be able to handle that number of demons."

Valda, who was observing with interest, hugged Eugene's arm and pointed to a spot.

"Look over there. It's someone who explores the mystery of the forest like me."

In the Imperial army's front line, a certain summoner was reciting an incantation while placing down seeds.

"What kind of seed is that big? It looks about the size of a human head."

"It must be something the summoner created through alchemy. Unlike me, that person seems to handle the mystery of plants themselves fighting."

It was exactly as Valda said. The seed that fell to the ground grew at an incredible speed and became a plant seemingly twice the size of a grown man.

Several flower buds hung over thick stems like a hydra, filled with teeth resembling a shark's. Its appearance, looking exactly like a man-eating plant, was not just for show.

Flower buds extending long from behind the fiercely fighting front line smashed down on the imps like a bombardment.

Snap!

Gulp!

The flower bud that bit half an imp with its giant mouth retreated. The soldier who had been fighting the imp had a dumbfounded expression.

Snap!

Snap!

Snap!

Likewise, the imps fighting in the front line all had their upper bodies bitten off and disappeared into the air. A knight yelled at the soldiers who were terrified by the bizarre plant they saw for the first time.

"Everyone look ahead!"

"B-But the monster..."

"It is a monster, but it's our monster!"

Eugene, who was watching, asked.

"Can Lady Valda make something like that too?"

"That is an otherworldly creature descended using a seed as a medium. It's a secret art only a summoner can perform."

Meanwhile, the Allied fOrces finished their charge preparations.

"Put aside your grudge against Gaius's army for a moment! Right now, focus on annihilating the common enemy! If there is anyone who attacks a fellow human taking advantage of the melee, I will surely punish them!"

At Eugene's voice standing at the vanguard holding a giant axe, the knights responded earnestly. Facing a battle against true evil, everyone made the sign of the cross and prayed.

"Commence attack!"

"Mitra! Grant me strength!"

"In the name of Banas!"

The sound of hooves shaking the earth. Both the Imperial army and the demons temporarily ceased their battle. The former had joy on their faces for the first time, and the latter sniffed the air at the smell of new flesh.

The heavy cavalry, much heavier than ordinary heavy cavalry, crushed every imp blocking their path.

Several were pierced by the Dwarves' two-handed lances and became corpses, and the teeth and claws that barely reached all broke against Vertigo's carapace.

The Allied knights dug into the rift opened like that and engaged in a swordfight. Thanks to the firing of the horse archers spread widely to the left and right, the demons were hanging onto one or two arrows.

The demons were swept away like autumn leaves, unbefitting their terrifying appearance.

"Were we going to fight these guys?"

The testicles of the Imperial mercenaries shrank at the tsunami-like charge. Half of their gazes were definitely drawn to Eugene.

Swaaaaak!

When he swung the giant axe a few times, a clearing was created as the severed limbs of imps poured down. Eugene roamed the battlefield, providing space for the Allied knights to run wild.

When moving locations, Might kicked off the ground as if flying.

Crunch!

The imp at the landing spot became flat as if hit by falling rocks.

Keureung-!

Might seemed to like the sensation felt from his hooves.

By the time the demons were almost annihilated, Eugene stood in front of the summoner exuding the strongest mystery. It was Alzhar.

Beside him was the clay golem, which had shrunk to half its original size as the battle progressed. Having exhausted most of its mana, it had almost no movement.

"Where is Gaius?"

"H-His Majesty is..."

"His?"

"His Highness is..."

"Is there a co-king system in Roman?"

Alzhar hiccuped in front of Eugene and Might, who had bathed in blood. The axe blade that had cleaved the flesh and bones of countless demons. Because he felt it gulping down its saliva at his soul as a summoner.

"Should I just call him Gaius?"

Alzhar clasped his hands togAAether and smiled foolishly. It was a textbook posture of a sycophant.

Bzzzzt.

The clay golem behind Alzhar also took the same posture, reacting to the intense emotion of its summoner.

The knights and mercenaries from all sides roared in victory. Contrary to Eugene's worries, right now, the Imperial faction and the Allied fOrces seemed to have become one mind without distinction.

"..."

"What should we do now?"

"Even if you ask me..."

Only the exhausted summoners and mages were extremely tense and reading the room. Some, who had collapsed out of exhaustion, were even trying to crawl on all fours to hide under the collapsed tents.